Saisoku de Kieryuu was attacking the royal capital. The buildings of the city crumbled one after another under the power of the Lightning Emperor, leaving countless lives lost to the merciless strikes of lightning.
As the destruction unfolded, it was only a matter of time before the devastation would spread beyond the capital. If that happened, this kingdom would be finished… Orokani Kuso realized he had to do something.
“Lord Saisoku de Kieryuu!”
Orokani Kuso knelt down, bowing his head in submission.
“Ugh, a dogeza? How pathetic…” a voice muttered nearby, but he ignored it, focusing instead on his desperate plea.
“Please! Will you cease your rampage in this kingdom?!”
He pressed his forehead to the ground, attempting to persuade the demon lord.
“If you agree to stop your destruction, I will provide you with whatever you desire!”
Seeing Orokani Kuso’s desperate demeanor seemed to satisfy Saisoku de Kieryuu’s pride.
“Very well.”
“Really?!”
Joy surged within Orokani Kuso. If he could just get the demons to leave this kingdom, that would be enough. As long as the kingdom remained intact, he was willing to do anything. Losing the land he was meant to govern would be the worst possible outcome.
“What shall I prepare for you?!”
Saisoku de Kieryuu replied, “Humans. I prefer women and children.”
Humans, huh…
(Perfect! We have plenty of female and child slaves! If I can just give them to the demons, they might stop their rampage!)
“I understand! I will prepare women and children at once!”
However, the citizens who witnessed this exchange began to react.
“Hey! Are you serious?!”
Anger flashed across their faces as they turned on Orokani Kuso.
“You want to sacrifice the citizens just to save yourself?!”
It seemed the citizens interpreted the situation this way.
“How dare you! Is the kingdom really that important to you?! Selling out your own people is the lowest of the low!”
Orokani Kuso gritted his teeth in frustration.
“Shut up, you fools! This is a crucial negotiation!”
Unfortunately, his intentions were lost on the citizens.
“You scum! Selling out your own people! Bowing to demons! How dare you, you traitor!”
Meanwhile, Saisoku de Kieryuu glanced at the girl standing beside Orokani Kuso.
“Hey, you there.”
“Me?” Kogomi pointed to herself.
“Yes, you. Come here. You look like a tasty morsel.”
It seemed the demon lord had taken an interest in Kogomi.
(Great! Losing this worthless girl won’t hurt at all! If I can offer her to the demons, I won’t have to sell any slaves…)
“No way! Why should I listen to a lizard like you?!”
“Foolish girl!” Orokani Kuso shouted, striking Kogomi on the head. “The demon lord desires you! Go!”
“I said no, didn’t I?!”
“Be willing to sacrifice yourself for the sake of this kingdom! The only thing a useless Saint like you can do is become a sacrifice!”
“How cruel!”
As their argument escalated…
“Enough. You liar.”
Saisoku de Kieryuu seemed to lose patience. With a furious roar, he soared high into the sky.
“W-Wait! Where are you going?!”
“If you cannot prepare women and children, then I have no need for this kingdom! I will obliterate it with the full power of the Lightning Emperor!”
A chill ran down Orokani Kuso’s spine.
“W-Wait! When you say the entire kingdom…”
“Literally! From this royal capital to the Frontier Town, all of it!”
Before Orokani Kuso could respond, the demon vanished from sight. The citizens, witnessing this exchange, began to panic.
“It’s over… Run! We have to escape!”
“Where can we run to?! The entire kingdom will be obliterated!”
The citizens were either in a state of panic or despair. Kogomi cried out, “I-I don’t want to die! Noooooo!”
She fell to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. The Saint was utterly useless.
Mika was nowhere to be found.
“Ha… it’s all over…”
Tears streamed down Orokani Kuso’s face as he stared blankly at the sky. A massive dark cloud began to envelop the heavens.
“Lightning Emperor! Consume my magic power! Transform into a thousand bolts of lightning to annihilate this kingdom!”
The thunder rumbled ominously from beyond the clouds.
A thousand bolts… One strike alone could unleash unimaginable power. And now, a thousand were coming.
It was truly the end.
“God…”
A child nearby knelt down, praying fervently.
“That won’t help, you know…”
Orokani Kuso wept. It was his fault that this kingdom was doomed.
He would be remembered in history as the foolish prince who brought ruin upon his land.
“God… Please… Great God… save us…”
In the end, the citizens turned to the divine for help. With a royal family like this, it was no wonder.
“There is no God… praying is pointless…”
Orokani Kuso cried out, and the storm clouds charged with lightning energy.
“Ha ha ha! Behold! My evolved power!”
A colossal storm cloud loomed over the entire kingdom. Yes, the entire land.
This royal capital, and even the Dead End at the farthest reaches, would be engulfed by the dark clouds.
“Behold! The Lightning Emperor’s Thousand Strikes!”
A thousand bolts of lightning rained down upon the Gata Niiga Kingdom.
Zugagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagaga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