All the demons instantly recognized the white husky—this was none other than Kei's mount and little brother, Ha.
And where Ha was… Kei could never be far behind.
Which meant—Kei was already inside the palace!
The moment the Little Prince realized the subtle shift in the expressions of the crowd, he knew things were slipping out of control.
But now that the arrow had been nocked—there was no turning back.
"Attack! Kill everyone in the palace!"
He barked the order. If they charged fast enough and took over in one blow, no one could stop the rebellion from happening.
Thousands of his personal troops surged toward the city—but the rest of the 100,000-strong army stood still, watching.
The Little Prince's sense of dread intensified.
Then he saw him.
Standing atop the palace wall, Kei raised a hand and casually waved at him before glancing down at the crowd below.
"It's late. What exactly are you all trying to do?"
Kei's voice rippled out with Ripple Point Acupuncture, instantly freezing those demons mid-charge.
Their bodies stopped—acupuncture points locked down by sheer technique.
He leapt down from the wall, landing smoothly.
Ha spat out the bone in his mouth and caught up to Kei, sticking close.
Step by step, Kei approached the rebel army, stopping ten meters from the Little Prince.
"I said… what are you all trying to do this late at night?"
"Kill him!!"
The Little Prince roared in rage.
But no one moved.
Everyone's attention was on Kei.
"You dare disobey me?! I'm your leader!"
He shouted, but it was clear now: his command held no weight.
"Stop yelling. You think you're their leader… but they clearly don't agree."
Kei turned to one of the demons beside the Little Prince—a muscular figure with a broadsword.
"I remember you. You're from the border city, right? You helped me out back when I treated your people."
The demon's savage aura faded instantly. He looked at Kei with heartfelt joy.
"You remember me, Divine Doctor! I'm so honored!"
"You were the first people I met when I entered the Southern Kingdom. I remember how hard life was for you. Surviving was a struggle."
"You've already gone through so much—no need to die for this."
Kei's tone was calm, not a hint of aggression. It was as if he were just chatting with old friends.
The demon looked between the furious Little Prince and the peaceful Kei.
"We're not ungrateful! You saved our entire city, and we swore we'd give our lives for you!"
"Brothers! Stand with the Divine Doctor! Protect the city!"
One-tenth of the army instantly turned, standing behind Kei. A clear divide formed.
The Little Prince shouted himself hoarse, but no one followed.
Kei turned to the Southern Barbarian King next.
"I remember you said you'd rebel once… then you changed your mind and wanted to challenge the Poison King directly."
The king nodded.
"I remember your words well: 'Schemes are meaningless. True authority comes from strength and spirit.' I came just to watch the show—but now that you're here, I'll fight with you, Bandit King."
With a wave of his hand, thousands of elite barbarian warriors moved behind Kei.
They might have been few, but their strength equaled tens of thousands.
"When this is over, let's share a drink," Kei smiled.
Then he turned his eyes on the Little Prince—his gaze saying plainly:
What right do you have to stand before me and make demands?
The Prince took a few steps forward, rage bubbling into murderous intent.
"You three—Barkfang, Ironhorn, Wildclaw! You're demons! How can you follow this human?! I'm of royal blood!"
He tried to sway the three biggest clans—the core of his force.
But—
"Apologies, Little Prince. If it's between you and the Human Demon King—we choose him."
"You've never seen his strength… or his spirit. He's simply beyond your reach."
"You should surrender now. At least that way, you'll live."
Their words made his world crumble.
One by one, clans and families defected. Thousands upon thousands stood behind Kei.
The tide had turned completely.
"You…!"
The Little Prince couldn't believe it.
Even those he trusted most betrayed him.
Kei stepped forward, dispersing the acupuncture point lock on his men.
He raised a pebble, crushed it to dust with his fingers.
"Taking your lives is as easy as this."
"But I don't like needless killing."
"You have two choices: stand behind me… or die where you stand."
The pressure was unbearable.
The lead warrior of one faction stepped forward.
"…We surrender."
He turned to his people.
"Stand with the Divine Doctor. He keeps his word. He won't go back on this."
The warrior stepped behind the Little Prince—not to fight with him, but to bear the consequences alone. He would die for his choice.
But his people… they would live.
"You're lucky to have such a loyal man," Kei said. "So, what about the rest of you?"
"We want our boss to live!"
His subordinates shouted in unison.
"Then knock him out and take him away."
"C-Can we really do that?!"
"I said you could."
Overjoyed, they rushed in and tied up their leader.
"Let me go! I was promoted by the Prince himself! I won't abandon him!"
"Shut him up!"
"Let me go! This is betrayal!"
They looked to Kei and explained:
"He's not one of them, sir. He's just loyal to a fault."
"I understand. Take him away."
Kneeling, they saluted Kei and carried their boss off.
The rest of the demons began to waver.
"If they're forgiven, we probably will be too, right?"
"Of course! The Divine Doctor never goes back on his word!"
Kei's years of kindness now bore fruit—trust turned into complete allegiance.
The rest of the rebels surrendered.
Now, only the Little Prince stood alone.
"What now?" Kei asked.
"…You win."
"You really are something else!"
"But you got careless. You shouldn't have gotten this close. As long as I kill you—I still win!"
The Prince had crept within ten paces. Now he erupted, his poison arts surging in an all-out ambush!
ROAR!!
A dragon made of pure hunger burst into the sky. The Dragon of Appetite formed from the will and energy of all who followed Kei.
It absorbed their loyalty, their spirit—and evolved.
From a beast of hunger…
To a true king.
Its roar shattered the night.
And the Little Prince—collapsed.
He found himself kneeling.
Looking up at Kei, he felt like an insect facing a mountain.
His soul trembled.
He couldn't stand.
He couldn't breathe.
He couldn't fight.
"You lost, child."
Poison Old Man appeared, having witnessed everything.
"You even failed to stand before him."
"You tried scheming. But he walked into an army alone, without fear. That's why you lost."
"If you're going to rebel, you must be ready to die."
"Father! I'm your son!"
"I already helped you by not interfering."
Poison Old Man turned to Kei.
"Do what you must."
"I don't need to. He's not worth killing," Kei replied.
"He couldn't even face me. What threat could he possibly pose?"
"I could give him ten chances, a hundred… he'd still lose."
"That's why they follow me. Because I'm strong—not because I have followers. They followed me because of that strength."
His words echoed. The crowd erupted.
"Long live the Demon King!"
"Long live the Demon King!"
The Little Prince fell silent.
He could only watch Kei's back as he walked away… and the great dragon soaring behind him.
He had lost—not just in power, but in spirit.
The Heavenly Silkworm Poison-Binding Parasite, a technique that cost him hundreds of years of lifespan, was meaningless now.
Kei had become his heart demon.
ROAR!
The dragon howled, shaking the heavens.
[You've earned the recognition of the Southern Kingdom's will. Your "Feast of Kings" has leveled up—Dominion of Kings unlocked.]
[All who feel fear toward you will be rendered incapable of resistance.]
Hearing the system's voice, Kei nodded calmly.
"Let's have a feast."
"YEAHHH!!"
The palace became a banquet hall. The rebellion was never mentioned again.
In a hidden corner, the Poison King finally removed the curse of the Silkworm Parasite.
Just as he was about to strike back—
He heard the roar.
His soul trembled.
"Who… who the hell was that?!"
Far off on the city wall, Huan Du Luolan watched the night sky, eyes shimmering.
"…Mom, why did you marry Dad if he loved you so much?"
"Because he was once the strongest warrior in the South. He once stormed Witch Emperor Mountain alone… and saved me."
"You know how dangerous that place is. So Luolan—pick someone brave for your future husband."
"Mm… if you married the South's #1 warrior… then I'll marry the world's strongest!"
Luolan looked at Kei.
And she knew—
She'd already found him.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][www.p@treon.com/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]