At the same time, Wargon's roar echoed across the ruined plain like an explosion.

His rage was so dense that it made the air tremble. His eyes were red, not from wounds, but from humiliation.

The more he thought about it, the more his anger and shame grew. His eyes were bloodshot, and with every part of his being he wanted to tear that human apart with his own hands.

No… tearing him apart was not enough. He wanted to inflict every possible form of torture on that human and on those closest to him, and then kill all of them in the most brutal way imaginable.

Only something like that could calm his rage.

He swept his gaze across the battlefield; demon corpses were scattered everywhere.

Not just ordinary soldiers, but elites, field commanders, and A-rank demons that took years to cultivate.

Demons did not have endless numbers like humans. Every demon was an investment. And here… an entire generation had been wiped out.

A battalion and a large elite force, all under his direct control, had been completely destroyed. If news of this spread, his reputation across the entire Demon Continent would be ruined.

He might even lose his position as a prince.

If he were to lose his position as a prince, he would be exiled from the royal family and might even be forced to start from the very bottom of the power hierarchy of the Demon Continent.

That was worse than death. He would rather die and be executed than endure such humiliation.

However, this was the worst-case scenario. Considering his combat strength and the fact that he was the son of the Demon King, it was unlikely that he would receive such a punishment.

Most likely, he would only be forced to spend some time in exile.

Not only had they failed to capture that human, not only had the Crown Prince's plan collapsed, but this defeat had not happened quietly.

Wargon clenched his teeth. This had to be reported immediately. Only then might he be able to save himself from the worst punishment.

He leaped.

The ground beneath him exploded as his massive body shot into the sky like a missile breaking free from gravity's chains.

Before leaving, he grabbed the carriage and pulled out the human bound by divine power. The boy's body was not lifeless, but calm and silent. Wargon tucked him under his arm and ascended at inhuman speed.

At least they had secured this human, and he was still alive.

The sky seemed to split open.

A journey that would normally take hours was completed in just a few minutes. Layers of clouds parted, and the massive walls of the demon base came into view.

On top of the walls, demon soldiers panicked. Something terrifyingly fast was approaching. But before they could sound the alarm, they felt it, a familiar bloodline suppression and aura.

It was one of their own.

Without slowing down, Wargon entered the base. The pressure wave threw the guards backward. He headed straight for the central fortress, where the Crown Prince resided.

The massive doors of the hall burst open.

The Crown Prince sat on his magnificent throne. Calm. Emotionless.

Zalkareth stood beside him, seemingly in the middle of giving a report.

Zalkareth frowned when he saw Wargon. His appearance, blood, wounds, and exposed rage, clearly screamed bad news. Ignoring the fact that he had entered without permission, Zalkareth asked,

"What happened?"

The Crown Prince merely cast a brief glance at his brother. It was as if he already knew. With a single look, it was obvious that this fool had failed the mission he was given.

Wargon took a deep breath and summarized everything. How the human who had taken over Orsius's body had crushed the army on his own. How, in the end, he detonated the body and, before disappearing, said: this isn't over.

He also mentioned that the human had been searching for the address of that place, and that he was one of the humans sent by the Wanderers.

Silence.

Zalkareth's eyes darkened. This failure… even for him, it was heavy.

"So you couldn't capture him?" His voice was cold and sharp.

"Do you understand what this means? All of our plans are ruined. Now we don't even have the excuse we need for a full-scale invasion."

Wargon said nothing and lowered his head. He was fully aware of how bad the situation was and of his mistake. He knew punishment was unavoidable. He could only hope that the worst would not happen.

The Crown Prince's gaze slid over him. An invisible pressure filled the space. Wargon trembled for a moment.

Then the Crown Prince looked at the human Wargon had brought with him.

"Is this him?"

"Yes. Exactly what you wanted." Wargon nodded.

The Crown Prince nodded calmly, then looked at Zalkareth.

"So now we can open that place, right?"

"Yes… we should be able to. But what about this failure?" Zalkareth paused for a moment and said.

They had invested a great deal into this plan. Failure could cost them dearly and even damage the Crown Prince's reputation.

The Crown Prince did not even blink.

"It doesn't matter."

His voice was indifferent, as if he were talking about the weather.

"In the end, we achieved our goal. The assassins sent by the Wanderers killed one of the Demon King's children."

Zalkareth and Wargon both froze.

"…What? But that human only killed Orsius. Not one of my brothers or sisters." Wargon raised his head.

A moment of silence.

And then… Zalkareth's eyes lit up.

He understood.

The Crown Prince raised his hand.

There was no scream and no chance to react.

Pure demonic power erupted, cold, absolute, and destructive. Wargon never even understood what happened. His body turned to ash in an instant, and the particles scattered into the air.

A commander and a brother, ended just like that.

"Ah… was that really necessary?" Zalkareth sighed, looking at the empty space where Wargon had been.

The Crown Prince did not reply. He only looked at the chained human.

And a very faint, very dangerous smile appeared on his lips.

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