The Demon Lord stirred from his slumber, his eyes scanning the room as he adjusted to the light. Before him, the three Great Generals—Blaze, Doom, and Malphas—were already kneeling in submission.

  "Hmph. Seeing you three here suggests the kingdom hasn't crumbled yet," the Demon Lord muttered, his voice raspy from sleep. "Now, report. What is the status of the mission?"

  Blaze cleared his throat, his expression tense. "My Lord, the mission…"

  "Forgive the interruption, Sire," Malphas, acting as the royal butler, cut in smoothly. "But it is advised that a demon of your stature consumes something fresh and healthy immediately upon waking. It is also best to clear the mind before diving into the stresses of state affairs."

  The Demon Lord clenched his fist, his eyes narrowing. Something is off. They’re stalling. He took a deep breath, forcing his heart rate to steady. Stay calm. The worst blunders are born of hot-headedness.

  "Fine," he said, his voice deceptively cool. "Let’s move."

  The Hall of Silence

  As he followed Malphas to the dining hall, the Demon Lord kept a sharp eye on his surroundings. The guards stood at their posts exactly as they had before he slept. At least there is no chaos in the capital, he thought. If the assassination failed, it hasn't sparked a counter-invasion yet. But where is the Princess of Darkness?

  They reached the dining room, where Luna appeared, looking uncharacteristically frazzled.

  "My Lord, I have prepared something special for your return," she said, presenting a dish. "A Red Dragon’s heart."

  "It looks... cunning," the Demon Lord remarked. He took a bite, but his focus was entirely on Luna. She was sweating. The mission failed. Definitely. Yet, the air in the castle remained quiet. He chewed slowly, a dark smile playing on his lips. This is getting interesting.

  The Weight of Power

  Suddenly, the Demon Lord stood up. The atmosphere shattered. His aura flared, turning the very air into lead. The gravity in the room spiked so violently that the guards slammed into the floor, unable to maintain their posture. Even the Generals struggled to stay upright.

  He drained his glass of juice in a single gulp and shattered it against the ground.

  "Enough with the 'mental peace,'" he roared, his voice echoing like thunder. "Tell me about the mission. Now."

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  The room fell into a terrified silence. Luna stepped forward, her voice trembling. "Actually, Lord... the mission... it was an utter failure."

  "It was more than a failure!" Blaze interrupted, casting a death glare at Luna. The air between the two generals turned murderous; the guards whispered amongst themselves, wondering if the Demon Lord would execute Luna, or if Luna would kill Blaze first.

  The Demon Lord stepped toward Luna, his shadow looming over her. "How did it fail? And more importantly... what did you do in the aftermath?"

  The Oracle’s Report

  Luna kept her eyes fixed on the floor. "There was a Demon Slayer in the town—a specialist in Light Magic. I assigned Pele to eliminate him swiftly. She crafted a weapon using a complex Almamy (Alchemy/Magic hybrid). It was designed for an instant kill upon contact, vanishing immediately after to leave no evidence."

  She swallowed hard. "But as the weapon reached the village, it simply... vanished. The target was found alive the next day. I confirmed this through my student, the Oracle Lady."

  (In the background, we see the Oracle Lady—the shopkeeper who met Meena—closing her shop in a rush. Having once been a goddess before turning to the demon side, she was a frantic but reliable source. After taking a tip, she had fled the scene to report.)

  "Furious!" the Demon Lord shouted, his confusion mounting. "Contact Pele. Now! I want to hear this from her own mouth."

  The Crystal Ball Incident

  Using a massive scrying crystal, they linked to the portable unit Pele carried. The image flickered to life.

  Pele was lounging in a chair, casually clipping her fingernails. She mumbled to herself, unaware the connection was live: "Well, life is peaceful and boring. Let’s take a look at the Lord while he’s still sleeping. I bet he looks so cute when he’s—"

  "PELE!" the Demon Lord screamed, his face turning a bright, embarrassed red.

  Pele jumped, nearly dropping her nail clippers. "Lo-Lo-Lord! I—I was talking about your... your majestic corpse, Sire! Please believe me!"

  The Demon Lord’s teeth gritted. "So, let me guess. You built a weapon to kill the Hero, it disappeared, and you didn't even bother to check? You assumed he was dead and spent your 'precious' time spying on my sleeping face?"

  Pele shook her head frantically, her eyes welling with tears.

  "I am confiscating your projects," the Demon Lord barked. "And I want a detailed, thousand-page explanation on that weapon's failure by tomorrow."

  "A thousand?!" Pele shrieked.

  "Are you questioning me?" he glared. She instantly lowered her head, sobbing quietly. "Good."

  The Shadow of the Dracula

  The Demon Lord returned to his throne, his expression grim. "Malphas, status of the kingdom. Now."

  "Sire," Malphas reported, "there is no external conflict. Oddly, the Holy Kingdom seems unaware that a Hero even exists. It appears the Hero is hiding his own presence."

  "Or something is hiding it for him," the Demon Lord mused. "That disappearing weapon... it’s strange."

  "There is more," Malphas whispered, leaning in. "A new dungeon has appeared near the Hero’s village. My research confirms a Dracula resides within."

  The Demon Lord stood up in shock. "A Dracula? Here?"

  "Shhh," Malphas urged, placing a finger to his lips. "The others don't know. I observed him brainwashing humans to build an army, but then, for no reason, he released them all and vanished. I searched down to the tenth floor; the Boss was still there, but the Dracula was gone. He disappeared just like Pele’s weapon."

  The Demon Lord sighed, sinking back into his throne. "Teleportation? Or something worse? We wait for Pele’s technical report. In the meantime, send assassins—not to kill, but to observe. If the Hero kills them, then we know."

  "And if he doesn't, Sire?"

  "Then we launch a full-scale invasion of the human region. We cannot let this power grow."

  The Rogue Mission

  Meanwhile, in the laboratory, Pele was scribbling furiously. Luna entered the room. "Are you finished yet?"

  "I’ve done some," Pele said, shoving a stack of papers at her. "Take these. I’m leaving."

  "Leaving? Are you crazy?" Luna crossed her arms. "I'm not doing your punishment work!"

  Pele leaned in close, her eyes cold. "This was your mission from the start, Luna. Just because a Slayer appeared doesn't mean you're off the hook."

  Luna winced, feeling the sting of guilt. "Fine... I’ll finish the report. But where are you going?"

  "To assassinate the Hero myself," Pele whispered.

  "Without permission? If the Lord finds out, he'll erase you!"

  "I have a plan," Pele said, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and determination. "I will hide in a cave near the village. I’ll use my magic to drop the temperature so low that everyone—including the Hero—freezes to death. I’ll stay far enough away that he can’t detect me."

  Luna hugged Pele, tears in her eyes. "Take care of yourself."

  Without another word, Pele vanished into the night, heading toward the village.