A stifling silence filled the hall. The leaders of the nations and their aides, and even Cadel himself, were bewildered by the suddenly heated air.

“Ku, Kunra. Do you really need to be this upset……?”

All Cadel wanted was for the summit to go smoothly so everyone could get along and prepare for the Demon War. Not to instill in people the fear of the Scarlet Dragon.

Panicking, he tugged at Kunra’s collar, but he didn’t budge. Cadel looked at the scaly armor suddenly covering his body and knew that Kunra’s viciousness was about to begin in earnest.

“What tightly sealed mouths. Those little mouths, not worth a single scale on this one’s body, and they’re tightly sealed more than they look. And that fluffy little head of yours is still standing upright. Why don’t you cut it off yourself?”

The leaders were still wondering if this insolent and arrogant being was really the Scarlet Dragon, or if it was just some madman somewhere playing the part of the Scarlet Dragon.

Kunra walked over and stood behind one of them. Trey Hembleton, Grand Duke of the Mystic Principality. He whirled around, sensing Kunra’s presence behind him, but Kunra’s hand was faster. In one swift motion, Kunra grabbed Trey by the nape of his neck, his fingertips tensing, and his nails growing and curling into claws.

“What, what is this?!”

“This body doesn’t like being yelled at. If you want to know what’s going on, ask nicely and politely.”

“What the hell is this……. Sir Cadel! Stop this insolent man at once!”

The contemplative Trey called out to Cadel, but Cadel was not of any particular significance. Kunra wasn’t even his knight in the first place.

‘I’m not sure if I’m going to start a fuse by blocking that.’

Was it really necessary to kill him? If Kunra could prove the power of the Scarlet Dragon here, Cadel could fulfill his purpose, no matter the process. For that reason, he bowed his head in embarrassment in front of Trey.

And the next moment.

“Ugh, kkyagh! Kyaahh!”

Lava-red flames erupted from Kunra’s deformed grip, and Trey’s flesh began to burn. The leaders’ faces turned blue as if they hadn’t expected Kunra to actually harm them. Trey’s aide quickly lunged at Kunra, but as soon as he touched Kunra’s body, his entire body caught fire. 

There were horrible screams and the smell of burnt flesh. The air in the room was dozens of times hotter than it had been a moment ago, and sweat poured down the bodies of those who had been overwhelmed by the heat and shock. Of all the reddened faces, the only one still standing was Cadel, clad in his scale armor.

“……Cadel.”

Derek called out to Cadel. His gaze was fixed on Trey and his aide, who were struggling desperately to escape the excruciating pain.

Was that horrific sight in Cadel’s calculations, and could he bear the consequences? Derek’s call had asked those questions, but Cadel could not answer them. He hadn’t expected Kunra to take such a radical approach.

“There is nothing to talk about with those who do not know their place. If I kill them all, there will be humans to take their place. If I can’t talk to them, I’ll kill them again. This one is unique, but aren’t humans countless? Even if I kill them endlessly, they keep coming back, and it just feels so disgusting.”

Kunra’s muffled laughter mingled grotesquely with the infernal scene. The nauseating stench of burning flesh swelled in the hot air. Cadel gagged, reflexively covering his nose and mouth.

‘Is that crazy *sshole really going to kill him?’

Things were spiraling out of control. If Lydon had been there, Cadel would have told him to use his ice mana to stop it somehow. Finally, unable to overcome his growing anxiety, Cadel took a step toward Kunra.

“I sincerely apologize for my failure to recognize the Great One.”

Danila rose from his seat and bowed politely in front of Kunra. His body was already a mess of sweat, and his burned skin was shrinking slightly.

“If we die here, the human realm will not be able to withstand the invasion of the Demon Realm. Please have mercy on us, Scarlet Dragon.”

Kunra’s grip on Trey’s throat tightened as if he would rip it out at any moment at Danila polite request. The corners of his mouth tilted upward as he studied Danila’s crown, and then he released his grip, and the flames that had consumed Trey and his aide vanished at once. So did the hot air that had enveloped the hall.

“Fortunately, there are humans who think.”

Freed from the heat, Trey and his aide flopped limply to the ground. They groaned in pain, but their bodies, which should have been charred to blackness, remained intact as if they had never been engulfed in flames. The skin of the others who had been burned had also reverted to its original color.

“Please have a seat here.”

Derek excused himself and made room for Kunra. It had been decided that his temper was so bad that he should be accommodated as much as possible.

Kunra took his seat quite confidently and sat down, crossing his legs leisurely. The atmosphere was more somber than it had been at first. No one dared to make eye contact with Kunra anymore. Kunra giggled as if he was very pleased with himself.

‘Crazy guy. Do you want to do that?’

Cadel sighed inwardly as he glanced down at the uselessly mysterious Kunra. He was just a whiny little brat in front of him, demanding to be recognized for his greatness.

Whether intentional or not, his radical methods were truly child-centered. The act of wielding the life of the leader of a country at will was certainly a courage that was difficult for anyone other than the world’s most powerful being to possess.

“Right. There is someone here who dares to doubt the information of the great magic circle because they don’t believe in this one’s abilities?”

The act of shaking and waving his hands as if he were a delinquent somewhere showed a level of violence of ‘be prepared for those who come forward.’ Seeing Kunra’s grim face with his eyes shining brightly, the conference hall had no choice but to be filled with silence once again.

* * *

Cadel’s role was to prove the existence of the great magic circle and the fact that it was a ‘Signal of the Second Demon World War’. Once the leaders accepted that fact, they didn’t need him to decide what to do next. Of course, that didn’t mean they had to leave the summit right away, but Kunra’s presence was a clear distraction, as he was always there to criticize and threaten them whenever they opened their mouths.

Therefore, as soon as Cadel had finished his role, he left the conference hall, dragging Kunra with him.

“Is that what happens to people who live long enough?”

Back in the room, Cadel stretched out on the chair like soaked laundry. Even though Kunra had done most of the explaining, he felt exhausted.

“What is the intention of the question? What’s with this one’s personality? What?”

Kunra, who had been looking out the window, turned his head. The look on his face with one eyebrow raised clearly revealed his discomfort, but Cadel had no intention of appeasing his mood.

“That tyranny. I thought a crazy gangster had come in somewhere. You’ve got all this talk of greatness, but you don’t have the heart to uphold your dignity.”

“Hmm, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“What would halfling know?”

“You have to be rough to keep the pesky bastards away.”

Kunra, who had even turned toward Cadel, pointed a finger at him.

“If this one were benevolent and gracious, there would be those who would approach you and covet my power, but when I rise menacingly as I did just now, they would not dare to seek to possess and control it, and if they did, they would do so cautiously.”

“……Did you have such a deep meaning?”

“I don’t like the look on your face.”

“Then don’t look at it, it’s interfering with someone else’s expression.”

It was blatantly disrespectful, but Kunra clicked his tongue lightly instead of reacting in an odd manner as before.

“This body has done enough for you. All that remains is for you humans to do with the power I have given you.”

“What are you going to do in the meantime?”

“I must fortify the fortress for what belongs to me, and there is no place for humans, so don’t think of going there to escape.”

Naturally, he wouldn’t seek out a mountain to escape. He’d be too busy fighting and solving quests to have time to run away. Lightly dismissing Kunra’s words, Cadel closed his eyes.

When he returned to the Empire after this summit, he planned to help his subordinates train. Depending on the outcome of the talks, he might be sent out on missions, or he might have to prepare for war. There was still much to do.

‘I can’t afford to think about anything else.’

Cadel let out a low sigh as he erased the shimmering look on his face under his closed eyelids.

And two days later.

After more than a day of talks, Derek’s initial intentions were realized.

First, nations disperse their forces to explore and secure fragments of the great magic circle.

Secondly, always have a certain number of troops on your captured fragments to keep an eye on the triggering of magic circles.

Third, gather the best magicians and engineers from around the world to investigate the great magic circle’s methods. Share what you learn immediately.

Finally, the nations form a temporary alliance until the Demon War breaks out and is safely concluded.

The first Demon War Summit ended with the 7 great nations declaring a temporary alliance.