The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated

Chapter 823: “None of You Are Going In.”

“Greetings, everyone.”

Seeing Misji and the others bowing to him, Yuler smiled kindly, like a benevolent grandfather, his approachable demeanor making people feel at ease.

However, at this moment, no one knew that as Yuler looked at the Buztout residence’s gate, he was also feeling a mix of emotions.

He had a deep impression of Shien, believing that this young man would one day make a name for himself and become an important figure. And Shien didn’t disappoint him, rising rapidly like a meteor after gaining fame, not only becoming a high-ranking noble in the shortest time possible but also winning Lucy’s hand in marriage, surpassing countless competitors.

Even the Three Goddesses of the God Race seemed to favor this rising star of humanity, treating him kindly and even as an equal. Yuler had been surprised by this, thinking that the goddesses valued him because he held Lilith’s [True Mark], his connection to Airi, and his relationship with Lucy.

Who knew that not long after, Shien’s identity as the Hero would be revealed, shocking the three races and attracting the attention of the goddesses. If Shien hadn’t gone to the Demon Realm, the Temple would have surely received a divine oracle, instructing Yuler to personally lead a group of priests to welcome him.

Yuler often lamented that Shien had truly exceeded his expectations in every way.

And now, he was even involved with that person.

Thinking of this, Yuler’s heart stirred. He, like Josef, had also met Shafney over twenty years ago. In fact, among those here for Shafney, all of them were probably captivated by her during that visit over two decades ago. Besides that visit, the last time Shafney came to the Human Realm was several hundred years ago.

Among humans, only Elves had such long lifespans, Dwarves living for only a few hundred years, while humans and beastmen had even shorter lifespans, making it impossible for them to have seen Shafney then. Therefore, that visit twenty years ago captivated most of the leaders of the Human Realm, including Yuler. Even now, he couldn’t forget the shock he felt upon seeing her, her otherworldly beauty, her charm that even goddesses couldn’t match, the very embodiment of beauty. From that moment on, Yuler knew he was doomed.

His unwavering faith in the goddesses wavered, as he became infatuated with the Succubus, even though she never even glanced at him, and for over twenty years, he could only see her in his dreams.

This infatuation, however, never faded.

Therefore, upon learning that Shafney had been taken by Shien, Yuler came here almost impulsively. And his arrival naturally aroused suspicion.

“Your Holiness is actually here? This is truly unexpected,” Misji said, his tone meaningful. “Could it be that Your Holiness is also interested in Her Highness, the Succubus…?” Josef also asked implicitly.

“No way,” Nobu said, his face filled with doubt.

“…” Meldo remained silent, his eyes also filled with surprise.

As the Pope, Yuler had been single for a long time. Although there was no rule forbidding marriage for clergy, and many had families, none of the Popes throughout history had ever married. As the chosen representatives of the God Race in the Human Realm, acting as a bridge between the two races, conveying the God Race’s will to humans and the Human Race’s wishes to the God Race, they became Popes with a strong sense of mission and honor.

They had the most devout faith, dedicating their lives to the gods. Therefore, they wouldn’t marry, devoting their entire lives to their position. Past Popes also chose only unmarried individuals as their successors, not because of any rule, but to ensure their successors could fully dedicate themselves to their duties, not being distracted by worldly matters and maintaining impartiality. Only such a Pope could earn everyone’s trust.

Therefore, Yuler’s presence here was not only surprising but also shocking.

Yuler naturally knew the kind of gossip his arrival would attract. Fortunately, he had already prepared an excuse.

“I am indeed here for the Succubus, but unlike you, not for her personally,” he said with a smile, his meaning clear, “After all, a Demon Lord appearing at the venue of the three-race meeting before it even begins, the goddesses of the God Race are naturally concerned.”

These words made Misji and the others understand. A Demon Lord appearing at the venue beforehand, the God Race, their long-time rivals, would naturally be wary. It was understandable for them to be concerned about her purpose and her actions. If Yuler came because of this, wanting to investigate Shafney’s motives, it seemed reasonable.

Thinking of this, their surprise and hostility towards Yuler subsided.

Nobu, the beastman, however, said frankly,

“Since that’s the case, who should be the first to visit the Buztout residence?”

He brought up the most sensitive question, silencing everyone and changing the atmosphere.

Those who had been silently observing also spoke up.

“I’ve long admired Earl Buztout. Could you all give me some face and let me go first?”

“The Hero has always been a hero of our Human Race. I’d like to meet him as soon as possible.”

“Someone who reached such a high position in just half a year, I’m very curious.”

“I heard the Buztout residence was originally Hero Mitra’s villa. I’m very interested in this.”

Such voices emerged one after another. Some, like Misji and Nobu, were leaders of other factions, while others, like Meldo and Josef, were renowned Legendary experts.

They were all here for the same purpose: to be the first to meet Shafney. After all, who knew if, with so many people, she would simply ignore them all like she usually did? Or perhaps the first one to meet her would leave a deeper impression?

Moreover, if she was initially in a good mood, but became annoyed by the large crowd and refused to see anyone else, what would they do? Therefore, they all wanted to be the first, whether due to various considerations or simply their eagerness.

Naturally, those with lower status, power, and influence also shouted,

“We also want to see Her Highness, the Succubus!”

“Just let us have a glimpse!”

“Please!”

“We’ve been waiting for this moment for over twenty years!”

The nobles, knights, warriors, and even commoners who were excluded cried out desperately.

“Shut up!”

“Silence!”

“Don’t disturb the lords!”

The knights and attendants guarding the plaza and blocking the crowd shouted.

Misji and the others ignored these insignificant people. They were too weak, their status and power not worthy of consideration. To avoid competition, Misji, Josef, and even Yuler chose to ignore them.

Those who could meet Shafney were those on their level, either kings of powerful nations or individuals comparable to them, like Legendary experts and leaders of other powerful factions. This place had become a gathering of powerful figures, only those standing at the apex of the Human Race could remain here. The others were excluded.

“Everyone,” Misji said, unable to hold back any longer, “Why don’t you give me some face and let me be the first to visit Earl Buztout?” The King of Laraby was impatient.

Unfortunately…

“Before Her Highness, the Succubus, Your Majesty’s face might not be that useful,” Nobu said bluntly.

“I apologize, Your Majesty,” Josef said, bowing apologetically, but unwilling to give way.

“Let me finish my official business first, alright, everyone?” Even Yuler lost his composure, wanting to meet Shafney so much that he broke his usual principle of not competing, even telling a small lie for his own selfish desire.

Finally, Meldo, who hadn’t met Shafney before and only came here as Misji’s guard, spoke.

“Since everyone wants to go in, why don’t we find a way to decide the order?” His suggestion made the atmosphere tense.

Everyone was silent for a moment, then their eyes burned with fighting spirit. Especially Josef and Nobu, their auras surging, one with sharp sword energy, the other with ferocious wildness, an intimidating sight.

Until…

“None of you are going in,” a cold voice said, suppressing everyone.

Chapter 824: “You All Want to See Me That Badly?”

“—!”

As that cold voice echoed throughout the plaza, a terrifying pressure descended, making everyone’s expressions change drastically.

“Who…!?” Meldo, the Legendary Grand Magician, reacted instantly, unleashing a spell without hesitation towards the source of the pressure. It was [Explosion Lance], an advanced, single-target, offensive Fire Magic spell. Magic power surged from his outstretched hand, transforming into a burst of flames, a spear of dazzling red light shooting towards the source of the pressure with incredible speed.

This Legendary Grand Magician was truly remarkable, casting High-Level magic instantaneously, seemingly without even chanting. His [Chanting] skill must be maxed out, allowing him to omit the incantation to a certain extent.

Even for High-Level magic, with a maxed-out [Chanting] skill, it wasn’t impossible to cast it without chanting, although the spell’s power would be slightly reduced, its casting speed greatly increased. This explained how Meldo could unleash over a hundred High-Level magic spells in a single battle, incinerating tens of thousands of enemy soldiers.

However…

“Bang!” The powerful explosion, just as it was about to hit its target, was swatted away by a slender hand, scattering into sparks and dissipating.

“What!?” Meldo was shocked.

“She dispelled the magic with her bare hand…!?”

Misji, Josef, Nobu, and even Yuler’s expressions changed slightly. Only then did they see the newcomer clearly. It was a beautiful girl, with wings on her back, hovering above the Buztout residence’s gate, looking down at them with a cold and impatient expression. A draconic aura emanated from her seemingly delicate body, making everyone’s expressions change. She, however, seemed unconcerned, even speaking sarcastically,

“You humans really don’t learn your lesson. Yesterday it was like this, and today it’s the same. Knowing that my master is the Hero, far stronger than any of you, you still dare to gather here and cause trouble. Do you really think we wouldn’t dare to kill you?”

As she spoke, a genuine killing intent emanated from her, making everyone’s hearts pound. That pressure, that killing intent, told everyone that this girl was incredibly powerful.

“…Hey, Wind Sword Saint,” Nobu said, forcing a smile and asking Josef, “Are you confident in defeating her?”

Josef was silent for a moment, then said,

“No.”

These words silenced everyone. This simple admission carried a lot of weight. After all, Josef was already a top-tier Legendary expert over twenty years ago, and although not yet at Limit Level, he was close. As Nobu said before, his strength was among the top five in the entire Human Race. He was likely the strongest person here. And yet, even he admitted he wasn’t confident in defeating this winged girl. The implication was clear.

“Limit Level…?” Misji’s forehead was covered in cold sweat.

“Is she from the Dragon Race?” Meldo’s face also paled.

Only Yuler, with a wry smile, stepped forward. “You must be Miss Yulin,” he said, bowing to the girl in the air, “I’ve heard that you successfully transformed into a human, shedding your monster body and becoming even stronger. Congratulations.” Even the highly respected Pope Yuler treated Yulin with utmost respect.

He knew that this girl had not only transformed, but also possibly reached the level coveted by all Legendary experts—Limit Level.

Such an expert had never appeared in the Dragon Race.

And now, this expert, who saw Shien as her master, the implications were terrifying.

But Yulin wasn’t appeased by his polite words.

“Don’t give me that. I won’t be happy even if you flatter me,” she snorted coldly, “My master told me to guard the gate, and yet you all gathered here, planning to force your way in. Did you expect me to welcome you?”

Her words made everyone exchange glances.

Yuler quickly said,

“We have no intention of forcing our way in, we just want to visit Earl Buztout.” Even he had to be careful with his words.

If they were seen as intruders, then the Buztout family’s actions would be self-defense.

Although they didn’t think a single Buztout family could handle all of them, Shien was backed by the God Race and the Demon Race, and there was also Lilith, the Evil God, in his house. Such a force wasn’t something they could contend with. Therefore, although they came here impulsively, they didn’t intend to openly offend Shien.

That wouldn’t benefit them at all.

They simply believed that with their status and power, even the Hero shouldn’t refuse their visit. Therefore, they weren’t here to cause trouble for Shien, at least not openly.

No one was stupid enough to think that these dignitaries came here without any plans or considerations.

However…

“You’re telling me you’re just here for a visit with this kind of formation?” Yulin looked at them as if they were idiots. “Do you think I’d believe that?”

Her words left them speechless. Indeed, if they were just here for a visit, their actions were a bit excessive, occupying the plaza before the Buztout residence’s gate, using their knights and guards to isolate the area, gathering and discussing their “visit” without regard for the owner’s feelings.

This could be seen as intimidation, even a siege.

A visit?

That was just an excuse.

“You just want to see Shafney, not caring about my master’s wishes at all, right?” Yulin sneered, “And you’re even worried that my master might do something to Shafney, aren’t you?”

They were speechless. Although childish and embarrassing, some of them did think that way. After all, that Succubus, who disdained all men, was reportedly taken away by Shien, seemingly not even resisting.

It was natural for some to overthink it, feeling envy, jealousy, worry, and even fear. That’s why this scene occurred. Blinded by their twenty-plus years of infatuation, even the most rational person could lose control. Especially with someone as alluring as Shafney, the attraction she held for men was undeniable. These factors combined brought them here, and most even resorted to forceful means.

As they were speechless, Misji, the King of Laraby, finally stepped forward.

“You misunderstand, Miss Yulin,” he said with a smile, “We just didn’t want so many people crowding here, affecting the efficiency of our visit. That’s why we took some presumptuous actions. Please forgive us.”

“That’s right!” Nobu also said loudly, “Those insignificant people aren’t qualified to gather here and disturb Earl Buztout, are they?”

“Since His Majesty the King and His Holiness the Pope are here, we naturally have to disperse the unrelated personnel,” Meldo added, “We can’t have these important figures crowding and shouting here like those people, right?”

This explanation seemed reasonable. After all, they were leaders of various factions, how could they act solely on impulse without any justification? Regardless, Shien was still an Earl, and he had to give them face. If even the kings of major world powers were turned away at the door, then even the God Race and the Demon Race would feel it was unreasonable and wouldn’t openly support Shien.

Therefore, these people had put in a lot of effort, going to great lengths just to meet Shafney.

The other Legendary experts and influential figures also took this opportunity to speak.

“We’re just here for a visit.”

“Would Earl Buztout truly turn us all away?”

“The Hero is a hero of our Human Race. He wouldn’t refuse to meet the leaders of the various human factions, right?”

“Please let us in.”

“Let us in.”

“You…” Yulin was enraged, her aura intensifying.

Just as she was about to unleash her dragon breath, a figure suddenly appeared at the Buztout residence’s gate.

“I didn’t know you all wanted to see me that badly,” the young Hero said, looking up with a smile.

However, there was no mirth in his eyes.