CHAPTER 335: DEMON KING

Meanwhile, in another room, Kazuhiro sat with a calm composure, sipping his tea as the maids quietly approached. They whispered details about the scene unfolding in Yuuna’s room, their voices tinged with embarrassment.

Kazuhiro set his cup down, smirking faintly. "Hmm... I see. Well, I suppose we should let them enjoy themselves. What they’re doing isn’t technically wrong, considering I’ve already given my acknowledgment." His smirk deepened with his eyes glinting. "Besides, I wouldn’t mind seeing a grandchild of mine born with the blood of the Child of Anti-Prophecy."

In his mind, he could already picture it—an heir carrying both the legacy of his bloodline and the destructive power to overturn prophecy itself.

Of course, he knew the chances were slim. A vampire and a human conceiving a child was a rare occurrence, and the chances of it happening was almost impossibly so. But that didn’t bother him at all. Kazuhiro was patient when it came to power, after all.

"Well, I guess it’s a little reassuring that you’ve acknowledged this, Father," Souichiro said casually from across the table. He held his teacup lazily in one hand, his other leg propped up on the table without a care.

"Put your feet down," Kazuhiro said sharply without looking up. Then his smirk returned. "But you’re right—it really is reassuring. After all, I’d stop at nothing to get my hands on that power... and to keep it under my control. Especially now..." He leaned back slightly, his eyes narrowing with a dangerous gleam. "...this year will decide who becomes the next Demon King."

The next Demon King would be decided this year.

Every few centuries, a time came when demons gathered to decide who among them was worthy to sit at the throne of hell itself, the one who would bear the title of Demon King. That time had arrived again, and the weight of it pressed heavily over everyone, including Kazuhiro.

"You... you really want to become the next Demon King, Father?" Souichiro asked, his tone not entirely doubtful, but it felt strange and almost out of place, to voice it aloud. Deep down, he couldn’t picture his father wearing that crown.

The Demon King wasn’t just a ruler. He had to be magnanimous as well as kind but also strict, and capable of ruling. And every trait was essential, and without them, hell itself would collapse into ruin.

A king without magnanimity would never forgive and would never show mercy, and would strike down anyone who opposed him, living in paranoia and slaughtering even those who might only seem like threats, just to cling to power.

A king without kindness would turn into a ruthless tyrant. They were going to be merciless, unforgiving, and unable to tolerate even the smallest blemish on his reign.

Without strictness, the Demon King would be soft, gullible, easily tricked and used by schemers waiting in the shadows, and he would be a puppet without realizing it.

And a king who lacked the ability to rule? Well, that would be the greatest disaster. The empire of demons would crumble, falling apart piece by piece until nothing remained but chaos.

That was the weight of the throne. A Demon King had to embody all those qualities. Anything less meant failure, doom, as well as destruction.

Kazuhiro, Souichiro’s father, was strict, yes. And he was capable of ruling. But words like kindness or magnanimity would never be associated with him, not in a thousand years.

"You already know I don’t have the affinity to become one, Souichiro. So why are you asking me something like that?" Kazuhiro said, his tone calm, but carrying the sharpness that always lingered behind his words.

"A-Ah... I apologize, Father," Souichiro quickly bowed his head, relief washing through him that his father didn’t flare up in anger.

Kazuhiro leaned back slightly, his eyes narrowing, but a trace of amusement lingered in his expression. "But still... someone else might rise to it. And luckily, it’s someone we’ve gotten close to." His gaze fixed firmly on his son.

"M-Me?" Souichiro blinked in shock, pointing at himself as if there was no one else his father could be speaking of.

"Not you, fool. The Child of Anti-Prophecy."

The Child of Anti-Prophecy.

Souichiro froze. That wasn’t the answer he expected at all.

In his mind, the very idea was absurd. The Child of Anti-Prophecy wasn’t even a demon. Yes, he had somehow gained traits of demons—power, strength, instincts—but at his core, he was still human.

"You’re thinking he can’t do it because he’s human, aren’t you?" Kazuhiro said, his gaze cutting straight through his son’s obvious thoughts.

"Well... to be honest, yes. I mean... it’s called Demon King for a reason, isn’t it? Shouldn’t it absolutely be a demon?" Souichiro asked, unable to hide his doubt.

"You’re right. Which is exactly why it carries that name," Kazuhiro admitted. Then his lips curved into a slight smirk. "But times have changed. And because things have changed, what once seemed impossible doesn’t sound so far-fetched anymore, does it?"

Souichiro stared at his father, conflicted.

It was true—times had shifted, and the balance of the world wasn’t the same as before. But still, was it really okay to gamble with something like this? Putting a human on the throne of Demon King was more than a bold move... it was reckless. Almost insane.

"You don’t need to worry," Kazuhiro said firmly, his voice carrying the weight of certainty. "I’ll handle the coup myself. I’ll be the one to support him. And with my backing, no one will dare laugh it off as a joke."

Souichiro frowned slightly, still uneasy. "I mean, yes... if you put your strength behind him, then nobody would even dare to complain. But Father, it’s still going to be a hell of a fight. Why go so far? Why do you even want him on that throne?"

"Isn’t it obvious?" Kazuhiro’s eyes glinted with sharpness. "I’d rather crown someone I know, someone I can put my faith in, instead of leaving the throne to those conniving bastards who are worse than any succubus I’ve ever met."

Souichiro blinked, taken aback. "...Y-You actually trust him, Father?"

The word trust felt foreign when paired with his father. Kazuhiro wasn’t a man who trusted easily, if ever. Hearing him say it outright was shocking.

"Well, maybe not fully. Not yet, anyway. But when my daughter trusts him, and my son has grown to admire him, then naturally, I’ll take that bet. I’ll put my trust on the line too," Kazuhiro said, his tone steady.

"W-Wait... admire? What do you mean admire?" Souichiro’s eyes widened in disbelief.

It was really hard for him to associate himself to the word admire, but his father just outright said something really outrageous.

"You don’t need to deny it. It’s obvious in the way you look at him," Kazuhiro said matter-of-factly. "At first, I worried it might be infatuation—and I damn well don’t want a son who swings that way—but thankfully, it’s just normal admiration."

Souichiro couldn’t even argue at all. The words hit a little too close. Maybe this explained why he’d felt strangely glad and weirdly happy that Kouhei had shown up today. Was this really admiration? He hadn’t realized it himself. Considering he had once hated Kouhei so much that they nearly killed each other, it was strange— and almost unbelievable—that he now felt something like respect.

"Well, it’s not surprising," Kazuhiro continued, his voice carrying a rare tone of acceptance. "You fought him with everything you had, and you still lost. Even though you thought of him as nothing but a weak human, you saw for yourself how he fought back. Naturally, you’d come to admire that kind of tenacity. Even I, after watching him, feel like I could take him as my own son. When he stood against me and he was determined to take Yuuna, he didn’t just spew empty words. He had the strength to make them real."

Souichiro was stunned. His father had never praised anyone like this before. Not once. To hear Kouhei evaluated so highly... this had to be a first.

"Father... I’ll support him too. I’ll help him claim the title of Demon King. I’ll stand behind your decision," Souichiro said, his voice firm.

Even though he and Kouhei had been bitter enemies at first, it was undeniable now. Kouhei was powerful. More than powerful and he was someone who was very worthy of his respect. And Souichiro was finally beginning to acknowledge that.

Kazuhiro studied his son for a moment, then allowed himself a rare smile.

The Child of Anti-Prophecy... He may have stumbled at the start, but he’s already growing into someone worthy of the title of prophecy destroyer. He’s the one who’ll bring down Yesh.

If he can melt the frozen heart of my daughter, and make my prideful, stubborn son bend willingly before him and wag his tail for him, then there’s no doubt left. He’s the real deal. He’s the one who’ll destroy Yesh.