Brain bloom

But Sen Shi didn't feel unfamiliar with it.

Perhaps it's because, no matter what form it takes, the ancient demon king has always been it, never changing. Whether it's the owl or this strange form now, it's really no different... just a sentimental, but always sincere, father.

"The Ancient Demon King, this deal..."

“Now I am just Ron Stolt, the Primal Evil… that title has been removed.”

"I don't care who you are, I just think you're all equally stupid... Tell me, if I kill you, how will you answer me? Can a dead man still speak?"

Mori whispered to himself, hoping the other person could hear his helplessness.

But the ancient king of demons was not wrong.

"I just hope you can really kill me. I'm no longer some cunning devil who's good at trading. Without the binding laws, I've started to worry about being deceived. Putting aside the fact that you're a Four Seasons Being, logically speaking, what if, after you've gained knowledge, you suddenly become overwhelmed with compassion and make a choice that... would be foolish for me and for the world?"

Sen suddenly realized: "You're afraid I won't keep my promise and won't kill you."

The ancient demon king acquiesced.

“Then… I promise you.” That was all Mori could say. “I respect you.”

"Thank you. Well then, you will see the answer after I disappear."

“I hope so—after all, you’re not an absolutely reliable trading partner anymore.” Mori couldn’t help but let out a sigh, half-laughing and half-sighing. “What if you trick me into killing you and then don’t tell me anything?”

"Uh, I didn't know you could do that? So much time has passed... I had completely forgotten about this little trick."

"Then let's continue to forget... don't think about it."

Neither of them said another word; no matter how many witty remarks they used, it remained a heavy topic.

Thoughts flow much slower and more subtly than the flow of time in the world. So, may she not have heard what the ancient demon king wanted to say... She simply stroked the unfathomable, incomprehensible black mist, for there lay a familiar comfort.

Perhaps, only after experiencing life and death can she truly understand.

As for what happens next...

"You who are delivering the coffin, you're being watched."

"I know, I've always had this feeling of scalp tingling."

Mori raised its head, still unafraid of the replica of the primordial evil before it. It exuded a decaying power, and its appetite grew ever stronger, for it had not yet managed to devour a single piece of food since being summoned.

This sea area, ravaged by the ominous fog, was already murky and lifeless, devoid of the plants and life it favored.

It was unaware of its situation. Driven by an intense appetite, it looked around with its golden eyes.

In this unpleasant darkness, it discovered green.

It's a plant!

Lush, verdant vegetation! It exudes a sweet, fresh fragrance—a perfect plant. Beneath the layers of leaves, a bud about to burst forth is hidden, so tempting that it makes the primal evil drool, its mouth watering and dripping into the sea, splashing up the ashes of death.

"They actually want to eat me..." Mori sighed.

She thought to herself, "Even the ancient Demon King didn't have the courage to eat her, so how come this mere imitation has such audacity?"

From within the black mist, a magnificent laugh resounded, filled with insults towards the enemy and self-mockery.

"This thing is just an ugly imitation with no intelligence, only instinct. There's no place for it here. Let me send it off the stage... and then, I can leave too."

“I’ll come too,” Mori said.

"I still have a lot of lightning left to use. I wonder if Miss Sunset Cloud is still waiting for me..."

"Dad, let me help too."

"……OK."

"...You're being so easy to talk to today. Who exactly are you?!"

“Your father plucked a total of 1,321 feathers. Besides, I’m always easy to talk to.”

The thundercloud worms are gathering lightning, summoning an even larger spear of thunder. The power of thunder should have brilliantly illuminated the night sky, but the presence of the ancient demon king has stripped away all light, rendering these thunderclaps dim and colorless.

The jet-black spear of lightning hurtled toward the primordial evil.

She hoped no magic was used, and that the creature was flying too high to be easily flattened. But her arsenal held immeasurable power. After discerning the Ancient Demon King's intended attack, she coughed to clear her throat. She opened her small mouth, letting out a soft whimper—

This is an aria I saw at Aunt Huanlong's when I was little. She said it was called Huanlong's aria. Ignorant... or rather, unbound by conventional thinking, I thought back then that people could do the same thing, and it turns out she was right.

I wish to stand with my hands on my hips and unleash a black beam of light at primordial evil—a human aria.

At this moment, the ancient Demon King no longer needs fancy techniques or elaborate plans. To destroy whomever he desires, whatever he wishes to destroy, requires only a sigh, a thought, or a touch. Often, enemies ravaged by him are transformed into the chaos that existed before his birth.

Its lament, following the attack launched by its daughter, rushes towards the primordial evil that knows no death.

Mori looked around and saw that everyone was waiting for her to make a move, their eyes filled with eager anticipation. Mori then looked down at her foolish slingshot and silently shook her head: "I need to save some strength. The enemy is not just this ignorant primordial evil. In any case, its fate is already sealed."

“Very well,” the ancient demon king agreed thoughtfully.

"Then I'll beat it up for you again—oh, no need."

"Cough cough, my throat hurts every time I use this..."

"Now, at least the human world is safe. My kingdom and believers should agree to the restoration of the Kingdom of Flowers."

Although he didn't intervene, Mori witnessed the entire end of this primordial evil. Like every instance in history, it failed to cause any calamity, merely departing tragically early. Mori sincerely hoped it could have lasted a little longer.

But under the sigh of the ancient demon king, it could not even resist.

It probably lacked the rationality to understand what was happening, or even to know what to call this emotion. But the ancient demon king made it understand: it was fear.

Then, the ancient demon king turned to the final enemy: "Hodge, it's your turn."

……

(Third update!)

(The cover features a white dove, a symbol of freedom, peace, and love; you can't slander something so delicious.)

Volume 1 #333 The Kind Sea God

This was a naked and blatant threat, laced with murderous intent and rage.

Facing this evil god head-on, the ancient demon king's aura intensified. They both knew this was inevitable. Hodge did what it wanted, even though its plan inevitably angered the father and daughter, bringing about its own destruction, but it had no regrets.

and--

The outcome is still undecided.

It faced the ancient demon king with composure, but still couldn't help but let out a sigh filled with self-mockery.

"You should know the consequences if you lay a hand on me. This world cannot exist without the Sea God."

Hodge straightened his body and moved to the middle of the road, placing himself between Anne and the monsters. This was probably the first time since its creation that it spoke to a human in a pleading and humble tone.

"The consequences?" Yuan was very curious.

“Listen carefully, if Hodge disappears, the sea will lose its ruler. At that time, the sea will become unpredictable, more calamities will no longer be gentle, and the human world will be swallowed by the sea. Moreover, those monsters in the deep sea that are bound by Hodge will also awaken!”

"—Do you think my reason for wanting to destroy you is to protect the human world?"

“Of course not, how could you possibly care about those insignificant lives? But the coffin bearers aren’t as cruel as you.” Hodge raised his single eye and looked at Sen Shi. “She will be careful, for the sake of her country.”

"Oh... huh?"

Mori paused, her attention not actually on this, but on what was about to happen. Did she have a chance to save them? Until she found the answer, she didn't want to concern herself with the human world.

Seeing that she had managed to get away with it by being absent-minded, Hodge clicked his tongue and had no choice but to continue negotiating with the ancient devil king.

“Ron Stolt, you have another reason to let me go. You still need Anne’s power, don’t you…”

"No—it's no longer needed." Its tone was resolute.

"Then I'll propose a deal to you... Ha, would you accept?"

It shook its head, knowing it was making a fool of itself, and then its tone became more intense.

“I just don’t want her…Annie to disappear! As for me, a god at the end of his rope? I don’t care how I die…I never care! I can die in her place, it doesn’t matter.”

"I thought you were the one who controlled the divine status of the Sea God..." Sen Shi muttered to himself, somewhat understanding its meaning.

"No, there is no evil without a cause in this world. I am indeed an evil god, and I have committed countless evil deeds, but it was all for Anne! As a great and ancient sea goddess, her end should not be one where believers betray her, faith weakens, and she becomes a despised twilight god..."

Seeing the sea god's passionate yet somewhat tragic demeanor, Yuan felt a pang of sympathy. Even as she sat on the ground, exhausted and feeling unwell, she couldn't help but feel the same way.

"How sentimental, Hodge."

"Deep affection? You're still too naive." The ancient demon king's hearty laughter echoed around in a magnificent manner. "It's not something about deep affection, hahaha."

“...Listen carefully, I don’t need your forgiveness, I just need to let Annie go...so that the Sea God can continue to exist! It’s a good thing for the world, for humanity, and for you!”

"Playing the emotional card... How annoying." Mori sighed, because playing the emotional card usually works.

but--

"Have you finished farting?" The ancient demon king uttered this disdainful curse with unwavering resolve.

"Primordial evil..."

"Hodge, the schizophrenic evil god, all your lies will only hasten your death. If I were you, I would choose to fight to the end, at least that would prove your bravery."

"Huh? What's going on?" Yuan asked.

"Is there some deeper story behind this?" Mori Toki was also curious.

From the darkness, a blurry hand reached out and gently embraced Yuan's shoulder. And the will born of their deepest fear explained everything.

"The beliefs surrounding the sea god are quite diverse, as I think you all know. Various beliefs have constructed many independent and different minor deities, the most prevalent of which is the evil god before our eyes."

"That benevolent deity?"

"The benevolent sea god does exist, and once dominated the sea and the sea god's divine status—but not the so-called Anne Hodge, she is just a fake who has taken over the place."

"what?"

"Those are evil gods who have stolen the authority of the benevolent gods, masquerading as them. Anne and Hodge, both exist to draw greater power; they are both evil gods. As for the true benevolent gods..."

Suddenly, a pitch-black door burst forth from the space, connecting to the distant realm of demons.

From within the desolate and evil gate, a soft glimmer of light slowly emerged.

The deep blue light shone brightly in the night, a soft color that was so familiar to everyone present.

"Oh dear, Fufu... you're still alive?"