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Within this vast hall, boasting the greatest grandeur on earth, a group of men and women had gathered.

They were powerful figures from across the continent, transcending gender and age.

There was the muscular middle-aged man with a body of steel that never breaks, Teslon, the Martial King.

The continent’s strongest swordsman, Cyrus the Sword Star, who could split even souls with a single slash of his sword.

Ellin, the Holy Maiden of the Supreme God Seiya, possessor of infinite divine power.

Jade Arclight, the great Light Mage blessed with mana.

And standing before them, the blond-haired, pale-eyed young man, Prince Alex von Hallain of the Kingdom of Hallain, known as a hero to the world for his mastery of the sword, magic, and divine power.

Their gaze was collectively fixed on the opposite staircase. Dressed in a blood-red robe, a middle-aged man with an arrogant demeanor looked down on them indifferently. Alex shouted at him,

“Your evil deeds end now, Demon King Repenhardt!”

Demon King Repenhardt.

The Emperor of the Dark Empire Antares and the most powerful and evil sorcerer in human history.

A true demon god incarnate, who led a million soldiers of darkness, wielded powerful dark magic to burn half the continent, and massacred millions.

For the sake of defeating this evil Demon King, tens of thousands of soldiers sacrificed their lives, cutting through the dark forces. They bled rivers and threw their lives away like dogs, never sparing a thought for their own survival.

On the foundation of these heroic sacrifices, the chosen champions of humanity successfully infiltrated the Great Demon Palace of Gairak and, after a fierce battle, finally stood before the Demon King.

The chosen hero, Alex von Hallain, tried to calm his overflowing heart as he continued,

“The time has come for you to return to the darkness! Evil Demon King!”

In truth, Demon King Repenhardt wasn’t looking indifferent. It’s just that his naturally cold demeanor made it hard to tell, but he was actually looking down at Alex and his party with a great sense of emptiness.

Sword Star Cyrus, wielding his long sword Illuminator that shimmered with a blue light, shouted,

“Demon King Repenhardt, we will destroy you and put an end to the history of this Dark Empire!”

It was unjust. He had worked hard to establish his empire. After three days of deep contemplation, he had even given it the magnificent name of Antares, after a throne’s title. So why ignore a perfectly good name and only call it the Dark Empire? It was an ordinary place where the sun rose in the morning and the moon at night.

The muscular middle-aged brute praised as the Martial King continued his companion’s speech.

“If you disappear, the demonic nature of those corrupted monsters will vanish as well!”

Vanish my foot. They were always like that. What, did ogres, gnolls, and goblins live peacefully and then get corrupted because of Repenhardt? They just didn’t gather in numbers before to dare attack humans. All he did was take them in and teach them ‘tactics used by humans.’

Those who would normally flee at the sight of humans or, if they attacked, could be easily killed, suddenly started using group tactics like an army. And now everyone’s making a fuss, claiming they’ve been corrupted or soaked in demonic energy, but in truth, it’s all just human behavior being mirrored.

Repenhardt opened his mouth with a tired voice—of course, Alex and his companions thought of it as the dark and evil tone befitting of a Demon King.

“…Have all my Four Heavenly Kings fallen?”

The strong individuals from the four races who followed Repenhardt. Those precious subordinates who had been loyal and had trusted him for a long time. He worried about their well-being.

Sword Saint Cyrus proudly held up his sword and replied.

“Yes. That filthy orc was no match for my sword.”

Repenhardt sighed, remembering Tassid, the brave orc warrior with high martial pride.

The orcs, living in tribes, hunting, and gathering, might seem barbaric and simple, but they were pure beings who knew nothing of betrayal. They took pride in fighting against the harsh nature of the world, protecting the weak, and standing against the strong. Why should this warrior race be treated as monsters? Well, they hardly ever bathed, so being called filthy wasn’t exactly wrong.

Martial King Teslon clenched his fist and joined in.

“That hideous monster troll paid the price for his sins.”

It seems that the wise and knowledgeable Grand Sorcerer, Guru Attila, has also returned to the earth’s embrace.

Honestly, trolls do look a bit scary. With their bulging blue skin and protruding tusk-like teeth, even Repenhardt would get startled if he bumped into Attila on a dark night, so it’s understandable.

But to call them hideous monsters is outrageous. Trolls live deep in the mountains under a shamanistic faith. Living with the bare minimum given by nature, refining their souls instead of owning material things, they might seem primitive but possessed an advanced spiritual culture. There was no reason for them to be called monsters.

Saint Ellin quietly opened her mouth.

“The evil dwarf who once served the Dark God has also returned to the rightful flow.”

The High Priest of Al-Fort, Makelin, seems to have died as well. Repenhardt clicked his tongue. He couldn’t recall when the dwarves’ racial deity, Al-Fort, became an evil Dark God. Such arrogance to consider all but the main god Seiya, who protects humans, and the twelve gods as evil beings!

The Mage of Light, Jade, faintly smiled and said,

“That corrupted dark elf fought with me.”

A corrupted dark elf… Yes, her skin is indeed somewhat dusky. Driven out and hunted because humans plundered and cut down the forests where her people lived, she eventually made her way to live in the barren wastelands, getting significantly tanned by the wilderness’s blazing sun. Is a pure-blooded High Elf considered a Dark Elf just because she got a bit of a tan?

“And she couldn’t match up to my magic. Huhuhu.”

Upon hearing Jade’s voice that followed, Repenhardt finally closed his eyes.

Ah, Siris…

Even you, in the end…

* * *

Originally, Repenhardt was an ordinary archmage. Well, one cannot really call someone an archmage and ordinary at the same time, but still, he wasn’t the kind of being who wielded the tremendous, beyond-common-sense magic he does now.

He changed when he sought a new realm of magic, turning his eyes towards the cultures of non-human races.

How long had it been since the supreme god, Seiya, created humanity?

The world was already dominated by humans.

The various races that once contended for supremacy over the continent, like elves, trolls, dwarves, and orcs, had all lost their power and declined significantly. Humanity had subsumed all these races under their system, and the outcome was harsh.

Humans did not regard these races as beings of equal intelligence.

Elves, known as the fairies of the forest, were popular as pretty and long-living servants.

The dwarves, the robust sons of the earth, were valuable as slaves for their skill in digging and craftsmanship.

The orcs, a race of proud warriors, were ideal as strong and simple-minded laborers.

Trolls, with their astonishing regenerative abilities, were not even considered for slavery. They were caught and sliced up to be used as ingredients for healing potions.

How astonished must Repenhardt have been to realize that great secrets were hidden within the forgotten cultures of these enslaved races, all of whom had lost their pride and dignity?

He soon followed the ancient traces of these races. Fortunately, not all non-human races had become slaves to humanity. There were a few, gathered in unexplored regions untouched by humans, who were desperately preserving their cultures.

Meeting them, learning their cultures, and combining elf spirit magic and troll shamanism with his own, Repenhardt was able to innovate a new realm of magic. He became the first magician in history to wield 10th circle magic.

As he continued to interact with these races, Repenhardt’s values naturally changed. No longer were these beings mere slaves to him. Consequently, he could not stand by and watch the atrocious realities rampant in human society.

So, he seized every opportunity to rescue the enslaved non-humans, diligently arranging ways for them to live.

Over time, the villages of the hidden non-humans grew to a size that could no longer deceive human eyes. The humans’ kings and nobles immediately coveted them when the once enslaved dared to build their own villages. They brandished their swords and spears, leading their knights to invade.

Having been attacked, a counterattack was natural. Repenhardt’s powerful magic, now beyond common sense, could obliterate armies and walls alike. The invaders were completely wiped out. He felt no guilt; it was a case of self-defense. There was no reason to sympathize with them.

After eliminating the enemies, the lands they had died possessing became vacant. Thus, I expanded the village and moved various other races to live there as well.

Continually they invaded, continually we crushed them, continually lands were emptied, and continually we relocated.

In time, what was once a village began to resemble a nation. As Repenhardt’s fame spread across the continent, even other orc, troll, elf, and dwarf tribes hidden in the far reaches requested to live under his protection. Repenhardt, of course, did not refuse. He welcomed all who came.

Thus, four years passed.

The Kingdom of Vasily, the Teikan Kingdom, the Lastil Duchy. These three nations fell, and in their place, the Antares Empire was born.

Although Repenhardt found himself founding a nation of diverse races, it wasn’t out of hatred for humans. He simply believed in equality for all sentient beings.

Therefore, he did not implement retaliatory policies, such as enslaving humans. Instead, he treated them as equals among the other races.

However, people did not see it this way. They believed Repenhardt harbored hatred towards humans, gathering dark forces to annihilate mankind and conquer the world. In reality, the citizens of the Antares Empire felt their lives had improved. Yet, there were claims that Repenhardt had deceived the populace with wicked magic.

With the establishment of the empire, full-scale invasions by other nations ensued. Initially, it was one nation; then two allied against him; eventually, a coalition of three countries attacked.

Each time, Repenhardt repelled the invaders with powerful magic. As the human forces grew, so did the challenge of opposing them. Thus, he reached out to intellectually lesser races like ogres, gnolls, and goblins, deemed monsters by humans, and incorporated them into his forces. Despite their brutal and uncontrollable nature, Repenhardt succeeded in making them part of his army through extensive mind control magic and ample food.

The military might of the diverse races grew day by day.

The scale of war escalated.

And before he knew it, he was dubbed a Demon King, becoming a subject of fear and hatred among all humans on the continent.