The Demon Lords were supposed to be getting ready for war, for training, for pain…
But tonight, in the Kingdom of the Forgotten Dragon, they were gathering for something else—
A feast before the fire.
A moment of peace before the chaos.
Their last night of luxury… before Yujiro Hanma breaks them.
One Week Later...
The stars hovered high above Milim's majestic kingdom, casting a silver glow over the grand castle nestled atop a mountainous ridge, surrounded by clouds and winds that whispered of dragons long gone.
Inside the halls, Milim Nava, the cheerful Demon Lord of Destruction, bounced around with uncontainable excitement.
"Heehee~! They're all gonna love this! Or hate it. Probably hate it."
She zoomed past maids and soldiers, giving commands, tasting food, yelling at cooks to "add more meat," and finally running straight to the main chamber, where one man sat in utter silence...
In the Grand Hall…
Yujiro Hanma lounged lazily in the living room—his massive form leaned back in a dark, reinforced obsidian chair that seemed to tremble under his weight.
He wore a simple robe, barefoot, relaxed. A glass of Dwargon's royal wine rested between his fingers. The liquid was thick, dark red, almost like blood.
He swirled it once, took a sip, and smirked.
"Gazel finally sent me the good stuff. Guess he doesn't want me visiting his kingdom again."
Just then, the heavy golden doors opened—one by one, the most powerful beings in the world began to enter.
Guy Crimson entered first, red cloak trailing behind him, face unreadable.
Behind him—Luminous Valentine, glowing with elegance and mystery, with Hinata Sakaguchi and Louis Valentine in tow. Hinata's eyes darted around, cautious. Louis looked excited.
Rimuru Tempest stepped in casually, followed by his generals: Diablo, Veldora, Shion, and the crimson flame himself—Benimaru.
Draguel walked in next, a towering presence beside Dino, who looked like he was still half-asleep.
Then came Frey, elegant but tense, and Carrion, who looked ready to punch a mountain just to impress someone.
And finally—Velgrynd, Velzard, and Rudra.
The air cracked with pressure as the True Dragons stepped in.
Yujiro didn't even blink.
Milim was grinning ear-to-ear. She skipped across the room and pointed at the assembled lords.
"Uncle Yujiro! Look! They all came! Just like I said! They wanna be trained!"
Yujiro took one last sip of wine, set the glass on the black table, then slowly stood up.
The room went still.
His footsteps echoed across the marble floor as he faced them—no aura, no power surge, no killing intent…
But everyone felt it.
That primal instinct.
That feeling of being hunted.
He looked at all of them with cold, sharp eyes. And then…
"So… you finally understood what true strength means."
"Very well. I'll train you."
He turned his back, hands in his pockets.
"But hear this."
His voice sharpened, almost cutting through the air.
"No magic. No aura. No energy. No healing. No regeneration. Just your body… and your will."
"Starting from tomorrow you won't be Demon Lords or kings or queens...you will be just like a baby learning how to crawl, throw your pride, your egos, your arrogance to the window"
Luminous flinched.
Frey clenched her fists.
Hinata's breath caught in her throat.
Yujiro continued, voice like iron.
"I don't care if you break a leg. I don't care if your bones are crushed. I don't care if you bleed or if you're dying."
"My training is 24/7. No rest. No crying. No mercy."
He turned and gave them all that terrifying smirk.
"You came to discover what true strength is…"
"Then welcome to hell."
After a long pause of tension so thick it could be sliced with a sword, Yujiro motioned toward the banquet table.
"Now sit. Eat. Drink. Laugh. Tonight's your last night of joy."
"When tomorrow begins… you'll curse your own strength."
The Demon Lords walked slowly to their seats. No one spoke at first. The air was thick.
Middray, Milim's loyal aide, entered with an army of maids, each carrying massive trays of roasted beasts, divine fruits, jugs of heavenly wine, and breads that glowed with enchantments.
As they began eating, the tension finally broke when—
"YO! Yujiro! I bet you don't remember me!"
Veldora Tempest, grinning like a kid, stood proudly with his arms crossed.
Yujiro squinted.
Then a smirk spread across his face.
"Veldora, huh?"
He stood up, walked toward him, and patted the dragon on the shoulder—so hard it almost made the floor crack.
"So… you finally figured out how to get a human form. Took you long enough."
Veldora laughed nervously.
"Hehehe… I've been doing well! Training! Reading manga! Being awesome!"
"I MISSED YOU!"
Yujiro snorted.
"Still the loudest lizard I've ever met."
Everyone laughed. Just a little.
The pressure dropped, and people started to relax.
Rimuru leaned toward Guy.
"You think we'll survive this?"
Guy sipped his wine.
"No."
"But we'll come out stronger."
Milim clapped her hands.
"A toast! To being beaten into the ground by Uncle Yujiro!"
They all awkwardly raised their glasses.
Carrion whispered to Frey.
"You sure about this?"
Frey whispered back.
"Nope."
"Not at all."
Even Velzard and Rudra had gone silent. Rudra's pride was twitching inside him like a cornered beast, but Yujiro's words echoed in his head.
"Throw your pride out the window."
He clenched his jaw. Velzard sipped her drink without saying a word.
Hinata looked down at her hands. She remembered the first time she faced Yujiro.
The feeling of helplessness.
She hated it.
But now… she had a chance to change that.
As the night dragged on, the mood lightened. Conversations sparked.
Diablo debated with Louis about tactical styles.
Benimaru and Draguel discussed sword techniques.
Rimuru was low-key panicking but pretending to be chill.
Milim was explaining how Yujiro once made her do pushups for three days straight without food.
"I PASSED OUT FIVE TIMES BUT I DID IT!!!"
Everyone stared at her in horror.
"...You're insane," Dino muttered.
"Thank you~!" Milim beamed.
And Yujiro?
He just sat back… watching.
Smirking.
Because he knew what tomorrow would bring.
And none of them—not even the strongest Demon Lords in existence—were ready.