Back at the palace, the absence was finally noticed.
One missing prince.
Four missing women.
And a treasury vault that now echoed with emptiness.
The Demon King stood over the broken locks, his claws digging into the arm of his throne as a dozen advisors stammered behind him. "How far could he have gone?" one dared to ask. The answer came when a tracking mage returned from a distant outpost, shivering and wide-eyed. "He's already miles beyond the fourth gate," the mage stammered. "They're… gone. Vanished."
The king turned to his general. "Send them all. Assassins. Shadows. Hunters. I want that disgrace dragged back in pieces."
But it was already too late.
Far above the crimson wastelands, Kujo soared through the skies in his full shadow dragon form. Towering wings of black scale and spectral mist beat against the air. His body was massive and serpentine, his hide laced with glowing purple sigils that pulsed with raw power. A long mane of smoky darkness trailed behind him like a banner of night.
On his back rode four women.
Dimara clung to his horns, giggling and kicking her feet with joy. "Master! You're the coolest dragon ever!"
Kyrie sat cross-legged just behind her, keeping her balance with one hand glowing faintly to stabilize the air currents. "I could get used to this…"
Setara knelt upright near the tail end, observing the landscape with her arms crossed, scanning for signs of demon patrols or movement.
Fiore stood near Kujo's shoulders, one hand resting casually on a blade that pulsed with a thin glow. She didn't speak. She didn't need to. Her presence was like a silent promise of death for anyone who dared challenge them.
Their destination: the slave shipment.
It wasn't hard to find. The scent of tortured mana and cursed branding was thick in the air. At the edge of a dead forest clearing, Kujo landed silently in his dragon form, letting the others dismount before reverting to his humanoid body with a ripple of shadow.
He looked down at the carriages nestled in the canyon below.
Wooden cages, enchanted locks, and lined rows of chained half-demons. Five vampires—pale, hungry, and scared. Twenty-three werewolves, bruised and gagged. Forty-five dark elves, eyes filled with silent rage. And one lone dragonoid, unconscious and covered in chain runes that suppressed her transformation.
All guarded by a dozen demon knights, an incubus with a whip made of fire, and a tall, sneering succubus in noble battle dress.
Kyrie's eyes narrowed. "They look like slavers. Government-backed."
Setara's lips curved downward. "The worst kind."
Fiore placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. "Requesting permission to kill them all."
Kujo raised an eyebrow. "If you do that, you'll be branded a traitor. You'll never go home again."
She smiled without hesitation. "That's the point. I want to make sure you're stuck with me."
He blinked.
Then laughed softly. "Cunning girl."
She drew her sword. "I learned from you."
He nodded. "Do it."
Fiore didn't need another word.
She dropped from the ridge like a thunderbolt. The moment her feet touched the ground, her sword sang through the air with a metallic wail that cut through flesh and armor in one clean motion. The first two demon knights didn't even have time to scream. The third raised a shield and was instantly impaled through the eye.
The succubus barked orders. The incubus charged forward. Fiore danced between them, her armored boots never touching the same patch of ground twice. Her strikes weren't wild—they were beautiful. Efficient. She severed limbs, blocked spells with her cape, and turned the battlefield into a gallery of ruin.
One demon tried to flee.
She threw her blade like a spear, pinning him to the carriage frame by the throat.
Within minutes, every enemy lay dead or dying.
Fiore stepped over the succubus's twitching corpse and casually wiped blood from her cheek.
Dimara clapped with joy. "Fiore's scary~"
Kyrie let out a low whistle. "She didn't even break a sweat."
Setara shook her head. "I'm glad she's on our side."
Kujo walked into the clearing calmly, stepping over bodies and approaching the first cage. The chained dragonoid girl stirred, her eyes fluttering open with a groan.
She looked up at him with confusion. "Who…?"
"You're free," Kujo said simply, and shattered the lock with a flick of dark magic.
The others followed. One by one, he and the girls broke each cage, cut each chain, and destroyed every binding rune. The prisoners were dazed. Some wept. Some stared in disbelief.
One vampire girl collapsed at Kujo's feet. "Are you… a king?"
He shook his head. "No. Just someone tired of watching people suffer."
The rescued half-demons would need food, care, and shelter—but that could wait.
Tonight, they weren't slaves anymore.
They were his.
And he would protect them all.
The last chain hit the ground with a metallic clink.
Kujo stood in the center of the blood-soaked clearing surrounded by the freed. A quiet wind stirred the dust, carrying with it the scent of battle and ash. But the air felt different now—lighter. The suffering had ended.
And in its place, hope.
The rescued half-demons formed loose groups, huddled together in stunned silence. But one by one, their leaders stepped forward.
The vampires were led by a tall, pale-skinned man with sharp features, crimson eyes, and noble posture. He gave a low, respectful bow. "Prince Kujo. On behalf of my kind, I thank you. We owe you our lives."
The werewolves followed, headed by a muscular beast of a man. His furred arms crossed over his chest, but his golden eyes were respectful. "You've given us back our pride. We'll fight for you anytime, anywhere."
Then came the dark elves.
At the front of the procession walked a voluptuous dark-skinned woman with long white hair and pointed elf-like ears. She wore a blue and gold Egyptian-inspired outfit with a revealing top and a short skirt decorated with gemstones and ancient motifs. Her golden headdress featured a red gem and a central crest, and she had matching jewelry on her arms and neck. Her sandals were gold and strapped up to her thighs, detailed with red and gold star-like designs. An ankh symbol was printed on the cloth draped from her hip.
She bowed low with sultry grace. "I am Zafira, emissary of the southern exile tribes. We dark elves are not quick to kneel. But today, we do so willingly."
Behind her stood a lone figure—the last of the freed.
She was a curvy woman with long flowing red-orange hair and golden eyes. She wore a horned helmet and a very revealing outfit consisting of a silver and black bikini top, short brown shorts, and high black thigh-high boots with white trim. Her arms were partially covered with silver armor and brown sleeves, and she had a silver knee guard on one leg. A few blue markings decorated her skin, and she wore a small earring on one ear.
She walked up quietly, her expression uncertain but soft. "I… don't know what to say. I was ready to die in that cage." Her voice trembled. "But you showed up. So… thank you."
Kujo nodded. "You don't have to say anything more."
Dimara came skipping up beside him, wrapping both arms around his arm. "Master, master~ We have a huge crowd now. What do we do with them all?"
Kujo looked around. At the vampires, the werewolves, the dark elves. The dragonoid girl who still clung to her tattered blanket. The trust in their eyes wasn't just gratitude—it was dependence.
He looked up at the moonlight seeping through the clearing. The night sky stretched endlessly above.
Then he smiled.
"Why don't we build our own home?" he said aloud.
The crowd fell quiet.
He turned back to the others. "A town. Just for us. Somewhere safe. No royal blood. No collars. No chains. Just peace."
Kyrie tilted her head. "A town?"
Setara folded her arms. "You want to build a civilization from scratch?"
"Why not?" Kujo asked. "We have numbers. Fighters. Magic. Resources. And now, freedom."
Zafira's eyes glittered with interest. "We've hidden underground for decades. But if you offer land… we'll help."
The vampire leader nodded. "We have builders, artisans, and guards among us. We can contribute."
The werewolf general grinned. "Give us meat and a forest and we'll chop wood and dig trenches till our claws fall off."
Even the dragonoid girl finally smiled.
Fiore stood tall beside him, smirking. "You realize this will paint a target on your back. From every kingdom and noble house that profits off their misery."
Kujo nodded. "Good. Let them come."
Dimara nuzzled his shoulder. "You always say the coolest things…"
Kyrie crossed her arms with a satisfied smile. "I'll start drawing up warding barriers and storage zones."
Setara nodded. "I'll handle territory planning and supply distribution."
Zafira turned to the dark elves and barked something in her native tongue. They immediately began forming work teams.
The werewolves broke into howling laughter and started punching trees.
The vampires scattered, forming patrol routes without being told.
Fiore gave a rare chuckle. "I think you accidentally became a king."
Kujo smiled quietly to himself as he watched them move.
No throne.
No chains.
Just people. Monsters. Misfits.
And a home worth protecting.