Baroque knew he couldn’t secure the support of the Seventh Domain’s demons, but there was one reason he still went ahead with his coup. The Demon Lord of Deception, Dantalion. Dantalion promised to send his armies from the Fifth Domain to support Baroque. No matter how blinded Baroque was with power, he knew that allowing the Fifth Domain to interfere with the internal affairs of the Seventh Domain was a clear breach of their sovereignty. Doing so was a blatant act of foreign intervention—an act of surrendering the Seventh Domain’s sovereignty. That decision alone would be more than enough to completely destroy Baroque’s reputation among the demons of the Seventh Domain. Yet, Baroque had decided to take Dantalion’s hand, kill his father, and become the new demon lord. ’No one’s going to dare say anything once I become a fully-fledged demon lord.’ Baroque was planning to break his secret alliance with Dantalion and the Fifth Domain after wielding the demon lord’s full power. However, the secret alliance with the Fifth Domain would finally surface today, and it would, without a doubt, destroy Baroque’s reputation. But this did not matter... Baroque knew that if he killed Metatron and seized the Avenger from Siegfried, then no one would deny that he was the rightful ruler of the Seventh Domain. Once that happened, nobody would question his legitimacy, as those daring enough to oppose him by then would be crushed by his immense strength. “Hah! What the hell is this, Baroque?! Do you think you’ll get away with bringing those rascals from another domain to our lands?!” Balag roared after spotting the Fifth Domain’s army. Never in his wildest dreams did Balag imagine that Baroque, one of Vernas’ sons, would seek help from the Demon Lord of Deception. The other elders were just as outraged as Balag. “Never in our history has the demon lord become such a disgrace!” “Ha! What an utter disgrace! You are beyond pathetic, Baroque!” Just like Balag, the elders of the Seventh Domain couldn’t contain their anger at Baroque’s actions. They had already despised him for killing his own father just to seize the throne, but now, their anger burned even hotter after learning that he had allied with the Fifth Domain. However, the elders were not the only ones infuriated right now. The moment Baroque heard the elders insulting him using the same words he once used to insult Metatron, he momentarily lost all sense of reason. “How dare you... call me, Baroque, the demon lord... a fool...?!” If there was one thing Baroque despised far more than anything else in this world, it was being treated as if he was equal to Metatron. No, saying that he despised it was an understatement. He absolutely loathed it whenever someone said that he and his dimwitted older brother, Metatron, were equals. “Those damned senile old fools... Hehehe... You dare? You dare to treat me... the same as that idiot...?” A terrifying surge of demonic power erupted from Baroque’s body. The sheer force of it was so overwhelming that Siegfried instinctively staggered backward, but that was not all... C-Chwak...! Chwak...! Baroque’s body grew larger and larger as veins bulged all over him. His physique grew until his form distorted into something that resembled a monster rather than a demon. The elders of the Seventh Domain were shocked by what they were witnessing. It was all because they knew all too well why Baroque was suddenly transforming. He was transforming into the true form of a demon lord. Baroque’s transformed appearance was nothing short of overwhelming. He stood at five meters tall with muscles the size of boulders riddled with veins, ten massive wings on his back, a tail split into three sharp prongs, and five jagged horns protruding from his forehead. ‘I-Is that a demon lord...?’ Siegfried couldn’t help but be in awe at Baroque’s appearance. The sheer charisma of his appearance, coupled with the oppressive aura he unleashed, left quite an impact. However, Baroque cried out like a beast, which was not one would expect from such a grand transformation. His bloodshot eyes rolled back as he started foaming from the mouth. Then, without warning, he lunged toward the elders. In the blink of an eye, he pounced on the elder who had called him a fool earlier, and just like a predator tearing into its prey, Baroque started ripping the elder apart. “You insane bastard!” The elders unleashed a furious barrage of attacks against Baroque. But it was all futile... Even amidst the barrage of attacks, Baroque didn't even flinch. He focused on ripping apart the elder who had insulted him earlier. He didn't stop at merely dismembering the elder. He opened his mouth and sank his fangs deep into the elder’s chest. Then, he began devouring the elder like a starved beast. The elder let out a final scream while he was being eaten alive, but nobody could help him. Balag swung his Slaughterer’s Whip, wrapping it around Baroque, but even that could not stop him from cannibalizing one of his fellow demons. “What a vulgar beast!” The elders growled in disgust as their anger toward Baroque reached its peak. Siegfried could understand why the elders were enraged. ‘He looks pathetic,’ he thought. Baroque no longer looked like a demon lord. A demon lord was one of the thirteen sovereign rulers of the Demon Realm, and they were beings that carried an air of dignity and charisma with them at all times. There was not a shred of reasoning left in him, nor were there any traces of dignity. He was now nothing more than a mindless beast that listened only to his instincts to feast on his prey. Baroque finally rose to his feet after he devoured the elder’s heart and entrails. His face was drenched in blood, and thick red droplets of blood slid down his chin, trailing all the way down his neck. After his demonic power surged out of control, Baroque had become nothing more than a wild beast. ‘How the hell are we supposed to stop that thing...?’ Siegfried wondered while watching the sight before him. He was starting to think that there was no way to stop Baroque from rampaging. Baroque was the worst enemy he had ever faced. He wasn't a complete demon lord just yet, but he was just as dangerous as one, as he was a beast that rampaged wildly with not a shred of reason. ‘Is today the day I die...?’ A grim thought flashed across Siegfried’s mind as he tightened his grip on his +16 Vanquisher’s Grasp. Baroque let out a monstrous scream and charged straight toward the Demon Bank’s entrance. ‘I must stop him!’ Siegfried immediately cast Embrace of Despair in an attempt to stop him, but... Siegfried’s eyes widened in shock as Baroque simply tore through the debuff. He ran straight through the Embrace of Despair as if it didn't even exist. It seemed that the rampaging demonic power granted him resistance to debuffs. Siegfried hurriedly used Absolute Zero to freeze Baroque in place. Fortunately, Absolute Zero seemed to have some effect. Baroque shuddered violently as he fought against the freezing effects of Absolute Zero, and he was starting to break free from it. “Master Shakiro!” Siegfried shouted. “Got it!” Shakiro shouted back without hesitation and summoned dozens of aura blades. Siegfried followed suit and conjured his own aura blades, too. Torrential Flower Rain! Shwaaaaa! ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novel{f}ire.net The more than ten thousand aura blades conjured by Siegfried and Shakiro rained down upon Baroque like a storm, trapping him in a cage. Siegfried activated Discharge to crank up the effects of Eternal Flames. “Three! Two!” Siegfried shouted. “One!” Shakiro shouted back. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! The tens of thousands of aura blades exploded simultaneously, triggering a massive explosion, but... Even after taking a direct hit from an explosion that was equivalent to a nuclear bomb going off, Baroque was still on his charge toward the Demon Bank. ‘T-That’s crazy!’ Siegfried was horrified. The combined attack just now was powerful enough to reduce most enemies to dust. However, Baroque was different. He had lost all sense of reasoning, but he still wielded the power of a demon lord. In other words, he was a beast rampaging with a demon lord’s powers. Baroque’s soldiers and the army of the Fifth Domain began their charge toward the Demon Bank. And that was now all... “Hahaha! You’re fucked now, Han Tae-Sung!” Chae Hyung-Seok seized the opportunity and cast every buff he had on Baroque. “Grrwaaagh!” Baroque roared after sensing the buff he received. Baroque was already a monster after his transformation, but he turned into an even more terrifying monster, all thanks to Chae Hyung-Seok’s buffs. With his newfound strength, he lunged at the elders of the Seventh Domain. The elders were utterly powerless before Baroque. They were all battle-hardened veterans possessing immense demonic powers, but both their experience and power were utterly meaningless against the rampaging powers of a demon lord. A lifetime of battle experience? Techniques honed through years of training? None of them mattered... In the face of such overwhelming power, skill and experience were rendered useless. One by one, the elders fell, and the defensive line protecting the entrance began to collapse. Then, a decisive moment happened. Baroque’s claws clamped onto Balag’s left arm. In one swift motion, Balag’s entire left arm was ripped from his body. Despite the loss of one arm, Balag simply grimaced. He swung his Slaughterer’s Whip in a counterattack rather than scream or wail in agony. However, Baroque barely reacted even after getting hit. He tanked the blow as if it were nothing. Baroque’s hand shot forward and grabbed Balag by his throat. Balag was shocked upon getting caught completely off guard. What was going to happen next was obvious. Baroque would either crush his throat or tear his head clean off. Michael rushed in, desperate to stop him, but it was futile. ‘No!’ Siegfried tried to do something. He couldn’t let Balag die , and neither did he want to run away from this battle. ‘Metatron! Get here already, you bastard!’ Praying for Metatron to arrive in time, Siegfried ran toward Baroque. “Kyuuu! What the hell are you doing, owner punk?! Are you crazy?!” Hamchi shrieked at him. But it was too late... Siegfried had already shot forward like a bullet, closing the distance in an instant. Siegfried grabbed Baroque’s thigh with both hands. And flipped Baroque over his shoulder... It was Leonid's secret technique—Cyclone Slam. Baroque was slammed into the ground, and the ground trembled from the impact. ‘No choice. I have to buy time until that punk is ready.’ With that thought in mind, Siegfried activated the World of Despair, inviting Baroque into his realm. Siegfried was prepared to sacrifice himself to protect his comrades.