MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

"I will ask one last time, and I do not like repeating myself," Lilithra's voice rang out once more, her tone cold and steady, each word coated with menace. "Who killed my pet?"

Her question was met not with an answer, but with the sudden surge of battle intent that erupted into the sky.

The air thickened as killing intent clashed and swirled like a storm ready to burst.

Every Domain leader present could sense it, battle was inevitable. They had no information on the creature she called her pet, but the gravity in her tone left no doubt: this confrontation would not end with words.

Besides, the odds were grim for her. It was seven against one.

"It seems I will have to wipe out everyone here, then," Lilithra stated with unnerving calm.

Her eyes glowed faintly red, like molten embers in the dark. Before any of them could react, she was gone, vanished from sight.

An instant later, she appeared in front of Gorath Storm, the Titan Patriarch, her figure blurring with impossible speed. Without hesitation, she launched a world-ending blow.

Her fist slammed into his face with a sound like a collapsing mountain, the sheer force hurling Gorath Storm through the air as though he were weightless.

The sound of that single strike echoed in the minds of all who stood there, each pulse of it like the toll of death bells. Instinctively, the others moved to create distance, their bodies reacting before their minds could catch up.

But their attempt was futile.

In the blink of an eye, Lilithra was already upon Baldor Ironhammer, the proud Leader of the Dwarf race.

He had not seen her approach. He had not sensed her movement. It was as though she had stepped between moments themselves.

Baldor's breath caught in his throat. His life flashed before his eyes in a rush of memories, centuries of ruling his domain, the pride of his people, and the unfulfilled plans he still clung to.

He had yet to fully study the artifact Anthony had given to him, and now, none of it mattered.

Unlike Gorath Storm, he did not possess the unmatched durability of a Titan. If that punch reached him, he would not simply fall, he would be erased.

But just before the blow could connect, the world shifted.

Baldor felt it instantly, a disorienting twist in existence, as though reality itself had been rewritten and he no longer stood where he had been a heartbeat ago. His gaze snapped to his former position, and there he saw a familiar figure: a young human boy with striking white hair and piercing blue eyes.

Anthony.

And he was standing directly in the path of Lilithra's fist.

As her attack descended, Anthony raised a single palm, catching it effortlessly, as though intercepting a lazy push rather than a strike capable of obliterating Domain.

The collision rang out with a heavy, thunderous bam. The air screamed under the pressure before the very fabric of space fractured, splintering like delicate glass under strain.

Anthony could have stopped the attack entirely with his newfound Infinity, but he chose otherwise. This was an opportunity to test his physique, and who better to test it against than a Demon Monarch? No opponent could offer a more absolute measure.

The Racial Leaders stared, not in disbelief, but in something deeper. The world itself seemed to hold its breath. They all knew the power behind Lilithra's strike. It was enough to annihilate an entire domain, yet Anthony had stopped it without flinching.

Shock rippled through them. Not only had Anthony intercepted the blow, he had done so without the faintest sign of strain. The fact that even Gorath Storm, a Titan Patriarch, had been rendered unconscious in a single hit underscored the enormity of what they were witnessing.

Still, the same thought surfaced in all their minds: Could Anthony truly face the Demon Monarch?

None of them were foolish enough to demand that he stand down on the grounds of his youth.

Nineteen years of age meant nothing in the face of power. And they knew, better than anyone, that they themselves stood no chance again Lilithra.

"To think a child who has not even lived a century could match even a fraction of my speed... intriguing." Lilithra's voice slithered through the silence. A smile touched her lips, though it held no warmth. "You will be my new pet."

Her crimson irises narrowed into vertical slits.

Charming Gaze

A wave of insidious energy surged into Anthony's mind, subtle yet powerful. It sought to burrow deep, to twist thought and will into servitude.

But Anthony did not resist, not out of weakness, but because he had no need to. His mind was unassailable, immune to all forms of mental manipulation.

'It didn't work?' Lilithra's brow creased slightly.

Only those among the 99th to 1st ranked demons, the direct servants of the Demon King, had ever resisted her Charming Gaze.

"Don't bother," Anthony's voice cut through her thoughts like a blade through darkness. "Such tricks are useless against me."

He turned his head slightly, his gaze settling on the assembled Racial Leaders. His tone was sharp and commanding. "End this war immediately before another variable appears on the chessboard."

Their eyes narrowed. A nineteen year old human, a boy they had once escorted to the Starborn Tournament, was issuing orders to them.

But none of them spoke in protest.

In this world, power was the only measure of authority, and Anthony had just demonstrated more than enough of it with a single movement.

Besides, he was right.

If another Demon Monarch appeared, one ranked higher than Lilithra, they would have no one to contain the threat while Anthony held the line against the 100th.

The military was already engaged elsewhere, holding back other Monarchs across the galaxy.

No reinforcements would come.

Kaelen Wildhart, ruler of the Demi-Human Domain, was the first to move. Without hesitation, he darted toward the massive sinkhole where Gorath Storm lay unconscious, scooping him up before vanishing in a blur.

The others followed, disappearing swiftly and without a word, like shadows fleeing the break of dawn.

Now, only Anthony and Lilithra remained.

Anthony's lips curved slightly. "Now, it's just you and me."

"Indeed." Lilithra's expression shifted into something almost playful. She withdrew her fist from his palm and blurred backward, each step a distortion in space.

"So," she began, her voice laced with casual arrogance, "I'm far too lazy to chase you around. How about becoming my personal pet? In return, I will spare your world."

Her words were as matter of fact as if she were proposing a business transaction. To her, this planet was nothing, one among billions scattered across the galaxy.

What she valued were her amusements, her so-called pets, and Anthony had just proven himself entertaining.

At her proposition, time itself seemed to still. Across the globe, countless eyes watched, breathless, awaiting Anthony's reply. But the internet did not wait. Social media exploded, flooding with outrage.

They hurled insults at Lilithra for daring to suggest such a thing to their beloved Son of the Heavens.

Words like bitch, ugly cow, child molester, and rapist trended instantly. It was a storm of fury, one that would have reduced the planet to ash had Lilithra seen or heard them.

Anthony's reaction was not surprise. Instead, he smiled, his tone carrying a teasing edge. "I'm sorry, I'm already taken. My girlfriend would kill me. But—" his grin widened, sharp and dangerous, "if you can take me by force, I won't object."

His heartbeat quickened. This was it, the first time he would face a Demon Monarch.

And he looked forward to it.

"As you wish," Lilithra replied, her voice like silk drawn over steel.