THE WEIGHT OF THE DEMI-GOD

The silence that followed Niel's defeat was heavy, broken only by the crackle of residual divine lightning dancing off Eren's rusted iron blade. Prince Niel lay unconscious in the sand, his dragon scales completely shattered, reverting back into a battered human form.Eren stood at the center of the crater, his spiky blonde hair catching the eerie crimson glow of the fractured sky. He didn't look tired. He didn't look hurt. He looked like an absolute monarch standing over a conquered battlefield, his modern gold chains clinking softly as he breathed.Up in the royal box, King Alden Nileges slowly stood up from his throne. His hands were shaking. As a king, he knew how to manage political rivalries and arrogant nobles. But how was he supposed to manage a twelve-year-old boy who possessed the raw physical strength to obliterate an ancient dragon ancestor in a single, casual swing?"The... the match is decided," the King announced, his voice echoing through the magically amplified speakers of the arena, trembling slightly. "Eren of the slums is the undisputed champion of the Imperial Selection!"A deafening cheer erupted from the crowd. Thousands of commoners and nobles alike screamed his name, completely captivated by the sheer, undeniable attraction of his strength and his striking looks.Lady Marine stepped past her father, the Duke, her fingers gripping the cold marble railing. Her heart was beating frantically. She had spent her entire life being groomed to marry for a political leash, but looking down at Eren, she didn't see a tool. She saw a savior. When Eren looked up and caught her eye, giving her a slow, devastating wink, a deep crimson blush flooded her cheeks, matching the color of the sky.Eren sheathed his rusted blade with a sharp clack. He started walking toward the royal stairs, but before he could take a third step, his internal gaming interface turned blood-red.Ding.[WARNING: System Threat Level Overload.][Target Identified: The Demon King (Class: Absolute Disaster / World Ender).][Distance: Closing rapidly. Estimated arrival: 5 minutes.]The bleeding crimson sky above the arena suddenly tore completely open. The ambient temperature dropped to a freezing chill, and a massive, dark spatial rift materialized directly over the center of the stadium.From the darkness of the rift, a single figure slowly floated down. Despite the title of Demon King, she looked like a remarkably beautiful, young girl with long, midnight-black hair that floated as if underwater, and eyes that burned like twin dying stars. Her presence alone caused the gravity in the arena to double, forcing the remaining nobles in the stands to drop to their knees, gasping for air.She didn't look at the King. She didn't look at the thousands of screaming humans. Her dark, starry eyes locked instantly onto Eren, sensing the massive, golden-silver aura of the War God Alexus radiating from his body."So," the Demon King girl spoke, her voice smooth, melodic, yet carrying an echo that made the earth tremble. "You are the source of the divine energy that dared to disrupt my blockade. A half-step Demi-God hiding in a human cage."Eren didn't flinch under her world-crushing pressure. He casually adjusted his chains, a cocky, high-energy gyaru smirk spreading across his face as he looked her up and down. He had been starving for two years because of her food crisis, and he was more than ready to settle the score on a cosmic level."Took you long enough to show up," Eren said, his golden eyes flashing with raw excitement as he gripped the hilt of his sword once more. "I was getting bored fighting these weaklings anyway. Let's see what a real boss battle looks like."