Chapter 434: Lola’s Return to the demon kingdom Both Noah and Lola descended from the clouds, hovering in the skies above the demon kingdom of Lilin. Their arrival did not go unnoticed—the sheer presence of two peak grandmaster-level beings appearing above the capital city immediately drew attention like a beacon of power cutting through the realm’s ambient demonic energy. People on the streets below began pointing upward, their voices rising in confused murmurs that quickly spread through the districts like wildfire. "Who are those flying above the palace?" "That aura... they’re both grandmasters!" "Is that... is that Lola?!" Several powerful demons at master rank emerged from various locations throughout the city—elite guards, noble house champions, and military commanders who served as the kingdom’s defensive force. They took to the air or positioned themselves on rooftops, their expressions grim as they assessed the threat. They recognized both figures immediately despite the time that had passed. Lola the succubus princess, presumed dead or permanently exiled, had returned. And beside her floated the human shopkeeper who had fled with his mysterious artifact shop after saving Lola from Prince Malphas’s attempt following her failed assassination against him. The last time anyone had seen them, they were inside the shop as Prince Malphas’s forces tried to attack alongside the king himself. Lola had been wounded, the human had been protecting her, and they’d vanished into dimensions unknown. Now they had returned, radiating power that made the master-rank defenders instinctively hesitate despite their numerical advantage. Not long after the initial sightings, the atmosphere shifted dramatically as two even more powerful presences emerged from the royal palace below. King Asmodeus himself appeared, his body rising into the air. His aura was overwhelming—a grandmaster who had ruled for decades and whose strength had only grown after consolidating power following his coup against Lola’s family. Dark energy swirled around him like living shadows, and his eyes burned with infernal light as he assessed the intruders. Beside him floated Prince Malphas, and the sight of him made Lola’s expression tighten. The prince’s aura had reached grandmaster rank as well. In the months since their last encounter, Malphas had broken through the barrier that separated masters from grandmasters, marking him as a genius with unparalleled talent in the demon kingdom. His advancement had been celebrated as proof that the Asmodeus bloodline deserved the throne, that power recognized rightful rulers. Two grandmaster-level opponents versus two grandmaster-level challengers. The aerial confrontation created a tense standoff as both sides evaluated each other, the master-rank demons below watching nervously as powers far beyond their ability to influence prepared for potential conflict. Yet Malphas’s achievement, impressive as it was to the demons below, would soon no longer matter. Staring at the legion of demons arrayed before them—King Asmodeus with his overwhelming presence, Prince Malphas with his newly achieved grandmaster aura, and dozens of master-rank elites ready to support their rulers—Lola felt no fear. Instead, she smirked with confidence. She was no longer the desperate princess fleeing assassination. She was no longer the wounded exile barely surviving through Noah’s protection. With her current strength enhanced by months of consuming Noah’s miraculous items and training relentlessly, she could topple this entire kingdom if the need arose. The power differential between her now and her past self was so vast that facing Asmodeus and Malphas simultaneously no longer seemed like suicide—it seemed like justice finally within reach. She turned to look at Noah, her expression showing both gratitude and determination. "Let me do this... alone, please." This was her revenge. Her family’s honour to reclaim. Her throne to retake. She needed to face them herself, to prove that she had returned. Noah smiled with understanding and confidence in her abilities. "Go ahead." He drifted backward slightly, making it clear he would observe but not interfere unless absolutely necessary. This was Lola’s moment, and he would respect that. Lola’s floated forward, her aura expanding outward in a display that made several of the master-rank demons below gasp with shock. The sheer density and refinement of her power exceeded what anyone remembered from the princess who had fled months ago. King Asmodeus’s expression shifted from contempt to wary. "So the dirty succubus returns, having found some temporary boost to her power. Did you really think reaching grandmaster rank would be enough to challenge me, child? I have held this throne for years while you ran and hid like a coward." Prince Malphas laughed mockingly. "Father, she’s brought her human pet along for protection. How pathetic. Still unable to fight her own battles." Lola’s smirk widened, showing teeth. "The only pathetic ones here are the cowards who murdered sleeping royals in the night, who stole a throne through treachery rather than earning it through strength. Today, you’ll learn the difference between a usurper and a true heir." "Oh knights of Lilin! Your time has come! Rise from the ashes and slay the enemies that back-stabbed your families!" Lola shouted into the air, her voice magically amplified to carry across the entire capital city with commanding authority. Before anyone could fully understand what was happening, the atmosphere changed dramatically. Tens of powerful demons ranging from apprentice rank all the way to master rank emerged from various locations throughout the city. They had been hiding in plain sight—disguised as merchants, minor nobles, common guards, and ordinary citizens—waiting for this exact moment. They rose into the air or positioned themselves prominently on rooftops, their auras flaring in coordinated display as they declared their allegiance. Each one bore expressions of determination and long-suppressed rage as they stood openly on Lola’s side, revealing themselves as loyalists to the original royal family, those that Lola recruited after returning to the demon kingdom. Those weren’t old followers, but new ones. They were the weaklings that had hid as their families were slaughtered, just like Lola. The assembled forces under King Asmodeus’s command looked with visible confusion and alarm. They had thought themselves secure, their control absolute. Now they realized that their kingdom had been infiltrated for decades—by enemies waiting for the rightful heir to return with enough power. Among those emerging loyalists was a face that made Noah’s eyes widen in interest. Viscount Vex stepped forward prominently, his distinguished bearing immediately recognizable. The demon noble who operated extensive farms of demonica plants—some of which he had regularly traded to Noah’s shop in exchange for enhancement items, becoming one of Noah’s most reliable and valuable customers.