The Villainous Family Loves Me Too Much!

“Brother…”

Upon witnessing Liam’s disturbing state, Princess Karena swiftly stepped between Gabriel and Liam, taking the knife strike intended for him.

“Brother, this time… you must achieve a happy ending… with Hailey.”

“Rena… Get up… Rena!!!!!”

And just like that, Princess Karena’s hand dropped limply to the floor.

Baroness Hailey Fenris, watching from afar with bated breath, hurried over.

“She’s lost too much blood. We must provide emergency treatment quickly…”

“Jonathan! We need to get her to Jonathan right away!”

As Gabriel tried to rush off carrying the bleeding Karena, the Emperor barred his way.

“Just summon the imperial physicians here! Moving her could cause further blood loss!”

“There’s a healer here in the palace. A healer capable of promptly healing such wounds.”

Gabriel and Hailey dashed towards the exit.

“Gah!”

“Wh… What is this?”

In that instant, every door leading into the banquet hall simultaneously shut. The guests murmured restlessly.

“Oh no, they’re all locked!”

Though Gabriel tried forcing them open, the doors refused to budge.

“It seems that won’t work. I’ll use my Ability to send Karena to Jonathan instead. Where is Jonathan right now?”

Grrrrrrrrrr.

“What was that sound?!”

Panic-stricken guests screamed as they surged towards the doors behind the two.

“Why are people suddenly…”

Beyond the frenzied crowd, Gabriel saw Liam’s horrific demonic visage.

Unhinged by extreme stress, Liam was undergoing transformation into a Great Demon Beast.

“Aaahhhh!”

“Your Majesty, you must flee before the metamorphosis concludes!”

Stunned by the rapid succession of crises, the Emperor by Liam’s side failed to comprehend the unfolding events.

One of the Felosite knights disguised as Roati Company staff dashed over, forcefully shoving the Emperor away from Liam.

Having fully transformed into a Great Demon, Liam opened his eyes to countless potential prey awaiting his selection.

‘Hungry…’

Liam began an indiscriminate hunt as a complete demon.

“Somebody, save me! Aaaahhhh!”

It could scarcely be called a hunt, as the humans were easily captured – a sheer massacre.

Whoever had locked the doors, many rushed towards them in hopes of escape upon seeing the Great Demon Beast.

Allowing Liam to easily seize those who stumbled or tripped along the way.

The banquet hall, once filled with awe and laughter, now echoed only with the dying screams of his victims.

Dignitaries from across the Empire and abroad scattered in utter chaos.

Emperor Motias and the imperial knights had no choice but to somehow subdue this massive demon at any cost to protect them.

Yet the issue was that before becoming this beast, the demon had been Crown Prince Liam of this very nation.

“Captain! Which area should we attack? I don’t wish to slay His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“I don’t know! Attack anywhere! Aaarrrgghh!”

More disconcertingly, even the Emperor renowned for his formidable ‘Ability of Fire’ seemed utterly flustered, unable to properly wield his abilities.

“Aaaarrrggghhhh!”

Amid their panicked floundering, another dignitary fell prey to Liam.

* * *

The Felosite knights were preoccupied guarding the fallen Archduchess Karena.

-If anything befalls Karena here, you are all dead men.

Right before today’s event, the Archduke had issued that grave threat.

True to his infamous reputation, the Felosite knights considered death by the Archduke’s hands preferable to the Great Demon Beast’s.

Why had such an incident occurred precisely when the Archduke was away?

All the knights knew the reason.

With the Archduke’s prowess, he could have easily subdued the demon before its full transformation, without spilling a drop of blood.

The paramount combat tenet emphasized in the Felosite knights was seizing advantageous terrain.

But this was already a foregone conclusion.

The knights clearly recalled their duty:

To survive this ordeal alongside Karena.

The first to notice the doors locking as Liam transformed were Gabriel and Hailey, who swiftly retreated elsewhere as people swarmed over.

Gabriel’s plan was to use his ‘Ability of Water’ to transport the injured Karena outside.

Hence, alongside the Felosite knights, they carefully gathered every liquid from the banquet hall tables.

“This should suffice to at least move Karena for now. Then-“

Just as all preparations were complete and only Ability activation remained…

“Grrraaahhh.”

The demonic Liam appeared before them.

Two Felosite knights simultaneously charged, severing both Liam’s arms with their magic blades, but the demon’s limbs instantly regenerated at over 100 times the rate of ordinary demon beasts.

“Why, why did his arms regrow… Aaagghh!”

Infuriated, Liam skewered one knight’s head with his massive, hook-like appendage.

“This won’t do. I need to restrain Liam before he attacks!”

Activating his Ability, Gabriel utilized the liquids to bind Liam’s entire body like elongated ropes.

“Hailey, run! Hurry!”

Hailey tried dragging the fallen Karena away, but her meager strength proved futile.

The liquid ropes reached their limits, severed by the demonic Liam’s overwhelming force.

Flung by the impact, Gabriel crashed into the banquet hall wall, dropping beside Hailey and Karena.

Cornered, the only space remaining was this nook with no room to flee.

The trio stood no chance of evading Liam now.

Then a shattering sound rent the air as the window above Gabriel’s head burst open.

“The doors were locked, so I barged through, but what even is this situation?”

“Your Highness the Archduke!”

Lucian descended through the shattered window skylight.

A haggard-looking Jonathan clung to his side, scrambling awkwardly.

“Why were the doors locked? We had to circle around up there for ages to get in.”

Thud.

A deafening boom shook the ground violently.

What was once Prince Liam now approached as a gargantuan beast, each thunderous footfall jarring the surroundings.

“Where’s Karena?”

Following Gabriel’s gaze, Lucian spotted Karena collapsed on the floor.

A momentary smile had graced Lucian’s features upon thinking of Karena, but his face now drained of color.

“Karena!”

Eyes closed, bleeding from her abdomen, Karena’s stillness resembled a corpse. Lucian’s heart sank.

“Just who committed such a sin?”

From shock to dismay, dismay to sorrow, sorrow to fury.

Within that brief span, Lucian experienced the entire spectrum of negative human emotions.

“Liam tried stabbing me, but Karena shielded me…”

“Am I permitted to slay him?”

Lucian’s voice chilled with darkness.

“That wretch… May I slay him, Your Highness?”

Gabriel offered a bitter smile.

“We’re about to die ourselves. What’s there to hold back?”

Archduke Lucian’s formidable mana was already renowned.

Yet the enraged Lucian’s power seemed utterly inhuman.

Despite the stark size disparity between the demonic Liam and Lucian, the force Lucian emanated was overwhelming.

A mere human form toying with a demon dozens of times larger.

“You’ve vexed me for the last time. It’s time you disappeared.”

Facing Liam, Lucian sneered derisively.

“You’d best prepare yourself. I won’t show mercy to such a puny beast.”

As Lucian’s lips curled, black smoke billowed from his hands.