My SSS-Rank Innate skill: Infinite Adaptation core

Despite the efforts of the Zarok Clan and the Demon Generals, news of the duel eventually leaked beyond their territory.

The rumors quickly reached the Lust Clan, which was the closest Royal Clan to the Zarok Clan.

Finally, three days passed. The long-awaited day had arrived.

The Royal City of the Zarok Clan was more lively than ever as the Grand Royal Arena had been prepared for the duel between Nova and one of the princes, Vex.

A specific time had been announced for the duel, so citizens from not only the Royal City but also other cities across the Zarok Clan had gathered and already taken their places inside the arena.

Queen Lily wanted the entire kingdom to witness how she could subdue Nyxara, even after she had reached the Sovereign Realm, right in front of the masses.

The security around the arena was also extremely tight. This was an important event for the strongest Demon Royal Clan, especially since it was taking place in the absence of the Demon Lord.

There was a limit to how many Demon Generals a Demon Lord could keep by their side. Every Demon Lord could have five generals accompanying them, and currently, only two of the five were present in the Zarok Clan’s territory.

However, despite the generals being stronger than Queen Lily, she currently held the greatest authority and influence within the clan.

Meanwhile, Nova was fully prepared for the duel. He wore his signature black pants and black boots, along with a long, high-collared black coat.

Beneath the coat, he wore nothing.

Velena herself had told him that male demons in the Abyss mostly fought bare-chested, as they had no habit of hiding their muscles.

Nova didn’t mind at all.

His body was already covered in powerful, well-sculpted muscles , his amazing physicque could put most demon genrals to shame. Combined with his tall stature and sharp features, his appearance was naturally striking.

Now, Nova, Nyxara, and Velena were flying toward the arena, which was situated at the center of the Royal City. From above, Nova could see the overwhelming crowd gathered below.

A battle like this was extremely rare, and seeing someone openly challenge a member of a Royal Clan was even rarer. Naturally, almost no one wanted to miss such an event.

Velena turned toward Nyxara and asked, ”Princess, do you think this could be some kind of trap? What if they bring someone far stronger than Lord Nova?”

Nyxara calmly replied, ”Don’t worry. if I see that he won’t be able to defeat his opponent, I’ll intervene. They won’t be able to do anything about it.”

She then turned toward Nova.

”Do you want me to do that?”

Nova thought for a moment before answering, ”If the situation turns out to be something I can’t handle, I’ll signal you. But before that, don’t intervene. Otherwise, it’ll make both you and me look bad.”

Nyxara stared at him for a moment.

With his bare upper body revealed and his long hair tied behind his head, exposing his handsome features, Nyxara found it surprisingly difficult to maintain eye contact with him.

She quickly turned her head away and muttered, ”Hmph... just don’t die.” Velena could only shake her head at Nyxara’s reaction.

A few minutes later, they finally reached the arena.

It was enormous and grand, with countless demons filling the audience seats. Their loud voices and excited conversations echoed throughout the entire arena.

Nova, Nyxara, and Velena landed in the area that had been prepared specifically for them.

The moment they entered the arena, everyone’s attention shifted toward them, and countless whispers immediately spread through the crowd.

”Look, look! Princess Nyxara has arrived!”

”Gosh, she looks even more beautiful than the last time I saw her... I can’t believe that idiot pig dared to take her as his wife.”

”Shh! Do you want to get yourself killed? He’s the son of the Demon Lord!”

”Wait... who is that tall, grey-skinned demon standing beside her?”

”Oh my Demon God! Look at how handsome he is!”

”You’re right! I’ve never seen such a handsome demon before. And look at those muscles! Ahhhh~!”

”You idiots! That’s the man. Princess Nyxara is calming as her husband. Do you want to die by her hands?”

”If he’s Princess Nyxara’s husband, then we’ll support him! Although... I wish I could have him instead.”

”Heh, look at yourself first, you ugly bitch. You can’t even compare to a single strand of Lady Nyxara’s hair.”

...

Murmurs like these continued spreading throughout the arena as everyone’s attention was naturally drawn toward Nova and Nyxara.

Velena was standing beside them as well, but she was already well known throughout the Zarok Clan, so her appearance didn’t cause nearly as much commotion.

Even though Velena was no less beautiful, Nyxara and Nova were not people the citizens had the chance to see every day.

On top of that, this was Nova’s first public appearance in the Royal City in front of such large crowd, and his appearance was exceptionally striking even by demonic standards.

Even the incubuses of the Lust Clan would have struggled to compete with Nova’s appearance. Naturally, he attracted an enormous amount of attention the moment he stepped into the arena.

Opposite to where Nova’s group was seated, with the entire arena’s attention captured by them, Queen Lily and her children were seated in their designated area.

Beside her were the other wives of the Demon Lord Kharos, each seated in their respective places slightly away from the Queen’s seat.

Even the Demon Lord’s wives couldn’t help but admire Nova’s charm, and some had already begun having rather indecent thoughts about him.

Standing beside Queen Lily were her three most powerful sons.

Kael was gritting his teeth as he watched Nova steal all the attention in the arena. Ravik, who was still somewhat afraid of Nyxara, stood beside his mother with an unusually attentive expression.

And then there was Vex, the one who would be fighting Nova.

He was a tall, muscular demon with numerous tattoos covering his body. He casually massaged his fists while staring at Nova with a mocking grin.

”Mother, he’s only at the King Realm, yet you’re telling me to fight him? I’m already about to break through to the second level of the Emperor Realm.”

Lily looked at her son and said, ”Honey, don’t underestimate him. I sent spies to monitor him, and they reported that he was capable of fighting peak-level King Realm demonic beasts. That means he’s most likely hiding his true strength.”

”Heh... even so, he’s still nothing but an ant in front of me.”

Vex sneered confidently as he cracked his knuckles and clenched both fists.

”Lorcan.”

Lily called out, and a tall, reddish-black, muscular demon immediately stepped forward.

It was General Lorcan, the same general who had been sent to deliver the letter to Nyxara. He approached Queen Lily and bowed respectfully.

”Yes, Your Majesty,” Lorcan said.

Lily spoke in an authoritative tone.

”You will be hosting this event. That bitch has already accepted the duel, so she can’t go back on her word now.”

She paused before continuing.

”And whatever happens, don’t let anyone interfere with the duel. She will undoubtedly try to protect him when Vex attempts to kill him. If necessary, stop her—even if you can only hold her back for a few seconds.”

Lorcan was a Level 8 Emperor Realm expert. Although he was no match for Nyxara at her current level, he was still powerful enough to obstruct her for a short period and prevent her from interfering with Vex.

Lorcan was also the second-strongest General under Demon Lord Kharos. He had been ordered to follow Queen Lily’s commands, so he couldn’t disobey her, even though he deeply respected the First Queen, Nyxara’s mother.

”As you wish, Your Majesty.”

With that, Lorcan disappeared from his position and instantly appeared in the air at the center of the arena.

With an amplification technique, Lorcan’s voice boomed across the entire arena, resonating through every corner and silencing the surrounding chatter.

”Attention, citizens of the Zarok Territory!”

Instantly, the countless voices filling the arena died down beneath General Lorcan’s powerful, amplified voice.

Everyone immediately recognized him.

After all, Lorcan was a well-known and feared Demon General throughout the Abyss. His reputation alone was enough to command the attention of everyone present.

As the arena fell completely silent, every demon focused on him, eager to hear what he was about to announce.

Nova and his group also turned their attention toward Genral Lorcan.

**

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