Mitrice spotted Xuefei at a glance!
Even though she had shrunken a little, Xuefei’s adorable aura, her flowing silver hair, and the eyes she had deliberately hidden beneath her white veil were all too easy to recognize.
Mitrice shot Xuefei a pointed look, as if to say, “Don’t say such weird stuff—at least give me a little face here!”
Seeing the helpless expression written all over her face, Xuefei offered an apologetic smile and dipped her head slightly.
“Demon King.”
The people around her nodded in unison, showing their respect to the Demon King.
“Demon King.”
“Demon King…”
Seeing that Xuefei showed no unusual reaction, the Demon King let out a soft sigh and pretended as if nothing had happened. She lowered her head, pointed toward a room in the distance, and smiled.
“Cute girl, are you here for the competition?”
“Yes…”
“Registration is in that room there.” Mitrice pointed to the small chamber and gave her a gentle smile. “Hurry on—it’s almost over.”
“Got it. Thank you, Demon King. I’ll take my leave.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Xuefei managed an embarrassed yet polite smile. Mitrice nodded and watched as she squeezed through the crowd and slipped into the registration room.
If Mitrice hadn’t bailed her out, Xuefei was certain she wouldn’t have made it in time.
Once the Demon King had gone, the Winter Bear Clan girl and the Deer Clan girl stared in astonishment at Tilly’s retreating figure. Whispers rippled through the air.
“Who the heck is she? Nobody calls the Demon King by her name to her face…”
“Didn’t the Demon King hear it?”
“Impossible! The Demon Fox Demon King once personally executed a general for showing her disrespect. The guy died a gruesome death!”
Xuefei naturally overheard the chatter. She smiled awkwardly and pretended it hadn’t happened, resolving to properly thank Mitrice another day for getting her out of that jam.
The registration room was cramped, about the size of a small guard booth.
Since it was so late, Xuefei was the only one there.
A little Demon sat behind the desk, lightly tapping the roster as she muttered to herself.
“All these people didn’t show? That’s a fair number already. Oh well…”
“Wait!”
Xuefei called out hurriedly.
The little Demon looked up and adjusted her glasses.
Her first instinct was that Xuefei was just some little girl who had wandered in by mistake.
“I haven’t registered yet!”
“Oh? All right then…”
“Xue… Tilly! I’m Tilly!”
Xuefei was panting—not from exhaustion, but from sheer excitement.
That idiot Leia had insisted on squeezing her half to death right before she set off! She’d almost missed the deadline. What a close call!
“Your name’s Tilly? Let me check… Ah.” The little Demon leafed through her papers until she found two very obvious characters on one page. With a magic pen, she placed a checkmark in the blank space beside them.
Then she gave Xuefei a strange look. The little Demon’s two tiny wings fluttered on her head, betraying her bubbling curiosity.
“You’re really a contestant?”
This girl was cute beyond belief.
She herself was an old librarian, several hundred years old.
Normally, she had no desire to trek all the way out here to handle registrations. She much preferred holing up in the Ephise Library, sipping tea in a shady spot.
But this last girl of the day was a surprise…
“Mm-hmm.” Xuefei nodded with a smile.
The little Demon’s weathered face flushed red. If no one knew her age, everyone would take her for a Demon Race girl in the bloom of youth. “Impersonating a contestant is a serious crime, you know! The Demon King instructed it personally, and even the Dragon King wouldn’t turn a blind eye.”
“I understand…”
Cold sweat beaded on Xuefei’s brow.
Even if it was impersonation, it shouldn’t be a problem, right?
If she got caught, only Leia could punish her. Leia was the Dragon Consort—equal parts domineering and powerful. She spent her days lazing around the house with the kids and slacking off, but she handled everything. So any antics in the Demon Realm, including this “operation,” would be forgiven.
Unwelcome images flickered through Xuefei’s mind.
Like Leia “punishing” her in some… intimate way…
“At last, a contestant who’s a little different. Tilly… Tilly…” The little Demon gave Xuefei another suspicious once-over, then sighed and tugged playfully at her pink hair.
“Fine, I believe you. You’re good to go compete. You and your opponent have been scheduled for the first match.” She adjusted her glasses and closed her eyes.
“Ah?!”
…
On the arena, Xuefei waited silently for the match to begin.
According to that little demon’s account, this tournament would have more participants than any before it.
Most of Ephise Academy’s strongest students were taking part, and among them were three individuals who stood out as exceptionally competitive—top students even pegged as candidates for the next “Demon King.” In an elite institution like Ephise Academy, where only the best and the nobility could enroll, they were without a doubt geniuses among geniuses.
One of them had even gone so far as to tarnish the Dragon King’s dignity, with rumors swirling that she was poised to replace the Dragon King herself.
Xuefei’s target was naturally that mysterious figure as well.
But the opponent standing before her right now couldn’t rouse the slightest bit of interest.
The man boasted massive, bulging muscles and a neat red crew cut. He swung his enormous spear around with flashy bravado, striking poses for the audience seats every so often, radiating utter confidence. His white uniform was standard issue for Ephise Academy students.
“Soul Tier Layer 1, huh?”
Not a bad level at all.
Soul Tier wasn’t something you could find lying around like common cabbages—it marked a clear divide between the average and the truly powerful. If every member of the Demon Race reached Soul Tier, the Hero might as well forget about challenging the Demon King and just lie down to die.
Xuefei’s current state, meanwhile, was Soul Tier Layer 2.
Put simply, she had picked up one of Leia’s skills and created a similar “clone.” To avoid widening the gap too much with Tilly and to keep things fair with the other contestants, this pint-sized body was capped at Soul Tier Layer 2.
If Xuefei went all out, forget about winning the tournament—even if every competitor ganged up on her, they wouldn’t force her to cast a single spell. It would be a true dimensional beatdown.
“Laode, don’t go bullying a little girl! Keep it gentle, you hear?!”
“You got this!”
“What’s her name? She’s adorable!”
Suddenly, a booming male voice echoed through the magical amplifier.
“Ahem.”
“Before the match officially begins, allow me to introduce our distinguished guests.”
“First up, Her Excellency the Demon King—Mitrice, the great Demon King herself!!”
The applause seemed endless.
Xuefei found it a bit odd, wondering why Mitrice was on site, but then she recalled that the Demon King’s daughter was also a student at Ephise Academy, and it didn’t seem so strange after all.
“Next, the principal of Ephise Academy—welcome!!”
Amid the thunderous applause, a young woman with orange hair rose from her seat on the central viewing platform in the stands and gave a nod all around.
