Bofuri (The Strongest Shield Of Tensura)

Conference Chamber, Raja Kingdom

Towa sat at the head of the table, her expression unreadable. Beside her, Kaori reclined slightly, exuding an air of quiet confidence. Across from them, two of Towa’s ministers sat in tense anticipation.

Towa sighed, breaking the silence. “So, it’s true.”

Kaori nodded. “It appears so. The five nations have already begun their march. They should reach your borders within a few hours.”

Towa’s brow furrowed. “That doesn’t make sense. For them to arrive so quickly, Lacua must have had them mobilizing since yesterday.” She rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought, before turning to the Tengu kneeling beside Kaori. “Did you notice anything else?”

The Tengu, one of the few who had joined Kaori’s intelligence network under Pito’s guidance, glanced at her. She gave him a small nod, granting him permission to speak.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” he said. “Our investigation revealed that most of the royal families of these five nations have been replaced by demons. The same applies to several of their high-ranking generals.”

A heavy silence fell over the room.

“So they’ve already fallen,” Kaori murmured, her voice laced with mild amusement as she unfolded her metal fan, fanning herself slowly. “Unfortunate.” She shifted her gaze to Towa. “What will you do?”

Towa took a slow breath, letting the weight of the moment settle over her. When she finally opened her eyes, there was no hesitation, only unwavering resolve.

“I’ve made my decision,” she declared.

The ministers sat straighter, waiting for her verdict.

“The Kingdom of Raja,” Towa announced, her voice steady and firm, “will become a vassal of the Kingdom of Maple Tree.”

The ministers gasped, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief. Kaori, on the other hand, merely raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

“What’s going through that mind of yours?” she asked.

Towa exhaled, a small, sad smile gracing her lips. “Lady Kaede has done so much for me and my kingdom. If Lacua had his way, I’d be suffering right now, probably even worse.” She clenched her hands into fists. “There’s nothing I could ever do to fully repay that.”

Kaori tilted her head slightly, her amusement evident. “So, you’re offering her your kingdom as payment?”

“No.” Towa’s lips curled into a smirk, her eyes gleaming with determination. “I’m giving her six kingdoms.”

Kaori’s expression shifted, her usual composure faltering for the briefest moment. “Six?” she echoed, genuinely surprised.@@novelbin@@

Towa nodded. “The five nations that have declared war on Raja have already fallen to demonic influence, haven’t they? That means we won’t just be saving my kingdom, we’ll be liberating theirs as well. And in return, they’ll swear allegiance to My Lady.”

Kaori remained silent for a moment before letting out a chuckle. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned a flat cup and a bottle of sake, pouring herself a drink. “Not a bad idea,” she admitted, raising the cup slightly. “But what if they refuse?”

Towa’s smirk faded, replaced by an icy determination. “Then we’ll simply destroy them. They attacked first, after all.”

Kaori took a slow sip of her sake, silently offering a brief prayer.

'My condolences, Lady Kaede. There are two of them now.'

She could already imagine Ari’s reaction to meeting Towa.

'She’s going to love her.'

---

Boom!

Clash!

Boom!

A streak of violet light tore through the void, weaving between shattered fragments of floating structures. Hot on its trail, a blinding yellow streak pursued, each of their movements leaving behind rippling explosions in its wake.

[Nuclear Cannon]

A concentrated mass of magicules bubbled and condensed, forming a vibrant pink sphere no larger than a marble.

Violet shot forward, darting between two colossal pillars of stone. As she twisted midair, nine more pink marbles formed at her fingertips. With a flick of her wrist, she unleashed them all at once, sending them hurtling toward her pursuer.

The now green streak shifted, revealing Caos, grinning wildly, her green hair billowing behind her as she surged forward.

With effortless precision, she cocked her fist and slammed into the first marble, deflecting it with sheer brute force. The second and third projectiles whizzed past as she twisted her body, avoiding them entirely. The fourth, she struck away with the back of her hand.

Then, without hesitation, she opened her mouth wide, swallowing the fifth whole.

Her fingers elongated, transforming into razor-sharp claws. With a single sweeping motion, she unleashed five slashes of deep blue energy, each one crackling with chaotic force as they carved through the void, slicing apart the remaining five marbles in their path.

[Reality Breaking Blow]

“Tch!” Violet clicked her tongue, summoning a much larger pink sphere into her palm. Without a moment’s hesitation, she spun, using the orb’s immense energy to carefully divert the incoming slashes, redirecting them away from her path.

The five slashes continued, unimpeded, until it collided with the 'edge' of the gap, long white gashes forming in the face of reality.

Completing her spin, Violet cupped her hands, increasing the size of the pink sphere even further, before shooting it at Caos.

Moving at speeds faster than light, the pink sphere expanded rapidly, growing to an immense five meters in diameter before colliding with Caos.

Bang!

The sphere came to an abrupt halt. From its center, massive claws of silver energy emerged, piercing through the magicule mass with ease. With a single, forceful motion, the claws pulled apart, slicing the sphere cleanly in two.

As the energy dispersed, Caos stood at the heart of the destruction, licking her lips. Her silver hair shimmered under the eerie glow of her aura, which had taken the form of a massive, grinning demon looming behind her.

"Is that it?" she taunted, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "I expected more from a Primordial!"

Then, with a slight bend of her knees,

Boom!

The stone pillar beneath her crumbled to dust as she launched forward with terrifying speed, closing the distance between them in an instant.

"She got faster?" Violet's instincts screamed. There was no time to dodge.

Instead, she reacted on impulse, summoning dozens, no, hundreds of pink spheres in an instant. They surrounded her in a chaotic storm, each one aimed directly at the charging Caos.

Boom!

Violet and Caos collided, their purple and red auras clashing violently, pushing against each other before erupting in a fiery explosion.

BOOM!

When the smoke cleared, Violet's expression twisted in disbelief. A thin trail of blood trickled down from her lips, only to evaporate instantly, as her body was composed entirely of magicules.

She lowered her gaze. Embedded in her stomach was Caos’s claw.

“H-How did you get past my Multi-Barrier?” Violet choked out.

Caos grinned, slowly pushing her fingers deeper into Violet’s stomach. “What good would that information do? You’re about to die anyway. Might as well put on a good show for the perverts watching.”

Violet's eyes widened. “W-What?”

Caos chuckled. “Heh. Just kidding. A certain red-haired Demon Lord probably wouldn’t like that. Besides, I’ve learned all I need from you, and this plane.”

Violet’s expression hardened. Without hesitation, she gripped Caos’s wrist, still buried in her stomach.

[Nihilistic Banish]

Dark, thread-like energy surged from Violet’s hands, spreading up Caos’s arm and over her entire body, coating her in writhing void energy.

Caos merely grinned.

With a sharp pull, Violet yanked Caos’s claw from her stomach and leaped back, her eyes locked on the figure being consumed.

A moment later, a massive black cocoon floated in the void, pulsating ominously.

“Gotcha… Finally!” Violet exhaled in relief.

Suddenly, -crack-.

Fissures spread across the cocoon’s surface. Black fragments crumbled away like scattered pixels, dissolving into the void.

[Devour]

A figure stepped out from the remnants, a purple-haired Caos, stretching lazily as she yawned.

“Yawn… I’ve lost interest, little demon.” She eyed Violet with complete disinterest.

"W-What…?" Violet's breath hitched. 'What the fuck is going on? Just who the hell is this?! Why is Guy watching us? Even that creep Noir is watching. What the actual fuck!?'

Before she could react further, thick smoke enveloped Caos, obscuring her figure. When the smoke finally cleared, Kaede stood there, heaving a sigh of relief.

“That was incredibly weird…” she muttered.

<Analysis complete.>

Kaede raised an eyebrow. “Wait, really? That was pretty fast.”

<It appears that the analysis was completed by you, while you were transformed into the primordial demon, Caos.>

“Huh?”

<The following skills have been acquired: [Distortion Field. Nuclear Magic. Flight Magic. Nihility Magic.] The following resistances have been acquired: |Physical Attack resistance. Natural Effects resistance. Abnormal Condition resistance. Spiritual Attack resistance. Holy-Demonic Attack resistance. Erasure Resistance|>

'Hang on, I did all that? I know I was doing something, but that's a lot.' She turned to the flying demon. "So what do you say, Viole? You've clearly lost."

Viole grabbed her hair in frustration. 'I don't understand what's going on!'

Beside her, a figure appeared, the figure had the appearance of a gentlemanly middle-aged man with slicked-back purple hair and a lean physique. He wears a butler outfit and sports two curved horns and a handlebar mustache.

"Pardon me, my Lady, but I have an update," the butler announced, taking a respectful bow.

"Hah?" Violet turned to face him, her expression souring with irritation. "Where have you been? And how dare you interrupt my business?"

The butler remained unfazed. "It seems that Lady Kaede was correct, Lacua has taken matters into his own hands." He adjusted his gloves, his tone calm and composed. "Raja is currently under attack by its neighboring countries."

Violet's eyes widened slightly. "What?"

"It appears Lacua instigated the conflict with false information. Furthermore," the butler continued, "he has been doing something to the queen’s body beyond the cursed poison, something preventing her from recovering naturally."

A moment of silence hung between them before,

"Fuck." Violet bit her finger, frustration flickering across her face. "That puts a black mark on our contract. It's no fun this way."

"Indeed. Under these circumstances, I regret to inform you that the contract must be voided."

Violet let out an exaggerated sigh, her shoulders slumping. "Well, nothing I can do, I guess."

Kaede exhaled, already feeling the mental exhaustion settle in. She felt the urge to take a long relaxing bath when she got home. "Does that mean our meeting is over?" she asked, rubbing her temple. "I have no interest in your personal circumstances. If you leave the Kingdom of Raja alone, I’ll overlook this matter."

Violet smirked. "Aww, really? But we were having so much fun."

With a playful skip, she closed the distance between them, pressing a single finger against Kaede’s chest.

"Now that we’re no longer trying to kill each other," Violet murmured, tilting her head slightly, "I can kinda see the appeal."

"So, what do you say," She leaned in closer, her breath ghosting against Kaede’s ear as she whispered, "Wanna have fun with me?"

"Huh?" Before Violet could react, her feet left the ground.

Tomokashi had appeared in an instant, gripping the back of Violet’s dress and lifting her effortlessly.

"Hold it right there, pipsqueak." Tomokashi grinned, spinning Violet around to face her. "You’re not worthy of my Lady’s love."

With a hearty laugh, she declared, "Maple is truly one of a kind."

"Hah?" Violet frowned, still dangling from Tomokashi’s grip. "And you are? I'm way stronger than you, so I get priority."

Kaede murmured, "I'm not sure that’s how it works." She glanced around, as if searching for something. "That watchful feeling is gone."

Violet snorted. "Ah, you mean those creeps? Guy and Noir are just busybodies with nothing better to do."

Internally, however, she was less dismissive. They better not try anything. She's my human. With her by my side… who knows the fun things we can do?

Tomokashi suddenly shook Violet aggressively, making the demon flail midair. "What’s with that look on your face, short stuff? If you’re thinking about using my Lady, you better stop. It’ll never work, your schemes don’t stand a chance against Maple’s luck."

Flipping over midair, Violet twisted out of Tomokashi’s grasp and landed with a huff. "What was that, you big-breasted bitch?" She dusted off her dress before looking around. "Hey, where’s my other butler? I left him with you."

Tomokashi smirked and pointed toward a corner. As the void faded, they found themselves standing in a vast underground cave.

Violet’s butler was crouched behind a rock, his entire body trembling as he murmured unintelligible words to himself.

Kaede winced. What the hell did Tomo do to him?

Violet scowled. "Will you stop shaking like a baby and get over here!"

"Y-Yes, my Lady!" The butler rasped, scrambling to his feet and rushing to Violet’s side, giving Tomokashi an extremely wide berth as he did.

Tomokashi chuckled, clearly enjoying herself. "So, my Lady, shall we take our leave?"

Kaede nodded. "Hmm, sure. There’s nothing left to do anyway."

As Tomokashi waved a hand, a portal shimmered into existence. Kaede stepped toward it, but Violet suddenly spoke up.

"Hey… where did you say your kingdom was again?" There was something almost nervous in her expression.

Tomokashi smirked, as if sensing something. Kaede turned as she answered with a smile. "Oh? Maple Tree is located in the eastern part of the Great Forest of Jura. It’s hard to miss."

Kaede gave a simple nod and walked into the portal without hesitation.

Grinning, Tomokashi followed.

Silence settled over the cavern.

"...Lady Violet?" The older butler hesitantly spoke, watching as his mistress stood motionless, her body slightly trembling.

Then, with an eerie grin, Violet spun around. "Alright, I’ve decided! We’re moving to Maple Tree. Get our things."

The butler blinked in surprise. "My Lady?"

Violet’s smirk widened. "I have a feeling… Guy has developed an interest in my human. We need to get a headstart."

---

The Frozen Continent, a desolate and frigid land covered in perpetual ice and snow. In the midst of this inhospitable realm stood a castle, a massive structure carved from ice itself, known as the Palace of White Ice.

Within the palace, in a grand chamber of crystalline frost, a red portal suddenly manifested, swirling with ominous energy.

Kaede and Tomokashi stepped out, only to immediately pause.

Kaede raised an eyebrow. “Where did you take us, Tomo?”

Tomokashi’s eyes narrowed, her body tensing. “Someone hijacked my portal.”

Before either could react further, a voice echoed through the chamber, smooth yet laced with an undeniable pressure, one that sent a chill down both their spines.

“Well, hello there. Hope you don’t mind me summoning you at this time.”

Kaede turned slowly, instinctively preparing herself.

Seated upon a frozen throne, bathed in an aura of overwhelming presence, was a figure clad.

The palace itself was a serene shade of blue, reflecting the purity of ice. Yet to Kaede, everything was painted crimson, overwhelmed by the sheer presence of the being before her. Red.

It was as if reality itself bent to his will, tainted by his mere existence.

Despite the pressure bearing down on her, Kaede found herself straightening her posture, her chin lifting just slightly. Some primal instinct deep within her refused to yield.

He wasn’t just strong. He wasn’t just dangerous.

He was the Strongest Primordial Demon.

Guy Crimson.