Seven seconds. Maybe even less.
That's how long it took for Haruka to witness someone as powerful as near-S-class Kyoya, turn into that.
Unbelievable. And yet, somehow, not that hard to believe.
After all, hadn't that Demon King just erased Suruga Andou, one of the six SS-class leaders of the White Knights Order, with just a casual wave of the hand?
Compared to that, even the seemingly invincible President was nothing.
What kind of monster is this?!
Haruka had once been summoned to another world and fought as a hero to defeat a Demon King.
Even though she hadn't fully adapted to this world again—especially after losing the blessings of the gods from that other world—she had worked hard to regain her strength.
But this?
This was not a foe a hero could face.
This was the kind of creature that required the direct intervention of a god.
Her emerald-green eyes shrank in terror.
The Demon King—no, Demon God—turned his head. And in that moment, his gaze locked in her direction.
She was paralyzed.
Fear so intense it completely drained her of strength surged through her. The weapon in her trembling hand nearly slipped through her fingers.
Her companions were just as terrified.
Haruka could sense that a few of them were already on the verge of snapping—completely breaking down.
When the Demon King's gaze finally swept over their group—No. It didn't sweep. There was no intent behind that gaze. It was nothing more than a casual turn of the head, and their presence happened to fall within his field of view.
They were less than insects.
Less than roadside pebbles.
Not even worthy of a flicker of interest.
"G-get him—!"
Too late.
Someone had snapped.
Driven mad by fear, one of her companions launched an attack.
And in that instant…
The Demon King's crimson eyes flicked open just slightly, as if he'd finally noticed a mosquito buzzing nearby.And within that flicker—there was weight. Killing intent so dense it crashed down like a solid force.
Haruka saw it.In his eyes, she saw the lid of hell itself ripped open. A nightmarish, mind-shattering abyss stared back at her.
The sheer pressure from that single glance stripped her of body heat; her limbs felt as if they were freezing solid.
Even her soul seemed to be on the verge of shattering into frost.
More bodies collapsed beside her.
Her companions, unable to withstand the pressure, fainted in droves.
Blood trickled from their eyes, ears, and mouths. Their spirits had been stretched to the brink by fear, and—like over-inflated balloons—finally burst.
The one who had charged first… His head exploded. Just… popped.
This thing isn't just from another world—it's from another dimension entirely.
Haruka's beautiful face twisted with fear.
Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst. She had faced life-threatening dangers in the other world. She had walked the line between life and death many times.
But this was nothing like that.
She felt as if dark, otherworldly hands were reaching for her, preparing to torment her in ways beyond imagination.
Not just pain. Not just death.
But corruption.
Mental, spiritual corruption that could twist a person's very identity.
She remembered something.
Back before this all happened, as student council vice president and disciplinary committee head, she had intercepted a few students smuggling in… certain banned BD discs—explicit ones.
The content? A demon king breaking heroes through "training", turning them into corrupted versions of themselves.
Could that happen to her too?
She was beautiful. Captivating. If that sort of thing happened—she'd rather die.
Or maybe he'd twist her body like he did to Kyoya.
That was also a kind of hell.
No, it was worse.
She clenched her teeth, mustering every ounce of strength she had left, and raised her weapon—a crescent-moon blade—toward her neck.
If I'm going to die… I'll do it on my own terms.
But even that wasn't easy.
The blade, usually as light as a feather, now felt like it weighed a ton. Her hand trembled violently, spasming as she tried to lift it.
No!
Her heart screamed in despair as the blade slipped from her grasp.
She was going to break.
She saw it.From under her half-closed eyelids, she saw countless dark hands writhing toward her like tentacles.
She could hear evil laughter echoing in her ears.
She was going to—
CLANG—!
Her blade hit the ground.
The metallic clang snapped her out of it for a moment.
And then—Her eyes widened.
The Demon King… had already turned away. He was facing the other direction, his back to her.
He hadn't done anything.
He hadn't even looked at her.
To him, she was no different from the other students who collapsed under the pressure: insignificant.
She had simply… imagined it all.
That realization hit her like a tidal wave.
Her legs gave out.
She crumpled to the ground in a trembling little bird-like posture, completely drained.
A cool breeze swept by. She shivered. Her clothes were soaked in cold sweat. But not just sweat.
She realized, in utter humiliation, that she'd lost control of her bladder.
She'd been scared so badly she wet herself.
All this… in just a matter of seconds.
It had only been a dozen or so seconds since the Demon King appeared in this world.
Yet in that short span, reality itself had been torn apart.
And now… who would be his next target?
His gaze turned toward the direction he had earlier tossed someone aside.
There, not far away, was a woman known as the Thunder Empress. A wickedly enchanting woman, once feared and revered alike.
But now, her sensual form was half-vanished—stepping into a mirror.
Only a few strands of her golden hair were still outside.
She was running.
Having witnessed what became of Kyoya, she knew she was next. And the moment she regained her senses—she fled without hesitation.