Multiverse Gacha

"Hey, they're not even here. What are you planning to do now?"

Natsuki Minamiya shot a wary look at August, who stood before the sleek entrance of Magus Craft's headquarters. Though an enforcer of the island's regulations, she knew that Magus Craft operated within the bounds of the law—at least on paper.

August's response was a sharp, amused grin. "Not here? That's not for you to decide. I'll determine that for myself."

Natsuki narrowed her eyes, her suspicions mounting. This man—this so-called "interest-driven Demon King"—was nothing if not trouble incarnate.

With a subtle motion, August's shadow seemed to ripple unnaturally. A second later, a razor-sharp tendril of darkness surged forward, cleaving the sleek humanoid receptionist robot in half with an audible crack.

The destruction was instantaneous. The air hummed with residual power, and pieces of the automaton clattered to the polished floor.

"Seriously?!" Natsuki gasped, her voice rising in frustration. "You've just turned a corporate building into a crime scene! If you don't have a good reason for this—"

But August barely acknowledged her, his expression eerily calm as his shadows coiled around his feet, expanding rapidly. He chuckled softly. "What kind of Demon King would I be if I didn't act with impunity?"

Deep within Magus Craft's laboratories, Beatrice Basler froze mid-step, her face darkening as she watched the security feed. Her glossy, golden hair glinted under the lab's fluorescent lights as she glared at the carnage on her screen.

"He's bold," she muttered through clenched teeth. "Destroying my property as if it's nothing."

Her assistant, a younger researcher clad in a white lab coat, looked uneasy. "Should I—"