With a thunderous boom, a streak of light shattered the ancient castle of the Demon King Samuel, shooting into the sky before pausing briefly in the poison-laden air. After locking onto Yamiru and the others' location, it streaked toward them.
The angel Sherie smiled faintly. "Looks like the battle's over."
Yamoshi craned her neck to watch the approaching light beam. "She really is amazing!"
As everyone looked up, a sharp crack echoed overhead. Annin, wreathed in white flames, had returned. Though her armor was slightly damaged, her heroic aura remained undiminished.
Hovering midair, she held Samuel's severed head in her hand.
But through the flickering light surrounding her, Yamiru caught a glimpse of her expression—not the relief one might expect, but something more... grave?
The Earthling warriors erupted in cheers at the sight of the fallen demon king. Some shouted Annin's name in triumph, while others wept, likely remembering lost friends or family.
Annin raised Samuel's head high, then—after a brief pause—condensed a dense white light in her other fist. With a punch infused with staggering energy, she obliterated the head in front of everyone. Not a speck remained—just a flash of blinding radiance.
Amid the cheers, Annin descended to the ground, landing beside her master, Sherie.
"Master," she said.
"Made your decision?" Sherie asked, still smiling. "You know the rules—if a second demon king isn't eliminated within a year of the first's death..."
Annin replied softly, "Then a new one will emerge, restoring the number to six."
Sherie sighed. "Which means, after killing the first, you have five years at most. If all six aren't slain within that time... it's all for nothing."
Though the two spoke quietly, Namek's keen hearing caught every word.
He frowned. 'Even if their "rules" are true, how can they be so certain unless they've experienced it before?'
'Has someone in the past killed multiple demon kings, only to fail because they couldn't eliminate all six in time?'
Yamiru, standing nearby, also overheard.
It reminded him of the fragmented memories he'd gleaned from a dying Earthling's mind when he'd been poisoned and near death. In that man's recollections, when the crowd had rallied to attack Samuel, Annin's reaction had been neither enthusiastic nor opposed—just... indifferent.
'Now that I think about it, her attitude back then was... telling.'
Lost in thought, Yamiru's gaze drifted to Annin's neck.
The once-massive Furnace of Eight Divisions, now shrunken to the size of a pendant, hung from a cord around her throat.
---
The defeat of one of the Six Demon Kings was, naturally, cause for celebration.
Under Annin's lead, the survivors returned to the settlement she once governed—one of Earth's last remaining havens.
"Aren't you coming?" Yamoshi asked, noticing Mr. Popo showed no intention of joining them.
The Earthling warriors barely acknowledged the black-skinned, rotund figure on the flying carpet. Namek, by nature aloof, didn't engage, and Yamiru figured Mr. Popo would do as he pleased regardless. Annin, however, offered a faint apology—he'd clearly pinned his hopes on her becoming Earth's guardian deity, but she couldn't fulfill that role.
Standing on his carpet, Mr. Popo said, "Mr. Popo must seek other candidates for Earth's guardian..."
His gaze wandered through the crowd, lingering briefly on Yamiru—now gradually reverting to human form—before settling reluctantly on Annin's face.
Sherie spoke coolly: "No matter what King Yemma told you, I'll say this—even if you appoint a guardian for Earth, it won't solve the current crisis."
To most, her words sounded either cryptic or boastful. But a bead of sweat rolled down Mr. Popo's dark face. He hesitated before murmuring, "So... you really do know something..."
"It's not about what I know—it's about what you don't know." Sherie glanced around. Most of the Earthlings were eager to return to their settlement and had no interest in eavesdropping on their small group. "The crisis on Earth isn't something a mere guardian deity can resolve."
Her words drew the attention of everyone nearby—even her disciple, Annin.
Sherie sighed softly. "There's only one way to end the demonic scourge on Earth."
Yamiru and the others listened intently.
"And this method requires fulfilling three conditions simultaneously." As the group walked toward the settlement, Sherie raised a finger. "First, all six demon kings must be slain. And—as you've already heard—if a second isn't killed within a year of the first's death, the vacant position among the Six Kings will be filled by a new one. So, you have six years at most to eliminate all six. The shortest timeline for failure? Just over a year."
Yamoshi clenched her fists, her voice low but firm. "I can help."
Yamiru shot her a surprised look. The Saiyan girl had been as detached as Gohan during the Cell Games, yet now she was volunteering to fight?
"Earlier, Namek told me that ending battles quickly is the greatest mercy to all. He was right—maybe I should've realized that sooner." Noticing Yamiru's reaction, Yamoshi smiled faintly before gazing up at the oppressive sky.
"It's pointless." Annin shook her head.
Namek stared at the distant gray horizon. "The other five—no, four—demon kings might be manageable… but the one in that direction?" He pointed, his voice strained. "His energy is… chilling. Even if Yamoshi, Annin, and I joined forces, we'd likely still lose."
'Unless she steps in'. Yamiru kept the thought to himself, avoiding even a glance at Sherie. Giving her a look now would only reveal he knew her true nature.
"That strong?!" Yamoshi's eyes widened. Unlike the half-human Gohan, her pure Saiyan blood still thirsted for challenges. "I'd love to test myself against him…" She scratched her head. "But if we can't win, that'd be bad."
"No, no—I think you've misunderstood." Sherie interjected. "This was supposed to be the third point, but…" She shrugged, recapturing their attention. "The second condition for ending Earth's demonic crisis is…" A second finger rose. "The one who resolves it must be an Earthling. So while I could easily do it, well…" She gestured to herself. "Clearly, I'm not from Earth, right?"
Her tone was light, but the implications stunned Yamiru, Namek, Yamoshi, and Mr. Popo. Annin, already aware, remained silent.
'That makes no sense.'
Demons overrunning Earth… and only an Earthling can kill them?
Even Yamiru, an Earthling himself, found the idea absurd—like some contrived rule shoehorned into reality.
Sherie, unfazed, raised a third finger. "The final condition: While slaying the six kings, you must also seal the rift between Mount Five Elements and the Underworld. Without the right tools, even if a genius capable of defeating the six emerges in ten thousand years, it's nearly impossible for anyone to repair that dimensional tear…"
"So… you're welcome." She smiled faintly, palms upturned.
Yamiru's eye twitched—his gaze snapping to the Furnace of Eight Divisions pendant around Annin's neck.