Looks Like He Wasn't Very Smart

Although he had known nothing at the start, he had gone through a battle.

He had then gradually come to understand the world's current state. To save the world and restore peace to this land, he had chosen the local resistance and worked toward defeating the Demon King.

Thinking about it carefully, nothing that had happened so far was unfamiliar. It all sounded perfectly normal, like most of it followed classic routes found in games.

But where exactly had things gone wrong?

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

As those heavy, eerie footsteps echoed, Yu Ming couldn't help but think that.

I didn't press fast-forward, did I?

But no matter how much Yu Ming complained internally, he had already seen the figure within the dust cloud.

It stood nearly over two meters tall, its dark-golden flesh seemingly fused with its armor.

Clearly, that was not a form a human could possess.

"A demon..."

From a certain perspective, he even recognized that appearance.

Because it was a card:

"Dark Invader."

However, Mr. Invader did not seem interested in him.

"Noah Kaiba."

From the moment it entered, the demon's scarlet eyes had been fixed on the boy.

"Your days of hiding everywhere and obstructing the Underworld Legion's grand cause are over."

It extended a grotesque palm, and a bloody gleam flashed through its terrifying eyes.

"Hand over Red-Eyes."

At that, Noah Kaiba slowly rose from his seat.

"If you want it, come take it yourself."

He calmly placed his hands behind his back. Though his words sounded childish, they held not the slightest hint of retreat.

"You should understand this world's rules."

"Hmph. I knew you'd say that."

Alright, alright, this demon, huh?

Watching the two confront each other, Yu Ming couldn't help raising a hand to his head. He even felt as though the demon's footsteps stomping the ground had formed some kind of rhythm.

But setting aside those feverish thoughts, there was probably only one thing he needed to do now, wasn't there?

With that thought, Yu Ming silently reached for his card pouch.

But before he could touch his deck, he saw a blazing, vicious light gather in the demon's hand.

"It's time to end this game."

"Huh?!"

No, where were the cards?

Yu Ming instinctively wanted to complain, but searing energy had already come crashing toward him.

Boom!

But in the next instant, a rising energy barrier, like a mirror, protected everything.

Bang!

"Mirror Force."

Noah slowly raised a card.

"Do you really think you can pull such petty tricks in front of me?"

"Hmph."

Without the slightest shame over his sneak attack, the Invader merely sneered.

"You truly are a dangerous enemy."

He spoke, but then changed the subject.

"But now that you're locked in a stalemate with me, you can't move either, can you?"

Kaiba's gaze sharpened, but the demon had already given the order.

"Move! Get rid of Noah Kaiba!"

With that heavy command, strange ripples surged through the space inside the barrier.

As a rift opened, another pitch-black figure appeared directly inside the barrier.

"Roar!"

"This is bad..."

By the time Yu Ming reacted, the other intruder had already leaped high into the air.

"Die!"

With a roar like that of a savage beast, a chilling greatsword that seemed wrapped around something came crashing down at his head.

But just as that blade drew near, Yu Ming realized something—the edge did not seem to be aimed at Noah Kaiba.

Which meant...

It was aimed at me?

"Hey!"

Bang!

Instinctively thrusting his hands out to block it, Yu Ming locked both arms against the sword's crossguard and handguard, while the blade became lodged against his shoulder.

However, that tremendous strike did not seem as powerful as he had imagined.

But because of that, he had an opportunity to counterattack!

"Get lost!"

With a fierce shove, Yu Ming pushed the warrior's blade upward, then kicked the attacker out beyond Mirror Force's barrier.

Boom!

The warrior's body flew in a dark arc and crashed straight into the ruins.

"Seriously."

After wiping the sweat from his forehead, Yu Ming couldn't help letting out a breath of relief.

"If you don't have that much strength, don't shout so loudly. I thought I was going to die."

But when he came back to his senses, he realized the atmosphere was rather strange.

Though Mirror Force was still clashing with that searing energy, both Noah and the Invader had turned their gazes toward him, their eyes filled with a stunned hesitation as if they wanted to say something but could not.

Then...

"Thank you."

"..."

After Noah said that, Yu Ming fell silent instead.

Is there any chance that bastard was actually coming for me?

He really wanted to complain about something, but unfortunately, certain people gave him no chance.

"Tch, what's going on?"

Glancing beyond the reflective barrier, the Invader's face visibly darkened with displeasure.

"Damn it, what exactly are you doing?"

Only after the rebuke did movement come from the ruins piled with scrap metal.

Rumble!

That broad figure crawled out of the ruins in a sorry state.

Only then did Yu Ming clearly see what the guy looked like.

His muscular body was almost entirely covered in vicious steel armor, but rather than wearing armor, it was more accurate to say he was completely imprisoned within that six-winged armor.

"Dark King."

From a certain perspective, he was an old acquaintance too.

Now, this battered old acquaintance held a hand over his chest and abdomen, where the armor had already cracked.

"Noah Kaiba is so strong..."

"..."

At that moment, Yu Ming even saw a moment of indescribable sluggishness on the Invader's inhumanly vicious face.

"But the one you attacked wasn't Noah Kaiba."

"..."

For a moment, the Dark King also fell silent, confusion appearing in those scarlet eyes that should have been bloodthirsty.

"Wasn't it?"

Unable to resist scratching the back of his head, the Demon King stared fixedly in this direction.

"Stop lying to me! I didn't hit the wrong person. This is Noah Kaiba! He makes me feel extremely dangerous."

"It really isn't..."

"Bullshit! My instincts and soul can't be wrong!"

"But you attacked the wrong person."

"...Didn't you tell me Noah Kaiba was the strongest person here?!"

Watching the demons break into that utterly baffling argument, Yu Ming hesitated.

Then he looked at the boy beside him.

"Are they always like this?"

"..."

But Noah gave no response.

At some point, the green-haired boy had become a little distracted.

"What's wrong with you?"

"No, it's nothing."

After coming back to his senses, Noah merely coughed softly.

"It's only a disagreement. It happens often."

Then why do I feel like I've gone from a standard fantasy setting to a third-rate comedy?

"Enough!"

At last, Dark Invader roared.

He seemed unable to endure the Dark King's utterly brainless words any longer and directly dispersed the beam he had been continuously releasing from his hand.

"I underestimated you, Noah Kaiba."

"See? I told you, he's Noah Kaiba..."

"..."

Yu Ming could clearly sense the Invader's blood pressure rising as he watched the golden demon close his eyes.

After taking several deep breaths, he seemed to finally calm himself down.

"I never expected that in such a short time, you would recruit a strong person like this."

Then that sinister gaze swept over him.

Yu Ming felt every hair on his body stand on end, as if a venomous snake had set its eyes on him.

"Why would a strong person like you associate with these people?"

In a daze, Yu Ming felt some kind of tremor.

"With your abilities, associating with these weaklings is completely wasting your talent. You should join our cause."

"We will create an entirely new order, a world where status is determined wholly by strength."

"You won't have to keep hiding in the shadows."

"You won't be forgotten."

"Believe me. With your strength, you could attain no small position even within our Underworld Legion."

It felt as though something was fiddling with his brain and nerves. Accompanied by faint whispers, something seemed to be trying to forcibly alter his thoughts.

However...

Mental attack detected. The system has blocked it. Click to view details...

"Wait, I have a question."

Pushing aside the system notification, Yu Ming scratched his head.

Then he pointed at that demon—"Pitch-Black King."

"If I join you, will my brain end up looking like that?"

"..."