The Demon King of the Anime World

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While Riku was greeting everyone, he noticed Korrine running over to him, face full of joy. He couldn't help but smile a little.

"Riku! I'm so glad you're okay!" Korrine pushed through the crowd and hugged him tightly, tears welling up in her eyes.

Trust was one thing—but of course, she had been worried. Humans were fragile. If he ran into even a low-level monster out there alone, he'd be a goner.

"I'm fine, see? Oh, and I brought the telescope with me," Riku said, patting her gently on the back.

"Really?" Korrine let go of him and looked at the large device in his hands with admiration.

With that telescope, the humans would be a lot safer. It would let them spot threats in advance and prepare.

The others also looked at it with excitement. If they could modify the telescope to work without needing a spirit user, then they wouldn't have to be on edge all the time.

As long as they spotted other races from a distance and came up with a plan, they'd be okay.

"Korr, I've got something important to talk to you about. Come with me," Riku said seriously after scanning the expressions of the others.

"Huh? Okay," Korrine blinked, then nodded just as seriously.

The two of them walked off side-by-side toward Riku's room, leaving the others behind giving each other teasing looks.

Once they were inside, Korrine asked, "Did you find out something big while you were out there?"

"Yeah," Riku looked her in the eyes and nodded. Then he said slowly, "While I was out, for... certain reasons, I got stronger."

To prove his point, he reached over and casually snapped the blade of a knife with his bare hand.

"—!" Korrine froze in shock. That kind of strength… only other races were capable of something like that. No human could just snap a blade like it was nothing.

She immediately grabbed Riku's hand and inspected it. When she saw it wasn't even scratched, her expression changed. She looked both shocked and suspicious.

If she hadn't known Riku for so long and trusted him completely, she might've thought he was a different race in disguise.

"So… just how strong are you now?" Korrine asked after a few silent minutes. She didn't press him about what happened—she changed the topic instead. "Is there any way for other humans to get stronger too?"

"Stronger than a Flügel, probably," Riku said after thinking for a bit. "As for the others, I haven't figured out a way to help them yet."

"I see… Still, I'm glad you're strong now, Riku." Korrine looked a little disappointed but still smiled with genuine happiness.

"Actually… there's one more thing I wanna tell you." Riku rubbed his face awkwardly. After hesitating a bit, he finally spoke up.

Whether it was about his power or anything else—there was no way he could hide these things forever. Better to just get it out early and let Corone—and the rest of the humans—mentally prepare.

"What is it?" Corone asked curiously.

"…I got married." Riku gave a sheepish smile, looking genuinely apologetic.

"Huh?!" Corone was stunned for a second before she let out a loud gasp.

"Married? To who?" she asked, suddenly anxious. A trace of disappointment crept into her heart.

"To the Beastkin Princess—Hatsuse Fia," Riku said slowly.

"Beastkin... princess…?" Corone stared blankly, repeating the words in disbelief. Her face was a mix of shock and confusion.

She'd imagined Riku might have married someone from another human tribe—but a Beastkin?! A human marrying a Beastkin? That was unheard of.

"No wonder you smell like a woman. So that's what's going on… I just didn't expect it to be a Beastkin princess. That's really throwing me off," Corone muttered, pressing her hand to her forehead with a complex expression.

"Uh…" Riku blinked. He had taken a bath after doing it with Fia, and she still picked up on it?

"Don't underestimate a woman's nose—or her intuition, dummy," Corone scolded, giving Riku a glare.

"Sorry, sorry. Honestly, part of it is that I do like Fia. And the other part… is for the alliance with the Beastkin." Riku scratched his head, trying to explain.

"An alliance? With the Beastkin? They actually agreed? And they even let their princess marry you? That's... not like them at all." Corone frowned. Most of the other races looked down on humans—they definitely didn't go handing out their royalty.

"I beat Fia in a fight. They accepted me. And Fia... she staked the future of her race on me. So in this alliance, I'm the one calling the shots," Riku said seriously.

"Hah... in that case, I kinda want to meet my new sister-in-law," Corone smiled after a moment of silence. "She must have a good eye—being able to see your potential and charm right away."

But even as she smiled, her eyes held a mix of bitterness, joy, and quiet satisfaction—it was complicated.

"Cor… I meant what I said before I left. So don't overthink it." Riku clearly noticed the shift in her mood and decided to just own it—delivering what could only be called a certified scumbag declaration.

"....."