The Demon King of the Anime World

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"Riku, are you just openly announcing you're gonna build a harem now?" Korone looked stunned for a second, then narrowed her eyes with a teasing smirk. "That's a pretty bold scumbag confession."

Despite her words, she seemed to cheer up a bit. Clearly, Riku still remembering his promise to marry her made her feel better.

"Hey, I'm self-aware, at least. But y'know, if I just gave up on a girl I like for reasons like this, I'd feel like a coward," Riku said seriously, suddenly looking calm and composed.

"Pfft. So what you're saying is—no matter if they're human or another race, if you like 'em, you'll go for 'em? Wow, you really are a total player," Korone said, wide-eyed.

"Maybe. Some stuff is just outta my hands," Riku shrugged—neither denying nor admitting it.

"Riku, you've changed a lot. You feel like a stranger now. You've only been gone two weeks and my sweet little lover's turned into a womanizer…" Korone looked torn.

"This world's insane. I've been suppressing myself for way too long. Now that I have power—and a shot at ending this crazy war of the gods—it's like I can finally be myself. If I keep bottling it all up, I'll lose it," Riku said softly, his golden eyes glinting.

"You're… probably right…" Korone gave a small, bitter smile and nodded. The way Riku used to repress everything really did worry her—it felt like he was always one step away from snapping. Maybe this version of him was healthier.

What she didn't know… was that the snap had already happened.

"Well, that's enough talk for now. I'll just wait for you to come marry me, Riku. But no rush. Go full throttle with your plans—I'll always be rooting for you." Korone stood up, hugging her telescope. "For now, I gotta go upgrade this thing."

With that, she opened the door and left without waiting for Riku to respond—closing it gently behind her.

"…She really is an understanding big sis." Riku touched his face, watching her go. Even after hearing all that, she just accepted it—didn't even ask about the stuff he was still keeping secret. She was way too considerate.

"Anyway… that mecha loli's finally made it back, huh? Guess I ditched her a bit too hard…" Riku's golden eyes narrowed as he muttered to himself.

Just now, he'd sensed a faint spirit signature near the human settlement. Only other races gave off signals like that. And since it wasn't hostile, Riku was pretty sure he knew exactly who it was.

Truth was, when he left the settlement the first time, he'd already noticed a certain little Mecha girl tailing him. But back then, she was too stealthy for him to pick up on.

Later, after a few quick Shangri-La jumps, he managed to lose her for good.

He figured she'd eventually give up and circle back to the settlement to wait—and clearly, he was right.

"Guess I should go say hi. Good timing too," Riku murmured.

And with that, he activated Shangri-La and disappeared from the room.

Just outside the human settlement, a girl stood quietly on a nearby mountain. Her long black hair flowed to her waist, and her skin was pale as snow. Her ruby eyes shimmered like gems, and her face was so perfect it would put most beauties to shame.

But this wasn't just any girl.

The mechanical headgear she wore and the two cable-like tails trailing behind her made it obvious—she wasn't human. In fact, she wasn't even alive in the traditional sense.

She was a Machine Species—specifically, a mecha-type.

Machine Species: Even among monsters created for war, they were something special.

The Machine Species were made entirely of machinery—not even considered living beings. They operated as a network, known as a cluster, acting in perfect unison.

Which meant: if you discovered one, the entire race knew. If you fought one, you were effectively at war with the whole species.

Their abilities were just as terrifying. They could analyze and copy any attack they witnessed.

Dragonkin breath, forest spirit magic, goblin tech, even Skywing strikes—if a Mecha saw it, she could replicate it.

In short, they were a pain in the ass. A race with unlimited potential for growth.

And because they always acted as a unit, no race dared to mess with them lightly.

And right now, one such Machine Species—an adorably tiny Mecha girl—was standing there silently, staring down at the human settlement like she could squash it with a flick of her finger.

"…You lookin' for me, little loli?" a magnetic voice suddenly rang out behind her.

The Mecha girl turned slowly, her ruby eyes flickering—

Then bolted straight at him.

"....."