The sudden display of power silenced the entire compound. The grumbling stopped. The arguments died. Even the panic that had been spreading among Lord Oka's subordinates was replaced by something far more oppressive. Fear. No one dared move.

The messenger stood calmly before them, his expression no longer amused. The casual mockery had vanished, replaced by a cold seriousness that made every demon present painfully aware of the difference in their strength. Lord Oka remained seated.

He, too, had been shaken by the display. Yet there was something else troubling him. He couldn't sense the messenger's presence. Not his energy. Not his demonic aura.

Nothing.

Even after deliberately extending his...