As Victoria pointed the gun at Scarlett, she wore a calm, confident smile. But what Scarlett didn’t know was that this gun wasn’t like a normal revolver. It only held five bullets instead of six.

That meant, no matter how many times Victoria spun the chamber, the bullet was guaranteed to fire. There was no real "one-in-five chance." It was a trick. A perfect setup to humiliate Scarlett in front of the rulers.

But Scarlett only had one thought in mind—she didn’t want to lose.

"What if I get unlucky? What if the bullet actually fires?"

That tiny doubt nagged at her mind. She wasn’t afraid of pain, but losing? Being humiliated in front of these people? That was unacceptable.

Then, she noticed something—Victoria was lost in thought.

Her golden cat-like eyes had a gleam of arrogance, as if she was already celebrating her victory in her head.

Scarlett immediately took the opportunity.

She leaned in, lowering her head slightly, pressing her forehead right against the cold metal of the gun’s barrel. Her lips curled into an excited grin.

"Come on, don’t hesitate! Show no mercy! Don’t be afraid to kill someone. I really love these kinds of thrilling games!" she said eagerly.

Her body trembled slightly—not with fear, but with excitement. Or at least, that’s what it looked like.

But in reality, Scarlett was already making her move.

She was using magic.

Without anyone noticing, she poured her mana into the gun. Her fire magic flowed like an invisible current, traveling deep inside the barrel, wrapping around the bullet.

Then—she ignited it.

The heat was precise, controlled to perfection. It didn’t burn the gun. It didn’t even let out smoke or sparks.

It only burned the bullet inside.

It was such an incredibly delicate technique that even grandmaster mages wouldn’t be able to achieve it after hundreds of years of training.

But Scarlett had something they didn’t—Avion, the First Demon King.

The former King of Hell had left behind his knowledge of fire magic, something beyond human imagination. And Scarlett had inherited it.

So when Victoria finally pulled the trigger—

Tck…

Nothing happened.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

The bullet was gone.

Victoria’s eyes widened in shock. Her hand stiffened around the gun.

"What?! How?!"

Meanwhile, Scarlett jumped up from her seat, throwing her arms in the air.

"Yay! I won! That means my Dreadhaven is officially recognized as a kingdom!"

Her voice was filled with joy, her expression bright with excitement, as if she had actually left her fate to chance.

The room was silent.

Then—Aoto burst out laughing. Even Vladmir smirked, shaking his head in amusement.

Victoria, on the other hand, was completely frozen, unable to process what had just happened.

Victoria’s sharp glare swept across the room, silencing everyone in an instant.

The atmosphere grew tense, heavy with unspoken words.

Then, Vladmir casually stood up, stretching his arms as if nothing had happened.

"Alright, the meeting is over," he said in a calm, almost bored tone. "But don’t think this is the end of everything. I kind of expected this outcome, so you’ll have to give a speech to the world. You need to make a strong first impression."

"A speech?" Scarlett blinked in surprise.

She had won the gamble, but she knew that wasn’t enough. If she wanted true recognition, she needed to be accepted by the people of this world.

A slow smile formed on her lips.

"Fine," she said. "This should be interesting."

-----------

The Next Day

By the time afternoon arrived, everything was set.

A grand stage had been built in the center of Gwarga, and people from all over the five kingdoms had gathered. Hundreds, even thousands, had come to witness this historic moment.

Beneath the stage, there was a cave-like passage leading up to it. Sunlight poured in from the entrance, and the excited voices of the crowd echoed down the tunnel. It almost felt like a concert was about to begin.

All the rulers were present—except for Victoria and Valen, who had returned to their own kingdoms.

Scarlett was standing in the dimly lit passage when a smooth voice called out to her.

"You know, Scarlett, I think I’ve really developed a crush on you," Vladmir said, stepping closer.

He pulled out a single red rose, twirling it between his fingers. His silver eyes gleamed with confidence.

"How about we get married? I promise I’ll make you the queen of the entire world."

His words weren’t a joke. He was completely serious. There wasn’t even a hint of embarrassment on his face.

And why would there be?

Vladmir wasn’t just some random ruler. His kingdom alone was as powerful as all the other five combined. That level of strength gave him the confidence to say whatever he wanted.

Scarlett, however, didn’t even hesitate.

"Nope."

Vladmir blinked. "Pardon?"

"I said no, little boy," Scarlett replied, her face completely blank.

"Little… boy?" Vladmir’s jaw dropped.

Inside, Scarlett was laughing like crazy.

"Fuahaha! Since I’ve taken on the identity of a dragon, I can easily look down on everyone in terms of age. They all think I’m a thousand years old!"

She was having way too much fun with this.

Vladmir, on the other hand, wasn’t amused.

"I think you have the wrong idea," he said, his voice turning serious. "I wield the Gravity Sword. Even demon kings are wary of me!"

"And I couldn’t care less," Scarlett cut him off.

Aoto, who was standing in the corner, didn’t even look their way. He had already expected Scarlett’s response.

Vladmir exhaled, shaking his head.

Then, with a smooth motion, he pulled out his sword.

It was breathtaking.

Pitch-black, with luxurious carvings running along its blade. A glowing black jewel rested at the handle, radiating an eerie energy.

Even Scarlett had to admit—it was mesmerizing.

She had never seen a sword like this before.

Her own weapon, Sagattoru, wasn’t even close to this level of craftsmanship.

"This is the Gravity Sword. Its name is 'Caseoh,'" Vladmir said, smiling as he looked at his weapon.

"Caseoh?" Scarlett muttered. "Why does that sound so familiar?"

She frowned for a moment, but then shook her head. There was no point in thinking too much about it.

"Whatever. My Sagattoru is still better!" she said confidently, pulling out her heavy sword.

The moment it left its sheath, a red deathly aura rose from the blade like thick smoke.

Vladmir's eyes widened slightly. He couldn't explain why, but looking at that sword made him feel uneasy.

"You wield the Gravity Sword, right? Then let's see if you can lift mine," Scarlett said, stretching out her hand to him with the sword resting on her palm.

Vladmir smirked and extended his hand to take it.

The moment Scarlett let go—

**THUMP!**

A loud crashing sound echoed as the sword hit the ground, shattering the bones in Vladmir’s wrist on impact.

"Huh?" Vladmir's eyes widened in shock.

Scarlett covered her mouth, laughing softly. "Fufufu... It's like I'm having déjà vu!"

She remembered the first time she had tried to lift this sword from Avion’s hand. It had been just as impossible back then.

"A sword with virtual weight?" Vladmir muttered, frowning as he quickly healed his broken wrist with magic.

He sat down and tried to lift the sword again, using all his strength. But no matter how hard he tried, it wouldn’t even budge.

Scarlett turned to Aoto. "Do you want to give it a try?"

Aoto raised his hands lazily. "Nah, I'm out!"

Scarlett chuckled at his quick refusal.

Vladmir stood up, shaking his head with a bitter smile. "I guess I have to accept defeat. Forget everything I said earlier."

Scarlett nodded.

"Go now. It's time for your first appearance," Vladmir said, adjusting his coat.

Scarlett turned toward the stairs leading up to the stage. Step by step, she climbed slowly, ready to face the crowd waiting above.

Vladmir watched her back as she walked away, his once playful expression now dark and serious.

"There’s no doubt about it," he thought. "She will be the biggest obstacle to conquering the world."