Lucian approached the villagers. The sun hung low, bleeding gold across the horizon, setting the ruins of the village in an almost sacred glow.
His eyes fell upon the little boy who had cried for help earlier. Messy brown hair clung to his forehead, and his gray-blue eyes shimmered with unspent tears. The boy's frame was thin—half-fed, half-forgotten—yet his stance carried a restless fire that refused to die.
Lucian stopped before him, resting a hand on his shoulder.
"Well then, boy… I have fulfilled your command and delivered your salvation, just as you desired."
The child blinked, caught between awe and disbelief. A shaky breath escaped him before a smile broke through the grime.
"Uh, uh… thank you! My name is Ryker! I want to be strong. C-can you train me?!"
He trembled—not from fear, but from a strange mixture of excitement and nervous energy after witnessing power that defied human comprehension.
Lucian's crimson eyes glinted with a fleeting amusement. His lips curved into a quiet chuckle.
"Train you? How amusing. Very well—but before I grant such a wish, you and your companions shall first render me a service."
The words, though calm, sent a ripple through the crowd. Eyes darted. A few instinctively stepped back. Yet Lucian stood with effortless authority, posture regal, voice steady—less a request, more a decree.
"I am new to these lands and seek knowledge. Having been generous enough to free you from despair, you will now repay me by revealing all that you know."
The villagers froze, then slowly eased. Shoulders dropped, faces softened. Gratitude overpowered fear. It was as if the weight of oppression had finally slipped from their backs.
A young woman stepped forward. Her dark auburn hair brushed her shoulders, strands glinting copper in the evening light. Her silver-gray eyes carried quiet composure, though her tone was cautious.
"If it's information you want, then we'll tell you everything we know."
Lucian's gaze met hers. There was warmth there—not the warmth of kindness, but of an ember concealed beneath velvet.
"Good. But before we proceed any further, you would do well to recover your strength. Eat, rest, and regain your composure."
The command flowed like a blessing. The villagers obeyed without question, gathering food and tending to the injured.
***
By nightfall, fires flickered across the broken village, their glow warding off the cold silence that followed death.
Lucian sat beside one such fire, a quiet figure amid the murmuring survivors. His presence was magnetic—impossible to ignore yet strangely reassuring. The wounded lay nearby, wrapped in cloth and hope, while others whispered stories about their mysterious savior.
Across from him sat the auburn-haired woman.
"Sienna, was it?" he asked, his tone unreadable.
She nodded, hands folded neatly on her lap.
Lucian's gaze flicked toward the horizon. "What I know of this land is that this whole continent once belonged to the Demon Realm. So tell me—why are humans lingering here?"
Sienna's eyes widened in surprise. "You don't know?" Her voice carried disbelief. "Humans began occupying this land after the fall of the demons."
"Please… elaborate. I wish to hear everything."
Sienna hesitated, then drew a breath and began. "Well, I'll tell you everything I learned from my elders. A hundred years ago, after the demons fell in the Great Extermination War, the Great Kingdoms each wanted to take control of the land. They ended up dividing it among the five of them. But soon after, the land attracted opportunists. The Great Kingdoms were heavily exhausted and weakened after the war, so they failed to enforce laws and maintain control. Bandits and warlords flooded the land, and the kingdoms were eventually forced to abandon it. What was once known as the Demon Continent is now called the Lawless Continent."
*So they dare call it the 'Great Extermination War'? Preposterous!* Lucian thought, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Malphas chuckled in his mind. *Ha, ha, ha, that's a good one. You have to admit it.*
Lucian's voice was calm again, devoid of emotion. "Very well. I am now caught up. I take it those bandits were but one among many?"
"Yes," Sienna said. "And bandits are almost never alone. They always work for a warlord. In this case, they served one of the 10 Titans—Karn, the Old Beast." A visible shiver ran through her.
"Karn, you say? Ah… the very same individual that Goldie Boy spoke of. Do tell… Who are these so-called Titans of which you speak?"
"The 10 Titans are the ten most powerful warlords in the Lawless Continent," she explained. "Each of them possesses immense strength and controls a large territory. The bandits you took down earlier were stationed here by Karn. They were supposed to force us to work on the farms."
"So then, as long as you remain within his domain… you cannot be free?"
Ryker spoke up eagerly, "Unless you take him down. You're super strong — you can beat him."
Sienna's eyes widened in horror. "What are you doing?" she hissed, grabbing her brother's arm. "That's so disrespectful! Can't you see he's already done a lot for us?" She smacked him lightly on the head before turning to Lucian. "I'm sorry about my brother's rudeness. You've already done a lot for us. You don't need to risk your life fighting Karn, and you'd have to face his army too if you tried."
Lucian's lips curved faintly, a shadow of a smile.
Malphas, *Why is this girl so worried, even after witnessing your power? This Karn must be pretty strong.*
"Karn's men aren't loyal to him anyway," one of the elders interjected, her voice raspy but confident. "They might betray him and let him fight alone if a worthy opponent showed up."
Everyone turned to her. Lucian tilted his head slightly, curiosity glinting behind calm eyes.
Sienna frowned. "Huh? What are you talking about?"
The elder leaned closer to the fire, its light tracing the wrinkles of old memories. "You see, Karn rules with an iron fist. His men follow him out of fear, not respect. I've seen it—Karn killing one of his own for disobedience. I've overheard others whisper that they'd kill him if they were strong enough."
Lucian leaned back slightly, the flames painting sharp shadows across his face. "Heh—Karn, is it? One of the vaunted Titans… exquisite. His annihilation will be the perfect overture to the rebuilding of my kingdom. I shall see him undone and claim all that was his."
The air froze. The villagers exchanged uncertain glances, unsure if they had heard correctly.
Ryker's face lit up with excitement.
"Huh? Are you serious? And what do you mean by 'rebuild your kingdom'?" Sienna asked, her tone trembling between curiosity and dread.
Lucian rose slowly. The firelight reflected in his eyes—crimson mirrors burning with calm authority. Around him, the villagers straightened, as if drawn to something beyond comprehension.
"You have sated my appetite for knowledge. It is only fitting, then, that I now make my formal introduction."
A crimson aura rippled outward, thick and heavy like smoke. "I am Lucian." Horns emerged from the dark silhouette behind him, curling like blades. The fire dimmed, cowed by his presence. "The newly crowned Demon King."
Gasps filled the air.
"The… the what?" a man whispered.
"That can't be true," another muttered, shaking his head. "Demons are extinct… they were wiped out a century ago!"
A mother clutched her child tightly, her eyes darting to the horns that crowned Lucian's shadow. "No… impossible. My grandmother said the last of them died in the war!"
Whispers erupted, trembling voices rising like a frightened tide.
Sienna's face went pale. "What… what are you?" she whispered, unable to tear her gaze away.
Lucian's eyes opened fully—crimson and ancient, reflecting power that no mortal soul should behold.
"I am no mere human. I exist for one purpose alone—to restore all that your kind so foolishly destroyed."
His form shifted. His skin darkened faintly, demonic runes flaring across his arms, the ground vibrating under the weight of his aura.
A villager stumbled backward, crossing himself out of reflex, as if against evil. "Saints preserve us… it's real."
Another fell to his knees. "The demons were supposed to be gone… all gone!"
The reality of what they witnessed—the living embodiment of a legend that haunted bedtime stories—sank into their bones like cold iron.
Lucian's gaze swept over them. The villagers trembled, yet none dared flee.
He gazed toward the horizon. "This land is lost, for it knows no order. The strong prey upon the weak, and the weak grovel, begging for protection. I can change that. With my newfound power as the Demon King, I shall breathe life into the rebirth of the Demon Realm."
He turned back to them. "If you choose to cross the river into demonhood and serve me as your king, I can grant you strength—strength to fight, to protect, to endure. But know this… once you accept it, your humanity is lost forever."
Silence fell once more—heavier than before. Now it wasn't disbelief that silenced them, but the weight of decision.
Ryker looked up at his sister. Sienna's eyes met his, filled with tears but resolute. They stepped forward together.
"For a very long time, we lived lives of misfortune—doomed to be treated like insects, doomed to be fed just enough to work the fields without dying," Sienna said, voice trembling. "There was no hope… until you showed up. You freed us from slavery and made sure we regained our health." Her tears caught the firelight. "If it means we will never have to suffer again… Ryker and I, accept your offer."
The silence stretched, heavy and sacred. Then another villager stepped forward. Then another. One by one, they came—bowing their heads before the Demon King.
Lucian closed his eyes and raised a hand. "Activate, Demon King's Covenant!"
His aura flared like a storm. Crimson tendrils coiled around the villagers, seeping into their skin. They gasped as sigils ignited upon their flesh, horns unfurling in faint, glowing lines.
[The Demon King's Covenant is a unique ability granted by the Demon God to the strongest demon upon the death of the previous Demon King. It allows the Demon King to transform willing humans into demons, but the transformation only takes hold if the human agrees to serve. Those who accept are bound to the Demon King's will, their loyalty absolute, their existence forever tied to their new sovereign.]
When the last glow faded, the fire blazed brighter than before. The villagers opened their eyes—no longer filled with fear. Their gazes were steady now, sharpened, alive.
Lucian looked upon them—his first kin—and his demonic form slowly dissolved back into human guise.
"You are the first of my kind… my kin. Together, we shall rise from the ashes and claim this land as our own."
He turned to the distant darkness. "Soon… Karn falls."
***
The next morning dawned with mist coiling around the ruined houses. Lucian sat with Sienna and several elders near the remnants of the fire.
"So… you have no idea where Karn might be?" he asked.
"Apologies, Lord Lucian," an elder replied, bowing slightly. "All we know is that it takes a ride in a horse-drawn carriage to get there. It's quite a distance from here."
Sienna added, "Don't worry, my Lord. Karn usually sends men to collect the crops on a schedule. Their next arrival will be in about three weeks."
"Is that so? Very well… in the meantime, I shall turn my attention to exploring the Great Kingdoms," Lucian said, his voice calm, already calculating. "You mentioned a harbor to the north, did you not?"
"Yes," she said softly.
"Very well. I shall take my leave and return in three weeks' time."
The newly born demons watched as their king prepared to depart. They bowed low, silent and reverent.
Malphas stretched lazily upon Lucian's shoulder. "You know, you could locate this Karn guy by pinpointing his aura, right? Or did your skills dull during the hundred years you spent in that timeless dimension?"
Lucian chuckled, low and unhurried. "Of course not, my friend. It is simply that this journey holds far more… excitement."