The woman planted herself in front of Kael like a living wall, rigid and immovable, almost as solid as the authority that rested on her shoulders.
She wore no armor, nor did she need any visible sword to command respect.
Her mere presence was enough.
Her eyes, sharp as freshly honed razors, scanned every detail of the new Demon King with such precise severity that it felt as though she could slam him to the ground solely with the force of her will.
Her lips barely curved, just enough to suggest that her patience was beginning to run out.
—Hey, new Demon King… —she said in an exquisitely polite tone, but with enough edge to cut stone—. If you can, could you please present yourself to the others?
The way she pronounced that "please" made it clear that it was not a request. It was an order dressed in manners.
Kael swallowed.
The movement was small, almost imperceptible, but inside him everything vibrated.
His back tensed and a shiver ran down his nape as if someone had slid a cold knife over his skin.
He had faced grotesque creatures, he had seen things that no average human could endure…
but nothing had prepared him for an angry woman with diplomatic responsibilities.
—I-I'm sorry… I'm going right now.
The woman exhaled deeply.
It wasn't exactly a sigh; it was more like the controlled release of a volcano that decided not to erupt just yet.
—Thank you. Come this way. The other races are already starting to get impatient… and trust me, you don't want to see those human diplomats losing their patience.
She pointed to the door at the end of the hallway.
It was tall, made of black wood, so dark it seemed to absorb the light.
The metallic throats that adorned it formed something like an open mouth, as if the hall beyond was ready to devour anyone who crossed the threshold.
Kael, feeling smaller than a teenage goblin on his first day at magic academy, followed her.
When he crossed the door, the world widened.
The hall was immense.
Not big. Immense. The walls were covered in banners with demonic symbols that seemed to move if you stared at them too long.
Living runes pulsed softly on ancient stone, and trophies from forgotten wars hung like memories of blood and glory.
From the ceiling hung chandeliers of red crystal, resembling beating hearts suspended in the air.
The light they emitted was neither warm nor cold; it was an illumination that made everything seem more real, more exposed.
And there, concentrated in the center, they waited for him.
Counts from volcanic regions whose skin seemed always on the verge of burning.
Dukes from bestial clans with visible fangs even when they smiled.
Elegant vampiric kings with disciplined hunger.
Shamans from shadowy tribes covered in bones and talismans.
Insectoid sorcerers with multiple shining eyes.
Generals with bluish skin and scars that told stories of a thousand battles. Creatures whose names Kael, honestly, preferred not to know.
They all formed a solemn semicircle.
And when they saw him enter…
The silence was absolute.
Not an uncomfortable silence. Not a respectful silence.
A heavy one.
Dense.
Painful.
«The system suggests that you stay calm. No one knows you. No one knows what you're like.»
(—Yeah, sure. As if that helps when more than ten different races are trying to decide if you're worth it as a leader… or as bargaining currency.)
Kael took a deep breath. He puffed out his chest with more determination than he felt and took a step forward.
Then another. He walked as if he carried the heaviest crown in the underworld on his head, though inside he was just trying to remember how legs moved without tripping.
He didn't know if he was advancing toward his official presentation or toward his social execution.
The nobles reacted almost at the same time.
Hands extended.
Measured smiles.
Eyes that analyzed him as if he were a newly forged weapon whose resistance still had to be tested.
Some inclined their heads with calculated respect.
Others showed genuine curiosity. And a few… those few had the kind of venomous look that recognizes weakness and begins to design strategies.
Kael shook hands.
He repeated his name so many times that for a moment he almost forgot how it sounded.
He listened to titles so long they could have served as ritual incantations. He smiled when he was supposed to smile. He nodded when he didn't know what else to do.
He felt the air become thick, almost unbreathable.
Then, when the pressure began to border on unbearable, a young maid appeared from his right.
She was small, with a kind face and short hair, her movements polished by discipline. But urgency shone in her eyes.
—My lord, it is time for you to go out to the balcony. Everyone is waiting for your presentation as the new Demon King.
That's when the real shiver pierced him.
A cold one.
Deep.
Inevitable.
It was fear.
Of course it was fear.
A Demon King trembling before speaking.
What delicious irony.
But even so, he breathed. He straightened up. He adjusted his shoulders and walked toward the red curtains at the back of the hall.
When he opened them, the light hit him head-on.
And he saw everything.
The plaza was gigantic, built with polished black stone and crisscrossed by lines of blue fire that sprang from the ground like luminous veins.
Thousands and thousands of demons, along with representatives from multiple races, filled the space.
Banners waved. Howls echoed. Weapons clashed against armor in a rhythm that seemed the collective heartbeat of an empire.
The energy was so intense that Kael felt the ground vibrate under his feet.
They were there for him.
For his name.
For his title.
For the promise of a new reign.
A boy who yesterday barely understood his own destiny…
And today was the heart of an empire.
He felt as if the entire sky were holding its breath, waiting for his.
«The Demon King presents himself to his people.
Now is the time to begin the story.»
The system's words rang in his mind like a divine bell.
Kael opened his mouth.
But then…
The western sky cracked.
It wasn't a metaphor.
It cracked.
Golden rays descended like spears thrown by a furious deity. It wasn't common light. It wasn't ordinary magic.
They were rays.
The air burned.
The ground vibrated.
The entire plaza fell silent.
A column of golden light descended, splitting the world in two.
«Notification to the Demon King:
The heroes have been summoned and sent before your emergence.
You are now at war.
You must seek allies among the races if you do not wish to die.
Final notification.»
Wait.
Wait.
Now?
Before he could mentally yell at the system, a warrior burst onto the balcony. His face was pale as ash.
—Lord Demon King! You must evacuate immediately! The human race has set a trap for us! They have declared war on us! You must head to the capital of the demonic domain, Incendiato!
Kael barely managed to process the name when a gigantic golden ray fell right in front of the balcony.
The light was so blinding that he had to cover his eyes.
Within the glow… a silhouette descended.
Human.
Imposing.
A hero.
—Lord Demon King, there's no time! —another soldier shouted.
The system exploded with alerts.
«Danger.
Danger.
Danger.
Hero detected.
Withdrawal recommended.
It is not time to fight.
Danger.»
Kael's heart beat so hard it hurt his chest.
Then, a new window appeared before his eyes.
«Skills unlocked.
Access to the skill: Abyss Record.»
—Abyss Record? What does that do? —he murmured.
«Allows you to see statistics and natural weaknesses of enemies.
Warning: incomplete or manipulated information.»
—So… garbage.
Another window emerged immediately.
«Second unique skill available.
Single use.
Irrepeatable opportunity.
Skill: Adaptation.
Allows you to adapt to any situation: combat, diplomacy, mental, physical.
Activate or deny.»
Kael searched inside himself for a spark of sarcasm.
He didn't find it.
—Don't I have anything else?
«No.
Accept Adaptation: yes or no.»
He clenched his fist.
He looked at the golden silhouette descending.
He heard the screams.
He felt the weight of the title he was only beginning to understand.
—I accept.
«Skill Adaptation activated.
Cannot be deactivated.
Process initiated.»
His body began to glow.
Black.
Dark.
Like living ink spilling over a star.
A dense energy swirled around him, lifting his hair, vibrating in the air, awakening something ancient and deep.
The Demon King's aura was born.
And right at that instant…
The golden figure descended one more meter.
The demonic soldiers reacted instantly, surrounding Kael and forming a living wall between him and the hero about to materialize.
—Open a portal! —a general roared.
The mages struck the ground with their palms. Crimson runes emerged, spinning, igniting like infernal gears.
The air tore open, revealing a dark, deep portal, like a hungry abyss.
—Lord, this way! It's not time to fight! And certainly not in enemy territory! —a mage shouted while holding the violently trembling portal.
The golden light touched the ground.
The silhouette was almost complete.
One more step… and the hero would appear.
—Lord! —another soldier shouted—. Enter now!
Kael hesitated.
Just one second.
The worst possible second.
—KAEL, GO! —they all roared in unison.
And he jumped.
His body disintegrated into black particles that merged with the portal. The sensation was horrible, as if every part of him melted and turned to water before evaporating.
The world stretched.
Bent.
Swallowed itself.
And then…
He was spat out on the other side.
The magical rift closed with a sharp thud.