Nahlara Kingdom — The Demon King's Palace
Inside the throne room, Demon King Abel sat upon his throne, his expression calm as though nothing in the world could disturb his peace.
The enormous doors opened.
Cadoc stepped inside.
His footsteps echoed through the silent hall, yet there was something different about him. His expression was cold, his eyes distant, and his presence carried an unusual heaviness.
Abel noticed it immediately.
However, he chose not to comment.
"Is it done?" the Demon King asked. "Have you accomplished your mission?"
Cadoc paused.
For a brief moment, he seemed reluctant to answer.
Then he lowered his head slightly.
"Yes."
A faint smile spread across Abel's face.
"Good work, Cadoc. Once again, you have proven your worth to me." He leaned back against his throne. "Perhaps you truly are worth keeping after all."
Cadoc said nothing.
Abel appeared satisfied with the response. He rose from his throne, seemingly ready to leave the hall.
But just as he took his first step, Cadoc spoke.
"I have a question for you, Abel."
The Demon King stopped.
Silence settled over the throne room.
"Go on."
Cadoc slowly raised his head.
"Why do you feed on the fear of humans?"
Abel remained still.
"Tell me," Cadoc continued, his voice growing colder. "Who is the real villain in this situation? You or the humans?"
The Demon King said nothing.
It was almost as though he had anticipated the question.
Cadoc clenched his fists.
"I want to understand why I'm even working for you. What exactly am I fighting for?"
His voice rose.
"You're pathetic, Abel. You prey on those who cannot defend themselves, yet you call yourself all-powerful. You think your strength makes you superior to everyone else?"
He took a step forward.
"Let me tell you something. You're not invincible. You're not some untouchable god."
For the first time, his anger was unmistakable.
"Do you know what I think of you?"
Abel slowly raised his left hand.
Cadoc didn't notice—or perhaps he simply didn't care.
"I think you're nothing more than—"
Flick!
Abel moved a finger.
That was all.
In the blink of an eye, Cadoc's upper body vanished.
A tremendous pressure tore through the throne room, sending the enormous palace doors bursting outward as though an invisible force had struck them. Dust swept across the hall, and the walls seems to tremble beneath the impact.
Then everything fell silent.
Abel's raised hand released a thin trail of smoke.
He stared at the empty space where Cadoc had stood.
"What gives you the right to insult your master?" he asked coldly. "Who granted you the authority to speak to me in such a manner?"
His crimson eyes narrowed.
"Have you forgotten your place, you worthless demon?"
A dark substance began rising from the floor several metres away. It gathered like a column of souls, twisting and condensing until a figure emerged from within it.
Nyx.
The Demon King's wife had arrived.
She glanced at the shattered entrance before looking toward Abel.
The Demon King continued speaking as though nothing unusual had happened.
"There is one thing I will never tolerate from my servants: disrespect. Especially from weak, insignificant creatures who mistake the power I have granted them for their own greatness."
He turned slightly.
"However, you accomplished your mission. For that reason alone, I shall spare you."
He extended his hand.
"Regenerate."
The remaining traces of Cadoc's existence began gathering together. His body reconstructed itself, restoring him to life until he collapsed onto his knees, gasping as though he had just surfaced from the depths of an ocean.
Both hands pressed against the floor.
His breathing was ragged.
Abel looked down at him.
"Next time you insult me, I will kill you."
He extended his hand once more.
An invisible force slammed Cadoc into the ground.
The floor cracked beneath him, forming a shallow crater as though the weight of an entire mountain had descended upon his body.
Cadoc struggled to lift his head, but the pressure only increased.
Abel's crimson eyes glowed.
"Understand something, Cadoc. I am not making a threat. I am telling you what will happen."
His voice dropped to a chilling whisper.
"If you ever forget your place again, I will erase you from existence."
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then Cadoc slowly planted one hand against the floor.
"You know something about yourself, Abel?"
Nyx's eyes widened slightly.
"This fool... Is he seriously going to continue?"
"You depend too much on your abilities."
Abel stared at him.
"I don't think you could face me in a proper one-on-one fight without them. Take away your magic. Take away your abilities. What would you be?"
For a moment, the throne room remained completely silent.
Abel stopped
Then he laughed.
It began as a low chuckle before growing into a thunderous roar that echoed throughout the palace.
Nyx watched the scene with a mixture of disbelief and annoyance.
"Does this idiot have any idea who he's talking to?"
Abel eventually stopped laughing.
His smile disappeared.
"That's a remarkably foolish question, Cadoc."
He stepped closer.
"Remove my abilities, and I would still be the Demon King."
His gaze swept over Cadoc.
"And what would you be? A servant. A subordinate. A creature whose life exists beneath my authority."
He tilted his head.
"If I took away your abilities, you would be nothing. You would not even survive the moment they disappeared."
Abel's expression hardened.
"You should be grateful that I allow you to stand before me. Pride is the downfall of countless powerful beings, Cadoc. I suggest you learn that before it becomes your undoing."
Cadoc slowly straightened his back.
"Oh, really?"
He raised his fists.
"Then prove it."
Abel's eyes narrowed.
"Come on," Cadoc continued. "Show me what you're worth without your abilities."
"Very well—"
Before Abel could finish, Cadoc moved.
He crossed the distance between them in an instant, his fist aimed directly at the Demon King's head.
But his punch struck…nothing.
Abel had simply tilted his head aside.
Cadoc's eyes widened.
At the same moment, he felt a hand close around his right wrist.
Abel had caught him.
Effortlessly.
"You truly are—"
Abel raised his left hand.
Cadoc immediately recognized the movement.
Not that ability again!
He desperately tried to wrench his wrist free, twisting his body and pulling with all his strength. Yet Abel's grip remained unshakable.
It was as though Cadoc's struggles meant absolutely nothing.
"Damn it!"
Abel's finger began to rise.
"Being insolent is one thing," the Demon King said. "But refusing to learn your lesson?"
His crimson eyes flashed.
"That is something I do not tolerate."
Flick!
Cadoc vanished.
A brief spray of blood scattered across the floor, and the throne room fell silent once more.
Nyx stared at the empty space.
Then she sighed.
"My lord, perhaps you could have gone a little easier on him."
Abel looked at her.
"He challenged me to a fight without my abilities."
"Yes, and that was certainly foolish of him."
Nyx folded her arms.
"But you did just erase him again."
Abel considered this for a moment.
"You have a point."
He crouched and touched one of the blood droplets on the floor with his fingertip.
Then he extended his left hand.
A grotesque mouth opened in the palm, revealing rows of unnatural teeth. Something resembling a small, living cell emerged from it and dropped onto the bloodstained floor.
The strange substance pulsed.
It began absorbing the blood.
Within moments, a new body started forming.
First came the skeletal structure, followed by muscles, skin, and the rest of the human form. A young man gradually emerged from the regenerating mass, his body bare and unmarked.
Then the markings appeared.
Dark patterns spread across his skin, restoring the familiar appearance of the demon known as Cadoc.
He drew a sharp breath.
Abel stood over him.
"I warned you."
Cadoc remained on his knees, staring at the floor.
For the first time since entering the palace, his expression seemed less angry than troubled.
"I killed them," he muttered.
Abel said nothing.
"Women. Children. Innocent people who had done nothing to deserve it."
Cadoc slowly clenched his fists.
"One of them was pregnant. She was carrying twins."
His voice faltered.
"I killed all three of them."
The memory seemed to weigh more heavily upon him than the injuries he had suffered.
"I swore I would never kill women or children again. I made that promise to myself, and yet..." He lowered his head. "I don't even know what came over me."
Abel watched him without offering a response.
Cadoc's fingers dug into the floor.
"I can't undo what I've done."
"No," Abel finally replied. "You cannot."
Before Cadoc could say anything else, another voice interrupted them.
"My, my. What a troublesome scene."
A figure appeared at the entrance.
He was a young-looking man with black hair streaked by several white strands. A black scarf covered his eyes, concealing the feature that had earned him his infamous title.
Sealed-Eye Sudai.
He walked into the throne room with the relaxed confidence of someone who had never needed to fear the consequences of entering the Demon King's presence.
"I heard a tremendous disturbance," Sudai remarked. "I assumed someone had attacked the palace."
He glanced at the shattered entrance.
"But judging by the condition of this room, I suppose I arrived a little late."
Abel chuckled.
"Who else could cause such a disturbance in my kingdom?"
Sudai bowed.
"Indeed, my lord. Nobody would dare invade Nahlara unless they desired a first-class journey to their destruction."
He straightened and turned toward Cadoc.
"By the way, I wasn't expecting you to be here."
Sudai approached him and casually placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Long time no see, my friend."
Cadoc's expression darkened.
"Get your hands off me."
He slapped Sudai's hand away.
Sudai tilted his head.
"Huh? Come on. Is that how you greet an old friend?"
"I said, get your hands off me!"
Cadoc swung a fist toward Sudai's jaw.
The punch landed.
Or at least, it appeared to.
A sharp cracking sound rang through the throne room.
Cadoc's hand shattered against Sudai's jaw, yet the sealed-eyed demon barely moved. Not a scratch appeared on his skin.
Sudai slowly raised his chin.
"My, my."
He sounded genuinely disappointed.
"You could have welcomed me a little more nicely, you know. That's rather rude, even for you."
Cadoc stared at his ruined hand before turning away.
He said nothing.
He simply walked out of the palace.
Sudai watched him leave, then turned toward Abel.
A moment of silence passed before Abel spoke
"You don't particularly like him, do you?"
Sudai placed a finger against his chin.
"What? Cadoc is my best friend!"
He gave an exaggerated shrug.
"We're practically brothers. Same mother, same father."
He paused.
"Well, not literally. You're our mother, Nyx, and Abel is our father. So, you know... close enough."
Nyx gave him an unimpressed look.
"Sudai."
He laughed.
"All right, all right. I'm joking."
Abel's expression remained serious.
"I'm asking you a question."
Sudai's playful smile lingered for another moment before fading.
"I see. It's rather difficult to hide things from you, isn't it, my lord?"
"Answer me."
Sudai looked toward the doorway through which Cadoc had disappeared.
"If I were ever given the opportunity to fight him seriously, I would kill him."
Nyx's expression changed.
Sudai continued without hesitation.
"He wouldn't last three minutes against me. And because I respect you, Abel, I would make certain his final moments were unforgettable."
He turned back toward the Demon King.
"But I won't kill him without your permission."
Abel studied him.
"Perhaps I should consider granting you that permission."
Sudai smiled beneath his scarf.
"Whenever you wish, my lord. Just give me the signal."
For a moment, the two demons stood in silence.
Then Abel's lips curled into a faint smile.
"Interesting."
He turned toward his throne.
"Very interesting indeed."
Somewhere in the Forest, The forest had grown quiet.
Mason finally stopped running.
He slid down from the horse, his exhausted legs nearly giving way as his boots struck the ground. The animal neighed and tossed its head while Mason reached for his father's blade.
He secured the blade at his side.
Then he turned back toward the horse.
The horse suddenly bolted.
Mason froze.
He watched it sprint between the trees until it disappeared from sight.
A long silence followed.
"...You're kidding me."
He stared at the empty path.
"My only means of transportation... just ran away?"
He dragged a hand down his face.
"Damn it. Seriously?"
Under any other circumstances, he might have found the situation ridiculous. But he was too exhausted, and his mind was too burdened to care.
He looked down at the blade in his hand.
His father's katana.
The sight of it brought everything rushing back.
His father's final moments.
The helplessness.
The unbearable realization that he had been too weak to protect the people he loved.
Mason's fingers tightened around the hilt.
"Father..."
His voice broke.
He lowered his head, trying to hold himself together, but the tears came anyway.
"And Becca..."
His sister's face appeared in his mind.
He remembered her smile, the way she spoke to him, and the warmth she had brought into his life. He remembered the times she had stood beside him, even when the world seemed determined to turn against them.
Then he thought of Rohan.
His brother-in-law.
His sister's husband.
But Rohan had never felt like a brother-in-law alone. He had been Mason's close friend, someone Mason had trusted and respected. Someone who had become part of his family long before the tragedy that had taken them away.
Now they were gone.
His father.
His sister.
Rohan.
Three people who had mattered more to him than he could ever explain.
Mason dropped to one knee.
"I couldn't protect any of you..."
His trembling hand pressed against the ground.
"Father, you trained me. You taught me how to fight, how to survive, how to stand back up when everything was against me."
He swallowed painfully.
"Becca, you always believed there was something good in me, even when I couldn't see it myself."
His shoulders shook.
"And Rohan... you were my friend. You were the man my sister chose to spend her life with. You were family to me."
He lowered his head.
"And I couldn't save you either."
The forest offered no answer.
Only the wind moved through the trees, carrying his broken words into the distance.
Mason slowly rose to his feet.
The grief remained, but beneath it, something else began to take shape.
Anger.
A burning, relentless anger that made his entire body tremble.
"Cadoc..."
His voice was barely audible.
Then he remembered everything.
His father's death.
The people he had lost.
The powerlessness he had felt when it mattered most.
Mason clenched his fists until his knuckles turned pale.
"If I ever see you again..."
His eyes burned with tears.
"I'll make you pay."
He raised his voice, and the words tore from his throat.
"I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR EVERYTHING!"
His shout echoed through the forest.
"I don't care how strong you are! I don't care what I have to go through! I will become stronger than I am now!"
He drew a ragged breath.
"I'll repeat every lesson Father ever taught me. Every technique. Every training exercise. I'll push myself beyond my limits until I can stand against you!"
His knees trembled.
He had barely recovered from his ordeal, and his body was already struggling to support him. Nevertheless, he forced himself to remain standing.
"I will avenge you, Father."
He looked down at the sword in his hand.
"I will avenge you, Becca. Rohan... I swear I won't let your deaths be meaningless."
His voice softened.
"I wish I could have done more."
For a moment, he closed his eyes.
He allowed himself to remember them—not as the people he had lost, but as the people who had given his life meaning.
Then he opened his eyes again.
"I'm sorry."
He tightened his grip on the sword.
"But I won't give up."
Mason wiped his tears away with the back of his hand.
"I'll get stronger. No matter how long it takes. No matter how many times I fall."
He took one unsteady step forward.
Then another.
His body ached, his legs threatened to collapse, and the path ahead remained uncertain.
But he kept walking.
"Just wait, Cadoc."
His expression hardened.
"The next time we meet... I won't be the same person you left behind."
He glanced once more at his father's sword.
"I promise."
And with that promise burning in his heart, Mason disappeared deeper into the forest.
His journey had only just begun.