Fear.
Fear is a primal feeling, something that has been within us since the beginning.
All beings have fear, from men to animals, for no one can live without it, something that is within us like love and hate.
Fear is a survival instinct that helps us evolve in every moment.
It is an instinct that awakens when we have only one thought.
Fight or Flee?
Animals see fear as an ally because it helps them survive and thrive, an attachment that helps them live through the dangers of the world.
Humans saw fear as weakness and tried to rid themselves of it, but that is impossible because fear is in everyone.
It is something that drives humanity, though they try to ignore it. Humans circumvent fear. They think they don't need it. Many argue the opposite, that fear is a survival skill. But if that were the case, why is it still necessary when humanity is the dominant predator? Why does the top of the food chain need survival skills? Because humanity knows, deep down, that there is something to fear.
Fear is an overwhelming feeling that we could never live without.
But there are also many types of fear: the fear of a warrior dying in battle or a child fearing their father's wrath.
However, there is something even more terrifying, when you encounter an unbelievable being, someone so overwhelming that your own existence feels meaningless, a being who could kill you whenever they wanted and would bring fear even to the hearts of the mightiest warriors.
For many, this would be a demon, a cruel and unscrupulous being who would kill, destroy, and steal anything they wanted simply because they could.
But for the strongest demon of the underworld, Sirzechs Lucifer, he knew that this was not a demon.
Because when he felt that power and presence for the first time, he was not in front of a demon, nor even a God.
He was in the presence of a human.
In the presence of the King of Heroes.
In the presence of Gilgamesh.
When Sirzechs discovered that there was a descendant of the King of Heroes in his territory, he was very pleased because they could gain a powerful ally on their side.
Sirzechs had already heard stories of the King of Heroes, a man whom God and the original Maou feared and respected.
And having a powerful ally like that would be very good.
This way, he could also secure an ally to free his sister from her arranged marriage.
However, when he found out that he had threatened his sister, Sirzechs was furious, but he managed to stay calm and questioned his sister about why this happened.
When she said that she had planned his death, Sirzechs was very disappointed with his sister, and his parents were furious and wanted to remove her from their territory, but Sirzechs managed to stop them from doing so.
However, Sirzechs discovered another problematic thing.
Gilgamesh is the current Sekiryuutei and bearer of the Longinus [Boosted Gear], where the soul of Ddraig, one of the Celestial Dragons, resides, and because of this, he could be considered a dragon.
Even if he hadn't mastered Ddraig's power, that would already be extremely powerful.
Gilgamesh was known for many things.
The Oldest King of the World, the King of Heroes, and the model on which all the heroes of the world were based.
The one who collected all the treasures of the world and a man capable of rivaling God and the original Maou.
But there was something else Gilgamesh was known for.
Pride.
Perhaps the only thing that surpassed Gilgamesh's power was his own pride; he would not kneel or bow to anyone, not even to the gods who created him.
Making the descendant of such a man serve demons would be complicated.
However, when Sirzechs discovered that he was the Sekiryuutei and therefore a dragon, it made everything more complicated.
Dragons are the most powerful beings in the supernatural world; in a world where Gods and Demons exist, Dragons stand at the top. There is a reason why the two strongest existences are Dragons.
Dragons are beings of pure power; even a low-class Dragon could easily defeat a high-class demon. Comparing a low-class Dragon to a high-class demon would be like comparing an experienced tiger to one that has just matured.
However, regardless of how much power Dragons have, they are also known for having several personality issues, but two are particularly problematic.
Greed and Pride.
These two personality issues are very problematic for everyone.
Dragons are beings of extreme greed, extremely protective of their treasures, killing anyone who tries to steal them. A good example of this is Fafnir, one of the Five Great Dragon Kings, who is well-known for his vast collections of treasures and being extremely protective of them.
But by far, the most problematic is pride. Dragons are extremely powerful and proud beings; they take pride in who they are, in their power, and they would rather die than cast aside their pride.
And combining the pride of a Dragon with the pride of the King of Heroes could be something catastrophic.
However, when he met Gilgamesh, it was not as expected.
The King of Heroes was a good host and welcomed them well, even though they had invaded his home, always smiling and being polite.
Sirzechs was surprised when he felt Gilgamesh's power; if he fought, he didn't know if he would win.
But what surprised him most was the nature of Gilgamesh's power.
Everyone has a trace of themselves in their magical aura, something that makes it unique and exclusive to each person.
For example, Sirzechs' was pure destruction thanks to his [Power of Destruction].
Gilgamesh's could only be described as pure domination; if Sirzechs had to describe it, it would be "as if something were forcing him to kneel."
But what surprised Sirzechs the most was that Gilgamesh was refusing all his offers and barely listened to them.
Sirzechs was surprised when he felt Gilgamesh's power; if he fought, he didn't know if he would win.
Sirzechs could feel his wife's anger growing because a human was refusing her husband; Grayfia had a sense of superiority over humans.
However, when his wife threatened Gilgamesh, he couldn't help but be surprised. The descendant of the King of Heroes showed no reaction, as if it were irrelevant to him.
Then, when he snapped his fingers, all of his wife's power simply disappeared.
This was completely unprecedented! In a single instant, all of his wife's power vanished; it was terrifying. His wife was not weak; she had Satan-class power, but even so, a snap of fingers was enough for all her power to disappear, as if she had lost all her power and become a civilian.
This was very impressive and frightening.
But Sirzechs couldn't let it slide; after all, before being the leader of the underworld and the Maou Lucifer, he was a father, brother, and husband, and he couldn't let anyone threaten his family.
When Sirzechs' power was unleashed from his body, the world seemed to vibrate and clash as his power took shape.
The power was gigantic; the difference in level between him and Grayfia was overwhelmingly large. Although Grayfia was a Satan-class demon, it was little compared to her husband.
When Sirzechs was born, he was enveloped in an aura of [Power of Destruction] that distorted everything around him, and only his mother could hold him.
Sirzechs was born with immense demonic power, even by the standards of pure-blood demons, surpassing even the descendants of the original Maous, who were known for their great latent demonic power.
All his talent, combined with his training and the experiences he gained in the Demon Civil War, earned him the title of the strongest demon and "Lucifer" after the war.
Sirzechs is one of the three Super Devils alongside Ajuka Astaroth and Rizevim Livam Lucifer.
Three demons with such transcendental powers that they could rival Gods from other mythologies.
Although Sirzechs and Ajuka were far stronger than Rizevim.
So powerful that only the position of Maou was worthy of him.
Someone so strong that he received the honor of being called one of the 10 Strongest Beings in the World.
He was Sirzechs Lucifer, one of the Four Great Satans, an Irregular Demon who reached the Top 10, a Super Devil.
But in the face of all this power, Gilgamesh laughed.
This was completely surprising for Sirzechs.
This was the first time someone had such a reaction to seeing his power; it seemed like he wasn't even surprised.
Then Gilgamesh stood up and simply approached Sirzechs, ignoring his power, and placed his hand on Sirzechs' shoulder.
When Gilgamesh touched Sirzechs, all the Maou's magical power was completely nullified, to Sirzechs' surprise, so much so that he was stunned that someone could nullify his power. It seemed like he didn't even have power, as if he never had it.
Soon after, Sirzechs began to lose his will to fight.
The moment Sirzechs looked into Gilgamesh's crimson eyes, he saw himself in a bottomless abyss of pure power that was trying to swallow him. When a deafening draconic roar plunged Sirzechs' mind into fear.
It seemed like everything had spiraled out of his control, and he could no longer control it; his own instincts seemed to scream in terror, urging him to kneel.
And that's what happened.
If someone saw his hidden face, they would see Sirzechs' terrified expression. His forehead drenched in sweat. And his beautiful greenish-blue eyes slightly faded.
"What the hell is he really…?" Sirzechs stammered in thought.
Sirzechs' mind recalled the phantom image of Y Ddraig Goch in fury, displaying the absolute power of the Welsh Dragon at its peak. This frightened, terrified, and shook his soul. That absolute power; a power he couldn't comprehend, a power that made him insignificant and laughable; it filled Sirzechs with despair just imagining that pair of red draconic eyes fixed on him. Furthermore, Sirzechs' instinct and intuition told him that Gilgamesh held such power that he could destroy him instantly. And his instinct, honed by the bloody demon civil war and sharp intuition, had never failed him.
"How…? How can someone so young be so powerful? That… image… was just an illusion, and yet… my instinct told me I'd be powerless if I ever faced him. Is this… is this the true power of the Welsh Dragon? Is this the true power of the Red Dragon Emperor when he mastered the [Boosted Gear]? No, this isn't just the power of the Welsh Dragon; it's the power of the descendant of the King of Heroes who possesses a Longinus! Insane! This is madness… just… who are you, Gilgamesh…"
Gilgamesh looked at Sirzechs with amusement before speaking.
"Well, well, it seems you dropped a coin or something?" Gilgamesh asked in a tone of amusement.
Everyone seemed to snap back to reality when Gilgamesh's voice cut through everything.
Everyone was surprised to see this, and even Gilgamesh's group was surprised to see the hostility toward the Devils.
Come check out my Patreon!
We already have 70 chapters posted there!
And you'll also get access to other exclusive stories as well.
👉 patreon.com/Vellgrace