I stared at Zereth, who was kneeling before me. But my gaze wasn't focused on him—but on the human girl he had brought with him. Her hair was long and glistening like silver, reflecting in the light of hellfire.
"Who is she, Zereth?" I asked, my voice flat but filled with deep curiosity.
Zereth lifted her head slightly, not daring to look directly at me. "We found this woman in the underground prison cell, while we were searching for virgin blood for a ritual, My Lord."
I narrowed my eyes, examining the frail body more closely. There was something unusual—a faint trace of light magic. Very faint, but enough to stir my demonic instincts.
I leaned forward slightly. "What is your name, human?" I asked, my voice as cold as hell's stone.
Her body trembled like a dry leaf in the wind of death. A soft voice escaped her trembling lips.
"My... my name is Nana," she whispered, barely audible.
I looked down at Selena, who was still sitting on my lap. Without a word, as if understanding my meaning, she rose gracefully. She stood behind my throne like a shadow loyal to her master.
I slowly stood and stepped down from the throne. My boots pounded against the stone floor with a steady rhythm, filling the room with a tense silence.
Each step carried a pressure that was invisible but felt to the very marrow of her bones. And the woman began to tremble even more violently.
Her face was as pale as a corpse just risen. Her eyes were wild, filled with primitive fear. She wanted to run, but her legs wouldn't move. Her body knew, long before her mind did, that before her was no longer human.
But I smiled faintly—the smile of a predator seeing perfect prey.
Beneath her fear, I saw incredible potential. That faint aura of light magic, her frail body uncorrupted by the world's decay—she hadn't been tainted. And more importantly, she hadn't been molded.
Good, I thought. Very good.
"I might not have to kill you," I murmured, my voice a whisper of death. "Maybe, I can make you into something much more useful."
My eyes stared straight at the girl, and deep down, I knew. I would train her, twist her, and shape her. And in the end, she would become my most perfect weapon of war.
I stared down at her from above, my red eyes piercing her fear like a dagger through her soul.
"Do you want to live?" I asked, my voice deep and resonant, like the whisper of death itself.
Her lips trembled violently, her voice barely audible. "I... I... want to live."
A wide smile slowly spread across my face—a cruel smile that brought no comfort, only veiled destruction.
"At any cost?" I asked, my tone hanging in the air like a dagger ready to stab.
Her eyes widened, her body trembling even more violently. But in the end, she could only nod slowly and resignedly, driven by fear and a faint hope of survival.
And that was enough for me.
I lifted the woman's body gently with my magic. Her body rose without resistance, floating slowly toward me. Her face was as pale as a shroud, her eyes wide—not knowing what was about to happen, only that her fate was tied to mine.
"First," I said coldly, "you will sacrifice your soul to me."
Before she could utter a word, I raised my hand and sealed her mouth with a dark magic spell. Black runes flashed across her face, silencing her screams before they could escape.
I bit my finger, and a drop of my blood flowed from the tip—blood imbued with the pure essence of darkness.
Then, without hesitation, I forced it into her mouth.
Her body immediately convulsed. Her eyes widened. The veins in her neck and arms began to glow dark red. A demonic aura poured in, replacing everything pure within her.
Her face twisted in an expression of excruciating pain. She writhed in the air, her body twisting, as if resisting but unable to. A dark aura began to emerge from her back—the silhouette of incomplete wings. Her body trembled violently.
And slowly, her aura began to change. No longer human. Not fully demonic. But something in between.
But suddenly—
FLASH!
A bright aura exploded from Nana's body. Light magic. The pure power surged out, writhing wildly, trying to resist the transformation I was forcing upon her. Holy light spread rapidly, forming a faint barrier around her body. The energy growled, rejecting the darkness. Rejecting me.
But I just laughed. A loud, deep, triumphant laugh.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Even light magic can't defeat the Demon King!" My voice echoed throughout the hall, bouncing between the pillars of death and the altar of blood.
Suddenly, a ray of light engulfed the entire hall, blinding the other demons around it. Then, from within the light, a new figure emerged—slowly, but surely.
A woman with long, silver hair that shimmered like moonlight. Wings sprouted from her back, but strangely, they were made not only of holy light, but also fragments of darkness. Half heaven, half hell. Pure and tainted. Light and destruction.
Perfect.
I looked at her, our eyes meeting, and I couldn't help but smile broadly.
"Amazing..."
I stepped closer, without hesitation. My hands touched her face—cold and warm at the same time. She didn't resist.
And without a word, I kissed her lips. Deeply, with complete control. It wasn't just a meeting of lips, but an absolute declaration: You're mine. Now and forever.
This wasn't about desire. It was a sign. That she was now part of the darkness I'd carved.
After kissing her lips, I pulled away slowly and walked back to my throne. My steps were steady, unhurried—like a king who had just asserted his power.
I sat back on the throne, my hands touching the arms of the chair, cold as death's stone. My eyes shifted to Zereth.
"Has there been any movement from the other Demon Kings?" I asked, my voice calm but full of pressure.
Zereth bowed respectfully before answering. "Not yet, My Lord. But I can sense it—they're not standing still out of fear. They're simply waiting for the right moment to make their move."
I grinned faintly as I expected. The other dark lords were creatures of caution and treachery.
"For now, forget them," I said coldly. "Focus everything on one goal—opening the portal to the human world. We'll start there."
Zereth nodded deeply. "As you command, My Lord."
I glanced at Selena and Nana, who were standing not far from me. Selena's gaze was understanding, while Nana's was still filled with confusion, but in her eyes, a small fire was beginning to burn.
"Selena," I called softly.
"Yes, My Lord," she said, bowing.
"Take her and train her. Shape her as you know I desire."
Selena simply nodded, then took Nana's hand and led her away without a word. The two of them stepped out of the hall, their silhouettes disappearing into the mists of hell.
"Zereth," I called, my voice echoing in the silent hall. "Summon all the main demons. Time for us to start the ritual."
Zereth looked down deeply, hands on his chest. "Soon, according to your orders, My Lord."