Centuries ago, the Heavenly Lord Wilfried and Lucifer the Devil Lord faced each other in a fierce stance, their eyes locked in unyielding defiance as strange powers radiated from their bodies.
The battlefield groaned under a fractured sky, half drenched in golden light, half swallowed by crimson darkness.
Wilfred stood tall, his radiant armor gleaming like a sun forged into steel, his eyes glowing with calm determination.
Across from him loomed Lucifer, wreathed in a cloak of living shadows, his crimson eyes blazing with fury and pride.
Their gazes locked. Their expressions told the tale: Lucifer's lips curled into a cruel smirk, certain of his dominance, while the Wilfried's face remained unshaken, firm as a mountain carved by destiny.
Then, the silence shattered.
Lucifer unleashed a torrent of black fire, scorching the land into ash. Wilfried answered with a surge of divine light, his sword blazing like a star.
When the two forces collided, the heavens themselves trembled. Mountains cracked, seas roared, and the air screamed with raw energy.
Blades clashed in an endless rhythm—lightning meeting shadow, fire meeting flame.
Every strike echoed like thunder, either side yielding. Lucifer's laughter was sharp, cruel, echoing with malice, while Wilfried's silence was heavier, his resolve unshakable.
The duel became a stalemate, a struggle of pure willpower. At times, it seemed Lucifer's darkness would consume everything; at others, Wilfred's brilliance pushed him back.
Each carried the power to end worlds—yet neither could strike the final blow.
And yet… the balance began to shift.
Though his strikes were fierce, Lucifer's movements grew wilder, fueled by rage.
Wilfred, though battered and weary, fought with precision—every strike clean, every step deliberate.
His blade carved through the shadows, pushing them back, inch by inch.
Lucifer snarled, his smirk faltering as frustration burned in his crimson gaze.
Wilfred's eyes, sharp and steady, glowed brighter, pressing forward with divine resolve.
Though the battle raged on, the outcome was clear to anyone watching: the war of equals was slowly tipping. Wilfred was not merely surviving—he was winning.
Even though he was winning, Wilfred didn't seem to be satisfied by the outcome, knowing that Lucifer had the power to escape anytime he wanted and could come back again to fight for the Crown of life.
Lucifer suddenly revealed a smirk, as he said "Ahhh, it seems I'll have to come back another time".
His face filled with pride and mockery, but it was all gone by the time he noticed that something was wrong.
"What did you do?" He asked, with a shaky voice, yet crippy.
Wilfred whispered silently "You think I'll allow you to escape so easily".
Burying his sword in the ground, he slammed his hands on the ground, powers slowly seeping out of his body.
Without much hesitation, he revealed the Crown of life, surrounded by the seven mythical crystals, each radiating a significant pressure, that even Lucifer 's heart skipped a beat.
"Dammmit" Lucifer cursed when he realised the intention of the heavenly lord. Wilfred, knelt down while the crown of life radiated from above.
Then, he began to transfer his powers to the crown, which restricted Lucifer from moving from where he stood.
Wilfred raised his head to stare at the Crown, his eyes full of unwavering determination, he muttered "Destroy".
A deafening explosion followed. Light and shadow erupted together, tearing apart the land, shattering mountains, and splitting the sky into gold and crimson.
The seven crystals screamed as they shattered, fragments scattering across the realms.
Lucifer howled, his body ripped apart by the blast. His essence convulsed under the weight of divine power, crumbling into ash and fading into the void. Humanity, once trembling under his shadow, saw hope blaze anew.
Wilfred fell to one knee, his breath ragged, he was truly exhausted but then it was his time to leave. His job was done, his body faded away little by little until he could no longer be seen.
But in the smoke and silence, something stirred.
Unseen by all, a fragment of the Devil Lord's shadow slithered free—a wisp of darkness, thin as smoke but alive with hatred. While the world celebrated, that shadow slipped into the cracks of creation, waiting, biding its time.
The Devil Lord was defeated, but not destroyed. His whisper lingered like a curse:
"I am not gone… only waiting. One day, the shadows will rise again."
......…
Hours later, Gerald walked out of the dungeon, or rather, the devil lord in Gerald's body. For the first time after so many years, he felt free.
After many decades, he was back into the real world to continue what he left undone. Looking around, he came up with an idea.
He said chuckling "Since I'm in this body, why don't I take a stroll to the Claesumspire castle".
He walked along the streets of Osric, which was always bustling with people either selling their goods or people who wanted to buy but now the street was discarded with no one in sight.
"It seems my dark armies are a menace, interesting".
Minutes later, Lucifer stood at the front of the Claesumspire fortress, crossed his arms while he assessed it with his eyes. With gladness, he said.
"This is my opportunity, a big one to continue what I started". After that, he walked forward with large strides into the castle.
Meanwhile, Leofric and Edith arrived at Sylvan Reach, where they were lucky to find an abandoned hut.
After they checked and confirmed it was safe, they settled down.
"I will go out and look for something we can eat". Leofric said as he stood up from where he sat.
"Don't go, what if you never come back. I'm scared". Edith replied with concern written in her eyes, Olivia was in her hands, staring at the two from time to time as they spoke.
"I won't, or do you want to stay hungry?". Leofric asked.
"No but…." Edith didn't get to finish what she wanted to say, because she was interrupted by a sound that came from her stomach.
"See, this shows you're starving. I'll be back, take care of Olivia". Leofric said, taking a look at Olivia before setting out.
With a voice filled with sadness, Edith exclaimed "I wonder how the Queen is doing".
Meanwhile, Hilda's corpse lay on the battlefield for many hours before the royal family came to bury her properly.
Having entered the castle, the place was also empty, but not really, there were still some maids and guards in the fortress.
As Lucifer walked towards the Claesumspire Hall, a place where the throne is located and where meetings take place, he bumped into one of the guards or rather a knight, but the person standing in his front seemed to be of a higher rank.
The Knight was a man in his forties, with white beards and his face was slightly cramped which showed his old age.
"Long Live my prince, or rather, my king". The Knight bowed with a smirk on his face but oblivious to Lucifer
"Who are you?". Trying his best not to get exposed quickly, he asked.
The Knight raised his head, seemed somewhat surprised by the question, that he blinked his eyes in confusion. "My prince, you don't know me?".
"I might decide to get rid of you, if you don't answer my question." Lucifer said, his voice becoming more domineering and scary.
The Knight didn't seem to be scared, he continued to stare blankly for a minute, before speaking. "My name is Morvain, your personal guard".
"Oh really, then can you tell me what recently happened?". The devil lord asked.
Morvain narrowed his eyes before replying "Queen Hilda is dead, the news has spread across the seven regions of Aetheris. And also".
Moving closer, he whispered. "The crown of life has been destroyed, the ministers have been waiting for you in the Claesumspire Hall for hours. We've been searching for you, Soo lucky I found you here".
"Okay, lead the way". Lucifer ordered while still trying to digest that information.
"And then, your family members are currently angry with you for being the cause of Queen Hilda's death". Morvain said as he walked towards the hall, while the devil lord followed.
"Leave that for now". He said, cursing silently under his breath.
'I guess, I have a lot to handle using this body. Dammmit'
After some minutes, they got to the hall. The door was opened and then, something caught the devil lord's eye inside the hall and that was the throne.
The moment the latter arrived, the ministers stood up on their feet.
Morvain said "You can go ahead". Without much hesitation, Lucifer strode widely to the throne.
The throne was made of pure gold, shining brightly under the light. Its tall back and wide armrests were carved with simple yet elegant patterns, and a deep red cushion rested on the seat. It looked heavy, majestic, and built to show power.
When he got there, he continued to stare at the throne, admiring its beauty, which later caused a heated discussion between the ministers, who were still standing.
Before things get out of hand, Morvain went to meet Lucifer who was still staring at the throne, lost in thought.
"My prince, the ministers are still waiting". Morvain whispered, which brought the devil lord back to his senses.
With pride and arrogance, clearly written in his face. He majestically sat down on the throne while Morvain went back to his position beside him.
He said "You can have your seats".
They responded in unison "We appreciate your kind gesture".
After the ministers were all seated, the devil lord exclaimed "Henceforth, I have shall be your King".
To be continued......