The air was thick with ash and scorched mana as Lee Seong-jun surveyed the battlefield. The stench of burnt soil and blood lingered under the crimson dusk. Around him lay his comrades—Bihyung, Baek Mujin, Theodore, and Julian—their bodies battered, their breaths shallow. None of them were dead, but the line between life and death had thinned dangerously close.
'If it weren't for Anna's intervention,' he thought grimly, 'they'd all be corpses.'
Relief brushed the edge of his mind, but it was swiftly drowned by something far heavier. Anger.
His gaze locked on the demon who stood at the center of the devastation—Raukand, a noble of the Demon Realm. The demon sneered, dark energy swirling around him like living shadows.
"The price of sin," Seong-jun said, his voice low and cutting, "is life."
Raukand's laughter echoed across the field, harsh and mocking. "A price? A life? Foolish human, do you think I avoided you out of fear? I simply didn't consider you worth my time!"
Black mana erupted from the demon's form, bursting forward in a storm of death. The earth split, the sky dimmed—and Seong-jun moved.
With a flick of his wrist, a red blaze arced through the air, cutting through the torrent of demonic energy like silk.
Choaaaak—!
The attack shattered, scattering harmlessly into sparks.
Raukand's eyes widened in disbelief. "My magic… dispersed? By one swing!?"
"You wield power without understanding it," Seong-jun replied coolly. His tone was almost bored. "Your magic is strong, but your control is pathetic."
He studied Raukand with detached precision. The overflowing mana around the demon was proof of his noble rank—his strength was genuine. Among Earth's foes, few could rival such might. Yet to Seong-jun, who had slain demon lords and carved through nobles with divine precision, Raukand's chaos was little more than a child's tantrum.
Raukand howled, channeling more energy into his next strike. The black light that roared from his hands could have leveled a mountain.
But again, it broke apart the instant it reached Seong-jun.
"Impossible…! How can a human manipulate magic!?"
Seong-jun smirked. "Didn't I tell you? You're clumsy."
He advanced slowly, red lightning coiling around him like a living serpent. "Power means nothing without harmony of mind, body, and skill. Magic is no different."
The truth was brutal. Raukand had power—but no finesse. His attacks were unrefined, his energy wasteful. To a master of balance like Seong-jun, the noble's technique was transparent.
"You still don't understand?" Seong-jun's voice cut through the tension. "You can't even graze me."
Raukand roared, veins pulsing black beneath his skin. "Blasphemy! I am Lord Raukand, second son of Baron Arlington, protector of Lord Amon, one of the Seven Demon Kings! A mere human cannot—!"
Seong-jun sighed. "I've killed stronger."
The demon's fury peaked. Magic erupted, covering the world in a dome of darkness. The blast devoured everything—mountain, sky, sound.
But when the smoke cleared, Lee Seong-jun stood untouched, his cloak unmoved, not even a speck of dust on his collar.
The dark energy swirled uselessly around him, as though protecting him instead of harming.
"This," he said, raising a hand, "is how magic is truly controlled."
Raukand was lifted into the air, body trembling as unseen force gripped his limbs.
"Wh–what are you—!?"
Seong-jun's hand clenched. The demon was dragged closer, his form cracking under invisible pressure.
"Deliver this message to Amon," Seong-jun commanded, voice like thunder. "Earth belongs to the Demon God."
The connection between noble demons and their lords would ensure his words reached their mark. And Amon—Seong-jun's old nemesis from the Demon War—would understand that challenge.
But Raukand only laughed, blood trailing from his lips. "You… dare speak that name? You… human filth…"
Seong-jun's expression darkened. "You don't know when to quit."
As he raised his hand to end it, Raukand's body convulsed—then exploded in black light.
The air trembled. A vast, oppressive presence descended, ancient and absolute.
Seong-jun's pupils narrowed. "No… it can't be."
A voice echoed through the storm, each word rippling with godlike power.
[I thought you were another fool chasing a throne beyond his reach. But now I see why the title tempted you. Impressive—for a human.]
Seong-jun clenched his jaw. "Amon."
The space before him warped. Within the black void, two enormous eyes opened—cold, knowing, and cruel.
[Ah, you recognize me. It seems my fame precedes me.]
The earth rumbled. Shadows crawled like serpents across the ground, every particle of mana bending under Amon's dominion. The world itself seemed to bow.
The Demon King's voice oozed amusement.
[You've done well, Seong-jun. Truly. But let's see how your mortal body withstands the will of a king.]
From the abyss, a colossal hand of pure darkness took shape, its claws tearing through space itself as it reached for him.
Seong-jun's eyes flared crimson. "You'll regret setting foot in my world."
And with that, the sky split open once more.