The huge door began to open with a deep groan, as if the wood itself recognized the importance of what was about to enter.
When it finally gave way, what crossed the threshold was an army.
Dozens of demonic soldiers advanced in tight formation, armed with black spears that gleamed under the dim red light of the room.
Their steps thundered like ancestral drums, making it clear that this was not a simple protocol… but a judgment.
And among them all, leading them with the elegance of a queen, walked a woman.
Her silver hair fell like a lunar cascade, framing two sharp black horns that emerged from her head with demonic pride.
Her skin was white, smooth, almost luminous.
Her eyes, the same silver color as her hair, seemed like two twin moons floating in the darkness.
She wore a black dress that reached just above her knees, fitted to her figure with a perfect blend of grace and authority.
There was no need to ask who she was.
Her presence dictated everything: she was the leader of that unit, the voice that moved their steps.
— Everyone, please, wait for my orders.
Her voice rang out firm, elegant, causing the soldiers to move without hesitating for even a second.
In an instant they surrounded Kael, forming a defensive circle, slightly tilting their spears toward him in case he tried to attack them.
Kael swallowed hard, but he remained standing.
The silence was tense, almost palpable.
The woman studied him with cold serenity, scanning him from head to toe.
— So you must be the so-called Demon Lord, right?
Kael held her gaze without looking down.
— Yes… that's me. Well… that's what they said about me.
An invisible clash occurred between the two.
A tension like that of two seas meeting and deciding who would yield first.
The woman tilted her head with calculated interest.
— I see. But we cannot define that with mere words. Your final test is to place your hand on a crystal ball. If you are the Demon Lord, it will turn an absolute black. If not… it will remain as white as snow.
A guard appeared from behind, carrying on a red cloth a completely white and transparent sphere.
He knelt before Kael, holding it with a deep bow, waiting for the touch that would decide the fate of an entire race.
Kael trembled.
Not from fear.
But from the pressure.
He knew the truth.
He was the Demon Lord the System had chosen.
There was no other.
There was no alternative.
They had waited centuries for this moment, for that name, for that leader…
And now he was there, facing the judgment that would determine whether his legitimacy was just an illusion or a prophecy fulfilled.
— Here I go…
Kael extended his hand.
His palm trembled, but his heart did not retreat.
He touched the sphere.
An absolute silence fell like a mantle over the room.
And then…
The crystal ball erupted in a dark glow that filled the entire chamber.
A black, deep, perfect shine, as if it had absorbed all the light in the world.
The soldiers held their breath.
The woman opened her eyes in surprise for the first time.
The prophecy…
The history…
Everything they had waited for…
Had been fulfilled.
— The prophecy has been fulfilled! The Demon Lord has returned!
The woman fell to her knees, and with her all those present.
Cascades of armor clashed against the ground as the soldiers bowed their heads in absolute reverence.
There was no doubt.
There was no fear.
There was no sadness.
There was only respect… and a silent joy.
After so many years without a ruler, their empty throne finally had an owner.
— Lord Demon Lord, please… follow me. I will take you to your castle and to your throne, where everyone will be able to see that you have returned.
The woman spoke with a mixture of solemnity and relief, as if her words were a bridge between centuries of emptiness and a new dawn.
Kael, embarrassed to have so many kneeling, raised his hands awkwardly.
— P-please… everyone stand up.
I don't like seeing you like this.
He said it red with shame, unable to get used to the title that now weighed on him like an iron crown.
«New System notification. Now all of the demonic race recognize you as their King.
Mission accomplished.
Your rank as Demon Lord has advanced from Larva to Aura.
Reward acquired:
Demon Lord Skill: "Chaos Control".»
Kael's heart skipped a beat.
The name of that skill echoed like a primal roar inside his chest.
The woman and the soldiers escorted him through the corridors and took him outside.
Upon crossing the door, Kael found himself in a completely new world for him.
The streets were made of dark gray stone, perfectly laid.
The houses had pointed roofs and walls adorned with ancient runes.
There were no modern buildings like the ones he knew.
It was like walking inside a resurrected medieval era.
They passed by several demons walking like ordinary citizens.
All of them had long horns, about eight centimeters, growing from their heads like ebony branches.
Some also had black wings folded on their backs.
Others did not, but all watched him with curiosity, respect, and a hope that Kael still did not know how to handle.
And then he saw it.
An immense castle, built with black stone and spires that pierced the sky like colossal claws.
It was located right in the center of the city, as if it were the dark heart of the entire kingdom.
The soldiers lined up on both sides of the path, forming a corridor of honor as Kael advanced.
Each step echoed, as if the castle itself recognized its owner.
Upon entering, the darkness mixed with purple lights that illuminated the corridors.
They climbed huge stairs, crossed ancient doors, and finally arrived at a vast throne room.
At the back, on an elevated platform, was the throne.
Black.
Cold.
Majestic.
Carved with demonic symbols that seemed to move under the light.
A throne that had waited for years.
The throne that now belonged to him.