CHAPTER 32 -THE ANGEL OF DEATH- (2)

DEMON KING CINDERHELL

The fuzziness of memories seemed to arrive at the same time. All having the same objective, an unachievable goal that laid far beyond any other. The dream of living a peaceful life, a world where wars and discrimination doesn’t exist, allowing every living organism to unite.

However, to even get the first step towards this goal, many things have to be sacrificed in order to achieve it. I thought that I could sacrifice the things I didn’t need to do so, to advance. Yet, I was too naive to understand that the things that needed to be sacrificed were not the disposable ones, but the dear ones.

The very same ones that you would lay down your life for, the ones you have to protect no matter who or what you are against. Defending it even if the world was at stake, such as its destruction or perishing.

Realizing that it was too late, I made the mistake of losing my wife to some deities or the so-called gods. Then later losing my one and only daughter too, not to the gods, no. I lost her due to the fate that the boy had to bear alone, for two worlds, no one else could see it.

Just thinking about the past, present, and future all together makes time feel like it was halted. Nothing moving but only the coldness of the wind that passed through the lonely and empty room that everyone called the ‘throne’.

Just how many years has it been since I had someone enter so fearless, potential rising from him. So much power that brought me to chills that today, when that lonely, yet depressing boy–not older than my own daughter that even at her age attended the war as a general–walked so casually like he had done this many times before.

Has living for centuries really made me soft? I knew myself better than anyone, even more than my own wife. I would stare coldly at scenes involving demons and humans alike being tortured, listening to their screams of plea and suffering giving me nothing more to feel than annoyance at them. I would sometimes imagine myself in terrible scenarios where something dear to me–like a family member–would die in my arms, seeing if I wasn’t a emotionless demon like many others thought I was. But after many years, I gave the thought of it to the deepest past of hell, forgetting about it completely until now.

Seeing the boy’s past life time made me see how horrible it was not only for him but for those around him, dear to him. Fate’s divinity is a calamity that could destroy many worlds and universes alike. And hell, the gods think that it is a good idea to use it, to let it fall in the hands of a human kid that is trying his hardest against it?

Witnessing the birth and journey of what will become what he was called in that world surely lights a flame in me, wanting me to live even if it is a little longer to see a glimpse of the rebellion that ‘he’ has established for the past seven years.

I looked at both of my arms that laid on top of the armrest of the dark gray throne, picking up only my right arm, closing and opening my fist. I was already in this state? I ask myself, having the knowledge that you didn’t have much time in the world would leave anyone with regrets, no one is excluded from it. But I had my mind at ease, thinking that the world is in his hands and my daughter’s hands too.

Now that I think about it, both of us got parting gifts. Mine was the resting thought that my daughter will be able to live in a peaceful world that we ancients have been yearning for, and his parting gift of being guided by… I let out a slight scoff.

Now I know that I’ve gotten soft, whether it's a good thing or not, I will cross the bridge when the time comes.

The dark gray and quiet room soon began to get louder and louder. The noises came from beyond the door in front of the throne. An orange light slipped as the doors slowly opened by a man, a demon. “Your Majesty!” Said the demon dressed in military uniform as he pulled his orange hair back, showing his two bright black horns.

I didn’t respond to his call, instead I waited and let him continue. “Your majesty, I’m here to report something rather particular, something that might brighten the mood of the Lord.”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

I was enthusiastic towards his comment, or rather the report that he had to say. But I’ll bite. I tried to remember the last time I’d talk in a king-like tone, when was the last time that I’ve talked with authority. Letting this uncertainty take over me would make Kent worry about my status.

“So, what is it that you need to report to me? General Kent” Injecting as much authority as a king as I could. Then, Kent kneeled when he heard my voice, crossing his right hand to his heart. It appears that I still haven’t lost my touch, I said in my mind.

“We have recently discovered that most of the eternal crystals have been stolen during the past week.” Kent’s voice showed concernment towards the situation that even I didn’t find as a big deal. Yet, Kent, a general and prideful demon was so hung up on some mythical legends that came from thousands of years ago?

If that is the case then it must be serious, probably in the sense of an anomaly level. Something that has not happened in quite a while. “Do we have evidence of who has stolen it or a brief idea?” I asked. Probably with this, we can shorten the circle of the people that could’ve done this. At least I hoped that was the case. Kent took a couple of minutes before answering, almost like he was thinking of what to say, that is when he finally looked me in the eye and said, “My Lord, the person who has taken the eternal crystals…” He stopped for a moment, “...is still not found.”

“What do you mean ‘still not found’ Kent? Has there been more than one person stealing the eternal crystals?” Even though at first I wasn’t interested in the eternal crystals, something inside of me said otherwise. I felt a furry develop in my stomach as I reminded myself about something important, something that even I don’t know where it is.

That’s when my mind clicked, if this person is collecting the eternal crystals, that could only mean one thing…

Kent too felt my worry as he studied my face of thought, quickly, he got up and said something. I didn’t catch the gist of the name or thing he said, instead the only thing I had caught was a figure appearing from thin air. A face that I haven’t seen in years, to be honest I didn’t think he was alive.

As he walked out the shadow, he kneeled before me and greeted me like a loyal servant he was before he lost his power to wield mana. “The princess’s body is nowhere to be found, your majesty,” the old marshal stated.

“How could this be?!,” I yelled, letting the anger and grief take over my tone, showing something that I haven’t shown in a long time since she…

All of this is not making any sense. The eternal crystals. The missing corpse of my daughter. Just what in the universe is going on? I had to think of something, something that should give me the answer to all of this. What was the cause of this desire to revive my daughter? The princess of the demons, the next heir, the next queen when I die.

The dots that appear in this equation don’t add up, none of them do in fact. All of the dots are anomalies that shouldn’t be in the problem. They shouldn’t exist at all.

As I tried to wrap my head around, trying to understand the objective of such a being that is bold enough to enrage me, the lord of all demons, The Demon King. Who precisely could’ve done this without me or any of my demon generals, much less the marshal demon, noticing until now?

This question continuously repeated in my head, over and over again. The answer that I was looking for was already in front of me years ago, yet I decided to ignore it. The conclusion that felt far, had already been put.

Even though he decided to change his name, his mind, his personality. Everything that he left behind has already caught up to him, putting in danger this universe along with the other dimensions that exist. The power that he used in the past, the same one he swore to not utilize even if it meant his death, has appeared.

I sighed, the thought that the power–that could put the gods to their knees–was being used, ignited after so long, in the worst place it could possibly be used. The strong magic aura that could be felt from a different dimension, that is the power that could destroy this fate that was chained onto him.

Both loyal servants that were in front of me, widened their eyes to such feeling. At first I was surprised that they could feel it too, even though it was not even in the demon dimension. Their eyes turned to me, telling me what this aura was from–even though not a single word was muttered–, I knew what they were thinking.

Knowing that the power that was once almighty is being tapped into made my anger earlier calm and be replaced by joy instead. Taking advantage of such joy, I spoke to both demons that had no words to say in the presence of this chaotic event.

“Bare witness to the being that will liberate us from the gods' rule. Today, the birth of the powerful deity will be recorded in the history of all dimensions…” I stopped, only for a brief moment before continuing with a wide grin, “...especially the angels. Henceforth he shall be known as the name that he was called during his arise to the throne. Sammael…The Angel Of Death.”