In the heart of the Demon Realm stood a colossal, dark stone castle.
Inside its grand court, rows of demon nobles and armored guards lined the vast hall. At the far end, a massive staircase rose above the crowd, leading to a throne encrusted entirely in pure, glistening gold—the throne of the Demon Lord.
David sat atop the golden seat, leaning back with a lazy, arrogant posture. He rested his chin on his palm, a dark, fond smile playing on his lips as his mind wandered back to Earth.
"I want to see her again..." David whispered to himself, his eyes gleaming with obsessive desire. "Her delicate elf ears, her dazzling green eyes... and that gorgeous green hair."
BANG!
Suddenly, the grand doors at the end of the court burst open. A thin, ragged demon ran frantically down the central carpet, collapsing onto his knees at the foot of the golden staircase.
"Lord David!" the demon cried out, trembling in desperation. "A horrible plague has spread through my village! My people are dying for no reason! Please, you must help us!"
David rolled his eyes, letting out a heavy, bored sigh. "A plague? Fine, let me see."
He stood up from the throne and walked slowly down the long stone steps. Stopping right in front of the kneeling demon, David suddenly reached out, wrapping his fingers around the demon's throat and lifting him off his feet with a single hand.
The poor demon thrash frantically, his legs kicking the air. All around the court, the demon ministers sat in silence, closing their eyes to ignore the sight. The armored guards stood like unmoving statues, completely accustomed to David's unpredictable cruelty.
David smirked, staring into the demon's terrified eyes. "Did you have something else you wanted to say to your new Lord?"
The demon choked, clawing uselessly at David's iron grip. Sensing no real sport in suffocating him immediately, David opened his hand, letting the demon drop heavily onto the cold stone floor.
Gasping for air, the demon looked up at David with hollow, tear-filled eyes. "Lord Dusk... Lord Dusk was a far greater ruler than you!"
David let out a loud, mocking laugh. "Ah. So that's what this was really about."
"My family is dying!" the demon yelled, his voice cracking with unbearable grief. "My children are starving!"
David took a slow step forward, looking down at the desperate father. A cruel realization flashed in his eyes. "Oh... wait. Aren't you the lower demon who married that beautiful succubus from the eastern district?"
The demon flinched, stepping back in sudden fear. "I... I thought because you came from the human world, you would understand us! We demons believed that humans were the only creatures in the universe who possessed empathy for others!"
David burst into wild, arrogant laughter. "Empathy? Humans are the most foolishly ruthless creatures alive—and now, I hold power beyond them all."
He reached to his side, drawing a sleek, silver sword from its sheath. "Don't worry. After I take care of you, I'll be sure to take very good care of your lovely succubus wife."
The demon fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "I came here begging for mercy... for my family..."
David casually struck the back of his hand across the demon's face, sending him sprawling against the floor. "It's my choice to like her. What are you going to do about it?"
Weakly pushing himself up, the demon wiped blood from his mouth. With the last of his pride, he spat directly onto David's polished black boot. "Go... I hope you die in the most horrific, agonizing way possible."
David looked down at the spit on his boot. His dark smile vanished, replaced by an explosive, violent rage.
SLASH!
Without a word, David swung his sword in a blinding arc. The demon's head severed cleanly from his shoulders, rolling across the stone floor as dark blood pooled on the marble.
In his final moments, the dying demon's eyes remained fixed on David, a quiet, bitter tear falling to the floor. "You are no lord..." the fading voice echoed. "You are just a monster..."
David wiped the blood off his blade with a silk cloth, completely indifferent to the corpse at his feet. He raised his hand, gesturing to his elite guards. "Go to his residence. Bring his wife and children here immediately."
An hour later, the guards returned, pushing a weeping, beautiful succubus woman into the grand court. Clinging to her long dress were two tiny demon children, crying hysterically.
David leaped gracefully off the high staircase, landing softly on the carpet before them. He put on a warm, theatrical smile. "Welcome! I have a wonderful gift for you. I heard today happens to be your wedding anniversary."
The succubus woman blushed softly through her tears, looking around nervously. "Y-Yes, my Lord..."
David chuckled awkwardly, stepping aside to reveal the blood-stained carpet. "Well then... your husband has been waiting for you."
The woman's eyes landed on her husband's lifeless body. She froze, a horror-stricken shriek escaping her throat.
The two tiny children burst into fresh sobs, clutching their mother's dress. "Daddy...! Daddy... wake up!"
David quickly put on a remorseful, sympathetic expression. "A group of rogue demons who were attempting to harras a young demon girl ran through here... your husband fought bravely to stop them, but they cut him down before my guards could execute them."
The succubus wept bitterly, clutching her chest. "Are... are those monsters dead?"
"We cut off their heads and threw them into the furnace," David lied smoothly, his tone gentle and reassuring. He poured a glass of clear water from a nearby pitcher and handed it to her with an innocent smile. "Here... drink this. It will calm your nerves."
The grieving woman took the glass with trembling hands, swallowing the water in quick gulps. Beside her, the two small children eventually cried themselves to total exhaustion, falling asleep on the floor.
Looking down at her sleeping children, the succubus whispered weakly, "My Lord... please... can you ensure my children are cared for?"
David turned to his guards, his voice filled with apparent warmth. "Take these poor children to the luxury guest suites. Give them the finest food and let them rest."
"Thank you..." the woman whimpered.
David knelt beside her, gently taking her shoulders. "You must stay strong. Stand up... let me help you."
The succubus tried to stand, but a sudden, unnatural dizziness washed over her mind. The drug in the water took effect instantly. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed unconscious directly into David's arms.
A sinister, horrific grin spread across David's face as he picked up her limp body and carried her into his private chambers, slamming the heavy doors shut.
An hour passed.
The heavy doors of the inner chamber opened once more. David walked out, a satisfied, triumphant smile on his face.
Right behind him walked the succubus woman. Her eyes were completely hollow, devoid of any memory or emotion, her mind totally altered by David's dark mind-manipulation magic. She walked close beside him, holding his arm gently.
When the two tiny demon children woke up in the hall and saw her, they ran forward with open arms. "Mama! Mama!"
The woman raised her eyebrows, looking down at her own children with cold detachment. She offered a strange, artificial smile. "Mama? I am not your mother."
David patted her shoulder softly. "Go to the dressing room, my dear. Put on something elegant."
"Yes, my Lord," she replied mindlessly, walking away toward the back quarters.
Once she was gone, David turned his attention to the two small, trembling children. He walked over and let out a dark, amused laugh. "You two really are quite cute."
Without warning, David reached down, grabbing both children tightly by their hair and lifting them off the floor.
"Your parents are gone, and you two have zero value to me," David growled, his eyes flashing with lethal intent. "So just die!"
"Please!" the young boy demon cried out, tears streaming down his bruised cheeks. "We'll run away! We'll go anywhere! We promise we'll never return to the Demon Realm!"
David paused, eyeing the terrified children. A cruel idea sparked in his mind.
"Hmm..." David smirked. "Actually... sending you away sounds like a much more entertaining gift."
With a wave of his hand, David cast a concealment spell over the two children, altering their appearance into normal human children.
"If either of you ever dare to step foot back in this castle," David warned, his voice dropping to a terrifying whisper, "I'll make sure your mother gives birth to a new sibling just so I can destroy them in front of you."
The children shuddered in sheer terror, nodding frantically. "We promise! We'll never come back!"
David snapped his fingers. A spatial portal opened beneath the children, swallowing them whole and dropping them onto the streets of the human world.
Around the grand court, the demon lords and ministers stood in complete, dead silence. Though their faces remained expressionless, disgust burned within every single one of them.
What absolute trash he is... one demon lord thought bitterly, lowering his gaze. A monster driven purely by dark lust and cruelty...
This is why we hide our daughters and wives from him, another minister cursed silently in his mind. He isn't a ruler. He's a disease.
Unaware of their silent hatred, David walked back toward his golden throne, his thoughts instantly drifting back to the green-haired girl on Earth.
"Sara..." David chuckled softly to himself. "I will break Kael Redgrave... and I will make you mine."
Just then, the succubus woman returned, dressed in fine red silk. She walked up to David, leaning her head against his shoulder with a mindless, brainwashed smile. "I want to stay by your side forever, my Lord..."
David leaned down, resting his forehead against hers with a fake, tender smile. "Of course, my love..."
She kissed his cheek softly, leaning heavily against his arm for support.
Off to the side, a young demon maid clearing the wine glasses stared at the scene, her eyes filled with undisguised hatred and disgust.
David felt the sharp gaze piercing his side. He turned his head slowly, his cold, predatory eyes locking onto the young maid.
"Hey..." David whispered, his voice dangerously low. "What the hell are you staring at?"