DKFTI 105

It was a sight Sibel had never seen before.

“Wow.”

“I think we need sunglasses for this?”

Ruru stood beside Sibel, who had his mouth wide open, and they both looked up at the sky. The pillar of light that had risen like a column spread across the sky like a wave. It was unreal, but there was no doubt that it was beautiful.

He felt like his heart was being purified just by watching it.

Sibel stared at the sky as if he had fallen under a spell, then he suddenly came to his senses. He slapped his cheeks and forced his scattered soul back into place.

“But what are they doing?”

“I’m curious too.”

As Ruru said, Sibel couldn’t understand what on earth they were doing, and at that moment, the massive pillar of light that had risen into the sky crashed straight down toward the castle wall.

“Oh my god!”

“Everyone, move!”

The enormous light column fell in an instant and struck the castle wall. The solid barrier split apart like tofu being sliced.

“Oh my….”

The thick beam of light didn’t just destroy the wall. It sliced through the great garden trees and even the Demon King’s castle. Everything turned into scorched earth in a moment.

“No way….”

He knew that nothing could stand against overwhelming power, but why did it get smashed so easily? And by knights of the Holy Kingdom, of all people?

Sibel frowned, if they were going to destroy someone else’s castle, shouldn’t they at least send a notice, a warning, arrange a meeting, set a date, follow proper procedure? How could those people of the light be worse-mannered than the demons of the shadows?

He felt furious, but he couldn’t even open his mouth as he stared at the gaping hole in the wall.

Whoooosh.

The wind blew, and his eyes met those of the humans beyond the wall.

“Demon King, I don’t think this can end peacefully.”

“Yeah. I feel the same.”

A bloody conflict was the one thing Sibel wanted to avoid the most. He didn’t want to hurt anyone, but he didn’t want to get hurt either.

The atmosphere turned cold and his stomach started to twist. Sweat soaked his palms and Sibel felt nauseated.

He swallowed. At that moment, a flash of radiance came flying toward him.

“Demon King!”

“Ahhh! Demon King!”

As the massive light floated toward him, Sibel quickly took to the sky. He had practiced this movement countless times so he could react without a moment of hesitation.

He jumped up and dodged the radiance, then he turned once in the air before rolling and landing solidly on the ground. The soil shifted beneath his feet as he steadied his stance.

“It’s stronger than I thought, so there’s no room for tricks.”

Why did they prepare so thoroughly?

“Demon Kiiing!”

Ruru and Kkotdol came running, and Sibel looked around. Arrows were flying from the castle. The defense system he had prepared in advance was working perfectly.

“Raise your shields!”

Clank, clank, clank. The knights of the Holy Kingdom moved in perfect formation, raised their shields, and blocked the incoming arrows. But he had already accounted for what would happen next.

As the knights advanced inside the castle, cannonfire rained down from the top of the Demon King’s Castle. Boom, boom, boom!

“This way!”

Sibel, who had already predicted this situation, called the castle’s residents to him and spread a barrier around them. Explosions echoed without pause. He hadn’t wanted the defense system to activate to this level, because it attacked the enemy while damaging the castle.

He had hoped they wouldn’t cross this line, but life never goes the way one wants. Shells fell, screams rang out, and his heart started to tighten.

“Attack! Wipe out every last demon!”

“Waaahhh!”

The knights’ footsteps thundered against the ground like roaring drums.

Dust filled the air. Beyond it, he could see humans armed with swords and spears, desperate to kill him.

Their bodies were torn and broken from the earlier blast.

Why? What are they sacrificing themselves for?

He couldn’t understand it. Sibel had never once thought about harming anyone or plunging the world into despair. Everyone in the Demon King’s castle was the same. But simply because they were demons, the humans treated all of them as enemies.

Boom! Boom!

Explosions still shook the air, and Sibel and the castle residents kept moving toward a safer place without stopping.

They ran, and they ran again.

“Move! Ahh! Watch out for the pit ahead!”

The garden they had tended together, the trees, the grass, and the flowers were being trampled. The chase continued, each side pursuing and fleeing.

“After them! Catch them!”

“Hah, as if humans could catch anyone!”

Ruru taunted the humans and used magic to block the knights who were chasing them.

Then, small clusters of light fell from the sky. It was magic meant to attack demons.

When Sibel saw it, a memory suddenly surfaced. The countless shooting stars that had once fallen from the sky. Why did this scene feel familiar?

The radiant light fell down and bombarded the Demon King’s castle indiscriminately. The beautiful firelight injured the castle’s residents. The meerkat family, Bear, the duck and the plant beasts, Crow with broken wings… it was a horrifying sight.

Outside the wall, he saw Shanti bound in golden chains. Shanti couldn’t use magic and twisted his body as he fought the knights.

“Why….”

Sibel stopped in his tracks as he saw that sight.

“What are you doing, Demon King! Hurry!”

“Demon King! You’ll get hurt if you keep that up!”

Sibel turned his head and saw the knights chasing him. Their eyes were filled with murderous intent, and all of them were focused only on him.

Their swords and spears flew toward Sibel. Ice golem, who had noticed that Sibel had stopped, ran forward and blocked the attack aimed at him.

“Ugh!”

He had paused for only a moment, and when he came back to himself, the ice golem’s body was already breaking apart. He saw the demons who tried to protect the Demon King’s castle and the holy knights who tried to take their lives, what was the purpose of this tired and predictable conflict?

“Those bastards!”

Ruru shouted and swung his tail. A huge gust of wind rose and hurled the knights away. Another scream came from somewhere, and the smell of blood spread through the air.

Why? Why did they want to kill demons with such blind hatred?

“Demon King!”

Ruru called out to Sibel in a hurry.

“What are you doing?! We need to follow the evacuation plan we set up!”

They had created an escape route in case the castle was invaded. If their lives ever came under threat, they would flee through the underground tunnels. But Sibel suddenly thought.

Would running away solve anything? After that, they would build a new home, be invaded again, run away again, lose more family again.

The tension that had been stretched tight in his head suddenly snapped.

Why should he run away? Why was he trying to tolerate these rude humans?

“Demon King!”

Ruru pulled Sibel’s arm, and Sibel quickly came to his senses. What was he thinking just now? Of course they had to run because they couldn’t win.

At that moment, he suddenly felt as if he possessed the power to overturn everything and crush them.

“I must be insane.”

But Sibel quickly collected his mind and looked around.

“Ice Golem! Come to me!”

The ice golem, with most of its upper body shattered, ran toward Sibel.

“Let’s escape. The enemy is too aggressive.”

Just as he tried to run again, he heard a loud impact.

“Ugh!”

A wave hit Sibel. Crack, snap, and the ice golem’s body shattered right in front of him.

“Golem!”

Sibel reached out his hand in shock, but at that moment, a golden chain coiled around his arm.

“Ugh.”

Strength left his bound arm as the shining chain tightened. It felt as though the energy inside his body had been sealed. He had read in a book that chains made of holy power could bind demons. This must have been what had bound Shanti’s magic as well.

He reached out to pull the chain, and electricity ran through him while a burning pain spread across his skin.

“Demon King!”

Ruru ran to him and touched the chain on Sibel’s arm.

“Ahh!”

He immediately drew his hand back in shock, and Sibel looked to see where the chain around his arm was connected.

“It’s been a while.”

An all-too-familiar face appeared before him.

That human…

It was the apostle he had seen in Corteirn.

“Is this what they call bad fate?”

Behind the apostle, holy knights held the other end of the chain.

Clank! Sibel pulled the chain, but it didn’t move at all. Because of this, it seemed like he couldn’t escape.

A shadow slowly fell over Sibel’s face. He glared at the apostle with a piercing look.

“We’ve met before, but I don’t think we even exchanged names.”

The apostle began to approach Sibel with confidence. The sword in his hand came into view. Blood stained its blade. Whose blood was it? Whoever it was, it had to belong to someone he had cherished and loved.

Sibel’s blue eyes gradually darkened.

“My name is Kael Bane. What is the name of the one who will soon die?”

At Kael’s words, Sibel lowered his head.

“Demon King?”

Ruru quietly called out to him.

“Tha… bas… who… asks… other people’s… names….”

Sibel muttered something under his breath, and Ruru tilted his head.

“Huh? What did you say?”

Then Sibel suddenly lifted his head, the veins in his neck bulging.

“…Why the hell is a filthy bastard like you asking for someone else’s name!”