The Demon King’s Castle

Arkaz sits on his throne with an apathetic look on his face as he watches the screen in front of him showing the events going on at the headquarters of the human’s military. As the Knights and Satan clash, creating absolute chaos all around them. Black and red fire torching anything in the dome, water rushing to put out the fire and only managing to put out parts of it, white light erasing everything it touches, shadows swallowing whatever they envelop whole, and purple light combatting with Arkaz’s own blood red Demon Light. A skill he had created in order to empower his demon forces, imbuing it into the moon itself through a ritual skill.

But no matter how much destruction Arkaz watches, he can’t bring himself to care about it at all. Not even when he sees Satan beginning to slowly push back the Knights even with the human’s monster on their side helping.

Meanwhile various Noble demons, all of the duke or duchess rank, kneel around the throne room, not a single one of them willing to move an inch out of fear of the Demon King taking it as a slight and killing them in an instant with a wave of his hand. Because it wouldn’t be the first time he’s done that in the past year since his granddaughter had entered her coma, and it wouldn’t be the last.

Silence fills the throne room with the only sound being that of the battle from the screen, but none of the Nobles in the room dare even lift their heads to watch it. And Arkaz just ignores them entirely as he apathetically watches the current pseudo leader of the demon forces on Earth fight with the Knights.

At this rate he may very well beat them.

Arkaz isn’t sure how he feels about that. Because it would make things way too easy on him with his granddaughter still being in her coma and unable to help the humans. And that alone burns at his pride.

Time passes and the battle continues, occasionally shifting direction with the Knights pushing back at Satan. But with the power of the Demon Light shining down from the Demon Moon backing him, Satan always pulls it back around on them. Meanwhile Amelia’s strongest skill can’t touch him due to the astronomical mana price it would cost for her to erase him from existence.

But she does manage to erase a concept from existence in some locations within the dome. Something that Arkaz notices Satan having missed entirely before the man ends up falling into a location where gravity doesn’t exist, giving Blue and Red the chance to attack him, distracting him from a blow from Black.

Satan always manages to recover whenever one of these traps is pulled though, entirely thanks to the Demon Light.

Arkaz turns his gaze onto his granddaughter, briefly noting that the Demon Light is strengthening her as well. Probably because she has far more demon genes now than human genes.

And right when he’s about to turn back to watch the battle again, he notices her shifting slightly, making him continue watching her with his brows furrowed.

The Demon Light… is it affecting her progress on restoring herself?

Arkaz watches his granddaughter as she occasionally shifts around uncomfortably for a bit before returning his gaze to the screen and deciding that the Knights and Satan aren’t going to be finishing with their battle any time soon. So he waves his hand, making the screen shift to show the other human bases and frontline warzones all across the continent, where demons are pushing through the human forces with relative ease, only slowed down by the destruction magic used by the monster.

It looks like the war might just end while she’s unconscious after all…

The Demon King feels regret at that thought. But he also knows that this is a good thing in the end, even if his pride is burning at him for it. Even if he knows his granddaughter would be pissed off at him for it.

Out of nowhere though, a bright golden-white light starts shining from various places all over the warzones across the continent. And Arkaz immediately recognizes those lights as being creation magic.

The monster’s at it again?

The creation magic soon solidifies into clockwork soldiers, each being at least Class I in strength, many being Class II. And they number in the billions, sending a flood of them straight at the demons all over the world.

He really knows how to make a mess of things, but I can’t see him interfering anymore after this. It’s just not that bastard’s style.

Arkaz barely knows the man known as Isaac Knight. The only instance he had met him was when Isaac entered Tartarus on a research trip during the very first Fracture to appear between the two planets. And at that point, Arkaz was too busy trying to figure out what was going on to pay much attention to the strange anomaly who he couldn’t even tell if was human or not thanks to his magic.

Eclipse magic is frightening… even if he’s still only nearing Class IV in power.

The Demon King continues watching the battles across Earth for some time before turning his attention to Tartarus again when a duke shakingly raises his head, making Arkaz immediately ask, “What is it?”

All of the other dukes and duchesses tense at his words, feeling a shiver of fear rush down their spines. A fear so instinctive that if they weren’t all at least a thousand years old, then they would’ve run in an instant.

“Y-Your Majesty, I have just received news from Damien,” the duke declares. “The undead are now marching across the ice and he wishes to know if he has permission to-”

“He does not,” Arkaz declares, not even letting the duke finish. “Tell the duke that he is to remain standing guard over the Gate.”

The duke who gave the report shivers in fright from Arkaz’s words, but Arkaz returns his attention to the screen again, uncaring of the man’s plight as the duke says, “Y-yes Your Majesty. Your will be done.”

Before Arkaz can focus on the battle between Satan and the Knights again though, he notices another strange movement coming from Scarlet.

Did her lips just… quirk upwards ever so slightly?

Arkaz keeps his attention locked on her, but after several minutes decides he must’ve been imagining it and turns his attention back to the screen.

I hope she wakes up soon.