Chapter 12: Third time’s the Charm

  Kane stood there, astonished. Only two days ago, the Demon King hadn’t even been able to scratch it, and now it crumbled with ease. Lucifer, satisfied, turned and walked back into the castle.

  Instead of opening a portal directly to the throne room, he used the pyramid’s teleportation circle. The doors opened, and he entered, Kane following closely behind. Once seated on his throne, Lucifer instructed Kane to ensure that all the Demon Lords were fully prepared for the upcoming attack on the humans. Kane bowed and left immediately to carry out the orders.

  With the throne room now silent, Lucifer decided to take a short nap. When he woke, Kane was already standing beside him. Kane informed him that the preparations of all the Demon Lords were complete, and they were simply waiting for the day of the attack. He also reminded Lucifer that Astarte and Ammit would be returning today.

  “Hmmm,” Lucifer murmured. He then told Kane that he would be returning to his recovery session with Lokie. With that, he called out to Lokie and was sucked into the throne, leaving Kane standing beside an empty throne. Of course, Kane was used to such moments, having spent many years guarding the throne alone, excluding the other inhabitants of the castle.

  Time passed. Astarte and Ammit were welcomed back by Kane, who informed them that Lucifer was still occupied and that they could wait for him. The two Demon Lords left the throne room but remained within the castle. Hours slipped by, and Lucifer had yet to emerge. Seeing this, Kane decided to prepare a feast for when the Demon King finally left his throne.

  At last, Lucifer emerged. Kane informed him that Astarte and Ammit had arrived and that the feast was ready. Lucifer rose and walked toward the dining hall, Kane at his side. As they neared it, Lucifer’s senses were greeted by the intoxicating aromas of the various dishes waiting for him.

  As he entered the dining hall, Lucifer saw that Astarte and Ammit were already seated, waiting for him. They greeted him warmly, and he returned their salutations before his gaze fell upon the table, which was laden with dishes he had never seen before—meats of every variety and exotic delicacies that made his senses tingle.

  Lucifer sat down, followed by Astarte and Ammit, and they all began to eat. The enjoyment was obvious—Astarte and Ammit made soft sounds of pleasure with each bite, and Lucifer ate steadily, faster than usual but still measured.

  Halfway through the feast, a sudden dizziness overcame Lucifer. He placed his hand on his forehead, elbow resting on the table. Kane immediately noticed something was wrong and reached out to help—but an intense heat barrier flared up around Lucifer, repelling him.

  Astarte and Ammit also sensed the danger. Lucifer’s gaze shot upward to the ceiling, and a brilliant red light erupted from his eyes, as though he were burning from within. The light grew brighter and more intense by the second. Kane’s eyes widened—Lucifer was on the verge of exploding. Reacting instantly, Kane erected a powerful barrier around him, containing the raging energy.

  As Kane had feared, Lucifer erupted in a blazing storm of red energy. The intensity was overwhelming—Kane’s barrier strained under the pressure, cracks spider webbing across its surface. Sensing the danger, Astarte layered her own barrier on top of Kane’s, reinforcing it, and Ammit added a third, acting as a final precaution.

  Despite their combined efforts, Kane’s barrier finally shattered, followed moments later by Astarte’s. Ammit’s barrier groaned under the strain, fissures appearing as the energy continued to surge—but just when it seemed inevitable that her barrier would collapse as well, the energy began to shrink. The fiery red aura contracted, burning less fiercely, until it eventually settled into a calmer, contained state.

  Even though the energy was weakening, Ammit kept her barrier up—and fortunately, she did. In an instant, Lucifer’s power surged again, erupting even stronger than before. Ammit’s barrier held… for a few heart-stopping seconds, before shattering under the overwhelming force. The explosion sent Astarte, Ammit, and Kane hurtling into the walls of the dining hall, flames roaring around them.

  At the centre of the inferno lay Lucifer, arms stretched wide, his clothes completely burned away. The heat and power radiating from him were unbearable. Kane groaned as he struggled to stand, still dizzy from the blast, but when he saw Lucifer kneeling amid the destruction, all other concerns vanished. He rushed to him, helping him sit upright.

  Lucifer groaned at first but quickly laughed, the sound echoing above the crackling flames. “Better than ever,” he said, a hint of exhilaration in his voice. “Every last bit of energy… fully restored. One hundred percent.”

  It was only then that Lucifer noticed the dining hall engulfed in flames—and, more embarrassingly, that he was completely without clothes.

  Lucifer realized that the sheer force of his energy surge must have caused his clothes to disintegrate and set the dining hall ablaze. With Kane’s help, he rose to his feet and took in the destruction around him. At the far end of the hall, Astarte and Ammit lay sprawled on the ground.

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  In a single step, Lucifer was beside them. He bent down, checking on them carefully. They were unconscious, seemingly knocked out by the sheer force of the explosion. He tried shaking them awake, but neither stirred. Sparks crackled along his fingers, and soon pure white lightning began to dance around his right hand.

  Just as he was about to jolt them awake, his eyes fell upon their serene, innocent faces. They looked so peaceful, so untouched by the chaos that surrounded them, that he hesitated. The electrocution never came.

  “Kane,” he said quietly, “I need your help.”

  Together, they gently lifted Astarte and Ammit, carrying them to the one place he was certain would be safest—and most comfortable—for them to wake up: his bedroom.

  After dropping off Astarte and Ammit in his room, Lucifer decided to get some fresh air. He teleported down to the first floor and exited the pyramid, Kane following closely behind. As they walked across the bridge, Lucifer suddenly stopped, vanished, and then appeared as if he were taking a leap of faith off the edge.

  He plummeted for what felt like an eternity before sprouting his wings. Just a few meters above the water’s surface, he halted abruptly, causing ripples to spread across the still water below.

  Looking up, he couldn’t see the bridge—it was swallowed by darkness. Not even his Demonic eyes could pierce the gloom. He guessed that he must be too far beneath it, and with the water stretching endlessly below, he suspected the bottom was far deeper than he had imagined. Still, he wasn’t about to get wet, especially in his freshly donned clothes.

  Bright yellow eyes suddenly flicked open behind him, fixing their gaze on him.

  “Well, it’s good to see you’re awake, Aurora,” said Lucifer.

  “I was asleep until you startled me with your sudden arrival,” she replied, her voice tinged with amusement.

  “Well, you can go back to sleep. I was just trying to figure out the source of the fog below the bridge. Seems like it’s caused by the water here,” Lucifer explained, his eyes scanning the rippling surface.

  “Well, since you’re done, I’ll be going back to sleep,” said Aurora as she closed her eyes and disappeared into the fog.

  “Hmmm, interesting… she can blend into the darkness like that,” thought Lucifer to himself as he flew back up to the bridge.

  Once he returned, he found Kane still waiting for him. He landed beside him, and they continued on their way, exiting the castle. Lucifer settled on the steps just below the front door and decided to relax there for a while.

  “You seem to have something on your mind, my lord,” said Kane.

  “No, I’ve got nothing on my mind. It’s just… nice to relax like this. After all, I won’t be relaxing for a while after tomorrow, so I might as well enjoy it while it lasts,” responded Lucifer, gazing at the horizon.

  “I guess you’re right about that, my lord,” said Kane, also looking out at the distant horizon.

  Three hours passed, and both of them continued to quietly watch the scenery. Lucifer inhaled deeply, then exhaled, before stretching. He felt a bit stiff after sitting so long.

  “I believe that’s enough of that. What do you think, Kane?” asked Lucifer, placing his hands on his hips and slightly turning toward him.

  “I agree, my lord. Though the peace was a nice experience… while it lasted,” Kane replied.

  “Yes, it was,” said Lucifer with a small smile.

  “My lord… your eyes… your eyes are different,” Kane said, his voice carrying a hint of concern.

  “What do you mean by different?” asked Lucifer.

  “There’s a silver circle surrounding your pupil,” replied Kane.

  “That’s interesting… it must be because of the Overlord power I now possess. Well, anyway, let’s head back,” responded Lucifer.

  The castle doors opened, and Lucifer and Kane stepped inside. They used the pyramid to teleport back to the throne room, but instead of entering it, Lucifer went straight to his bedroom.

  As the doors opened, he found Astarte and Ammit waiting for him. Lucifer was a bit surprised to see them already awake. They licked their lips, grabbed his arms, and pulled him into the room, the door closing firmly behind them.

  Hopefully he’ll get enough sleep, my lord… though I doubt it with those two around, thought Kane to himself as he walked away.

  The doors to Lucifer’s room opened, and out stepped Lucifer, dressed in black leather-like shoes, black slim-fit jeans, and a black Assassin’s Creed-style jacket without a hood.

  Behind him followed Demon Lords Astarte and Ammit. They wore black and red succubi attire, complementing Lucifer’s all-black outfit as if deliberately matching him.

  As for where Astarte and Ammit had gotten their clothes, they had brought them along when they returned to the Demon King’s castle.

  They made their way toward the throne room. As Lucifer approached the doors, they opened at once. Kane stood beside the entrance, bowing his head as he welcomed the Demon King.

  Lucifer walked forward and took his seat upon the throne, while Astarte and Ammit moved to their respective seats. Kane greeted Demon Lords Astarte and Ammit before turning his full attention back to Lucifer. He stepped forward and stood before him, waiting silently for his command.

  Lucifer ordered Kane to fetch Demon Lords Mephistopheles and Apollyon. After acknowledging the command with a bow, Kane turned and exited the throne room.

  Meanwhile, Astarte and Ammit were engaged in a quiet conversation, seemingly amused by whatever they were discussing. Lucifer eventually interrupted them.

  “And what exactly are you two talking about?” he asked, noting how much they seemed to be enjoying themselves.

  Ammit told him they had been talking about his eyes. Astarte continued, explaining that the white ring around his pupil made him look extremely intimidating.

  Lucifer raised a brow. “Are you saying you’re intimidated by my eyes?”

  They shook their heads. Ammit smiled and replied that, to them, his current eyes actually looked… cute. Astarte added that such eyes were truly befitting of a Demon King.

  Lucifer was stunned for a moment before laughing. “So what you’re saying is that my previous eyes were unbefitting of a Demon King?” he asked jokingly.

  They quickly denied it, and soon the three of them were laughing together.

  Moments later, the throne room doors opened. Kane stepped inside and announced the arrival of Demon Lords Mephistopheles and Apollyon. The two entered and stood before Lucifer, while Kane returned to his place beside the throne.

  Mephistopheles and Apollyon bowed their heads. “Greetings, My King.”

  Lucifer welcomed them and instructed them to take their seats. As they raised their heads, both noticed the change in Lucifer’s eyes. However, they said nothing and silently moved to sit in their respective seats.

  Lucifer noticed that they had clearly observed his eyes. Once Mephistopheles and Apollyon were seated, he asked why neither of them had commented on the change.