'Still, nine mana stars.' I examined the array closer. 'No, is it high Immortal-rank?' The realization gave me pause. Even by modern standards, this man's raw mana reserves were remarkable. But power alone wasn't enough. He was like a mountain: imposing, yes, but ultimately static. Predictable. Vulnerable.
The air thickened as his spell array flared to life, symbols spinning in chaotic, mismatched patterns. I sighed. "Your strength is impressive. In its way."
His crown pulsed, amplifying his spell. "You dare mock me?"
I raised Eclipse Blade, its dark edge crackling with the combined force of eleven elements. "Not mockery. Pity."
The Demon King's laughter echoed through the throne room, reverberating off jagged walls that seemed to trap the sound like a sinister symphony. His black crown glimmered ominously, the nine mana stars orbiting him pulsing with raw power.
"You cannot win, boy," he sneered, his voice carrying a cruel certainty. "You'll kneel before me soon enough."
I tightened my grip on Eclipse Blade, its dark edge humming with latent energy as the sigils of Lucent Harmony burned bright on my skin. The air between us crackled with tension, and I took a steadying breath. This wasn't going to be easy.
The Demon King moved first. His halberd, coated in astral energy, tore through the air in a vicious arc aimed directly at my neck. I sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the strike, and countered with a swift slash of my own. The blade connected, slicing through his armor and leaving a burning wound across his chest.
He barely flinched. The wound sealed itself almost immediately, his flesh knitting together as if my attack had been nothing more than an inconvenience. "You'll have to do better than that," he mocked, his lips curling into a grin as he swung his halberd again, forcing me to leap back.
I landed lightly, summoning a seven-circle wind spell in my left hand. The gale roared as I hurled it at him, the sheer force of it shaking the foundations of the throne room. The Demon King raised a barrier of dark mana, shattering my spell with a single dismissive gesture. Before I could react, he retaliated with a barrage of tendrils that snaked toward me, their tips crackling with destructive energy.
I slashed through the first wave, but one of the tendrils slipped past my guard and struck my shoulder, sending me crashing into a nearby pillar. Pain flared as I hit the ground, but I forced myself to roll to my feet. "Not bad," I muttered, wiping blood from the corner of my mouth. "But not enough."
The Demon King roared, his aura flaring as his halberd slammed into the floor, unleashing a shockwave that rippled outward. The stone beneath me cracked and splintered as I leaped above the blast, channeling mana into Eclipse Blade. The air around the weapon shimmered as I activated the first movement of the Violet Divine Mist Art—Violet Sunset Genesis.
A swirling mist of violet light enveloped the room, disorienting the Demon King as it obscured his vision. I moved through the haze like a ghost, striking at his flanks with precision. Each cut left a searing mark on his armor and flesh, but his regeneration kept him on his feet. Still, I could see the frustration growing in his eyes.
"You think this trickery will save you?" he bellowed, unleashing a pulse of energy that dissipated the mist in an instant. He charged at me, his halberd whistling through the air with deadly intent. I dodged, countering with a burst of violet orbs that swirled around me like a celestial dance—the second movement, Fan of the Scattering Pearls.
The orbs launched toward him in rapid succession, exploding on impact and forcing him to stumble back. For the first time, his stars flickered, their once-brilliant light dimming under the onslaught. But he was far from finished. With a guttural roar, he summoned a torrent of dark mana that twisted and coiled around him like a living beast.
The energy surged forward, threatening to consume me whole. I raised Eclipse Blade, channeling everything into its edge as I activated the final movement—Crimson Sunset. The violet mist turned crimson, the temperature in the room spiking as the energy condensed into a blinding wave. It met the Demon King's attack head-on, the two forces colliding in an explosion that shook the very air.
When the dust cleared, he was still standing, though his armor was cracked, and his breathing ragged. I charged, closing the distance between us in an instant. Our weapons clashed, the sound reverberating like thunder. His strength was monstrous, each blow threatening to break my guard, but I refused to yield.
I feinted left, then spun, slashing upward with all my might. The blade tore through his halberd, shattering it into fragments before burying itself in his chest. He screamed as dark energy erupted from the wound, but even as his body disintegrated, his stars flared to life, pulling him back together.
Again and again, I struck him down, only for him to reform. Each time his regeneration slowed, his stars dimming further, but my own strength was waning. Sweat dripped from my brow, my breaths ragged as I faced him once more.
"You are persistent," he rasped, his voice laced with grudging respect.
"So are you," I retorted, summoning the last of my energy into Eclipse Blade. The sigils burned brighter, and the air around the weapon distorted as I prepared my final strike. "But this ends now."
Tendrils of mana surged from me, binding the so-called Demon King in place. He writhed against the ethereal chains, but it was futile. For all his power, I had the upper hand now.
"Let's talk," I said, stepping closer. "Where are we? And don't waste my time with 'the domain of the Demon King.' Give me something real."
His crimson eyes blazed with fury, but a flicker of hesitation betrayed him. He snarled, his voice dripping with venom. "You dare to demand answers from me? From Veylor, the Demon King?"
I tilted my head, unimpressed. "Yes, I dare. Now answer me."
He growled, his pride clashing with the reality of his situation. "You're in the Arcanis Dominion," he spat, the words heavy with disdain. "Though you wouldn't know it by looking at this wretched ruin."
My eyes narrowed as the name clicked into place. The Arcanis Dominion. It made perfect sense. We had referred to this time as the "Empire of Void" because all knowledge of it had been wiped from history, but the Demon King's words aligned too perfectly to dismiss. This was it—the legendary empire whose name had been buried.
I glanced back at Ian and Jin, both of whom had drawn the same conclusion. Their eyes mirrored my thoughts: We're in the Empire of Void.
"And what's your place in this dominion?" I asked, though I already suspected the answer.
"My place?" He laughed, a sound so bitter it could curdle milk. "I am no servant of the dominion. I am its scourge. Its end. Its so-called High Sovereign cowers behind his walls, praying his armies can hold me back."
I frowned, my grip tightening on Eclipse Blade. "So, you're at war with the dominion?"
"War?" His lips twisted into a cruel smile. "Not for much longer. My forces march on their capital as we speak. Thousands of my finest soldiers, beasts of destruction, and dread magi—they will tear through the dominion's defenses like parchment. And when I am done, the High Sovereign's head will rest at my feet."
"And you're here, alone, in this castle?" Ian's voice was laced with skepticism. "Doesn't sound like a great strategy."
Veylor's eyes burned with indignation. "You think me a fool? I am no common warrior. My presence here is a trap for their champions, a lure to draw away their most powerful defenders. And when they come, I will break them."
I smirked, shaking my head. "So, while your forces are out there fighting your war, you're hiding here, hoping to mop up any survivors? Bold plan."
"You mock what you cannot comprehend," he hissed, his chains rattling as he struggled against them. "My strategy will crush them. And now, fools like you wander into my domain, thinking you can challenge me? I—"
"You've already lost," I cut him off, my voice cold. "Your forces are gone. Your castle is defenseless. And now, you're bound at my feet, boasting about a victory that'll never come."
His crimson eyes flared with rage, but the truth in my words seemed to hit him like a blow. For all his bravado, Veylor had overreached. He had sent his army away, leaving himself vulnerable—and I wasn't about to let that slip by.
"Let me make this clear," I said, stepping closer until Eclipse Blade hovered inches from his throat. "You're not the predator here, Veylor. You're the prey."
His sneer faltered, replaced by a flicker of doubt. For all his power, he was alone. And in this moment, he realized it.
Ian stepped forward, his spear resting casually against his shoulder. "So, what's the plan? Do we end him here?"
"Not yet," I replied, my gaze locked on Veylor. "First, he's going to tell us everything we need to know about this place."
The Demon King snarled, but the fear in his eyes betrayed him. He was cornered, his kingdom crumbling around him. And for the first time, Veylor, the so-called Demon King, was truly powerless.