The cavern was silent.
Not the peaceful kind—this silence carried weight. Expectation.
I stood there, claws clenched, golden eyes fixed on the demon still kneeling before me. My body thrummed with power I didn't understand, like something ancient stirring beneath my skin.
"…Stand up," I said.
The demon rose immediately.
Up close, he was terrifying. Towering, broad-shouldered, obsidian wings folded behind his back. His horns twisted upward like blackened crowns, and his red eyes burned with sharp intelligence rather than madness.
"My name is Dix," he said, placing a fist over his chest. "I am your most loyal servant."
Servant.
The word made my chest tighten.
"I'm not—" I stopped myself.
If this world truly saw me as a demon lord, denying it now would only invite chaos.
"…Why do you call me lord?" I asked instead.
Dix's eyes widened—just slightly.
"Have you truly forgotten?" he asked carefully. "Your awakening must have disturbed your memories."
He gestured to the air.
Power responded.
A black-and-crimson screen unfolded before my eyes, far more ominous than anything I'd imagined while reading novels.
[True Name: Deus Dahak]
Race: High Demon (King-Class)
Authority: Demon Sovereignty
Core Attribute: Abyssal Dominion
Innate Powers:
Demonic Pressure – Overwhelm weaker beings by presence alone
Abyssal Regeneration – Rapid recovery fueled by darkness
Sin Devourer – Absorb fear, hatred, despairto grow stronger
Void Flame – Black fire that consumes both body and soul
My breath caught.
"Deus… Dahak?"
The name felt heavy. Ancient. Like it had existed long before I ever did.
Dix lowered his head. "The name that shook the Demon Nation. The heir chosen by the previous Demon King himself."
My legs almost gave out.
So it wasn't a misunderstanding.
I wasn't just a demon.
I was that demon.
"I don't remember any of this," I admitted quietly.
Dix didn't look disappointed. He looked relieved.
"Then perhaps," he said, "this rebirth is a blessing."
I frowned. "How so?"
He met my gaze, unflinching. "The old Demon Kings ruled through slaughter alone. Fear kept the nation alive—but stagnant. You, my lord… feel different."
I didn't know if that was a compliment or a warning.
"Tell me about this world," I said. "About the Demon Nation."
Dix nodded and began to walk. The cavern walls shifted as we moved, opening into a vast underground city.
I froze.
Countless structures carved from black stone stretched into the distance. Towers adorned with crimson banners. Rivers of molten energy flowing through carved channels. Demons of all kinds filled the streets—winged, horned, armored, monstrous.
A nation.
Alive.
"This is the Demon Nation of Noxvar," Dix said. "One of the three great powers of this world."
"Three?" I asked.
"The Human Alliance," he replied. "The Beast Dominion. And us."
My jaw tightened at the mention of humans.
"So heroes come from the Human Alliance," I said.
"Yes," Dix answered calmly. "And they exist for one purpose."
"To kill demon kings."
Silence fell between us.
I looked down at my clawed hands, faint black flames flickering around them as my emotions stirred.
"I used to admire heroes," I said softly. "I wanted to be one."
Dix stopped walking.
Then, slowly, he turned and knelt again.
"Then become something greater," he said. "A ruler who does not exist in their stories."
I stared at him.
At the loyalty in his eyes.
At the nation unknowingly placing its fate in my hands.
A blue screen flickered again—but this time, darker, deeper.
[Demon Sovereignty Activated]
New Authority Unlocked: Ruler's Insight
Effect: Sense the loyalty, fear, and intent of demons under your command
Suddenly, I felt them.
Millions of faint presences across the city. Fear. Hope. Desperation.
They weren't monsters.
They were people—just born on the wrong side of the story.
I clenched my fist.
"My name is Deus Dahak," I said, my voice echoing with unnatural authority. "And I won't let this nation be destroyed for someone else's idea of justice."
Dix smiled—for the first time.
"Then I will stand by you until the end, my lord."
Far above, in a world that called itself righteous, a hero sharpened his blade.
And in the depths of darkness, a demon decided to rewrite fate.