Demon Legacy

Lyvessa frowned, studying Scarlett's face. "What's wrong? You've been quiet since they said that name."

Scarlett's voice was tight, distant. "The name they mentioned—Kiki—it was my father's name."

Lyvessa waved a hand dismissively. "Kiki is a common enough name. There must be someone else with the same one."

Scarlett's jaw clenched. "You're probably right," she muttered, but doubt flickered in her eyes.

Lyvessa shifted her attention to Li. "How did you end up in that time lock anyway?"

Li hesitated, glancing at her mother, Lie, before responding. "The God of Time himself sealed us. He said my father, Kiki, committed a forbidden time spell, and we were locked away as part of his punishment."

Lie's voice was steadier. "We need to find Kiki. We need to understand what he did."

Scarlett's laugh was cold. "Even if he survived that, he'd be long dead by now."

Lie's lips curved into a small, knowing smile. "No. Kiki cannot die."

Scarlett's eyes narrowed. "And why is that?"

Li chimed in, her voice quieter but firm. "Our father is… a servant of time. No… a protector of it. Time itself refuses to let him die."

Lyvessa folded her arms, skeptical. "Do you have any proof of this? Something that can help us track him?"

Li nodded. "The God of Time freed us after countless years to deliver a message: my father destroyed half of the Time Base. Afterward, he fell into Hell."

Lyvessa couldn't help but laugh, though it was bitter and short-lived. "Do you expect us to believe a story like that?"

"They're not lying," Scarlett interrupted, her tone flat but resolute.

Lyvessa turned sharply to her. "And how would you know?"

Scarlett hesitated, then spoke softly. "My mother told me once. A being fell from the sky into Hell, years ago. I always thought it was just a story."

Li's eyes widened. "Then he's still there! He's alive!"

Scarlett looked away. "Maybe."

Lie stepped closer, her presence commanding. "If he's in Hell, what are we doing here? We need to go."

Scarlett shook her head. "We don't know the way."

"And it's called the Demon Realm," Lyvessa corrected.

Lie scoffed. "Hell is a punishment. The Demon Realm is where demons live."

Scarlett's eyes darkened. "It's Hell. My home is Hell."

At Soyen, the Planet of Pride

The Demon Queen's ship landed amidst a barren, windswept plain under a blood-red sky. Her soldiers stood behind her, but she waved them off. "This is my fight," she said, her voice cold as steel. The soldiers nodded, retreating to the ship's perimeter.

Ahead of her stood Tiji, the proud and battle-hardened king of Soyen. His golden armor gleamed in the dim light, and his glowing spear hummed with deadly energy.

"I know you're here, Tiji!" the Demon Queen called out, her voice cutting through the wind. "Come out and face me!"

Tiji's deep laughter echoed as he stepped forward, flanked by his royal guard. "Demon Queen," he sneered, "what brings you to my planet? Have you come to beg for mercy?"

Her lips curled into a smirk. "I'm here to end this war. Let's settle this—just the two of us. The winner claims the other's kingdom."

Tiji raised an eyebrow, then let out a roar of laughter. "You think a demon can defeat me? Very well, I'll humor you."

Without warning, Tiji thrust his spear forward, unleashing a blinding blast of energy. The Demon Queen leaped aside with inhuman agility, the ground where she had stood exploding into a fiery crater.

"You'll have to do better than that," she taunted, her voice calm.

Tiji grinned, spinning his spear as he charged at her with blinding speed. The Demon Queen countered, summoning a blade of black fire in her hand. Their weapons clashed, sending shockwaves across the battlefield.

"You're strong," Tiji admitted, his tone begrudging. "But you're still just a demon."

She smirked, twisting to avoid another strike. "And you're just a man who doesn't know when he's lost."

Tiji roared, driving his spear downward. The Demon Queen sidestepped and retaliated with a wave of her black flames. The inferno surged toward Tiji, but he slammed his spear into the ground, creating a shield of energy that dispersed the fire.

"Impressive," she said, her eyes narrowing. "But let's see how you handle this."

She raised her hand, and the air grew heavy as red lightning crackled around her. With a sudden motion, she unleashed a barrage of crimson bolts that rained down on Tiji. He grunted as he deflected most of them, but one struck his shoulder, leaving a smoldering burn.

Tiji's expression darkened. "Enough of this!" He slammed his spear into the ground, sending a massive shockwave that knocked the Demon Queen off her feet. Seizing the opportunity, he lunged at her, his spear aimed directly at her chest.

But she was faster. Rolling to the side, she swept his legs out from under him with a swift kick. As he fell, she planted her foot on his chest, her black fire blade hovering inches from his throat.

"It's over, Tiji," she said coldly. "Yield."

Tiji glared up at her, his pride wounded. "You… you fight like no other demon I've faced."

"That's because I'm not just any demon," she replied.

But then her smirk turned into a grim line, and her voice became sharp. "I know you, Tiji. You'll never stop attacking until you win. Your pride won't let you. So, say goodbye to your planet."

She raised her hand, summoning an enormous sphere of roaring black and red flames. The intensity of the fire painted the sky with its ominous glow. "This is my Queen Flame," she said, her voice filled with finality.

"No! You can't—" Tiji's voice was drowned out as she hurled the flames downwards. The Queen Flame exploded on impact, consuming the planet in an apocalyptic inferno. The ground crumbled, the air burned, and Soyen was obliterated in moments.

Before the destruction was complete, the Demon Queen grabbed Tiji's limp form and carried him back to her ship. As they ascended into orbit, she stared out the window at the burning ruins of the once-proud planet.

She turned to Tiji, now a prisoner in her grasp. "Let this be a lesson. Challenge me again, and next time, I'll destroy more than just your pride."