The Modern Founding Chronicles of the Returned Demon King

Episode 55: The Demon King of Pride (6)

Black smoke rising and shattered buildings.

The streets of London were overrun with demons, and the British hunters were struggling.

“These guys are much stronger than the demons from the gates…!”

They were barely managing to evacuate civilians, while crimson demons continued to pour out endlessly.

The situation was clearly disadvantageous for humans, both in numbers and quality. The weak humans were simply being swept away by the demons that came crashing like waves.

“Is backup still far away?”

“The request for support just went out, so it’ll be late! We can’t even hope for support from other countries!”

“Damn it, what about the Royal Guard?”

“Forgot? They were all killed by that bitch Iris!”

The hunter who heard those words bit his lip as he blocked a demon’s attack.

Grrrroooowl──!

The ground shook from the ferocious sound waves. The hunter slashed the demon he was facing with his sword and rolled his eyes.

An enormous demon tearing through buildings. Its overwhelming presence, like a moving mountain, brought a chilling fear.

“Damn… Where did that one come from…?”

“Don’t worry about it! Leave that to the hunters stronger than us and focus on what’s in front of us!”

But right now, the immediate situation took priority. Demons in the shape of dogs and goblins were charging towards them.

Just as the hunters gripped their weapons with sweat-drenched hands,

“Everyone, stand back!”

With a thunderous shout, a man fell from the sky.

The man, descending at high speed, slammed a hammer as big as his body onto the road.

Kwaaaaang!

The power unleashed from the hammer shattered the street. The demons fell helplessly to the force surging up from the ground.

The hunters’ faces lit up as they saw the man with his colorful muscles.

“John!”

John Ayden. An SS-rank hunter and 17th in the world rankings. His presence brought a strange sense of reassurance.

John rested the massive hammer on his shoulder and spoke.

“The Thunder Guild will take care of this area. You guys help with civilian evacuation.”

“Ah, got it!”

The hunters easily agreed and left their positions. This alone showed their trust in the Thunder Guild.

One of the guild members asked John,

“Boss, what should we do about that giant demon?”

“Well… We’ll have to give it a good pounding.”

Despite the distance, John’s Adam’s apple bobbed at the overwhelming size.

“Is Cordelia Maimi coming here?”

“That woman is useless on land, so she won’t come. And to think she’s the Pisces of the 12 Zodiac, it’s not even funny. Well, let her stuff herself with eel jelly in the sea.”

John snorted derisively and looked at the demons approaching like a tidal wave.

“Anyway, we focus here. If we survive this, we might be able to claim one of the vacant seats in the 12 Zodiac. That Gemini woman has also disappeared somewhere like Virgo.”

Currently, four constellations were vacant in the 12 Zodiac: Leo, Gemini, Capricorn, and Virgo.

So, if he achieved merit in this unprecedented situation, it was only natural that he would claim one of those vacant seats.

Just as he took a deep breath and was about to charge in, a husky voice was heard.

“What an interesting little bug.”

An ominous presence that pierced through the crown of his head. John looked up with a stiff face.

He instinctively swung his hammer at a figure plummeting from the sky.

Kwaaaang──!

As he struggled to withstand the overwhelming force pressing down on his hammer, he observed the being that had thrown the punch.

Hair burned white. A face even paler than that. And crimson eyes glowing fiercely.

“Tsk, he’s certainly weakened. That Solomon’s Demon King…”

The man’s eyebrows wriggled strangely like snakes.

Unlike the muttering man, John had no time to speak.

“Uaaaaah!!!”

It was all he could do to withstand the force that felt like it was tearing his hands apart.

John swung his hammer while releasing his aura, and the man’s fist crushed through the hammer as it drove in.

Fortunately, he blocked the attack, but the shattered hammer left only the handle.

Quickly retreating, John stared at his trembling hands.

‘My hammer, in just one hit….’

The sturdy hammer that had been with him throughout his hunter career was destroyed in a single blow.

John swallowed hard as he observed the man who had suddenly appeared.

Black wings extending from his shoulders. Black silk wrapping his body.

The moment he felt that sublime presence, he couldn’t help but recognize him.

‘…The Demon King of Pride, Lucifer.’

And as he saw Lucifer’s contemptuous gaze, he realized.

That the attack just now was merely a light test, with no real intention behind it.

‘There’s absolutely no way to win.’

Having made this judgment, John spoke with difficulty.

“Everyone, run away.”

“…What? Then what about you, Boss?”

“I’ll run too. That’s not something we can stop even if we try.”

It was an undeniable fact. So, they had no choice but to flee in all directions to increase their chances of survival. The difference was that overwhelming.

“How amusing.”

Lucifer’s two wings spread wide. It was somewhat elegant, but instead of admiration, it only brought a sense of terror.

“It’s arrogant to think you can escape from me.”

Sssssss──

Countless black feathers pouring from his wings swarmed the sky like bees.

But the power they carried was incomparable to mere bees.

Pipipipipit──!

The black feathers whirled around as if they had a will of their own. The guild members began to be slaughtered by the numerous black lines crossing their vision.

“Kyaaaaargh!!”

They fled from the approaching death, but were merely soaked in blood by the black feathers pouring down like rain.

Amidst the rapidly accumulating pools of blood, only John remained standing unscathed.

“Do you understand now?”

Looking at him, Lucifer wore a grim smile.

“How insignificant your existence is.”

John’s actions froze as if bound by his whisper.

Step, step─. Lucifer walked through the street rife with death. Suddenly, he stopped and turned his head.

“…Hmm.”

The sound of a child crying caught his ear.

Ignoring the frozen John, Lucifer spread his wings and flew towards the sound. In Lucifer’s view was a little girl crying amidst the collapsed debris.

Landing softly in front of her, Lucifer approached with ominous steps.

“Don’t cry.”

Lucifer’s pale hand rested on the child’s soft cheek.

As he gently wiped away her flowing tears, the child looked up at Lucifer with a sniffle.

“A being that can become anything because nothing has been imprinted on it. A being that can commit any act under the pretext of innocence. Indeed, you resemble them.”

Lucifer smiled palely.

“That’s why I want to kill you even more.”

Lucifer licked his lips with his long tongue as if to kill his murderous intent.

“However….”

Lucifer tore his gaze from the child’s innocent eyes and took in the cityscape.

“You’re lucky.”

There, a demon like a towering peak was destroying the city. Or more precisely, ‘had been destroying’.

The next moment, as a fierce aura surged from the demon, the crimson mountain vanished cleanly.

Thudududud──

Finely chopped body parts rained down with red blood. Someone had cut down that massive body in a single breath.

Far away, at the end of the darkness-shrouded street. A man could be seen charging through the rain of blood.

“It seems your king has arrived.”

There stood Solomon’s Demon King, gripping his sword.

===

**

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As soon as Lucifer entered my sight, I kicked off the ground.

“Get away.”

Swish!

I swung my sword towards Lucifer’s pale face. However, perhaps due to the long jumping distance, Lucifer avoided it easily.

Black feathers falling gently from the sky.

I followed them, keeping my eyes on Lucifer standing on the roof.

“Surely you’re not thinking of taking that child hostage?”

A little girl was cradled in Lucifer’s arms.

“I’m considering it.”

Lucifer caressed the child’s delicate skin. He had kindly used the Adoniya language, but he was the one who answered in Korean.

“Still, it won’t affect the outcome. I won’t prioritize that child’s life.”

If I could save her, I would, but it was the truth.

I had no intention of inviting defeat just to save one child with no connection to me.

“I suppose so.”

Lucifer spread his wings and descended to the ground.

As Lucifer set her down, the bewildered child looked back and forth between us. She seemed to be gauging which side to take.

Soon after, the child came running timidly towards me.

“……”

A silence so intense it was dizzying followed. My and Lucifer’s lofty gazes intertwined in the air.

The tension built up layer by layer as time passed. It was broken when one of Lucifer’s wings spread out.

Swoosh──!

Deadly feathers piercing through the air. They shot towards the back of the child’s small head.

However, my movement was faster than that.

Clang!

I embraced the child with one arm while deflecting the feathers with my sword.

Simultaneously, Lucifer approached me and swung his large crimson greatsword.

I jumped backward, avoiding it while holding the child.

Kwaaaang!!

The greatsword plunged into the ground, violently shaking the foundation.

As I landed, I looked down at the soft warmth I felt in my arms. A tiny child looking up at me, oblivious to everything. She was safe.

“…You’re strong.”

Amidst the scattering dust, Lucifer muttered.

I fixed my eyes on him.

“For someone bearing the title of Demon King, don’t you think that was a petty trick?”

“When you understand pride well, you also understand why you need to be that much more cautious. Besides, it seems the result wasn’t too bad.”

Lucifer replied nonchalantly as he retrieved his greatsword.

…Indeed, the atmosphere is different from when I faced Beelzebub. Even though his emotions are elevated, they’re well-controlled.

When Lucifer showed no further action, I kicked off the ground and approached a hunter nearby.

“Take this child and run away.”

I spoke to the man who had fallen to the ground. I wonder if he’ll understand my words, but he should get the gist of it.

Indeed, the man with trembling pupils took the child and disappeared into the distance.

Meanwhile, Lucifer landed leisurely near me.

“Come to think of it, how is Robert doing?”

At the sudden question, I furrowed my brow.

“How do you know Robert?”

“Well. I just know him because we were both angels.”

Angels… So Robert really was a fallen angel.

He never talked much about his past so I only guessed, but that bastard, I knew it.

He must have been banished from heaven for some mischief.

…Then a question occurred to me, and I asked Lucifer.

“So, does heaven really exist?”

“I’d like to tell you, but I can’t.”

“…Is there some kind of restriction?”

“That too is the case. You could call it a punishment for pride.”

Sometimes, silence itself is an answer. Lucifer’s ambiguous response was evidence that heaven exists and that he was under some restriction.

Lucifer spoke in a low voice.

“But still, it’s curious.”

I guessed from his gaze scanning my entire body.

“…You mean how I, a human, have this much power?”

“Hmm, that’s true too, but this time it’s something else. Solomon’s Demon King, how are you still alive and not killed by Robert?”

“…What?”

(To be continued in the next episode)