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Benard Reyes.

The mention of his name made enemies cower. An orphan from the slums who clawed his way to greatness, becoming the kingdom's bravest and cruellest warrior on the battlefield.

He had a friend who was almost on par with him. He wielded a golden broadsword; the other wielded an equally famed silver spear.

He was burly and taller than most people. This friend of his was shorter than he was but still taller than the average person, and he had a rangy build.

This friend's name was Lucas Sawthorne. And he was of nobility, but didn't have such airs around him. He looked and acted honest and straightforward, and that was what drew Benard to him.

However, there seemed to be some problems in a certain city, located in a remote area in the kingdom.

It was rumoured that there were several demons springing up from nowhere and using the citizens there as a feast, even competing on who ate faster. The lives of the defenceless people there weren't even worth the sand under their feet to these demons.

Benard, upon hearing about this, went to find the king, asking for permission to go and bring the head of this arrogant demon leader who was taunting the king's authority.

Demons lived in the abyss located in the wastelands, where they'd been banished to. And there was a barrier that usually prevented even their runt from getting to the human territory.

With them now causing mayhem at Vilvayle city, there must be a portal that leads from the abyss directly to that city. And he had a hunch that someone had either activated it or created it themselves.

He swore that after defeating the demon leader, he would find the bastards responsible for their invasion in the first place and have them tied upside down at the citysquare, stripped to the core with the citizens taking turns to whip them however they like. And if they expired, their bodies would be fed to birds of the sky and their bones dried and ground to dust, the ashes mixed with cow ordure to fertilise a chosen land.

The king, Frederick Ambertt, was pleased by this warrior's words and immediately decreed that he go and do what he wanted.

Benard's friend, Lucas, also tagged along. He also wanted to hack that demon ruler to pieces.

They took the fastest steeds in the kingdom and hurried to that city, competing on who would arrive there faster.

After almost two days, they reached that remote city and were appalled by the sight they came across.

Guarding the entrance of the city were two pig demons, ten times larger than a regular wild pig, and their eyes were a glowing red, bearing fangs as well. Anyone who wanted to escape became their meal, so no one was brave enough to try escaping.

The two pig guards, upon sighting them, snorted. "Look, another arrogant prey making their way again. The last seven weren't even enough to fill me up."

"Same here. They had barely any magic in their bodies, not much to drain. But these two seem a bit better than that last group,"

"Yeah, let's not wait for them for fear they may flee."

And so with this thought in mind, the two pig demons charged towards the duo.

Lucas scoffed, "These small fry really think we're that easy to bully, huh? Let me handle them, buddy."

And in seconds, he had sent them to their maker's hands.

Both friends decided to just leave their steeds waiting outside as it would be very dangerous in there. Ndding at each other, they rushed into the city, slaying every demon they came across without mercy.

After about an hour-long killing spree, both came to the city square and found a glowing red circle with ancient patterns on the ground.

And from it, new demons were appearing, ready to destroy.

And so, both spent several more minutes taking care of these demon folk. Finally, they stood on the array circle and light covered their bodies for a short while before they vanished.

Opening their eyes, they were in some sort of...palace.

Yes, it was a palace, given how it looked. And they saw too that they were surrounded by hundreds of demons, and each one was very strong.

The ones that had been going up to Vivayle city were just cannon fodder.

Still, neither backed down. Brandishing their weapons, they engaged in a tasking battle with the demons, maiming some, killing some.

But the majority...they discovered had very tough bodies. Their weapons did next to no damage to them, leaving them stunned.

Their weapons were made from rare materials and could be said to be the sharpest in the world. How come they easily snapped in two when the demons grabbed them?

Now, they had no weapons and were at the mercy of these despicable fellows.

All the demons present were closing in on them, but at a point, they stopped and turned to leave. The two friends were left perplexed.

The array circle, which they stepped out of earlier, seemed to have been drained of its power. No demon bothered with it anymore.

"Bernard," said Lucas, "I won't lie. I'm a bit nervous,"

"Don't worry, I won't let you be harmed," Benard reassured him as he cast his eyes about the place.

In front of him was the throne room, but its doors were closed.

Just as he wondered which direction he should head first, the doors of the throneroom opened, and two demons with humanlike bodies and the heads of strong bulls stepped out. Then they tapped their wooden staffs against the floor while glaring at them.

Perhaps they were asking them to come in?

The throne which they could see had many steps, and resting on the dais was a massive, black throne.

"Get in," one of the guards said in annoyance.

"Don't keep the leader waiting," the other guard added.

Both entered the gigantic yet creepy hall, and as soon as they did, the double doors behind them were shut.

And in that moment, a tall, muscly man with a youthful face and possessing silver and pink shoulder-length braided hair appeared on the throne, half-reclining. His skin was pale, and his eyes were totally black; his lips, however, were of a chestnut colour.

He was dressed in a bright red regal robe, exuding the stinky aura of wickedness. His lazy pose exposed that he was barefoot as well.

He gazed at them with amusement, his lips spread by a puckish smile.

"Welcome, my dears. I've been waiting for you. I mean 'you', Benard. I've heard of your numerous deeds. You're very good on the battlefield, so I've heard. And I was too lazy to make the trip to confirm your reality. Thankfully, I'm a genius."

"So you unleashed so many minions to trouble those innocent people, all because of your desire to see me?"

Benard was pissed. How much he wished he had his sword with him right now. He really wanted to separate that demon's head from his body.

"I didn't expect you would follow him," the demon king said to Lucas, who was glowering at him. "But that's not a problem. Just an extra mouth to feed. I can take care of that much," the king said in a dismissive tone, even having the effrontery to yawn.

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