Somewhere in the modern world, on a planet called Earth, a city bus cruised through bustling urban streets. People stared out the windows or glanced at their phones. But in the middle of the bus, four teenagers were crammed into a row, laughing, arguing, and, most importantly, reading manga.
Rae Wayne, 17 years old, sat in the window seat. His black hair fell into his striking blue eyes as he devoured the pages of his manga with gleeful obsession. His grin stretched wide as he read another dramatic panel.
"Dude! This demon prince just absorbed an entire dragon's soul with his pinky finger! A freakin' pinky!" Rae exclaimed, shaking the book for emphasis.
"He's not even trying anymore—he just looks at people and they explode! This is peak fiction! Look at this panel—flames everywhere, he's floating above a throne made of the bones of gods!" Rae continued, nearly bouncing in his seat.
Next to him, Aiden Cross raised an eyebrow. With his jet-black hair spiked back and steel gray eyes, he gave off a bodyguard vibe. Stoic, serious, and intimidating—unless you knew he kept a secret journal filled with quotes from his favorite swordsman manga heroes.
"Still think that dragon-slayer from volume 5 had more style," Aiden said in his calm, gravelly voice. "Technique matters more than brute power."
Rae laughed. "Bro, you sound like an old man! The whole point is to be ridiculously overpowered and feared by everyone! That's the fantasy! He has a kingdom made of lava and his twelve demon brides are all generals of destruction!"
Mei Yukihara rolled her violet eyes from across the aisle. Her silver-blue twin braids shimmered under the bus's dim light. "You're all idiots. Reading manga about demon princes like it's the gospel."
"It is the gospel," Rae said, placing a hand over his heart. "Especially when he does that transformation—like, boom! his eyes turn black and gold, and his voice literally causes earthquakes. How is that not amazing?"
Zack Taylor leaned over from the seat behind them, his messy blonde-red hair poking from under his cap. "Please, demon lords are yesterday's news. Mecha pilots saving galaxies with huge explosions? Now that's peak fiction."
Rae looked at him deadpan. "Your mecha manga failed after three volumes. The pilot died in a training accident."
Zack gasped. "You take that back, Demon Nerd! That was a plot twist!"
"Mecha Geek."
They both burst into laughter. Aiden smirked while Mei shook her head.
"Both of you are dumb. Honestly, it's a miracle you're still passing school," she said, adjusting her uniform with a sigh.
"Only because you do our chemistry homework," Rae teased.
"Out of pity."
Rae dramatically placed a hand on his chest and gazed dreamily upward. "Oh, if only I could be reborn as an all-powerful demon prince with an enormous harem..."
"SMACK!"
"OUCH! What the heck, Mei?!"
"For talking about harems again, you moron."
"But a demon prince with a harem is essential to the genre! There's, like, a formula! Overpowered hero + tragic backstory + loyal waifus = perfection!"
"You're hopeless," she muttered.
Suddenly—
The tires blew.
A loud bang shattered their banter as the bus swerved violently.
"What the hell?!" Zack shouted.
"Brace yourselves!" Aiden growled, holding onto the seat.
Mei screamed. Rae's manga flew out of his hands.
The bus veered off the road—
—and over the city bridge.
As metal crunched and glass shattered, Rae's thoughts quieted. Time seemed to slow.
So this is it... he thought. If I get another life... let me be... a demon prince...
Everything went black.
When Rae opened his eyes, the world was gone.
Above him stretched a black ceiling. All around—an endless void of darkness. A silence so deep it made his heartbeat thunder in his ears. The air was cold and unmoving, like being trapped inside a frozen moment.
He slowly got to his feet, his footsteps echoing with an eerie, hollow sound. The ground beneath him was invisible, yet solid—like walking on air wrapped in shadow.
"Where... am I?" he whispered.
He turned around slowly, scanning the infinite darkness. No wind. No sound. No color. Just... black.
Rae took a few steps, then a few more. "Hello?" he called out. His voice sounded distant, as if swallowed instantly by the void.
He walked further, his breath visible in the cold air. "Anyone? Is anybody here?!"
His pulse quickened. His breathing grew erratic. The silence was maddening.
He yelled louder. "HELLO?! ANYBODY?!"
Still nothing.
Panic crawled up his spine. He spun around again, searching, desperate for a door, a light, a voice, something.
"This can't be real… This has to be a dream…"
Then—
A voice. Smooth. Deep. Female.
"Well, well... what do we have here?"
Rae froze.
"Who's there?! Show yourself!"
The ground trembled.
Thin cracks slithered outward from beneath his feet, glowing with a deep red light. The cracks spread fast, lighting up the darkness like veins of lava. The temperature spiked.
Flames burst upward from the cracks, flickering at first, then rising higher in spiraling towers of fire. The once-cold void began to shimmer with heatwaves. The air itself seemed to ignite.
The black sky above cracked open like glass under pressure. Thin lines of golden-red light broke through, splitting wider until chunks of shadow fell away, revealing a stunning celestial sky.
Molten planets orbited in slow, beautiful dances. Stars pulsed like living fireflies trapped in eternal motion. The landscape around Rae morphed into a hellish, majestic scene—an obsidian wasteland laced with rivers of lava, floating platforms of burning stone, and skies painted with fire and cosmic energy.
He could hardly speak.
"What... is this place...?"
Then, in the distance, a staircase formed—long, wide, and carved from blood-red stone. It rose from the cracked earth like a temple altar.
At the top: a throne.
Upon it sat a woman.
She looked as if she were carved from the cosmos. Over six feet tall, with an ethereal hourglass figure wrapped in a constantly shifting armor-dress of chaos silk—half divine robes, half obsidian plating.
Her skin was pale obsidian, glowing faintly with swirling violet runes. Her right eye blazed with red fire; her left was pitch black with an entire galaxy swirling inside it.
Hair flowed like a cosmic nebula—black strands with shimmering stardust, fading into mist at the ends. A curved demon horn rose from one side of her head, mirrored by a graceful angelic one on the other. Behind her stretched one wing of voidfire, the other a radiant spectral light.
Rae's jaw dropped.
He pointed a shaky finger. "You... You're... b-beautiful..."
The woman giggled, her voice a melody of temptation and thunder.
"Welcome to my world, Rae Wayne."
Rae blinked again, still stunned. He took a cautious step forward, eyes scanning her from head to toe.
Then his gaze locked on the elegantly twisted horns spiraling from her head. His breath caught. He raised his finger slowly, pointing directly at them.
"Demon..." he whispered in disbelief.
She smiled wider.
"I am Nyxtheria – Demon Goddess of Rebirth and Chaos."
Rae stumbled back, nearly falling. "WHAT THE HELL?!"
Rae stood frozen at the foot of the massive stairs, eyes wide, mind spiraling.
Is this seriously happening?! A demon goddess?! Like, actual horns, cosmic hair, one wing of fire, one wing of angel light?
His thoughts raced, wild and frantic.
Why me?! Why am I here?! Out of all the places to wake up after dying... I'm talking to some celestial supermodel demon goddess?!
Nyxtheria, the Demon Goddess of Rebirth and Chaos, sat lazily on her throne, her crimson and galaxy eyes fixed on him with an amused gleam. She giggled, the sound playful and dangerously sweet.
"No, this isn't a dream, my little demon prince lover."
Rae flinched. "Wait—how do you know what I was thinking?!"
He backed up slightly, both nervous and annoyed. "Why am I here? Are you really a demon goddess? Like, for real?"
Nyxtheria leaned forward, her smile curling. "Of course. And as for why you're here... it's simple. I'm here to make your wish come true."
Rae blinked. "What wish? What are you talking about? And why did you call me a future demon prince?!"
She stood, the motion fluid and celestial. Her voice echoed like velvet thunder. "Your wish—to be reborn as an all-powerful demon prince. Feared and adored across the realms. Your ultimate dream, is it not?"
Rae's breath caught. His heart pounded.
She... she actually said it...
"H-how do you know that?!" he stammered. "That's been my dream since I was, like, ten and picked up 'Demon Emperor Ragnarok' volume one!"
Nyxtheria grinned. "I know everything about you, Rae Wayne. I've been watching you for a long time—the boy obsessed with demons, who dreamed of power and grandeur, who fantasized about ruling realms. I saw potential in you to become something... more."
Rae looked at her, still shaken. "Okay... yeah, sure, I want to become an overpowered demon prince, but how?! I died! I was on a bus and it... it crashed!"
She nodded gently, as if she'd already foreseen the panic. "And now, I offer you a second life. Your soul will be sent to another world, and placed into the body of a demon prince... one who has been in a coma for 100 years. You'll awaken in his place—with power that even primordial gods will kneel to."
Rae's mouth dropped open. "W-Wait... what?! You're saying you're sending my soul into a demon prince's body... that's been in a coma for a century?! And I'll be so strong the gods will tremble?!"
"Yes," she said softly, her voice full of ancient promise. "Your dreams will come true."
Rae staggered a step back, overwhelmed. This is like every isekai manga I've ever read—but it's real?!
He covered his face with both hands, then peeked out between his fingers, excitement bubbling.
"I... I've dreamed of this since I was a kid. Since the first time I saw a demon prince crush a holy army under one hand."
Nyxtheria's eyes sparkled with mischief and satisfaction. "I saw it in your heart, Rae. Your passion, your obsession, your longing. That's why I chose you."
He looked up at her. "But... why me? Who's this demon prince I'm supposed to be?"
Her voice turned solemn, reverent.
"You are to become Rae Voidheart, the Demon Prince of the world called Elarion. A prince who has slept in coma for a hundred years, his body ravaged by a cursed sickness. His father, Azaroth Voidheart—the Demon King. His mother, Lilinora Voidheart—the Demon Queen."
Rae whispered, stunned, "A royal bloodline..."
Nyxtheria continued. "I will reincarnate your soul into his body, free of sickness. But with your memories, your desires—and strength far beyond anyone in that world. You will be stronger than any mortal, more powerful than the gods themselves."
Rae slowly nodded, his eyes lighting up. "Stronger than the gods... even stronger than the Demon King?"
Nyxtheria's smile grew. "Yes."
Rae's face broke into a wide grin. "Heck yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about! Demon Lord domination mode!"
The goddess giggled, flicking a strand of stardust hair. "You seem quite excited now, my little demon prince."
"You're damn right I am! I'm ready to be awesome! To make my dream real!"
Then Rae paused and looked at her again. "Wait... this world I'm going to—Elarion—what's it like? What's the history? Are there monsters? Different species? What kind of place am I diving into here?"
Nyxtheria's eyes gleamed as she walked toward him, her steps leaving stardust trails. "Ah, a curious mind—good. Elarion is a realm of ancient kingdoms and forbidden magic. It has long been a world torn between the forces of fate and chaos. Dragons once ruled the skies, now banished to slumbering peaks. Gods roam the outer planes. Mortals fight for power, survival, or legacy."
She circled Rae slowly as she spoke.
"There are many species: humans, elves, beastfolk, draconians, fae, vampires, and demons like yourself. Each race with its own kingdoms, culture, magic. Conflict is constant. Alliances are fragile. War is inevitable."
Rae blinked, overwhelmed. "What about monsters? Will I fight those too?"
Nyxtheria grinned. "Oh yes. Abominations birthed from twisted magic. Behemoths that feed on ley lines. Shadow wraiths from the Rift Realm. Even corrupted gods masquerading as beasts. You'll face all that—and more."
Rae exhaled slowly. This world... sounds incredible.
"And you're saying I'll have the power to fight them all?"
She stopped before him, hand glowing. "Not just fight them—dominate them. Command the battlefield. Inspire terror and awe. You will be Elarion's reckoning."
Rae's grin returned. "Then let's do it. I want to see this world."
"Then the time has come."
She extended her hand again. A magic circle formed beneath Rae's feet, humming with cosmic energy. The runes along the edges pulsed in vibrant red and violet.
Rae's body shimmered—his physical form dissolving into light, his spirit rising above.
He looked at his hands, now glowing, translucent. He was no longer bound by flesh. He was pure soul.
Nyxtheria whispered, "Now go. Fulfill your destiny."
The light of the magic circle flared—
—and Rae's spirit shot upward, streaking through planes of light, fire, and shadow.
In the heart of a dark and ancient citadel in the world of Elarion, a figure lay in silence on a massive bed.
A boy—tall, regal, and pale as moonlight—unmoved for a century. He wore a black ceremonial robe laced with silver threads. His features were sharp, beautiful, but lifeless.
Suddenly—
A pulse.
His fingers twitched. His lips parted.
And then, his eyes snapped open—glowing deep crimson.
Rae Voidheart, Demon Prince of Elarion, had awoken.
The moment Rae Voidheart opened his eyes, the world trembled.
His aura surged like a tidal wave of chaos and divinity. Magic power flowed from his body in unstoppable currents, cracking the very air around him. The atmosphere thickened with energy so dense, it sent ripples through the realms beyond.
Across the Demon Kingdom, every demon—from lowly imps to high nobles—froze.
"What is this...?!"
"This pressure... it's suffocating!"
"A power far beyond even the Demon King...!"
They fell to their knees or backed away instinctively, shaken by an aura more ancient and absolute than anything they had felt before.
In human kingdoms, knights dropped their weapons, mages clutched their grimoires, and rulers stared at the sky.
"That wasn't lightning… it was something else."
"Is this the rise of a god?"
"What being can radiate such overwhelming dominance?!"
In the heavens, angels fluttered in disarray as the holy light faltered briefly.
"This… this power… it resonates through the celestial realms."
"Not divine... not holy… but... supreme."
"Even our light dims in its presence."
Among the gods, ancient beings long since removed from mortal affairs stirred.
"This aura… it's rebirth and destruction."
"Who dares disrupt the balance of the realms?"
"That power... it rivals the time before creation."
Even monsters and ancient beasts, those who slumbered for ages beneath oceans, in mountain chasms, or hidden in cursed dungeons, awakened.
"The world shifts again..."
"Something… someone... far beyond mortal or beast... walks again."
The Primordial God of Creation, seated in his eternal throne, felt a chill for the first time since the dawn of existence.
"This is no mere reincarnation… This is convergence... That child... that aura... it makes even me shiver."
Across the world, demihumans, dwarves, beastkin, fae, merfolk, and countless other species felt the force ripple through their lands.
In the snow-covered mountains of the North, a dwarven king dropped his war hammer.
"By the forges of the Earthfather… that power… That ain't no mortal's doing."
"Aye," muttered one of his advisors, eyes wide. "It felt like a second sun just ignited beneath our feet."
Deep within the Verdant Woods, the fae folk looked up from their shimmering groves.
"A ripple... not of fate, but of chaos reborn."
"An awakening... a heart born from another world."
In the vast oceans, the merfolk and sea kings stirred.
"The waters tremble... even the tides fear it."
"Something has returned to the land above... something ancient."
In the wild deserts, beastkin tribes stood still under the scorching sun.
"That was no natural wind... the earth spoke."
"A new predator has arrived. A true apex."
In hidden elven sanctuaries, high seers gasped.
"The world tree shook… what power could pierce even the veil of our wards?"
"A soul out of time, now wearing the skin of royalty."
All over the world, different races turned their eyes toward the Demon Kingdom with one shared thought:
Something monstrous has awakened.
In the Demon Palace, it was chaos.
Maids in the hall dropped silver trays as shockwaves blew through the corridors.
"W-What is happening?!"
"Did the castle just shake?!"
"That power… where is it coming from?!"
Several butlers and aides staggered to regain balance as chandeliers swung and the very structure groaned.
"It's… it's coming from the prince's wing!"
"Prince Rae… he's... he's awake?!"
Demon knights patrolling the corridors dropped to one knee, overcome by the sheer dominance in the air.
"That aura… it's like being crushed by gravity..."
"He hasn't even stepped outside his room yet!"
"This... this surpasses anything I've felt in a thousand years."
High-ranking demon nobles, gathered in distant wings of the palace, paused their meetings and banquets.
"That aura just slammed through the wall..."
"I thought the Demon King was the limit... but this... this is evolution."
"Rae Voidheart... the lost heir... he's returned."
In the infernal throne room, the infernal throne room quaked.
Sitting atop his molten obsidian throne, Azaroth Voidheart, the Demon King, opened his golden slit-pupil eyes. His long crimson hair flickered like wildfire.
"This power… it surpasses mine... From within the palace...?"
His jaw tightened. The hierarchy of power had just been rewritten.
Beside him, the Demon Queen, Lilinora Voidheart, snapped her head toward the direction of the energy.
Her six crystal wings twitched, nebula-like eyes glowing wide.
"That aura... Rae… my son... He's awake!"
With supernatural speed, she vanished from the throne room, her dress of living shadow trailing behind.
Marching through the palace, Malrik Voidheart, First Brother, growled.
"What the hell is this?! That bastard's alive?! And radiating that kind of pressure?!"
His demonic cleaver sparked in his hand. His tattoos blazed.
Velmira Voidheart, Second Sister, stood still in a quiet corridor, her violet eyes narrowed.
"He's awakened. The seal is broken… And that magic… it's beyond comprehension."
She clutched her frost-bound grimoire tighter.
From a training yard, Drakana Voidheart, the youngest sister, stumbled slightly as the ground shook.
"What the heck?! That energy—it's coming from big bro's room?! That's insane! It feels like a living volcano of power!"
Far off in the deep forbidden forest, Xevos Voidheart, the exiled dark twin, looked up from a pool of shadow.
"That power… no... that awakening… What kind of monster have they created?"
Back in Rae's room
The bed cracked beneath him as Rae sat up, blinking in confusion.
He looked at his hands—now longer, claw-tipped, glowing faintly with crimson aura.
He turned his gaze to the room—tall dark stone pillars, velvet-black curtains, flickering braziers casting red shadows.
He slowly stood.
I… actually did it… I'm in another world… he thought.
His feet touched the floor—and a shockwave rippled outward, spider-webbing cracks across the marble.
He stumbled forward slightly, amazed. "What the hell is this strength…?"
Each step sent another low boom through the floor.
He passed by a tall mirror.
Rae stopped.
In the reflection stood a new version of himself: two black, curved horns spiraling from his head, wild crimson hair streaked with black, golden-crimson eyes that burned with untamed power, long pointed ears and fangs barely tucked behind his lips.
He touched his face slowly.
"So this is… Rae Voidheart. The Demon Prince… This is me now?"
He smiled faintly. "I look… insane."
As the crimson screen shimmered in front of Rae, runes danced in chaotic elegance before settling into shape. Lines of glowing infernal script translated themselves into a language he instantly understood.
And then—
[STATUS SCREEN – RAE VOIDHEART]
Name: Rae Voidheart
Age: 117 (Biological Age: 17)
Race: Eternal Demon (Primordial Reincarnate)
Level: ∞ (Surpasses System Limits)
Class: Demon Prince / Chaoslord / Reincarnated Voidheart
Rank: EX
Titles:
– Demon Prince of the Abyss
– Reincarnated Soul of the End
– Son of Nyxtheria, Chaosborn Goddess
– Awakener of Terror
– Godslayer Candidate
– The Coma King (humorous nickname in demon lands)
– The One Who Broke the System
Health Points: ∞
Magic Points: ∞
Strength: ∞
Agility: ∞
Endurance: ∞
Mana: ∞
Luck: ???
Charm: SSS++
Normal Skills:
– Appraisal: Instantly analyzes the status and nature of objects, creatures, and people.
– Demon Sight: Grants night vision and soul detection capabilities.
– Enhanced Reflexes: Supernaturally fast reaction time in combat and danger.
– High-Speed Regeneration: Automatically heals all physical injuries in seconds.
– Absolute Weapon Mastery: Can instantly master and wield any weapon perfectly.
– Fear Aura (Toggle On/Off): Induces dread and submission in weaker beings.
– Language Assimilation: Learns any spoken or written language instantly.
– Intimidation – Royal Presence: Causes fear or awe based on royal demonic lineage.
– Flight: Capable of flying via wings or levitation magic.
– Unarmed Combat (Demonic Arts): Enhanced hand-to-hand combat through demon martial techniques.
– Energy Step: Walk on air, climb walls, and create platforms from energy or void.
– Enhanced Strength (S++): Casual punches can shatter mountains or fortresses.
– Enhanced Speed (S++): Can move faster than sound, creating sonic shockwaves.
– Enhanced Endurance (S++): Immune to all pain, exhaustion, and environmental limits.
– Mimic Voice: Perfectly replicate any voice, tone, or speech pattern.
– Environmental Immunity: Survive in space, underwater, lava, toxic zones, etc.
– Teleportation (Short Range): Blink across the battlefield within line of sight.
– Mind Control Resistance (MAX): Completely immune to mental manipulation.
– Cooking (Insanely Good): Every dish boosts stats, heals, or energizes allies.
– Battle Instincts (Evolved): Preternatural combat awareness and reaction.
– Royal Demon Etiquette: Flawless behavior in noble or political settings.
– Multilingual Mastery: Instantly fluent in Divine, Draconic, Angelic, Human, and Lost Languages.
Ability Skills:
– Shapeshift: Abyss Form: Morph into humanoid, beast, or shadow forms to enhance stealth or fear.
– Voidstep: Instantly travel through space or shadow realms.
– Abyssal Flame Control: Wield cursed fire that burns soul, body, and magical energy.
– Demonic Territory: Create a field where Rae's power is multiplied and others are weakened.
– Soul Suppression Field: Silences magic and weakens will of nearby enemies.
– Temporal Distortion: Slows or speeds up time in a localized area.
– Shadow Legion: Summon shadow beasts born of Rae's subconscious as loyal allies.
– Dark Regrowth: Instantly regenerate lost limbs or fully recover from mortal wounds.
Magic Skills:
– Elemental Mastery: Control fire, water, ice, lightning, wind, and earth elements at advanced levels.
– Forbidden Magic: Cast unstable and ancient spells such as Chaos Blasts and Corruption Waves.
– Spatial Magic EX: Fold and bend space for teleportation, barriers, or attacks.
– Time Distortion: Manipulate the flow of time for short periods (slow, stop, rewind).
– Necromancy Supreme: Raise undead armies, bind souls, or manipulate death essence.
– Divine Magic Absorption: Absorb and convert holy attacks into power.
– Arcane Construction: Forge weapons, armor, and even buildings from raw arcane energy in battle.
Unique Skills:
– Voidheart Core – Reincarnated soul immune to death, fate, and system limits
– God-Level Resistance – Immune to divine, holy, time, soul, and light magic
– Harem Field: Unlimited Love – Unknowingly draws romantic loyalty from any being
– Reality Override – Ignores rules of magic and physics when enraged
– Abyss Rebirth – Gains strength every time he's "killed"
– Eternal Presence – His aura alone causes paralysis or worship in weaker beings
Weapons:
– Nyxrend – Blade of Dimensional Ruin (Cuts through space, fate, and magical defenses)
Items:
– Pocket Realm Orb – Personal space-time dimension for storage/training
– Phoenix Tear Flask – Auto-restores HP/MP on death trigger
– Nyxtheria's Whisper Pendant – Occasionally lets his demon goddess mother speak directly to him (can be embarrassing)
Rae stared at the display, his lips curling into a slow, wide grin.
"Holy crap… I'm actually broken. Like, literally broken. I broke the system."
He laughed aloud, spinning slowly in place as if embracing his existence.
"Voidstep, Godslayer Candidate, Chaoslord… Unlimited love field?! What is even happening?!"
He looked up at the ceiling, crimson light reflecting off his eyes.
"Thank you, Demon Goddess. Seriously."
His grin widened even more as he clenched his glowing fist.
"Time to be the new me."
The air around him vibrated with energy. Rae laughed—a wild, free, almost villainous laugh—as the window beside him cracked from the sheer joy radiating off him.
Meanwhile, far away from the shaking Demon Kingdom, within the shining halls of the Human Empire's Royal Palace, a throne room bathed in divine light stood silent—until the tremor came.
A wave of dark, chaotic energy rolled across the sky like an invisible storm. The chandeliers above quivered. The golden marble beneath the red carpet trembled ever so slightly. And at the heart of it, seated on a majestic throne of lion-carved gold and crimson, the emperor stirred.
Leonhart Solaria IV, Supreme Sovereign of the Human Empire, leaned forward.
Tall and regal in his late 40s, his sun-golden hair was slicked back, his trimmed beard glinting in the light of enchanted fire lining his cape. He wore crimson-and-gold armor adorned with lion motifs and divine crests. His piercing blue eyes narrowed under the radiance of his crown.
He clenched the armrest. "What... was that? That pressure…"
Before him, kneeling on the ground in perfect silence, were two of the Empire's greatest figures.
The first was High Archmage Eldros Mervain, Master of Summoning Magic.
An elderly yet ageless man, Eldros bore a long silver beard streaked with runic blue threads. A golden monocle covered one glowing eye. His midnight blue and ivory robes shimmered with constellation patterns. A dragonbone staff, crowned with a glowing orb, rested in his hand. Arcane tattoos etched his hands and neck.
He muttered, voice deep and sharp. "That... was no ordinary power. That was arcane pressure magnified a thousandfold. Something terrifying has awakened. Something ancient... and forbidden."
Beside him knelt the radiant Saintess Seraphina Elthriel, the Voice of the Goddess of Light.
In her mid-20s, she appeared near-divine. Her platinum-blonde hair flowed like liquid silk. Her sky-blue crystal eyes glowed with divine energy. She wore white ceremonial robes, laced with golden embroidery and angelic symbols. Barefoot, as a sign of purity, she carried a staff topped with a crystal sun.
She whispered, shaken, "That aura... was that the Demon King? It felt like a surge of hellfire and void... but... worse."
The Emperor stood, voice like thunder.
"No... that wasn't the Demon King. That was far more concentrated. Raw. Untouched. This is an awakening—one the prophets feared."
Eldros gritted his teeth. "I know demonic energy when I sense it. That wasn't just demonic... It was primordial. Chaotic. Alive."
Seraphina raised her gaze. "The seal must have broken. A new Demon Lord...?"
Leonhart turned from his throne, cape billowing. "If a Demon Prince has risen with power to eclipse his father, then we must strike first. We cannot afford hesitation."
He paused, then smirked. "Fortunately… we've already summoned our champions."
Eldros and Seraphina looked at one another and nodded solemnly.
"Then let them face the darkness," Eldros said.
"Let the prophecy unfold," Seraphina echoed.
Leonhart's smile widened. "The Sword of Light. The Oracle of Stars. The Windborn Rogue. The heroes destined to destroy the Demon Lord."
He chuckled as three figures emerged from the shadows of the throne room.
Their steps echoed, slow and steady.
First was a tall young man with dirty blonde hair with red highlights, emerald green eyes, and a confident smirk.
Zack Taylor, the Windborn Rogue.
Beside him stood a girl of elegant poise, her silver-blue hair in twin braids, eyes like pale violets, her expression unreadable.
Mei Yukihara, the Oracle of Stars.
And at their front, with a stoic calm and jet-black hair slicked back, eyes of steel gray, moved like a soldier already calculating a thousand outcomes.
Aiden Cross, the Sword of Light.
The Emperor spread his arms wide. "Behold—the prophecy's chosen. The ones who will save our world from the Demon King reborn."
But the three stood quietly, their eyes glancing at one another.
None of them spoke, but inside… each was thinking the same thing.
Rae... is that you?
What fate awaits the Demon Prince reborn and the heroes summoned in his place?
To be continued...