Chapter 127: Seems I am late

Suppressing his complicated emotions, Lucien let out a quiet breath. Then, much to Zephyr and Onicus’s surprise, he suddenly kicked the demon prostrating before him.

Drak staggered and fell face-first to the ground. Groaning in pain, he struggled to steady himself. Only then did he finally get a proper look at Lucien. When he had first been thrown before him, he had assumed this human was even stronger than the silver-haired man, perhaps even his superior. But the moment he sensed Lucien’s aura, Drak’s expression twisted in disbelief.

The human who had just kicked him was so pathetically weak that Drak could easily squish him between his fingers! Yet, with the strange pressure tightly restraining his entire body, he did not dare express his fury. After all, the silver-haired man standing nearby, who had beaten him into this miserable state, was simply far too damn powerful!

To make matters worse, he had no idea where these two humans had come from! And where the hell was that idiot Hosy? Why was his castle occupied by these two humans in the first place?!

Lucien, however, paid no attention to the demon’s futile attempts to conceal his dark glare. Knowing just how cruel demons could be, he had no intention of showing Drak the slightest bit of sympathy. After scoffing at him, he finally spoke.

"Demon General Drak, right? Tell me, why did you come here in the first place?"

Swallowing nervously under Zephyr’s stare, Drak forced himself to answer, though he clearly tried to keep his response vague.

"I came to see Hosy."

Lucien narrowed his eyes. He understood why Zephyr had not killed the demon outright. He wanted Lucien, who seemed to know more than he did, to extract some information from him first.

"And why is that?"

The moment the words left Lucien’s mouth, the pressure enveloping Drak’s body intensified.

His bones seemed to groan beneath the crushing force, and a strangled cry escaped his throat.

From the corner of his eye, Drak caught sight of Zephyr’s expression. The man’s gaze was so cold and menacing that it seemed as though he was already imagining all the different ways he could tear Drak apart if he failed to provide a satisfactory answer this time.

Drak had been secretly attempting to use his mental power to send a distress signal to his subordinates. However, the moment he met Zephyr’s icy gaze, his resolve faltered, and the message he had been trying to transmit nearly scattered before he could send it.

If not for his years of experience dealing with countless formidable enemies, he might have completely lost his composure under that terrifying stare!

He could not afford to remain silent any longer!

This man would really kill him!

Desperate to save his life, Drak blurted out an answer, doing his best to conceal some important details by being only half-truthful so that the Demon Lord would not punish him later when he finally escaped. Yes, escaped. He was sure he would get out of this alive!

"I only wanted his help in selecting some powerful new subordinates! Yes, that is all! Hosy is the second strongest among the Demon Generals, and he came to my territory earlier. I knew he was free, so I thought I could ask him for help!"

Lucien stared at the demon, his expression growing increasingly unimpressed.

It was obvious that Drak was merely trying to buy himself some time. Despite his desperate situation, the demon still had the audacity to offer a roundabout explanation instead of answering his question properly. Lucien had to admit, the guy certainly had some nerve.

Besides, as someone who had read the original novel, Lucien knew that high-ranking demons possessed all sorts of methods to communicate with one another. If Drak managed to send even a single distress signal, they could find themselves surrounded by an entire army before they had a chance to escape.

After a brief silence, Lucien glanced at Zephyr.

"Kill him."

Drak’s eyes widened.

"W-Wait! Wait a minute!"

His desperate plea was cut short as the invisible pressure around him tightened further. Even the distress signal he had been struggling to send was crushed. A sickening sound came from his body, and blood began to seep from his seven orifices. His eyes bulged in terror as the overwhelming force threatened to crush him.

Regretting his earlier attempt to buy time instead of answering their questions properly, Drak desperately wanted to scream, beg for another chance, and promise anything that might convince them to spare his life. Yet, with the crushing pressure constricting his throat, he could barely draw a breath, let alone utter another word.

All he could do was stare at Lucien in disbelief.

He was a Demon General! A powerful being who possessed the strength to dominate countless demons, along with the many other realms he had conquered under the Demon Lord’s command. How could he possibly die here at the hands of two humans?

Just as Drak was certain that his body would burst beneath the crushing force, Lucien raised a hand.

Zephyr immediately halted his psychokinesis skill.

Lucien looked down at the barely conscious demon, his expression impatient.

"I will ask you one more time. Why were you looking for Hosy?"

Drak could no longer move, much less crawl away. His body trembled uncontrollably as he struggled to force the words past his constricted throat. Finally realizing that these two humans had no intention of letting him go, he abandoned all attempts to hide anything. He still had not managed to send a distress signal for help! He needed more time!

"I-I was preparing an army to attack a lower human realm! I wanted Hosy’s help so the conquest would end sooner!"

At that moment, Zephyr spoke up.

"He is telling the truth this time. I have a skill that lets me tell when someone is lying."

Just as he finished speaking, a thin blade of water pierced straight through Drak’s heart.

Drak’s eyes dilated. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his body went limp.

For a moment, Zephyr blinked in surprise.

He had brought Drak back alive instead of killing him because he had hoped Lucien could interrogate the Demon General. That way, they could learn more about this place.

Yet Lucien had killed him after only a few exchanges.

Zephyr glanced at Lucien, then used his corrosive skill to dissolve the bloodied corpse until nothing remained. Before the body had completely vanished, he stepped forward, subtly positioning himself between Lucien and the spot where Drak had died.

"It is fine."

He said quietly.

"Beings like him are better off dead sooner rather than later."

His voice was gentle, almost reassuring, as though he could see the faint trace of unfamiliarity in Lucien’s expression.

Lucien, who had just killed a humanlike being for the first time, finally snapped out of his thoughts.

Surprisingly, he was not particularly shaken by what he had done. Having read the original story, he knew all too well what demons were capable of and how much suffering they had inflicted on others. He had no reason to feel guilty for killing one, especially when that demon had been preparing to lead an army against the human world.

Besides, Drak had already been reduced to a miserable state by Zephyr. Killing him had hardly required any effort on Lucien’s part.

More importantly, Lucien had gotten the information he needed. There was no reason to keep Drak alive any longer, especially when the demon might have been attempting to contact his people the entire time. If he had managed to send a signal before dying, they could be in serious trouble.

Lucien let out a quiet sigh and turned toward Zephyr.

"That lower human realm Drak was talking about attacking..."

His expression grew serious.

"I think... he meant our human world."

Zephyr’s gaze flickered. If Lucien said so, it was likely true. After all, Lucien knew a lot of things he seemingly had no reason to know. It was almost as if... he could predict the future.

Unaware of the subtle emotions flashing in the gray eyes fixed on him, Lucien continued.

"Drak was gathering an army, so someone is bound to notice his disappearance sooner or later."

He paused, considering their situation.

"We cannot afford to stay here any longer. Let us leave and find somewhere else to hide."

Zephyr nodded without hesitation.

"All right, Cien."

Nearby, Onicus, who had eagerly rushed forward to kick Drak in the face just before his corpse vanished, floated back toward them with a satisfied expression. Having witnessed the deaths of two of the demons he despised so much, the little dragon seemed considerably happier.

With that, Lucien and Zephyr, accompanied by the little dragon, left the castle and ventured deeper into the Fallen Realm.

This time, Zephyr took extra care to conceal their presence. He spread his psychokinesis throughout their surroundings, carefully suppressing their auras so that even a demon passing nearby would have difficulty detecting them.

Only moments after they left, a tall figure appeared above Hosy’s castle. Clad in pitch-black clothing from head to toe, the figure had red eyes that looked distinctly human rather than demonic. His expression remained indifferent as he surveyed the surroundings, sensing no one nearby.

Finally, a faint chuckle escaped him.

"Seems I am late. The Demon Lord is going to have a headache this time around."