Chapter 148 An order to kill

Chapter 148: Chapter 148 An order to kill

At a narrow road surrounded by beautiful flowers and twisted thorns, Lysander walked slowly through the path, his dark robe flowing behind him with every step. His eyes remained trained on the ground. His thoughts were completely occupied by one person.

Noah Evernight.

The demon prince’s jaw tightened. He was furious. The fucking Emperor was trying to take his happiness away.

Lysander had already realized that whatever Damon Ashborn was planning, Noah was at the center of it. He didn’t know the full extent of the Emperor’s plan yet, but one thing was becoming painfully obvious. The man wanted Noah. And judging by everything that had happened, he wasn’t afraid to hurt Noah to get what he wanted.

That alone was enough to make Lysander’s blood boil.

How dare he?

No one touched what belonged to Lysander. No one threatened his mate. And no one made Noah cry.

The Emperor had already crossed that line. This was the last straw. Lysander would destroy him.

There was, however, one major problem. The Book of Shadows.

If Damon truly had that book, then the situation was far more dangerous than Lysander had initially thought. The Book of Shadows wasn’t an ordinary magical artifact. It contained some of the darkest forms of witchcraft ever recorded.

Even high demons had to be careful around witches. Demons were powerful. Terrifyingly powerful. But witches had something demons hated.

Magic.

Not all witches were capable of killing demons, of course, but that didn’t mean they were harmless. A powerful witch could create spells capable of weakening, trapping, binding, torturing, or permanently damaging a demon. And some curses were worse than death.

Lysander knew that better than anyone. He had spent enough time trapped inside a coffin because of witchcraft to never underestimate them again.

He finally stopped in a clearing. The flowers around him swayed gently despite the absence of wind.

Lysander raised one hand. A small bell suddenly appeared in his palm. He shook it once.

Ring.

The sound echoed through the clearing. The ground immediately cracked. A dark fissure tore across the earth. Something moved underneath.

Then—BOOM!

A monstrous creature burst from the crack. It had enormous wings stretching across its back, sharp claws, twisted horns, and a body that looked nothing like the beautiful human appearance Lysander usually wore.

This was his true world. His true form. Hell.

Lysander, however, rarely showed this appearance. Especially around Noah. Noah wasn’t used to demons, and Lysander had no intention of frightening him with the reality of what he truly was. But there was no reason to hide now.

The demonic prince’s human appearance dissolved. His face twisted. His features became sharper and more monstrous. Four horns emerged from his head. His wings expanded behind him, enormous and terrifying, blocking the moonlight. His eyes burned with demonic power.

This was Lysander Valmont. Prince of Hell.

The creature immediately dropped to one knee. "Master, I was called upon."

Lysander looked down at him. A malicious smile slowly spread across his face. It was the kind of smile that appeared whenever Lysander was about to do something truly terrible.

This was his real nature. The side Noah rarely saw. The side that didn’t care about morality. The side that could commit the most despicable acts without blinking.

And when it came to Noah? Lysander didn’t care about morality at all.

"Yes," he said, his voice echoing with demonic authority. "There are people I want dead."

The creature lowered his head.

"I want to save my companion the stress of doing it himself." Lysander’s wings shifted. "So this is what you and your minions are going to do." His smile disappeared. "Attack the palace."

The demon looked up. "Master?"

"End them all."

Lysander’s voice was cold.

He had no intention of going there himself. Not yet. He wanted to test the Emperor first. He wanted to know how powerful Damon truly was. More importantly, he wanted to know how much of the Book of Shadows the man could actually use.

Sending one of Hell’s strongest armies against the Imperial Palace would give him the answers he needed. If the Emperor crushed them effortlessly, Lysander would know exactly what kind of enemy he was facing. If the Emperor struggled, then Lysander would know where to strike.

The demon hesitated. "But, Master..." Lysander’s eyes narrowed. "The Lord himself will be furious." The creature swallowed. "He warned us not to interfere with human affairs without his permission. He said that if anything was to be done, he should be the one to do it."

Lysander’s expression darkened.

Lucifer. His father. The King of Hell.

Lucifer had a strange obsession with humans. He loved watching them suffer, loved sending misfortune into their lives and watching them struggle against it. That was his favorite form of entertainment.

If Lucifer discovered that Lysander had found Noah Evernight, he wouldn’t simply leave him alone. He would come personally. Or worse, he would send every demon under his command after Noah.

And Lysander couldn’t allow that. Not yet. Noah wasn’t ready. He needed time—time to awaken his powers, time to understand what he was, time to become strong enough to survive the enemies already surrounding him.

Lysander couldn’t risk Lucifer learning about him now. But Lucifer had eyes everywhere. That was the problem. If an army left Hell, Lucifer would know. Especially if that army attacked the Imperial Palace. There was no hiding something that large.

Lysander’s expression became colder. "And that’s not my concern."

The demon froze. "Master?"

"Did you forget who summoned you?" Lysander’s voice dropped. "Are you questioning my command?"

"N-No." The demon immediately lowered his head.

Lysander stepped forward. "Perhaps you don’t want your position anymore." His aura exploded. "Or perhaps you want to become dust."

The demon began trembling. "No, Master! It isn’t like that."

Lysander stared at him, then his expression relaxed slightly. "Good." He turned away. "So gather your warriors." His voice became firm. "Attack the palace."

The demon hesitated again. "But if we attack the Imperial Palace, he will know." Lysander stopped. The demon carefully continued, "There are no officials who leave Hell without the Lord knowing. And an attack against the Great Imperial Palace..." He swallowed. "He will know almost immediately."

Lysander slowly turned around. His expression had become frighteningly calm. "You dare lecture me?"

The demon’s eyes widened. "No, Master, I—"

His words were cut short.

Lysander’s power erupted. The demon’s skin began peeling away as though an invisible force were tearing through him. His face twisted. His body convulsed.

"Please!" He screamed. "Please, Master!"

Lysander’s eyes remained cold. "Don’t ever question me again."

The demon collapsed onto one knee, shaking violently.

"You are a useless entity if you cannot follow one simple command." Lysander stepped closer. "Go." His voice became deadly. "And don’t leave that palace until everyone inside is dead."

The demon lowered his head. "Yes, Master."

Lysander didn’t care who was inside. As far as he was concerned, anyone protecting Damon Ashborn was an enemy. They had chosen the wrong side. And if they died, so be it.

He would have preferred to personally punish the Emperor before sending him to Hell. But that could wait. Noah’s protection came first.

The demon seemed ready to leave when another thought crossed his mind. "Master..." Lysander glanced back. "Who is this companion you speak of?"

The creature barely managed to finish the question before Lysander’s expression became terrifying. The demon immediately recoiled. "Never mind." His voice shook. "I understand."

Lysander’s eyes narrowed. "One last warning." His voice was barely a whisper. "You will not tell anyone about this conversation."

The demon swallowed. "And if I do?"

Lysander smiled. "You won’t live long enough to regret it."

The demon trembled. "But the Lord will torture me until I tell him everything. I can’t lie to him."

Lysander’s grin widened. "Then that’s your problem." He stepped closer. "Choose." His eyes glowed. "Do you want to die by my hands?" The demon’s breathing stopped. "Or Lucifer’s?" He smiled. "Either way, your life depends on doing what you’re told."

Lysander disappeared. The demon vanished a second later.

Silence returned to the clearing. For a few seconds, nothing moved.

Then—a branch rustled.

An old woman slowly crept out from behind a large tree. Her eyes were wide with shock. "Demons..." she whispered. "They’re going to attack the palace." Her breathing quickened. "I have to warn the Emperor." Then her expression changed. "Lucifer’s son..." She looked around nervously. "I can’t believe he’s back."

She barely finished speaking.

A claw suddenly pierced through the side of her neck. The woman froze.

A voice whispered behind her. "Witches." Hatred filled the single word.

Lysander’s voice.

The woman’s eyes widened. Lysander slowly appeared behind her. "I knew I was being watched." His grip tightened. "So stupid."

The witch tried to move. Lysander’s eyes narrowed. "Are you working with the Emperor?" The woman struggled. "If you are, then you’re a fool." His voice became colder. "But either way, I can’t let you live long enough to ruin my plans."

The witch suddenly raised one trembling hand. "Phasmotus..." Her eyes burned. "...incendia!"

A violent burst of witchfire exploded directly into Lysander’s chest.

"ARGH!" The demon prince was thrown backward. His body slammed into a tree. Flames spread across his clothes and skin.

The witch gasped. She had expected him to die.

Instead, Lysander slowly lifted his head. His eyes were glowing crimson through the flames. He smiled. "Powerful." He pulled himself away from the tree. "I see."

The witch took a step backward.

Lysander wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. "But not powerful enough to defeat me, old hag."

The witch’s expression turned horrified.

Lysander inhaled slowly. Then he exhaled. The air around the woman suddenly changed.

Her eyes widened. "What are you—?" Her body began shaking. She grabbed her chest. "No..."

Lysander’s demonic power had invaded her body. Her blood began boiling beneath her skin. Her breathing became erratic. She collapsed to her knees, desperately clawing at her chest.

Lysander watched without mercy. "You witches disgust me." The woman screamed. "I will destroy every one of you if I have to." His voice echoed through the clearing.

The witch’s body finally went limp.

The flames around Lysander disappeared. He looked down at the lifeless woman without the slightest hint of regret. Then he turned away.