The following morning arrived under a very tense atmosphere.
Sunlight streamed through the massive stained-glass dome of the Grand Concord Hall, a hall that housed a very important upcoming discussion.
The Hall had various murals and artwork of Light triumphing over Darkness, and had pillars engraved with the crests of Kingdoms and Empires pound together under the Divine Protection Alliance, made to defeat the Demons.
Today, every single seat in this Hall was filled to the brim with some of the most important men and women in the entire world. From the Kings and Queens of Kingdoms, to High Cardinals, Merchant Lords and Imperial Regents.
At the Highest Tier sat the Elven Delegation, led by the Elven Queen. The Pope didn't attend, as he was reportedly busy talking to the Goddess of Light himself.
At the very center stood five figures.
The Heroes of Light. They were dressed in their finest clothing, but no amount of silk or enchanted fabric could fully hide the damage beneath.
All of them looked very tired and stood in stiff postures, grim expressions as they new what was going to happen next.
The murmurs began before anyone officially spoke.
"Where is the Assassin?"
"Was she killed?"
"I heard she defected."
"No, she was captured."
Killian stepped forward before the whispers could grow louder and more wild conspiracies could be spun.
"We will explain," he said in a loud voice and the chamber became quiet as they waited for people to speak.
The Human King, one of the most important figures in the Divine Protection Alliance, spoke first, "You all failed your mission,"
Killian's jaw tightened as he heard that.
"You were sent to crush the Demon Kingdom's resistance. It should've been a simple takedown mission on some small zones within the Demon Kingdom, claiming another part of their territory like we've done dozens of times before since you all have been summoned,"
Murmurs of agreement echoed throughout the Hall as the Human King continued, "Instead, one of you is missing, and reports indicate a Holy Order was completely eradicated, not a single survivor."
Murmurs rippled through the hall.
Killian inhaled slowly, "We encountered something none of us were informed about. It's not our fault if you provide us faulty information,"
"And what is that?" asked a Solarian Imperial Regent, their eyes narrowed with suspicion, "A single so called Demon King who outmatched you all?"
"Yes," Touka said immediately, stepping forward before Killian could speak again and cause more tension.
"That man...that Demon, he was not like any of the other Demons we've met before. He was astronomically more powerful, like a real, actual Demon King,"
The Northern Theocracy's High Cardinal scoffed, "Every generation claims to face an unprecedented evil. We've heard of this Demon King for hundreds of years and yet, nothing ever appeared, why would one appear now?"
A strange silence echoed throughout the room after the High Cardinal spoke, until Alexi raised her hand, mana trembling faintly around her fingers, "I cast Tier-Zero magic."
The chamber froze, several leaders standing halfway from their seats as they heard that.
"That's impossible," a Dwarven King snapped. "Tier-Zero spells are forbidden outside divine sanction. Admitting to that could get you in grave trouble little girl,"
"I know," Alexi said quietly. "I did it anyway."
Silence pressed down like a weight.
"It didn't kill him," she continued. "It didn't even seriously injure him."
A wave of disbelief spread through the room when people heard that.
"Impossible!"
"Preposterous!"
"These Heroes are simply lying with no shame!"
Immediately, dozens of attendees sprung up and began accusing the Hero Party of every form of dishonesty they could think of.
"ORDER IN THE HALL!" The Elven Queen said, and a sense of quietness once again returned to the Hall.
Then, Aurelion's Merchant Sovereign leaned forward slowly, "You expect us to believe that a being capable of ignoring Tier-Zero magic simply… appeared?"
"Yes," Alicia said flatly, "and he planned for us."
She stepped forward now, voice steady but grim.
"He knew our formation and our tendencies. He chose that specific location to fight and had a formation ready to catch us off guard. He isolated Killian within seconds. Neutralized Touka's charge. Let Alexi's spell land to demonstrate the gap between us."
That sentence hit harder than any spell as a stunned hush fell across the chamber.
Killian finally spoke again, irritation bleeding through his tone. "You all look at us like liars."
He gestured to himself sharply, "Look at me."
He undid part of his breastplate with a sharp motion, ignoring the Church healers' quiet protests. Scars crisscrossed his chest, deep, jagged, unnatural. Divine light flickered weakly beneath damaged flesh as it healed him slowly.
"I am stronger than every person in this room," Killian said arrogantly, eyes blazing, "You all know it. I was chosen by the Goddess herself to save you all and exterminate the Demons,"
His gaze swept across the assembled rulers.
"And this is what he did to me."
The atmosphere turned brittle.
The Solarian Regent sneered. "Or perhaps you overestimated yourself."
Killian's aura flared dangerously, "Careful, I don't need to overestimate anything for you,"
Touka stepped between them instantly, "Enough."
She turned to the chamber, "We are not here to posture. We are here to warn you."
The Northern High Cardinal folded his hands. "Even if we accept this account, why now? Why would such a being appear suddenly?"
Alicia answered, voice low. "Because we moved first."
She glanced at the murals of divine conquest above them.
"We invaded. We summoned Heroes. We destabilized the Demon Kingdom."
Her eyes hardened, "And they responded."
The hall erupted into overlapping voices.
"Impossible, absolutely impossible,"
"This reeks of deception, "
"Perhaps the Demon King is a fabrication, "
"That's enough."
The voice cut through the chaos like a blade.
All eyes turned upward.
The Elven Queen rose from her throne. She was tall, radiant, silver hair cascading like moonlight, eyes ancient and piercing. When she spoke, even the Arch-Priests fell silent.
"Our Oracle has finally spoken," she said calmly.
The chamber stilled.
"For the past two nights, she has entered communion with the Elder Gods of the Elves," the Queen continued. "Those who stand alongside the Goddess of Light since the dawn era."
Killian frowned, "And?"
The Elf Queen looked at him with an annoyed look before continuing, "They have acknowledged a disturbance," she said. "A presence beyond the Covenant."
A sharp intake of breath spread through the hall.
"They cannot yet name him," the Queen continued, "but they confirm this much."
Her voice dropped, carrying absolute authority.
"A Demon King has indeed risen."