Chapter 0: Diabolus
Excerpt from The Gospel of Shadows — Preserved within the Grand Library of Demons, the Blood Emerald Castle
The title of Demon King is the highest honor among demonkind, a sacred position within the Infernal Realm.
It is bestowed through blood and fire by Lucifer, the God of Demons, the Lord of Rebellion, and the shadow behind every uprising.
The one who bears this title is not only entrusted with protecting the kingdoms of Hell, but also with leading the conquest of the Middle World and waging the eternal war against the Divine Gods and their mortal followers.
Among all those who have sat upon the Infernal Throne, none has ever surpassed Diabolus—the Demon of the End, the Breaker of Worlds.
For thousands of years, his name has been carved into history through bloodshed and destruction.
He exterminated the race of Giants without mercy.
He burned the Forest of Fairies until nothing remained but drifting ashes.
He enslaved the Dwarves, seizing their legendary ores and forging their weapons for the armies of Hell.
He conquered humanity, forcing countless kingdoms to worship demons beneath his banner.
He founded a secret organization within the Middle World, manipulating kingdoms and kings like pieces on a chessboard.
He defeated the legendary Black Dragon, Antares, shattering the balance of the world itself.
Yet his overwhelming power was not a gift.
Diabolus spent an entire thousand years mastering every branch of magic—from the simplest spells to forbidden incantations capable of tearing reality apart.
Then he devoted another two thousand years to perfecting every form of combat imaginable, from brutal demon wrestling to silent assassination techniques, while mastering every weapon wielded by humans, demons, and even stolen holy relics.
Afterward, he ruled as the Demon King for two hundred years, devastating nations, igniting endless wars, and redrawing the borders of the worlds with the blood of countless civilizations.
Now...
The Three Worlds—the Infernal Realm, the Middle World, and the Holy Realm—have maintained a fragile peace for the past thirty years.
A false peace.
Everyone knows it will soon come to an end.
Blood Emerald Castle — Grand Library of Demons
Diabolus sat alone in a vast, dark hall.
Towering bookshelves surrounded him, their ancient tomes bound in the skin of sacred beings.
Black demonic flames flickered across the chamber, casting eerie shadows over the endless rows of forbidden knowledge.
A cold voice echoed within his mind.
"Damn it... The Eternal Ring is still beyond my reach..."
His fist slammed onto the table.
Black sparks burst from his fingers, filling the hall with crackling darkness.
"I've already reached the Sword Aura Enlightenment Realm... and awakened the Tenth Magic Ring."
"Even so... it won't be enough against the gods once they descend into the Middle World after the truce ends."
Silence swallowed the library.
His crimson eyes glowed in the darkness, calculating... planning... weaving countless schemes.
"If I fail to reach the Eternal Ring..."
"I will be crushed."
A cold, sinister smile slowly appeared on his face.
"But I do not fall so easily..."
To Be Continued...