The Demon Realm forests stretched endlessly, the trees black and silver under a pale moon. Mana hung in the air like mist, curling around Asura as he crouched on a boulder, golden eyes glinting with focus. For days he'd stayed quiet, waiting for his Reminiscence Codex cooldown to end, and now—finally—its glyph pulsed faintly in his vision.
[Reminiscence Codex: Ready.]
A grin crept across his face.
"Alright," he muttered. "Let's do this… but smarter this time."
He flicked through his skill list, the translucent panels drifting like floating glass around him. Omniscient Thought Process, Precognition, Demonic Regeneration—all lined up neatly. He remembered how Great Sage and All-Knowing had fused automatically the moment he claimed them, evolving without warning.
He rubbed his chin. "If skills can merge on their own… what if I force the issue?"
He whispered the commands like a cheat code. "Omniscient Thought Process… activate. Conqueror's Will… activate."
For a moment, nothing happened. Then his vision warped. The air around him flexed like a heat mirage. Text bloomed across his mind's eye, crimson and gold:
[New Skill Acquired – Sovereign's Dominion Lv.1]
Allows the user to bend probability, tilting fate toward the user's intent.
Asura blinked. "Wait—wait—what?!" He almost fell off the rock. "I just—made a skill?! Without losing anything?!"
Another window flickered into being.
[Synergy Detected: Omniscient Thought Process + Precognition → Evolution.]
His pulse kicked up as the glyphs rearranged themselves. His skills glowed brighter, lattice-lines of mana weaving between them.
[Sovereign's Dominion – Enhanced]
Probability warping amplified by predictive foresight. Range and precision increased.
He slapped both hands to his head, grinning like a mad scientist. "I'm literally printing skills now! Okay, okay, calm down—no, don't calm down—this is insane."
He scrolled back to double-check. His Reminiscence Codex still pulsed, but a new message sat at the bottom:
[Usage Remaining: 0/6 — Cooldown: 4 Days.]
He exhaled hard. "So that's the catch. I can make new stuff, but the Codex locks me out for days at a time. And figuring out what skill combos trigger what? That's going to be a puzzle."
He hopped off the boulder and paced in a small circle, thinking. Demonic Regeneration still sat at the edge of his vision, its icon faintly glowing. He stared at it for a long time.
"Alright," he muttered, "time to see how broken you are."
He raised his left wrist. A small flick of his blade traced a shallow cut. The wound closed almost instantly. No pain. No blood.
He swallowed. "Okay, deeper."
This time the blade bit too far. Warm blood spilled over his palm. For a second the forest spun. "Oh crap oh crap oh crap," he whispered dramatically, stumbling back. "I'm actually gonna die like an idiot—"
A flash of green-black light. The wound sealed shut as if it had never existed. His heartbeat steadied instantly.
He stared at his arm. "Oh. Oh. Oh."
Then he started laughing. "I'm basically immortal. This is ridiculous."
A twig snapped.
Every hair on his neck stood on end. Precognition flashed in his mind—an echo of a sword swing he'd already seen yesterday when he first activated his foresight.
He dropped low.
A blade cut through the space his head had been a heartbeat earlier, hissing with human steel. Sparks skittered off a tree trunk.
Asura's grin vanished. His golden eyes sharpened, narrowing into predator's focus. His aura flared for the first time in days, faint but deadly.
Out of the darkness stepped men and women in travel cloaks, blades drawn, faces grim. Scouts—Valorian scouts. The same signatures he'd felt brushing the edges of his foresight.
One sneered. "So the Demon King's 'genius' grandson is just a boy playing in the woods."
Asura rolled his shoulders, his smirk creeping back, but this time it had an edge. "Guess today's not gonna be boring after all."
From the rear of the group, the silent knight moved. Not a word. Not a boast. Just the faintest shift of his weight, like a coiled spring ready to strike.
Asura felt the pressure even from here.
His grin faded a fraction.
"…Huh," he murmured. "You're different."
The forest around them went still, mana humming in the air.
And then, without warning, the first scout lunged.
✦ The Battle in the Blackwood
The first scout lunged, blade flashing silver in the moonlight.
Asura tilted his head lazily, golden eyes glowing faintly. "You swung like I saw yesterday."
His body moved before the man even finished his strike. A single sidestep, a flick of his wrist. Yamikami no Tsurugi, sheathed at his hip, never left its scabbard—he simply struck with the wooden training katana in his right hand.
Crack.
The scout's helm caved in.
[Exp +1,500]
[Swordsmanship Lv. 100 → 101]
The others froze. Their comrade fell like a sack of stones, blood spilling onto the forest floor.
Asura sighed. "Man, I thought you'd at least dodge that. Guess I'll have to try harder to keep myself entertained."
A mage in the back snarled, raising a staff. "Don't play with him—kill him!"
Bolts of fire shot across the clearing. Asura exhaled, eyes sliding shut. His feet shifted, Precognition kicking in. He walked between the flames as though strolling through rain, letting them hiss harmlessly into the trees.
"Missed me." He opened one eye and winked.
His wooden katana blurred—Phantom Flux Slash. A crescent wave of mana surged forward, cleaving the mage and the two knights beside him in half.
[Exp +3,200]
[Elemental Sword Art Lv. 18 → 19]
[Phantom Flux Slash Lv. 2 → Lv. 3]
Three corpses fell smoking. The clearing smelled of charred flesh.
The arrogance drained from the scouts' faces.
"Damn it—formation!" their captain barked. The survivors spread out, weapons glowing as enchantments activated. Their boots dug into the soil, and suddenly Asura felt the pressure spike.
He smirked. "Oh. So you're finally taking me seriously. Took you long enough."
The next charge came fast—two knights from the left, one from the right. Their blades carried holy runes, designed to bite through demon flesh. Asura blocked the first swing barehanded, his palm glowing black as Demonic Regeneration flared, sealing the cut instantly.
"Nice try," he said, twisting his wrist. Crimson Flash Barrage.
His katana blurred, twelve strikes in a blink. Steel split, armor shattered, three men fell in pieces.
[Exp +5,000]
[Crimson Flash Barrage Lv. 1 → Lv. 2]
[Demonic Regeneration Lv. 1 → Lv. 2]
A halberd slammed toward him from behind. His aura cracked outward—Conqueror's Will. The weapon stopped an inch from his neck, the wielder's body frozen as terror swallowed his nerves.
Asura leaned close, whispering, "Wrong protagonist to sneak up on." Then he drove his blade through the man's chest.
[Exp +2,000]
[Conqueror's Will Lv. 1 → Lv. 2]
But now the survivors adapted. The mages stopped casting blindly—they worked together, weaving barriers, supporting the knights. Bolts of holy light and spears of ice rained down in rhythm, cutting off Asura's movement.
He narrowed his eyes. "Heh. Finally. A challenge."
He drew Yamikami no Tsurugi. Purple lightning cracked across the blade, the forest dimming as its unstable aura drank the light.
"Let's play, then."
He swung once. The ground split in a jagged scar, lightning exploding outward. Four men screamed as the surge tore them apart.
[Exp +7,800]
[Yamikami no Tsurugi Synchronization: 11%]
[New Trait: Chaotic Surge Unlocked]
The captain cursed, rallying his survivors. "Focus your strikes! He bleeds like anyone else!"
Arrows whistled. Spells cracked. For the first time, Asura felt the pressure. His regeneration healed cuts instantly, but his stamina dipped as his system pinged endlessly.
[Warning: Mana drain increasing.]
He clicked his tongue. "Guess I can't play around anymore."
He raised his blade high. Sovereign's Dominion. Probability itself warped. Arrows veered off-course. Ice spears shattered before touching him. Even blades skidded just shy of his skin, as though the world itself refused to let them land.
The scouts froze in horror.
"Impossible—"
"Not impossible," Asura corrected, golden eyes blazing. "I told you—I bend fate."
He lunged. This time, no holding back. Void Breaker Slash. His katana carved a line through reality itself, space twisting and collapsing. The captain and two knights disintegrated where they stood, bodies erased from existence.
[Exp +12,000]
[Void Breaker Slash Lv. 1 → Lv. 2]
[Sovereign's Dominion Lv. 1 → Lv. 2]
Silence fell.
Blood pooled. Smoke lingered. Only three scouts remained—broken, trembling. And at the back, the silent knight finally moved.
One step forward. His presence hit like a mountain. The air warped, thicker, heavier. Even Asura's grin faltered for the first time that night.
"…Oh," he whispered, licking his lips. "You're not like the rest."
The silent knight drew his sword. A blade of pure silver, humming with restrained power. He leveled it at Asura without a word.
For the first time in years, Asura felt his heart race not with arrogance—
But with genuine anticipation.
"Finally…" His grin widened, fangs glinting. "…a worthy fight."
✦ Duel in the Blackwood
The clearing reeked of blood and burnt ozone. Bodies of Valorian scouts littered the soil, still smoking from lightning and shadow cuts.
But none of that mattered now.
Because the silent knight had finally stepped forward.
He moved without flourish. No taunts, no wasted words. Just a steady advance, silver blade drawn in one hand, the other relaxed at his side. His helm reflected the crimson light bleeding through the Demon Realm sky.
Asura's golden eyes narrowed, grin stretching wider. Not scared. Not even shaken. Good.
He twirled Yamikami no Tsurugi once, purple lightning snapping across the cursed edge, its unstable aura devouring the torchlight of the mages' abandoned staves. The blade practically hummed with hunger.
"Alright, mystery man," Asura said, tone almost childlike. "Let's see if you're boss material… or just another side character."
The knight didn't answer. He raised his blade slightly, the motion crisp, perfect—no wasted movement.
And then he moved.
Fast. Too fast.
Steel screamed. His silver sword crashed against Yamikami, sparks of violet lightning exploding outward. The shockwave flattened grass and sent the corpses skidding back like dolls.
Asura skidded three steps, eyes gleaming. "Oh, nice! You're heavy."
The knight pressed forward. Strike after strike came in relentless rhythm—slashes from impossible angles, thrusts that blurred the air. For once, Asura's precognition strained to keep up, his body snapping aside only at the last second.
[Precognition Lv. 1 → Lv. 2]
"Cheh—" He parried a thrust, twisting aside. "You actually leveled me up mid-combo. Respect."
The knight answered with silence, only pressing harder.
Asura's grin sharpened. "Fine. My turn."
He flicked his wrist—Crimson Flash Barrage. His blade blurred into twelve consecutive strikes, each aimed to overwhelm.
But the knight's silver sword whirled like water. Clang-clang-clang! He caught every cut, his stance never breaking. On the final strike, he twisted his blade, knocking Yamikami wide and kicking Asura back.
Asura's wooden getas dug trenches in the soil. His chest rose and fell, adrenaline spiking. "...You parried that?"
The knight adjusted his grip, no swagger, no arrogance. Just pure, suffocating calm.
Asura laughed breathlessly, fangs flashing. "YES. Finally. Someone worth getting serious with!"
He clenched his fist. Conqueror's Will. His aura flared, demonic pressure radiating outward like a storm. Trees bent, weaker scouts in the distance collapsed lifeless. The ground itself quivered.
But the silent knight didn't even flinch. His blade gleamed brighter, silver light pushing back the darkness.
[Conqueror's Will resisted!]
Asura blinked. Then grinned wider. "Ohhh, you're cracked."
He shifted, drawing mana deep into his core. Sovereign's Dominion. Reality tilted—probability itself bent around him. Arrows that weren't even fired yet would miss, blades would falter, attacks would skew.
And still—the knight came on.
Their blades clashed again. BOOM! Purple lightning and silver light detonated together, shredding the forest into dust.
[Sovereign's Dominion Lv. 2 → Lv. 3]
[Yamikami Synchronization: 11% → 13%]
Asura's hair whipped around him, his grin turning feral. "Don't you dare lose now. I'm just getting started!"
The knight's silver sword arced down in a devastating overhead. Asura caught it on Yamikami, knees buckling from the sheer force. His regeneration lit up as his muscles strained, tearing, then mending in the same second.
[Demonic Regeneration Lv. 2 → Lv. 3]
"Haaah—!" Asura shoved the blade aside, twisting under it. His katana whipped upward—Void Breaker Slash!
Reality split in a jagged scar, space itself tearing as he unleashed the cut.
The knight staggered—the silver aura around his sword flickered, his armor cracked. Blood splattered the dirt.
And yet, he didn't fall. His silence deepened, his aura sharpened. For the first time, he raised his off-hand. Mana surged, cloaking his sword in silver fire.
Asura's grin faltered into awe. "Oh. You've been holding back too?"
The knight stepped forward again, blade burning like a star.
For the first time since the Behemoth, Asura felt the thrill of danger coil in his chest. His golden eyes gleamed brighter, his laughter spilling out into the night.
"Yes… YES! This is it!"
And with a roar, he charged.
✦ Duel in the Blackwood – Steel and Sparks
The clearing was ash and ruin. The corpses of the other scouts lay scattered in broken heaps, mana still crackling faintly from their wounds. Yet all of it felt like background noise now.
Only two remained.
Asura. The demon prince with golden eyes blazing, Yamikami no Tsurugi pulsing in his hands with unstable purple lightning.
And the silent knight—unbroken, unbowed, his silver blade gleaming like it was forged from starlight.
They stood across from one another, the distance between them heavy with tension.
Asura broke it first with a wide grin. "No words? Not even a 'die, demon'? C'mon, you're ruining the trope. The rival's supposed to say something cool."
The knight didn't answer. He only raised his blade in one hand.
"…Fine," Asura muttered. His grin sharpened, his aura flaring. "Then let's just skip to the fight scene."
They clashed.
BOOM!
The first impact cracked the earth beneath them. Lightning and silver fire exploded, trees whipping backward in the shockwave. Their blades sang in a relentless rhythm—clang after clang after clang—each strike faster than the last.
Asura leaned into his Precognition, weaving just barely around each thrust. His grin widened each time he slipped through a gap in the knight's technique. "Hah! Not bad. You're making me sweat!"
[Precognition Lv. 2 → Lv. 3]
The knight pressed harder, the weight behind his blade like an avalanche. Asura blocked, sparks flying, his arms trembling under the pressure.
"Okay, wow. You're heavy." His fangs flashed as he shoved the knight back, golden eyes blazing. "Guess I'll have to flex a little."
✦ Phase Two: Armament Willforce
He inhaled sharply, focusing. His hands trembled faintly as he willed the skill forward.
Armament Willforce.
The reaction was immediate.
A ripple of violet light sparked across his skin before thick, mana-soaked slime began to materialize—glossy, liquid, alive. It crawled from his palms to his forearms, spreading upward in deliberate, pulse-like waves. Each tendril shimmered faintly as it slithered over his chest and shoulders, wrapping around him like sentient armor choosing where to form.
"...Still kinda gross," Asura muttered under his breath, watching the substance ripple and crawl. "But also—kinda cool."
At his command, the liquid shifted from fluid to solid—hardening in ripples of pressure that made the air hum. The surface gleamed black-purple, catching the moonlight like obsidian tempered in flame. Beneath the shell, faint veins of violet energy flickered, giving the armor a molten, otherworldly depth. When he clenched his fist, the air cracked—a sharp pop echoing like breaking glass under pressure.
[Armament Willforce Lv. 1] Activated.
Asura grinned. "Oh yeah… now we're talking."
He surged forward, Yamikami humming low with a hungry resonance. His Willforce-coated arm met the knight's silver blade barehanded—
Sparks shrieked. Metal grated against condensed mana armor—
and held.
The knight froze, just for a moment, his stance faltering.
Asura barked a laugh, eyes alight. "Surprise! Didn't think I'd bring out the good stuff this early, huh?"
With a shove, he forced the knight back, spinning into Crimson Flash Barrage. Purple light tore through the air in a flurry—twelve strikes in the span of a breath. Each impact cracked like thunder; a few broke through the knight's defense. Armor dented. Shoulder slashed. Blood hissed as it met Yamikami's cursed edge.
The knight staggered but steadied, blade flaring with silver fire. Still silent.
Asura panted, golden eyes burning with excitement. "Still not talking, huh? Fine. Be the stoic rival. I'll handle the protagonist duties. Loud, flashy, overconfident—someone's gotta do it."
✦ Phase Three: The Knight's Power
The knight raised his blade in both hands now. His aura surged—silver fire cascading outward like a second sun. The grass burned away. The air screamed.
Asura blinked, grin faltering. "…Oh. You're serious serious now."
The knight blurred forward. CLANG! The blow rattled Asura's bones, his Armament cracking faintly before knitting itself back together.
Strike after strike came like thunderbolts. Asura backpedaled, grinning even as sparks scorched his face. "This is awesome! You're actually making me try!"
He forced Sovereign's Dominion active. The air warped around him—blades missing by fractions, attacks skewing off-course.
[Sovereign's Dominion Lv. 3 → Lv. 4]
But even bent probability couldn't stop everything. A silver slash cut across his chest—too shallow to kill, but deep enough to burn. Blood splattered the ground.
Asura hissed. Then he laughed. "Heh. You actually hit me. Nice!"
Black fire burst across the wound, flesh knitting instantly.
[Demonic Regeneration Lv. 3 → Lv. 4]
The knight faltered. His silence seemed heavier now—less calm, more calculating.
Asura tilted his head, blood still steaming on his skin. "Ohhh, now you're worried. Don't be. I heal fast." His grin sharpened. "Which means I can keep swinging longer than you."
✦ Phase Four: The Awakening
The knight stepped back, silver fire raging around his blade. He raised it high for a finishing blow.
And Asura sighed. "Guess I'll stop playing."
Red-black flames roared to life, exploding from his skin. His horns crackled with unstable energy. Markings etched themselves across his chest and arms, glowing with demonic script. The ground shook beneath him as his aura swallowed the clearing whole.
True Demon Lord Awakening – Partial Manifestation.
The knight froze, silver fire quivering under the weight of Asura's presence.
Asura's golden eyes burned molten. He whispered, voice low and feral:
"Sorry, rival guy. This is where the gap shows."
He blurred forward. Faster than lightning.
Yamikami sang once, a single stroke.
The knight's sword shattered at the middle. His armor split down the chest, blood splattering the dirt.
He collapsed to one knee, silver fire flickering out.
Asura stood over him, chest heaving, cursed blade humming with hunger. His aura dimmed slowly, the markings fading from his skin.
He rested Yamikami on his shoulder, golden eyes gleaming. "…If I wanted you dead, you'd already be ash."
The knight lifted his head weakly. His helm shadowed his face, but his silence remained unbroken.
Asura crouched slightly, grin fading to a sharp line. "Who sent you? Why come after me?"
The knight's gaze—hidden though it was—didn't waver. No answer. Only silence.
Asura exhaled, standing again. "Hmph. Strong, silent type 'til the end, huh? Fine."
He turned away, Yamikami sparking faintly at his side.
"Stay alive. I'll make you talk later."
The forest was silent again, save for the faint hum of his cursed blade and the quiet, steady breathing of the knight he had spared.
✦ Blood in the Throne Room
The obsidian throne room was alive with tension. Nobles in embroidered robes lined the walls, whispering sharp words behind jeweled fans. The Grand Duke and Duchess sat with poised dignity near the dais, their son and daughter behind them—both curious, both restless. The Demon King himself loomed on his throne of black stone and fire, crimson eyes smoldering, his aura heavy enough to silence all but the bravest tongues.
The nobles' arguments had been circling endlessly—border patrols, whispers of humans, the Behemoth's stirring.
And then—
FLASH!
A violent burst of mana cracked the air like lightning. Heat and cold collided, torches flickering wildly, their flames sputtering. Shadows twisted unnaturally along the walls.
At the center of the chamber, the teleportation seal flared and vanished.
And Asura appeared.
The boy prince stood barefooted, the soft tap echoing faintly against the blood-slick tiles. His clothes—his proud, regal warrior's garb—were shredded and soaked in crimson. Cuts crisscrossed his arms and chest, bruises marked his jaw, his golden eyes burned bright even as exhaustion pulled at them. Across his skin, faint demonic markings still flickered from his half-forced Awakening.
In his hand, he dragged a body.
The silent knight's armor was split, dented, and leaking blood. His armor was cracked in two places, his limbs limp. He hit the ground with a brutal CLANG! as Asura released him, the sound ringing through the hall like a funeral bell.
Gasps rippled through the chamber.
Nobles recoiled, some clutching their cloaks to their mouths. The Grand Duke's eyes widened despite himself; the Duchess hid a sharp intake of breath behind her pale hand. Even the seasoned commanders stiffened, staring at the boy drenched in gore, holding an enemy like discarded prey.
Selene—who had lingered at the back of the chamber as part of her duty—went still. Her violet eyes widened, her composure cracking for a heartbeat. The sight of him: barefoot, battered, yet smiling faintly. Her hands curled tightly at her sides, nails digging into her palms to stop herself from rushing forward. She wanted to hold him, to heal him—yet the Demon King's presence froze her where she stood.
Asura swayed on his feet but forced a grin. His voice came hoarse, heavy with fatigue but still laced with cheek.
"Grandfather," he rasped, tossing the knight's body forward another few feet, "your grandson brought back a guest. He's… very rude, though. Doesn't want to talk."
The nobles' whispers surged—blasphemy, arrogance, genius, madness—all mingled into one.
The Demon King rose. Slowly.
Each step he took down the obsidian dais sent tremors through the floor, the pillars groaning as if bowing to his weight. His colossal frame blotted out the light of the braziers, his shadow spilling across the tiles until it swallowed the bloody boy whole.
The nobles held their breath. The Grand Duke straightened in his seat, wary, expectant.
Would he scold him? Strike him? Call it recklessness?
Instead—
The Demon King stopped before Asura. His crimson-gold eyes swept the boy from head to toe: the shredded clothes, the glowing markings, the bare geta sandals clicking faintly against the floor, the blood that wasn't all his own.
Silence.
Then the Demon King grinned. Wide. Savage. Proud.
"You return bloodied," he rumbled, voice like the breaking of mountains, "but you return victorious."
His hand, clawed and massive, dropped heavy on Asura's shoulder. The weight nearly buckled him, but it wasn't crushing—it was grounding. Binding. Recognition.
The King's voice rolled through the chamber, echoing like thunder:
"Behold! My grandson—no mere child, no pampered whelp—but a demon who bleeds, who kills, who survives."
The nobles erupted in whispers again, some in awe, some in terror. The Grand Duke's eyes flickered with calculation and approval. The Duchess's lips pressed thin, half-disbelief, half-respect.
Selene's breath caught in her throat, relief warring with pride. Her heart raced in her chest, and though she schooled her expression, her fingers trembled where no one could see.
Asura's chest heaved, blood dripping from his arm, his smile faint but sharp. For once, it wasn't just his grandfather's shadow that commanded the room.
Even battered, even cut, even standing barefoot in bloody sandals—
The throne room bowed in awe of the prince.
And for the first time, Asura felt it like fire in his veins:
Not just recognition—
But fear.
Fear of him.
And it made him grin wider through the blood.