Chapter 96: Shadows of Judgment and Firelit Retribution
Chapter 96: Shadows of Judgment and Firelit Retribution
The man barely had time to even say a "hi" to Zorathys before Zorathys leaned forward, and with a flick of his wrist, the man at the head of the table was already headless. The motion was almost casual, executed with such precision that the crowd froze in disbelief before the body hit the floor with a thud that was both grotesque and final.
Gasps filled the hall, swallowed by terrified silence. The demons standing around—from the smallest imps to hulking ogres—could barely breathe. Their claws trembled, tails swished nervously, and wings twitched uncontrollably. The music that had played moments ago fell silent as fear gripped every being in the room. The once lively atmosphere of celebration was now choked by the weight of sudden death.
Zorathys sat back in his chair, hugging his enormous body pillow tightly, crimson eyes flicking lazily across the room. He spoke in a tone that was deceptively light, almost casual, but it carried the weight of inevitability.
"Play the music," he commanded, voice smooth and commanding. "I was enjoying it."
A single ogre, massive even among the crowd of fire-demons, fell to his knees with a trembling crash, his knees digging into the stone floor. "Forgive us, my king," he bellowed, voice cracking with fear. "We did not plan this! It was Castellan! It was all Castellan’s doing! We... we had no choice!"
Zorathys tilted his head slightly, his ruby eyes locking onto the ogre. The faintest smirk played across his lips as he asked quietly, "And who told you to speak?"
The ogre swallowed hard, fear pressing against his throat. He did not answer, his courage failing under the weight of the king’s gaze.
Just then, the heavy doors of the hall burst open with a crash, slamming against the wall. Two figures ran frantically into the night, escaping through the main entrance. Zorathys’s hand lifted slightly, and he gave Naviel a subtle nod.
Naviel’s lips curved into a cruel, knowing smile. Without a word, he stepped into the open air, removing his cufflinks with deliberate slowness, his movements precise and unnervingly calm. He waited just beyond the gates, watching the fleeing figures reach the dark water body that glimmered under the faint light of the hellfire sky.
As the two demons plunged into the water, merging with its surface, Naviel grinned, transforming. His form shifted—scales glinting, fins appearing, and teeth sharpening. The siren he truly was, the nastiest to have ever left the depths, emerged as a predator of the water. Perhaps if Elyn could see him now, she wouldn’t be able to reconcile that Naviel was the same beautiful demon she had seen before. With a faint hum of malicious pleasure, Naviel pursued the fleeing demons, their cries quickly muffled beneath the water’s surface.
Back in the castle, Ignivar moved swiftly. Blue flames, hotter and more intense than the typical yellow blaze, flared from his fingertips, stretching along the walls and ceiling. Every flame hissed with heat, the kind that could melt stone if left unchecked. His presence was a warning to any who dared move, and the room was effectively locked in a cage of heat and terror.
Zorathys’s voice cut through the crackling air, calm and deliberate, addressing the trembling ogre. "Tell me... where are the children?"
The ogre’s knees dug into the floor as he shook violently. "I... I don’t know! I swear, my lord, I do no—"
Before he could even finish, Zorathys leaned forward slightly. With a simple motion, the ogre’s head left his body, rolling across the floor with a sickening bounce. Silence settled again, thick and suffocating.
Zorathys straightened, ruby eyes sweeping the terrified crowd. "Whose next?" he asked, voice deceptively casual. "Anyone who can tell me where the kidnapped children are and who they were sold to will live."
He had no intention of letting them survive, especially since they had disturbed his beauty sleep. The fact that such atrocities occurred in the demon realm irritated him; he despised child trafficking, particularly among demons.
A small imp shuffled forward hesitantly, sweat streaking its face. Its voice was small but clear. "My... my king—"
"Really? I thought I lost that title when you decided to sell our young kind, even knowing how rare they are," Zorathys said sharply.
"I... I’m sorry," the imp said immediately.
"Just get to the point," Zorathys said with a tired yawn.
The imp nodded. "The children are deep beneath one of the mines in the hellfire territory. Specifically... the Ashen Hollow Mine."
Zorathys rose smoothly, taking the imp’s hands in his own, his grip firm but not crushing. "Thank you," he said softly, the calmness in his tone contrasting with the terror in the room.
The imp’s eyes widened, hope flickering briefly. "I... I will survive, yes?" it asked, voice trembling.
Zorathys yawned, a long, deliberate stretch of his jaw. "You..."
The imp fell face-first, body limp, its life extinguished in a heartbeat. Silence returned once more, heavier than before.
"...will not," Zorathys finished, the words lingering in the air.
From the shadows, a fox demon with three sleek tails stepped forward, its movements smooth, almost predatory. "The children are being sold to humans," the fox demon said. "Three kingdoms are involved: Aelthryndivoryssalindria, Tivarheliamepistore, and Moorkinstatorm."
Zorathys almost felt a heat attack coming from hearing the names, because of how ridiculous they sounded. But apart from that, the mention of Aelthryndivoryssalindria—Ignivar’s sharp eyes flicked at it—was concerning. It was where the queen came from. The tension in his posture tightened. But Zorathys only smiled faintly at the fox demon, unbothered.
The fox demon continued. "Some humans are even arriving to pick up certain children. The rest will be delivered as arranged by the buyers."
Zorathys nodded slowly, his gaze sweeping the room, resting briefly on the ogres, imps, and other demons frozen in fear. "Was this party... to celebrate how much you’ve earned from child trafficking?"
The fox demon’s tails flicked with excitement. "Yes!" it said enthusiastically.
"Is everyone here involved?" Zorathys asked, calm as still water.
"Yes," the demon replied without hesitation.
Zorathys’s smile widened subtly. At that point, every demon except the fox demon realized the truth: none of them would survive this night.
In one swift, fluid motion, shadows erupted from Zorathys’s form, tendrils of black curling outward like living smoke. They enveloped the entire castle, licking along the walls, creeping into every room, every crevice, every hall. Within minutes, the great fortress was consumed. Flames and shadow danced together as the screams of the guilty echoed for a moment before silence fell. Every demon who had attended the party lay dead, a testament to Zorathys’s inexorable will.
He sighed, a faint annoyance in his tone as his crimson eyes swept the carnage. "Ugh... my pyjamas," he muttered, noticing the stains of different colors of blood creeping along the folds of his soft fabric.
Ignivar exhaled, already knowing what was expected. The cleanup would be his responsibility. He straightened, preparing for the endless task that awaited him in the aftermath of Zorathys’s wrath.
Without another word, Zorathys disappeared from the ruined castle. Shadows curled around him like a cloak, and he reappeared instantly at the edge of the sea, where Naviel was waiting, his form partially submerged, grinning with predatory satisfaction.
Zorathys gave Naviel a sharp, withering look. Naviel, unbothered, simply grinned wider, clearly enjoying the discomfort he caused the king.
"I have the information," Zorathys said, his tone clipped but calm.
Naviel nodded.
Zorathys recounted the details of the Ashen Hollow Mine and the kingdoms involved in the child trafficking operation.
"Here," Zorathys said, gesturing to shadows forming at his side. They solidified into soldiers, obedient and fierce, ready to assist Naviel in enforcing the king’s will.
Naviel exhaled, already calculating the work ahead, the tasks that would follow from this one brutal night.
Zorathys yawned, long and leisurely, a sound that carried over the waves of the fire-touched water. "I’m going back to sleep," he declared, curling his body pillow closer.
Naviel sighed, resigned, fully aware of the labor that would soon consume him.
The night remained quiet, save for the gentle lapping of the fire-touched waves, the distant glow of lava, and the faint hum of a king finally returning to his rest.
Oh, and the two demons who would be worked to the bone.