Leon slowly opened his eyes. His body floated, adrift in emptiness. There was no up, no down, no direction—only thick darkness swallowing him whole, cold and silent, as if time itself had stopped.
"Finally awake, young demon."
The voice sent chills down Leon's spine. From the darkness, a pair of blood-red eyes emerged. Gradually, black smoke coalesced into the form of a demon clad in a robe of still-writhing dragonhide.
"At last... after waiting thousands of years... I've found you."
Leon tried to scream, but his mouth was sealed shut.
"You must be confused," the demon continued, stepping closer.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Satan, one of the ancient Demon Kings and an ancestor of your kind."
"Sa...tan?" Leon tried to retreat but couldn't move.
The demon drew nearer, his hand pressing against Leon's chest—piercing through.
"They killed you once. Do you wish to die again?"
A flashback surged through Leon's mind.
A human's sword impaling his chest. The mocking laughter of demon soldiers before battle. His final smile before death.
The vision ended.
Satan laughed, the sound shaking the void around them. "Relax, young demon. I'll show you how to awaken the true power sleeping within you."
"But that's enough for now... When you're strong enough, we'll speak again—without these limitations."
---
Leon jolted awake, gasping for air, cold sweat drenching his forehead. Soft light seeped through a large window, chasing away the lingering shadows of his nightmare.
"Where am I?"
Creak…
The door opened. Instinctively, Leon sprang into a fighting stance.
"A-Ahhh!"
The figure at the door shrieked, stumbled back, and fainted.
Panicked, Leon realized his mistake—it wasn't an enemy but a young woman with deep blue-black hair and striking violet eyes.
Quickly, he carried her to the bed.
Two hours later…
The girl stirred awake.
"I'm sorry... I thought you were an enemy. I didn't mean to knock you out."
"It's alright. I should've knocked first."
"May I ask... where am I?"
"You're in the palace of House Belphegor."
"The Belphegor palace? But how?"
"My brother saved you on the battlefield."
"Oh! I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Sylvaine Belphegor."
"Belphegor...?" Leon immediately dropped to his knees in panic.
"Forgive my rudeness, Your Highness!"
"Enough, it's fine!" Sylvaine huffed.
"Lift your head! My family dislikes excessive formalities."
Reluctantly, Leon obeyed.
Knock! Knock!
"Little sister," a deep voice called from behind the door.
"I heard our guest is awake?"
"Yes, brother."
"Come in!"
The door swung open, revealing Demon King Zephyr—a towering figure at 2.5 meters tall—smiling warmly at Leon.
"Hello there. What's your name, young demon?"
Leon trembled. "I am Leon Astaroth, Your Majesty—a low-class demon from a small town in the Beelzebub territory. Forgive me... someone like me shouldn't be in your noble palace."
"Low-class, high-class... that's all nonsense," Zephyr scoffed.
"Strength is what matters. And I see great potential in you, Leon."
"Truthfully, I saved you because your power intrigued me. A low-class demon with such potent aura is rare."
"Stay here. Become my army's commander."
Leon was stunned. Zephyr's attitude was nothing like the nobles he'd encountered before.
"Very well... I accept, Your Majesty. If this is how I can repay your kindness."
Zephyr grinned. "Good. Sylvaine, show Leon around the palace afterward."
"Of course!"
"I'll take my leave now—duties await."
"Thank you again, Your Majesty."
---
"Come on, Leon! I'll show you the interesting parts of the palace. You'll love it!"
Sylvaine led him through grand halls—the ancient library, the beast stables, the training grounds.
"And this is—"
BAM!
Something crashed into Leon from the side, slamming him onto the floor. Laughter echoed above him.
"Oops! My bad! Got a little too excited. You must be the new demon, huh?"
Leon looked up. A strange figure loomed over him, grinning wildly with gleaming eyes.
=== CHAPTER 2 END ===