Chapter 303 - Purging

Kretos didn't really want to rule over all the demons but this was a necessary step for future battles he wished to have. If he was going to do it, he needed to make sure that he wouldn't be stabbed in the back. There might have been other ways to handle this situation, but this was the only way Kretos thought would be quick and effective. Also at the moment aside from killing he had no other skill.

The moment Kretos asked his question, the defiant demons and even those that already pledged loyalty to him were sweating buckets. They couldn't do anything but tremble as the dread was slowly encroaching their very souls. 

Many of those that wish to defy Kretos were feeling weak in the knee. Even the prideful Vampire Tribe couldn't say anything in front of Kretos's overpowering presence. As the ones who were defying Kretos were about to give up and take a knee one of them spoke. 

"Do you think will bow down to your threat?! All of you kneeling don't you feel ashamed?! We are demons, have you all lost your pride, kneeling to a child who isn't even half a century old? If all of us stand up to him, he wouldn't be able to control all of us." One of the warriors of the Herto tribe shouted at the others while looking at them with disgust. 

When the other demons heard what the Herto tribe warrior said they felt a little empowered. Even though they were truly scared of Kretos's power, they felt like they could do something if they stand up together. 

The other smaller tribes started to get up and looked at Kretos in defiance. In response to that, Kretos didn't say anything and simply look on without saying a word. Seeing there was no response from Kretos embolden the other tribes to stand up as well. 

The larger tribes like the Vampire Tribe and the Succubus Tribe hesitated to do anything at this moment. The Vampire tribe who were a very prideful tribe didn't do anything since after feeling Kretos's burst of mana they knew they stood no chance. 

The Succubus Tribe members, on the other hand, were enamored by Kretos's overwhelming power. They were convinced the moment they felt his pure powerful mana that he emitted.

After waiting for some time the stronger larger tribes no longer fought back and were kneeling on the ground. On the other hand, the majority of the weaker tribes had gathered up their courage and stood in defiance of Kretos. 

"So you won't bow down to me?" Kretos asked his tone was so icy that it made the people who were listening feel their blood grow colder. This time the weaker tribes their warriors and their leaders weren't as intimidated as before. 

They stood in front of Kretos with the courage of numbers. The warrior from the Herto Tribe faced Kretos without any fear in his eyes. The Herto tribe was a weaker clan that seemed to have evolved from the monster called Goblins. They were stronger, faster, and smarter than Goblins, in fact, they looked like humans but with green skin and one little horn on their head. 

This Herto tribe warrior was the same person who spoke at the beginning defying Kretos. He once again looked at Kretos with a glare while holding onto his sword. 

"You can't intimidate us with a bluff. We will never bow down to you!" The leader of the Herto tribe nodded at his warrior's response. The other weaker tribes who stood up against Kretos were now full of confidence and courage.

"So you think I'm bluffing?"

"What else could this be but a bluff?" 

"I see... Fine, last chance will you bow or not?" 

"Are you deaf, we will not do it!" The Herto Warrior shouted at Kretos. 

"How about the others do you feel the same?" Kretos looked at the other demons who were standing up in defiance. They held onto their weapons and answered. 

"We will not bend to your tyranny!" 

"You are no demon lord of ours!" 

"Who are you trying to scare?!" 

Tsukiko who was standing behind Kretos sighed as she watched the idiots shouting at Kretos. These fools didn't understand who they were provoking.

"Hmph, fine... Shera point to me who the Tribe leaders are among these group of demons." The demons who were standing were confused as to why Kretos asked this. Shera started pointing at the tribe leaders, and once Kretos confirmed who was who he nodded his head. 

As everyone was confused about what Kretos was going to do, Kretos lifted one finger up to his head and then he swung it to the side like a sword. Everyone became even more confused when they saw Kretos's action. What did he just do, what was the point of that? He did use some mana but it was rather weak compared to the suffocating mana he had emitted at the beginning.

While everyone was thinking about what Kretos did, something shocking happened a few seconds later. The heads of all the warriors of the tribes that stood up in defiance had their heads detached from their bodies. Blood started raining down and splattering all over the place. 

The Vampires were greatly affected by the intense smell of blood and were about to go into a frenzy, but when they looked at Kretos they lowered their heads even more trying their hardest to suppress their urges. 

The other demons who were hesitant at the beginning were now glad that they chose to kneel to Kretos. As for the tribe leaders of the small tribes that stood up to Kretos, they were still stunned by what transpired. 

Their strongest warriors who were considered the best among all the others in their tribe were killed so easily. They couldn't even react to one of Kretos's attack, nay they couldn't even see what Kretos did. 

"Do you know why I didn't kill you with your warriors?" Kretos spoke to the tribe leaders. When the tribe leaders heard Kretos's question they were jolted awake. It was at this moment they regretted defying Kretos. Who said he was bluffing when he said he would kill them, he wasn't bluffing at all!

The tribe leaders simply looked at Kretos in fear unable to say anything. When Kretos saw their reactions he answered for them. 

"I didn't kill you so that you can regret it. I want you to regret your decision. Because of what you did today your whole tribe will now cease to exist." 

When the tribe leaders heard what Kretos said their expression changed from fear to pure desperation. They all quickly knelt down and spoke in a loud voice. 

"Demon Lord Kretos, please spare my tribe. I will endure any torture as long as you spare my tribe." 

"I beg of you Demon Lord Kretos, please be magnanimous. It is only my fault and my fault alone, as the leader of the tribe, I was blinded by my pride. I beg of you please just take my life and not the life of my tribe." 

"Demon Lord Kretos if you spare my tribe, they will follow you as your most loyal servants. We will go to the underworld and fight death himself if you say so." 

The tribe leaders who heard what Kretos said regretted what they did. Now the only thing they could do was beg for forgiveness and see if Kretos would spare them. 

"Hmph, I am a man that is true to his word. I do not regret nor do I back out from what I say. If I said your tribes will be annihilated then your tribes will be annihilated." 

When the tribe leader heard Kretos's declaration and saw the cold look of indifference on his face, the tribe leaders knew that they had failed to move him. They now had become the sinners of their tribe, they will forever be known as the tribe leaders that doomed their whole tribe. 

Now that they know they stand no chance of survival, most of the Tribe leaders were waiting for their deaths to come, hopelessness had enveloped them. On the other hand, some of the tribe leaders started to get angry. 

"Kretos I curse you and your descendants!"

"Kretos you are nothing more than a tyrant, there will come a day that someone will kill you in the most gruesome way possible!" 

While the angry tribe leaders kept hurling curses at Kretos, Tsukiko found the whole thing rather sad. From this day onward the demon tribes will become fewer. Kretos once again released his bloodl.u.s.t which made the tribe leaders shut up. 

"You know death is not frightening, it is when one loses the courage to fight is what frightens me. All you and your dead warriors did was bark and bark but not bite. If even one of you had attacked me I would've probably spared your tribes. But from start to finish you guys never showed me that kind of courage." After saying that Kretos no longer bothered to talk to the tribe leaders and quickly dealt with them. 

Once those that openly defied him had died Kretos looked at the other demons and asked them. 

"So will you pledge allegiance to me?" 

When they heard Kretos question no one hesitated any longer and all the demons answered in unison as if they had practiced it. 

"We swear allegiance to the strongest demon lord Kretos!" Hearing their thunderous response Kretos nodded his head. 

"Alright then, to show me your loyalty, I want all of you to go out and annihilate the tribes of the cowardly fools that defied me today." 

"It will be as you wish!" The demons answered loud and clear.