Chapter 201 - [Bonus ] The Demon Princess Before Her Slumber

War of the two gods has been raging for a while. Even the followers who were the main cause of the war are now doing their own wars and fighting among each other. It wasn't even that long since the war erupted but it seems the world has been divided and war is now inevitable.

"Your highness! The supporters of the goddess of Life are now charging and they are on the way to the throne room! It is getting dangerous right now!"

The current demon king, the 12th of the pureblood demon in the bloodline, Qoudelio opened his eyes, after hearing the situation inside the castle. As someone who favors the goddess of death, he is quite sure he and his family will be dragged into the battle of the two factions who are not going to just let go and forgive and forget the situation. It's a kill or be killed war.

He look at his daughter who was grooming his familiar, Byakko, and sighed. If not for this stupid war, he would have had good enough time to have fun with his family and take care of his daughter. Due to the recent amount of trouble being brewed by the enemies, his time being spent on his daughter and wife has lessened a lot. He hated it but he cannot just turn a blind eye to the situation and run away. As a king, he has to face everything.

Lucia, the princess that was grooming Byakko looked at her father who was looking at her, and smiled. Although her father spends lesser time with her mother compared to the past, she understands that he can't shirk away from the duty of being the king of the demons. It is the talk in the whole kingdom and the danger looming due to the war is making the king anxious and not sure what to do.

Qoudelio stood up from his throne and approached Lucia, rubbing her hair along with Byakko.

"Lucia, I know that you are waiting for me to spend time with you today but it seems I can't do that. With all the trouble happening in our kingdom, I have to make moves on the situation so that matters will not get worse than they ever did already."

"I know, Father. I know you don't have enough time for us due to the war happening but I hope that you don't push yourself too much. You might be a king but you are not invincible. You also need a rest too."

"I know. But I have to sacrifice rest if I want the kingdom to at least get the peace it has to win. So that you and your mother will live a peaceful life even in these chaotic times."

They were still talking with each other when a demon guard barges inside the room and was hastily running towards the king.

"Your majesty! The enemies are coming this way! Please evacuate already! We will block your escape! Please save your daughter and the others!"

Qoudelio gritted his teeth and snap his hands. The soldiers in the vicinity glow in red, overflowing with power.

"You are all my loyal guards, followers of the Goddess of Death, and my beloved friends. Please, if possible, come back alive."

The soldiers grinned and gave one last salute to the king of the demons.

"We will not disappoint you, your majesty!"

Qoudelio then turns to his summon and carries his daughter in his arms.

"Byakko,  let's go. Let's visit my wife."

Byakko, the white tiger of the West opened his eyes and stood up.

"If it is urgent, then let's not waste time."

"Thanks," Qoudelio said before they departed.

As for the soldiers, they might have said that they won't disappoint the king of demons to survive and return with him, but that day, they managed to fulfill their last mission. However, that is the last mission that they will ever complete.

....

Byakko's speed is expected as one who governs the lightning, Byakko's speed cannot be underestimated. They arrived in the residence where the queen of the demons resides. Due to some reasons, the queen only comes to the demon castle only in certain occasions. Usually, she stays at home to take matters done in her own house. It wasn't unusual at all and she prefers it that way and only let Qoudelio deal with the matters that he alone can handle without a problem.

Riots and vandalism started to occur left and right around the place. It was a miracle that the residence was still intact and there are still no mobs of enemies rushing in.

"Caroline! Are you there?" Qoudelio's voice was shaking a bit but he is making sure that he is not showing any signs of weakness.

"Mom!" Lucia also called.

They heard a few noises upstairs, however, there are no confirmation that it was Caroline who was making it.

"Damn it!" Qoudelio quickly rushes upstairs and even skips a few steps allowing him to reach the 2nd floor of the mansion in a matter of seconds. He heightened his senses and waved his hands.

"REND!"

The walls suddenly break apart and even though it looked like it broke apart, it looks more like it moved apart following the command of Qoudelio. Every obstacle seems to have a mind on its own and moved away from Qoudelio's path as he rushes towards the room where his wife usually stays during the day.

The door that was closed senses Qoudelio's approaching figure and didn't hesitate to open it even though Qoudelio didn't touch the doorknob or even the door just yet. It just opened on its own.

Inside, an unknown assailant was currently choking Caroline on the wall while Caroline is fighting her best to struggle from the attack of the unknown assailant. Due to the surprise of the assailant from the sudden opening of the door, the grip on Caroline's neck loosened a bit allowing Caroline to catch her breath and use this chance to fight back.

"BIND!"

The assailant didn't expect his target to move and was caught off guard. The [Bind] quickly landed on the assailant, stopping him from doing any further damage to Caroline. He flew away from the queen of demons and was immediately pinned to the walls.

"You must be tired from living if you are assaulting my wife!" Qoudelio swiftly filled the gap between him and the assailant and stab his chest with his bare hands. He didn't pierce through the heart of the assailant, he grab it and hold it in his hands.

"W...wait!" the assailant tried to plead, but it seems the demon king has finally run out of mercy to spare.

"TWIST!"

The assailant suddenly felt a wild pang of pain on his chest where his heart was. However, it was not just normal chest pain. The heart that Qoudelio currently is gripping suddenly deformed from its normal form and started twisting in a different manner, causing blood to burst out from his mouth. And it looks like not only his heart is being twisted. His eyes started to roll on his eye sockets, and his nose started to release blood. His screams are blood-curdling for a moment before he burst into pieces of guts and blood.

Qoudelio then cast cleaning magic cleaning himself from the filth of the explosion of the assailant and immediately went to his wife who was still holding her neck due to the recent choking.

"Caroline, are you alright? Where are the maids and the guards?"

"They were all dead... Cough... they were killed before they can do anything and targeted me last since I was here and was currently doing some of my things. I only found out that everyone is dead when I asked for help."

"Sh*t, I was almost too late. Thankfully, you are safe now. We will be evacuating to the shrine. The situation is no longer something I can easily handle. I have to evacuate you and Lucia to avoid the situation."

"What about you?"

"Don't worry, I will be coming too."

"Where is Lucia?"

"She is with Byakko. Don't worry, she was in safe hands. Now let's go before those supporters of the Goddess of Life arrives. I don't know what to do anymore if we met them again. I might resort again to a violent approach if this continues."

Caroline nodded and immediately went out with Qoudelio. Lucia and Caroline hugged when they met and quickly departed with Byakko towards the shrine. The last bastion of hope that Qoudelio made as a last resort to escape the enemies. He didn't expect he would be using this facility for the purpose it was intended.

With the speed of Byakko, they managed to arrive at the shrine. However, the fast they arrived at the shrine, the faster the enemies also followed them and surrounded them in the shrine.

"Give it up demon king! We know that you and your family are devoted to the Goddess of Death. Since your beliefs were against the Goddess of Life, we have come here, in the name of the Goddess of Life to relinquish the life that she bestowed from you and your family and surrender!"

Qoudelio gritted his teeth and guarded his daughter and wife. "You will face me first before you can touch my family!"

"DAD!" Lucia tried to stop her father but before she could do so, she was pushed by her mother to the middle of the shrine. All of a sudden, Lucia was encased in a coffin. The last moment she saw her mom is when she smiled after pushing her there. 

"DAD! MOM! NO! LET ME OUT OF HERE!" she continued to bang the lid of the coffin and tried her best to push it off.

"BYAKKO! HELP!"

However, her screams were all in naught. Then, extreme drowsiness hits her. She tried her best to keep her consciousness awake. However, it seems the one that caused her to feel so drowsy is just too strong for her to handle. Before she can even fight back, her consciousness denies her what is about to happen next.

"Mom... Dad..." and before she knew it, she was engulfed in endless darkness.

And that was the beginning of her long slumber in which no one knew when she will awaken again.