Chapter 677: The King of Hell, and his legions of fanatics.
Victor walked through his castle with confident, heavy steps, and a noble bearing fit for a king, all the way to his private chambers, where he would meet a troublesome woman. The subordinate demons who had joined him in the last war that he initiated bowed in reverence every time he passed through the halls.
All of them were lesser demons tasked with cleaning the castle and passing on Victor's orders if necessary. Most of them were female Maids.
Victor didn't know how much time had passed since he entered that castle and took the title of the King of Hell. For him, it's like those events happened just yesterday.
But he knew that it wasn't. Learning about the history of hell, learning about the inner politics of higher demons, learning how demons came to exist, all of this ancient knowledge was very easy for Victor to master. He already had the memories of the pillars demons he absorbed, demons that had been alive for a long time.
In terms of politics, everything was even easier.
Demons respected strength, and Victor was the strongest, and using that strength, he reformed all of demon society.
Society was now built on a merit system.
Lineage, ancient clan, influences, it all didn't matter.
If you were talented, if you were useful, you would rise through the ranks, and you would receive a reward directly from the king.
The Reward, most of the time, being the power increase itself.
In a nutshell, Victor transformed the entire race of demons into a race of warriors that directly served him.
And despite having done that, he insisted on giving opportunities to everyone. After all, he understood that in such a society, all other demons that were not 'warriors' would be exploited, and the society would not progress.
In his kingdom, there was room not only for warriors but for demons who did logistics and even demons who sought to know the very history of demons.
Even research demons who sought new ways to improve the demons' meager technology were highly prized.
Although not everything was rosy, demons, at the end of the day, are still demons, beings of sin, and completely repressing that nature was counterproductive.
Demons that had gotten stronger were often seen abusing weaker demons, and demons that had gained influence were often seen taking advantage of those that hadn't.
To prevent this kind of thing from happening too much, an arena was built, and duels to solve those problems were created.
Do you have a problem with me? Let's fight and settle this.
1 x 1, no clout, no nothing, just me and you.
Surprisingly, this idea was very successful, and the occurrence of demons abusing their new authority went down.
The reason for this was that when someone lost in the arena when such a duel was held, the demon who lost usually forfeited his government position to the demon who won.
Something that, in their opinion, was very bad. Being close to the new king was something of immense pride for these demons.
Another thing that happened was that the arena became a frequent meeting place for bloodthirsty demons who like to fight.
Victor even decided to give 'prizes' for events that took place in the arena. As long as the request was acceptable, the winner would get anything they wanted.
Such a place matched the demons' mentality quite well and spawned several other small jobs for demons as a result of the arena's growth in popularity.
An example of this was little demons with wings that had the ability to travel very fast. They were weak beings and not worthy of attention, but... They were the perfect 'delivery boys'.
They traveled to even the farthest corners of hell, and due to years spent on the run from predators, they knew hell inside and out.
Surprisingly, these devils were becoming like a company selling products and delivering goods in hell, and they were getting very rich.
They were also the demons who were the most fanatical of the new king, claiming that such an opportunity would not arise if Victor did not rise to power.
Thus, due to these matters and several others…
The change in demon society was surprisingly smooth, and there weren't many complaints.
Demons were 'modernizing', and even the hell fields that were used to punish sinners were becoming more... efficient.
Instead of an eternal punishment, the punishment was now done with a stick-and-carrot system.
The eternally suffering souls would have a day of rest, and on that day, they enjoyed all the basic 'luxuries' of a normal human being, and the next day their punishment would return.
This method worked very well, and most of the souls in hell started to move on. Apparently, the fear of not enjoying life's 'basic' luxuries was much more terrifying than endless torture.
After all, after thousands of years, they could get used to the pain and become dull. When these souls are presented with simple pleasures, they remember what their life was like and wish to get that back, leading to repentance of their sins, and want to move on to reincarnation.
Of course, this privilege was only for the lowest levels of sinners, beings who had committed sins but ones which weren't unforgivable sins. In the Unforgivable Sins session, Victor didn't even bother changing the punishment.
For him, those souls could suffer eternally, and he wouldn't even care.
Along with his three generals: Vine, the destroyer. Vepar, the proud. And Helena, the strategist. Victor had full control of hell in his hands.
By the way, the titles were not decided by him. It was the devils who chose to call the generals that way.
Victor himself was called the tyrant king.
Apparently, those titles were born from their own actions.
Once in her rage over a demon who clearly disrespected Victor, Vine personally visited the man's territory and sank the entire place in storms destroying it entirely, which gave her the title of the destroyer.
The three generals were very loyal to the king, and any insult to the king himself could have very serious consequences, something that was shared by all the demons that 'followed' Victor in his conquest from the beginning.
These men and women were fanatics, and they glorified the name of Victor as if he were a god of the new world, the messiah from hell, the very antichrist.
And the popularity of these thoughts grew with each passing day.
Yes, as a former human, Victor didn't know how to feel about the 'antichrist'. He didn't expect the demons' fanaticism to grow so much that it would lead them to call him by that name.
'Well, at least they're in my control… And it's not like I'm called worse names by the masses.' Victor tried to be content with that fact, and he tried not to care.
Entering a room, Victor looked at a woman.
By adding the merit system, it gave all demons opportunities to rise through the ranks, something that was not wasted by this woman, who quickly demonstrated her political skills and became one of the important figures in the politics of the higher demons.
Because of this woman 'telling' the high level demons how 'powerful' the current king was, his reign was quite smooth.
The woman was not wrong, Victor was powerful, but Victor himself knew that this woman exaggerated his depiction for those who did not know him personally. He was absolutely sure that the exaggerated nicknames of 'antichrist' and the 'messiah of hell' were started by that woman.
She was further enhancing Victor's reputation in hell.
This woman's name was: Lily Baal née Lucifer, the wife of former Rank 1 Baal.
The daughter of the first king of Hell, Lucifer.
Apparently, the name 'Lily' was a tribute to 'Lilith', Lucifer's former wife and Lily's mother.
Why ancient rank 1 Baal? Well, Victor destroyed the demonic pillar systems.
He is the one who rules above all.
He is the one above all, he is the King, and his authority will not be questioned by anyone.
The only ones in a position to question Victor on something and give advice are the generals themselves and the elders of hell, who are the oldest demons in hell. They are the only ones Victor ALLOWED to be able to question him.
Victor did not consider himself perfect or think that he would never make mistakes, so seeing other points of view was essential.
That's the lesson he learned from living with his wives.
"Lady Baal," Victor spoke in a neutral, heavy tone that carried the majesty of a king, the authoritative weight of one, and the pressure of a strong warrior.
The woman with long black hair tipped with red, the sinful body of a succubus, and blood-red eyes smiled seductively at Victor.
Like Helena, she had her Succubus features, horns on her head, a thin tail, and two leathery wings behind her.
She got up from where she was sitting, bowed in respect, and spoke eloquently:
"Your Highness, the strongest individual in hell, the king among kings, the one even my father would be wary of facing, I am very happy to see you."
"Cut the fawning Lady Baal. What do you want?"
"Can I not visit you just to see your dazzling beauty that surpasses even prettier gods like Apollo?" She spoke the god's name dismissively, indicating that comparing Victor's beauty to Apollo was disrespectful to Victor.
"...." Victor raised an eyebrow in amusement at this woman. She had a way with words; that was a fact. He walked towards the sofa in front of a fireplace filled with blue flames.
He crossed his legs, rested his face in his hand, and spoke in a bored but authoritative tone:
"Sit down."
Lily, who was watching all this with the same smile on her face, nodded her head and sat down in front of Victor as she looked at the man in full plate armor and his long black hair floating around covered in dark miasma.
She wasn't lying when she said she came here just to savor the beauty of the new king. It was common sense in the female demon community that the new king was the most handsome man in hell and even the supernatural world. It was no exaggeration to say that all demons got soggy panties at just the sight of the man and wild fantasies of the man 'devouring' her in bed.
She was one of them, so what if she was married? She was a demon, a being of sin. She was never interested in anyone before because her husband Baal was enough, he wasn't ugly either, but in front of the new king, Baal looked like a fat hairless mouse.
Part of the reason she quickly rose through the new ranks was just to observe the new king on a daily basis, but she was still very jealous of the generals.
The other reason was to ensure her own safety. As she became someone important in the new society, the new king was unlikely to kill her when he eliminated Baal.
Lily didn't even feel pity or pain at that thought. In truth, she didn't care much as long as she stayed alive and got what she wanted.
She was a cruel woman, like all female demons; that was their nature, after all.
When her foolish father left, she married Baal, the former rank 1, to survive and have time to get stronger. Her lineage was also very valuable, being the direct daughter of Lucifer and Lilith.
When the new king Diablo rose to power, she supported the new king along with her husband, who was very loyal to Diablo.
When Diablo lost power, and Victor rose as the new king, she was fascinated by how in just a few short years, he had changed demon society, and she quickly seized the chance to become someone irreplaceable in the new government.
'A society that values merit over lineage and clan?' She found this thought very fascinating. At first, she thought it wouldn't work out, but the new king proved to her how wrong she was.
Nowadays, a lesser demon who was in charge of logistics and internal affairs involving Alucard's government had more political power than an ancient demonic pillar, and all those demons that were part of Alucard's government were protected by Alucard's army and Alucard himself.
After all, without them, society could not function.
Proof of that was Lily herself. Even though she was so strong, she still had several elite demons for her protection because of the position she got as the one who handles the superior demons and all forms of internal politics.
"Helena wouldn't let you talk to me if you didn't have something very important to talk about."
Lily narrowed her eyes a little when she heard Helena's name.
"... Indeed."
Helena, the strategist as the demons called her, was one of Victor's generals, the daughter of Gremory, and had an exceptional talent for making large-scale strategies and long plans that lasted several years.
She proved her potential to the king by dominating several pillar rank cities with just a few demons.
She and the four hand-picked commanders were responsible for the internal and external policy of Alucard's new government. She was also Lily's 'superior', and the two often worked together.
… Rumor has it that she and the other two generals warm the king's bed at night.
'Lucky Bitch.' Lily was never one to envy anyone. After all, she was born with everything, good lineage, power, and influence, but she envied the three generals a lot.
Vine, and her four commanders, were responsible for the war and training the new demon forces. Essentially, they were the military part of Victor's army.
Vepar, and her four commanders, were responsible for the logistics and administration of the immense place called 'hell'. This group was also responsible for the administration of the various 'hells' where sinful souls suffered eternal punishment.
Not counting, of course, Helena, as mentioned earlier.
This group was the 'core' of government in the new Demon King, and they were the pillars of the new society.
"Your Majesty would find out eventually. I know how competent Lady Helena is in tracking down the forces that walk in the shadows, which is why I decided to tell you myself."
"…Oh?"
"My son, Luka… That fool." She spoke dismissively at the end, in a tone mixed with sadness, "He has joined the faction of demons composed of ancient pillars and is planning an attack on this place in an attempt to kill you."
"..." Victor didn't even blink at that information; this was something common. There was always a group of demons who were against what Victor was doing, most of them being ancient demons who refused to adapt to the new society.
Victor didn't think much of them. They're just a bunch of weak demons who cry like a Bullying child who has lost his right to 'beat' the weak.
In the end, they would all become dog food or be paraded around the public square with ice spikes driven all over their bodies.
"And what is your purpose in telling me this, Lady Baal. Do you want a lighter punishment for your son again?"
"Wrong. I want to punish him myself in front of you."
"… Heh?"
"I have already taken so much advantage of our exalted king's kindness. I have asked for clemency once and punished him with such torture in the hope that the foolish and rebellious mind he inherited from his father would not dare think of such things again."
"... But that fool spat on my efforts and repeated the same mistake. And Your Highness, you know very well that I hate to make useless efforts." Lily spoke with a vicious venom in her words that surprised Victor a little internally.
"I've told everyone I know a million times that your majesty's greatness surpasses even my father's, but that fool looks like he was born with brain problems and never listens to me… Did I hit him too hard?" Lily rambled.
'Loyalty, disappointment, annoyance, and...excitement, huh.'
Victor's ability to empathize is a secret that only he knew. The demons close to him all think that Victor was just good at analyzing another being.
Which was not a lie either, but not the complete truth.
In front of the king's eyes, no lie could be hidden.
'She is disappointed in her son and wants to punish him, but also wants to show her loyalty by telling me about it in person, hoping that by doing so I will trust her more... She is also excited to see me in person..' The final part didn't come as a surprise to Victor. All female demons feel it when they're in his presence, including his own generals.
'Cunning... Very cunning, she really takes every chance to increase her position, even using her own son.' Victor couldn't hate someone like that. After all, she's doing something that benefits him a lot.
Lily was, without a doubt, a genius, and a very strong woman, too. She could have easily been one of his generals if he had found her first.
Victor's smile grew a little.
And that demonstration made Lily stop slowly and look at Victor with shock. She had never seen him smile before. Unconsciously, she felt a shiver run down her spine, her instincts telling her that his next words would be something important…important enough to raise her position even further.
"Lily, you came to me personally to rat out your own son. I very much appreciate that loyalty."
"Thank you, your majesty."
"Therefore, a reward is necessary."
"… Eh?" She didn't expect those words.
"But before the reward, I want you to do something for me." Victor's smile grew in a way that would terrify demons.
Lily shuddered, and she felt her insides clench at what she was seeing:
"Deal with this situation alone, kill everyone, torture everyone; I don't care. Make such a bloody example of these worthless ones that my previous attempts to send a warning seem like child's play."
"Complete my task. If I am impressed, I will grant any wish you want."
"...A- Anything?"
"Yes, but don't forget, you have to impress me. After all, you've seen how I deal with those who threaten me, right?"
Lily nodded. The image of several demons displayed in horrendous ways in the middle of the square was still visible to everyone, and that cruelty is something that few can do. After all, the demons were displayed in such a way that they stayed alive and suffering. She didn't know what Victor did, but the way the demons screamed in pain was definitely not normal.
"Outdo me, impress me." Victor got up from where he was sitting and gently lifted Lily's face.
The half-succubus looked into the man's entrancing violet eyes.
"Fulfill my expectations, Lily. And you will have everything you want."
"I know very well how much you envy the position of the generals. Do you want it for yourself? I have a job that only a competent woman like you can do."
Recently Vepar was grumbling to Helena that she had a lot of work to manage the internal logistics and the sinners' hells... If Lily fulfills my expectation, I will place her as the general in charge of the sinners' hells and ease Vepar's work.'
The sinners' hell was very important because that's where the demons came to exist. Having control of that place was like having control of the future generation of demons, so it was a place that Victor himself personally managed, but he couldn't always stay there. After all, he needed to train and get stronger, not to mention that in the future, he would not always be in hell, and having someone loyal and fanatical who would do everything for him in control of that place was ideal.
'Let's see if I can corrupt Baal's wife.'
He softly caressed Lily's cheek and smiled gently:
"I will be waiting for a report."
"Do not disappoint me, Lily Baal."
She was breathing heavily as the demon king left the room, and when the door was closed, she looked down and saw the entire sofa wet. She lightly touched her breasts and realized that her nipples were hard as a rock.
"Fuck … This damn man is so hot and irresistible. The worst part of it all is that he knows it and uses it to manipulate others." She bit her lips sensually as she held back the urge to relieve herself. It would be disrespectful to do that in the king's castle.
"Now, I understand how male demons drooled when my mother used her charm to get them to do whatever she wanted."
She also came to understand why the top echelon of the current government was made up only of women. With a man like that around, it was easier to control everything when competent women were in power, and all those women fanatically served only one man.
The perfect way to avoid corruption.
'I NEED to relieve myself...' Lily quickly got up, flapped her wings, and hurried out the nearest window.
.....
Edited By: DaV0 2138, IsUnavailable
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