The Strongest Demon Lord in the Modern World - Chapter 43

“You don’t need to know, mortal.” Amidst the growing, sinister-looking sneer, Aziel’s lips parted, giving way to his deep, low-toned sounding voice. Still, what shocked the trio was the fact that unlike before where he sounded like someone straight out from another planet entirely, he spoke fluently in their language.

‘Could he speak our language before and he just pretended not to?’ Jake couldn’t help but think.

Though, noticing their surprise, Aziel didn’t bother with the teens. His sinister sneer curled higher on his cheeks. Before another word could be uttered, or the shocked brawny leader of the thugs could even process what was going on, Aziel suddenly bolted, charging at the man with fast, but still not supernatural speeds.

Still, because of his sudden action, the bandanaed man, Bowling Ball couldn’t react in time, he could only hurriedly raise his arms forming a protecting shield in front of his chest.

This unfortunately did little to stop the fierce, explosive nature of the attack. As the silver-haired boy’s fist sailed across the air like a rocket, it sent him flying backward upon impact.

Bowling ball grunted as his back slammed into the trunk of a nearby tree, sending miniature, bloodied splinters as they pierced through his shirt. Following that, Aziel’s right hand wrapped around his throat.

Hate emanated from the man’s eyes, judgment and contempt burning them into a sinister shade of crimson. Bowling Ball gasped, choking as the silver-haired boy’s fingers cut off his air like a tourniquet.

His mind screamed at him, desperate to know why it was being punished. His lungs burned, his mouth working like a fish on dry land, sucking in nothing but fear. The edges of his vision started to grow fuzzy, black dots appearing over the sneering devil’s shoulder, distorting the gray glow of the forest’s gloomy atmosphere like reverse chickenpox. Panic flooded his veins with adrenaline. He struggled, desperately clawing at the fingers sealed around his throat. He tried to kick the boy in the groin but only managed to connect with his shin, the impact ricocheting painfully through his foot.

Aziel snarled, loosening his hold, giving the bald man the opening he needed. He threw his left arm between them, turning to the side and trapping Aziel’s arm against his own chest before elbowing the boy in the face with all his adrenaline-infused strength.

Yet, the expected reaction didn’t come. He felt his arm going numb as, like a bolt of lightning hitting him from the heaven above, electricity surged through his nerves, causing him to cry out in pain in the next second. He felt as if he hit a sturdy, brick wall, his entire arm was growing numb.

Contrary to what he expected, the boy didn’t stumble backward grasping at his supposedly bleeding nose. No, instead, he lost the momentum that he so painstakingly carved out for himself.

“Good effort, I guess.” Bowling Ball heard the leering taunt of this hateful opponent ringing in his ears next. Anger, rage, and his desperation fuelled all leftover stamina in his body, he clenched his fists tightly.

All this that happened today for what? Some measly gains, to try to go and backstab his current masters in place for new ones? Regret filled Bowling Ball’s thoughts, he was aware of the hopelessness of his situation. However, the fury he felt due to the despair mixed with all the adrenaline was coursing through like a pulsing heat. If nothing more, he wouldn’t go down without a fight!

With a yell, Bowling Ball threw a punch at Aziel’s head. Aziel ducked, sliding easily into a leg-sweep, knocking Bowling Ball’s support from under him. The ground smashed into his back, forcing the air from his lungs in a rushing wheeze. Bowling Ball rolled backward to his feet, still fighting against the in his chest.

Before he could properly readjust his stance, Aziel once again closed in on him, pushing his advantage, arms and legs flying. Bowling Ball blocked as many of the blows as he could, his arms jarring in their sockets every time he did, his ribs and face blossoming with pain every time he didn’t.

He knew that he was being toyed with, the amount of pressure this monster had exerted only gradually increased as if he was being used as a sort of dummy to test on.

He stumbled back through the shadows of the trees until he was once again cornered. Cringing, Bowling Ball held his hands up in surrender. Aziel backed off, eying him with a sinister, smug look as if waiting for the magic words.

Bowling Ball’s knuckles were bleeding, his ribs bruised, and his lip split into an oozing gash. It was time to end this. He was too tired to go on. With the last remaining energy he had left, he stood proudly, not allowing to crush his dignity any further and be toyed with any longer.

“You… win.” He said, the words gravelly and pained as he forced his battered throat to work. He spat a bloodied gulp of saliva on the darkened ground, before finally closing his eyes. “Do… what you need… to do… Just… end it… please…”

—

Crossing through the busy city, a bus was heading through the heavy midday traffic.

A five foot six, rather handsome-looking boy with a smooth face and long silvery hair pulled into a single ponytail at the back of his head was gazing out through the windows.

His dark eyes, shining with a crimson allure were looking at the jostling crowd outside. The little workers, ants, and cogwheels that ultimately made this giant machine of urbanized, modern life grind forward ever so relentlessly.

He sighed, as a faint smile appeared over his face as he thought of the newly gained memories. Aziel has now begun to formulate a plan in his mind…

“Uhm…” Suddenly a feminine voice came from next to him. A gentle smile crept up on the young man’s face as he heard the call. Slowly, he turned his eyes away from the window, looking at the young bespectacled girl sitting on the neighboring seat.

“…Uhm… A-Aziel… S-sir…” The girl stuttered, looking at the handsome man with an embarrassed, shy expression, his fingers twirling and fidgeting.

Aziel smiled at the sight, shaking his head he gently, calmly spoke. His tone was nowhere near as booming as in the forest, instead, it now sounded mellifluous, pleasing to the ear.

“Don’t be afraid, child. I’m not going to hurt you. You carry the essence of somewhere I once held dear to my heart… You can rest easy in my presence.” Turning over his shoulder he added with a slightly increased volume.

“As for that matter, you two could relax as well. I am forever grateful to you both. The rare act of kindness you have shown me has forever been etched into my heart and mind.”

The two boys sitting behind them could only nod, still not sure how to feel or what to say at all. Though the horrific scene would probably haunt them for months to come, their hearts were strangely not in any state of frenzy or panic.

When they witnessed the impossible scene as the bulky, muscle-bound’s lifeless body suddenly began to shake and then transform into a blob of dark fluid, only to fuse into this boy’s body, they couldn’t believe their eyes. Though they fantasized about him being the main protagonists of one of their favorite comic books, they never truly believed it in their hearts. It was more so to comfort their hearts, to calm their agitated nerves.

Yet, it happened, right before their eyes. First the strange animalistic claws, and then the indescribable and simply unbelievable scene…

Jake and Jay looked at the smiling young man sitting in front of them, the same question echoing in both of their minds:

WHO OR WHAT IS HE?

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This week’s goals we can strive to reach! Let those stones pile up! 🙂

Powerstone Goals:

100 Power Stones -> 1 Chapter,

200 Power Stones -> 2 Chapters,

300 Power Stones -> 3 Chapters,

Golden Ticket Goals:

50 Golden Tickets -> 1 Chapter,

100 Golden Tickets -> 2 Chapters,

150 Golden Tickets -> 3 Chapters.