Demon King

Epilogue. [Completed Volume 7]

It was something from the far past. Regaining Baal’s name was not enough; only after obtaining the title of Satan was I able to remember the distant past.

When the name Fate was just that of a goblin living in the underground. When the name Amimon was that of the greatest tyrant there, before Lucifer, the morning star, fell underground. There was no one in the underground with the title of king. The only means for me to recognize Heaven was the black moon that filled the night sky. I didn’t even realize it was a piece of Heaven at the time; I just looked up at it and continued on.

[Stand at the top. Eat everything.]

The words the black moon spoke to a fragile goblin sounded quite vain. At first, I laughed at it, and then at myself.

[Allow no one above you. Trample it all.]

The weakest in the underground, living a troubled life that could end at any moment. Why did I have to be born a goblin? Why was I so boring and small? Why couldn’t I stand confidently? Why could I do nothing but run away from death? If I was destined to be born as the weakest, why must I be conscious of my misery? Why, why, why.

[Eat them all. Take it all.]

The black moon, which spat out endless and constant desires, made me even angrier. It was bullshit; the enemies were too dangerous. If I could eat anything, I wanted to eat that more than anything else. What made me, what bothered me, what held me and shook me. I wanted to shout, but I was afraid of other monsters, so I only screamed inside.

Days, years. That anger against the moon guided me. Over the years, that goblin learned to hide, to ambush, and to wield iron. It evolved very slowly into a Goblin Fighter. Then a Goblin Warrior, Goblin Knight, Goblin King, and then a Bugbear in that underground full of high-level entities. It was difficult to find those weaker than myself, so I had no choice but to burn with the anger overflowing in my heart quietly.

[It has been devoured.]

It was probably when I became a bugbear fighter that I saw that notification. It was rare for a weak creature like me to be born underground and even rarer for one to survive. From start to finish, my life was marked by a dire struggle. It was quite a lot of work to awaken skills. I didn’t know what Predation was, but it must be one of those skills I heard about. I would use everything I could to survive. Thinking about that, I had taken a break behind a rock, as usual.

[You have the right to devour everything.]

[Be strong. To reach the day when you’re free to devour everything.]

[You have obtained the qualifications of the Demon King.]

I stopped dead. That notification window was telling me to eat even that black moon above me.

“Alright.” I muttered aloud, perhaps for the first time ever.

“I’ll eat everything.” A smile crossed my lips. It was at that moment I became aware of my own nature. I was a fool who coveted everything, who wanted to eat beyond their limits. That was the beginning of me- of Baal, Satan, and Fate.

I opened my eyes. I remained alone in a pure white space. Perhaps it was that sacred space, no longer a world now that I had devoured everything. It would be strange to call me Satan now or to say I even had flesh. I was convinced I existed, however, though there was no physical form to prove it.

“There’s no air.” I reached out and created some air in the space around me. I was a bit surprised at myself, who naturally made such a thing happen, but I was convinced.

“It was delicious.” I recalled the taste of Heaven, a delicacy incomparable to Lucifer. What could I say? It was a taste that didn’t exist in the world, unable to be bound by the five senses. I was disappointed to remember that my meal had ended quickly. I couldn’t enjoy that taste again.

[This world is being held for a while by your power. Escape quickly before you are destroyed along with it.]

A familiar notification window popped up. Looking at it, I recalled the far past. Much further back than my days as a goblin. The wise demons had told me the truth of the status. It was the record of all worlds that had been with us since the beginning and had no specific will.

“It’s a record. It can’t be that simple, right?” There was no reply, but I was sure. This notification window and status had led me so far. If there was an entity that should be called God, it was by no means a heavenly thing. It was a system.

“Did you think this would happen since I was a goblin underground? Please tell me a little.”

[Now, this world will soon collapse. If you don’t escape quickly, you will die.]

Did it have no intention of revealing itself even after arriving this far? I sighed and opened the gate as the notification repeated. It was a gate that led to where everyone was waiting.

“I have nothing left to eat.” Before I entered through the gate, a notification window appeared before me.

[Quest!]

[You have succeeded in eating everything holding you back, but it isn’t over yet. There is still something above you.]

[Discovery of Record 0/1]

[Record Predation 0/1]

I laughed. Maybe this was their real purpose all along.

“No, you eat it.” I threw myself through the gate. A short notification window popped up in front of me, making me laugh.

[Shit.]

“Fate!”

“Fate!’ As soon as I landed in the underground, I was piled on. I took them on, patting them.

“I was worried!”

“I hate you enough to kill you, fool!” It was Mireina and Lilith. There were more waiting behind them, but they were pushed out of the race. Everyone was preparing to hit me like these two were doing.

“I know his victory was assured.”

“Satan can’t be defeated.” Belphegor and Amimon sighed, of a similar mind. I laughed, relief plain on my face.

“It’s all over. No one remains who can judge us. I’m free now.”

“Fate’s taken another step.”

“That much was assured.”

[Satan really did it.]

[He somehow lived…]

As if they were waiting for my words, they began to rejoice. Monsters and demons let out cheers that they had survived. The word that the king had returned spread through the underground quickly and a festive atmosphere spread across my realm. I was happy that this was all possible.

“What is the probability that another thing like that will arise?” Amimon asked me. He understood the heavens well, being the one who stood at the peak in the distant past.

“There’s a chance, but I’ll send you to go eat it.”

“Cool!” Mireina was full of pure admiration, but Lilith looked up at the sky with concern on her face.

“Is it really okay like this, Fate?”

“I don’t know. I just did what I wanted.” What I had sworn in the past had finally arrived. I did what I wanted to do, not out of a desire to protect the ones dear to me or to survive. I would bear the consequences myself. I had no regrets; I had achieved my life goal, after all.

“Let’s have a child, Fate.” Lilith calmed down and hit me with that. I could feel a deadly air current begin to flow around me.

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“I won’t forgive that!”

“I don’t need permission from you, elf.” Mireina and Lilith raised their mana and confronted each other. That scene was enough for me to realize that the underground had become peaceful again.

“Brother.” Well, not entirely.

“You have a story to tell, right?” A cold sweat came over me as I looked at my sister’s dazzling smile. My sister, who had gone through all these hardships with me and matured so much.

“Are you going to tell me about the name Baal, brother.” I smiled warmly in response to her cold smile and opened my mouth.

Now, there was nothing to hide. I started as a goblin and ended up devouring the heavens. I was the gluttonous lord who ate everything that stood above me.

Baal, the swordsman, Satan, the king of the underground, and the king of demons.

{END}

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