Chapter 11: The Son of the Demon King

I lay in my tiny cradle, my small eyes scanning the opulent room that enveloped me. Every carved detail on the walls, the magnificent curtains cascading from the high ceiling, the magical light emanating from the suspended jewels—admittedly, everything exuded an ostentatious luxury.

"What kind of prison is this?" I thought to myself, though my body was that of a newborn, my mind retained the clarity of a god who had witnessed the destruction of ten worlds.

Everything in this room seemed to indicate its owner wanted to display their power excessively. The gilded motifs, the carpets woven from rare furs, even the cradle itself was meticulously carved from the rarest wood.

To be honest, I was quite surprised that my feelings of disgust stemmed from that dazzling gold.

"How ostentatious." I shook my head, or rather, tried to shake my head within the confines of this infant body. If I could, I think I would have made a disgusted face.

"But what world am I reincarnated into?"

"Clearly, this isn't my world."

Closing my eyes, I focused on sensing. An invisible but pervasive energy surrounded him. It swirled, dense, as if the entire world were woven from it.

"Magic... and much more. That means here, perhaps most people can use magic."

I was trying to piece together the few pieces of information I had.

Suddenly, the door to the room swung open. A woman entered.

"Come on, let Mommy carry you to see your father. He's been waiting for you."

Her gentle voice rang out, like a soft spring breeze caressing my ears. In the hazy mist of new memories and perceptions, I knew for sure that this woman was my mother.

She bent down, carefully slipped her hands under my tiny body, and gently lifted me up. Though her arms were warm, I could still sense the fragility and weakness hidden within them. My infant eyes silently observed her.

His mother had long, silver hair, like moonlight reflected on water. Her eyes were a mysterious, gentle, and distant purple, as if containing an unnameable sadness. She wore a soft, simple yet elegant silk dress, a stark contrast to the opulence of the room.

When the door opened, a vast corridor stretched before me. The ceilings soared, intricately carved, the walls adorned with crimson carpets and paintings depicting epic battles. But none of this could conceal the chilling atmosphere that permeated the place.

My mother walked down a long corridor, her light footsteps echoing in the vast space. She held me a little tighter, as if protecting me from something invisible.

I remained silent, perhaps not wanting to alarm her, and I didn't cry or bother her. A vague unease welled up inside me.

I didn't know what kind of father I was about to meet, but I had a feeling... he wouldn't be a gentle father.

My mother stood before a large door, and two demons beside her immediately opened it for her to enter.

Thousands of whispers from the other demons rang out. "Is that Kamikaze-sama's child?"

That's right, I am now the child of the Demon King.

Over 200 years ago, the great Demon King of the Demon World was born, an invincible conqueror, the ruler of all demons. For hundreds of years, he defeated countless enemies, spreading terror across the worlds. But there's one thing few people know about the Demon King: he...is incredibly...

lustful.

And the result of that lust?

I am now his 500th child.

I don't know whether I should be happy or sad. From a god, I've been reborn as the son of a notorious tyrant. My goddess of life, or rather my sister—well, we share the same father, that old man—it seems she knows how to make me suffer.

Inside the Demon King's eerie palace, black torches flickered in the gloomy atmosphere. A colossal figure sat on the throne, its eyes blazing as it gazed at me, the infant in the arms of the most beautiful woman in the world.

"Hmm, is this the 500th child?"

A deep, thunderous voice echoed through the room, shaking it to its core. The Demon King rested his chin on his hand, his dark red eyes flashing.

My mother bowed her head, not daring to look him in the face, but I did.

"Yes, Your Majesty, this is your child."

The Demon King smirked.

"What is its name?"

My mother looked at me gently, her eyes filled with love.

"I want to name it... Akzuha."

"It's Akazuha Shashiki."

"A name?" I pondered.

I'd never had a name before; all the creatures in this world called me the God of Destruction. Eventually, I stopped caring about having a name, though that was in the past.

My old man, hearing this, said nothing but raised his hand and ordered a demoness to step forward.

"Diagnose the boy's origins."

The demoness nodded and approached my mother, her bony hand touching my head.

Oh, by the way, let me explain. The demon king, wanting his children to be exceptional humans capable of defeating other races in the mortal world and even the heavens, created a special spell. It could transform an ordinary creature into a replica of a god, meaning their origins would be the same as a god's. He infused that spell into his sperm—sounds a bit dirty, doesn't it?

And you're probably wondering how I know that? Simply put, I've infiltrated the past of this world and know everything about the present moment. As for the future, I'm powerless. I'm still too weak because half of my essence has been destroyed. Now I only have a small amount left, but that's probably fine; I'll recover quickly anyway.

A dark aura emanated from her wrinkled hands, enveloping me. The room suddenly fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the flickering of the gloomy flames on the cold stone walls.

After a while, the Demon Grandmother's eyes widened, her pupils turning a blood-red. Her whole body trembled violently, and a sudden gust of wind blew through, causing the black curtains to flutter.

"What's wrong, Demon Grandmother?"

The Demon King frowned.

The Demon Grandmother quickly withdrew her hand as if she had just touched something terrifying, her whole body hunched over as if about to kneel in reverence. Her voice was hoarse and trembling.

"Your Majesty... this child..."

The Demon King raised his eyebrows, impatient.

"Speak."

The Demon Grandmother swallowed hard, struggling to speak.

"Inside its body... its origin is completely normal... it's no different from that of an ordinary half-human demon!"

The entire room fell silent.

The Demon King blinked.

One second... two seconds... three seconds passed.

"What?"

Nothing?

The Demon King frowned, looking at the Demon Grandmother with suspicion.

"Are you sure? Do you know how many demons I sacrificed to create this magic? If you dare to say otherwise, you know what will happen to you."

"No! It can't be wrong!"

The old woman shook her head frantically, cold sweat running down her forehead.

"Your Majesty, I have examined it very carefully! The child's inner essence is completely normal!"

Hearing this, I understood something. My essence had been severed by that sword; even if I survived, it would have been shattered. I was lucky to have a tiny fragment, no bigger than a grain of sand, to maintain my existence. Perhaps the concept of destruction was too small, which is why that old woman thought I had an essence similar to a half-demon.

The Demon King remained silent. He leaned back in his throne, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.

"Nothing, huh?"

The surrounding demons whispered amongst themselves.

"Nothing?"

"How could this be? Kamikaze-sama's magic can clearly transform any of his children into replicas of the gods of this world!"

"A child of the Demon King who doesn't possess any divine power... wouldn't that just be an ordinary demon?"

The Demon King looked displeased.

"My child must possess destructive power. Your sister, though of weaker bloodline than yours, gave birth to a child with the abilities of a god of destiny. And you, on the other hand, gave birth to a child of ordinary origin?"

The Demon King glared at my mother and sighed. Then he ordered his soldiers to take my mother away.

The demon soldiers quickly stepped forward, dragging my mother and Akzuha away from where they were sitting. My mother didn't resist, only clinging tightly to me, her eyes filled with sorrow.

I wasn't surprised.

A person who has repeatedly destroyed many worlds and killed many powerful beings, including several demon lords, I've noticed they all have one thing in common: they are all alike. They only value power. If their children aren't strong enough, then even if they have the bloodline of a Demon Lord, it's not worth their attention.

But I secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good, I didn't want to cause a scene here anyway." I thought.

"But, just because I don't have the mark of a god, I'm treated like trash? How ridiculous. Are weaklings so obsessed with power?"

But if that's the case, then it's great.

From now on, I don't have to worry about returning to my former self.

The only thing is, I feel a little guilty towards my mother.

She gave birth to me, but was banished to slavery simply because my bloodline wasn't strong enough to meet that old geezer's standards.

"Let's go."

My mother whispered, trying to remain calm.

The large palace doors swung open, and a cold light streamed in from outside.

She climbed the stairs and arrived at the servants' quarters. The maids and male servants were initially pleased that my mother was unlike the old man's other wives, as she treated the other servants like family. But they had to bow, as it was the custom of this kingdom; servants had to bow to their masters.

"You don't need to bow to this woman anymore, she's no longer the queen, kekekeke."

A soldier said, and the servants were all surprised.

"She's given birth to a child with half-human, half-demon powers, how pathetic, kekekeke."

The one next to him added a few more hurtful remarks.

The room fell silent.

I wanted to punch these guys.

The servants looked at each other; no one dared speak. They couldn't believe that a queen could be demoted to a servant just because her child was nothing special.

My mother clenched her fists, but she didn't resist. She just silently bowed her head, thinking, "Mother, punch them! I'm here to protect you!"

...but I think I forgot I was a baby.

A young maid stepped forward, about to ask a question, but a soldier glared at her, causing her to quickly back away.

"Hurry up! Don't stand there making a fuss!"

I'll remember this guy.

Another soldier yelled, then shoved my mother.

I closed my eyes, trying to control my emotions.

Perhaps this was anger.

She walked into a room that was clearly hers. "Stay there until you're old, Kekekekeke." The two soldiers laughed at my mother and left.

My mother gently laid me down on the old bed in the room. She said nothing, just sat down silently beside me, her gaze fixed on the small window.

After a while, she smiled faintly, but it was a bitter smile.

"I was so foolish, wasn't I, Akzuha?"

She whispered, gently stroking her little son's cheek.

"I once thought... no matter what happened, as long as you were his son, nothing bad would happen to you and me."

I couldn't reply, but an indescribable feeling welled up inside me.

I think... it was pity.

I had experienced so much death, so much betrayal... but this was the second time someone truly cared about me.

She looked down at me, smiling softly.

"But it's good... From now on, I'm no longer the empress. I can live a normal life and raise you my own way."

"Even if I lose everything, as long as you're here... I won't give up. From today, I'm no longer the queen. But I'm still your mother, and that's enough."

Outside, the wind howled through the cold corridors of the Demon King's palace. But inside this small room, the warmth of motherly love seemed to soften the cold.

I closed my eyes, then looked at my mother and smiled. His smile began to warm her aching heart; honestly, this was the way I thought it might work.

That smile, though just the small smile of a newborn baby, carried a tenderness she had never felt in all the years she lived with the Demon King.

Her eyes were red, but not from sorrow, but from a warmth she thought she had lost long ago.

"...You truly are a strange child..."

She whispered, gently embracing me.

"But perhaps... you are the miracle I've always hoped for."

From that moment, she no longer paid attention to the insults or the contemptuous glances of those in the palace. Because she knew that no matter what happened, she would protect this child with everything she had.

Her name was Sophie, the daughter of a noble family in a town in the North.

That day, the once clear sky turned dark as the demon army invaded the town. The flames of war consumed everything, and screams echoed everywhere.

Sophie's family, one of the most powerful noble families in the town, could not escape this tragedy.

Faced with the overwhelming power of the Demon King, Sophie's father, a calculating man, made a decision. To save the entire town, he handed over his two daughters.

Sophie and her sister were bound and brought before the Demon King's throne.

In that moment, she realized that family, honor, everything she had ever believed in… all meant nothing anymore.

Sophie and her sister knelt at the foot of the throne, their eyes filled with terror as they looked up at the one who had brought terror to their town.

The Demon King, his eyes blazing red like blood, lazily leaned back on his throne, his voice low and authoritative.

"Weak human, what value do you think you possess that would make me spare your entire town?"

Sophie's father hastily bowed his head, his voice trembling.

"Your Majesty... they are my daughters! One is breathtakingly beautiful, the other possesses a rare talent. If Your Majesty accepts them as concubines, our family will dedicate ourselves completely to you!"

The Demon King laughed contemptuously.

"Concubines? Do you think I need more concubines? They are just two fragile, weak individuals... not worth my time."

The father, terrified, quickly knelt down and begged.

"Your Majesty! Please have mercy! If you wish, they can become sacrifices, pawns for you!"

Those words sent a shiver down Sophie's spine. The father she once respected was now using his own daughters as bargaining chips.

Her sister bit her lip, her eyes filled with hatred.

"Father... have you truly betrayed us?"

The father avoided his daughter's gaze, lowering his head even further.

The Demon King watched the scene before him, his smile growing wider.

"Interesting."

He rose, slowly descending the steps, staring intently at Sophie and her sister.

"I won't kill you. But from today on, you belong to me."

He extended his hand towards the two women.

A dark aura enveloped them, imprinting a demonic mark on their bodies.

Sophie shuddered. She knew that from this moment on, her life had completely changed.

Sophie was filled with despair.

Stolen from her family, becoming the Demon King's possession, her sister also taken away, her fate unknown. Each day in the demon palace was a day she was immersed in darkness, with no future, no escape.

Then she became pregnant.

When she learned she was pregnant, Sophie had considered ending the child. Because, what mother would want to give birth to a child in this hell? What mother would want her child to grow up under the shadow of the Demon King?

But...

She couldn't do it.

The first time she felt the child move in her womb, her heart trembled. A tiny life was forming, a being who had never done anything wrong, a baby without fault.

She cried.

She cried out of helplessness.

She cried out of fear.

But most of all, she cried because she knew that no matter what... she would still love this child.

I don't know what to do.

I was once a god of destruction, a bringer of fear, ruin, and death. Worlds trembled beneath my feet, other gods shuddered at the sound of my name. As the God of Destruction, I didn't need to understand the feelings of others. I only needed to destroy, only needed to fulfill my mission.

But now...

I am a child. A human. A tiny being in the arms of a weeping mother.

Her warmth is so different. Different from anything I've ever known.

I can't describe what's happening inside me. Something soft. Something gentle. Something... this feeling...

A rare ray of sunlight pierces through the gloomy clouds, shining down on the ice-covered kingdom. The pale golden light shimmers on the rooftops, reflecting on the frozen ground, creating a strangely peaceful scene.

"It's been over 17 years..."

My voice was low, as if I were reminding myself of the time that had passed.

From a weak child, despised for the power of a half-demon and relegated to the lowest class in demon society, I had now grown into an adult. A young man with a strong physique, long red hair loosely tied back, and deep eyes that seemed to hold the entire sky within them.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The icy air filled my lungs, but it didn't bother me.

"This world..."

I opened my eyes and looked down at the kingdom below.

"I wonder if I can have a new life here... Izumo..."

Looking behind me, I saw a small flower garden that he had secretly planted for his mother. Thanks to the gardening skills I had secretly learned and my diligence, these plants had grown into something extraordinarily beautiful.

The flowers in the garden swayed gently in the breeze, their soft petals glistening in the rare sunlight. I slowly approached, reaching out to touch a pure white flower, my fingertips feeling its softness and fragrance.

"It seems... we should escape from here with my mother."

My voice echoed softly in the quiet space.

I recalled Izumo's words to him from our old world about abandoning the path of destruction, about living a peaceful life. Back then, he had considered it a pipe dream. But now, standing in this small garden, I began to understand.

I am no longer the emotionless god I once was. I am now just Akzuha, the son of a kind and strong mother, a mother struggling to survive, struggling to raise me into a truly good person.

"That dream of exploring the world..."

I bent down, gently tilling the soil around a young sapling.

"I should probably throw it aside."

"Hey, hey, who gave you permission to do that, you woman? How dare you hit your superior?"

The shouting below drew my attention. I walked closer to the edge of the tower and saw my mother protecting another servant.

End of Chapter 11