The Second Life of Demon King

Episode 3: The demon king's vow of revenge

The thick fog still enveloped the battlefield as Maximus, panting and battered, finally managed to break through the illusion of the trap that tormented him. Struggling, he stepped out, his body unsteady but his eyes burning with rage. A fleeting sense of relief crept into his heart, but his gaze quickly fell upon the figures standing before him.

"Enough, Maximus," Auron's cold voice interrupted the silence. Maximus glared sharply, seeing his trusted lieutenants—Auron, Eris, and the others—lined up with unfriendly expressions.

Maximus clenched his fists, forcing his weary body to stand tall. "You... here?" he murmured, his brow furrowed in suspicion.

Eris smiled faintly, her dark eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Of course, we’ve been waiting for you."

Maximus’s initially confident gaze began to shift. His once-strong heart was now pierced by suspicion and anger. “Why are they looking at me like that?” he thought, trying to understand this unexpected situation.

Auron stepped forward, his demeanor calm. "We are tired of being led by a tyrant who only cares about his own power," he said, his voice steady yet filled with disdain.

Maximus looked at him with a piercing gaze, but there was a flicker of pain behind his strength. "After everything I’ve done… for the kingdom… and for you…" he stammered, trying to grasp the remnants of trust that remained between them.

However, Eris merely laughed softly, a cold and mocking sound. "You’ve always been too busy with your own power, Maximus. But this kingdom needs more than just a tyrant with an iron fist."

Maximus gritted his teeth, feeling betrayed by those he trusted most. “How could this happen?!” his heart roared in silence. "So, you really have betrayed me?" he asked, his voice trembling between anger and heartbreak.

Before Maximus could plan his next move, Eris launched her dark magic attack, creating a vortex of shadows that surrounded him.

“This isn’t over!” Maximus raised his hands, calling upon great power to shatter the magical vortex. However, as his demonic energy touched the dark magic, it was absorbed, draining his life force little by little.

"Eris... what is this?" he murmured, feeling his strength slowly fading.

"Ah, don’t try to fight it, Maximus," Auron said with a tone of triumph. "This magic was created just for you. This is the end of the power you’ve always prided yourself on."

Maximus exerted all his strength, but every attempt to resist only made him weaker. He felt betrayed, not just physically, but spiritually. “Could this really be the end?” he thought, unable to believe.

With eyes filled with rage and deep sorrow, Maximus shouted at Auron. "Why, Auron? Why have you chosen this path? Was everything I did not enough to prove my loyalty to you?"

Auron turned his face away, sneering coldly. "Your loyalty? All you’ve provided is oppression, fear, and tyrannical rule. We’ve suffered enough."

Maximus looked at him with an unusual sadness. "I... I never meant it that way. I just wanted to protect us all," he whispered, more to himself.

With the last strength he had, Maximus counterattacked, trying to turn the tide. A blast of demonic energy erupted from his hands, aimed at Auron and Eris. However, the attack only bounced back, weakening him further.

Maximus fell to the ground, his knees touching the earth. His once-bright eyes now appeared desperate. "This… cannot be…” he whispered, hardly believing in the weakness now enveloping his body.

Auron stepped forward, gazing down at the fallen Maximus. "You are no longer relevant, Maximus. Your reign is over. This is a new era for the demon kingdom, without you."

Maximus stared at them with eyes now filled with sorrow. "You... you all… I trusted you… and you all betrayed me," he said, his voice trembling.

Eris merely smiled coldly. "Betrayal? No, Maximus. This is justice for a kingdom that has long lived under your cruel power. We are simply freeing ourselves."

Maximus's heart felt shattered, not only by this betrayal but by the realization that—deep down—they truly saw him as an obstacle. “So, all of this is because of me?” he thought, the sadness gripping his heart deeper.

Auron and Eris joined forces, unleashing their strongest magic. Bolts of dark energy struck Maximus’s body with tremendous force, knocking him down helplessly.

Maximus fell to the ground, his body battered and bloodied. In his powerless state, his dimming eyes still glared with rage. "You… will regret… this betrayal," he whispered in a barely audible voice, but filled with deep menace.

Auron only smiled coldly. "Trust me, Maximus. We will not regret this."

Auron and Eris stood over the now-defenseless Maximus, ensuring that the Overlord would not rise again. They exchanged glances, a sly smile etched on their faces.

"This kingdom... will be greater without him," Eris whispered confidently.

Yet, in the chilling silence, Maximus’s shadow lingered around them, as if leaving an unseen threat. Unbeknownst to them, even though his body was shattered, Maximus’s resolve for revenge still burned fiercely in the depths of his heart.

Maximus lay collapsed on the ground, his gaze filled with hatred blazing in the silence. This was not only the end of his power as the Demon Overlord, but also

the beginning of a new resurrection filled with vengeance.

In the midst of the dark ruins, Maximus stood battered, blood flowing from his wounds, staining the ground around him a deep red. The dim light in his eyes reflected his last strength, yet the determination within him blazed like an unquenchable fire.

Auron and the other traitors encircled Maximus, their faces radiating a mix of hatred and arrogance. Auron stepped forward, a sarcastic smile curling on his cold lips. "You no longer have a place here, Maximus," he said, his voice sharp and piercing.

Maximus slowly raised his head, glaring at Auron with eyes full of hatred and the last remnants of honor as the Demon Overlord. "You think... I will just surrender?" he murmured, his voice hoarse yet laden with rage.

Inside him, Maximus could feel the dark magic binding his body, restraining his movements. It felt like invisible chains tightly wrapping around him, cutting off every effort to resist. “This is not over. They will not take my honor easily,” he thought, grinding his teeth.

With the remaining energy he had, Maximus raised his hands, releasing a massive aura that vibrated strongly, shaking the ground around them. The flames that blazed within him enveloped him like a glowing armor, forcing the traitors to momentarily retreat.

Eris hissed impatiently. "Wasting your last energy, Maximus? You know it’s futile."

Maximus merely let out a bitter laugh. "You may betray me," he said defiantly, "but this kingdom... will never belong to you without a fight."

Though his body was weak, Maximus showed no fear. He lunged at Auron, launching an unhesitating attack. The clash of their strikes shattered the night’s silence, creating dazzling bursts of energy. Each of Maximus's attacks displayed the remnants of his once-terrifying power, but it was clear that every move weakened him further.

"Enough, Maximus," Auron sneered, dodging the attacks. "This kingdom needs a new leader, not a weak tyrant!"

With his eyes glowing red, Maximus grinned, ignoring the pain coursing through his body. "You don’t know what you’re up against, Auron," he said, delivering a powerful strike that sent Eris flying several meters back.

However, the attack backfired. The dark magic binding him intensified; every bit of energy he expended only further weakened him. “This pain… is this really the end?” his mind screamed, yet he refused to show his weakness.

As his body became more constrained by the dark magic, Maximus began to feel despair. Every movement became increasingly difficult, and his strength seemed to be absorbed by the binding magic. “Everything I’ve built… everything I’ve protected… is it going to end at the hands of these traitors?” he thought to himself, cursing his unfavorable circumstances.

Seeing Maximus starting to lose control, Eris smiled mockingly. "Look at you now, mighty Overlord. You’re just a shadow of your former self."

Maximus stared at them with unwavering determination. "I may fall tonight... but not as a victim. I will fall as the king you betrayed," he said, his hoarse voice filled with bitterness.

Realizing his strength was nearly depleted, Maximus focused his remaining energy for one final, powerful attack. "If I must fall," he said slowly, gathering energy in his hands, "then I will take you with me."

A tremendous explosion of energy erupted from his hands, creating flames that engulfed the area around him and destroying most of the enemies who were too close. The blast shook the ground, vibrating the trees and leaving a crater where he stood.

As the explosion subsided, Maximus knelt amid the devastation, panting, his gaze weak. He was surrounded by a few surviving traitors, including Auron and Eris, who looked down at him with satisfied smiles.

"So, this is the end of the mighty Overlord," Eris mocked, her eyes glinting slyly.

Maximus, dying, gazed at Auron and Eris with his last glance. "You... think... you’ve won?" he said in a barely audible voice, yet still filled with hatred. "As long as this soul exists, I will return... and you will pay... for all this betrayal..."

Auron smirked and squatted beside him. "Dream all you want, Maximus. No one returns from death."

Maximus gave a faint smile, one that carried anger and a terrifying promise. "You will feel it... sooner or later..." he said before breathing his last breath.

As Maximus's life faded, the sky suddenly thundered, and the wind blew fiercely, as if nature itself mourned his downfall. Auron and Eris stood among the ruins, reveling in their victory. However, beneath their satisfied expressions lay an unshakeable, invisible fear, a dark premonition suggesting that Maximus might return for revenge.

Maximus lay in the ruins of his ruined palace, his body covered in blood and covered in gaping wounds that would not heal. His breath was short, almost exhausted, and his body was wrapped in binding magic that tightly entangled every inch of his flesh. The cold night wind blew against his pale face, and in the sky, dark clouds rolled, as if mourning the fall of the Overlord.

"Is this... the end?" Maximus thought bitterly. But, beneath his weakness, his eyes still burned—not with fear or regret, but with a deep hatred. "They will pay... all of them..." his mind thundered, refusing to submit to death.

Images of the past flashed through his mind. He saw himself once upright, powerful, and feared. Maximus remembered his glory, how he ruled with strength and decisiveness as the invincible Demon Overlord. He saw the faces of his lieutenants: Auron, who had once been so loyal; Eris, who had always followed his orders without hesitation. "They were my allies. The ones I thought would fight by my side until the very end. But now..." he thought, the bitterness crushing his heart more than the wounds on his body.

"Auron... Eris... you will all suffer a pain worse than death," he whispered, his voice barely audible, but full of hatred.

Maximus closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the anger and pain merge into his last strength. Then, with his remaining breaths growing heavier, he opened them again, looking directly at the traitors standing in the distance, reveling in their victory.

"Do not think you have won," his voice was low but thunderous, full of menace. "I swear... My soul will never rest... until every one of you feels the pain I have suffered." A pitch-black aura began to flow from his body, and despite his frail body, the strength of his oath created a pressure that made the ground tremble subtly.

Auron, who was in front, frowned, hesitating for a moment. "You can no longer threaten us, Maximus," he said, but behind his words, there was a faint note of anxiety.

Eris bit her lip, feeling fear creeping up on her. "Auron, maybe we should-"

Auron cut her off, his voice forced to be calm. "He's just spouting empty words. Maximus is defeated, he's nothing more than his own shadow now."

With his last breath, Maximus smiled a thin, unfriendly and frightening smile. "Enjoy your victory... while you can still hold it," he said. In his heart, he swore again, deeper and louder. "I will return. And when I do... there will be no safe place for you."

Eris took a step back, feeling Maximus's hatred growing as he swore. Her hands trembled, and though her legs wanted to run, she was forced to stand there, under Maximus' vengeful gaze. "Is this... really the end? Have we made a terrible mistake?" she thought, as fear began to take over her.

As Maximus breathed his last, his thin smile never faded, leaving a terrifying impression on the hearts of his betrayers. His vow of revenge rang in the air, his last low but menacing voice still felt, echoing in the suddenly cold air. Auron and Eris looked at each other, feeling an unease they couldn't explain.

Auron forced a smile. "It's over. Now, we are the rulers."

But in his heart, the image of Maximus and his cold oath remained. "No... this isn't really over. What have I done?" he thought, a sense of dread creeping up on him.

As Maximus' soul slowly left his body, a dark red aura appeared, hovering above him like a terrifying shadow, before disappearing into the darkness. The sky rumbled, as if nature itself felt the horror Maximus' oath had left behind. The traitors stood frozen, surrounded by destruction, satisfied but also haunted by an unexplainable fear. They knew, deep down, that this was not the end for Maximus.