MTLNOVEL Chapter 226: The King of the Underworld
A demoness stood between them, claws extended, catching both blades effortlessly.
Tall. Beautiful. Dangerous in the way a blade of glass was beautiful. Her black hair spilled over bare shoulders, her gown clinging in all the right ways while still leaving room for a fight. The slit up her thigh flashed glimpses of skin with every subtle shift of her stance.
Her eyes burned—not with heat, but with the cool sharpness of someone who knew exactly how much power they had and exactly where to use it.
Sira.
Daughter of Pride. And the real heir.
"Move, Sira…" Lux hissed, his displeasure curling the words. "I have no time for your game."
Her lips curved—not quite a smirk, but close. "I can't. I have something to do with him."
Lux's voice sharpened. "Are you going to protect him?"
"No," she said simply. Her claws flexed, still holding his blades in place. "Just… relax."
She turned her head toward Vyrak, still kneeling, still bleeding.
Vyrak's eyes widened. "Lady Sira… are you going to save me?"
Her smile deepened, slow and cold. "No."
In one smooth, brutal motion, her arm shot forward. Her clawed hand punched straight into Vyrak's chest. The sound was wet and final.
When she pulled back, his heart was in her grasp—still beating once, twice before slowing.
Lux's eyes widened despite himself. Not at the kill, but at the ease of it.
Sira didn't even look at him. She turned, walked toward Lux, and with a flick of her wrist, crushed the phone still live-streaming to the InfernalNet.
She tossed the heart to him like it was nothing more than a trinket. "Here's your prize for kicking his ass."
Lux caught it out of reflex, the still-warm organ pulsing faintly in his palm. He could feel the System flare with data at the contact.
[Vyrak of Pride defeated.]
There was a train of announcement too about his gain, stats and level up but he ignored it.
His gaze stayed locked on Sira.
It wasn't the kill-steal feeling—not really. This wasn't a game. But the fact that she'd taken the final blow from his hand—that she'd chosen to end it herself—it settled strange in his chest.
"Why?" he asked.
Her smirk returned. "You'd better hide that heart before my father arrives."
The words landed heavier than the heart in his grip.
Lux didn't hesitate. He flicked his wrist, opening the dimensional storage and tossing Vyrak's heart inside. The compartment sealed with a faint click, vanishing into his private inventory.
The System pinged again.
[Warning: High-threat devil approaching.]
[Identity: The King of the Underworld.]
[Accompanied by: The Lord of Pride.]
Lux exhaled through his nose, eyes still on Sira. "Of course."
Her gaze held his for a long, unreadable moment, her claws retracting as her gown shifted with the movement.
Then she smiled again. "You made quite the mess today, Lux. I wonder what my father will think."
He returned the look, his own smirk edged with exhaustion and blood. "I think he'll know exactly what I'm worth."
The air in the vault thickened again, heavy with the approach of something vast. Somewhere far above, the building groaned.
The King was here.
And so was Pride.
The marble beneath Lux's boots vibrated with each slow, deliberate step descending from above. The temperature didn't drop—it sharpened. Every sound became too crisp, like the world itself was holding its breath.
Sira's smirk didn't move, but her posture shifted just slightly, head tilted toward the incoming presence.
Lux dismissed his blades with a flick, letting Devorare and Amare dissolve into dark shimmer. Then, without hesitation, he went down on one knee, head inclined.
"Your Majesty," he said, voice smooth despite the metallic tang of blood still in his mouth. "My Lord."
Sira only bowed slightly—more of a nod, really—her hands behind her back. Pride didn't kneel.
"Your Majesty. Father."
Two silhouettes emerged from the stairwell before resolving into color and detail.
First—Kaelmor, the King of the Underworld. Tall, lean, and draped in a coat so dark it seemed to drink the light. His smile was too wide, too sharp, his eyes lit with that unsettling, playful spark that never quite told you if you were safe or about to be peeled open like a fruit. He moved with the casual bounce of someone arriving at a dinner party, not the ruler of every hellborn soul.
Behind him—Lucaris, Lord of Pride. His presence was colder, cleaner, every step calculated. White hair slicked back to perfection, black-and-gold attire pristine even here. His expression was the definition of measured disdain—and that was before his gaze landed on Lux.
Lucaris didn't even look at his daughter first. No, his attention went straight to the kneeling incubus.
"What," Lucaris began, tone as sharp as a snapped diamond, "is going on?" His voice climbed slightly. "You! Vaelthorn! Why are you here?!"
Lux raised his head just enough to meet the lord's eyes. "Conducting business, My Lord."
Lucaris' glare sharpened. "Business?"
Lux's tone stayed calm, but his chest still ached from Vyrak's last hit. "Vyrak made a move on me. I responded in kind. It wasn't my intention to trespass in Pride's house, but I will not ignore a Highlord attempting to cash in my head for sport."
Kaelmor's grin widened, showing far too many teeth. "Oho… sport, you say? Now that's interesting. Did you win?"
Lucaris turned sharply toward him. "Kael, this is not—"
"Oh, don't scold me, Lucy," Kaelmor said, waving a lazy hand. "If there's blood on the floor, I like to know whose it is."
Lucaris' jaw twitched at the nickname, but before he could retort, his eyes flicked toward the far wall, where the smear of black ichor still steamed faintly from the floor. "So you killed him?"
Lux didn't answer right away. He'd barely opened his mouth before Sira's voice cut in, casual but clear.
"I killed him."
Lucaris' head snapped toward her, eyes narrowing. "You… what?"
Kaelmor actually chuckled under his breath, like this was the best news he'd heard all week.
Sira didn't flinch. She stepped forward, her heels clicking against the floor until she stood between Lux and the two rulers. "Vyrak was compromised. I have proof."