Chapter 12

  Aurien Wavel helped Drakkel down the corridors to the memorial hall. Once they got there, they found Font Seig, Piral Bifa, Antin Jerio, and Winfra Loul all knelt down and deep in prayer. The memorial tablets with their names had been removed, making the altar feel smaller.

  Upon seeing him, they all quickly got up and shouted, “Senior Drakkel!”

  They ran up to him and embraced him in a group hug.

  Piral Bifa stated, “We’re glad that you’re ok!”

  Antin Jerio nodded. “We were worried about you!”

  “Are you feeling all right now?” Font Seig asked.

  Winfra Loul could only nod along with them at a loss for what to say, yet still just as worried.

  Drakkel smiled. “Thank you everyone. I’m fine now.”

  As Drakkel was leaning onto Aurien Wavel for support, he looked up at the altar. Then he let go of him and walked over.

  Grabbing some incense sticks, he lit them and kneeled down in front of the memorial tablets. After saying a silent prayer he placed the incense sticks in their holder and got up. Then, he turned around.

  “Everyone, Senior Brother and I have come up with a plan that should free us all. Will you all assist us?”

  “Of course.” Antin Jerio answered. “We’re family aren’t we?”

  Piral Bifa smiled. “Why ask a question you already know the answer to, Senior Drakkel?”

  Winfra Loul nodded while Font Seig bowed his head.

  Drakkel was touched.

  Aurien Wavel said, “Then let’s leave our clanmates to rest. We can explain what we have talked about in the throne room.”

  The way to the throne room was quiet. Only a few demon servants passed by occasionally.

  In front of the room, Drakkel asked the guards standing at the front as well as the servants in the area to summon all the Demon Lords as well as their new guests.

  As Aurien Wavel, Drakkel and their clanmates waited for them, the two explained what they had discussed. When they were done, Drakkel added that before he decided their next moves, he wanted to gather all the information they had available.

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  It didn’t take long for the Demon Lords to arrive at the throne room along with Sonalita Pir and Caz Lianga.

  Drakkel sat atop the throne with Aurien Wavel and his clanmates facing him in the front. The Demon Lords gathered behind them in their usual lines and Sonalita Pir and Caz Lianga found some space to stand next to Drakkel’s clanmates.

  Now all were present except for one.

  Drakkel eyed an empty spot next to his clanmates, imagining someone to be there.

  Realizing that the person likely wouldn't come, his eyebrows drew close together and the corners of his lips turned down.

  Despite this, he still had to begin.

  “Everyone! I have come up with a plan along with my Senior Brother to finally bring down our enemy and bring justice to all of our names!”

  The demons really weren’t the strongest emotionally. Even with Drakkel’s announcement, they only stood around seriously as if he just told them that he had finished a meal. Their reactions were nothing special at all.

  He continued. “We will finalize the details and share them once we have interrogated our new guest.”

  He looked at Demon lord Riyuk. “Bring him in.”

  Demon Lord Riyuk bowed and swiftly left the room. Not long after, he returned with someone who was sitting in a cage surrounded by ancient demonic language and made of steel. Even with that, his body was bound by a strong rope and his acupoints for movement and speaking were hit.

  These measures may have seemed extreme, but Drakkel insisted. If the person before them was who he thought it was, even these restraints might not be enough to stop him.

  The man that sat in the cage appeared to be middle-aged, with sharp eyes and a sturdy countenance. Despite his age, he was quite handsome in appearance bearing long black and white hair and fine features as well as a slim, yet muscular build. But, something was off about his appearance.

  Something was always off.

  Drakkel got up from his throne and approached the cage. As he did so, the man could only angrily glare at him. This man, who Drakkel could have sworn moved ever so slightly when his master died and Firo Fieren killed himself and who also might have been present when Master Som died, now sat before him.

  And it was because of this, that only one emotion now boiled through his blood.

  His gaze ice cold, he asked, “Who are you?”

  The man only sat there, silent and unwavering, not even a bead of sweat lining his forehead.

  “Fine.” Drakkel said. “I’ll have you show me right now.”

  Drakkel reached his hand inside the cage and grabbed the man’s head. As he did, he allowed his unique demonic energy to leak out of him and into the man.

  Because it was suppressed, he had difficulty bringing it out, but unlike when he only trained with sword energy, causing his utilization of demonic energy to diminish, he now had some practice with the other energy.

  It wasn’t enough to hurt the man in the cage, but it was enough to confirm his suspicions.

  Within a few minutes, the man’s appearance fell and as it did, a wide grin spread upon his lips and a defiant glint appeared in his eyes. His black and gray hair became crimson red in color along with his eyes. When his transformation finally stopped, gasps sounded from amongst the Demon Lords.

  Knowl stepped forward. “Is it really you, Malikai?”

  Then something unexpected happened. The man’s silence acupoint should have been hit and yet he still spoke a few words.

  With a wide smile, he answered, “It is, Knowl.”