"So tell me... who the hell are you to think you can challenge me?"

  I met his gaze without flinching. Then, with a mocking grin, I delivered my answer.

  "I’m your replacement."

  Silence.

  Baal's expression darkened. My sarcasm and absolute confidence ignited his rage.

  With a furious roar, Baal lunged at me. I met him head-on.

  Fist to fist, power against power.

  The impact was cataclysmic.

  A shockwave of unimaginable force erupted from our clash, shaking the very foundations of the world.

  The heavens trembled, parting the skies with a thunderous roar.

  The ocean split in two, leaving Sado Island standing between a vast, gaping chasm of water.

  The ground cracked and crumbled, threatening to swallow the island whole.

  Yet, even amidst the chaos, my people stood firm.

  The geomancers among them—along with six demons who had secretly allied with us—unleashed their magic, stabilizing the land and shielding it from total collapse.

  Then, as the dust settled, a single horrific truth became clear.

  Baal had suffered a gruesome fate.

  His arm—shattered beyond recognition.

  The force of our clash had sent shockwaves through his entire body, breaking bones, rupturing flesh, and forcing his own protruding bones to pierce through his skin like jagged spikes.

  Meanwhile, I stood unharmed.

  Baal barely had time to process his agony before I grabbed his shattered arm and, with a flick of my wrist, tossed him aside like garbage.

  His massive form crashed into the island, leaving a deep crater in his wake.

  Stunned silence spread across the battlefield.

  The mighty Demon Lord Baal... incapacitated with a single punch.

  Even his own arrogance couldn’t mask the unbelievable reality before him.

  And then, I stepped back—allowing the islanders to humiliate him.

  Baal, the self-proclaimed First and Most Powerful Demon Lord, now lay in the dirt, beneath the very people he sought to conquer.

  I simply watched.

  But Demon Lord Baal was not finished.

  With a furious roar, he erupted with pure rage, his severed, mangled arm hanging limply at his side.

  Then—instant regeneration.

  His tattered flesh knitted back together, bones snapping into place as his restored arm flexed with renewed power.

  The sheer force of his dark aura exploded outward, hurling everyone backward—everyone except me.

  Before he could unleash his fury upon the islanders that had mocked him, six demons appeared from nowhere—our hidden allies.

  They raised a barrier, shielding the island from Baal’s impending destruction.

  But Baal had abandoned all restraint.

  The Demon Lord's True Form

  His body warped grotesquely, shifting into his true form.

  Three monstrous heads emerged—a toad, a man, and a cat, each radiating their own aura of malice.

  His flesh burned, engulfed in a black inferno, his body becoming a living furnace of dark fire.

  The ocean itself rebelled—boiling violently as torrents of water began to rise toward the sky.

  The six demons trembled.

  Their barrier cracked, barely withstanding the pressure of his overwhelming power.

  But before Baal could annihilate everything, I acted.

  In one decisive move—he was dead.

  My fist pierced his chest.

  I grasped his heart— a hard, crystalline emerald, still pulsing, shimmering with unholy life.

  As I ripped it free, the world itself reacted.

  The skies cleared, the ocean stilled, the air softened.

  The torrents of demonic energy collapsed.

  The darkness that threatened to consume all—vanished.

  Baal’s massive form toppled backward into the ocean.

  The impact created a colossal tidal wave, surging toward the island, a final act of destruction from a fallen king.

  With a single snap of my fingers, the sound wave shattered the incoming tsunami, reducing it to a gentle rain before it could cause harm.

  As I descended, the six demons had already begun restoring the island, using their magic to repair the land and heal what little damage remained.

  The people of Sado stood in absolute silence.

  Awe. Disbelief. Fear.

  I had just effortlessly slain the greatest Demon Lord in history—a feat that Z-rank warriors would struggle against, one that even SZ+ (Tier 1) or Tier-3 warriors might not accomplish without struggle.

  It had been recorded before: a single demon had once killed a Tier-3 warrior and evolved into a multiversal threat.

  Power meant nothing if one let their guard down.

  Strength was not just about raw might—it was about absolute control.

  Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

  As I gazed at the islanders, I saw their admiration... and their fear.

  They feared that I, too, might turn against them, now that I had defeated Baal and taken his place.

  But I would never betray them.

  With a steady voice, I reminded them of my promises.

  I was not their conqueror.

  I was their protector.

  I turned to the six demons who had aided us, expecting nothing, yet they were already kneeling before me.

  Their heads bowed in silent reverence, as if instinctively recognizing the shift in power.

  In my grasp, Demon Lord Baal’s heart still beat, its emerald glow flickering with the remnants of his once-great power.

  "Rise," I commanded.

  They obeyed immediately.

  The Nameless Demoness

  I turned to the female demon who had once protected my people in my absence.

  She stepped forward—less stunning than one might expect, nameless like the others.

  Some of her companions were androgynous, some clearly male or female, yet all bore the same hardened, battle-worn presence.

  Despite their lack of names, I acknowledged them.

  "Your aid was unexpected… but not unappreciated. Why help?"

  The female demon hesitated, then spoke.

  She spoke of Hell—the Demon World, the Demon Realm, the Demonverse—an infinite dimension greater than the multiverse itself.

  Her voice carried a weight of suffering and turmoil.

  I needed no further explanation.

  I could hear it in her tone, see it in her eyes—she was telling the truth.

  Then, I asked the question that lingered in my mind.

  "Does this mean I have become a Demon Lord?"

  She nodded.

  "Yes. But to make your ascension official, you must crush Baal’s heart."

  I wasted no time.

  With a single, decisive motion, I clenched my fist, shattering the heart into nothingness.

  In an instant—reality itself reacted.

  A wave of power ripped through space-time, a silent yet undeniable proclamation that echoed across all realms.

  Mortals trembled.

  Immortals took notice.

  The supernatural felt the shift.

  I was now recognized as a Demon Lord.

  A demonic aura engulfed me, an overwhelming presence unlike before.

  Even with my seal still intact, albeit half-broken, I could feel it—an endless well of power.

  But I wasn’t ready to let my seal completely break.

  With practiced control, I sealed it once more upon my forehead, solidifying my status while ensuring my full power remained restrained… for now.

  I turned back to the six demons.

  "Take me to the Demon Realm."

  But before I left, I faced the islanders.

  "I will return shortly," I assured them.

  With that, we vanished.

  ***

  Hell—the Demon Realm.

  A place beyond mortal comprehension.

  The landscape itself defied logic—an infinite dimension, vast enough to contain entire universes, each layer stretching farther and wider than the last.

  The Demoness had not exaggerated.

  And I had no time to explore.

  We arrived at the throne of Demon Lord Baal—now my throne.

  Awaiting me were legions of demons—lesser lords, warlords, and untold horrors.

  They had gathered to witness the one who had slain their king.

  And at the heart of them all…

  She.

  The Mother of All Demons.

  A being of ancient, unholy majesty.

  She was the bride of every Demon Lord, from the weakest to the strongest.

  Her purpose? To procreate—spawning demons beyond measure, transforming the damned into monsters.

  She gazed at me with expectation, curiosity… and something else.

  I had taken Baal’s place.

  But was that enough?

  No.

  This was only the beginning.

  ***

  Her name was Lilith—Mother and Queen of Demons.

  The First Bride to all Demon Lords. The Cradle of Sin. The Mother of Monsters.

  Lilith greeted me with open arms, her warm embrace defying the legends that painted her as the embodiment of corruption. Her touch was tender yet heavy—like the weight of countless eons pressing against my soul.

  She guided me toward the Throne of Baal, and in that moment...

  I became the most powerful ruler in the Demon Realm.

  The overlord of all Demon Lords.

  As I took my seat, Lilith sat beside me, her piercing gaze fixed on the uncountable hordes of demons—both great and small—that filled the infinite hall before us.

  They awaited orders.

  But I had other intentions.

  I could already feel their discontent—a silent torment buried beneath their subservience.

  Not all demons were content to serve. Many had been abused, enslaved, or discarded by the very Demon Lords they were bound to. The Demon Realm was a prison of power, a twisted hierarchy where only the strong thrived while the weak suffered.

  But that was about to change.

  I stood from the throne, my voice cutting through the endless halls.

  "I know why you kneel... but I will not force your loyalty."

  Murmurs rippled through the crowd—shock and confusion.

  "No Demon Lord has ever offered you a choice before."

  The atmosphere thickened as countless eyes fell upon me. Even Lilith glanced at me, her lips curling into a subtle smile—one that hinted at both intrigue and caution.

  "I am not like those who came before me. I offer you what no Demon Lord... not even the Archdemons... would dare to give."

  I raised my hand, and the very laws of Hell trembled at what I was about to declare.

  "Serve me... or walk away."

  A stunned silence fell across the horde.

  No one moved. No one spoke.

  I had just given them something more powerful than any spell, weapon, or title—

  Freedom.

  But I wasn't finished.

  I separated the Named Demons from the Nameless Ones.

  Their entire existence had revolved around the names given to them by other Demon Lords—names that bound them to eternal servitude.

  But now... I would create my own hierarchy.

  "Step forward."

  The six demons who had aided me on Earth obeyed without hesitation, kneeling once more before me.

  I started with the female demoness—the one who had shielded my people when I was gone and stood by them during my battle with Baal.

  Her eyes flickered with uncertainty... yet also hope.

  "You deserve more than nameless servitude."

  I placed my hand on her forehead, feeling the power of the Demon Realm surge through me.

  "I name you... Beelzebub, Lord of the Flies."

  In an instant, a violent surge of energy erupted from her body, evolving her into a Higher Demoness.

  Her once frail form transformed—her wings blackened, her eyes glowed gold, and her aura rivaled that of the greatest demons in existence.

  But I wasn't done.

  I could feel it—my power in the Demon Realm was evolving at an exponential rate.

  Every second I spent here fed me—my presence alone reshaping the very fabric of Hell itself.

  It was then that I decided to do what no Demon Lord—not even Archdemons—had ever done.

  I placed my hand on Beelzebub's shoulder.

  "You are no longer just Beelzebub... you are now Demon Lord Beelzebub.

  Ruler of the Flies.

  My successor."

  A wave of shock and fear rippled through the horde.

  The entire Demon Realm fell into absolute silence.

  Even Lilith’s smile faded—her eyes narrowing as if trying to comprehend what I had just done.

  In the laws of Hell, only Archdemons or higher deities could promote a demon to the rank of Demon Lord. For a fellow Demon Lord to bestow such power was considered...

  Blasphemy.

  Yet here I stood—rewriting the very foundations of Hell.

  Beelzebub evolved instantly, her aura rivaling those who had once ruled her.

  I could feel the hunger for rebellion stirring within the horde. Many demons saw what I had done and wondered...

  If he could give names... could he set us free?

  Lilith—the Mother of Demons, the Bride of the Abyss—was taken aback.

  Her eyes widened, and for the first time in eons, she was silent.

  But I would get to her later.

  For now, my focus remained on the five remaining demons who had fought beside Demon Lord Beelzebub on Sado Island.

  Each one had earned more than just a name. They had earned a throne.

  I turned my gaze to the second demon—an androgynous figure whose very presence echoed power and defiance.

  The moment I looked at him, he reminded me of Lucifer.

  Across countless universes, Lucifer’s story differed.

  In some, he was an Archangel—Heaven’s greatest creation, cast down for rebellion.

  In others, he was a Seraphim—closer to God than any being had ever been.

  In certain timelines, he was not the villain—but rather the one who saved Heaven from the rebellious Archangel Michael.

  Lucifer was the perfect name.

  But to give him that name now would be too soon—it would surpass even Demon Lord Beelzebub’s power.

  So I gave him six names.

  Each name carried a fraction of his ultimate power, unlocking layer by layer as he ascended with me.

  And his final name, Lucifer, would only be spoken once I achieved godhood.

  The Six Names of Lucifer

  1. Heylel – The Shining One, the first step toward his celestial rebirth.

  2. Samuel – The Venom of God, the judge of the fallen.

  3. Son of the Morning – A title that whispered his true destiny.

  4. Satan – The Adversary, embodying resistance against all who would stand in our way.

  5. Yaldabaoth – The False God, the reflection of cosmic balance and illusion.

  6. Lucifer – The Light Bringer, his ultimate and final name, waiting for the day of my ascension.

  As each name left my lips, power surged through him, twisting and reshaping his form into something more than just a demon.

  When I finally marked him with his throne, the number 666 burned into his forehead—not as a curse, but as a symbol of balance.

  Many believed it to be the Mark of the Beast, but in reality, it was a reflection of order and chaos, destruction and rebirth. So I made Lucifer subordinate to Demon Lord Beelzebub, placing him as the ruler of the 666 layers of Hell in the demon realm.

  Next, I turned to the third demon—a male figure whose aura dripped with deception and greed.

  His eyes flickered like molten gold, his very presence whispering of secrets, lies, and untold riches.

  His name was

  Mammon.

  And he would rule over the 333 Layers of Hell—a throne of greed, corruption, and desire.

  At that moment, the mark 333 burned into his chest, a symbol of his dominion over souls consumed by avarice.