Chapter 170: The Shadow of the Void and the Demon King's Mandate
The atmosphere around the isolated farmhouse had shifted from a cold winter's night into something far more sinister. The air itself felt heavy, as if the gravity of the entire realm was centering on the figure of Volt, the Demon King. He stood motionlessly at the edge of the clearing, his cloak barely fluttering in the icy gale. On his wrist, a dark violet crest pulsed with a rhythm that matched the heartbeat of the world—a sign that his true essence had been fully recognized by the laws of existence. He was no longer just a king in hiding; he was a sovereign who had reclaimed his absolute authority.
Behind him, Anos and Akuto stood ready. The frost on the ground began to crackle and shatter as the demonic pressure intensified. Akuto could feel the Sakuna root within him twisting in agony, suppressed by the sheer presence of his father. "They are not just scouts," Akuto whispered, his eyes glowing with an unstable crimson light. "The Void has sent something much worse this time."
Suddenly, from the depths of the frozen forest, three towering figures emerged. They were the Sentinels of the Void—wraith-like entities clad in armor made of collapsed starlight. They moved with a terrifying silence, their very presence erasing the sound of the wind. Each step they took caused the reality around them to flicker and distort, as if they were glitching through the fabric of space. They had come to challenge the resurgence of the Demon King's power, sensing the massive growth in his influence over the mortal and immortal realms alike.
Volt didn't reach for a blade. He simply looked at the first Sentinel, and the space between them warped into a funnel of darkness. "You have crossed into a domain where the laws are written by my hand," Volt's voice echoed, not from his mouth, but from the very earth beneath their feet. With a flick of his wrist, a localized vacuum of demonic energy erupted, pinning the Sentinels to the ground. The mark on his wrist flared with a blinding golden light, asserting his dominance as the ultimate architect of this reality.
The first Sentinel raised a jagged blade of pure nothingness, swinging it in a wide arc that threatened to cleave the very farmhouse in two. But Volt didn't flinch. He raised a single finger, and the blade shattered into a million translucent shards upon contact with his aura. The sheer difference in power was overwhelming. The growth Volt had achieved in such a short time was unprecedented, a surge of energy that had redefined the power scales of the entire universe.
Vanessa and Aki watched from the shadows of the porch, their hearts racing against their ribs. They knew that this was only the beginning. The world had changed, and the growth of Volt's power had drawn the attention of the universe's most ancient hunters. This wasn't just a skirmish; it was a declaration that the throne was occupied once more.
"Anos, Akuto," Volt commanded, his back still turned to them, his silhouette framed by the dying light of the winter sun. "The Sentinels are yours to finish. Do not hold back. Do not show mercy. Prove to the Void that the blood of the Demon King has not thinned through the ages. Let the shadows witness the strength of my heirs."
Anos stepped forward, his black cloak billowing like wings of smoke. His sword, the God-Slayer, hummed with a resonance that rivaled the wind. Beside him, Akuto allowed the crimson markings of Sakuna to spread across his face, not as a master over him, but as a tool under his absolute control. Together, the two princes charged into the fray, their movements a blur of violet and red light.
The battle that ensued was a symphony of destruction. Each blow struck by Anos created craters in the frozen earth, while Akuto's strikes tore through the armor of the Sentinels like paper. The Void-dwellers shrieked, a sound that bypassed the ears and vibrated directly into the soul. But the princes were relentless. They fought with a synchronization that suggested they were two halves of a single, unstoppable force.
Volt watched them with a critical eye, his presence ensuring that no outside interference could disrupt the trial. He was the anchor of their reality, the one whose very existence allowed them to push past their limits. As the last Sentinel fell into a pile of ash, the winter air finally grew still. The message had been sent. The Demon King was back, and his dynasty was stronger than ever.