(Previous chapter – The entire squad arrived at Lucia. The pathetic state of the city was unveiled before their eyes. Gauge came up with a plan to reach the Tyrant king.)
A demon, clutching a woman in its grasp, tried to abuse her. In a flash, a fist came out of nowhere and slammed the demon into the ground. He was knocked out cold. The other patrol demons noticed the commotion and rushed to the spot, only to find one of their own flattened.
"Who did this? Punching a patrol demon is equivalent to disrespecting the king! If none of you answer, you will be executed as an example of discipline," demanded the demon, raising his heavy axe to threaten the crowd.
A few people raised their hands. The demon noticed them and barked,"Was it you? Step out of the crowd at once!"
Slowly, Gauge, Var, Gabriel, and Ceraphilla emerged."Yes! It was us who did this. The injustice in this city has gone on too long. We, the resistance, will bring down this tyranny," Gabriel declared, baiting them into imprisoning the group.
The demon ordered,"Guards! Arrest these criminals. They will be tried before the king. The king shall deem their punishment."
A few moments earlier
Gauge had explained his plan,"We'll borrow clothes from our dead companions and attack this demon. Once they discover it was us, we'll claim to be a protest group. That way we'll be arrested and taken to the tyrant in no time."
Var added some improvisation,"The demon who seized the throne must have seen Lucian's face. We cannot risk letting someone as unstable as the champion into a sensitive plan like this. I suggest Lucian blends into the crowd while we're arrested."(He looked at Lucian.)"Meanwhile, you should gather information about what's happening in the city."
Lucian nodded in agreement.
Present
The gang was arrested and transported in a steel cage. Gauge, too bored to sit quietly, turned to Gabriel,"Hey, these people observed the stars and sent the data needed for scroll interpretation, right?"
Gabriel, just as excited, answered,"That's right!"
Gauge tilted his head toward the roof of the cage."Then how come Mimir was able to find my prophecy with just my blood?"
Gabriel adjusted his glasses."That's because there are two types of prophecies: Lunate prophecies and Ancestral prophecies. These two—"
"Would you two please shut up? We might be killed if this plan goes wrong. What is wrong with you people?"Ceraphilla's fury burned, yet her voice came out as little more than a whisper.
Everyone else fell awkwardly silent. The cage soon reached its destination. A demon tapped on the bars and barked,"Get down, quick. The king awaits."
Gauge stepped out first and beheld the palace of Lucia—high walls of blue stone, a grand wall guarding the inner court, and an archway as tall as a house. He thought, Feels just like Azoria.
Quickly, they were shackled. The demon growled again,"Enough sightseeing. Now walk!"He shoved Ceraphilla with his axe.
She whispered to Var,"Tell me when the fight begins. I'm killing this one first."
Var chuckled oddly. Together, they entered the courtroom. Inside, red marble glistened across the solitary hall.
Unlike any normal trial, the courtroom was empty save for a single being seated on the throne, shrouded in a dark veil, concealing his appearance. The demon who had arrested the group brought them forward and bowed before the King.
"Your Majesty, these are rebels from the city who defied your rule and attacked a—"
Silence.
The king ripped the heart from the supervisor demon. Shock rippled through the hall. Gauge tensed, charging his arms to melt the shackles, but Var caught his wrist and shook his head in disapproval.
The king walked up to a lower-ranking demon and leaned close."Do you know why I killed him?"
The demon stammered nervously,"No… Si—sire!"
"No need to fear. Just answer my questions. How long have we held Lucia under slavery?"
The demon stepped back, intimidated."For many years, sire."
"Did we feed them properly? Or at least give them the chance to feed themselves?"
"No, sire."
"Good. So, can these be rebels from the city?" the king inquired.
The demon swallowed."Th… they're too healthy to be rebels, sire."
"Wonderful. You will be the new supervisor of this unit. Dismissed."
(All the demons fled through the door. The king turned his gaze to the disguised gang.)
"Well, who do we have here… Honestly, I do not know. If you came here seeking information, I'll give it to you. But only if you agree to be dead once I kill you. Any questions?"
Silence.
"Very well. I am Vendrick, and as you can see, I have taken over this planet for research purposes."
Gabriel frowned."Research? What kind of research?"
Suddenly, Vendrick lunged at Gabriel, his finger aiming for the boy's eyes."NO INTERRUPTING!" he roared.
But before he could strike, Vendrick was caught mid-air. Gauge had used his shackles to bind him, swung him around, and hurled him into the throne. The seat shattered, burying Vendrick in rubble.
Vendrick rose from the debris, unfazed."That was a strong throw. You are powerful. But you just made a grave mistake."
He pulled out a small bat and commanded,"Kill them all!"
The bat resonated his command across the kingdom. Vendrick laughed,"Ha ha ha! Were you here to save them? Too bad!"
Gauge replied calmly,"No. They are here to save them. I'm here to pound your ass."He nodded at Var.
Var ordered,"Back to the city! Cut down as many demons as you can. Protect the people!"
Vendrick straightened, eyes glowing red. He grinned as scales shed from his skin and fangs pushed past his lips. Something ominous was emerging.
Next chapter – Generals and Comrades