Dragon King: Throne of Demons and Gods-Chapter 134: The Final Prayer

The girl burst through the door, knocking over the woman who’d come to check on her.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she ran in the opposite direction of the village festivities.

Behind her, voices rose in confusion, followed quickly by screams as the woman cried out to alert the villagers.

"She’s escaping! The girl is escaping!"

Panic surged through the village like wildfire. But the girl didn’t stop.

She ran blindly into the night, her tiny feet hitting the cold earth, tears running down her face.

She didn’t know how long she ran, minutes stretched into what felt like hours, her breath ragged, her chest aching.

Eventually, the girl stumbled to a halt in front of a dark, foreboding cave.

A chilling wind whispered from within.

She hesitated, trembling, the darkness within terrifying her, but not nearly as much as what awaited her if she turned back.

Taking a shaky breath, she stepped into the cave, the cold wrapping around her like a cloak.

She found a spot beside a large, rough stone, sank down, and curled into a tight ball, sobbing quietly.

"Lord Ravager..." she murmured weakly, her voice breaking with despair.

Watching her, Bel’s fists clenched, eyes cold and intense as he memorized every detail to reach the cave. He would find this place. He would.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed softly from the cave entrance.

Bel and the girl both turned sharply toward the sound. At the mouth of the cave stood Father Edrick, the priest who had brought her to the village.

"There you are," he said gently in relief. "I’ve been so worried about you."

The girl couldn’t respond; her heart was shattered, exhaustion and fear overwhelming her.

She just cried quietly, unable to move or speak.

Slowly, Father Edrick approached and sat beside her, speaking softly.

"I understand why you ran. It must be terrifying. But you don’t have to be afraid anymore. I’m here with you."

She finally managed a weak, desperate whisper.

"Why... why did you do this to me? Why did you bring me here if they have to sacrifice me? I just want to go back to the orphanage..."

Father Edrick sighed deeply.

"Child, with those horns... If you return among humans, they will fear you. They won’t understand. They’ll hurt you, or worse. These villagers, believe it or not, are kinder than most. At least here, your sacrifice means something."

His words only deepened her despair, tears running faster.

"I didn’t want this... I didn’t ask for any of this..."

Gently, the priest placed a comforting hand on her trembling shoulder.

"I know. And it’s unfair. Sometimes life is cruel in ways we don’t deserve. But I promise, you’re not alone. I’ll stay here with you. You won’t face this darkness alone."

They sat together through the night, Father Edrick softly talking to her, sharing stories and gentle words, trying to comfort her bruised spirit.

As dawn slowly painted the sky with soft light, their quiet voices continued, offering the girl at least a fragile, temporary peace in the face of her terrifying fate.

As the first soft chirping of dawn filled the cave, the priest tilted his head, listening carefully.

"Morning has come," he said softly, breaking their long silence. "It’s too late now. They missed their chance to sacrifice you. The promise is broken, and the blessings will fade."

The girl curled tighter, hiding her face between her knees.

"A blessing... shouldn’t need someone to die," she whispered bitterly.

The priest chuckled softly, gently nudging her shoulder in a reassuring manner.

"Exactly. And now that the villagers have failed their part of the deal, there’s no reason for them to harm you anymore. They know it’s over. You’re safe now."

She slowly lifted her head, eyes still wary.

"Can we leave then? I don’t want to be here anymore. I want to go far away."

The priest sighed, placing a gentle hand on her head.

"Unfortunately, your appearance still makes that difficult. Humans outside this village won’t hesitate. But—" he paused, a playful grin spreading across his face, "—there might be another way."

She tilted her head slightly, cautiously hopeful.

"Another way?"

He leaned closer, voice low, almost mischievous. "You see, now your life itself represents the blessing. The villagers will have to worship you if they wish to maintain their prosperity. Your existence alone ensures their fortune."

Her eyes widened, surprise and fear mixing together.

"But... I’m scared of them. What if they—"

"Shh," the priest interrupted gently. "It’s alright. I know it’s frightening. But remember, you don’t really have a choice. It’s your best hope."

Suddenly, muffled sounds of footsteps echoed closer from outside the cave. Panic surged in her eyes.

The priest stood calmly, his presence beginning to fade.

"Remember," he whispered urgently, his voice growing faint, "pray to Lord Ravager. He’s your only true salvation. Hold onto your faith, and everything will be fine."

She reached desperately for him, but her hands passed through emptiness.

His figure dissolved slowly into shadows. Her eyes filled with tears, wide with terror as his voice echoed softly in her mind one last time.

"Your life is their prosperity. Your death, their extinction. Pray, child. Pray to Lord Ravager."

The angry shouts and frustrated cries of the villagers grew louder, drawing nearer to her hiding place.

Fear gripped her heart, overwhelming her senses.

Unable to think clearly, she buried her face in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably as the shadows surrounded her.

"Lord Ravager," she whimpered through tears, voice trembling with desperation, "please come... please save me..."

In a meadow soft and green, little sheep would play and dream. Fluffy white, gentle and sweet, nibbling grass beneath their feet.

A shepherd watched them every day, keeping trouble far away. But one sheep wasn’t like the rest, black wool covering her chest.

Tiny horns, small and shy, she’d often whisper with a sigh, "Maybe one day friend I’ll find, then no more lonely times behind."

The shepherd smiled, soft and clear, "This sheep brings blessings near. Seven nights, we’ll let sheep sleep, then black sheep’s gift, forever keep."

The sheep all whispered, talked, and thought, "Trust the shepherd, should we not?" "She has horns, she looks strange," their minds worried about this change.

The first night passed, one sheep went,

"Rest well, friend," the black sheep sent.

But quietly, her heart was sad,

Counting nights that felt so bad.

Every night another gone, Black sheep hoped someone would come, "Please my friend, I feel alone, Come help me, take me home."

One night she ran, quick and far, following a distant star. The morning came, the sky so clear, she knew her safety now was near.

But sheep arrived with worried eyes, "Our blessing lost," came sad replies. "It’s too late now!" she softly cried, but the sheep ignored her sigh.

They brought her back and placed her there, Upon the stone, with gentle care. Her heart was shaking, scared inside, soft words spoken, then she cried.

A sleepy feeling filled her eyes, She whispered gentle goodbyes. They closed their ears to all her cries, little black sheep said goodbye.

In the morning, sun grew hot,

Grass and flowers soon were not.

Sheep felt worried, scared to stay,

"Another sheep must go away!"

Each night, again, they chose a sheep,

Quietly going into sleep.

But soon the sheep began to fight,

"Not me! Not me!" they cried at night.

Fights and cries filled the air,

Meadow lost its gentle care.

Sheep fought, afraid to be alone,

Until no sheep were left at home.

Now the meadow stands so still,

Quiet breeze blows softly chill.

All that’s left are quiet stones,

Remembering sheep who once had homes.

Bel and Midas stood silently in the ruined village, the gentle breeze whispering between the broken houses and scattered rubble.

The memory had ended, leaving nothing but emptiness and silence behind.

Midas sighed softly.

"This memory is over, Lord Ravager."

Bel remained still, his face hidden by shadows, immobile as if he was frozen in time.

Midas watched him carefully, waiting for any kind of reaction. When none came, he continued speaking, filling the silence cautiously.

"You see, demons like us, our evil is part of who we are. It defines us, it’s our nature. Humans, on the other hand... They have the luxury of choice. They can choose kindness, mercy, compassion... yet often, they willingly choose cruelty instead."

He paused, glancing around at the ruins.

"These villagers knew her sacrifice wouldn’t save them. They knew it was meaningless. But their anger, their fear at losing their newfound prosperity... That was enough. And they made sure her sacrifice was far more painful than those poor sheep."

The wind began to pick up slowly, swirling around them. Bel finally moved, his hand rising shakily to cover his face.

"Where... is she?" Bel’s voice was a low whisper, strained and tense.

Midas blinked, slightly surprised.

"Ravager... you saw how the story ended. Look around you. This village, this silence... it should be clear."

Bel scratched at his hair anxiously, his breathing ragged. His questions came faster, desperate and confused.

"No... you’re wrong. She can’t just be...gone. You said she’d be fine. You gave her hope..."

Midas sighed gently, attempting to sound reassuring but failing to hide his satisfaction.

"Ravager, she’s gone. There’s no bringing her back. But understand, this isn’t your fault. It’s theirs. Humanity’s. They’re the ones who chose this path, the ones who inflicted this pain."

Above them, dark clouds began gathering, swirling slowly like ink spreading across water. Bel’s fists clenched, his veins bulging.

"Where are the villagers, then?" Bel asked, voice rising.

Midas’ smile widened slightly.

"Gone. There’s nothing left here but ruins. No souls remain. This village is nothing more than a graveyard."

The wind roared louder now, whipping around Bel as his anger surged uncontrollably.

"Then who am I supposed to get revenge on?! Who do I direct this rage against?" Bel growled, his voice dangerously low yet trembling. "She didn’t deserve that... she never deserved any of it! Why was my name dragged into this? Why was I not informed?!"

He pressed his palm harder against his face, his vision blurred, heart pounding.

"Demons are stronger, we’re stronger than humans. Why was she so weak? Why did she die so easily?"

Midas stepped forward, voice gentle but firm, pushing his point further.

"The villagers may be gone, but their cruelty lives on. It lives in their people, in humanity itself. The Light World, they’re the root cause of this tragedy. If you truly wish to avenge the little black sheep, your target is clear. Humanity must pay."

Bel’s frustration finally broke. He turned sharply toward Midas, eyes blazing with intense, fiery emotion.

"That doesn’t solve anything!" His voice echoed harshly through the ruins.

Neither spoke again. The wind slowed, and the village sank into an uneasy stillness, both demon lords locking eyes.

Midas stared at Bel, clearly confused.

"What... do you mean?" he asked cautiously, his usual confidence wavering.

Bel took a hard, deep breath, visibly struggling with the weight of his own thoughts.

"It doesn’t make sense," he began quietly, his voice heavy and rough. "You can’t punish all of humanity because a few people were stupid... They’re all different. That girl... she was human once, wasn’t she? There are countless others like her... Like... like me before... They don’t deserve to pay for someone else’s sins."

Midas narrowed his eyes, stepping closer.

"But humanity allowed this. They didn’t stop it. The villagers, the citizens, the kingdom—they’re merely a reflection of humanity itself. If one village could do this, another can as well. Your anger is justified. Your revenge should encompass the true root of the problem."

Bel shook his head vehemently.

"No. That’s not right. Revenge has to be precise, focused. Those who participated... those... Those who caused her pain and fear... are the ones who deserve punishment. But they’re already dead. There’s no one left to punish."

Midas’ voice softened, persuasive and calm.

"Exactly, Ravager. That’s why the target must be humanity itself. The root. The source of her suffering. Eliminate the possibility of it ever happening again."

Bel’s fists tightened, his breathing uneven.

"No," he growled. "My revenge isn’t against everyone. It’s against the individuals responsible. The viscount who betrayed her, the villagers who sacrificed her, the woman who lied to her, the executioners who spilled her blood, the elders who allowed it, the ones who benefited from her pain..."

Bel paused, his voice trailing into silence. A slow, deep rumble began vibrating through the earth beneath their feet.

His eyes, wide and furious, slowly turned toward Midas.

"...You."

A deafening crash split the sky as thunder roared.

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