The Demon Among The Knights-Chapter 37 - 33: War of Chains and Freedom

The Demon Among the Knights

Luci, the youngest son of Lucifer, had spent years bound in chains, his power sealed away by his own father. His crime? Nearly destroying Hell itself when he was just a child. Fearful of his strength, Lucifer bound him with a cursed chain, one that suppressed his true abilities, ensuring that he could never become a threat again. But fate had other plans.

During a great war between knights and mages, a group of knights unknowingly set him free. Seeing an opportunity, Luci disguised himself as one of them, blending into their ranks. His goal was simple—find the purest holy water, a divine liquid strong enough to break the cursed chains that shackled him. He fought alongside the knights, earning their trust while secretly seeking his freedom.

However, things did not go as planned. The holy water he obtained wasn’t pure enough to break the chains completely, but it did weaken them. He could feel it—the restraints that had bound him for years had loosened, allowing some of his original power to return. His strength had increased significantly, and for the first time in years, he felt closer to regaining his full abilities.

But with this newfound power came a greater risk. The knights, his supposed allies, had finally discovered the truth. They now knew he was not one of them—he was not human, not a true knight, but a demon. A being they had sworn to destroy.

The revelation sent shockwaves through the ranks. Some knights felt betrayed, realizing they had fought side by side with a demon. Others were more conflicted. He had helped them, fought their enemies, and even saved lives. Could they truly call him an enemy?

Luci, however, was unfazed by their reactions. He had expected this outcome from the beginning. He had never been one of them, and now that they knew the truth, he no longer had to pretend. But one question remained—what would happen next? Would the knights turn on him? Would they attempt to fight him, now that they knew his identity?

More importantly, would Luci even care?

With the war against the mages over, a new battle was on the horizon—one far more dangerous than anything they had faced before. The Five Embolism, the strongest warriors in Lucifer’s army, had likely sensed his release. They would be coming. And when they did, they would not show mercy.

Luci had a choice to make. He could leave, return to Hell, and confront his father once and for all. Or he could stay, fight alongside the knights once more, not as one of them, but as himself.

Either way, the battle ahead would be one of chains and freedom.

Would he still remain The Demon Among the Knights?

Brian’s floating head hovered slightly above the ground, his expression serious as he continued explaining.

"Well, the reason I’m just a head is because, in my battle against Pull, I used a power that drained almost all of the connection I had with the Reality God." His voice was calm but carried the weight of his words.

Luci raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "That still doesn’t answer my question, head honcho."

Brian sighed before continuing. "During our fight, Pull tore my body apart, scattering my limbs and torso across the battlefield. When I finally managed to reassemble myself, I ended up like this—a head. With the last bit of my aura energy, I transported myself to this location, drawn here by the massive energy I sensed."

Before Brian could elaborate, Brianna’s eyes widened as if she had just remembered something important. "Oh! That must have been—"

Before she could finish, voices interrupted her.

"Hey, Captain Luci!"

Mary and Vic appeared, stepping out from the trees. Mary had a smug look on her face, while Vic was his usual serious self.

Luci turned to them with an unimpressed expression. "Oh, it’s the insect and the long-tongued guy."

Mary huffed, flipping her hair. "We had a wonderful time with Bhad Bunni. Since the war has stopped, we’ve been bringing the injured to the tent as fast as we could."

Luci waved dismissively. "I don’t care."

Vic frowned but decided to continue. "At least hear us out. We also brought Sir Daniel with us."

As they moved aside, Daniel stepped forward, his body covered in bandages. He looked exhausted, yet his presence still carried a sense of strength.

Luci narrowed his eyes. "Oh, you. I guess everyone’s been busy fighting." He cracked his knuckles and turned away. "Well, I gotta bounce."

Brian’s floating head turned toward him. "Where are you going? We should all head to the kingdom together."

Luci smirked. "I’m not going to the kingdom."

Brianna suddenly clenched her fists as if struggling with something before blurting out, "That’s what I wanted to tell you all. Luci... is a demon."

A stunned silence followed.

Everyone’s heads snapped toward Luci.

"What?!" Brian, Mary, Vic, and Daniel all shouted in unison.

Luci shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, yeah."

Brian’s floating head twitched as he processed this. "Wait, so you’ve been disguising yourself as a—what was the word? A moned?"

Luci chuckled. "I made that up. I only wanted the holy water, so I disguised myself. I needed it to break free. I saw you open that door during your war against the mages, and that’s when I made my move."

Brian narrowed his eyes. "I see..."

Suddenly, Mary gasped, her body trembling as she dropped to her knees. "What... what is this?"

Vic quickly knelt beside her. "Mary?! What’s wrong?"

Mary clutched her chest, panting. "Luci’s aura... it’s celestial. I can feel it. My body—" She groaned in pain.

Daniel, despite his injuries, stared at Luci with wide eyes. So Luci was this strong all along? Even when we trained together, he was still holding back...

Brian’s expression darkened. "Now I get it. You wanted the holy water to set yourself free."

Luci smirked. "And I’ve done it. Though, your so-called ’holy water’ isn’t pure enough to break my chains completely. It only loosened them."

Brian frowned. "Who gave you that holy water?"

Brianna raised her hand. "I did. I struck a deal with him. The war was getting out of hand, and we needed a way to tip the scales. The deal is now complete."

Brian turned to Luci. "Where are you going anyway?"

Luci’s crimson eyes gleamed. "Hell."

Everyone stiffened.

Brian blinked. "What?"

Luci crossed his arms. "I have to go there and retrieve the Dark Liquid. Then I’ll kill Lucifer."

Vic’s jaw dropped. "Lucifer? The Devil himself?"

Brian’s voice was steady. "Yes. Luci is Lucifer’s son." He turned back to Luci. "But why do you want to kill him?"

Luci’s smirk disappeared, replaced by an unreadable expression. "I have my own reasons. And I also need to take care of those guys."

Brian narrowed his eyes. "Who are they?"

Luci’s voice darkened. "The Five Embolism. They’re the strongest warriors in Lucifer’s army."

Vic swallowed hard. "Wait... aren’t you supposed to be one of them?"

Luci’s aura flared for a moment. "Stop interfering with my personal life." His crimson eyes glowed menacingly.

Vic took a step back, a shiver running down his spine.

Brian remained composed. "Who are they, exactly?"

Luci sighed. "There are actually ten of them, divided into two divisions. The first division consists of:

Nyx

Umbra Tenebris

Shade

Obscura

Daniel furrowed his brows. "Obscura... is that related to ’obscure’?"

Luci nodded. "Yes. Obscura and Obscure are brothers and sisters—winged-hand demons who have reached great heights of power."

He continued. "The second division consists of:

Ravenor

Noctis

Erebus

Vesper

Another Umbra."

Luci’s gaze darkened. "Even if I don’t go to Hell, they will come here. They’ve already sensed that I’ve been released, and when they do arrive... humanity will be wiped out."

A heavy silence settled over the group.

Brian took a deep breath. "How about another deal, Luci?"

Luci raised an eyebrow. "What do you have that would make me consider another deal?"

Brian smirked. "Help us fight against this upcoming threat, and we will give you the purest holy water we have. That way

Brian smirked. "Help us fight against this upcoming threat, and we will give you the purest holy water we have. That way, you can finally break free."

Luci narrowed his eyes. "You think I need your help?"

Brian’s floating head tilted. "I think you’re smart enough to know that fighting the Five Embolism and Lucifer at the same time isn’t a battle you want to take lightly."

Luci crossed his arms, tapping his fingers against his bicep. He hated to admit it, but Brian had a point. The Embolism were strong—far stronger than most demons. And Lucifer... well, he was a different problem altogether.

Vic hesitated before speaking. "Luci, you may be strong, but even you can’t handle all of them alone."

Mary, still catching her breath from earlier, added, "And if they wipe out humanity, there won’t be any holy water left for you to use. If you work with us, you might stand a chance."

Luci let out a deep sigh. "Tch. Fine. I’ll play along... for now."

Brian grinned. "Good. Then until this battle is over, consider yourself our ally."

Luci rolled his eyes. "Let’s just get this over with."

Mary clapped her hands together. "Well, in that case, you’re invited to the feast tonight."

Luci raised an eyebrow. "A feast?"

Vic chuckled. "Yeah. We just won a war. It’s only fair we celebrate."

Luci looked away, his expression unreadable. A feast? It had been a long time since he had been part of anything remotely normal. He had spent most of his life fighting, surviving, and plotting his escape from the chains that bound him.

Brian spoke again. "Think of it as a moment of peace before the storm."

Luci sighed. "Fine. But don’t expect me to sit around and chat."

Mary smirked. "We wouldn’t dream of it."

As they began making their way back toward the kingdom, Luci glanced up at the darkening sky. He could feel it—the looming presence of the Embolism. They were watching. Waiting.

And soon, they would strike.

"This isn’t just a war," Luci muttered under his breath. "It’s a battle between chains and freedom."

To be continued...