The Grand Duke's Son Is A Heretic

Chapter 535 535: 535

In the distant Demonic Wastes, dark mountains trembled under the crimson sky.

The land itself looked restless and uneasy as the red light slowly spread across the horizon. Dry winds moved across the barren plains and carried dust through the cracked earth.

Scattered bones rattled across the ground as the wind pushed them along. Monsters and demonic creatures howled in the distance, their voices echoing across the wasteland as if their instincts sensed something ancient had returned to the world.

Inside a ruined fortress built from heavy black stone, several demon lords stood gathered around a massive throne carved from obsidian. The fortress had once been glorious, but now its walls were broken and its towers had collapsed long ago. Pieces of shattered stone lay scattered across the floor while dark banners hung torn from the walls.

The throne room itself was dimly lit by burning green flames placed inside iron braziers. The fire gave off an eerie glow that flickered across the cracked pillars and the broken ceiling. Through the gaps above, the crimson sky could be seen clearly, and that red light seeped into the hall and painted everything in a deep unsettling glow.

One demon lord clenched his claws tightly while staring upward through the broken ceiling. His wings twitched slightly behind him as he felt the pressure spreading across the world.

"That aura… I know it."

Another demon standing beside him slowly spoke in a low voice. His horns twitched uneasily while his eyes narrowed toward the sky.

"It cannot be."

A third demon leaned forward slightly and whispered with visible fear in his eyes.

"The human who stood with us only to backstab us."

"The one who devoured even demon kings."

The room fell quiet after those words.

The throne creaked slowly as the ancient demon lord sitting upon it leaned forward with a heavy movement. His massive body cast a long shadow across the hall while the green flames reflected in his dark armor.

His eyes burned with hatred and caution as he stared toward the crimson sky.

"Leonard."

The name left his mouth like poison.

"After all these centuries… you dare to return."

None of the demon lords spoke after that. Each one remembered the same terrible figure who once walked through battlefields like death itself. The memory of that man still haunted their race like an old wound that never healed.

...…..

In the Beastkin Confederation, tribal warriors gathered around sacred fires while the night sky above them burned crimson.

Large bonfires crackled in the center of the tribal grounds. Sparks rose slowly into the air while shadows danced across the surrounding trees. Warriors from different beast tribes stood in uneasy silence. Their ears twitched slightly and their tails swayed restlessly as they watched the sky.

The shaman of the wolf tribe slowly raised his wooden staff and looked toward the heavens.

The spirits surrounding him trembled and flickered like frightened shadows moving through the air.

"The heavens are shaking," he murmured quietly.

A young beast warrior stepped forward and asked nervously, "Is it a god?"

The shaman slowly shook his head.

"No."

His sharp eyes narrowed as he continued staring at the crimson sky.

"It is something that even gods fear."

The warriors around him fell silent after hearing those words. Some lowered their heads respectfully while others gripped their weapons tightly without realizing it. The fire crackled softly between them as the red glow above continued to pulse across the night.

...….

While the entire world trembled beneath the crimson sky, somewhere far away in a place hidden by deep darkness, the sky looked completely different.

Clusters of bright stars lit up the endless void. The stars shone quietly and revolved slowly around each other like silent guardians watching over that hidden space. Their light was calm and gentle compared to the chaos spreading across the world below.

Amidst this quiet and beautiful scene, a single figure stood in the middle of the glowing starlight.

Kael.

He stood there while three beautiful women held him closely.

His arms wrapped around them while his head rested gently against their shoulders. For a brief moment, the terrifying man who had shaken the entire world with his return looked peaceful and tired.

He let out a long breath and closed his eyes slightly.

"Haaa… Life… It had never been peaceful."

Nina stood on his left side while her arms wrapped tightly around his back. Her fiery red hair flowed softly around them while faint flames flickered gently around her body. The warmth of her aura spread quietly through the space.

Asana stood quietly on the other side. Her cold aura slowly melted as she leaned closer into Kael's warmth. Her normally icy eyes softened completely while her head rested lightly against his shoulder.

Tiny droplets of frozen tears slipped down her face and turned into small crystals of ice before falling away into the darkness below.

Christina stood slightly in front of him while holding his hands with both of hers. Her gentle smile carried a warmth that calmed the atmosphere around them. Her eyes looked at him with quiet affection and relief.

No one in the world would have expected that these powerful figures who stood at the very top of the world would embrace a single man with such affection.

Nina's eyes glistened slightly while small trails of fire formed at the corners of her eyes. The flames flickered softly as if they reflected emotions she had held back for centuries.

For a few peaceful moments, none of them spoke.

The stars continued to revolve slowly above them while the silence around them felt calm and warm.

After a while, Kael slowly stepped back and looked at the three of them.

His gaze softened as he studied their faces carefully, almost as if he feared they might disappear.

"I don't know what you all have suffered to reach here," he said quietly.

"I really couldn't dare to believe all this."

Christina shook her head gently and smiled.

"It's okay. Our suffering is barely worth anything before yours."

She stepped closer and looked into his eyes with warmth.

"What mattered the most is we are finally together."

Her words were simple, yet the meaning behind them filled the quiet space with warmth that even the stars seemed to acknowledge.