The throne room went quiet again, save for the occasional sizzling of lava in the distance and the soft hum of divine tension still lingering in the air.
Lucien lounged across his newly-claimed obsidian throne like it was a VIP booth at a nightclub he owned, fluttering his fingers as dark pulses of magic sparked along his hand.
Serenith stood beside him, arms crossed, radiating just enough holy light to keep the shadows at bay, and just enough judgment to sting his ego.
"So, this previous Demon Lord... what was he like?" he asked, turning to Serenith with a curious expression.
The angel's smile quickly drained away, like a glass of champagne in his presence. "He was... infamous. He led vast armies, conquered lands, indulged in every carnal delight imaginable. He bathed in lust and violence. The only reason he didn't rule the world was because his power didn't extend past the Ash Lands."
"Sounds familiar," Lucien grinned. "So what happened to him?"
She raised a brow and glared at him. "The seven kingdoms united to defeat him. For 50 years the Ash Lands were under siege. But the Demon Lord's power was relentless. Armies were torn asunder under his breath. But then…" her voice softened to a conspiratory whisper. "He was seduced by a band of warrior maidens. Impaled by six swords blessed with holy magic. Plunged into his heart… mid-orgy."
Lucien lurched back with a wince. Blinked, then shuddered. "I… will not be going out like that. Definitely mid-orgy… but minus the six swords in the chest."
"This world depends on it." Serenith added sternly.
She goes on to discuss more of what she has learnt of The Dark Lord, Lucidius, painting the picture of a demi-god who lived purely for the indulgences of own pleasures and the pain of others .
"So, basically," Lucien exhaled deeply. "He was a really powerful."
"And very, very bad." Senerith replied with a snort. "He pulled the world's balance towards chaos."
"With a ridiculous amount of power." Lucien grinned, curling his fingers.
Serenith groaned. "Right. You still need to understand that power in order to use it."
"Of course," Lucien said, twirling a finger as a trail of black magic wafted through the air. "Knowledge is power."
"Yes! And I can help you with that." Serenith beamed as a radiant smile returned to her lips. "I'm authorized to install a Divine Augmentation into your consciousness. It'll allow you to access and understand your powers flawlessly. But, they'll be limited until you prove your actions are improving the balance in the world."
"There it is." Lucien groaned. "I knew there had to be a catch."
"The more balance you restore, the more power you gain. A fair compromise, considering your past."
He gave a resigned sigh. "Fine. I like a good power curve. Hit me."
Serenith raised her hands.
A glow enveloped Lucien's head, and suddenly, a ding echoed through the throne room.
[Demonic Sovereign Protocols Activated]
[Welcome, Lucidius, Lord of Ash and Fire.]
A semi-transparent interface bloomed into his vision. Stats. Charts. World Metrics. His power level was currently hovering at "Level 1: Part-Time Manager," but there was potential.
Oh, there was so much potential.
He scrolled further until he reached a screen displaying his skills and abilities.
[Dark Dominion: Area-of-effect shadow-based mind control]
[Charm of the Abyss: Passive skill, increases persuasive power (Maxed)]
[Demonic Reconstruction: Ability to reality terrain with willpower (Currently unlocked)]
[Eternal Libido: Self-explanatory. (Always active)]
[Magic of Dark Lord: Mastery over Dark/Ash/Fire/Shadow magic. (Always active)]
A world balance gauge hovered at the corner:
[Current World Balance: 9.2%]
[Global Status Summary: Over-saturated with Peace, Stagnation, and Decadence]
Lucien cackled. "Oh, I am looooving this!"
He cocked a finger gun at a statue of an old Demon Lord across the room.
"Pow!"
A black bolt of shadow magic streaked across the hall, neatly slicing off the statute's granite crotch.
"Bulls-eye," he whispered.
He twirled a finger and a wine barrel nearby shuddered, then lifted into the air. It spun obediently above his hand before tilting, pouring perfectly into a goblet he summoned out of pure showmanship.
He sipped. Squealed. And bounced on his throne like a giddy child who just discovered free Wi-Fi.
Then he licked his lips, smirked, eyes shifting to Serenith, and twirled a lazy finger.
She glared at him through half-lidded eyes. "Try it."
"Gladly."
Ever the opportunist, he extended a hand towards the angel, dark magic tendrils curling like fingers from his palm and slithering across the floor, before launching up to grab her divine chest.
Her holy aura flared out and a shock of light zapped him.
"MOTHER—!"
He cradled his hand as it sizzled faintly.
"You should know better." She giggled. "Holy magic hurts you."
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered. "Still gonna keep trying anyway."
He smirked again, licking his stinging fingers. "You're just another challenge, halo. A mystery. And you know how I love mysteries."
Her breath hitched. She didn't move. Didn't speak.
"Though it may take some time, I will peel you open, my little angelic flower," Lucien said softly, "... and watch you bloom."
Serenith's eyebrows leapt up, eyes shimmering as Lucien shot her a wink. She blushed furiously and quickly turned away.
He returned to his UI smiling smugly as he flipped through tales of old battles, demonic lore, and the diary of a Demon lord with a libido that brought down empires.
"Quite the shoes to fill." he said after a low whistle. "Gonna have to up my game. Pull out all the stops."
He turned back to Serenith who was clutching her thighs and mumbling to herself about purity.
"You know what, halo? I just realized something." he exclaimed proudly. "My past life was all just a warm up. This… this is the main event."
BOOM.
The throne doors slammed open.
"Your Magnificence!" came the sultry chorus of two voices.
Vex and Vile, the succubus twins, sashayed into the chamber, hips swaying like synchronized sex-mages. Behind them followed four figures burdened with scrolls, tomes, and grimoires.
"We brought the high council, my lord," Vex purred.
"As requested, o' radiant darkness." added Vile, licking her lips.
Lucien clapped his hands. "Splendid! Looks like it's time for our first executive council meeting!"