Chapter 455: The Great Purge Begins

The news of Damian’s effortless victory over the pillars of the Order of Demons spread through the underworld like wildfire. By the time the sun had risen over the capital, every major noble household had already heard some version of what happened.

Kanda had apparently been defeated so quickly that several of the other battles across the capital had barely begun before his presence disappeared. But the most terrifying part wasn’t simply that he had lost. It was that the entire capital had heard his screams.

The Dreg who had entered the battlefield with absolute confidence had eventually screamed in terror while desperately trying to escape from the Prince of Lust, only to be caught and burned alive beneath the eyes of thousands of witnesses.

That single event shattered whatever confidence remained among the Order’s supporters. Some surrendered immediately. Others abandoned their weapons and locked themselves inside their homes, unwilling to discover whether they would be the next targets of the Prince’s wrath.

For the first time, Damian’s strength wasn’t something people had heard about from Earth or witnessed through palace rumors. The entire capital had seen it. There were no exaggerated reports from soldiers, no stories passed between servants and nobles, and no distant legends from another realm that could be dismissed as propaganda.

The Prince of Lust had fought one of the Twelve Pillars of the Order of Demons and destroyed him in front of everyone. Whatever doubts people had carried about Damian’s strength were gone. The young Prince was no longer simply the mysterious heir who had returned after a decade of silence. He was a genuine force capable of crushing one of the most feared organizations in the Underworld.

But that was only half of the story.

After Kanda died, Damian’s anger didn’t disappear with him.

He descended upon the streets.

Those who had witnessed what followed would remember it for the rest of their lives. Damian hunted down members of the rebellion with a brutality that left even seasoned soldiers shaken.

Friends watched friends die. Families watched their relatives dragged from hiding places. Some had their heads ripped off instantly while others were torn apart limb by limb by Damian.

The streets that had been filled with civilians only hours earlier became stained with blood, and the sheer viciousness of the purge caused the remaining citizens to remain terrified even after the fighting had ended.

The capital was still under lock down, and Damian’s forces were systematically searching every district for accomplices.

No one knew how far the purge would go.

No one knew whether Damian would stop at the Order’s members or whether he would eventually decide that anyone who had unknowingly supported them was also guilty.

Inside the royal court, however, a different kind of fear had taken hold.

Amon and Grand Chancellor Darbin stood with their heads lowered, their hands cupped tightly before them. Neither man dared raise his eyes toward the throne. The ministers who had once spoken with confidence now looked as though they were standing before an executioner.

Their generals had been compromised. Their soldiers had supplied weapons and training to the rebels and they hadn’t noticed.

Damian sat upon his throne, his expression dark and his fingers slowly tightening around the armrest.

"Lilith, Malakor and Sargathis, step forward!"

His voice was low, but the crimson glow in his eyes made the three ministers pale.

They exchanged a terrified glance before stepping forward with stiff legs. Their heads remained lowered, and neither dared speak without permission.

Damian stared at them for several seconds.

"In my absence, my treasury was robbed, my allies were killed... Even the God Veins that would have served as a buffer to improve my strength quickly were embezzled!"

Bam!

His fist slammed against the armrest and the sound reverberated throughout the courtroom.

Everyone flinched.

"You did all of that but still failed to carry out the most basic responsibility you were given. All because of your endless greed and prejudice toward me and my kind."

Thud!

Lilith, Malakor and Sargathis immediately dropped to their knees. Their foreheads struck the floor hard enough to produce a dull sound.

"Forgive us, Sire! This oversight was not intentional!"

Their voices trembled as they spoke together, desperation replacing the arrogance they had displayed during previous court sessions.

Damian looked down at them with undisguised disgust.

Grand Chancellor Darbin immediately stepped forward, sensing that allowing the three ministers to continue pleading for themselves would only make matters worse.

"Sire, allow us to investigate and punish everyone responsible for these crimes!" Darbin said quickly. "We will uncover every person involved and ensure they are held accountable."

"Yes, Sire!" Amon bowed even lower. "Do not allow these unfortunate events to lead to the loss of capable servants. Give us the opportunity to correct what has happened."

Even Amon understood that this situation was fundamentally different from their previous confrontations.

Damian had every legal and political justification to punish them.

They could not simply argue that the crimes had occurred while they were unaware. They were responsible for the administration of Velmora. If people operating beneath their authority had been working with the Order of Demons for years, then ignorance itself was evidence of incompetence.

All they could do now was reduce the punishment.

Several officials from the factions of the five ministers immediately stepped forward. They dropped to their knees one after another, desperately attempting to defend their superiors before Damian could make a final decision.

"PLEASE INVESTIGATE FURTHER, SIRE!"

"PLEASE INVESTIGATE FURTHER, SIRE!"

"PLEASE INVESTIGATE FURTHER, SIRE!"

The pleas multiplied until they drowned out almost every other sound in the chamber. Dozens of officials shouted together, desperately attempting to create enough pressure to force Damian into reconsidering his judgment.

Jugo, Talos and Kan watched from the opposite side of the court with increasingly dark expressions.

These people were doing it again, they were using their numbers.

The same political maneuvering that had allowed them to dominate the royal court for years was being used once more, except this time they were doing it directly against the Prince himself.

Damian’s eyes slowly moved across the kneeling officials. His expression became completely still and then came the sound of something wet striking the marble floor.

Splash!

The entire courtroom fell silent as Amon’s head slowly turned and Darbin’s eyes widened.

Lilith, Malakor and Sargathis looked over their shoulders with trembling expressions.

Several bodies were still kneeling where they had been moments earlier except their upper halves were gone.

Blood poured from the remains, spreading across the polished floor and forming dark pools around their knees. The officials surrounding them stared in frozen horror, unable to understand what had just happened.

Amon’s breathing stopped for a moment and Darbin’s face became pale.

Then their eyes slowly moved upward.

Behind the throne stood the vague outline of an enormous fox formed from Damian’s demonic aura. Its features were barely visible, but two burning purple eyes stared down at the remaining ministers with murderous intent.

’World Devouring Maw!’ The quick recognized.

Nobody spoke as a realization spread through the courtroom. The Prince of Lust had just murdered his own officials in the middle of court.

Damian rose from his throne.

"I’m done playing emperor."

His voice carried through the silent chamber.

"It’s time I play God."

Everyone’s blood ran cold.

"Relinquish your positions, authorities and stolen wealth or die here and now."

Damian’s eyes swept across the five ministers.

Buzz!

Even Jugo, Talos and Kan were shaken. None of them had expected that.

The ministers who had controlled Velmora for generations suddenly found themselves standing before a Prince who had stopped asking them to cooperate.

Grand Chancellor Darbin clenched his fists.

"Sire! You need my Duke family to survive! Every throne needs a Duke behind it!"

His voice echoed across the court.

Damian stared at him and his expression twisted.

"AND WHERE WAS YOUR WRETCHED FAMILY ON BOTH OCCASIONS WHEN I NEARLY GOT ASSASSINATED?!"

Darbin jerked backward.

"WHERE WERE YOUR ARMIES THAT WERE HOARDED AT THE CAPITAL DURING MY GREATEST HOUR OF NEED?!"

The roar shook the entire courtroom.

The five ministers immediately lowered their heads as their bodies trembled violently.

Damian’s breathing gradually settled, and a disdainful chuckle escaped his lips as he fell back onto his throne.

"Since my arrival, your families have been nothing but hindrances."

His crimson eyes narrowed.

"So I’ll treat them as one."

Without hesitation, Damian flicked his hand.

The massive court doors exploded open.

Bam!

Dozens of Royal Guards stormed into the chamber.

Kor led them at the front, his black and purple armor gleaming beneath the court’s lights. Every soldier moved with disciplined precision, spreading across the room before surrounding the ministers.

Weapons were unsheathed and blades pressed against necks.

The ministers barely had time to react before another group of Royal Guards entered carrying chains covered in glowing golden runes.

The chains radiated divine energy.

They were wrapped around the ministers’ necks while similar shackles were placed around their wrists. The moment the restraints closed, their demonic force was suppressed.

Lilith’s face became completely pale. Malakor struggled instinctively against the chains before realizing they were useless and Sargathis looked toward Damian in disbelief.

This man truly planned to murder his in-laws!

Amon remained silent and Darbin’s expression was the darkest of them all.

Damian looked down from his throne and his voice thundered across the court.

"ARREST THESE TREASONOUS SWINES! THEY WILL BE TRIED ACCORDING TO THE LAWS OF THIS LAND AS ACCOMPLICES TO TREASON!"

His eyes swept across every official who remained kneeling.

"IGNORANCE IS NOT AN EXCUSE!"

For the first time in decades, the old powers of Velmora were no longer standing behind the throne.

They were kneeling before it.