“But, to sum it up, the first one asked questions about the Founders, activated traps, and such. The second brought us into fake realities to see if we would forget ourselves in our perfect world. And the third was an infinitely regenerating Golem made of enhanced gold, placed in a chamber made purely of the same,” Radir quickly filled the king in on their journey.

  “Did you overcome all of them?” Zegion glanced at Asterios.

  “Not without struggle, but yes,” he answered.

  “And what we found behind them is the most shocking part,” Radir continued.

  The king regarded him with a questioning gaze, waiting for the big reveal. His aides moved closer to the throne too. Everyone had gotten quite invested in the unusual story. Although, the sight of a bunch of half-naked men with oiled skin leaning over a royal throne created quite unusual sight too.

  “Turns out that all of this hid the untainted living quarters of no one else than the Founding Ancestors. Perfect state and shape, no demon contact since… their passing most likely.”

  Rowena gasped in shock while the king’s aides began murmuring amongst themselves. “No fucking way!”

  She quickly realized her tone and covered her mouth with both hands, taking a peek at the king. He was too surprised himself to pay attention to her, fortunately. Asterios felt like he wouldn’t care about language anyway.

  “But wait! There’s more!” Radir was still on it. “We found a vault full of their personal artifacts! Many chambers house various pieces of art, sculptures, books, notes, and knowledge! That place is a literal cultural treasure trove! Discovery of an unthinkable scale!”

  “That is quite a big deal,” Zegion agreed, clearly pondering the new information. “You are sure about that, right?”

  “There’s no shadow of a doubt,” Asterios replied. “Considering all the facilities present in the underground complex, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that it was their main base of operations during the conquest of the monstrous lands.”

  “Hmmm…” The king looked to be taking it quite calmly. “And no one else knows?”

  Radir shook his head. “We wanted to keep it a secret, for obvious reasons. Besides, who would believe us? I already have the reputation of an insane man.”

  The demon ruler chuckled heartily. “True. Very good. You might be considered crazy, but I don't think you are a liar. I would like to see it for myself. Governor Rowena, can I leave it to you?”

  She bowed respectfully. “Anytime, Your Majesty. I will keep Tri-Valor Valley ready for your visit and restrict access to the center for the time being.”

  “Great. I will head out with my aides after we are done here.”

  “I’m afraid that even though Your Majesty doesn’t want to bother us, we might need to come anyway,” Radir interrupted him politely.

  “And why is that? Are you worried that I won’t pass the tests?” The king asked with an amused tone.

  “Oh, not at all. It’s just…” Radir glanced at Asterios and received another nod. “There’s one crucial detail we might have omitted so far. Besides the trials, which could have reset when we left, there’s still the gate before them. If it closed itself too, then Asterios is the only one in possession of the key.”

  Asterios summoned the small, damaged plate and held it at his fingertips.

  “And that is?” Zegion took a curious glance at the item.

  “A Dragon’s scale.”

  “Oh. You must be really close with the elves to receive a Lesser—”

  “A True Dragon’s scale,” Asterios corrected him.

  The man’s eyes widened almost instantly, and he locked them on the object.

  “Where did you—”

  “It’s a long story, honestly. But I’m willing to reveal part of it since it seems to be connected to the origins of this kingdom.”

  “What?” Zegion didn’t hide his astonishment in the slightest.

  “He is not lying, Your Majesty,” Radir vouched for Asterios. “From what we have learned, Eyla, Nyra, and Drahan received help from someone. The entire complex might have been constructed for that person, actually, in exchange for their knowledge and power. That could explain a lot about our legacy. I would even dare to speculate that the increased density of mana all over the Demon Continent… is that person's doing.”

  A wave of gasps filled the throne hall. It didn’t consist only of the king’s men and Rowena, even Ast’s companions exhaled in bewilderment and awe. Covering an entire continent with magic was a feat almost transcending mortal capability.

  Asterios finally understood the nature of the phenomenon. The weird, red atmosphere was a seal. An open one, but still a seal. It checked out with the fact that Red had researched and most likely experimented with Sealing Magic in the Demon Continent as his test field.

  He mentally slapped himself on the forehead for not noticing earlier. The entire place was enveloped by a cloud of red mana. It was so red that it turned the sky crimson and the sun almost pink. Who could have done that if not Red?

  “Who would be so strong? I don’t think any of our records portray the Founding Ancestors as such incredible figures.” The king pondered out loud. “Wait. You don’t mean…” His eyes widened even more.

  Radir nodded. “It’s most likely as you think, Your Majesty. The person that lent them their aid was… a True Dragon.”

  Zegion’s hands shot to the armrests and clutched the metal so hard it caved in. The few metal splinters that exploded to the sides from the squeezed decorative parts spooked the aides a little. The movement of the king’s arms had been so fast it looked like a blur.

  “That’s why the scale…” he muttered to himself. “Our ancestors… Our people… Have been guided by a True Dragon… No wonder our magic is so strong… We were literally nurtured by a True Dragon in this environment, which it had created in the past… Generation after generation, demons have been born again and again while growing stronger, more accustomed to spiritual energy… But why would a human…”

  Asterios showed a wry smile as the king’s attention turned back to him and the tough crimson plate. “Well… We have quite a few reasons to believe that… it might have been my father.”

  A metallic crunch followed as not just the armrest but now even the floor under the demon monarch’s feet collapsed under insane pressure.

  “Does that mean that you are…” The man glared at him intensively.

  “Technically, yes, bu—”

  A loud boom echoed through the chamber, followed by an explosion of air so strong that it deformed the throne and sent the men around it flying. All of Ast’s senses screamed at him, and he felt a wave of scorching hot energy roll through his body, filling his heart, brain, eyes, and spiritual circuits. He sensed a bunch of scales popping up around his neck.

  Zegion’s figure literally materialized in front of him as a strong gust of wind rushed alongside the demon man. He stopped in front of Asterios with their foreheads almost touching and his fist hanging millimeters from Ast’s stomach. A wicked grin painted the Demon King’s lips as he stared Asterios deep into his draconic eyes, with Zegion’s pupils sharing the same, vertical style.

  “Curious…” he muttered after glancing down and spotting a multitude of black spikes almost stabbing into his vitals, extending through Ast's clothes.

  Asterios chuckled wryly. “What is it with all the kings wanting to land a hit on me?”

  “All the kings?” Zegion raised a brow at him.

  “You are not the first one to jump at me, Your Majesty. King Welrond got ahead of you.”

  The man snickered and withdrew his fist. “Why are you holding back?”

  “I mean, I knew you didn’t mean anything ba—”

  “No, not like that.” Zegion shook his head. “Let me rephrase my question. Why are you suppressing yourself?”

  “I… do what?” Asterios furrowed his brows in confusion.

  “You see, my eyes are quite special. You can say that it’s ironic for someone unable to wield magic to be able to peer into its core. From the moment I laid my eyes on you, I saw that you are limiting your true nature, limiting yourself, holding back. You are strong, really strong, so strong that I wanted to fight you the moment you walked in. But then I realized that you don’t use that power. Why is that? Why is a True Dragon holding back? Additionally, it feels like… you are not the entire self.”

  Asterios couldn’t be more confused by that statement. He had always given his all in everything, including training, which meant practicing his newfound powers and abilities too. He had never felt like he was limiting himself.

  The Demon King chuckled and patted his shoulder. “I see that you aren’t aware of it. I don’t know you well enough to speculate but the common causes are often related to the rejection of reality. Impostor syndrome, to some extent. You are scared that it’s not you, that the power isn’t yours, isn’t that right?”

  “Well, I would lie if I said that I don’t get similar thoughts now and then,” Asterios answered honestly.

  Zegion grinned at him. “You are lucky that I’m in a quite good mood, then. There’s no better way of pushing through mental bottlenecks than a good, old spar without holding back. And I do like you quite a bit too so I’m willing to lend you a hand with it, right here, right now.”

  The demon man stepped back and cracked his knuckles with a smirk.

  “Too bad that you are in a healthy relationship, though. It’s against my principles to get between those.”

  Asterios chuckled. “What about the unhealthy ones?”

  “They are going to fall apart sooner or later so who cares if I break them early?”

  He shook his head with a wry smile.

  What is even going on…

  Chapter 12

  Let It Go

  “So…” Miria’s curious voice captured everyone’s attention before the men went down to their business. “If it was Master’s father who assisted the Founders in conquering the Demon Continent a long time ago… doesn’t that make Master, his son, kind of… on par with them?”

  Rowena looked at the panthergirl in shock and opened her mouth to rebuke Miria, but Zegion’s chuckle interrupted her.

  “When you put it like that, I guess it isn’t wrong.” The man smirked and refocused his gaze on Asterios. “A human on top of demons, what an amusing thought. Are you going to challenge me, boy?”

  Asterios smiled wryly and shook his head. “It’s not my intention to steal anyone’s throne, and I don’t think it matters who my parents are in this case.”

  “Right.” The Demon King agreed. “Where were we? Ah. I was going to help you stop holding back so much.”

  The four demon men who had recollected themselves after they had been blasted away by their king, quickly came closer to the visiting group and began herding everyone away with awkward smiles. Asterios glanced back at their actions before returning his gaze to Zegion.

  “Right here? In the throne room?”

  “In the throne room,” Zegion confirmed. “No reason to waste time going around. This is the most durable part of the castle anyway. Besides, I’m all fired up after learning more about you, Mister Dragon. I don’t think I can wait until we reach the arena.”

  A soft chuckle escaped Ast’s lips. “I have a feeling that it’s less about helping me out and more about getting to face me.”

  “Does it matter when both things lead to the same?” Zegion grinned.

  Asterios shrugged. “I guess not.”

  “Great. Now get that coat and vest out of the way.”

  “Uhhh… What?”

  “If this is meant to help you become more accustomed to your true self then we have to take it man-on-man, obviously. Come on, I’m getting cold here.” Zegion began warming up his shoulders.

  With one more awkward glance at his companions over his shoulder, now standing almost by the very entrance to the chamber, Asterios sighed and decided to comply. A wave of rolling crimson flames surrounded his figure, and his upper garments disappeared, leaving him only in his black pants.

  He heard a gasp from behind and smiled wryly at the surprised emotions coming to him through the bonds he shared with the girls. It was hard not to notice Tina’s growing, shy curiosity and Miria’s hungry gaze roaming over his back.

  “Nice.” Zegion made a prolonged whistle. “That’s what I’m talking about, handsome. You could work on your pecs and make those abs more chiseled, though.”

  “Sorry to disappoint you but I don’t really focus on getting perfect muscles,” Asterios replied.

  “No worries. Let’s start today!”

  With a strong flap of his demonic wings, Zegion shot forward while reeling his fist. Thanks to the scorching hot energy still filling his organs, especially his brain and eyes, Asterios could notice the motion this time, sure that the Demon King had done something similar during his first lunge.

  Still, the attack came so quickly that Asterios barely had time to cross his arms in front of himself to block the blow. A small wave of force distorted the air around the two men as their bodies collided, with Ast’s ending up pushed two meters to the back.

  He groaned afterward, shaking them to ease the numbing sensation. “Damn… That stings…”

  Zegion chuckled, already in the middle of throwing another punch. “You didn’t break after the first hit. You must really have something of a Dragon in you.”

  Ast’s draconic eyes snapped to the incoming fist, and he managed to redirect the blow, which missed his chest. Unfortunately, Zegion’s hand slid over his arm and hit his shoulder, making Asterios grunt again as half of his body twisted from the impact.

  Trying to catch the Demon King while he had overextended, Asterios swung his left fist at the man’s head. Zegion’s wings flapped, and his pinkish body spun to the side parallel to the ground, not only making Ast’s strike miss the target but even slapping his hand away during the motion.

  Setting his palms on the floor, Zegion threw his legs around Ast’s neck. Just a moment later, Asterios was flying through the air as the Demon King launched him forward with the use of the momentum gathered from the rotations.

  After hitting the hard, metal ground, Asterios bounced and rolled over it for a few seconds, catching the steps leading to the throne platform to stop himself. He hastily stood up and locked on the demon man still standing in his previous spot.

  “Good attempt!” Zegion laughed heartily. “But you are still limiting yourself! I’m Zegion the Pulverizer, the Demon King of Annihilation, and I’m going to pulverize your body next if you don’t start taking it seriously!”

  Noticing the movement of spiritual energy inside the man’s body thanks to his Draconic Sight, Asterios knew when Zegion would rush at him again and did his best to prepare for the incoming attack. Even though the Demon King had said that he couldn’t use magic, he had learned to use mana to strengthen himself to an incredible degree, much like Miria.

  Zegion’s dash made the observers stumble on their feet as the surge of air created by his wings hit them. Asterios timed his motion almost perfectly and removed himself from the demon’s path by dropping one foot by one step on the short, metal stairs. The man’s fist went over his shoulder instead of slugging it and Zegion crashed into the seating of the black throne.

  A loud metallic gong echoed through the hall as Asterios hastily increased the distance between him and his opponent. The Demon King peeled himself off the slightly dented seat and turned around, massaging his stomach with a wide smirk.

  “I see. You are the smart type, always trying to outmaneuver your enemy instead of overpowering them.”

  “Can’t disagree with that. It’s always been how I fight. Comes from being a Summoner, I guess,” Asterios replied with a smile too.

  “I get it. But that’s bad, like really bad. You need to stop doing that.” Zegion took a deep breath and tapped the side of his head. “Stop using your brain. Let your body do the thinking. Let your instincts lead it. You are suppressing your potential by telling your body what it can and can’t do.”

  “But…”

  “Come on, man!” He spread his arms. “Do you think you can hurt me? Or even kill me? There’s not even a scratch on my body after all of this!”

  As to illustrate his point, Zegion reached down and tore a sharp, spiky decoration off the throne’s armrest. He drove it into his stomach, evoking quite a few gasps from Ast’s group. Fortunately, the makeshift shank bent comically instead of penetrating the man’s skin.

  “See? Don’t overestimate yourself, boy. I can take a good pounding.”

  A snort echoed through the chamber and Zegion glanced towards the audience, together with Asterios, who peeked over his shoulder. The Demon King squinted his eyes at the four half-naked men as they began to sweat increasingly while avoiding his gaze.

  “In any way, throw everything you can at me,” Zegion continued, getting back to their conversation. “I assume you didn’t really have that many chances to go all out without worrying about consequences. I’m giving you one as my thanks for your incredible discovery and for sharing with us what you have learned about it. So, butter up, pretty boy, because I’m not holding back my thrusts!”

  With another explosion of air, the Demon King was by Ast’s side again, throwing a mean hook at his stomach. They got entangled in a fierce exchange of short and quick blows, with Asterios mostly focusing on deflecting them and trying to figure out a good moment to counter.

  To the spectators, it looked like they danced around the same spot while sending powerful waves of pressure from the heavy impacts of their hits. Miria had to draw on her bloodline a bit more to follow their movements while all of Ast’s bonded companions focused on their connection as much as they could to speed up their understanding through what Asterios felt during the bout.

  “What’s wrong? Am I too fast for you, handsome? Can’t touch this?”

  Zegion taunted Asterios each time he missed the rare opportunity to strike back at the powerful but extremely agile Demon King. The man used all of his assets, including his wings and thin tail, to achieve movements almost impossible to reenact without those. His range of motions allowed him to dodge Ast’s strikes every time.