CHAPTER 222: FIVE MINUTES WITH LILITH

Lilith and I had finally agreed to work together. A pact had been made.

Now, to my surprise, she suddenly sat down on my bed without any hesitation.

"Come here," she said flatly, patting the spot next to her. "It’s uncomfortable talking while standing the whole time."

That caught me off guard. I didn’t expect her to act so casually — almost... relaxed.

But despite her calm demeanor, I was incredibly nervous about sitting next to her. After all, she is a woman — and not just any woman. She’s captivating, alluring in a way that makes your heart race without warning.

In the back of my mind, I could practically hear Envi screaming "Flirt with her, you fool!" like an excited child pushing his older sibling into mischief. I immediately shut him up with a scolding thought.

Still, I felt awkward being the only one left standing, so I slowly — very carefully — sat down next to her, trying my best not to appear too stiff.

But then, without warning, Lilith leaned slightly closer to me.

My heart skipped a beat.

Her sudden proximity startled me, and before I could even react, I caught her scent — subtle yet strangely soothing.

It wasn’t what I expected at all. I had assumed, as a demon, she’d carry the stench of blood or sulfur. But instead... she smelled like flowers.

Elegant. Soft. Almost melancholic.

Does she like flowers...? I wondered for a split second, before shaking the thought from my head. Focus. Focus. She’s about to say something important!

Fortunately, someone noticed my growing fluster. Runa — ever observant — suddenly leaped toward us and took a seat between Lilith and me.

I glanced at her in surprise, but she just gave me a knowing look.

She understood. She knew I wanted to be respectful — especially for Serena’s sake. So, she had thrown herself between us like a protective wall. I smiled inwardly and sent her a telepathic message: "Thank you."

She raised her thumb in response with a grin.

Lilith didn’t seem bothered by the interruption at all. She merely shifted her gaze forward and got straight to the point.

"Listen carefully, Child of Fate. I don’t have much time left. I’m only allowed to remain in this realm for another five minutes. After that, I must return to the Demon Kingdom — Doomspire — before I lose control of myself."

Her voice turned serious. I could feel the shift in atmosphere as the playful air vanished, replaced by a heavy urgency.

I nodded. "I’m listening."

She took a breath, then began.

"There’s something important you must know... something about the Overlords."

She waved her hand gently, and a magical sigil appeared mid-air, displaying information like an ethereal hologram.

"As recorded in the Akashic Record, the current Five Demon Overlords are as follows..."

---

The Five Demon Overlords:

??? – Rank 1st Overlord

Lucius Valzareth – Rank 2nd Overlord

Nosef Vemoryth – Rank 3rd Overlord

Lilith Doomspire – Rank 4th Overlord

Kuzar Azurath – Rank 5th Overlord

---

Lilith continued, her tone measured but grim.

"Right now, all the Overlords — myself included — are in a weakened state. We’ve only recently awakened from the ancient seals that bound us. It took centuries of preparation. The demons spent hundreds of years collecting human mana and refining it into Demon Elixirs, using them to shatter the seals."

"And they succeeded," she said. "We have returned. But our powers are far from restored."

That explained so much. That’s why I had been able to injure Nosef and nearly defeat him in battle.

"He didn’t realize the extent of his weakness until your fight," Lilith said. "He was blindsided — his pride wouldn’t allow him to accept it. That’s why he’s so desperate to fight you again... when his full power returns."

My mind reeled with the implications.

I had seen how powerful Nosef was in his weakened form. He had defeated both Princess Aria and the Patriarch without breaking a sweat. And that was before regaining his full strength.

I suddenly remembered seeing the "(Weakened)" tag next to his level during the fight. That meant his true level was far higher — possibly incomprehensible.

The thought chilled me to the bone.

Lilith wasn’t finished.

"You dealt heavy damage to Nosef. He’ll need time to recover," she said. "As for Lucius... he’s still adjusting to his new body. He hasn’t yet mastered the fusion between Dark Magic and Light Magic. He’s unstable. Unready."

She glanced away for a moment. "Kuzar is in a similar state. Like me, he’s still reacclimating to his physical form. The sealing ritual took more from us than we anticipated."

Then she paused — her voice turned cold.

"But the one we know the least about... is the First Overlord."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Not even I know his true name. In fact... no one does. Only the Demon King himself is said to know it. That Overlord has been shrouded in mystery since the beginning."

Her expression hardened. "But what we do know... is terrifying."

"He’s the most dangerous among all the Overlords," she whispered. "His powers are soul-based — and what that truly means, no one can say for certain. But I’ve seen glimpses. What he can do... is unspeakable."

She looked down, haunted by memory.

"Back in the days of war — when we demons fought against the gods — he was always at the Demon King’s side. Like his shadow."

"He once slaughtered entire battalions of gods, goddesses, and mortals alike — in mere minutes. He’s the one who killed the legendary elf and dwarf heroes. He even massacred several champions of the Braveheart Kingdom."

Lilith’s voice faltered for a moment before continuing.

"And long before that war began... he turned against his own kind."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Lilith’s gaze darkened.

"To fuel the Demon King’s rise to power, he sacrificed half the demon population."

I felt my blood run cold.

"He didn’t just take human souls," she said, her voice low and bitter. "He harvested demon souls. Friends. Families. Villages. All wiped out in the name of power."

"He is ruthless. Depraved. A monster even among monsters."

I could feel her fury boiling beneath the surface.

"Do you... hate him?" I asked carefully.

Her aura flared — a shadowy energy briefly enveloping her body.

"Hate doesn’t even begin to cover it," she snapped. "He didn’t just destroy human cities or special races. He annihilated demon villages. He killed my friends. My comrades. People I once cared about."

Her voice trembled. "I will never forgive him."

The darkness around her thickened — her rage nearly tangible.

But before it could spiral out of control, I reached out instinctively and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Calm down!" I reached out and placed a firm hand on her shoulder, locking eyes with her.

She blinked, as if pulled from a dark spiral, and slowly regained her composure.

"...I’m sorry," she murmured, her voice cracking with emotion.

"It’s okay," I replied softly. "I understand how you feel."

Lilith looked down, sadness painted across her face. Her tone turned distant, like someone remembering a painful wound.

"I... I still don’t understand why Father made him his right hand. Even after he slaughtered our families... our kin... Father didn’t punish him. He didn’t stop him. It was as if... he wanted all of it to happen."

Her voice trembled with bitterness.

"That was the moment I began to realize something was wrong — not just with Father, but with all the Overlords. One by one, they began to lose their empathy. Their compassion. We all started becoming monsters..."

Her hands clenched into fists.

"...That was when the Outer God’s influence took root."

She took a deep breath and continued.

"The day Father changed... was the day he formed the Demon Overlords. He gave each of us the [Seal of Domination]. A cursed mark."

"From that moment on, we were no longer ourselves. That seal... it corrupted our minds, our hearts. We became extensions of the Outer God’s will. And for thousands of years... we committed atrocities that should never be forgiven."

Lilith lowered her head in shame. Her voice fell to a whisper.

"...I was one of them."

I couldn’t bear to see her like that — burdened by guilt not entirely her own. I stepped forward and spoke from my heart.

"I understand how you feel, Lilith. It’s a kind of torment... watching the people you once trusted fall into darkness. But this story—our story—isn’t over yet. We have the chance to stop them. We can defeat the other Overlords... and your father."

She looked up at me, her red eyes wide in disbelief.

"And maybe," I continued, "just maybe, if we win... we can bring them back. Restore who they once were."

A faint, fragile smile appeared on her lips.

"...I want to believe that," she whispered. "But it’s impossible. The only way to stop them now... is to kill them. That is the only mercy we can give."

There was no hesitation in her voice now. Lilith had made her decision long ago.

And in that moment, I knew it would be foolish to argue. She knew them far better than I did. She had lived through it — every betrayal, every death, every scar.

So I swallowed the naive hope in my chest and simply nodded.

Maybe... peace could still be born from sacrifice.

Time was running out. The five minutes she was allowed in this realm were nearly up.

Lilith stood from my bed and conjured a swirling portal of darkness with a wave of her hand.

"I’ll return next week, same day, same time," she said flatly. "I can’t risk coming here too often. The Demon King’s castle is heavily guarded... and the other Overlords have begun to grow suspicious of my movements."

"I understand," I nodded. "I’ll be waiting. There’s still so much we need to discuss."

I waved at her as the portal shimmered to life behind her.

She raised her hand, as if to wave back — but then paused halfway.

"...Until next time, Child of Fate."

"See you soon, Lilith."

And with that, she stepped through the portal and vanished, leaving my room silent and still.

Now, only the quiet remained — and my thoughts.

Lilith’s words echoed in my mind, every revelation like a blade slicing deeper into the reality I had once known.

The Overlords... the Outer God... the seals...

"We need to get stronger," I muttered to myself. "Envi, Runa... at this rate, I don’t think I can defeat them all. Not like this."

"You’re right, Nao," Envi replied with rare seriousness, then added with fiery determination, "But we can get stronger! There’s always a way — and I’ll help you find it!"

"That’s right, Master," Runa chimed in, still wearing her stoic expression, but now striking a battle-ready pose. "Runa will become stronger too... and we will defeat them."

I looked at both of them — my companions, my family — and smiled with gratitude.

"...Thank you, both of you. We’ll prepare. We’ll sharpen our skills, train harder than ever. And it starts tomorrow..."

I clenched my fist.

"...At the alliance meeting."

I had much to share — especially about the current state of the Overlords. We had a limited window of opportunity. And if we acted now, before they regained their full strength... maybe we had a chance.

This was the calm before the storm.

But I was no longer afraid.

We had work to do — and the war for the future had only just begun.

...

..