Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest

A smirk curled onto Adam's lips after he read the proofs provided by the man.

Using the general muted stupor as a natural break, he rose to his feet and walked to him and the lady. He moved his palm to pat their trembling shoulders gently as their muffled sobs filled his ears.

"It must have been hard to confess, but thanks to you two, I have enough proof to punish this wolf disguised in sheep's clothing." He shook his head, a steely glint flashing in his eyes. "I shouldn't insult sheep and wolves. He's more disgusting than a scavenger feeding on decaying meat."

The lady lunged at him and buried her face in his chest. Her loud whimpers reverberated as she forgot her fears of demons. At that moment, only her relief at seeing her tormentor cornered mattered. And soon, she would turn this horrible page of her life, hopefully forever.

She raised her reddened face and observed the flustered demon through her hazy eyes.

Everything was thanks to him. That's how a true lord should care for his citizens—by maintaining justice and ensuring his people's safety.

Meanwhile, drops of sweat covered Adam's forehead. Hands held high above the lady, he endured Luna's deadly gaze, feeling it drill two fiery holes in his chest.

'Why are you like this?! You saw her jump on me because she needed comfort after what happened to her. I'm innocent!'

As if she could read minds, her eyes trailed below his waist, landing on the bulge in his pants. An icy "Humph" escaped her twisted lips before she lept down the walls and joined Ifrit to surround John.

Without waiting for anyone to recover, she pointed at the culprit's crotch and thundered.

"You're guilty of the most heinous crime a man can commit. In the place of our lord, I sentence you to death."

Everyone's eyes widened at her sudden judgement. Even if they agreed with the sentence, shouldn't the demon lord deliver it? Why did she do it in his stead?

Like the others, Ifrit frowned and raised his palms at her.

Yet, she didn't answer and narrowed her eyes at John, who began to roar.

"These demons staged everything! I've protected this town since the first day our previous lord summoned me. You all saw me patrol the streets! You all saw me negotiate with the lord to get you more food! Don't believe them!"

However, no one stepped up this time. Instead, a man's soft whisper echoed louder than a thunder strike in his ears.

"Now that I think about it, he never paid for our merchandise."

Another citizen's face turned somber.

"He always smiled and treated us like family members. But in truth? He added his weight to the tax burdening us."

The whispers soon turned into conversations, each of their words striking John like an arrow.

The coup de grâce, however, came from his own soldiers.

Before his constricting pupils, most dropped to their knees before the demons and pleaded, saying they had nothing to do with him, that they were only following his orders as subordinates.

Meanwhile, Luna's lips curled into a soul-chilling smirk.

Horrible flames distorting the surrounding air formed on her outstretched finger, casting shadows on John's face.

Then, her voice dripping with mockery resounded.

"You like public sentences? Let yours be a memorable warning to all the lustful animals disguised as individuals."

Before her words lingered, the flames condensed into a fiery serpent. It instantly lunged at the knight's crotch, its jaws closing on what once made his pride.

"AAAAARGH!"

A pain worse than any wound he had ever sustained assaulted him. Unlike the sharp pain of swords or the sting of creatures' bites, he felt like the snake cooked his family jewels mercilessly.

Amidst his agonising screams, he moved his hands erratically to put the fire out, but no matter what he did, they only passed through Luna's demonic essence without altering it.

Under the citizens' terrified eyes and drumming hearts, he wailed and pleaded for his life.

"I'm sorry. Everything is true. I've been terrible, but please, give me a chance! I'll change. I'll become righteous!"

Meanwhile, an icy shudder ran down Adam's spine as he jumped aside and created distance with the lady. He lowered his hand to cover his crotch, and wild tremors jolted his bones, making them reverberate against his body.

'Nooo! You can't do that!' He squeezed, fearing for his bird's safety with such a heartless woman nearby. 'I'm sure she did it on purpose to scare me... It worked...'

His lips twitched, a new kind of conflict gripping him by the guts. He couldn't accept such a punishment as a man! John deserved a second chance after the misery he endured!

As his lips parted to ask her to stop, Achilles gripped him by the shoulder and shook his head.

"He knew about your defenses long before the King of Heroes did. When I attacked the mountain, the monkey's presence didn't phase him. Instead, he calmly convinced the clown to give you an ultimatum and informed me about the five-minute limit. I understood his sinister plan long ago: kill his former lord and disguise it as your doings. Then?

He would have inherited both your territories five minutes later." He slapped Adam's shoulders, roaring in laughter. "But he didn't know I'd vanish when the clown died. So, I let him play his game and waited for despair to engulf him whole."

Upon learning about John's plan, Adam's face turned somber.

The empathy he had just felt for the man evaporated under a blazing inferno. Rage distorted his cheeks, turning his mangled features into that of a terrifying demon. His voice cracked with commands he never thought he would ever give.

Yet he did.

"Ifrit! I don't want to hear or know anything. Head back with him and do your thing."

A cruel smile split Ifrit's face at his command.

"You won't hear anything, not even his screams! Hahaha. We'll have lots of fun together."

Without waiting, he gripped Luna's fiery serpent and shattered it, delivering John from his torment. But at what cost?

After all, no one loved the crackling of fire and the smell of burning things more than Ifrit. And John would soon learn about his passion. His repentance wouldn't change anything, much less his desperate begging for mercy as the fiery demon dragged him out of the town.