Chapter Text
A bloodied figure laid crumpled on the floor for only a few seconds before it starts to get up. It's limbs were trembling from fatigue so the figure struggles, but despite that, it had the energy to yell out with scorn. "Just give up, bastard!"
The calm voice of his opponent enters his ringing ears and he hates the sound of it. "As much as I'd love to, you're not fit for the throne." The voice didn't seem even slightly breathless, making him more aware than necessary of how his crushing defeat was just an easy victory for his opponent.
It made him realize just how vast the power difference between him and the demon king was and it hurt his pride.
He pushes the growing sense of inferiority down and spats. "And how would you know?"
Instead of getting an answer, the demon king swings his scythe in a fast, fluid motion to get the blood off and his eyes couldn't even follow the motion. He realizes belatedly the demon king wasn't fighting at his full power.
"I just do." Rok Soo spoke with a cold voice, devoid of any emotion and turns away, leaving the bloody figure to fall to his knees in shame.
———
"When will they stop?" Rok Soo groans as he throws his scythe to some corner and flops on to the bed.
The scythe started to rust long ago because he never bothered to clean off the blood after a fight and the handle was close to snapping because of his harsh mistreatment. The only maintenance he was constant with was sharpening, only because blunt edges would make the fights last longer.
Choi Han, a young demon that he was okay with hanging around him, sighs before picking up the scythe. "Poor thing, it looks like it'll snap after three fights." The weapon vibrates, it's way of agreeing with him. He chuckles in amusement, before placing the weapon in it's designated place.
"I'd fucking hope so. I'll use that as an excuse and step down from this cursed position." Rok Soo curses, his voice deep with distaste before pulling a pillow and hiding his face underneath it. He wishes he could hide away from his responsibilities the same away.
He was joking of course. The other demons wouldn’t validate that excuse because of how easy it is to create an exact replica of his current weapon.
The younger demon stares at him for a moment, thinking deeply, before questioning. "Why don't you run away? That would help your retirement plans."
He pulls the pillow off his face only to give the younger demon a deadpan expression. "That was the first thing I thought of but some motherfucker--"
"Promise me, you'll pick someone who can take care of them." Lee Soo Hyuk says as he looks fondly at the other younger demons pulling pranks on each other. Those demons weren't even adults, just children, still figuring out their existences.
He frowns at the words. "Don't say something so ominous, I don't want to become a demon king."
The demon king smirks. "I was speaking to the both of you." A hand creeps up behind him and ruffles both his and Choi Jung Soo's hair. He immediately swats the hand away, grumbling complaints under his breath, while Jung Soo assures him with a cheerful voice as an arm pulls him by the shoulder. "We promise! Right brother?"
Rok Soo shrugs off the arm as well. "Don’t call me brother." Ignoring Jung Soo's pout, he turns away and crosses his arms. “And what we? Speak for yourself."
Him and Rok Soo were the same in age and even became an adult at the same time. They were considered one of the fastest growing demons and according to Soo Hyuk's boasts, would be strong demons that could match up or even surpass him.
That was why he would randomly start speaking to them like this as if it was certain one of them would become the next demon king.
"I'm expecting a response."
Rok Soo rolls his eyes in annoyance. "Why bother? I won't become one." Soo Hyuk continues to stare at him, a silent pressuring method that always seem to work on him and from the raised eyebrow and smirk, Soo Hyuk knew it'd work on him.
So he properly replies with a huff. "I promise."
"Sir Rok Soo?"
Han calls out when Rok Soo suddenly went silent mid-sentence and it snaps him back to reality. "Something." He sighs, forcing himself to forget the memories of the past.
Han, knowing he was hiding something and understood that he didn’t want to talk about it any further, didn’t press for more.
As much as he wanted to continue cursing Soo Hyuk for forcing him to take on this demanding position, he knew Han wouldn't really understand what he meant.
It was a stupid promise that he barely put thought into that brought him this position.
It’s not like he was a goody-two shoes because he wasn’t, he was a demon and he was often praised for his deception skills. But promises were a whole different thing.
Even in the demon world, there is a well-known debate whether lying was too much, even for demons or if it should count as part of deceptions. Demons loved their pretty words.
Rok Soo, of course, believed in staying true to your words. If you weren’t planning to stay true to them, why bother going the extra mile even saying them anyways?
Soo Hyuk definitely knew his excessive need to fulfill or stay true to his promises and took advantage of it.
Damn him.
He wanted to continue curse him but he couldn’t, not when what he had for Soo Hyuk was something more than respect that he feared to name.
For demons, strength was what they believe in so a demon king was someone who dominates all, weak or strong, young or adult.
That was why demon kings were always a fearsome figure, because those who took on those positions were often cruel and merciless, never protecting their kind and usually, killing off the new adults so there would be less demons usurping the throne.
Demons were prideful, no one wanted to take orders from such selfish and ruthless kings so there were always many challengers, which also meant demon kings changed constantly.
But Lee Soo Hyuk was different.
He didn’t kill off the new adult demons, but protected and even nurtured them. Jung Soo and Rok Soo were one of the young ones who grew up in his care.
He also didn’t kill off the weak ones, those on the brink of eradication or those made to be weak, they were also protected until they can pass off into the next life or live an extended peaceful life.
He didn’t preach tyranny to the strong adult demons, but he advised them to fight each other and grow stronger until they could beat him.
Demon kings were a symbol of strength but everyone agreed Lee Soo Hyuk was a symbol of peace.
He was the first demon king in history to be well-liked within the realm, the longest reigning king and had the least amount of challengers going up against him.
And he was ridiculously strong. Many disapproving demons that voiced how pathetic his methods of protecting inferior demons were and how unbefitting it was for demons, would challenge him, only to fail because of his abundant strength.
Sometimes he killed those challengers if he deems them unworthy to continue living or sometimes he lets them go, unless they ask to be killed themselves, unable to continue existing with the shame of defeat.
But those were some demons, the others, mostly weaker ones or people like Rok Soo and Jung Soo, clearly liked him and out of respect, didn’t challenge him just so he would reign longer.
Not that it mattered because in the end, Rok Soo became the next demon king.
He sighs again as he remembers how this misfortune came to be. “I’d rather hand it over to you.” Seeing Han’s flustered expression, he flips his body, turning away from the other.
“Please don’t say that, I don’t want to fight you.” Rok Soo hums, finding those words lovely to his ears. “Great, fighting is bothersome.”
Han adds in a more unconfident tone. “I can’t be as good as you anyways…”
Rok Soo scoffs as if he had heard something stupid. “Can’t doesn’t mean impossible. I’m also not a good demon king so you can easily surpass me.”
He was oblivious to the bewildered stare his back receives after saying the last sentence and continues.
“You’re also strong and probably stronger than me.”
“That’s-That’s not—“. Han stutters, both unconvinced and embarrassed by the compliment. “I know I can easily overcome you but I…”
Those words sends chills down Rok Soo’s spine and he turns over, now laying flat on his back. Just how strong has the kid become?
Without Han finishing the sentence, he knew what what that other meant.
“You don’t want to kill me?” His gaze shifts to the other demon and sees Han guiltily look away, a confirmation.
If the king loses to a challenger, the king gets killed and if not, the next king would be looked down on and considered pathetic.
That was the way of demons.
How Han didn’t want to kill Rok Soo was how he didn’t want to kill Soo Hyuk.
But that didn’t entirely make sense, Soo Hyuk was a great king but Rok Soo wasn’t. Why would Han feel this way about him?
“Not just that!”. Han quickly adds. “I don’t know even know how to protect.” He trails off and Rok Soo sighs.
The demon king remembers how often he would stumble upon Han protecting the children from antagonizing demons or even hear Han’s dreams of training those children to become stronger, which he eventually starts to do.
“All you need is strength and you have that.”
Han’s eyes widens, expressions turning into something burdensome so he closes his eyes. When he doesn’t hear an immediate response, he thought the conversation ended there but Han had more to say.
“You really think so…?” He mumbles under his breath.
Rok Soo raises a hand and started gesturing a shooing motion. “Yes, yes. Now get out, I want to take a nap.”
Han’s eyes blaze with determination and he starts to reform his goals and of course, Rok Soo stays oblivious to this as well.
Ignorant of how he had once again, fueled Han to become even stronger and deadlier force through his words alone, he falls asleep.
Only to wake up and realize he wasn’t in the demon realm.
It was an unexplainable feeling, like a sudden shift to his core, his balance or his weight and he felt as if his body had restrictions placed on them, like loosing a freeing sense.
He sees a ceiling he doesn’t recognize and feels a life form besides him. So he tilts his head to the side and finds a sleeping human man with red hair sprawled out over the pillows next to him.
His first thoughts weren’t concerns over where he was or who the human in front of him was or how he had gotten there but—
Pretty