"R-Respected Lord Devil, we didn't intend to offend you! We didn't know you'd be here—we beg for forgiveness!"
Valon was the first to react.
The moment he realized who they were facing, his face turned ghostly pale. The man they had nearly attacked wasn't just anyone. He was a demon—and unlike the sealed Holy Lord, this one stood at full strength, his power unsealed and utterly terrifying.
He could wipe them out with a flick of his finger.
And judging by the pressure they'd just felt pinning them to the floor, he nearly had.
"We're sorry! We didn't know it was you!" Chow shouted from behind, panic thick in his voice.
"Please, Master Demon! Forgive our mistake!" added Ratso, nearly hyperventilating.
The four henchmen knelt there, immobilized and on the verge of collapse. Their bones creaked under the strain, their muscles screaming from the oppressive weight bearing down on them.
Then, in an instant, the overwhelming force vanished.
They gasped for air, blinking in confusion.
And then, Shawn's voice rang out—calm, cold, and heavy with warning.
"Get up. This will be the first and only time I tolerate such disrespect. Make the same mistake again, and I will not spare you."
"Y-Yes, yes, we understand!" Valon stammered. "We swear it won't happen again!"
The others echoed him in a chorus of fear.
Clambering awkwardly to their feet, they rubbed their knees and legs, which still throbbed from the unnatural pressure. It felt like they had almost been crushed.
But Shawn didn't spare them another glance.
His eyes were fixed on the towering Holy Lord, still trapped in his stone Panlong statue, waiting. Shawn stepped forward, lifting his hand.
A charm appeared in his palm—the Rat Charm, glowing faintly with pulsing energy.
"Holy Lord," Shawn said steadily, "as promised, I have brought you what you seek."
The Holy Lord's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Ah… my brother!" he roared, his deep voice trembling with joy. "You've done it! You've actually brought me the Rat Charm!"
He let out a triumphant laugh that echoed through the cavern.
"Finally… after centuries… I'm free!"
Without another word, the charm flew from Shawn's hand, drawn by the will of the demon lord. It hovered through the air and slotted itself neatly into a carved indentation in the Panlong statue's chest.
The reaction was immediate.
A blinding golden light burst from the statue, illuminating the dark lair like a miniature sun. Energy surged outward, shaking the ground and rattling loose stones from the ceiling. The Holy Lord's form—long trapped in solid stone—began to move.
"Roooaaaar!"
A deep, ancient dragon's roar echoed out as his limbs flexed, stone cracking and falling away like an old cocoon.
Golden light spilled from the seams in the statue as the Holy Lord's full power surged through his form. The Panlong began to tremble, its eyes glowing like twin infernos.
Then, in a swirling explosion of demonic magic and ancient energy, the Holy Lord broke free.
A terrifying figure stepped forward from the light.
His body towered over everyone—more than eight meters tall, his form a monstrous hybrid of man and dragon. His scaled skin shimmered like obsidian, and his muscles were like sculpted stone, each one thrumming with raw power. Two thick, coiling horns curled from his forehead, and his claws glinted like black steel. Most horrifying of all were his eyes—a glowing crimson that looked like portals to hell itself.
Valon staggered back, mouth agape.
He had seen the Panlong statue all his life—kept in his family's possession for generations—but he had never truly believed it would move, let alone transform into this nightmare.
And now… it had.
Chow dropped his weapon and fell to his knees.
Ratso turned pale and looked ready to pass out.
Only Valon retained enough composure to whisper, "Is… is that really… the Holy Lord?"
The great demon took another step forward, flexing his arms, his voice full of exultation.
"Yes… YES! I'M FINALLY FREE!"
He laughed wildly, sending tremors through the ground.
Though he hadn't yet recovered the other eleven talismans, regaining his body was a massive victory. Now, he could pursue the charms himself—no longer reliant on foolish humans to fetch them.
Most importantly, his true body contained powers beyond what the talismans alone could offer. He still held his innate fire magic, the signature element of his bloodline. And now that he was whole again, the rest of the world would once more tremble beneath his shadow.
The golden light faded, replaced by a swirling aura of deep black and red mist—pure demonic energy.
Then, a trembling voice broke the silence.
"Holy Lord… is it really you?" Valon asked.
The dragon-headed demon turned, his towering form casting a long shadow over the now-tiny human.
He sneered.
"Valon, kneel before your master," the Holy Lord commanded coldly.
That voice… that tone… It really was him.
Valon didn't hesitate. He dropped to one knee and bowed his head.
"Respected Master," he said solemnly, "congratulations on regaining your freedom."
Chow, Finn, and Ratso quickly followed suit, dropping to their knees and pressing their foreheads to the ground. Fear and reverence radiated from their trembling forms.
Only now did they truly grasp the reality of who they were serving.
Before, the Holy Lord had been just a statue—powerful in legend, but motionless, voiceless.
But now, he was alive, and his presence was suffocating.
The weight of his power made even the bravest among them sweat.
Once, Valon had dared to act with a bit of arrogance, even defiance, thinking the Holy Lord's revival might be a slow or uncertain thing. But now… standing in the shadow of this living colossus… he knew better.
Disobedience was death.
He swallowed hard, daring to sneak a glance at the enormous figure looming over him.
"I will serve you loyally, my Lord," he whispered, voice dry with fear. "Always."
The Holy Lord didn't reply.
He simply turned his glowing gaze to Shawn—his brother, the one who had made this possible.
Though their alliance was forged in shared blood, there was also a silent tension between them. Two demons of immense power, two old gods awakened in a new world… with agendas that didn't fully align.
But for now, the alliance held.
And the world?
The world had no idea what was coming.
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