Flame Island had always been a place of chaos, creation, and power, but today, it was something more—something darker. Kikidori sat on his obsidian throne, the weight of the world pressing on him from all sides, though no one else would have been able to sense it. The air was thick with tension, a growing storm in the skies above, as Kikidori gazed out across the island.
It wasn't just the weight of his title that had him on edge today. No, it was something far worse—something that even Kikidori, the fallen demon king, hadn't seen coming.
Lucifer had returned.
The Morningstar—Lucifer, the fallen angel who had been the architect of Hell's eternal torment, had been reincarnated. Kikidori hadn't been expecting it. And he certainly hadn't been ready for it. The demons who had once feared him, the very ones who had been loyal to his rule, had begun rallying under the banner of Morningstar once again. It was as if Hell itself could not let go of its past, a past that Kikidori had so thoroughly rejected.
He stood up from his throne, pacing around the room, his glowing purple horns flickering in the dim light. His wings twitched with agitation, the tips brushing the stone floor as he tried to figure out what to do next. The ground beneath Flame Island rumbled slightly, like the distant echo of a battle yet to come.
Kikidori knew Morningstar—had fought him before, had seen the destruction he could bring. Lucifer's power was limitless, his ability to manipulate the hearts and minds of demons unmatched. But now, the balance had shifted. Kikidori was not the same demon who had once been controlled by Lucifer's will. He had broken free, and he would not bow to Morningstar again.
The message had come earlier that day, carried on the winds of Hell itself: Morningstar was marching towards Flame Island.
"Pathetic," Kikidori muttered under his breath, his lips curling into a wry smile. He wasn't going to just sit back and let Morningstar take control again. Flame Island was his now, his to rule, and he would fight to protect it.
As he prepared for the battle that would undoubtedly come, Kikidori's thoughts drifted briefly to Ere'ana. She had been on his mind more than ever in the past few days, her words echoing in his mind whenever things got quiet. He didn't want to involve her in this fight. Flame Island, and its looming clash with Hell, was his problem, not hers. She deserved peace, away from the chaos of his world.
The sound of Cerberus' bark broke him from his thoughts. The little dog, always so eager, was at his side again, wagging its tail excitedly.
"Not now, Cerberus," Kikidori muttered, though the dog seemed oblivious to the tension in the air. Cerberus's wagging tail and bright eyes seemed to mock the seriousness of the situation.
The skies above Flame Island darkened suddenly. Kikidori's sharp eyes narrowed as he saw a flicker of movement on the horizon—a fleet of black-winged demons soaring through the sky. They were led by a figure, unmistakable even from a distance. It was Lucifer—Morningstar, as Kikidori so fondly called him.
Kikidori stood tall, unfazed by the sight of his former master—his enemy—approaching. His wings flared, and with a single powerful leap, he was in the air, flying toward Morningstar and his army.
Lucifer's voice boomed across the sky before Kikidori even reached him. "Ah, my favorite little demon king," he sneered, his tone dripping with condescension. "Did you really think you could hide from me forever? You have no place here. Flame Island is a mockery, a pitiful excuse for a realm."
Kikidori didn't respond immediately. Instead, he hovered in the air, his eyes locked onto Lucifer. "You're a joke, Morningstar," Kikidori retorted, using the nickname that had stuck in his mind ever since Lucifer had fallen. "You've been dead, reincarnated, and still think you own Hell. You're nothing more than a shadow of your former self. You lost a long time ago."
Lucifer's eyes glinted dangerously, and his voice darkened. "I will reclaim what is mine, Kikidori. You are weak, and you always were. All that you've built here, all that you've destroyed, is nothing compared to the power I will bring back to Hell."
Kikidori's eyes blazed with a deep, otherworldly fire. He could feel the power bubbling inside him, just waiting to be unleashed. "You're a fool if you think I'll let you do that. You don't control me anymore. You're not my master, Morningstar. You're just a pathetic excuse for a fallen angel who can't let go of his ego."
The first wave of Lucifer's demons charged forward, their fiery weapons clashing against Kikidori's own. They were strong—fierce—but Kikidori had grown stronger since their last battle. He fought back with ferocity, his glowing purple horns and wings pulsing with energy as he ripped through the demons in his path.
"Enough!" Lucifer's voice thundered, and with a snap of his fingers, the demons halted. Kikidori watched as Lucifer floated closer, his eyes filled with venom.
"I thought I'd let you have your little island," Lucifer continued, his tone mocking. "But it seems you've become too much of a nuisance. You've forced my hand, Kikidori. I'll burn Flame Island to the ground, and you'll watch as everything you've built is reduced to ash."
Kikidori smirked, unfazed by the threat. "You can try," he said, his voice dripping with disdain. "But I'm not going down without a fight, Morningstar. You're in my world now. And you'll regret ever stepping foot here."
The battle raged on, flames and shadows colliding in the sky. Kikidori fought with everything he had, his body glowing with energy as he tore through the demonic forces that had once called him their king. But even as he fought, he knew this was more than just a battle for control. This was personal.
Lucifer's laugh echoed in Kikidori's mind as the two locked eyes across the battlefield. The Morningstar, once his master, now a force to be reckoned with once more.
Kikidori's gaze hardened. "You'll never win," he said, his voice cold. "Not while I'm here."
And with that, the final battle between Hell and Flame Island began, a war between two forces that could never truly coexist—one born of fire and brimstone, the other forged from rebellion and revenge. The fate of Flame Island hung in the balance, but Kikidori wasn't going down without a fight.
The End of Chapter 30