The Devil King

Chapter 1: Proof that the Devil lived (Part 2)

"-but you haven't changed a single bit!" 

"The same goes for you! We're adults now, but you still look like that 16-year-old person I met five years ago!" 

Asmodeus sighed. He exhaled the anxiety running through him."Thankfully, my family is still alive and well. For them, it's as if a war hadn't been going on! But I, on the other hand, couldn't do anything but pray for everyone's safety. Especially yours, Noah. But I guess all that worry was for nothing." 

 "Is that so, eh?" 

Asmodeus nodded. "I remember when the declaration of war was heard through the radio in class. Everyone went insane!" 

"Well, that is the first war we would've gone through. Even I went insane at that moment." 

"Yeah, but everyone was relieved to hear that only those 20 years old and older would be drafted into the war. That sure was relieving, as if a burden was lifted from our chest. But at the same time...-" 

 "Our fathers would be participating... in this war..." 

 "The thought of losing our only father was terrifying..." 

They both look towards the ground. 

"So... did anything happen? Is your father still...-" Asmodeus shut his mouth after a single glance over to his left.Noah's expressions turned grim. He looked down at his feet as if reminiscing the unforgettable past engraved on his heart. The past he wished to forget."Oh..." Asmodeus took the hint. "I see, I'm sorry." Even he knew, judging by his expressions, the topic was a sensitive one for him. 

"It's okay... after all, this would be inevitable." He scratched his head and lowered his eyelids. "He hasn't returned home since the end of the war. Me and mother talked to some survivors but they gently shook their heads. No one knew anything. Not a single thing. They only cared for themselves. Their own safety overwhelmed their desire. No one stopped to take a look at another. No one cared for others. Only themselves." He looked at the bland sky in distraught. "But he was different. The only way he could move forward in life is being surrounded by the people he loved. Without them, he can't live. And so, he dedicated his life to save their lives, so, even if the light of hope was miniscule, he would have even the slimmest of chance of moving forward in his depressing life. It's as if saving someone else was his lifelong mission. Knowing him, I bet he died shoving a soldier into the safety he only wished to be in. But, I'm sure... at the end of things, he displayed that reassuring smile. That smile signifying he had no regrets."Noah also smiled, signifying the immense respect harboured for his deceased father. Although not meeting him, Asmodeus also smiled. "The next war is bound to happen in the not-so-distant future. When that time comes where we have fight atop the enemy's blood, I will have a sole mentality that will push me forward." He placed his hand on Asmodeus' shoulder. "I will fight not to live, but to save." 

That is the sole way of striving forward in life. 

 With the help of Noah's observational skills, they both reached the entrance to the grand school. Upon opening the doors, a pile of gritty dust arose from the ground. The interior had matched the colourless appearance of the exterior, with the walls teeming with all sorts of life. It did not require its history to know this asylum had not been reformed for many years. One look was sufficient. 

By the entrance, a teacher stood with his head and shoulders hanging down and his arms carrying a pile of sheets. 

"A map of the school. A map of the school. A map of the school. A map of the school..." he repeated rhythmically whilst handing out the sheets to newcomers passing by.