The Demon King's Guide To Not Getting Defeated By A Paladin-Chapter 48 - 47: Damien Aniston

Quinn couldn’t take his eyes from the man who stood a small distance from him, his pair of silver eyes the only thing shining from the shadows that covered his face. He moved a hand, pulling the cloak off in a single swipe — giving Quinn enough chance to recognize his face. It was Damien. Damien Aniston.

The Paladin.

The first thing that crept into his mind were the memories, carrying him back to the Selection. He remembered how they fought, though it was never enough to bruise his cheek or throw him hard on the ground. But now, here he was, still wearing that cool that always spoke of superiority.

Damien’s eyes flickered with recognition. A slow, lazy grin spread across his face as he scratched his chin, head tilting to one side. "You must be the kid I fought during the Selections?"

Quinn rubbed the back of his neck, his jaw tense. "Yeah."

Before he could say more, Emilia’s footsteps echoed behind him. She came running, her eyes wide and sparkling as she skidded to a stop beside them. Her gaze landed on Damien, and her eyes practically turned into hearts. "OMG! You’re D-Damien... P-Paladin!? What are you doing here!?"

Damien barely spared her a glance, his gaze remaining fixed on Quinn. "I was just passing by when I came across those creatures. Figured I had to lend a hand."

Quinn let out a dry, tired sigh. "Guess you came just in time to attend to our needs?"

Damien shrugged, keeping it low-key. "We’ve been detecting something for the past few days... something dark, as if someone was tempering with dark magic."

Emilia’s brows furrowed. "Dark magic?"

Damien’s lips twitched into a smirk. "Yeah. Thought I’d check it out."

Quinn narrowed his eyes. "So what, you want us to help?"

"I think you should come with me for a little walk," Damien said, voice smooth as silk.

Emilia shook her head, glancing over her shoulder toward the apartment. "We have to attend to the others... who are hurt!"

"I understand your concerns," Damien said, voice level. "But I think our Medic team will handle the rest."

"Your Medic team?" Emilia echoed, eyes widening.

Damien’s expression remained unreadable. "Yes."

Quinn and Emilia exchanged a glance. Something about this felt off. Damien turned around, his back facing them as he began to walk away. "If our paths came across then, it’s not a coincidence. I’m glad you did. And I’m certain I can trust you."

"Why do you wish to trust us?" Quinn asked, voice tight.

Damien looked over his shoulder, a single brow lifting. "Because when I fought with you, I personally took a liking." He started to walk again, his steps echoing in the silence. "Now... are you staying or what?"

Quinn and Emilia hesitated. But when they moved toward Damien, the moment they got close enough — darkness began to pool beneath them, spreading from Damien’s feet. It moved like ink, thick and cold, slithering beneath their feet.

Before Quinn could react, the darkness surged upward, pulling them under like quicksand.

"What the heck!?" Quinn shouted, his body sinking.

Damien’s voice echoed as they vanished beneath the surface. "Relax... will you?"

*

The darkness shattered, dispersing into nothingness.

Quinn staggered, his feet landing hard on the ground. The air smelled of rust and decay. They were standing inside what looked like an abandoned cell. The stone walls were old, stained with blood that had long since dried. Shackles hung from the ceiling, some still smeared with fresh crimson. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

But what caught Quinn’s eye was the pentagram engraved on the wall. It was pulsing, a sickly purple glow that seemed to beat like a heartbeat. Tendrils of magic slithered through the air, contained yet ominously active.

Damien stood ahead of them, his silver eyes glinting as he smiled — really smiled. "This... this is one of the strange things that’s happening inside this kingdom."

Emilia stepped forward, brow creased as she examined the pentagram. "I remember one of these... but it looks a lot more like forbidden magic. Or... summoning magic? Can’t really decide."

"That’s what we’re here to find out," Damien said, voice low.

Quinn clenched his fists. "What do you want us to do?"

Damien turned to face them, eyes dark and cold. "I want to give you a task."

"What sort of task?" Quinn asked.

Damien’s smile widened, revealing a hint of his teeth. "Find a way to break this seal. And do it fast."

Emilia’s eyes were wide, her mouth slightly open as she stared at the pulsing pentagram. "This... This is going to take days," she muttered, her pink hair falling over her eyes as she shook her head. "I’m going to need to go through tomes and tomes of books to even begin to understand what we’re dealing with here."

Damien only smirked, leaning casually against the cold, stone wall, his silver eyes glinting beneath the low, eerie light. "Good thing I’m not asking for your answer today."

Quinn narrowed his eyes, his jaw tight. "Then what are you asking for?"

Damien’s smirk faded. He stepped away from the wall, closing the distance between them, his eyes intense as they locked onto Quinn’s. "I need that answer within the next 24 hours."

"Twenty-four hours?" Emilia’s brows knit together, her face pale. "But that’s impossible!"

"Why?" Quinn asked, his voice low and calm, but there was an undercurrent of tension. "Why such a short time frame?"

Damien exhaled deeply, his chest rising and falling as he fixed them with a stare that was more chilling than reassuring. "Because," he said, voice dropping to a near-whisper, "whoever is behind these attacks isn’t just playing around. They’re planning something bigger, darker. And if you can’t break that seal in time, we might just be swimming in blood by the end of tomorrow."

Emilia visibly swallowed, her lips pressing together. "We’re just students," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "How are we supposed to handle something like this?"

Damien’s gaze remained fixed on the pentagram. "Students or not, you two are the best shot I have right now. And the thing is... I don’t think it’s a coincidence that it’s happening now."

Quinn frowned. "What are you saying?"

Damien straightened, his silver eyes flicking to Quinn, then to Emilia, a dark, knowing glint in them. "I’m saying that there are people in this kingdom, people with power, people who know magic more than they’re letting on. And my gut tells me that whoever is doing this, they’re not a stranger. They’re someone we know."

Emilia’s face fell, her shoulders sagging. "Someone... we know?"

Damien nodded, his jaw clenched. "So, are you in or not? The clock’s ticking."

Quinn and Emilia exchanged a glance, the tension between them palpable, the dark energy of the pentagram thrumming like a heartbeat beneath their feet.

Emilia’s grin stretched wider as she sauntered forward, her hands settling on her hips. "Alright then," she said, her voice edged with confidence. "If you want our services, then you better be willing to give us something in return."

Damien arched a brow, his silver eyes glinting. "And what might that be?"

"Oh, nothing much," Emilia drawled, her eyes glimmering with playful mischief. "We want you to take us in as students. Train us to become Paladins."

A moment of silence stretched between them, thick and heavy. Damien stared at her as though she had grown another head. Then, his lips twisted into a slow smirk. "Paladins? You two?"

Emilia crossed her arms, a cocky tilt to her chin. "We failed the Selections, yeah. But that’s why we want this. You said you needed us, right? So, we’re asking for something in exchange."

Quinn stayed quiet, his jaw clenched. He could feel his pulse hammering against his skin. Paladins. They weren’t just knights. They were assassins, executioners, weapons wielded to kill demons. And he was... well, a Demon King. His stomach churned. How could he accept this? How could he pretend to learn to fight like a killer of his own kind? Yet... the idea of learning how they fought, how they moved... it was a tempting offer. A dangerous one.

Damien narrowed his eyes, gaze piercing. "You do realize what you’re asking for, right? Paladins aren’t just fighters. They’re trained to hunt, to kill. You failed the Selections. You don’t have what it takes."

Emilia’s grin only grew sharper. "Then prove it. Or are you scared we might actually be worth something?"

Damien’s jaw flexed, a muscle ticking as he considered her words. His gaze shifted to Quinn, whose expression was unreadable — a mix of wariness and something darker.

The sound of clicking heels echoed through the air, slicing through the tension. The three of them turned, and there she was.

She was the manifestation of temptation. Long, golden hair cascaded over her shoulders in waves, and her eyes were a striking, unnatural shade of crimson. Her outfit clung to her curves like a second skin, leaving little to the imagination. The plunging neckline revealed far too much cleavage, and her legs seemed to stretch for miles beneath a slit dress adorned with intricate golden patterns.

She ran a tongue slowly over her lower lip, a sultry smirk playing on her mouth. "Well, well, well," she purred, her voice a seductive drawl. "What do we have here?"

Damien rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, "Slut."