Alucard stood at the outer gates of Noctis Regnum—the Demon Capital, the Heart of the Abyss.
But this... this was not the city he remembered.
Instead of twisted stone towers and rivers of molten brimstone, Alucard was greeted by vibrant life. Obsidian structures soared into the sky, yes—but they gleamed with polished beauty, etched with glowing runes and intricate artistry. Gardens of bioluminescent flora lined the streets, their vines swaying with an unseen melody. Magical streetlamps floated in the air, casting soft blue light that never flickered. The air was clean, cool, laced with ambient mana. And the people—
They were smiling.
Demons of all forms—winged, horned, scaled, and shadowed—moved about without fear or dread. Children played in public squares under the watchful eyes of armored sentries who bore no signs of brutality. Merchants called out friendly greetings from their vibrant stalls, and arcane engineers tinkered with floating devices and crystals that buzzed with energy.
Alucard's crimson eyes swept the streets, taking in every detail. The architecture had evolved, the culture refined. He could see traces of his era—his infrastructure, his foundations—but they had been transformed—made efficient, functional, and peaceful.
"Impossible..." he muttered.
The Demon Kingdom had always been strong, but it had never known peace like this. Prosperity, perhaps, but this was stability. Sustainability. Even harmony. A society not just surviving, but thriving.
And at its center sat the grand citadel—the Midnight Spire. A massive, obsidian tower that pierced the heavens, capped with a glowing sphere of pure mana. Its presence dominated the skyline, pulsing like a heartbeat.
That was where she ruled.
The Demon Queen.
Elysia.
But for now, Alucard did not head there. Instead, he slipped into the city unnoticed, his aura veiled with practiced ease. He passed through neighborhoods and markets, eavesdropping and observing. No one recognized him—at least, not yet.
Even so, his presence caused a faint ripple in the ambient mana—an ancient echo reacting to the return of its former king.
At a crowded tavern nestled between two rune-lit alleys, he took a seat in the shadows. The tavern was lively, filled with conversation and drink, laughter and music. It was not the chaos of warriors and drunks he remembered—it was a place of culture, of joy.
A far cry from the war-torn kingdom he once ruled.
A barmaid approached—a horned woman with violet skin and glowing green eyes. "What'll it be, traveler?"
"Information," Alucard replied calmly. "And tea. Strong."
She raised a brow, but didn't press. "Plenty of both. Just don't go asking about the Queen in public. People get jumpy."
"Noted."
As the tea arrived, he sipped and listened.
The conversations around him wove a tapestry of recent history.
"She came outta nowhere, didn't she?"
"Right after the Black Sky Event. That's when the monsters started appearing."
"Fleshless, mindless, cursed things. They say they're from another world."
"Yeah, and then she wiped out the old council overnight. Boom. All dead. Then just declared herself Queen."
"And no one stopped her?"
"Why would they? She fixed everything."
"Still... she's scary. Not cruel, but there's something... off about her."
Alucard leaned back.
The Black Sky Event.
He'd read about such phenomena in the old tomes. Events where the stars vanish, and something gazes back through the void.
It matched what he'd seen.
One man at the bar—a bearded demon scholar with crystalline eyes—was murmuring about "folded dimensions" and "a second sun behind the veil."
Alucard approached.
"Tell me about the monsters," he said.
The scholar blinked. "Why should I?"
"I killed one."
The man went pale. He motioned for Alucard to sit.
"They don't belong here. They didn't come through a portal. They appeared. Just... existed all of a sudden. Some in the mountains. Some in cities. Most of the ruins. No one knew how to fight them. But she did."
"Elysia," Alucard said.
The scholar nodded. "She has power unlike anything we've seen. The old magics tremble around her. Some say she made a pact with one of the Beyond. Others say she is something that came through."
Alucard's expression didn't change, but his hands clenched slightly.
"She doesn't abuse it," the scholar added quickly. "She's benevolent. Our cities prosper. Our people grow. But the power... It's alien. It's not demonic anymore."
That confirmed it.
Elysia's strength came from something outside the known world—a being—or force—that altered her very nature. Her rule wasn't a tyranny. It was effective and stable, but built on a foundation of madness.
That made her more dangerous than any tyrant or conqueror.
Because the people loved her.
And if she fell... everything could collapse.
Alucard stood, finishing his tea. "Thank you."
"You're... not from here, are you?" the scholar asked nervously.
"I'm from a darker time," Alucard said with a small smile. "But I intend to protect this future."
He left the tavern and walked through the city long into the night, thoughts swirling.
How had it come to this?
A kingdom born in chaos, now a beacon of peace. A ruler touched by madness, yet beloved. A world fraying at the edges, held together by borrowed power.
And him, an ancient king returning to a realm that had evolved beyond him.
But there was still one thing he knew better than anyone else.
How to end a war before it consumes the world.