Journey to Become the Zenith

Chapter 285: The King Who Loved Battle

The King Who Loved Battle

NATALIA’s voice finally lowered.

"And thus, under Demon Emperor Anos... the demon race became the supreme rulers of the land."

The room fell silent.

Even the faint sounds from the guild outside seemed distant.

Brinda blinked several times. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

"Wait... they actually ruled the entire world?"

Natalia nodded.

"According to the records preserved by the Temple of Justice, yes."

Videl frowned slightly.

"Then why doesn’t anyone know about this today?"

"Because time buries many things," Natalia replied calmly. "Kingdoms fall. Civilizations disappear. Records are lost. What remains eventually becomes myth."

Ruby crossed her arms.

"And some truths are deliberately hidden."

The room became quiet once more.

Natalia continued.

"Not even the human heroes, the peak of humanity, could scratch him. It was said that whenever a hero was born among humanity, Demon Emperor Anos would take interest in them."

Brinda looked confused.

"Interest?"

Natalia nodded.

"He would allow them to grow."

Everyone stared.

"He never feared their talent. He never feared their potential. In fact, he welcomed it."

Videl’s eyes widened.

"He welcomed it?"

"Yes."

Natalia’s voice remained steady.

"It was said that whenever a talented hero appeared, Anos would ensure they survived long enough to reach their peak."

The room became completely silent.

Eon frowned.

"That makes no sense."

"Exactly."

Natalia gave a small nod.

"Many scholars believed the same thing."

Ruby chuckled.

"Imagine spending decades training to defeat the greatest enemy in the world only to discover he’s been helping you become stronger."

Brinda’s mouth opened.

"That’s insane."

Natalia nodded.

"It is."

She continued.

"It was even claimed that Demon Emperor Anos established institutions where talented warriors could train. Some records even suggest he secretly provided resources to promising heroes."

Videl couldn’t hide her disbelief.

"Why would he do that?"

Natalia’s expression became complicated.

"Because he loved battle."

The room became quiet again.

"He desired worthy opponents."

"He sought challenges."

"He wanted enemies capable of pushing him beyond his limits."

Natalia slowly shook her head.

"According to our records, the strongest warriors in history weren’t hunted by Anos."

"They were cultivated by him."

A chill spread through the room.

Even Eon found that difficult to comprehend.

Natalia continued explaining the countless tales preserved within her temple’s archives.

Stories of heroes who were allowed to mature.

Stories of kingdoms spared because a talented warrior lived there.

Stories of impossible battles that shook continents.

Every story painted the same image.

A king obsessed with battle.

A ruler who sought challenge above all else.

A being who viewed war almost like a sacred art.

Eventually Natalia reached the final part of her temple’s records.

"With all the destruction his battles caused, many among the demon race eventually grew dissatisfied."

Brinda nodded.

"That part I understand."

Natalia continued.

"They wanted stability."

"They wanted prosperity."

"They wanted a ruler who could govern instead of constantly seeking stronger opponents."

Ruby sighed.

"Reasonable."

"Very reasonable."

Natalia nodded.

"Because of this, a faction among the demons eventually sided with one of Anos’s sons."

The atmosphere became heavier.

"A conspiracy began."

"A conspiracy against the strongest being in existence."

Videl listened carefully.

Natalia’s voice lowered.

"Demon Emperor Anos had grown too confident in his own power. He believed nothing in the mortal world could threaten him."

Her gaze became distant.

"Perhaps that arrogance became his downfall."

The room remained silent.

"There are no surviving records explaining how he was defeated."

"No descriptions."

"No witnesses."

"No battle reports."

"Only one fact remains."

Natalia looked at everyone.

"The mighty Demon Emperor died by the blade of his own son."

Silence.

Nobody spoke.

The image alone was enough to stir countless questions.

Natalia finally leaned back.

"Well, that’s what the records in my temple say."

The serious atmosphere lasted only a moment.

Then Ruby immediately raised her hand.

"My turn."

Natalia rolled her eyes.

"Of course."

Ruby grinned.

"Now it’s my turn. Unlike the records of Natalia’s temple that make Demon Emperor Anos look like a battle-hungry fool, the records in my temple are quite different."

Natalia immediately glared at her.

"I did not say fool."

"You implied it."

"I absolutely did not."

"You absolutely did."

Brinda looked between them.

"You two argue a lot."

"Yes."

"Definitely."

The answer came from both holy maidens simultaneously.

Videl nearly laughed.

Ruby cleared her throat dramatically.

"Now then."

Her expression slowly became serious.

"Demon Emperor Anos was indeed the strongest mortal to have ever existed, but he wasn’t as bloodthirsty as you might think."

The atmosphere shifted again.

"In the records preserved by the Temple of War, humanity was actually the side that initiated many of the conflicts."

Videl blinked.

"What?"

Ruby nodded.

"The ancient world feared Anos."

"Kings feared him."

"Heroes feared him."

"Entire nations feared him."

She spread her hands.

"So they repeatedly sent heroes and armies to kill him."

Natalia quietly nodded.

That much wasn’t disputed.

Ruby continued.

"At first he ignored them."

"Then he defeated them."

"Then more appeared."

"And then even more."

A faint smile appeared on Ruby’s face.

"The records describe him as increasingly annoyed."

Brinda looked stunned.

"Annoyed?"

Ruby nodded.

"Not threatened."

"Annoyed."

The room became quiet.

"According to our records, Anos loved battle."

"But he loved worthy battles."

"He wanted strong opponents."

"He wanted challenges."

"As centuries passed, the heroes sent against him became weaker and weaker compared to his own growth."

Ruby shook her head.

"Eventually they became little more than insects buzzing around his ears."

The image startled everyone.

"That’s why our records describe his campaigns differently."

Ruby’s eyes became serious.

"They weren’t conquests driven by greed."

"They were counterattacks."

The room fell silent.

She then began recounting legendary feats recorded by the Temple of War.

Battles against young golden dragons. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

Wars against powerful empires.

Conflicts against races long lost to history.

Every story ended the same way.

Victory.

Victory.

And more victory.

No matter the enemy.

No matter the battlefield.

Anos always returned victorious.

His power seemed limitless.

Ruby finally reached the final section of her temple’s records....