Demon Legacy

The Demon King observed Kiki's time manipulation abilities and muttered to himself, "Perhaps it's time for the Dead Zone." His right-hand man, curious, asked, "What is the Dead Zone, my lord?" The Demon King replied, "It's the power of death itself—a forbidden art, too dangerous for most. Within the Dead Zone, even the air dies, and anyone caught inside will perish if touched. It's like a death touch."

Meanwhile, in the town, the Demon Queen noticed Kiki's somber expression and asked, "What's wrong?" Kiki shook his head, saying, "Nothing." But as she looked around, she noticed families laughing and children playing, celebrating the return of fathers and husbands who had survived the recent battle. She suddenly understood—Kiki, who had no family left, was both happy to see the people safe and saddened by his own loss.

At the Demon King's home, he spent a quiet moment with his young daughter, the Demon Girl. He cherished her deeply, having been there for every birthday and important event in her seven years of life. She was, in many ways, the Demon King's heart.

In the town, Kiki watched the joy around him and made a silent promise: he would never allow this place to fall into sorrow. The Demon King was preparing himself, training to control the deadly Dead Zone, while the Demon Queen strengthened her body, knowing she would need all her power to counter the king's terrifying abilities. Sensing Kiki's struggle with close combat, she offered to train him, knowing that dedication to martial arts would benefit them both.

As they trained, the Queen noticed Kiki's sadness and guessed, "Perhaps you lost your family because you weren't strong enough." Kiki's expression hardened. "You don't know anything about me!" She replied, "Then become strong—otherwise, you'll lose everything again."

Fueled by her words, Kiki used his time manipulation to stop time around them, creating a training zone for the two of them. They spent three months training in that bubble, emerging with Kiki now a martial arts master, and the Queen's strength ten times greater. Unbeknownst to them, however, the Demon King had also mastered the Dead Zone.

Back at the king's home, his daughter, the Demon Girl, stumbled upon an old book that explained the dangers of the Dead Zone. She discovered that even her father's body couldn't fully withstand its power and that using it would slowly destroy him. Terrified, she ran to warn him, only to find he had already left for battle. Determined to protect her father, she found a horse and rode out, hoping he hadn't yet used the deadly power.

On the battlefield, Kiki and the Demon Queen devised a plan to confront the Demon King. "What if you could slow his heart?" she suggested. "Maybe he'd lose strength as his blood slowed."

Kiki shook his head. "He's too strong. His raw power would break through it."

The Queen nodded thoughtfully. "Fine, then just stop the flames he fires."

Kiki, sensing her irritation, asked, "Why did you say 'fine' like that?"

The Queen replied, "It's just... I was hoping you'd be stronger by now." Kiki sighed. "Stopping time is harder than it looks."

Just then, the Demon Girl reached the battlefield and, spotting her mother, stopped in her tracks. The Demon Queen, shocked to see her daughter there, called out, "Demon Girl!" But the girl only saw an enemy in her mother, still furious over what she had learned.

Seeing her unfamiliar clothing, Kiki assumed she was an attacker from the king's side and struck her too hard, drawing blood. The Demon Queen's eyes filled with rage as she launched herself at Kiki, shouting, "Why are you attacking my daughter?" Kiki, stunned and defensive, replied, "Why are you attacking me?"