Lucifer: Godless Reawakening

Years ago, when William was just nine years old, he had visited a noble house in a neighbouring town with Lady Aleda.

That was when the shockwaves reached him—dull, heavy thuds that rattled windows and cracked stone. Curiosity won over caution. Ignoring the shouted warnings of the soldiers, William slipped away to see what was happening.

A true devil had appeared. A ranked one.

The town had already been weakened by a recent ambush, and the defensive line was collapsing by the minute. Worse still, the devil possessed an ability that swallowed magic whole. Spells dispersed the moment they touched its presence, rendered meaningless.

Even William, gifted as he was, felt helpless before the monstrosity.

Then an old man appeared.

He came without warning, walking straight into the chaos with nothing but a wooden staff in his hand. That was the first time William ever saw someone fight without using even a trace of Aether.

No chants. No glow. No techniques layered with sorcery.

Just hands, movement, and intent.

The old man didn't merely hold the devil back—he crushed it. He stepped inside its reach, shattered bone with his fists, and killed the creature with a final blow driven straight through its skull.

That moment carved itself into William's memory.

A warrior is not made of sorcery alone.

Combat is just as vital.

…

Nyx and Aether rose from opposite sides of the field, grinding against each other like clashing tides. Neither side slowed. Neither side hesitated.

William tightened his fists and fixed his gaze on the wolf.

He exhaled once and surged forward.

*Dham.*

The wolf launched itself at him, its body low, speed brutal and direct. The distance vanished in a heartbeat.

William raised his arm.

Stone tore itself from the ground, forming a rough wall just as the beast crashed into it.

**CRACK**

The wall exploded outward. Dust and fragments swallowed the space between them.

Within that single second of blindness, William compressed a Droplet and released it.

**BOOOOM**

The blast ripped through the dust cloud. Shards screamed through the air. The wolf twisted back at the last instant, its claws skidding across broken ground as the shockwave tore past its flank.

It snarled and looked up.

William was already above it.

Knife in hand, he fell straight down, body aligned, eyes cold. The wolf opened its maw, drawing breath to howl—

Rock shards slammed into its neck.

The sound died in its throat.

In the same motion, William hurled the knife.

The blade was small. That made it perfect.

Telekinetic force wrapped around it, accelerating it until it vanished from sight. The knife punched into the right side of the wolf's mouth, tearing through flesh and pinning the jaw open.

*GHRUEGH*

Blood spilled as the monster recoiled, head dropping under its own weight.

William was close to landing.

He drove his fist into his opposite palm, compressed his focus, and drew closer. His elbow speared forward and crashed into the center of the wolf's skull.

**DHAK**

The impact forced its head down violently, mental force packed into the strike. Bone buckled. The ground cracked beneath its feet.

The wolf staggered, its body shuddering as the blow finished what the blast had started.

William leaped back and recalled his dagger. The blade tore free from flesh, drawing another sharp howl from the wolf as blood followed it into the air.

He raised his hand, ready to end it cleanly and move on. No words. No delay.

Then something shifted.

"Huh—guh!"

The impact came from his blind side.

Pain detonated across his ribs as his body was hurled away like dead weight. He slammed into the floor, stone cracking beneath him, then rolled several times before grinding to a stop.

William sucked in a breath and clutched his side. Every rib throbbed in protest. Still, he pushed himself up, forcing his body to respond. Staying down, even for a second, would get him killed.

He turned toward the attacker.

Another monster stood there.

A monster larger than the first, its muscles swollen and drawn tight like coiled wire. Two slanted horns curved from its skull, dark and jagged. Its stance was low, stable, ready to explode forward at any moment.

And the worst part—

"Another devil…"

…

[In the Common Hall]

"What in the world is that? Another Devil?!" a student shouted, disbelief cracking his voice.

"This is going too far," another snapped. "Is the Academy trying to take revenge on William or what?"

"This can't be justified," someone else yelled. "Did they modify the dungeon just to punish him?"

The frustration was no longer isolated. It spread through the hall in waves. Over the past hour, many had come to admire William's control, awareness, and efficiency. Watching him now, cornered by two Devils, felt wrong.

There was a limit to what could be expected from a single student.

Emma's expression darkened. She was already leaning forward, inches away from stepping out and confronting her father. She knew this situation did not exist by accident. Whatever was happening inside that dungeon, it was his doing.

Members of the Tower exchanged uneasy looks. One Devil was already excessive. Two strong Devils appearing together was unheard of.

Even the Professors were unsettled. Their gazes flicked between one another, uncertain whether this trial should be stopped immediately.

Only two people in the hall understood the full picture.

The Headmaster, the sole man besides Emma who knew the Tower Master had altered the dungeon's structure, turned toward the silver-haired man.

Vitori remained calm.

He faced the restless students without raising his voice.

"Please remain calm and listen," he said.

The words were quiet, yet they reached every corner of the hall. Conversations died instantly.

His gaze hardened as he continued. "As you can see, challenger William is facing two Devils. However, they are not beings from the same floor."

Shock rippled through the crowd. Confusion followed close behind. Before anyone could speak, Vitori went on.

"The horned beast you see is the boss monster of the second floor. But when William destroyed most of that floor while dealing with the Octadai, the dungeon's balance was disrupted."

He paused, letting the weight of it settle.

"The bull shifted to the third floor. It is now cooperating with the wolf to defeat the challenger."

Silence fell. Thicker than before.

The truth was simple and brutal.

The second Devil had not appeared by chance.

William had brought it upon himself.

Emma's expression turned grim as she turned to look at the screen.

For the first time, she grew slightly worried.

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. Please leave a review if you have been enjoying the story so far.