The dragon's harem

Chapter 1960: Kukumon, The Demon Lord of Death

The demon immediately swung his fist at Arad’s head with all of his might, but before he could hit him, a hand grabbed his wrist. ”Are you really that stupid.”

It wasn’t Arad who caught the armored demon’s wrist, but another demon. ”What worth is a nymph to me if you mess her beautiful face?” That demon was the Demon Lord Kukumon, the ruler of this entire layer.

The armored demon quickly jumped back, and Kukumon paid him no heed, as he was now more focused on Arad. He smiled, ”I’m the demon of death, Kukumon.” He was tall, looked more human, but his strange eyes, horns, wings, and long, sharp nails made it clear he was nothing but human.

”I asked those fools to find and bring you to me, not to harm you in any way. I’m certain your kind’s values differ from ours. But if I may ask, what does a nymph have to do in my layer?” Strangely enough, he looked more approachable and easier to talk to than most demons that Arad had seen so far. They all just go to fighting immediately, and only a rare few bother to talk.

Arad smiled underneath his hood. ”Take a seat, I’m sure you’ve already heard. I’m looking for Shadow Garden, one of the gateways to the Shadow Succubus Kingdom.”

Arad waved his hand to the demoness who had served him food earlier, who was now hiding behind the counter. ”Bring us drinks, I’m sure he drinks a lot.”

That demoness, and everyone in the tavern, were now terrified to the bones. None of them was warned, and they couldn’t even believe that their Demon Lord was here, in this rundown, rat-infested, sorry excuse for a tavern.

Arad showed an empty bottle to Kukumon. ”Want to test your guts? Down the whole bottle.”

Kukumon gently pushed the bottle away, sweating. ”Sorry, but we’ll have to leave that for another day.” Forget the whole bottle, he’ll die from a quarter of it. This shit is supposed to be diluted tenfold before being served.

”Well, your loss.” Arad took a big gulp, and put the bottle down.

”Would you mind telling me why you seek that place? I can’t believe a nymph -if what I learned of your kind is true- would want anything to do with that place.” He smiled, ”You know, that kingdom is filled with nothing but succubus, whores that can’t get enough of pleasure. It is too much, even for us demons to deal with.”

Arad leaned back on his chair, and Kukumon could finally see a bit of his face, and burning purple eyes. ”I seek the goddess living there, the Mother of All Life.”

Kukumon finally looked a bit worried. ”So, you seek the divine there... That would prove most troublesome. But... I can help.”

He smiled. ”I am Kukumon, the Demon Lord of Death. Many don’t believe me, but my strength speaks for itself. Do you know Death herself. She is my grandmother.” He leaned forward, ”I can try and contact her. She is always with Mother of All life, and I’m certain she’ll help.”

”Death herself... I don’t think she would be of much help.” Arad replied. He had already talked with her and the Mother of All life, but for some reason, they won’t do anything besides asking him to find them in the shadow kingdom. Talking with them any longer would be useless.

”Believe me, she would be of help. Death reaches all.” He smiled, ”But, I’ve got a price for my help. One child, an heir. That’s what I want.”

Arad burst laughing, ”Sorry, but I can’t do that. If you were a woman, I might’ve considered it.” He then looked at Kukumon with a serious face. ”Or, we can just fight, and I’ll kill you. That should be the demon way and make everyone satisfied.”

Now, it was Kukumon’s turn to burst laughing. ”Let’s put aside that you think you can kill me, the Demon Lord of Death. You go for women? Do all nymphs prefer that? I never heard of it before.”

Arad sighed. ”No, they don’t. Let’s leave it at that. I cannot accept your request, and I don’t think your help is needed or useful, so I’m saying no to both. Do with that what you want.” Arad leaned forward.

”But always remember, this layer would sink into chaos if you, the lord died. Tell me, what do you see what you look at me?” It was then when Arad allowed Kukumon to get a clear view of his clear, pale and beautiful face.

Kukumon froze in place. ”I see gold, mountains above mountains of gold and gems, enough to fill the entire abyss and spill over.”

Arad stared at him with a smug face. That was the nymph’s presence, so what would he see if he were to use his draconic one?

”That was me being gentle and loving. But now, what do you see?” Arad took off his hood, and his eyes flashed with dark purple flames.

Kukumon paled, seeing a mushroom cloud reaching the maws of the abyss, burning it whole from the dark depths, and bringing an unimaginable destruction upon all. ”I see destruction, fire, and brimstone.”

Arad put his hand on the table. ”You’ve got good eyes. How about I teach you a way to settle things peacefully, without throwing your life away?”

The demon lord looked at Arad’s hand, the long, pale fingers, dark purple nails, and strong flesh beneath that alluring skin. ”An arm-wrestling match?”

”One round, winner gets all. Want to play? I got a guest coming soon, so I would rather not cause a mess.”

Kukumon smiled. ”Well, I am quite proud of my strength, so I’ll take up your offer. Even if I lose, I still hope you’d consider my offer. You won’t find a better man than the grandson of Death herself.”

”I’m also quite proud of my physical strength.” Their hands locked up, and the armored demon became the referee. He put his hand above them, gave each a look, and started a countdown, hoping the table would survive.

”Three... two... one...go!” The armored demon declared, and a loud thud was heard. The demon lord’s hand was already on the table. Arad had pushed it down the instant the match started and won.

It was then that the armored demon knew they fucked up. This nymph, no matter how luck or crafty, couldn’t have pulled this without enough physical strength to twist an entire mountain. Kukumon also seemed to have realized that this nymph is at least at the level of a demon lord, if not stronger.

It then hit him what kind of fool would seek a goddess in her own heaven, while alive? The shadow kingdom had been around for a long time, but no one dared go there; no one dared go to a goddess’s layer.

”Are you an archon by any chance?” Kukumon asked, and Arad shook his head with a smile. ”Sadly, no, but I’ve fought some, even won one or two times.”

”Then... are you an inevitable?” He looked even more worried, but Arad didn’t know what he was talking about. ”What are those?”

”Cosmic police, they work under Millennimus, the god of order and machines. They hunt rogue gods and powerful beings all over the universe. But since you don’t know that, you’re not one of them. What are you exactly? Someone of your power can’t just be a random mortal.”

Arad crossed his arms. ”Well, you could say I’m a soldier, special forces fighting against a powerful threat.” Even if Arad wasn’t fighting on the frontlines, as a void dragon, he was now fighting behind the backlines, hunting spies and internal threats.

Kukumon had heard about the abomination’s war from his grandmother and had even been there once and seen the harrowing battlefields. If Arad here was a special force of the gods’ army, then he would be an inquisitor. Is the Mother of All Life accused of treason? She had all of those tentacles and all like Nyar, but... what about his grandmother? What is going on?

He leaned back. ”Then I won’t ask why you’re here any longer. I don’t want to get mixed up in whatever you’re doing. But... I shot my shoot, and my doors are open.”

”Doors open for what?! Kukuboy!” A little girl in rags was standing behind the armored demon, and she called to them with a happy smile and waved her tiny little hand.