Rise of the Lustful Evil Monarch (Re)-Chapter 442 442: Conflict Erupts

Third Person's POV
They were demons of the Abyssal Dominion, one of the two most feared and ancient demonic empires.
Their heavy and suffocating aura that exuded at all times alone declared it, like the pressure of centuries-old bloodlines.
Amid them, Ethan spotted him, the mysterious and dangerous young man he had noticed yesterday.
The moment the youth stepped toward the slightly older members of his race, their reaction was swift and startling.
Without hesitation, the demons bowed deeply, with some of them even dropping to one knee with faces filled with genuine reverence, not the hollow etiquette of nobility but true submission.
Seeing this, the garden erupted with murmurs.
"Hey, who is that guy for the Nether Society members to kneel like that?"
"Why are you asking me, dumbass? I know as much as you do! How would I know something none of us has ever heard—"
"What did you just say to me?!"
Ethan ignored the petty argument bubbling behind him as his mind raced and processed possibilities with practised precision.
'Someone commanding that level of respect… that could only be a member of the Abyssal Dominion's royal family.
Or at the very least, he should be a scion of one of their ducal houses.
There is no way an ordinary elite would receive such treatment.'
Then another thought hit him like a cold spear.
'Hold on… wasn't the youngest prince, Virelle's so-called fiancé, also supposed to join the academy this year?
But this guy… this guy radiates danger that even I can feel.
None of that matches the rumours of him being a rotten, spoiled princeling with trash-tier abilities and no talent whatsoever.'
The contradiction gnawed at him, but he pushed the thought aside for now.
With a faint frown still tugging at his brows, Ethan began moving toward the gathering of the vampire society.
Lucy and Velcy followed closely behind with Velcy's hand nestled securely in his, and Lucy walking just a step behind, her quiet presence somehow calming yet vigilant.
Not once did it occur to Ethan that Lucy, being a demon, was expected to join another society, as the idea never crossed his mind.
Because at this moment, to him, her place wasn't defined by race, clan, or tradition.
Her place was beside him, and he moved forward with full certainty of that fact, his stride steady and unhesitating.
But just as Ethan was about to approach the vampire group, a loud and somewhat familiar voice rang out behind him.
It was sharp and unpleasant enough to slice through the hum of the surrounding students.
"Is it truly you, Lucy? I thought you were not entering the Sanctum this year…did you forget to inform me?"
Hearing the sudden voice, the three of them, Ethan, Lucy, and Velcy, turned at the same moment to look at the source of the voice.
Behind, just about five feet away, they spotted a blond-haired demon youth standing there, his red eyes gleaming with a mixture of delight and barely restrained lust that he thought he hid well.
His gaze shamelessly swept over Lucy's delicate curves and lingered there far longer than any man with an inch of self restraint would dare.
His greedy eyes gleamed as though he were evaluating a possession he believed belonged to him by right.
Seeing such a display of unsightly hooliganism, Ethan's expression darkened faintly in anger.
He clearly recognised this guy to be the same bastard who had mocked Velcy on the fourth floor just minutes ago.
He had let it slide then and chose not to start trouble in the tower, but it seemed the fool was determined to dig his own grave with both hands.
Lucy's face, however, paled visibly at the sight of him, and she instinctively took a small step back.
But her action only widened the demon youth's grin, and an ugly and triumphant smirk twisted across his face as if her fear was something he cherished.
His behaviour, his eyes, and his disgusting excitement—all of it struck Ethan like a spark landing on fuel soaked overnight.
A wave of irritation surged through him as the mere thought that some filthy toad dared to lust after a girl he had claimed just last night made something wild coil inside his chest.
"Why don't you join our Dark Tree Society. It is led by none other than Lord Croc…"
The blond demon suggested with excitement, his tone oily and laden with unspoken intentions.
And this time, the glint in his eyes was even more disturbing, as he could not hide his pure lust, veiled in faux politeness.
He seemed to intentionally or unintentionally completely ignore both Ethan and Velcy as if they were insects buzzing around something he believed belonged to him.
He stepped forward and reached out his hand toward Lucy, as if confident he could touch her whenever he pleased, but his smile soon froze on his horse shaped face.
In a single smooth step, Ethan moved and placed himself between Lucy and the blond demon, his presence slamming into the moment like a cold steel wall.
He said nothing, and he didn't have to.
He didn't even try to frighten the guy with his aura, and the indifference in his eyes alone conveyed a brutal kind of contempt, the kind that told the blond demon exactly how worthless he considered him.
Seeing Ethan's back suddenly appear in front of her, Lucy breathed out softly in relief.
Some of her trembling receded, as if she had just remembered she was not alone, not abandoned, and not unprotected despite her uncertain status in the demon world.
"She is joining my Blood Moon society," Ethan said at last, his voice calm and controlled.
"So it would be better if you were on your way. You are not welcome here, young man."
At the end, he waved his hand with a dismissive flick, shooing him away like a fly.
The blond demon's smile shattered, and his expression hardened, as anger coiled behind his red eyes like a serpent ready to strike.