Story: I'm a Daemon, so what?
Disclaimer: I do not own the original setting.
Chapter 91: The Emperor
There are up to 15 chapters ahead at [email protected]/theogbasilisk
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- Felix -
I watched Arcueid, Megumin, and Lalatina complete their evolution. It had been a long few hours since their transformation process began, and now their auras were practically bursting with newfound strength. They couldn't quite control their Auras perfectly right after evolution, they weren't even continuous yet so expecting that from them was absurd.
It was still clear they were on an entirely different level now.
My own energy reserves had increased a bit due to Food Chain as it increased my power if those considered my subordinates grew stronger as well, so that was nice.
The three of them were already stronger than they were when they first became Daemon Dukes in the Cardinal World before this evolution. Not only due to the training but also due to Food Chain which strengthened them appropriately if I myself grew stronger. And I grew quite a bit stronger from the Dragon Factors.
I could see that all three of them developed Ultimate Skills of their own, thanks to Othinus' help. Othinus was really something special, she had not only hastened their development but also customized the Skills themselves, ensuring they were more refined and efficient than they would've been naturally. They would have developed them on their own eventually, but Othinus sped up the process while also optimizing certain aspects of their Ultimate Skills. She even added some sub-skills that they wouldn't have awakened otherwise, making their abilities far more versatile than I had anticipated.
Arcueid got the Ultimate Skill: Belial, Lord of Underworld. It wasn't one of the Sin Series, so it seems there is an entirely new Skill Series I'd discovered, the Demonic Series.
Belial, Lord of Underworld, was a rather powerful Ultimate Skill. The core of Belial was formed based on Arcueid's Freezing White Flame. Its sub-skills include Thought Communication, Universal Sense, Demon Lord's Haki, Space-Time Manipulation, Multi-Dimensional Barrier, All of Creation, Life Domination, and After World which is a World System Skill.
Othinus merged Thought Communication, Universal Sense, All of Creation, and Demon Lord's Haki into Belial for efficiency purposes, Arcueid already had those Skills. Space-Time Manipulation and Multi-Dimensional Barrier however, came from Othinus' own tinkering; without her intervention, those two sub-skills wouldn't have been awakened at all.
Arcueid simply didn't have a high enough mastery over Space and Time to develop Space-Time Manipulation, and Multi-Dimensional Barrier was a very complex form of Spatial Manipulation that would have remained locked for some time if not forever. Multi-Dimensional Barrier was just that complex.
I hadn't met someone that could pierce through it other than the top level fighters of this world. The only one who has managed to pierce through it in practice was Guy, and Hinata, though I call bullshit on Hinata. She cheated by getting a Skill specifically designed to break through my defenses.
"Being a sore loser does not suit you, Master."
I ignored Othinus' words as I focused back on the Skill at hand.
Either way, Multi-Dimensional Barrier was an incredibly powerful defense, though part of that was due to my own spatial abilities.
For Arcueid it wouldn't be quite as absolute but it was still powerful. She was practically unbeatable before she evolved, but now she was on an entirely different level. Life Domination was also a powerful Skill, Arcueid's focused more on the death attribute rather than life, the opposite of Asmodeus. Arcueid could rip the lifeforce out of someone if her will was greater than her opponents, she could manipulate the energies stored in the body and soul along with a variety of other uses.
Then After World was the trump card of Belial. It basically traps the souls of everyone around her in a world that constantly burns hotter but never kills her enemies unless she wishes to. It was as if her Freezing White Flame had evolved into something more, a metaphysical prison where suffering could be drawn out indefinitely, it did not sound fun at all.
Belial also came with another side benefit, it connected Arcueid to the Abyss of Hell more deeply allowing her to draw on Minus Energy with ease.
Overall Arcueid gained a rather powerful Skill.
Megumin similarly gained an Ultimate Skill from the Demonic Series, Abaddon, Lord of Destruction. Its sub-skills also include Thought Communication, Universal Sense, Demon Lord's Haki, Space-Time Manipulation, Multi-Dimensional Barrier, and All of Creation. Abaddon's unique abilities were Limit Break, and Dimension Rupture.
Limit Break was basically shonen power in the form of a Skill, it allowed Megumin to temporarily surpass her physical and magical limits. I couldn't help but chuckle, it was a perfect fit for her, the one who always went 'Plus Ultra' with her explosive magic.
It suited Megumin's rather straightforward and determined nature. Then Dimension Rupture was basically an anti-space sub-skill. It allows Megumin to disrupt spatial type abilities, theoretically even Multi-Dimensional Barrier wouldn't work against Dimension Rupture if Megumin puts enough power behind her attack.
I think I ticked her off with always using Infinity to ignore her attacks.
Then finally Lalatina's Ultimate Skill was Samael, Lord of Deathly Poison. Its foundation was Lalatina's rather overpowered Cursed Poison, and as such Lalatina's Cursed Poison was optimized and strengthened by multiple degrees. If her poison touches my skin directly even I'd be in trouble.
Its sub-skills also include Thought Communication, Universal Sense, Demon Lord's Haki, Space-Time Manipulation, Multi-Dimensional Barrier, and All of Creation.
As for its unique abilities it had Weakness Identification which allows Lalatina to find her target's weaknesses and assist in creating a poison tailored to kill them. Then there was Death Poison Refining which allows Lalatina to produce and refine her Cursed Poison to match her target's lethal dose.
Then finally there was Death World, another World System Skill which was basically anti-fodder. It was absurdly powerful in its simplicity, Death World was like flipping a switch on life itself. It unconditionally kills any and all targets with the exception of Spiritual Lifeforms at the Ultimate Skill level.
Lalatina could kill millions in an instant with it. I trusted Lalatina to use it properly and not accidentally harm any allies with it.
Samael also seemed to be a bit connected with the Abyss of Hell and Minus Energy.
I lowered my Thought Acceleration as Arcueid, Megumin, and Lalatina all opened their eyes to gaze at me, each looking at me with worship and adoration.
"It looks like all went well then." I spoke up.
Arcueid clenched her fist, testing her new strength. "Yes, yes it did." She replied. All three of their vessels had evolved alongside their powers, making them far more powerful than before.
Megumin jumped up from her bed, her eyes gleaming. "Haha! I bet I can hit you now, Milord!" She laughed.
Ah, she was probably talking about Dimension Disrupture. Theoretically it could allow Megumin to pierce through all my defenses, but she'd need to put a lot of power behind her blow. Plus I also have other defenses I can deploy that aren't spatial oriented.
Lalatina raised her palm, forming a dark purple ball of poison above it, a wicked grin spreading across her face. "Indeed, my poison has grown far more potent." She said confidently.
Both Arcueid and Megumin were looking at the Cursed Poison with wariness in their eyes. Even they could sense the greater danger that Lalatina's poison now posed.
Each of their EPs had increased accordingly with their evolutions, their power had yet to stabilize but so far Arcueid was at 3,632,123 after forming her Ultimate Skill which drained a significant amount of her EP. Megumin was the highest at 4,021,234 after getting her Ultimate Skill, and Lalatina was the lowest of the three at 3,232,345 after getting her Ultimate Skill.
And their EPs would still grow a bit further as their energy was still steadily rising.
They had yet to go through their Harvest Festivals and they were already that broken, each of them would become total monsters after their Harvest Festivals, wouldn't they?
"That is correct. I will be optimizing their Harvest Festivals so they can get the most out of it. More useful servants for you means that you are safer." Othinus stated into my head.
'Thanks for looking out for me, but I don't think I need protection.'
"Nonsense, you will always need protection!"
'Sure sure, whatever you say.'
"Hmph!"
I focused my attention back on Arcueid, Megumin, and Arcueid. "Now that you three have evolved, I suggest getting a handle on your new power, including your Ultimate Skills. Those can be a bit tricky to control at first, you'll mostly have to rely on instinct to get the hang of them. After that you can begin experimenting." I then looked to Lalatina in particular. "I hope this doesn't need to be said, but do not use Death World in a location where innocents may get caught in it." I said sternly.
Lalatina nodded. "Yes Master!"
I nodded. "Good. Lalatina, Megumin, you two can leave and begin getting a handle over your power, I wanted to talk to Arcueid about something."
Megumin nodded with a grin. "Got it! We should fight later!"
I smirked. "Sure whenever we both get a chance. You've got another thing coming if you think your new Ultimate Skill will be enough."
Megumin laughed. "Heh, well we'll see about that!" She said as she left the room. Lalatina followed behind her. "Bye master!"
"See you!" The both of them left rather casually, it wasn't like we wouldn't see each other again in some hours. .
Once they were gone I looked to Arcueid who had sat up on her bed. I snapped my fingers and rearranged the room back to how it was before, and then I dismissed Small World's authority, dispelling the overlaid dimension entirely.
"What did you wish to speak about, My Lord." Arcueid asked with curiosity.
"I visited Sarion recently and found something I wanted you to incorporate into the rewards center." Arcueid was the one that actually handled the logistics of all my random ideas. For that I'd be forever grateful.
Arcueid tilted her head. "Very well, what did you wish to do?"
"In Sarion people with magical experience were basically selling their time. They would be paid to help someone for a certain amount of time as long as it related to Magic. It could be helping someone learn a Spell, helping someone create a new Spell, and so on. I want you to add something similar to the rewards center, put all of your names in, including your Lieutenants, for a certain amount of points, I'll leave it to you to decide how much."
Arcueid nodded. "Very well, that can be done. Did you wish for me to include the close combat fighters as well, or merely those experienced in Magic?"
"Close combat as well. If someone wants to help in manipulating their Aura then they can ask for Saeko and such."
Arcueid nodded. "Very well, it will be done."
"One more thing. Add my own name in too."
Arcueid's eyes widened. "There is no need for you to lower yourself to do such a thing, My Lord!"
I waved her off. "It's fine. If someone manages to acquire the absurd amount of points needed for my direct teaching then they've earned it at that point."
Arcueid sighed. "Very well, I will not protest against your desires."
I clapped. "Excellent!"
Arcueid got up off the bed which I had not gotten rid of with Small World. Arcueid clenched her fist once again. "I will need to get a better understanding of my power before I resume my work. My Lord. I am more powerful than I was even in the Daemon Realm now."
I nodded. "Take your time."
Arcueid bowed, but before she could vanish I raised a hand. "One more thing, Arcueid."
Arcueid tilted her head. "Yes?"
"You have been making moves to gain some control over the Free Guild right?"
I wasn't quite aware of what exactly Arcueid was doing, less because she hid it from me and more because I just hadn't asked. I trusted her to be careful.
Arcueid nodded, a small smile on her face. "Yes, you now have almost full control over the Free Guild and can mobilize its members freely."
My brows furrowed. I wasn't quite expecting that much control over the Free Guild, but the more control the better.
"I see, don't change much in their day to day operations. I still want them to be what is holding the Adventurers in the West together. My reason for bringing this up is because I suspect Granbell will be finally enacting his plan soon. It's only been a few weeks but with the resources he has that should be enough time for him to get everything he needs. When the attack occurs I want you to mobilize the Adventurers if you can to keep the chaos in the Western Nations to a minimum."
Luminism was quite literally the biggest religion in the West, maybe in the world. They had influence in every single Western Nation, an attack on Luminism would spring certain Kingdoms to action, and it may also be a catalyst for the more ambitious to finally try and seize power in their own Kingdoms.
That much chaos was rather bothersome since I wasn't sure when exactly the Eastern Empire would make their moves just yet. Having the Western Nations in my back pocket could prove useful, so keeping the West in peak conditions was ideal.
Arcueid nodded. "Very well, it will be done. When this attack occurs, did you wish for me to assist in fighting off the enemies?"
I looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking my head. "No, only if things get dire should you, Megumin, and Lalatina intervene. You three are already powerful enough, but Luminous' forces could use the kick in the back to get their things together."
Not to mention I wanted Sukuna, Raiden, Saeko, and Kurumi to be involved in fighting off Granbell's attack. It could be an opportunity of growth for the 4 of them. I was especially curious to see how much Sukuna had progressed. When he wasn't doing butler things he was usually training, it seems getting slapped around by Arcueid, Megumin, and Lalatina lit a fire under him. He had the same soul as Ryomen Sukuna, the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer so Sukuna most definitely has a lot of potential.
Now that he realized he was no longer at the peak he was striving to grow stronger, just as he did in the Heian Era before he reached the peak.
Some of that potential was likely stifled by having his ego rewritten, strength in this world was highly related to will, I won't ignore the fact that his will was overwritten which may impact his future growth. But I'm sure he can work his way back if he tries hard enough. In the end will was all that mattered in this world, he just needed to rebuild his.
Arcueid nodded. "Very well, I will relay your orders then." A small smirk formed on Arcueid's face. "Though I do think Megumin will be rather disappointed."
I rolled my eyes. "Just tell her that if she behaves I'll spar with her a bit in the future, I'm sure that'll bring her mood back up."
Arcueid chuckled softly, clearly amused by the thought of Megumin's excitement at the prospect of a sparring match. She gave a respectful bow, and with a swift movement, she vanished from the room, leaving only a faint trace of her aura behind.
"Now would be the appropriate time to say that I have made a breakthrough in regards to soul energy and souls in general."
'Oh? What breakthrough?'
"Due to the amount of souls I received to analyze at once I was able to deepen my understanding of souls. Using Brahma it is now possible to create soul energy, however creating a brand new soul from scratch is impossible as of now. Theoretically it is possible but they wouldn't truly be alive, they wouldn't have free will. The soul would be coded with certain instructions that they would follow to the letter, they may be extremely complex instructions that makes it impossible to distinguish them from normal lifeforms, but they still cannot go beyond the instructions that were built into them."
'I see.'
I wasn't really upset at all that I couldn't create souls. Sure it was something I may want to do in the distant future, but I didn't think I was responsible enough to be creating life other than the fun way as I was now, nor did I really have a reason to want to create souls.
'What about recreating souls? Is it the same with recreated souls?'
"For now, yes. The recreated souls would be imbued with a recreated ego and recreated memories of the individual who had passed away. They would by all means act the same, the one difference is that they would be incapable of truly changing as a person. They would be hardwired to act the way their ego points them towards."
Hmm, that's a shame. There were some people that I wanted to revive, but I guess that'll have to wait until Othinus can straight up recreate souls, true souls, not robot souls or whatever that is. I suppose my earlier thoughts were just misunderstandings then and I was hyping myself up. Well that's what I get for jumping to conclusions.
I'm sure I'd get to that stage eventually, it was just a matter of having enough data on souls.
'Still, good work Othinus.'
"Thank you, I will continue to gather more data on the relevant subjects."
'Right.'
The new information that Othinus' shared shouldn't affect the recreation of Veldanava's memories so that's good. What the big guy upstairs's memories have been recreated I'm sure Othinus will have all the data she needs.
"That is true."
Plus being able to make soul energy means for the Artificial Harvest Festivals no souls are needed as the Artificial Harvest Festivals rely solely on soul energy rather than souls at the cost of a lot more soul energy than 10,000 souls would normally have.
Now I wonder how Elme cough Evelyn is doing under Raiden so far.
"Raiden!" I called out, and within the blink of an eye, she was bowing gracefully before me.
It's actually impressive how she's always here when I need her. The power of a maid is truly filled with mystery.
"Yes, Master?" She responded with a perfect bow.
"How has Evelyn settled in? I trust she's doing well so far?" It had only been a few hours since I first brought Evelyn here, so I wouldn't be surprised if she hadn't settled in yet.
Raiden's nod was affirmative. "After you left her in my care, I assessed her combat abilities while also briefing her on the basics of her duties."
I nodded. "I see."
Unlike most maids in this world, mine weren't actually specialized in cleaning and maintaining the palace. Oh sure that was part of it, but Magic made such things fairly simple and easy.
What my maids did was prepare food if Raiden wasn't able to, and fulfilled any errands I needed done. Other than that they took care of any threats to my person, which in my opinion wasn't really needed, but Raiden insisted on it so I was fine with it. My maids operated more as a specialized military unit than traditional housekeepers.
"She performed admirably and will not be needing any further training from me." Raiden informed.
I nodded, not showing any surprise. I expected Evelyn to be very proficient in combat, she was just Elmesia larping as a maid in the end and so she should have quite a bit of combat experience.
In fact I wouldn't be surprised if Evelyn was better than Raiden at combat, in fact I expected it. The fact that Raiden hasn't mentioned anything of the sort means Evelyn held back, which was appropriate if she wanted to keep her cover.
"Since you wished to have easy access to her I have stationed her to be your direct maid alongside me." Raiden informed. "Along with that I have begun training Evelyn in the more intimate aspects of her duties."
My brows furrowed before I shrugged. I'm guessing Raiden means taking care of cleaning me in the baths and stuff on the rare occasions I didn't use Magic to clean myself. Though that was usually only Raiden who did that so that was odd.
I shrugged. "Good work then Raiden."
Raiden bowed. "It is my duty."
I tilted my head. "If you aren't busy do you want to go on a date?" I hadn't planned this but I was feeling like having some casual fun with Raiden. Spontaneous stuff like this keeps a relationship alive as well, not that I needed to worry about that.
Raiden froze for a moment, then turned slightly away, her cheeks tinged with a subtle blush. I caught a glimpse of a small, genuine smile struggling to surface. "I-I would be honored if you desire such a thing."
She was still super easy when it came to things like this.
A smirk curled at my lips. "I do indeed desire it." I extended my hand toward her. "Shall we go?"
Raiden accepted my hand with a gentle, almost hesitant grip, her maid uniform transforming into a more casual yet elegant attire. She now wore a purple dress that was slightly form-fitting with a tasteful v-cut, embodying a blend of grace and sophistication.
- Saeko -
She smirked victoriously as Luminous ate the bowl of soup she made without protest.
Luminous set the spoon she was using down. "This is quite delicious, and it doesn't look like an abomination that came from the pits of the Daemon Realm either."
Saeko pouted hearing Luminous. "They didn't look that bad!" She had learned recently that the presentation of a meal often tended to matter just as much as the taste of the meal itself. She didn't quite understand why, if something tastes good then it was good right? Apparently not.
Luminous scoffed. "The texture and look of your previous dishes ruined the entire meal for me, and I'm sure most would agree with my assessment. My chefs needed to have their palates completely reset as they couldn't believe just how bad the texture was."
Saeko pouted at Luminous' cold hearted words. "So mean!"
"Tsk. Just because Felix won't tell you the cold truth doesn't mean I'm as soft." Luminous responded.
Saeko grinned thinking about Felix-sama. "I'm sure he will like the new dishes I present to him!"
Luminous nodded. "He better appreciate the effort I went through to make you capable of creating such dishes."
Saeko smiled gratefully at her new friend. "Thank you for your help, Luminous!"
She had been in Luminous' territory for approximately 3 days now, and she had been enjoying herself. Felix-sama was right, taking a break and hanging out was fun!
Luminous turned away. "It is no problem, you are repaying me for my efforts after all."
Saeko nodded. Luminous wished for her to be her sparring partner. Luminous had been attempting to develop new techniques and wished for a second eye as well as for someone powerful enough to test them on. She wasn't as powerful as Luminous, but she could at least last as a training partner.
When she had asked Luminous why she hadn't asked Hinata, Luminous simply said it would be improper as Hinata was her subordinate. She had retorted that they seemed more like friends, but Luminous wouldn't budge on that.
Saeko guessed it was a matter of pride for Luminous. Even Felix-sama always said that Luminous was rather prideful, something Saeko agreed with.
Of course Luminous handily defeated her every time they sparred. Their spars allowed Saeko to truly understand the might of one of the Nine Sovereigns. It was only expected that Felix-sama was part of such a distinguished group of Majin. Luminous had created some truly powerful techniques with her Skill, she was glad that she was an ally of Felix-sama.
"How has your time training Hinata's underlings been?" Luminous asked.
Hinata had asked her to assist in training her subordinates since she was staying with Luminous, they were called the Nine Great Saints or something. Though Hinata was one of them, so she only trained 8 of them. Calling it training would be generous, Hinata just asked her to routinely beat her subordinates up, something she gladly did.
Hinata's subordinates had trouble taking on an intelligent Majin that also had enough power to be recognized as a Disaster Class, though according to Felix-sama she was beyond that tier entirely. Most Adventurers and Holy Knights were used to taking on Monsters, some of which could be quite powerful, however they lacked intelligence making it easy to plan around them.
In return for this task, Hinata would spar with her. Saeko could admit that Hinata was the superior fighter between the two, at least for now. So she was able to learn quite a lot from Hinata, Hinata could manipulate Fighting Spirit to a masterful degree, and her swordsmanship was practically divine. Something that was only expected of Felix-sama's student.
Saeko's own swordsmanship had improved through the spars that they had been having, so she was thankful for that. She had also observed how Hinata manipulated her Fighting Spirit and attempted to recreate some of the technique.
Hinata with all her strength also trained. Apparently Felix-sama had told her about Spiritron Manipulation, and so Hinata had been working on building up her ability to manipulate spiritrons. Saeko didn't quite understand it all but she didn't ask more about it. Saeko mostly fought by instinct and experience after all, thinking too much about how to fight never helped her.
"Hmph! None of them could even scratch me, but they have been getting better."
They had been getting more coordinated, more team oriented as they were able to meld their attacks together to compliment each other. One would use Fire Magic and the other would amplify it with Wind Magic and whatnot.
They were incredibly used to combat at this point, to the extent that their focus was quite difficult to interrupt. With most fighters a significant enough disturbance can cause one to dismiss their Fighting Spirit reinforcement, or disturb the Aura they have coated their blade in. These disturbances were often fatal for newbie Adventurers as they would be left defenseless without their Aura since most had mediocre armor. The mental exhaustion of a battle could not be underestimated, it was something she had trained the Purple Guards in extensively as mental exhaustion could be as deadly as physical exhaustion.
Hinata's subordinates were already fairly powerful by her standards before Hinata started training them with renewed intensity, one was an Incomplete Saint while the others had the potential to reach that stage, now they were all realizing that potential.
She had taken inspiration from some of Hinata's teaching methods that she would be applying when she taught the Purple Guards.
Luminous nodded. "Good, I will need capable fighters."
Saeko nodded in agreement. She had already been informed by Felix-sama about the troubling times coming ahead. That was why she had been training herself so much, so she could be more useful to Felix-sama and protect his territory.
"Will you be heading back soon?" Luminous asked.
She nodded. "Umu. I have enjoyed my time having fun, but I must make sure none of the Purple Guards are slacking! And I am sure Felix-sama is in need of his number 1 secretary!"
Luminous nodded as if she had been expecting her answer. "Very well. However, until Felix arrives to pick you up, you are free to "have fun" as you call it."
Saeko nodded. "Gladly!"
Luminous sighed lightly, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "You truly do love him don't you?"
Saeko paused for a moment. "I-I do!" Perhaps not at first, it may have just been admiration and adoration for the person who named her and care for her chosen liege. But those feelings had grown into something more. Love is rather simple in this world, sometimes it just happens and there is no specific factor that attracts an individual. Her own parents were the same before they passed away. They had simply just grown to be attracted to each other and were able to fill in the blanks of their respective partners.
"I truly wonder what he does to attract so many different types of women." Luminous said with a roll of her eyes.
Saeko smiled. "That's easy! He's perfect!"
Luminous sighed. "It's a good thing I'm here, otherwise his ego would be too over inflated with you praising him to the high heavens."
She pouted hearing Luminous.
As they conversed, the atmosphere around them felt lighter. In the past three days, she had developed an almost camaraderie with Luminous. She knew that Luminous was her superior in both status and strength, but she didn't mind that, and neither did Luminous. Though Luminous remained as sharp-tongued and prideful as ever, Saeko had come to realize that behind the cool, untouchable exterior was someone who, though rarely admitting it, valued companionship, especially when it came from people with no exterior motives.
"Speaking of the Purple Guards." Luminous added, her gaze turning more serious. "How is their progress? You've been training them for Felix for some time now. I am a bit curious about them.
Saeko paused, her expression shifting. "They've gotten better. Their discipline is sharpening, each of them are very dedicated."
Luminous smiled. "Good. No matter how strong you are, having underlings to complete your tasks is always better."
Saeko nodded. "Umu! Felix-sama shouldn't have to fight mundane battles himself!" It would besmirch his name as one of the Nine Sovereigns!
- Rudra Nam Ul Nasca -
His eyes slowly blinked open as a small smile began to form on his face.
"You're awake, Rudra."
He turned to the voice and met the eyes of his beloved. She was dressed in opulent clothing and was a beautiful, blue-haired woman, his companion for thousands of years. She was also the Marshal of his Empire, the one with the most power over the Eastern Empire after him. Authority that was well earned in his eyes.
She was a True Dragon as well and often even substituted for him as the Emperor when he wasn't feeling well. She even did his paperwork for him sometimes! She truly was perfect.
He had woken up after quite some time. Due to the battle within his soul he needed to go into a recovery sleep of sorts to recuperate rather often.
"Velgrynd. How did the reconnaissance go?" He had asked Velgrynd to gather what information she could without leaving the bounds of the Eastern Empire. She had asked Kondou for his assistance, ever since Kondou managed to acquire an Ultimate Skill she stopped looking at him as a lesser, and more as a useful ally.
Rudra was personally rather fond of Kondou. He was loyal to a fault, had good style, and got his job done. Not to mention his strength would be very useful against Guy now that the climax of their game was approaching.
Their game had been one in the making for millenia. They had wagered the right to rule this world. This game didn't have any complicated rules. You simply had to use your "pawns" to overwhelm your opponent. The world was their board, monsters and humans their pawns.
Initially, Guy's pawns consisted of Monsters and Majins, while Rudra's were drawn from a fraction of humanity. Over the centuries, they had exchanged pieces in their ongoing game. Now, the match was nearing its climax, with chaos beginning to stir on both sides.
Stealing pawns from one another had always been part of the game's strategy. Moreover, their most powerful pieces were their allies, the True Dragons. The only unbreakable rule between them was simple: they could only utilize the designated pawns. This meant that as long as Guy and Rudra refrained from directly confronting each other, they were free to act as they pleased.
Of course, if the world were to be destroyed, the game would end. Neither wished for such a conclusion, prompting them to take precautionary measures.
However, there were wild cards in play. These included the rogue True Dragon, Veldora, and the Primordials. These wild cards operated outside the formal game, and it was up to the players, Guy and Rudra, to decide whether they would become allies or enemies.
The Primordials presence was constantly monitored as he had wanted to recruit them at some point.
Jaune was constantly playing around with Demon Lord Leon, one of Guy's allies. In the West, any reckless action could bring down the wrath of Violet, the Violet Primordial, who resided there. And in his own territory, there lurked Blanc, the White Primordial. It wasn't truly possible to wipe them off the board as they would be reborn, and those Daemons could hold a grudge. They would likely commit to becoming thorns on his side permanently, so he had left them be until he came up with a sure plan to recruit them.
"Kondou has gathered some rather useful information, but his means are quite limited as Guy, Demon Lord Rimuru, and Demon Lord Felix each have suitable defenses preventing anyone from getting deep into their territory without authorization, similar to the Eastern Empire." Velgrynd stated.
His smile faded slightly at the mention of Rimuru and Felix. That slime was proving to be more troublesome than expected. In a short time, Rimuru had gained power and influence far beyond what any Demon Lord should possess, and as for Felix, Velgrynd's reports were rather concerning when it came to his strength. Political power had its uses, but what Rudra was truly wary of was personal power, which this Daemon seemed to possess in spades.
His brows furrowed but he nodded. He didn't expect much less from two Demon Lords that Guy seemed to be interested in. That man doesn't get interested in those without potential.
Velgrynd sauntered towards him and took a seat on the armchair of his throne. "I will start with what Kondou was able to confirm. It seems that Granbell's granddaughter has passed away in an attack done by the Harlequin Alliance."
He raised a brow. "The Harlequin Alliance? Were they not involved with Cerberus?"
Velgrynd nodded. "They were according to Kondou."
He nodded. "Hmm, I see."
They had long known about Cerberus and the blackmarket of the Eastern Empire, rather than suppress it he allowed it to thrive under limited supervision. It was Kondou's job to keep it under control, and he had managed to gather quite a lot of information on Cerberus.
"Yuuki Kagurazaka also perished in the same attack."
He nodded. "A smokescreen then."
Velgrynd nodded. "That is likely, according to Clayman the Harlequins would never willingly turn on Yuuki."
Clayman had been rather useful due to all the information he held. He was the one who sent Kondou to control Clayman as he was one of the weakest links in the old Demon Lord Council.
Thanks to Clayman they were able to evaluate the threat levels of Guy's pawns rather easily. He didn't even consider the Demon Lord Seeds a threat, the mid-level Imperial Guardians could take care of them with ease. Those who were a threat however was his niece, she had inherited some of Velda's power and was incredibly powerful herself, though he was confident that using Michael he could deal with her. The only issue was how limited he was in using Michael since the Skill was always at war with him within his soul.
Ramiris was a shell of her former self, he didn't even think about her for more than a moment before moving on. Dagruel… Dagruel would pose a significant threat to many, even Velgrynd would face a challenge against him. He would likely have to deal with Dagruel himself as his Castle Guard can easily negate all of Dagruel's forms of attack. Luminous Valentine could be dealt with using his higher-level Single Digits as she did not have an Ultimate Skill according to the reports he had received, though that could always change.
Dino was a significant threat. He was given an Ultimate Skill by Velda, but his Michael could deal with Dino in a heartbeat once the moment came. The backdoor Velda installed into the Angelic Skills would allow him to easily deal with those with an Angelic Series Skill.
He brushed off the thought of controlling Dino now and using him as a double agent.
Leon Cromwell could pose a threat, he needed more information on the Hero turned Demon Lord for an accurate threat assessment. Beating Kazalim did not tell him much as Kazalim was a mere Demon Lord Seed, nothing to think much about.
The current line up of Demon Lords had changed, which was what caused him to take action earlier than initially planned.
At least Kondou also got to recruit his new assistant from under Clayman's eyes, Eva was rather powerful and could have had a place in the Single Digits if she were raised in the Eastern Empire. But as it stood now she was in no way loyal to the Empire, Kondou kept her on a leash through his Sandolphon, without it neither he nor Kondou had any doubt that she would attempt to rebel, and he did not wish to make use of Michael to fully rein her in at this point, it would be a waste of power.
He tapped his finger onto the armrest of his throne. "I see… it seems things truly are changing over in the West."
Quite a lot had happened in a rather short period of time. So much change hadn't happened for perhaps centuries.
"It is likely that Granbell is planning something, as according to reports he was rather attached to his granddaughter, and after her death was known he hasn't been making his regular moves." Velgrynd shared.
He sighed in reminiscence. It felt like so long ago when he was teaching a young Granbell how to fight… how to live. He had been one of his most trusted allies, and was even a friend at times. His betrayal was unexpected, yet he was used to the sting in his heart at this point. After all the failures he had caused, he expected nothing less. First Veldanava and Lucia, then Milim… it seems he simply could not get it right.
For just a moment, the weight of his empire pressed down on him. His dream of uniting the world had cost him so much, friends, family, and even his own humanity at times. Yet he couldn't stop, not now, not when the game was nearing its end.
He shook his head away from the depressive thoughts. All that mattered now was the game.
Rudra clenched his fist, feeling his almost unending power surge within him. He had come too far and sacrificed too much. If he was to lose this game, it would not be because of a lack of resolve. He would bend the world to his will, and those who stood against him would fall to the Eastern Empire so his dream could be realized.
He felt Velgrynd's hand gently grip his own.
"How are the Mixed Corps acting now that Yuuki is dead?" He asked.
Many of the Mixed Corp were indebted to Yuuki.
"Nothing too abnormal other than what was already important. Mai Furuki seems to have had a fire lit under her as she continues to train herself." Velgrynd said.
He nodded. "Good, perhaps she will Awaken into a Saint during the war and can join the Single Digits."
Mai, and Calgurio were the ones he felt had the highest chance of Awakening sometime soon, it was why both of them would be at the head of their own attacks where there was much risk. Mai attacking Azeroth, and Calgurio attacking Tempest.
Of course nothing concrete had been decided as for who is attacking who, but he was the Emperor and he reigned supreme. He would merely guide the military to the result that he desired through manipulation. He could of course order them but that often left a sour taste in the mouths of his subordinates, it was less bothersome to simply manipulate others to his desired outcome. That was a lesson he had learned over the years. Human pride could cause individuals to take the oddest of actions.
"Kondou also left a note saying that Yuuki's death was likely planned and that he had likely made an enemy of someone he shouldn't." Velgrynd informed.
Rudra nodded as he went over all the information he possessed. Some had suggested launching an early invasion with their elite troops after the attack on Tempest as its infrastructure may have been harmed, something he swiftly rejected. Kondou had sent spies to the Tempest Founding Festival and that spy had reported that the attackers were dealt with easily, Tempest's infrastructure was hardly damaged, launching an invasion would be foolish.
"Hmm. Gadra has left to conduct a deeper reconnaissance, correct?"
Velgrynd nodded. "Him and 3 of his students who are members of the Imperial Guardians. Kondou had approved their departure."
Rudra nodded. "Good. He can be trusted to provide worthwhile information." He paused for a moment. "How do you think the initial invasion will go?"
Velgrynd scoffed. "It will be a monumental failure. But that is the plan, no?"
He nodded. The initial attack would merely be a smokescreen, one meant to make their enemies underestimate them while also providing ample opportunity for evolution. He always preferred quality over quantity.
The current plan was for the Composite Division headed by Mai to attack Azeroth, and then the Armored Division, headed by Calgurio to attack Tempest. The last division, the Magic Beast Division would take multiple airships to weaken the infrastructure of the Western Nations.
Velgrynd sighed as she relaxed into his side. "What will you be doing about that Demon Lord, Felix?"
Felix had turned into a rather large concern, he was a mere Daemon, one not even a Primordial yet he had Guy's recognition. Velzard had even spoken highly of him to Velgrynd which worried Rudra. That woman was rather picky with her praise. More than that, Kondou's spies had reported that Felix and Veldora had seemingly fought, a fight that resulted in a draw.
Guy having another True Dragon-class individual was truly a pain. He even sped up the invasion due to this Demon Lord Felix. In a mere few years he had grown by such a monstrous extent, Rudra did not want to give the Daemon even more time to grow. But the invasion preparations would still take a few months, gathering supplies for the mortal troops would cost the most time, but it must be done.
Though in the end, his Castle Guard could take on all. It was God's ultimate defense for a reason.
"Still, I feel that he has yet to return to his prime after his seal was undone. I didn't detect any violent magical storm, like the ones that ravaged the lands in the past. In the past, I would've felt that aura from any corner of the earth, but now it seems to have disappeared completely. Perhaps his resurrection was incomplete? That would explain why a mere Daemon could possibly fight him off." Velgrynd guessed.
He nodded. He had considered that factor as well, but any individual that could match even a weakened True Dragon was one that he would give his attention to.
That was the entire reason he was willing to allow the Composite Division a chance at fighting Demon Lord Felix and his forces. Because they may possibly have a chance depending on just how much weaker Veldora currently is.
"Indeed it would, Velgrynd." He responded. "Still, he is not the only threat on Guy's side. We both sensed the Awakening of Misery and Rain. I am not quite sure how Guy managed to do such a thing, but it's just like him to do something so absurd at the last moment." Rudra sighed. "Now we have two more Devil Lords to deal with, they may even possess Ultimate Skills."
Velgrynd nodded. With everything that had happened lately, he didn't want to give his enemies any more time to prepare.
"How do you feel about our enemies?" He asked out of curiosity. Velgrynd hadn't made her opinion on their new enemies apparent yet.
Velgrynd tilted her head. "I suppose their resistance will be admirable if nothing else. But in the end you will be the victor." He nodded, that was a very Velgrynd-like response.
"As for Rimuru and Felix in particular… those Demon Lords dare to bribe my foolish brother and deceive my dear niece. I will be sure to punish them properly." Velgrynd continued.
Rudra laughed when he heard Velgrynd. She was always rather fond of Veldora, despite their differences.
He could only pity Rimuru and Felix, for they had the Scorch Dragon on their tail.
Their plan still had many more layers that needed to be discussed. After the initial invasion he had changed the objective from gaining control over Veldora, a True Dragon, to gaining control of the Daemon who seemed to just continue to grow. Initially he planned to place Veldora under the control of Michael, but in Rudra's eyes, and even Velgrynd's, the Daemon had the potential to be more of a threat, so he would be dealt with first and foremost.
Veldora would always be easy to deal with, he had so much potential but he wasted it on his rampages. It was due to that reason that he never considered Veldora a threat, he was simply too foolish to be one.
In the end the initial attack didn't matter much to Rudra. It was all about getting all his pawns to be as powerful as possible, while also stealing Guy's own pawns. That was the core of the game he and Guy were playing, and he would win… no matter what.
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I am highly motivated by your guys' reviews and likes, so do that! I'll probably keep writing or something.
I have a discord server, come hang out if you want! https://discord.gg/VxR5Gn72Fp I also have a channel in Shiro's Gaming Omniverse.
Author's Note: Sup everyone, back with another chapter of Daemon. Arcueid, Megumin, and Lalatina got one hell of a power up, and they aren't finished yet. Saeko is also training with Luminous and Hinata, everyone is making progress. I'm wanting to have everyone be stronger than their canon counterparts because why tf are ancient beings so weak in canon.
We also get to learn a bit more Rudra lore, as you can see Rudra is kinda fucked in the head. If you all are wondering why his train of thought switches so quickly it's due to Michael not wanting him to think of certain things. The Eastern Empire invasion is being prepped in the background, and Granbell's attack is coming up soon. My goal is to start it next chapter or the chapter after. I know it took a while to get here, but we finally made it! The pace of the story should pick up a bit after Granbell's attack.
Anyways, thanks for reading, peace.
Thanks to @Salante and @Flowerman for beta'ing this chapter.