Chapter 826: Return
"Aristella, I have to put my people first."
Asmodeus spoke loud enough for the entire room to hear while keeping his eyes locked on the delicate goddess who knelt before him. His chest grew heavy as her brows furrowed. Despite her polite intentions, he chose to wait and properly prepare.
"Emperor of Demons, do you truly not understand the danger—"
He slammed his arm against the wooden arm, interrupting the goddess.
Shocked, her skin switched from fair to dark.
"Aristella, do not take me for a fool. I will not become a pawn for the creator, let alone a petty plot crafted by you lesser gods who seek to use me and my people to endure the brunt of the enemy."
His eyes trailed across the room, caught on his dear friend Alan, a man who once fought for his people to the limit of his sanity. Yet now, barely able to shuffle to the front row without help, there were also the countless dead or wounded unable to come.
"Do not look so upset, Aristella..." He reached out, but the vast distance from his throne and the stairs below left his hand stopped in mid-air.
"Asmodeus..."
Though she reacted badly, Aristella didn’t linger.
"Understood, I told them to stop being so hasty, since it was too much to come here empty-handed. Allow me to return in the future after carefully discussing and preparing an equal reward and support."
Her words brought a comforting warmth that helped Asmodeus also take a step back and offer his hand halfway, rather than completely rejecting her.
"Goddess Aristella, allow me time to deal with the beast polluting our waters, to prepare the needed forces so that normal people won’t be affected. If you can give me that much respect, then we can discuss a combined solution in the future."
"Understood, Emperor Asmodeus, the hero who saved us."
Aristella’s body shimmered with a soft green glow as her figure started to fade, becoming almost completely translucent.
However, she didn’t forget to stare him in the eyes before bowing respectfully to him, a smile spreading on her lips.
In her fleeting moments, she mouthed. "After all, you’re the same, ehehe," before vanishing completely.
Asmodeus fell back onto his throne the moment she vanished, his expression twisted, lacking the brightness he’d had a few moments earlier.
He glanced to his side, shaking his head at Serena chewing her lips, or the nervous looks on most people who sat before him.
’This isn’t good.’
Thud!
He slammed his fist down with more force, the reverberation spreading instantly and driving all attention back to him.
"Do not fall into a panic, and be not afraid. I am here, I will block all that threatens our lands, with my body and soul."
His eyes glanced between the members from Grigor, the knights and warriors from all kingdoms and his many wives. It wasn’t the time for him to act weak or passive; without waiting for Lumina or Serena to follow up, he raised his palm to the sky.
A dreadful aura swirled into a mighty black-and-white halberd.
It was his weapon, something that could slay a god.
"With this weapon, Axiom, the god-slaying artefact. I will never allow you, or our people, to suffer. First, we will slay the beast sullying our waters and then..." He paused, glancing into Serena’s moist eyes, before he smiled and turned back to the people. "Should the Empire of Man wish to keep performing their underhanded tactics—I will slay the so-called god king myself."
His eyes slowly closed, listening to the shallow murmurs inside the halls.
He couldn’t help but curl his lips when hearing Nyxielle’s little comments or Lith scolding her to be quiet.
’He seems to have recovered, thanks to Valena.’
Whenever he thought of her, his heart shook slightly; the blood inside his veins belonging to her always reacted and if he searched for her face now.
Asmodeus knew that her crimson orbs would stare straight back at him.
In the midst of adjusting his thoughts, a stern, deep voice called out from the halls, and a handsome middle-aged man with grey whiskers in his beard stood resolutely.
"Emperor Asmodeus, are you sure about this...?"
"King Avandar, do you worry that I am doing this half-heartedly?"
To his surprise, the king shook his head.
"No, it is quite the opposite." His ice grey eyes shimmered in the faint light from above as he stared into Asmodeus’s eyes. "Will you once again overstrain yourself, fight battles until worn and torn to pieces just because of a promise you made three years ago?"
’Hmm?’
Asmodeus sat up in his throne, unable to understand.
’Why does he look so pained?!’
"Emperor Asmodeus, may I speak even if it’s a little rude?"
"It’s fine, continue."
He waved to his father-in-law, unsure how to handle the churning sensation in his chest.
"Although you are powerful, a man who saved all three of our nations from almost certain destruction and led the entire continent to prosperity with your policies and fair treaties to keep us all safe... I must protest this time."
Avandar slammed his golden walking cane down, a matching set with Alan.
He appeared resolute, as if a lion’s aura wrapped his shoulders.
"What must you protest?"
Asmodeus leaned on his palm, confused about what the old man wished to do, why he wanted to complain about such a good thing.
’Am I missing something?’
Tap!
Once again, Avandar tapped the ground before bellowing.
"I order, the First and Second Grigorian Knight Order to assist the Emperor of our lands, son and guardian of Grigor, Asmodeus Vincenzo, in the battle against the enemy, no matter who or what they shall be!"
"Hey..."
Asmdoeus tried to stop him, but a hand rose into the air, and Alan stood.
It was quite rude of them to stand during this kind of meeting, but Lumeria didn’t uphold the strictest etiquette between the nations it protected and ruled over.
"I wish to volunteer as commander of the Grigorian Knights. Please, My King, My Dear Emperor, allow this Duke to uphold his oath."
There was no chance Asmodeus would accept this; Alan’s body couldn’t endure a war at sea, let alone a simple battle. One wrong move, or strike, and he could suffer irreversible consequences.
"I Obj—!?"
"Do your Duty Well, Knight Alan Grigor of the First Legion, serve well, under His Majesty, Emperor Asmodeus."
Avandar spoke up before Asmodeus could finish his denial.
That’s when he noticed the two men’s smirks as they both looked at him and bowed reverently.
’These two planned this from the start!’
Despite wanting to complain and mention Alan’s state, his heart fluttered with a vibrant feeling; the idea of standing beside Alan again, even for one last time, was something Asmodeus dreamt of.
His friends began to settle down, have families and couldn’t keep up with him.
He trained alone, fought alone.
The emptiness grew and grew until everything felt hollow.
If not for his loss against the Arbiters three years ago, maybe he would be hollow.
"Then I offer myself, as the previous Empress of the Beast Empire, and unrivalled Shrine Maiden. Our Beast Warriors offer themselves directly to the Emperor, use us as you see fit, for we shall not abandon you."
’Yuina...’
He knew that she planned to leave her post early, slowly teaching the children what she could before handing the seat over.
But it was so sudden.
Asmodeus trailed his gaze across the people who stood up against him, confused by their smiling faces and bright auras.
’Surely they know, this battle will end in countless deaths...’
"What’s that glum face for?"
A vibrant voice came from beside him.
When he turned to face the source, he found Yumiko standing in her unique kimono, with her blonde hair tied up neatly, a single side dangling by her narrow cheek.
"Yumiko?"
"Look at you, all grown up and now brooding about stupid things." Her eyes narrowed into crescent moons as she lowered herself much like the knights, one knee placed down, her palm across the other. "Your Majesty, let your heart be at ease, Yumiko has finally returned to your side."
Ba-Dump~
He felt a sudden sense of arrhythmia in his heart.
The simple words and unserious expression brought his mind back to the first time they met, sitting in that cold, damp room while unfamiliar with each other.
A sincere and affectionate shine lingered in her blue eyes.
’Wait, blue?’
Yumiko’s eyes transformed the moment she became a demon and a shrine maiden, fully awakening her beastkin bloodline. Yet now, when he observed her face, though the golden fox ears and tail remained, her human features also remained.
The features he first saw.
’I can’t sense her strength either... what’s going on?’
He waited for her to speak and smiled.
At first, he wondered if she had reached the same level as his other wives, but that was when her eyes flickered golden for a moment, and he froze.
Her voice lowered to slightly more than a whisper as she stared into his eyes.
"We are here to support you, no matter what you choose to do. So please, stop facing these things alone... I’m strong enough to stand beside you now."
Yes, power.
The moment her eyes turned gold, he felt an aura.
An aura as immense as Serena’s in her strange form and comparable to his.
"Y-You..."
"Dear Husband, I have been with you from the start. Do you think I wouldn’t understand a fraction of your heart by now?"
The pair appeared to enter into a world of their own, as the time surrounding them slowed, more and more until it stopped.
Asmodeus stared at his first lover and asked.
"You, how did you become so strong?!!