Chapter 827: The Plan Comes Together
A lovely smile bloomed on Yumiko’s face at his question as she narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath. The surroundings couldn’t see most of the small actions, like her gently stroking letters across his arm with her fingertips.
"Well, it’s nothing as spectacular as you might think."
"No way, to achieve such a strength... how hard have you pushed yourself?"
He couldn’t help but grin as she rolled her eyes, shrugging her shoulders. "Well, the process was a little difficult, but here I am. Right?"
Asmodeus narrowed his eyes, "Tell me, what have you done?"
He couldn’t help but feel a strange doubt, a subtle lurching feeling she’d done something irreparable that Yumiko would eventually pay a price for.
"W-Wait!"
She quickly grasped his arm, glancing up at him with her big, blue eyes, which glistened like gemstones.
"It’s not that... I accepted the role to become the patron goddess of all Foxes."
Yumiko paused before shaking her head. "No, it’s not quite a goddess, but more of a deity, I don’t have to follow those annoying laws, or answer to someone else!"
She slowly tried to explain to him in a way that he could understand.
Though her newfound power couldn’t compare to the Goddess of Darkness, her powers lacked limitations like those of the lesser gods. Unlike those foolish people, she gained them through a certain ritual, and her object of worship was not the Creator, but something she wouldn’t tell him.
Although not quite a true goddess, being able to ignore the binding laws meant she’d gained these powers for almost nothing.
Asmodeus gazed into her earnest eyes.
"Why? Why go so far, Yumi?"
Yumiko gripped his arm, the delicate fingers sinking deeper into his rough hide, almost tearing it apart as she maintained her gaze.
"Because I had to!"
Her strength was impressive.
From the subtle flash of her aura, he could feel how close it came to his own in both Divine Aura and physical enhancement. However, if there were a sudden disaster that killed all foxes and fox-type beastmen, she would dramatically lose power.
"What is it you want to tell me, showing your power here?"
"Let me fight beside you, our children are safe in the empire, this battle will not end with just the Abyssal, and you know it!"
A sudden murmur of voices echoed through the room, causing Serena and Lumina to scowl at the blonde fox.
’She’s right.’
He couldn’t deny her words.
From start to finish, he understood that Yumiko had seen a path forward and taken it without needing support or guidance. She always acted this way; whenever there was an issue, she would push ahead without complaints.
’Whether the Empire or Arbiters, once the battle against that Abyssal started, they would likely strike the moment our battle reached the peak.’
Even though he wished to shout and stop her from taking this action of jumping into danger, he considered her offer and finally spoke after a moment of silence.
"What can you offer the Empire, what is your plan?"
Yumiko raised her arm, winking to him as she snapped her fingertips.
Thud!
Suddenly, the door behind them slammed open, with the sound of a hundred unified footsteps. In came a large group of fully armoured shrine warriors, wielding naginata and shields, and donning kimonos with the Empire’s Emblem, stepping inside.
The women moved with discipline, their bodies radiating an intense aura.
"I have been preparing to support you with my sister’s help for three years now, since we couldn’t meet often... I wanted to show you my devotion in a different way. There are ten thousand shrine maidens in the Beast Empire. I have transferred four thousand to the Lumeria Empire."
Leading the warriors was a familiar face, her glossy black hair and sculpted muscles nostalgic to see as Aki lowered to one knee, bowing to Asmodeus and Yumiko.
The biggest change was that three fluffy tails drooped behind her and the others.
A direct indication of a Fox Beastkin’s power.
Yumiko and Yuina both had 9
Serena has ten of them.
No... wait!
That’s when he noticed his wife’s changes, and suddenly gripped her wrist.
"Where are your tails?!"
No longer a mass of nine bushy golden tails... now just one, fluffy swish of fur.
"Ah, well, it turns out that my nine tails from before were barely worth two tails upon reaching the level of divinity back then..." She gives a strange smirk while swishing it around, then spreads her arms nonchalantly. "So, I merged them into one. Since my tails are just a manifestation of excess power... wouldn’t a single one be enough?"
Asmodeus struggled to believe her words.
’How could it be so simple?!’
"Hey, come on..." She tapped his nose and curled her tail around her waist.
"Touch it, feel how silky smooth it is... and the power brimming inside."
Bzzzt!
The moment his hands come close, a sharp, violent arc of lightning jolts his palm with a swift zap. Though it doesn’t stop him, he pauses and glances down, noticing the blood dripping from his enhanced body.
’To break through my reinforced skin with the excess power...’ While grasping her tail at the base, he smirked, managing to usher a soft moan from her confident, cocky lips.
"What do you want, these soldiers, and you... Where and how will you help the Empire?"
"W-Wait... stop yanking on my tail! I’ll tell you..." She begged, before leaning against the throne’s arm, her eyes sharpened into a fierce glare. "You are fighting a giant monster in the ocean... to stop a creature that large, it would require a grand magical spell, right?"
Her strange confidence tickled his curiosity.
"Go on, then, how do you suppose we do that?"
Yumiko quickly straightened herself, wiping her chest as she grinned with a victorious aura.
"Let me fight beside you, and when the battle begins, drag the raging beast to the surface, and we will use our powers to freeze a portion of the water, slowing the monsters for a short time!"
"A group spell?"
"It’s more like a ceremonial spell to be fair."
"How long can it last?"
Her eyes rolled while biting her lips. "Maybe an hour, depending on the monster’s strength."
"I see..."
Asmdoeus became silent, stroking his chin while lost in thought.
After taking some time to adjust himself, he decides to accept her idea, and the atmosphere in the room changes immediately.
"Let’s begin our plans; we cannot let the empire have more time to prepare while we deal with this threat."
The first to speak out was Avandar, who calmly raised his hand and asked.
"What of the black water? How will we endure this fight?"
Asmodeus squished his lips together, "I have a small storage of water, we’ve confirmed to be unaffected, though it cannot last long. Keeping the entire continent flowing for a month shouldn’t be impossible."
"A month, are those words true?" The king asked with a slightly excited voice.
"Yes, King Avandar, I will share this water without asking for repayment, just consider it a favour you can repay after everything ends... Oh, and Avandar, for this long battle. Can I expect Grigor to defend the north-eastern coast and keep an eye out for sedition without the support of another nation?"
"Is that all you require of us... we are..."
"Don’t mistake me, Esteemed King. This task is of great importance! We can easily detect humans in our nations, so they will likely sneak into Grigor or Baltimore, thus your task is far greater than it seems."
Asmodeus didn’t pause and began giving orders and assigning various tasks to the knights, warriors, family, and his wives.
"Ciela, you must return to your homeland and discuss with your mother and father about what must be done. I do not require the elves to move in the great battle; all we need is more of your refined wood to make the most agile ships possible."
"..." Ciela nodded with a sour look, sat in a seat below with a large bandage across her abdomen.
"Yuina—"
Before he could finish, she interrupted. "I will remain with you and our children, husband." There was a powerful energy in her eyes that stopped him from denying her request as he slowly removed his gaze.
’I see, sometimes I cannot make them move as I wish.’
With his plans to keep them protected crumbling, Asmodeus stopped trying.
He would honour their feelings.
"Lumeria’s knights will join forces with Brando and the Golden Hare Mercenary group, leading the initial assault. With the help of Valena and Nerim, I will draw it to the surface, then it will be on the Valkyrie and Shrine Maidens to lock it in place."
Asmodeus examines the room, then glances at Alan and Grigor. "I wonder if you would accept us using the north eastern coast of Grigor as the setting."
"How? What do you need, brother!" Alan jumped at the question.
"I wish to use the unique structure of the high walls, which will resist any surging tides and tsunamis for the battle location."
"Understood, that shouldn’t be an issue. Anything else?"
"Of course, if you could affix large siege weapons to the former castle and fixtures near the wall itself to help take down the beast, it would be of great help."
Alan’s eyes beamed at being given a task in the battle.
Though he likely understood he couldn’t fight, Asmodeus couldn’t let his old friend down. It also allowed them to have someone oversee the entire battlefield and to see whether the Empire sent a fleet to strike them.
With the plan becoming more solid, the various delegations retired for the evening before meeting again for a meal while Asmodeus remained on the throne.
He sat with his eyes closed, breathing slowly.
Until a voice suddenly came from beside his face, her sweet breath tickling his cheek.
"Just how will you attract that beast to the surface?"
He turns to his wife with a playful smile.
"My beloved Empress, we both know that Abyssals are unable to resist one thing."