"Genealogy Of Eternal Tyranny Intricate Allusions"

[Tyrant Raver]

Prologue

​

Since the dawn of the cosmos and all of creation, Light and Darkness, Good and Evil has faced each other with fierce enmity. Neither winning nor losing, these almighty forces wage an endless war in titanic stalemates. It is through their eternal struggle, the Equilibrium was given form.

Having no allegiance, nor concrete form, the Equilibrium has kept Light and Darkness in check. Favoring both good and evil, order and discord to flourish upon the cosmic cycle, giving way to life. Thus, countless universes and worlds were born.

Among these still growing number of worlds was Eanar. The said heart of the universe and where the Equilibrium first took root. This is where our story will take place.

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Eanar, a world ruled by gods and besieged by demons. Akin to their origin of Light and Darkness, both dominant factions waged war against another since their first emergence. The gods hailed themselves as the Pantheon, while the demons hailed themselves as the Pandemonium.

That was until the dawn of Man has taken place thanks to the Will of the Equilibrium. In honor of this event, the gods have ascended into a higher plane to make way for mankind, leaving behind their blessings upon this newborn race. Mankind and the Pantheon came to revere each other, a harmony that pleased the Equilibrium.

It was foretold, that one day humans will be integral upon the scale of the Equilibrium. A prophecy that the gods came to revere and respect. While the Pantheon has accepted mankind as part of the equilibrium, the Pandemonium did not.

As the gods have ascended, much of their power now detached from the middle plane, the demonic incursion persisted and were now powerful than ever. They ravaged and destroyed everything in their wake, indiscriminately killing every human they could get their claws on.

Powerless to stop the Pandemonium’s advance, the mankind turned to the gods for aid. But alas, even if the Pantheon was eager to intervene, the Equilibrium forbade them to do so. Thus, any direct involvement from the Pantheon was taboo. To appease the Equilibrium, mankind and the Pantheon made a covenant set in stone that the gods would choose their sole champion upon the entirety of mankind. The Champion would raise a banner and lead the vanguard of mankind against the Pandemonium incursion.

With the blessing of the gods themselves, the Champion fought through the the demonic horde and defeat the Pandemonium’s sole sovereignty, the King of Demon Gods in a climactic battle. Upon the the King’s defeat, the Champion banished Pandemonium upon the mercy of the Equilibrium. Upon the Pandemonium’s defeat, they submitted to the Will of the Equilibrium just as the Pantheon did before them.

Such is the cosmic cycle, victory for mankind was temporary, as another demon king will rise again and mankind would face the same peril once again as dictated by the Will of the Equilibrium. And so, over eons did the war of mankind against the Pandemonium waged on. Every century, a new King of Demon Gods would emerge from the underworld and sow the seeds of chaos upon the mortal plane. And a new Champion will be born to lead mankind to victory.

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“Run! Run! Don’t look back!”

Two stragglers, a woman of a ripe age and a little girl. Both have their clothes in tatters were covered in dirt, bruises and cuts; their clothes riddled with scorch marks, with smudges blood and charcoal. The two hurriedly ran through the thick of the forest ignoring the darkness of the night ahead of them.
Despite being wracked with extreme fatigue and dread, they ran and ran fearing for their lives. Far behind the two, were a number of thumping footsteps as loud as war drums. Unseen pursuers chasing their escaped prey.

“AAH…!”,

“Keep running!!!”

Countless whistles of an arrow volley rained over them. Through sheer desperation, they hastened their pace. However, it would seem that desperation enough was not sufficient.

“Ar--Argh…!!!”,

“Ah! Sister!”

The woman was struck with 4 arrows on her back. On reflex, she quickly grabbed her little sister and used her body to shield her from the volley. As a result, 5 more arrows burrowed on her delicate flesh from behind. The woman collapsed to the ground, still holding on to the little girl while severely bleeding from a mortal wound.

“Aaaaargh…!!! Sister!”

Despite her protection, one arrow managed to slip through and grazed a flesh wound upon the young girl’s right leg. The woman did not let out a scream nor a grunt as she fell down to the dirt. With the grave wounds she had sustained, it was more likely that she did not make it.

“Sister, no! Wake up! Please! Please wake up---ah.”

As the young girl hopelessly tried to wake her sister up from her unconscious state, three shadows loomed before her. Even with the darkness of the night, these shadows stood out with their sheer presence. Trembling in fear, the young girl froze in place, staring directly at her impending doom. Helpless to even resist the inevitable.

Not long, their blades glinted through the darkness as they brandished their weapons. Their fanged grins bared before their cornered prey. From what it seemed, they had no qualms even if their victim was but a young defenseless girl. These beings knew only lust for blood and the satisfaction it bore for them.

“Ah… Ah…”

Unable to speak, the young girl choked on her words. He will was telling her to fight back, her mind to call for help, yet her body unresponsive. She was going to be killed, brutally and without mercy.

Just then, another shadow made itself known. Apart from the 3 present, this particular figure had a more menacing and ominous semblance greater than the three combined. It was as if the night itself assumed a corporeal form and descended upon the mortal realm.

This figure descended upon them, shrouding the entire area in pitch blackness in a split second. Then as he landed, the three other shadows fell to the ground. Each of them were mutilated in a blink of an eye with some sort of bladed weapon.

As the moonlight shone upon the carcasses, their identities were revealed. These felled figures donned the armor of a demonic grunt of the Pandemonium. In other words, their pursuers were demons no less.

“Ah…!”

The little girl wanted to scream as she saw the bloody carcasses, crawling back on her hind. She was still fear-stricken, and the arrival of this ominous man only contributed to that. She cannot see the entire profile of this man but she was certain that this ominous figure was no human.

Even under the moonlight, this enigma’s profile was hidden behind an impenetrable darkness. He donned an armor made of an ebony finish that seem to glint like an obsidian crystal with darkness itself as his mantle. His presence easily towered over the two girls , and just being before his presence drowns their own with sheer aura of vehemence.

“...”

The ominous man turned around to face the wounded little girl. As he did, a pair of red orbs peered through the impenetrable darkness shrouding his face. There was no doubt, those eyes did not belong to a human being.

Slowly, he approached the young girl. Each of his steps emitted a smoke-like shroud along with the sound of steel chipping together. The darkness of the night seem to dance around him like it is worshiping the ominous man himself.

“S-Stay back!!!”

With a sudden surge of courage, the young girl picked up one of the felled demons’ blade and pointed it upon the ominous man. Even with a wounded leg, the girl held her stance with her countenance clenched in pain. Thus a cornered prey can still fight back.

The man briefly stopped on his tracks upon laying his eyes on the little girl’s headstrong bravado. His eyes narrowed upon her before resuming his approach. Each of his step had no intention on relenting to the rather pathetic showcase of resistance, whatever his intentions were, his approach was absolute.

“St-Stand back! Back away, you demon!”

Enduring the stabbing pain of her wound and the cold grip of fear in her heart, she still held her ground. The girl figured that the ominous man was after her sister’s body. If that was the case, then she had to somehow make a stand regardless the futility.

“Ah…!”,

“...”

The ominous man stopped with the girl’s weapon just an inch away from contact. And yet, the girl made no move to attack him whatsoever. It would seem that his sheer presence was too much for her, as she felt her limbs petrified and her legs numbed with pain.

He slowly raised his arm and placed his armored hand upon the blade, his clawed fingertips tapped the chipped steel with an audible clink. He lowered the girl’s weapon until she let go of it unconsciously, before kneeling his figure before her. The little girl could still not make out his facial features even at this close of a distance, his face was completely shrouded in pitch blackness. As if being considerate of her, the man refrained from looking at her directly.

“...!”

She let out a small yelp as the ominous man placed his hand over her wound. His hand was colder than ice, so cold that it felt like fire. Then as the cold touched her wound, a warm and soothing sensation followed as a warm light radiated from the man’s icy palm. It felt nice, akin to being tuckered under a warm blanket.

“Wha…”

The little girl was surprised as the man removed his hand off her wound, the flesh wound she sustained was now completely healed, a healing spell no less. The ominous man held his hand out and helped her stand up. The pain just vanished, along with the stress and fatigue from all that running earlier, a feeling akin to waking up from a well-rested sleep.

After taking care of the little girl, the man went over her sister’s seemingly lifeless body. Despite the wounds and blood loss she sustained, the ominous man felt her heartbeat still present although slowly fading. Removing all arrow bolts burrowed on her back, the ominous man held both his palms over the woman and bathed her with the same radiance he used with the little girl.

The mortal wounds she sustained began mending themselves, the pool of blood that she belied on being seeped back unto her open wounds. It is as if the ominous man was reversing the process of the injury, until not a small cut nor bruise was left.

Normally, even the highest tier of Healing Spellcraft would have taken a long while and would require sessions upon sessions. At an injury of this magnitude, a healing spell would prove insufficient if the patient is near death; and yet the ominous man did it as simple as breathing.

“Sister! …she’s okay.”

The little girl quickly approached her older sister and checked her heart beat. Though still out cold, her body felt warm and ebbing with life. It was as if the woman was sleeping soundly.

“Thank you, mis--huh?”

As she was about to give their unlikely savior her gratitude, the ominous man laid an item beside her. A charm of sort with runes engraved upon it. The ominous man stood up and turned his back upon the siblings.

"What is--”

As the girl touched it, both her and her older sister vanished in an instant and without a trace, as if something whisked them away. It was an Escape Charm, used by adventurers to exit dungeons and in dire situations. The item’s functionality was to transfer the wielder into a nearby exit or town.

As the siblings finally vanished, the ominous man walked over to the carcasses once again. Laying his eyes upon the bloody mess, he intently observed the corpses. It was then another presence arrived and made itself known, materializing out of the darkness itself.

This presence emitted the same aura as the ominous man, though paled in comparison when it came to semblance alone. As soon as this new enigma appeared from the blackness, it immediately knelt down before the ominous man. This particular enigma seemed to held the ominous man in high regard.

“My lord, we have assessed three cities in flames and complete ruins within the perimeter. They were besieged without warning and the attacks were on the most recent scope. We can confirm that this was not of our doing.”

The figure relayed her findings upon the ominous man, referring to him as “Lord”. It was a woman of a stern disposition, unbending and powerful. Though her identity too was shrouded in darkness, the presence she emitted was, by all means, not remotely close to a human’s.

“Hmm? Are they…”

The woman noticed the mutilated carcasses that laid before them. They donned the same armor and weapons as their minions. What confused her was, why did the bodies remained? If a demon is defeated or killed, their bodies should disintegrate into dust then into nothing and yet…

“...”

The ominous man picked up the severed head that laid near his feet by the horns of its helm. He grabbed the cross section of the spine and ripped off the helm off the head. The man’s eyes narrowed as it was revealed, these carcasses did not belonged to their minions at all. They were humans masquerading as demons.

“Sacrilege! Unacceptable! We are being mocked!”

The woman’s expression warped with fearsome rage as truth laid bare before her. Even to demons, to have their image be abused like this, it was down right disrespectful. This alone was evidence that mankind was starting to take them for granted.

“Indeed, Lilith… This is---thoroughly displeasing.”

With a soft voice, the ominous man finally spoke. His voice akin to a man fresh from adulthood, it belied his true age. As if taking it out on the piece of gore, he easily crushed the severed head with his bare hands turning it into a clump of bloody pulp.

“Yes, I wholeheartedly agree. But I must beseech you, my lord. We need to take action! We shan't stand for this! Say the word and we shall root this sacrilege at once---”

Lilith spoke with her words resonated with an undying loyalty upon the ominous man. As she did, seven more shadows appeared behind her, materializing out of the pitch blackness and all bore powerful presences akin to gods. These 7 figures then altogether bowed before the ominous man.

“--our lord, Ruler of Pandemonium, King of Demon Gods--- Ars Goetia.”


Prologue End...

 

[KingdomKey]

I am dying to read the next chapter. This prologue was so damn good. I'm in love with it right now. <3 Please tell me chapter one will be up soon?! <333 I absolutely love the start of this story because, it felt like a movie with the little girl running away with her sister from the fake demons, and being helped by the demon lord himself without knowing it. Seriously, this was fantastic! And I really wanna know what happens next because maybe the demons aren't as bad as they're claimed to be by mankind and the gods?

 

[Tyrant Raver]

Chapter 1: The Gathering


It has been a decade since the incident, the Pandemonium has consolidated their territory in the mortal plane and has reached the zenith of their power. Located at the south pole of the planet, the demons have built an almighty citadel of black ice that dot the entire frozen continent. Its height pierced the very heavens itself, through the exosphere of the world of Eanar itself. A living testament of the Pandemonium’s power, the Gigas Titanium.

Since their re-emergence upon the mortal plane, 50 years prior, numerous courageous souls have braved through the demonic lands. Yet none of them made it alive, all of them went only as far as the icy shores. The influx of bold heroes began to decline over the years, until finally they stopped altogether.

The demonic campaign has stretched out as far as two lands conquered without much resistance. But even with two lands had fallen, there was still no sign of the Champion, much more so brave adventurers to repel the Pandemonium’s advance. The King of the Demon Gods, has assessed the situation to be troubling and decided to put a temporary halt to their campaign to investigate. Even with the height of their power, the world itself treated them with silence and possibly ignorance.

Together with his 7 generals, the Supreme Beings of the underworld and supreme ruling beings of demonkind, they set out and observed the ongoing commotion to the 8 remaining continents. Upon their findings, it seemed that mankind was facing a much bigger conflict. Much more so than the demonic incursion.

Apparently, mankind was embroiled in an internal strife between three rival churches of the Pantheon, in other words, a holy war. A war to decide which sect of the Pantheonic Church would choose their champion to go up against the Pandemonium, or at least that was the original objective of the war. Now it has been reduced to a petty degree, man killing their own kind to prove their superiority over the other.

The Pantheon was silent and nowhere to be seen, while their devoted followers slaughter each other over their religion. It was truly a pathetic sight to behold by demons; from their point of view, they emerged from the underworld for the sole purpose of taking the fall of the chaos that mankind has wrought. As a result, the Pandemonium was taken for granted and the world continued to treat them with silence, ignorance and complacency.

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The Gigas Titanium

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“Uwaaaa… I’m late! I’m late!”

A well-endowed demoness scampered through the ebony halls of the demonic citadel of the Gigas Titanium, carrying a tall stack of paperwork in front of her. She scurried through the busy crowd or horde of demons that bustled throughout the colossal hall. Though careful with her steps, she rushed through the thick of the crowd as quick as she can.

“Oh no no no…!”

As she finally reached the elevator, the door has closed, she did not make it. It would take about an hour to wait for another one, an hour she could not afford. Glancing around, she used her enhanced sight to find another way through.

“Yes! That’s it!”

Her head perked up as she spotted another elevator, just a few meters from where she was. Without any more second to spare, she dashed towards it with great haste. From the looks of it, she looked like a newly-hired employee on her way towards her first meeting.

“What the--hey! That area is off-limits!”,

“Sorry, but it’s urgent!”,

“After her!”

She did not even noticed the two heavily-armed guards she just passed, and were now chasing after her. Apparently she just crossed a restricted area of the hall. In normal circumstances, she could have turned around or just yielded. But her time was running short, the meeting starts in about 7 minutes.

“Come on--come on.”

The demoness finally reached the elevator. The elevator door she went for was different from what she have seen in the citadel. It was bigger and decorated with golden gothic ornaments that give it a somewhat grand presence to it. Using her tail, she hurriedly mashed the elevator button going up.

“There she is! Halt!”,

“Ah!”

It was not long before the armed guards in pursuit had spotted her. It a panic, she furiously pressed the up button repeatedly as if she was going to bury the tip of her tail into the mechanism. Fortunately, her reckless impulse was rewards as the elevator door finally opened with one passenger inside.

“Yes! Oof!”

She immediately jumped right in the elevator and as the other passenger of the lift promptly closed the door, shutting the guards from the other side.

“Whew… wha--!?”

“Whoa there. Easy.”

After breathing a sigh of relief, the demoness’ knees buckled from the sudden movement of the elevator. Fortunately the other passenger caught her by her elbows to prevent her from flopping on her hind. The other passenger steadied her tall frame, thankfully the paper stack she was carrying was still intact.

“Th-Thank you. I’m so sorry about that incident.”,

“No it’s fine. I can see you’re in a hurry. First day in the job?”

The other passenger was friendly enough to strike up a conversation, in fact, he seemed rather glad that he had company. The passenger was shorter than her, just shoulder height; he has a pale complexion, as a natural trait of demons; he had a black unkempt and spiky hair with his horns protruding from his temples. He wore a dark blue cloak that covers his entire body that is fastened by a set of black pauldrons.

“Ah… Ahaha… Well actually it’s my first time to be here in the citadel.”,

“Oh? You’re not from here? Are you from the underworld?”,

“Well, no. Actually… I’m not a… demon.”

Her voice just trailed off as she openly admitted to the other passenger. She knew it would be too early to reveal her identity, but the presence this other passenger was giving her felt like she could trust him. Her face flushed and she fidgeted in place after she said it, the other passenger just looked at her in curiosity.

“Oh you’re not?”,

“Y-Yes, I’m a Primodial.”,

“O-Oh! I have heard that they have established contact with you, I should have given you a proper welcome.”

The other passenger’s eyes went wide in surprise as it was revealed to him. He had thought that she was a demoness due to her likeness as one, with a tail and horns and all. He quickly became flustered, as with the fear of a wrong first impression upon a respectable being.

Primordials, beings of Eanar that existed before the gods and demons. They ruled the world long before the Pantheon and the Pandemonium was conceived. They consisted of multiple races, such as fairies, elementals, and even the well-known dragonkind and much more. They are beings of mana, harbingers of magic itself.

During the first war of the Pantheon and Pandemonium, the Primordials were mainly a neutral faction as they resided in a parallel plane in the mortal realm. They rather not involve themselves to the children of the Equilibrium, as they have their own cycle to follow through. But many millennia have passed since the dawn of man, the Pantheon has also waged war upon them because they saw them as an affront to the Will of the Equilibrium.

As a result, most of the Primordials were forced into hiding in multiple parallel domains that were hidden upon the eyes of the gods. The Dragonkind, in particular have been almost driven into the brink of extinction. As a result, most of the Primordials came to resent both mankind and the gods themselves.

The Pandemonium having established a connection with them was a big step forward. As the demon king acknowledged their existence to be integral and held great significance, as they were the only ones who knew how to properly harness the flow of the life force of nature. Without the Primordials, the Nature of Mana will cease to exist.

“Wait no! I should be the one apologizing. It’s my first time here, I was sent as a representative. And as you can see my first day is already a disaster.”,

“Haha, well I guess we have our own faults. In any case, from what faction are you from? If you don’t mind me asking.”

The two were both apologetic, as both of them just laughed off their timid disposition. Though they were still strangers, the two became increasingly loose to one another; the demoness felt like she could trust him. His company was a welcome pace from the trouble she had been through the past hours.

“W-well the… umm… Dragonkin.”

She responded with a bit of hesitation. She was still new to the place, still unsure on how will demons accept her. Since the Dragonkin were basically mortal rivals to the gods apart from demons, she has no knowledge of what they are to the Pandemonium.

“Ah! So that’s why I didn’t recognized you at a first glance. Tail and horns and all. But now that you’ve mentioned it… your scales.”,

“Hmm…? What about them?”

The dragoness’ eyes blinked with curiosity as she quickly inspected her scaled limbs, mainly arms, legs and the tail. She was somewhat conscious about them, just as a human woman is conscious about her looks. To Dragons, scales signify just about everything; from status, rank to even age.

“They looked beautiful up close. It’s like a mosaic of rainbow crystals.”,

“Eh!? B-b-beautiful--well I…”

She was flushed by the unexpected compliment to her by the other passenger. Her scales perking up and glowing bright with a hue of crimson. She immediately averted her gaze as she twirled her hair with her finger, clearly embarrassed.

Even though dark in color, her scales had a rainbow-like glimmer upon it. They were not jagged but rather really smooth, like a well-polished armor. One of the key differentiating characteristics of a female dragon was the smoothness of the scales, compared to the males’ jagged and crag-like ones. When perked up, her scales looked like rocky spines, the density of each scale emphasized.

One of the key reasons why humans hunt dragons, their scales. Dragon scales are used to make armor and equipment. The toughness exceeds that of a well-tempered steel, in addition to its natural magic resistance; but just below mythril.

Some say elder dragons, or the Bahamut, had scales that are completely impervious to both magic and physical attacks. Although, dragonscale armor required extraordinary smithing skills to make. Very few human blacksmiths and alchemists have been managed to make one and adding to the fact that it would take a fortune to build one.

“You know, I even heard stories that majority of the demonic clans of the Pandemonium have descended from dragons themselves.”,

“Truly? That’s… quite a revelation. We had vague knowledge majority of our genealogy. Our records were completely destroyed when the gods besieged our realm.”

She showed genuine interest to this piece of trivia. It was true, during the gods’ ascension to the Celestial Plane, the gods waged war against the Bahamut of the Dragonkin to oust them from their home and establish their foundation upon the heavens. As a result, the dragons lost and majority of their knowledge were destroyed by the Pantheon; the dragons had to make do of what they had salvaged.

“Oh yes, the Ascension. We heard about that event even though we were out of reach that time. I just heard it was quite a nasty business. But if what I said was true, then you would be my grandma or something.”,

“Eh? I’m not that old… hmph.”

She pouted at the seemingly rude gesture by the other passenger, while he just burst into a fit of chuckle. Though she was thousands of years in age, the way she acted was akin to hapless child. It was an adorable sight.

“Hahaha… I’m kidding. Who knows? I might be even older than you.”

He could not help but tease her a bit, just to break the uneasiness of her disposition. Since they both seem to get along pretty well, he thought it would not hurt to poke fun at her, even for a bit. She may not look like it, but the dragoness was enjoying his company.

“Ah, but where are my manners? I have yet to know your name.”,

“O-oh… umm… I have many to go by. But I am commonly referred to as Tiamtumati, or one who strides the storms. But as for my real name... well I rather not say it right now...”

She carefully picked the ones she remembered. Dragons do go by many names after all, most were even titles. As a result most of them forget their real name, she was one of the few exceptions as she was fully aware what her real name was. But to utter their real name, would be disastrous as it served as an activator for their true powers akin to a magical incantation.

“Hmm… would it suffice if I call you ‘Tia’ instead? Your given name sounds archaic and quite a mouthful.”,

“I don’t really mind, but why 'Tia’?”,

“I don’t know. It’s kinda cute and adorable, it fits you well.”

He gave her a warm smile that belied of his identity. For demon, to have this warm presence would be completely alien. He had accommodating attitude and humble disposition that can make even a goddess of love to fall for him, or a god of war to mellow.

“C-c-c-cute… Ah…”

Once again, her scales illuminated in its crimson glow. Her neck scales shaking with a loud rattling sound. She was so flustered that she felt like breathing fire at that moment. In fact, she was exhaling tiny bursts of flame through her mouth and nose.

Tia could not help herself being all fidgety. She could suspect him for an incubus demon, but she was a dragon. A lesser demon like an incubus would have no effect on a being leagues above him, which is exactly what Tia was. Yet there she was, being all timid and tongue-tied in front of him.

His honesty was something to be commended. The other passenger did find her timid and klutzy disposition worth adoring. One more push and he might even land her, but that would be problematic if he did.

“Oh, my name is---”

*DING!*

Before he can give her his name, the elevator finally reached its destination. Wasting no more time, Tia picked up the paperwork she was carrying and hurriedly stepped out of the lift. She would talk to her company for a little while longer but duty calls.

“Thank you so much for the time! But I’m already late for the meeting! Forgive me!”

Tia quickly said her parting words to him before setting off. As much as she hated leaving so soon, the meeting was still top priority. It looked like the other passenger would still like to say a few more words, but Tia was already several paces away.

“Waa--Oof!!!”

Not noticing what was in front of her, she suddenly bumped into something solid like a stone pillar. It sent her flying a steps back, it was like her momentum was reflected back at her. The stack of papers she was carrying had scattered all over the place as she fell on her hind.

“Hmmm…? I have heard that there was trouble on the lower floors. I should have known.”

A tall, velvet-haired woman in a dark suit stood before Tia, her presence easily towered over her. Her aura was overflowing with power and malignant energy. With this sheer presence, the woman easily stood out from the crowd. With the crowd of demons seem to cower away from her.

“Eep! M-m-mistress Lilith. I’m sorry I--”

Tia’s eyes widened upon recognition of who the woman before her was. Lilith, the leader of the 7 Supreme Beings and the demon king’s second. A well-known and well-feared figure of the Pandemonium.

“Hmph. I shall accept your recognition of authority. But your fault still stands, you were supposed to report to me BEFORE the meeting so that we can review the documents and hour early. Do you know what time it is, or is time too foreign of a concept to you?”

As expected of the most fearsome general of the demon king, Lilith immediately lashed her tongue at the helpless dragoness. She just bowed her head in dejection, her expression wracked with defeat as she just sat up in a kneeling position. Lilith was a cruel mistress, she had no qualms of going up against anybody through sheer poise and disposition; with the exception of the King of Demon Gods himself.

“I… have no excuses.”

She just softly responded, she did not know what to say. Making excuses would only make things worst for her. With a demonic overlord like Lilith, they have little tolerance for incompetence.

“If you are part of the demonic horde, I would have vaporized you on the spot. Do think of others before committing such horrendous blunders.”

The cruel mistress continued her scolding, while Tia just kept silent with her head down. She bit her lip to stop her quivering as she thought the consequences of her actions. In addition to her tardiness, she violated the rules of the premises and trespassed a restricted area.

It was an utter disaster, not only for Tia but also to Lilith, since she will be attending the meeting empty-handed. It would not bode well for her reputation, all because of a newbie’s blunder. Tia then began to sob softly under her breath, guilty of the offense she had committed.

“You are supposed to represent your kind and the first thing you do is perform and unsightly--”,

“I think she already got the point, that’s enough.”

Before Lilith could speak further, she was interrupted by a familiar voice from a distance, a voice most familiar with Tia. As she turned around, she felt a hand on her shoulder and there he was, the other passenger from earlier.

His hand felt icy cold, and yet comforting at the same time. As he made one step further, Tia tugged him by his mantle. She was concerned for that demon’s safety, as standing against a supreme being would be considered as mutiny. And mutiny is punishable by execution in the Pandemonium.

“Wait! It’s okay. You don’t have to go on your way to defend me. I… deserve it. You should just back away, I’ll take responsibility.”,

“Hmm? Back away? This is where I’m headed too. I was gonna offer to walk together but you just hurriedly left.”

He cocked his brow, seemingly oblivious to the situation at hand. By all means, he had no reason to get involved. If he gets executed because of her, then Tia will not forgive herself for it.

“Ah… Please forgive him, he did not mean what he said---huh?”

“.…”

Turning to Lilith, Tia was about to make a plea when she suddenly noticed that Lilith had been silent for a while now. She was surprised at the never-before-seen expression. Lilith’s face was contorted with terror, beads of sweat dripping down her pale cheeks and her stance thoroughly shaking in fear.

“M-my lord! My apologies!”,

“Eh? What…”

Lilith immediately knelt down before him with the utmost sternness. Confused, Tia just followed Lilith’s example and moved beside her then bowed. If even the head of the Supreme Beings was bowing before him, then there was one whom held a title much greater than hers…

“Lord Ars Goetia…”,

“...!”

As Lilith uttered his name, Tia froze in place. That name, it belonged to none other than the King of Demon Gods himself. She then thought about the way she acted earlier around him, she braced herself for the worst.

Not just Lilith and Tia, but the onlookers all stopped what they were doing and bowed in unison before him. Unfolded before Tia was the influence of the demon king himself, the tension in the air was suffocating. She could feel the absoluteness of his dominion, to move the wrong way would mean being erased from existence.

As the King of the Demon Gods was beyond Death herself, to die by his hands was to be claimed by the Equilibrium itself. Not a flesh, nor fragment of your soul will be spared and certainly no after-life waiting for you. A death filled with emptiness, and void, a cruel fate.

“Hey Tia.”,

“Y-y-y-y-yes, my lord!?”

A dangerous chill jolted up her spine as she heard her name escaped his lips. She did not felt it before but he had a very imposing presence about him. A presence dominant enough to drown even the bravest of warriors in fear.

“Geez… I knew you would be reduced to this the moment you hear my name.”

The demon king scratched his head as the scenario unfolded before him. That was why whenever he leaves his chambers, he would disguise himself as a lesser demon to mingle with others. Sometimes he would do this to hold hidden inspections and evaluation upon the Supreme Beings and their respective armies/cohorts.

Only Lilith can sense whom he was whenever he takes a different form. Since she was with him ever since he made his first step in the Underworld. And she was his loyal stewardess before ascending as the King of Demon Gods.

“Uuu… the way I treated you back in the lift… I’m such a disgrace…”,

“Like I said, pay it no mind. Just treat me as you were. You are our guest after all.”

With a warm smile and a friendly disposition, Goetia offered his hand upon Tia. He still had the same presence as earlier, one can be fooled that he was actually the demon king himself at a face value. With a slight hesitation, she looked at his armored hand and slowly raised hers.

“I personally welcome you to the Pandemonium, honored Primodial.”

He was formal this time, his sincerity was genuine. Tia then finally took his hand and stood up, both of them exchanged formal bows. A sign of friendship between the Dragonkin and Demons. It was a simple gesture at best, but to have the King of Demon Gods bow before you held it with great significance.

“Don’t worry about Tia’s report, I’ll hear them shortly after the gathering. I’ll be expecting you, Lilith to deliver it to me on my study. I shall personally hear and review it.”,

“By your will.”

Lilith promptly responded great gusto, Goetia was now acting like a proper leader. Although he likes to joke around and mess with his cohorts, he still was a level-headed leader. Majority of the Pandemonium feared his power and presence, but to his Supreme Beings and close compatriots, he was man (or demon) of character.

“Okay, stand up. No need for theatrical loyalty like that. And you, you, you, and you--all of you back to work! Nothing to see here, we have quotas to meet and armies to raise!”

He stepped up his disposition and gestured the onlookers to get back to their posts. Lilith had made quite a scene upon the great halls of the Titanium. But thankfully, all was settled and no one was hurt.

“Lilith, I said… on your feet.”,

“I am your humble servant, Lord Goetia.”,

“Here we go again…”

He rolled his eyes and scratched his head at Lilith’s persistent formalities. He understood that Lilith was his most devoted subject, but sometimes she was taking it too seriously. To the point where she would often push herself too hard.

“I thought I told you not to address me like that behind the scenes. Just call me Goenn. You used to call me that when you first entered my service.”,

“---I am but your humble servant, my lord.”

Lilith was still at it, she won’t budge an inch. Her stance stiff and her disposition stern. It was then that a troublesome idea sprang in his mind. Tia, on the other hand, just stood there quietly watching the interaction between them.

“I don’t recall humble servants nominating themselves for the Imperial Harem.”,

“...!”,

“Ooooohh!”

And bull’s eye, right on the nerve. As soon as the term ‘Imperial Harem’ came up, Lilith froze in place and began fidgeting where she stood. Her stern composure was taken down in an instant. Tia could not help but howl in amazement, she understood well enough what an Imperial Harem was.

“H-How did… you..”,

“Hahahaha! I’m kidd--wait what?”,

“Oooohooohoo!!!”

Goetia or Goenn, was about to laugh it off when his teasing back-fired horribly. Judging by Lilith’s reaction, it would seem that she really did nominated herself as one of the Imperial Harem without his knowledge. Both her and Goenn just averted their gazes together, while Tia’s eyes sparkled at the spectacle unfolding before her. Whoever knew that the most fearsome Supreme Being and leader of the demon king’s legions had a soft spot for him. She could not help but cheer her superior on with this rather embarrassing endeavor.

It was a common ritual in the Pandemonium to have influential female figureheads to nominate themselves to the Imperial Harem. The demon king would then select a handful of candidates from those nominees to be chosen as consorts, which would then would bear the next heir to the Obsidian Throne once the cosmic cycle becomes full-circle.

In rare cases, the King of Demon Gods can also pick a sole member of the Imperial Harem to be his bride; in other words, his queen. There have been only a number Demon Queens in the genealogy of the Pandemonium, most of them were chosen by their respective demon kings as their most favored consort. Sadly, love and romance was too much of a foreign concept in the Pandemonium.

“A-Anyway! Let’s just go to the meeting! Tia, you’re with Lilith. Come, come.”

Although visibly flustered, Goenn changed the subject and dispelled the awkward atmosphere as he gave immediate orders. It would seem that he had no intentions of escalating his teasing any further. The two women responded in compliance and accompanied him towards their destination, the Court of the Malebolge.

As they walked, Tia glanced at the demon king with an easy-going expression. Thanks to his blessing, she will be now treated with the utmost importance here on the citadel. Although she was still under Lilith’s wing, she was excited to what awaited ahead of her.

-----------------------------------------------------

Gigas Titanium, Court of the Malebolge

The trio walked at their own pace as they their way towards the court hall. The girls were in a hurry before, but now that they have the master of the gathering himself, the demon king, with them, they took the chance to gain some a bit of composure. The three kept silent for a while; Tia had the urged to talk but decided against it, they will be attending an important affair after all.

After a brief paces, they arrived in front of a colossal door. Just the sight of it made Tia uneasy, her scales standing on end. She could sense the sheer darkness beyond that door, as if she was standing before the door of the underworld itself.

Unlike majority of the decorations in the citadel, this door stood out the most. It was adored with a massive mural depicting the Great War of the first age, the war between the Pandemonium and the Pantheon. On either side of of the door were kneeling stone sentinels in the shape of a human’s armor. These sentinels were about the height of the door itself and were almost life-like, looking at them assaults you with the feeling of them looking back.

“Alright.”

Goetia or Goenn turned to the two girls before opening the door. His expression serious and stern.

“Before we go in, for Tia’s sake. Beyond this door, we are not allowed to enter in assumed disguises nor restrained forms. The integrity of the Court of the Malebolge demands to show your true self, to honor the gathering. Because beyond this point, apart from the 6 other Supreme Beings, are the 72 demon gods whom will be our audience.”

He issued an instruction to them in affirmation. A cold sweat rolled down Tia’s back, as she swallowed her spit. The pressure was crushing, even for a proud dragonkin like her.

“Tia, just follow Lilith’s lead and you’ll be fine. We’ll go on our separate ways beyond this point, I am the master of the gathering after all.”,

“Y-Yes, Lord Goetia.”

She nervously responded. Goenn would have called her out for calling him in his formal name, but it felt appropriate at the moment so he just let it slide. After a few seconds of mental preparation, Goenn placed both his hands on the door and slowly applied force unto it.

The door crackled thunderous creaks like a rapid-fire lightning strike. And as the door opened, an overwhelming wave of black energy came pouring out like smoke. The chill was beyond freezing, it was so cold that the floor in the proximity of the door was instantly covered in a thick carpet of ice as if the hall itself was laying a carpet for their arrival. Beyond the door were numerous towering pillars that lead to seemingly nowhere.

Goenn glanced back at the two girls and gave a firm nod. Lilith and Tia were ready than they will ever be. They then finally stepped inside without any more delays. As they did, the doors slowly closed behind them, and the stone sentinels that guard the door came to life. The sentinels raised their swords and crossed them to form a barricade upon it. Which meant no one will come in and out until the demon king says so.

As they stepped beyond that point, it felt like they were entering a separate dimension, a different plane of existence. There were no walls nor ceiling to beheld. Just a straight path with numerous demonic pillars that seem to populate the entire area.

As they took a few more paces, the three finally underwent metamorphosis into their true forms. Though all three of them were blanketed by a veil of impenetrable darkness, their forms hidden from plain sight, their visages were more monstrous and fearsome.

Lilith and Tia faltered behind Goenn, whom still continued his pace forward; his eyes set on a fixed destination. After reaching a considerable distance, he was seen climbing an invisible set of steps. His black shroud fluttered behind him, as if the darkness itself was following him or flowing out of him.

After arriving at the top-most step, he looked around the area then finally sat down. From there, emerged his mighty throne. A colossal throne of black ice and crystalline darkness, the Obsidian Throne. The font of power of the demon king, and the pinnacle of the entire Pandemonium.

With the emergence of the throne and its owner, forming a massive circle, emerged 7 more thrones. Each were designed to fit their respective owners, the throne of the Supreme beings. Six of them were occupied, which left Lilith who made her way towards hers and with Tia following her.

The attendants were finally present. In an instant, the entirety of the area was populated by 72 overlords of the different demon clans in the Underworld, the demon gods below the Supreme Beings. They are the governors of the underworld, and each of them answers to their respective Supreme Beings which in turn answer to the demon king.

“Now then. Swear fealty to me--my loyal subjects…”

Goenn’s voice thundered throughout the entire domain. This was no longer the free-spirited and teasing demon earlier, what laid before the Pandemonium was his real identity, The King of Demon Gods, Ars Goetia. His dominion was absolute and peerless, his presence easily enveloped even the most powerful of demons to bow into submission.

By his word, all whom are present stood up and bowed in perfect unison before him.

“Izanami of the fiery plane of Enma! I swear my all to you… my king.”

Spoke the first Supreme Being. A beautiful woman of a well-endowed and voluptuous figure; she wore a beautiful red kimono with a big floral bow in front, a courtesan’s visage. Her white long hair beautifully flopped behind her, like a smooth white silk. She had pointed fox ears protruding on both sides of her head, red stripes drew across her cheeks like whiskers. She bore golden eyes that glimmer like a candle’s flame.

Her distinguishing features were her 10 long, furry, fox tails that fan behind her. They individually flutter so softly as if each tail bore sentience, like individual flickers of a candle. Beside her were nine-tail foxes, bathed in flames like two guard hounds. They stood in attention with their elegant mistress, basking in her exquisite form.

“Randgrid of Geffenia Stratum! Responding to your summons!”

Spoke the second Supreme Being. She donned an intricate black armor from head to toe. Her black wings wrap around her waist like tassets, and over her shoulder like a vest. Her face was covered with an ebony winged visor.

Her distinguishing feature was her horribly disfigured arm that looked like the crowning glory of corruption. Ebbing with malicious dark energy, her disfigured arm was riddled with spikes and armor and seem to stretch down to her knee. Like Izanami, she was accompanied by two winged familiars.

“Ishtara of the Plane of Ankindu… ‘Tis had been a long while since I last gazed upon your exquisite form, my king…. oooh~”

Spoke the third, with her tone laced with lust for her king, entranced by his sheer power and presence. Like Izanami, she was a woman of a tempting figure. She appeared as a tall woman donning a beautiful dancer garb of blue. Unlike the other Supreme Beings before her, she sat on a floating set of arcs that looked like an ancient gyroscope.

She had a long wavy hair with a thing veil clipped at the back. The presence that she projects can be mistaken for a goddess. Except for her distinguishing feature, her eyes. Her heterochromiac eyes marked her identity as a fallen goddess. Her left eye was black that of an with a pupil of a serpent’s, the other was that of a magic circle. No pupil, just an intricate magic circle that seemed to symbolize either her power or former status as a goddess.

“Tartaros of Sheol! My will is yours to take! My blade is yours to wield! My shield is yours to shelter upon!”

Spoke the fourth one, his presence and visage towered over his fellow Supreme Beings. A gallant knight donned in gothic skull armor, his visage surrounded by tortured souls. He had a horned skull helm with his blue eyes peering out of the visor. He wielded a great sword, enveloped in a dark aura, which he held in front of him.

“Amon’akris of Hamunatra! Praise be to the Demon King, Ars Goetia!”

Spoke the fifth, dignified was his introduction as his stature. An ebony-skinned demon who donned gilded vestments made of gold. He had a halo that floated behind him that was in the shape of an Ankh. He wielded a splendid golden staff that adorned 10 serpents holding 10 gems of great power.

Beside him were his royal guards. Slender humanoids that adorned a jackal helm, wielding a sickle and a dagger. Majority of their body wrapped in decaying scrolls that depict horrible curses.

“Hashan Sabbah of the Thurnazi. The king in yellow only bows before the one true king that is Ars Goetia.”

Spoke the last Supreme Being, the tone of his voice was a cacophony of a man and a woman’s being spoke in unison. Unlike his fellow Supreme Beings that bore a humanoid visage, his was just covered in a yellow shroud. Upon his exposed parts, a blob tendrils, teeth, mandibles and claws as he was the ruler of eldritch horrors. His face was completely hidden with his shroud and he donned a warped golden crown of molten gold and bronze.

“Lilith of the Ocean of Demise. Head of the Supreme Beings. We swear our complete faith upon you, King Ars Goetia!”

Last but not least, Lilith to conclude their ceremony. Though her true form was still hidden under a black shroud, her distinguished feature was the two sets of black-feathered wings that sprout on her back. Her presence was greatest among the seven, second only to the demon king.

“”Hail Ars Goetia!””

The entirety of the present audience roared loud and proud, quaking the entire dimension with their iron-clad devotion to their ruler. The Court of the Malebolge, the gathering of the Pandemonium has begun...


To be continued….

 

[KingdomKey]

I love Tia. She's so cute and adorable. I absolutely love the way she met the King of Demons. In a way, it's kind of romantic the way she's kept steady carrying a stack of papers with Goenn holding her up by the elbows. And the Cithadel sounds breathtakingly beautiful. I like small details that went into this because, I can easily envision it. Furthermore, this would've made a great manga. I'll have you know I kept imagining it as such. lol. Anyways, Lilith being scolded then revealed that she's part of the Imperial Harem is hilarious. I also imagine it being kind of awkward a tiny bit for Goenn, cause to have someone you know your hold life be a potential bride is quite something. xD Overall, I enjoyed this chapter and can't wait to see what happens next!

 

[Tyrant Raver]

WARNING! Suggestive themes ahead
-------------------------------------


Chapter 2: Pandemonium Crisis

The Court of the Malebolge, Gigas Titanium


After the introductory ritual, the Court of the Malebolge was now in session. Silence filled the entire dimension as the entirety of demonkind set their attention to the Obsidian Throne; to their dark ruler, the one that stands above all demonic pillars of Pandemonium, Ars Goetia. His presence was so powerful that if he had willed it, he could have everyone present at his mercy.

“It brings me joy to see my subjects altogether with fealty absolute…”

Goenn was speaking as his true self, Ars Goetia. The laid-back persona he had when he was with Tia and Lilith earlier, now faded into a towering aspect of dominance. He was not even raising his voice, but the mere soft tone was enough to even quake even Tia in her true dragonoid form.

“I would arrange a feast and celebration right now, but I fear we have a more pressing matter of the moment.”

He sounded grim with that statement, regardless, he continued.

“I fear that I may be the last demon king to sit upon the Obsidian Throne.”

He announced with a heavy heart. The entire court was so shocked that it invited a cacophony of reactions from the denizens of the Pandemonium present. Even some of the Supreme Beings were shocked at the news, except for Hashan and Lilith whom had spoken with him beforehand about the matter.

“Preposterous! This is outrageous! Can you grace us with an answer, my king? Why is that so?!”

Amon’akris was the first among the Supreme Beings to voice their reaction. All of them were visibly perturbed, an expected reaction. Goenn being the last demon king meant the impending fall of the Pandemonium.

With all the vivacious reactions causing chaos about, Goenn raised his hand from the throne’s armrest and closed it into a fist. In an instant, they were silent as they were moments earlier. Demonstrating his total control, Tia could not help but be amazed.

“I have seen that the Equilibrium itself no longer acknowledges us. Over our constant defeat in the hands of the Pantheon, we may be erased from our rightful place. The Equilibrium is tipped, and I fear that the Pantheon has a hand in all of this.”

He aptly answered Amon with the question on behalf of demonkind.

“I have consulted for a solution, I have held a consul with Hashan and Lilith and contemplated upon our available options. And I fear we have only but one, and that is to establish a synergy with the mortal realm and its kind.”,

“Oh whatever do you imply, my lord~? Wait---are you implying--”

Ishtara was curious at first, but then quickly came to a realization to her master’s implication. Something that was unheard of, unprecedented and even and affront to the Pandemonium. To think they had sunken this low to bear such a burden.

“You guessed right, my lovely Ishtara. Coexistence with the mortals.”

Goenn confirmed it himself, his word was absolute. Again this invited the ire of the majority present, with the Supreme Being’s reactions the most apparent. Scorn, disgust and disagreement was all that can be found.

“No! I will not abide by this! This is sacrilege!”,

“Arara? Me getting along with livestock~? That’s so unbecoming.”

Randgrid and Izanami openly said their disagreement with the notion, with the former slamming her large claw upon her pedestal while the latter casting a snark response.

“Is there really nothing we can do, my lord?”,

“Oh~ this is too much, my king~”

Tartaros and Ishtara on the other hand, seemed despondent of the situation. With the entire demonkind present all voicing their disagreement. Meanwhile, Hashan and Lilith kept silent as they knew to place their trust on their king’s judgment.

Goenn, with just a tap of his finger on his armrest, created a thunderous sound that quaked the entire court. A gesture that order must be observed, like a gavel slamming the wooden surface. It was so powerful that Tia felt like she was about to get flattened by the sheer pressure.

“Sigh… as I was saying, I have contemplated upon this many times. For the sake of the Pandemonium, we must not falter even to this compromise. Make no mistake, I do not plan on submitting to mortals entirely! As the original goal before all of my ancestors, we will hold the dominant ground while we get the mortals to establish harmony with us. The Pantheon has long abused not only the mortal realm but also the equilibrium to banish us completely… but I refuse to falter!”

Goenn stood up from the Obsidian Throne and began making his way down the steps, towards his subjects.

“if this is the only way to save demonkind, then so be it. I will do everything in my power to prevent our doom, and I refuse to fret over this simple compromise. I assure you, in this endeavor, we will not face it alone as the dragonkin and the fey will be cooperating with us.”

Goenn then raised his hand to gesture upon Tia, whom was just standing at Lilith’s side. The latter felt a sense of pride being acknowledged by him and the Supreme beings that were present. Though the fey’s representative was absent due to them not being able to pass the demon realm, they were still mentioned.

He then raised both his arms and spread his black mantle that materialized into jet black wings that easily towered over all of the demons present. His grand dark aura washed over them like a gust of wind, consolidating his presence once again. Those before him could just stare at his full glory in awe.

“As I, the one you call your king, your ruler, your master, will not give up on all of you. As with the demon kings before me, I swear upon thee...The age of demons will be upon us. We will and we have to succeed!”

Goenn declared with an almighty roar. The room was silent but then slowly, enveloped with various overwhelming cheers. Even the Supreme Beings themselves whom were thoroughly moved and regretful that they had questioned their ruler.

Tia was moved as well, her quiet sobbing was apparent. She was impressed and amazed at Goenn’s speech that she could not help but be overwhelmed with emotions. It was truly an honor meeting such as entity even for a race older than the Pandemonium.

“He is truly wondrous, isn’t he?”

Lilith began to speak, turning to Tia.

“Yes… I can finally see why…”,

“When the others would question his judgment, my faith will remain unyielding. He will save us, I believe in his true potential as the King of Demon Gods.”

Lilith held her chest, as she felt it swell with affection towards her king. It was truly wonderful to see Goenn grow from a naive little kid to an almighty demon king. He was the true embodiment of the his ancestors’ dark legacy.

-------------------------------------------

Imperial Study, Gigas Titanium


The gathering went on for some time before concluding. Apart from the Pandemonium’s main concern, the Court of the Malebolge also discussed their state of internal affairs between realms of the underworld. Pandemonium politics and affairs, the Supreme Beings also had the responsibility to govern and to provide to their respective realms.

Though he was thorough on their impending crisis, Goenn still left his plan intentionally vivid to his people for now. He did not need an uproar to his chosen solution, this was for him to burden alone. Something that a demon king must face for his people.

After the gathering, he resigned to his study to rest and do the rest of his paperwork. Being a ruler does not exempt him from such duties, not that it bothered him. But he must act soon, or else they would be just waiting for their kind to stagnate and die off.

“M-My lord…?”

Just when he was finished with his paperwork, Lilith peered out of the gigantic door frame.

“Ah… Lilith! I was just clearing these up. Come in and close the door.”

Commanding his familiars to clear up his office desk, Goenn stood up from his seat and summoned Lilith by his side. She did as she was told, closing the door then standing in attention in front of him. Earlier, he had called for her in a face-to-face meeting to discuss the crisis in private; among all of his generals or Supreme Beings, he trusted Lilith the most as she was there from the very beginning.

“Do you really have to be that stern in front of me? We’re talking in private, just relax for a bit.”,

“Forgive me, but I cannot comply unless that’s an order, my lord.”,

“Sigh…”

Exasperated, Goenn went around and snapped his fingers, telekinetically moving a nearby chair unto his grip and placing it behind Lilith.

“Alright, relax, that’s an order.”,

“Ah…!”

Lilith was startled a bit as she felt his hands on her shoulder then pushing her down to her seat. He had to make it an order for her to comply, it was such a headache for him. Lilith was always reluctant on getting cozy whenever they were the only ones around.

“Alright, first things first. As you noticed, I am still vague about my plan to deal with our imminent crisis. But truth be told Lilith… I haven’t told them because I did not need the negative reception.”,

“Wha--What do you mean, my lord?”

Lilith seemed intrigued by his statement, raising a brow and already at the edge of her seat.

“Alright, listen. Our first step to solving this is crucial. We must observe the human lands up close and identify what commotion is stirring up beyond our borders here in the southern continent. Once there, we could drum up a some support from them, then from there establish a foothold.”

Using his powers, he manipulated the moonlight itself and projected a simulated projection of the landscape. Goenn drew his plan unto the projection as he laid out the groundwork to Lilith. The latter had to stand up and to get a better view of the presentation.

“That’s a sound plan, so when are we to mobilize our units? I will send my succubi to scout the area in advance. Let’s also have our heavy battalion on stand-by and have our Necromancers scour the graveyards for reinforcements.”,

“Umm…”

Goenn just looked at Lilith with a confounded look. She effectively took over the presentation and made his plan into a full-scale invasion campaign. He just scratched his head and step forward before she does anything drastic.

“Alright, Lilith here’s the thing---”

He waved his hand and quickly removed every input Lilith has made upon the projection.

“We’re not doing what you just said. Too extreme.”,

“Then… How are we to establish a foothold without our army?”,

“Argh… Alright just hear me out. We’re going to survey the human lands not destroy it. And to do that, I will personally see to it.”,

“What!?”

Lilith was overcame with emotion with Goenn’s plan. Aside from being absurd, for the King of Demon Gods himself to enact this trivial plan was unacceptable. The latter still kept his calm, he knew this would be her reaction.

“But my lord, that’s preposterous! As head of the Supreme Beings, I advise against this! Plans like these should be enacted by us, your loyal subjects.”,

“I know, but this is something I must do. ‘A king must also learn to step down and acknowledge those who he ruled’, something my father used to say. If I am to save our kind, then I must have the courage to keep my feet on the ground. I can’t just sit on that throne and wait until our kind just wither away. I must do this, forgive me but it’s been decided.”

Goenn made it clear to Lilith. Waiting was of no option anymore, if there was no Chosen of the Gods coming then might as well seize the opportunity. He cannot find the answers in one place alone, as told by the Old Ones through Hashan, the answer lies upon the mortal realm itself.

“But, my lord… The human lands are the Pantheon’s territory. If they discover you lurking about, they'll come at you with everything they had... I… my heart won't allow that!”

Lilith’s voice was growing mellow, she approached him with the utmost concern. It would seem she was close to dropping down on her knees to beg him. Sure Goenn was the demon king, but to venture unto the heart of enemy territory was still a perilous task even for him.

“I know, Lilith… That’s why I summoned you here, Lillie…”,

“L-L-Lillie!?”

She was shocked to hear him utter her pet name, her face grew hot as Goenn pull up a scroll out of a pocket dimension. Lilith was all too familiar with it, the scroll that contained a list of names, the list of the Imperial Harem. Which would only mean one thing, and she was not mentally and emotionally prepared for it; and from it, her name was written in black ink.

“B-But, m-m-m-my lord! I-I-I’m just your steward and---and---…!”

Before she could explain herself, she suddenly found herself in his arms as if preparing for a ballroom dance.

“Ah-ah… not another forced protest. You know, Lilith, you have been there for me since I was a child. You took care of me when I was alone and without a family to turn to, and raised me like I’m your own child… That’s why Lilith, my Lilith--would you grace me with your eternal warmth and be mine?”,

“Goenn…”

Finally, Lilith succumbed to his charm. No matter how hard she tried all her life, she could never win against her feelings for him. Truth be told, she was just waiting for his validation before she could let go of the reluctance.

“Yes… yes… Goenn, nothing would make me happier. This cold heart of mine is yours.”,

“Mmh…”

Upon the pale moonlight, the two slowly touched their lips to seal their covenant of love. Lilith was the only one he would trust his entirety, for him, Lilith was his shelter upon this lonely isolation. He may have other concubines, but none came as trustworthy as Lilith, she was unrivaled.

As the night went on, the two grew increasingly intimate. Soon they just found themselves on the desk with Lilith’s wings embracing her beloved. As expected of the queen of the succubi, her affection was insatiable.

“Wa-wait…”,

“Hmm?”

Suddenly amid their escalating intimate session, Lilith stopped him and pushed his shoulders back.

“Goenn… I-It’s… my first time.”,

“What!?”

He suddenly pulled back two steps away from her, genuinely surprised by her revelation.

“B-But… you’re the Queen of the Succubi! Denizens of your realm are born and fed on the darkest of mortal desires, and you’re telling you’re a--”,

“...”,

“Oh…”

Goenn was speechless, this was unheard of, unprecedented even. She had been serving the Pandemonium way before he was. He was about to laugh it off as a joke, but the teary-eyed expression on Lilith’s face tells otherwise.

“I’m sorry. I just thought…”,

“What? That I have been sleeping with countless consorts before I met you?”,

“I mean you were a succubus, a demon of desire I figured you change men like you change shoes.”,

“Well then, excuse me for not having the qualification! Hmph!”

Her mood and the moment was nonetheless ruined thanks to Goenn’s rather rude comments. Upset, she dusted herself up and angrily stomped towards the exit. But before she could reach for the door, Goenn tugged her hand.

“No… Lilith, listen. I’m sorry, I was just surprised is all.”,

“Hmph! Jerk.”

Lilith scoffed at him with a puffed up cheeks. He tried not to giggle at the horribly adorable expression. Goenn tried to face face, but she was still avoiding his gaze.

“To tell you the truth, I was relieved really. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to question you. Will you forgive this jerk?”,

“...well… s-since you’re asking---kiss--mmf!! Mmmh.”

And just like that, her lips were once again sealed by his. Goenn never thought the vile queen that rules over a realm of dark desires, was such a delicate flower. And just like that they were at that level of intimacy again.

“Though I have to ask you, why and since when?”,

“I--I just thought I would save myself to someone… I know it’s a little girl’s dream! But I can’t help it when my mother was once a goddess of love! I just thought it would be someone like you…”,

“I understand, I won’t ask anymore nor mention it to anyone.”,

“R-Really? You mean it?”,

“Just follow my lead, I’ll take good care of you…”,

“Goenn…”

He then lifted her in his arms and made their way towards his quarters. The night went on and the two consummated their intimacy, in each others warmth. It was quite the affectionate evening for them, just let their bodies take over.

Hours have passed, the two lied beside in each others arms, basking in the afterglow underneath moonlit sky. Lilith rested her head upon Goenn’s bare chest whilst under the sheets. The latter stroking her beautiful black hair, comforting her after that intimate mingling.

“Is it really too late to convince you to stay?”

Lilith finally broke the silence, tracing her fingertip on her lover’s chest.

“As much as I am tempted to do so, I’m afraid I can’t. I’m sorry Lillie…”,

“I understand… This is no time for me to be selfish. Our kind’s survival is on the line.”

She seemed despondent with that statement, yet she seemed mellow about it now. The only thing that made Goenn guilty was he wished he could have proposed sooner. But he cannot ignore this crisis, for as long as it exists; it will wait for no one, and would come to a point where even he will not be powerful enough to stop it.

“I only ask one thing, Lilith, as your King, and as your beloved.”,

“Anything for you.”,

“Until I establish our first step into the human lands, I will leave the southern continent in your care. You are my second, your colleagues will respect you.”

Hence why Goenn trusts Lilith the most, apart from him, she holds authority over all just second to him. She knows everything within the Pandemonium, being Goetia’s sword and shield, she also holds complete control over his legion.

What griped him was one of the Supreme Beings might go out and act independently, and do something as reckless as to launch a campaign against the human lands. If that happens, Goenn’s mission might get jeopardized. The problem he had with his generals was that they have the tendency to get overzealous and out-do themselves; hence why he was leaving Lilith total authority over them, temporarily at least.

“Understood… my ki--”,

“Ah ah!”,

“Hehe~ alright… Goenn.”,

The two shared a playful giggle as they cuddled closer, like a married couple on their wedding night.

“I’ll be leaving at first light. I’m taking Tia with me. Since she is familiar with the human lands--come to think of it, I think it would be appropriate to pay the Feyfolk a visit. Since they were absent in the gathering.”,

“Understood… Goenn…?”

Lilith positioned herself lying on top of him, letting out a seductive purr. Emboldened by their intimacy, it seemed that her succubus trait was taking over her. Goenn could only admire her seductive wiles and charm.

“Mmmh… Until then… can I--be selfish for tonight? I want to be with you more until that time…”,

“Well then, I am yours, oh queen of the succubi.”

Once again, overcame with yearning for each other, the two consummated their affection for the rest of the night.

--------------------------------------------------------

Time flew fast and it was hours before the first light, Lilith woke up earlier than expected. She found herself still in her lover’s arms, basking in his warmth with him still sleeping so soundly. She sighed as she huddled closer, breathing a sigh of relief that the whole affair was not a dream.

She would indulge herself more of his warmth but she had been given a solemn duty. Lilith carefully got up the bed, cautious not to wake Goenn up. The moment her feet touched the ground, her clothes began to form around her, dressing her up.

“Goenn…”

She approached him one last time and tucked him in with kiss on his forehead, before making her exit.

“Sigh…”

As soon as she was outside the demon king’s quarters, Lilith fought her yearning to go back in. Even turning around back to the door before stopping herself. Letting him go like this, just when they were finally mingled as lovers would be the heaviest burden she would bear.

“Hm? Who’s there?”

Suddenly, Lilith sensed multiple presences nearby, out of sight, hidden from view.

“My, my~ our matron Lilith! Curious to see you here in our lord’s quarters.”

A snarky voice said from the distance, as then three powerful figures arrived to greet Lilith.

“Izanami! Ishtara---and Randgrid?”

The usual duo of Supreme Beings were there, but what baffled Lilith was the inclusion of Randgrid. Izanami and Ishtara were part of the imperial harem, thus their prompt presence. But due to the duties being unloaded unto them, they rarely get the chance to spend a night with the demon king.

Often times, Goetia or Goenn would hide from them whenever he was in his off days. The problem was the two were so needy and clingy, that it was no less than an nuisance. The two would then just take his cold attitude towards them an S&M play, Izanami and Ishtara were just that clueless.

“Ah! Randri was right! She did entered his chambers!”,

“Now~ now~ let’s not jump into conclusions. Or is she telling the truth, Lilith?”

The two demonessa peered closer unto Lilith, both exhibiting curiosity.

“W-W-wha--Randgrid! You saw?”

Lilith immediately shifted her attention to Randgrid, who seem to be averting her attention away from them.

“Eh-Eh!? But--Lady Lilith---you did entered. I saw you. I was here for my daily offering to our king, when I saw you entered, I thought to wait over before you come out.”

Hesitantly, Randgrid answered. She must have been outside for quite a long time and encountered the two whilst waiting for Lilith to come out. Stern as she may look, Randgrid was a demoness of a few words, she could not even interact with fellow Supreme Beings without blundering in her own words during their off days.

“Oh? So it’s true then, huh!?”

Ishtara violently shook Lilith by her collar, demanding immediate answers from here.

“I was just… well… I had to discuss with our lord the impending crisis is all!”,

“But for that long of a time? Naughty~ naughty Lilith, you can’t fool this demon goddess of betrayal.”

Izanami held both her hands unto Lilith’s shoulders while she spat a venomous tone unto her ear. In an instant, the atmosphere grew incredibly suffocating. The clashing of three powerful auras was so great that even Randgrid flinched a few steps away from them.

“Alright… then, since you two are so persistent.”

It did not take long before Lilith’s tone took on a deathly threatening voice.

“Yes, we did spend a night together. Hmhm~ it’s because you two were so needy and so clingy that he abhors you two being even around him. But that’s none of my business.”

She said it, not even holding back while sporting her demonic grin aimed to mock both Izanami and Ishtara; Lilith assuming her true disposition as the Queen of the Succubi, and Demon Goddess of Darkest Desires.

“Ugh… this pressure…”

Randgrid felt dizzy as the atmosphere grew increasingly hostile that she felt her consciousness being siphoned by the three clashing powerful malevolent auras.

“...Welcome to the sisterhood! Ahaha~ Lilith is finally one of us!”,

“Lady Lilith! You HAVE to tell us the details!”

Then after a brief silence, the Izanami and Ishtara suddenly broke into a change of mood. From hostile, to congratulatory, happy that finally Lilith got her first with their king. The two cheered for her achievement and began happily chatting as they walked towards the hallway.

“What… just happened?”

Randgrid could only scratch her head with befuddlement. She was certain that they were about bare each others fangs and duke it out right then and there. Randgrid just shrugged and left her offering by the door of Goetia’s chambers, a nice basket of underworld goods.

“Maybe I should join the harem too… Hmmm…”

Randgrid went on a deep thought as she made her way towards the halls. But then her grotesque fleshy right arm would come into view, it just makes her hesitant about the thought. Unlike the three girls, Randgrid was horribly disfigured, being a former angel cursed by the Old Ones.

As she went on, she debated in her mind whether or not she would make the choice. Much time has passed, dawn finally rose beyond the southern continent, the first light has come.


To be Continued...

 

[Tyrant Raver]

Chapter 3: The Exodus


The Hall of Colossi, Gigas Titanium




“Umm… is this the place? Nope.”


A confused Tia wandered about the vast halls of the Gigas Titanium, the Hall of Colossi. Now that being recognized as Lilith’s second, Tia has now full access to the entire dark citadel; although except the Supreme Beings’ chambers. Unlike in her first day here, she can now access restricted areas, limited only to privileged members of the Pandemonium originally.


But since she was still new to the citadel, she has yet to familiarize herself to her workplace, particularly the labyrinthine halls. And since these are restricted areas, they were less likely populated; sometimes they would appear completely empty. And that meant she had no one to ask for directions, which left her on her own faulty sense of direction.


Earlier, she was sent by her mistress, Lilith to meet Goetia or Goenn by the Grand Study. An urgent one at that, so it meant she would have a lot in her hands at her first task. The only silver lining she could look into was that she would be working with him.


“Hm? Oh? A large door. This must be it.”


After checking all over the corridor, Tia stumbled upon yet another large door. What recurred earlier was that she would find one door after another that would lead to one corridor to another, it was confusing. However, her instincts tells her that this would be different.


“Hello…whoa…”


As the massive door creaked open, a breath-taking sight presented itself before her. It was a room or rather a plane of seemingly endless shelves and books, all arranged in a strict orderly manner. Tomes and scrolls would float around, being leafed and written new contents before being placed back into their respective positions by themselves.


Tia had her mouth agape marveling at the wondrous sight, it was like an entirely different world. Needless to say, she found the Grand Study, but was not prepared of what it looked like. Not even the ancient Draconia Archives that were destroyed by the gods was as grand as this.


“Wow… these entries. They contain the knowledge of the entire Pandemonium! Who knows, how many eons of collected data are in here!”


Tia grabbed one of the tomes stored in one of the shelves. Indeed it was, the Grand Study itself was eons worth of Pandemonium knowledge and wisdom since the beginning of time itself. All connected thoughts of demons, from a lowly grunt to the King of Demon Gods, their thoughts were automatically registered as an entry in one of the many scrolls and tomes.


“...!”


As she walked further in, Tia abruptly stopped in her tracks. What presented in front of her, took her by complete surprise. Before her stood a colossus the size of a mountain, a statue of beautiful woman dressed in beautiful robes, with her hand and head raised up as if beckoning the heavens itself.


The colossus stood surrounded by endless shelves as if paying tribute to the statue itself. The floating scrolls and tomes around it looked like petals of light that seem to dance around its presence. Tia might have found the most awe-inspiring sculpture in her entire life, just gazing upon it leaves her in a state of tranquil trance.


“Ah! Tia, you’re here.”,


“Huh..? Who--Lord Goetia? Where?”


Not before long, a familiar voice snapped her back to reality.


“You’re here early, good. And you can drop the formalities, we’re alone. Call me Goenn, if you would.”


From above her, Goenn descended from magical glyphs that appear beneath his feet, like a magic staircase. His long black cape fluttered about as he descended, like a soft visage of black wings. Even in his humanoid form, he exuded an aura of dark regality.


“Uh-Uh… Y-Yes! G-Goenn…”


She felt a slight twinge in her chest as she hesitantly uttered his name, Tia had to restrain herself from giggling on how blissful she was.


“Umm… May I ask, though… Who is she? The statue? She seemed so tranquil, like that of a goddess.”,


“Oh? Oh…! Her you mean? This proud woman here, is my mother.”


Goenn said it with a hint of pride in his voice, as he and Tia faced the colossal sculpture together.


“And yes, she is a goddess. She was once the Meta of Knowledge and Wisdom.”,


“Wha--your mother was a goddess!? But…”,


“I know, I would be seen as an abomination to the Pandemonium. I had to work with that image before I ascended as the Demon King.”


Goenn just responded in prompt, not even surprised at Tia’s reaction upon his revelation. In fact it was pretty common reaction before his coronation, most of which were either violent or malicious. Despite his questionable heritage, he never renounced it and held it with pride.


“Her name was… Akasha.”,


“Wow… even her name sounded calm and peaceful. But if she’s a goddess, then why don’t I feel any physical hostility?”


Tia inspected her body all around, and she was still just as in a normal state as she was. What she was referring to was the evolved physical and mental state of the dragonkin whenever they were in a presence of high divinity, simply called as the Ancient Bloodlust. In a state of Ancient Bloodlust, the dragons automatically unlock their draconic mana source, causing their appearance to transform into their true monstrous forms; while in this state also they lose majority of their reasoning, being in constant agitation and sometimes completely berserk.


The Ancient Bloodlust trait was stemmed from the grudge of the dragonkin against the Pantheon during their genocide of the Bahamut, where the gods expelled the dragons from the heavens and then banished them to the mortal realm. The loss of many of their kin had driven them mad, with their seething rage directed at the gods themselves, even just hearing their names can agitate them. Centuries upon centuries this rage would then become assimilated with their own powers, thus the trait has been passed on to generations of hatchlings.


“You mean the Ancient Bloodlust? Well mother here was… excommunicated from the Celestial Plane. In fact what you’re staring at right now, is her actual body, now encased in stone.”,


“Wha--!? You mean we’re looking at her corpse the entire time!?”


Tia was taken by surprise, unaware that this colossus was actually the body of the goddess herself.


“Yep. In fact, she’s the sole reason I built the citadel here in the southern continent. Before emerging from the surface, I have searched this realm, high and low for her last resting place. And then… As you can see we found her body encased and well-preserved inside of an iceberg. We carefully dug her up, and chipped the frozen prison she was in… Even after her essence now claimed by the Equilibrium, she still looked so lonely. So I decided to use her as the foundation and inspiration to build this mighty citadel that pierces through the skies.”


Goenn sighed as he summoned his mana to lift both him and Tia up towards the statue. The latter noticed a growing sadness in his expression, but she kept to herself for now. As they reached a considerable height, Goenn floated them closer.


“Tia… would you care to hear my story?”


============================


I never knew my mother, what she was or who she was. I only knew her through my father’s constant banter about her. When I was still a child, he would tell me amazing stories about her, her exploits--everything.

Hearing about her every time only made my eagerness to meet her, wishing I could have at least touched her face when I was still an infant. As I grew older, the stories told by my father, the Demon King before me grew progressively sad and gloomy. Until the fateful day, with the last time I spent with my father, the day where the Champion of the gods finally struck him down.

My mother, Akasha was the Meta of Knowledge, Wisdom and Compassion, she was the sole second to the High Father of the gods. She was known as the image of benevolence and peace, humans worshiped her, and her fellow gods admired her. Her beauty was unrivaled that even the High Father offered her a hand in marriage.

Then… it happened, my mother was the first of the gods to come out of their senses. She saw the truth in our eternal struggle, the truth that she had preached and even presented to the High Father. She wanted to make peace with the Pandemonium and sought better ways to appease the Equilibrium.

In an instant, her people resented her---abhorred her for her notion. She was apprehended, branded as a traitor… Before her sentence was passed, she escaped the Celestial Plane and unto the Event Horizon. There, she would meet my father for the very first time.

As the Demon King, my father would always shirk his work and wander unto the Event Horizon to slack off. The Event Horizon is an empty eternal plane of existence, that lied at the end of the universe. He was not expecting another soul to be there.

From that fateful meeting, they would meet again several times, talking about their dreams and aspirations. My father favored the idea of the peace Pandemonium and the Pantheon, he swore upon her that he would make it a reality for her. It was then, they fell in love.

In the Event Horizon, they built a humble abode just like how humans built their shelter. From there, their love blossomed and conceived two children. Children that would be the symbol of the union of the Pantheon and Pandemonium.

But then again… fate was a cruel mistress…

Upon the birth of two children, the battalion of the Pantheon ambushed them. Finally finding the traitor, they pursued both of them. Since they were in the Event Horizon, they could not fight back as the eternal plane itself seals their powers to nil.

My mother was caught, along with the child she was carrying. Hesitantly, and through my mother’s behest, Father escaped with the other child in his arms----that child was me. That was the last sight of mother my father saw---being taken away along with their other infant, my sister.

He has not heard of her since, until the day of her banishment. The news spread around the two eternal realms like wildfire. Akasha, was banished, stripped of her power and claimed by the Equilibrium.

It was then and there… My father knew… there could never be peace between the two almighty factions.


=================================


“Now… The pantheon is at it again. Not only did they took away my family but they are planning to take us out completely. I swear… I will emerge victorious in this struggle. Not only for my father and my mother but also for my people.”


Goenn clenched his armored fist, reminding him of his goal. To deal with not only the crisis but also crushing the Pantheon beneath his heel. He will stop at nothing to witness the Celestial Plane taste their first crushing defeat.


Tia was holding back her tears with his story. She knew that the Pandemonium have inherent cruelty and malice, but it paled in comparison with the gods themselves. And with Goenn leading the Pandemonium, she knew that they were in the right direction.


“Sorry, if it’s overly dramatic. I just want it out my chest.”,


“N-No! It’s fine, really! I’m just glad to hear it.”


She frantically wiped her tears away as Goenn turned to face her. Goenn, on the other hand, was thankful that she was there to listen. He could never even tell it to Lilith, as she scorned the gods so much, even his mother was no exception; Lilith could forgive both his father and him, but never his mother.


“Alright, pack your things. We’re leaving for the human lands.”,


“Oka--wait what!? The human lands? But… What about--”,


“Lilith? Already taken care of. I needed someone who’s at least familiar with the human lands in the north. And you’re just the one I need.”


As they descended back down from the colossus, Goenn immediately went on track of her task ahead.


“But what are we going to do there?”,


“I’ll explain along the way, let’s pick up the pace.”


Goenn responded to Tia, as they made their exit on the Grand Study.


“Umm… Goenn.”


But as they reached the door, Tia suddenly stopped in her tracks.


“Hmm? What’s wrong? Forgot something?”,


“W-Well… I can’t speak for the rest of my kind. But know that… I’m with you with your goal. I believe you’re still the key to the end of this eternal struggle!”


Tia boldly proclaimed to Goenn, fully acknowledging him as her own true master and leader. It was not the time, nor place but she felt that she had to say it somehow. The latter just smiled and sighed with relief, he appreciated it all the same.


“Then I’ll be counting on ya.”,


“Ehehe…”


Tia just giggled as Goenn petted her head; if he were to accomplish his goal, it would not be alone.


“Alright, get moving and we’ll leave as soon as you’re ready.”,


“Mhm!”


As she happily trotted down the hall ahead of him, Goenn looked back at the colossus one more time. He closed his eyes and paused, as if in prayer. A solemn silence came over him, before he opened his eyes once more.


“Wherever you are in the Equilibrium… please watch over me, mother.”


After saying his farewell, Goenn closed the door to the Grand Study and set out to leave the citadel--bound to the northern human lands.


--------------------------------------


The Frozen Shores




After finishing her packing, Tia met up with Goenn whom was just waiting at the far shores beyond the citadel. It took her quite a while but she made it somehow. The Frozen Shores of the southern continent lied close to the coastal border of the Pandemonium’s domain in the mortal realm; from here, they will make way towards the northern human lands unannounced and without the knowledge of the other Supreme Beings other than Lilith.


“Ah, sorry I’m late! The blizzard is too thick, had a hard time flying over the area.”


Tia said as she shook off the accumulated snow from her scale-clad wings. Tia came from a mountain dragon species, her physical body was not as weather-proof as an ice dragon or a sky wyrm. Her wing muscles tend to stiffen when flying over rainy or stormy skies.


“Sorry, had to keep the weather running. Or else, our friends at the citadel might suspect.”,


“Oh no, it’s fine.”,


“Alright so we’re all set. And I know this might be too much to ask… But to cross the aurora border to the human lands, I’m gonna need to borrow your wings, Tia.”,


“Eh? EH!?”


Out of reflex, Tia backed away whilst hugging her beloved wings.


“Oh! No no no no! It’s not what you think. I’m not gonna rip off your wings or anything like that. I meant I’m gonna need a lift. To cross the aurora border, I’m gonna need to restrain my power as much as I can. So that our friends from the Pantheon won’t pick up my presence, and that includes flying.”


Goenn immediately corrected himself with his response. To traverse the human lands, meant also traversing the Pantheon’s territory. The aurora border that stretched throughout the oceans were erected by the gods to act as barrier to keep the Supreme Beings at bay, including the Demon King himself.


“Oh… Okay, hang on.”


Breathing a sigh of relief, Tia was particularly very fond of not just her scales, but her wings as well. Tia knelt down and have her wings grow into their full size. These wings of hers covered her entire body as she underwent physical metamorphosis.


From her humanoid and dragon hybrid form, emerged a creature of massive proportions. Her entire body was as big as a castle, her wings looked like it could blot out the sun. Her mouth was filled with sharp incisors, and her individual scales were as big as a wagon and as thick as a boulder.


And with that, she had completed her metamorphosis into her true dragon form. Tia lowered her neck unto Goenn with her golden eyes staring at him. Goenn petted her snout, as she let out a loud snort.


“That’s a pretty gallant form, Tia.”,


“Hehe… thanks.”


She spoke with her voice echoed throughout the area. Without anymore second to spare, Goenn latched on to one of her scales and climbed on to her back. The dragon raised her body and then finally took flight, the flapping of her wings sounded like thunder.


The two finally set off beyond the coast and into the aurora border, their destination: the northern human lands.


---------------------------------------------------


Coastal Regions, The Aurora Border




“The closest human settlement should be the town of Rendwick at the borders of Val Furia kingdom.”,


“Alright. Then that’s our first stop.”


The two have been soaring at the skies of the aurora border for what seemed like hours now. Since the fall of the southern continent, this border was created by a Divine Intervention courtesy of the gods themselves. The survivors of the catastrophe beseech the gods for salvation, through the power of their faith, the Pantheon answered.


A celestial barrier than spanned throughout the entire coastal line of the southern continent, effectively containing the Pandemonium from venturing further in to the mortal realm. Overlords that attempted to cross were immediately purged by this celestial barrier, because it targets their demonic essence; minions and grunts however can cross it, since they lack the demonic essence and were only controlled by demons of a higher hierarchy.


“Actually, Tia, this would be the first time I would venture beyond the borders. I’m eager to see what is in store for us in the human lands.”,


“Oh! There’s this one place that I--”,


“Wait, hold that thought.”


As Goenn decided to have a conversation, he suddenly felt something was off. They have been flying for countless hours now with no end in sight. It was like they were flying in an endless loop, not even seeing the end of the aurora border.


“Divine Intervention--Ah! Tia look out!”,


“Waaah!”


From the heavens, the skies were instantly plagued with lightning bolts. All were being directed at them, these were no mere work of nature. These were godly smites, they were trapped inside of an Divine Intervention Phenomena.


“Uwaaahaarrgh!”,


“Argh! Tia!”


Goenn called out her name as Tia was struck by one of the godly smites, rendering her unconscious. She was not fast enough to evade the lightning bolts, they were completely taken by surprise. As they both fell, Tia slowly reverted back into her humanoid form.


Acting quickly, Goenn grabbed her close to him while still on free fall. He glanced up to see that they were heading towards an uninhabited group of islands within the aurora border. Before they could crash unto the ground, he quickly unfurled his wings; as soon as he did, they completely stopped in mid-air then safely floated down.


He checked her pulse, she was still out cold. Her vitals were still fine, but her wings were damaged and her spine wounded because of the attack. Her muscles were involuntarily convulsing because of the electric shock.


“...”


Before Goenn could tend to her injuries, he sensed a powerful presence about to make itself known. From the celestial radiance on the heavens, a divine being materialized before him. He hid his wings and set Tia aside for now to deal with this assailant.


This divine being sported a large series of halos above her head and on her back; her halo kind of mimics a clock with two hands pointing at a certain time period. She was dressed in her golden garb and armor, armed with a staff with a clock ornament at its tip. Her luminescent white hair fluttered about defying the gravity itself.


“I didn’t think they would send you, of all people. I just knew that type of Divine Intervention would be your doing.”,


“...”


The goddess stood in silence as she faced the demon king with her natural grace.


“What? Silent treatment again? No, greetings to your brother, huh sis? The Goddess of Space and Time… Krona…”



TO BE CONTINUED....

 

[KingdomKey]

It's really sad to find out what happened to Goenn's parents and his sister. I'm really glad Tia is around to support him on his journey to the human lands. Furthermore, I thought Tia's true dragon form was really awesome! And wow, I guess we get to see and meet Goenn's sister Krona for the first time. I wonder if she opposes him because of her life in the pantheon? In the meantime, I can't wait to read what happens next! And this chapter was so good! <3