Story: I'm a Daemon, so what?
Disclaimer: I do not own the original setting.
Chapter 140: Sukuna the Hero
As always, a bunch of chapters ahead at [email protected]/theogbasilisk
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- Megumin -
She ground her teeth together as she heard Lalatina's wanton moans. Ever since Lalatina had wormed her way into their Lord's heart, she had always been rather smug. Nothing direct of course, but Megumin knew Lalatina for eons; she knew how Lalatina worked. At her core, Lalatina was a smug brat.
She was by far one of her most annoying siblings; the brattiest among them as her Lord would say. There was a reason they never got along in the Daemon Realm. Back then Lalatina, or rather Violet, would always be the most annoying when she didn't get what she wanted, it was a true pain.
Lalatina had mastered putting on the perfect facade in public, but the moment they were in private, she could be truly infuriating with how close she got to their Lord.
She was practically begging for his attention at all times that she could, not that Megumin blamed her. She knew herself well enough to know that she was upset that she didn't have the same courage as Lalatina when it came to those things.
And now Lalatina wasn't even trying to be subtle. It had been hours and she was still squealing her heart out. Sukuna hadn't returned yet either, so she was here having to deal with this alone.
Of course, she ignored the fact that she could just place a barrier to isolate the sounds that wanton woman was making.
"Masther~!" Lalatina moaned through the walls. Megumin just knew Lalatina didn't put up a barrier just to mess with her. She didn't blame her Lord, only Lalatina.
Megumin shut her eyes as she sighed. She was still exploring the relationship between herself and Lord Felix. Embarrassingly enough, she was the last of the three of them to get intimate with their Lord.
Esprit had relentlessly teased her about it too, but she couldn't help it! She may have been a fearsome Primordial, but in front of Lord Felix she felt small. That was why she was always asking him for training, that was why her Ultimate Skill had a sub-skill specifically developed to help counter her Lord.
She would never use it on him with the intent to harm, but she did still want to regain some of that control she was always used to holding. Strength was her preferred way of asserting that control, of course.
But that wasn't the biggest reason. A part of her got excited at the thought of teasing her Lord to the extent that he would lose control over himself. That she would be the one to make him lose himself in her body.
The thought of her Lord showing her her proper place, that being beneath him, was one that excited her for many, many nights.
She had denied it at first. She was the Primordial of Yellow, Jaune. She was the wild one among her kin, the unpredictable one, the so-called uncontrollable one, and yet she wanted to be beat and taken by her Lord? To be put in her place?
She could only blame Lalatina for rubbing some of her degeneracy off on her.
Her lips twitched as she felt herself get more and more annoyed... and aroused.
She had tried to distract herself with her beloved Nuclear Magic, but even that wasn't enough to distract her this time. Her Ultimate Skill wasn't enough either. It seems somewhere along the way her priorities had shifted.
Every cry, every slurred gasp of Lalatina's ignited another pang of jealousy in her gut, another twinge of arousal she wished to deny.
The problem wasn't solely that Lalatina was doing it and rubbing it in her face. No, it was that a part of her wanted it as well. It was why she had been teasing Lord Felix on their dates as he called them. Only chaste kisses and nothing more. She wanted him to take her completely, giving her no choice in the matter.
She wanted him to take her like a brute. He had the right to in her eyes. He was her superior in every way that she cared about, he respected her and her power, and he genuinely cared for her and her interests. She was comfortable giving her all to her Lord, Felix.
Perhaps those thoughts weren't on her mind when she first pledged her allegiance to Lord Felix. At first she just thought he was interesting since no random Daemon had risen to his level before, in fact in the Daemon Realm, all Daemons other than her kin were capped out at reaching the Arch Daemon level, which made the fact that her Lord was a Devil Lord all the more surprising. She guessed that his Harvest Festival or some other unique phenomenon broke the ceiling for him, allowing him to even back then, easily beat her when she was introduced to him by Arcueid.
But her feelings slowly sprouted as she saw all the others enjoying their lives in her Lord's presence. She saw how they seemed to act more satisfied and joyful when compared to the past, even Lalatina.
Her interactions with him were things she began to look more and more forward to, but the turning point was likely when he took her to that dead dimension and brutalized it with that massive meteor. She hadn't seen anything that gorgeous before. It felt like she was being offered her own personal love letter.
Watching the planet get brutalized by her Lord on a whim was truly an experience.
As she got to understand her Lord's motives and desires she found herself respecting and liking his way of life. It was similar to her own back in the Daemon Realm.
He operated according to his whims and lived his life with the purpose of enjoying every sort of pleasure he could, something she approved of. Why did they exist if not to enjoy life to the fullest, satisfying each and every one of their whims? That was what power was for in her view.
She didn't know whether Lord Felix knew of her desires for him, and was merely letting her stew, or whether he was completely oblivious. Her core tightened at the thought of the former.
"Ugh." She groaned as she laid back in the bed and kicked her legs up like a child. During this vacation she would get her Lord to ravage her. If she didn't, Esprit would make fun of her even more than usual, and she wouldn't allow that!
She wouldn't allow Esprit to call her a "virgin loser" anymore!
- Felix -
I woke up to the sight of a mop full of violet hair on my chest. Lalatina was gazing up at me from my chest with an adoring look in her eyes.
"Good morning, Lalatina."
We had continued our lovemaking until well after dawn before I decided to call it quits since I did want to get other things done today. Of course, I also had a reputation to maintain as a lover so I quickly overwhelmed Lalatina into blissful unconsciousness by pleasurably torturing her spirit.
All in a day's work.
"Good morning, Master~!" Lalatina purred out. "Would you like me to service you?" She asked with a seductive smile.
I rolled my eyes. "You still want more, you insatiable sow?"
Lalatina vigorously nodded. "I desire you with every fiber of my being at all times!" She said proudly.
I sighed. "As much as I would like to accept your offer, I don't want to spend the entire time we are in this world in bed." I said as I slapped her ass, eliciting a moan from her.
Lalatina pouted. "Mou~ very well then." She said as she got up off me. She snapped her fingers, immediately cleaning up the room and dressing herself up.
"I will prepare a meal for you, Master~!" Lalatina said as she skipped out of the room.
"I'll look forward to it then."
Lalatina picked up some casual cooking rather easily. Something about a love slave needing to be capable of at least that much. I didn't think too much about it since it's Lalatina.
Sukuna hadn't come home at all, but he had sent me a Thought Communication saying that he found something interesting to do, and requested permission to mess around a bit. It was a bit jarring when I was in the middle of having sex with Lalatina, but I could multitask.
I didn't bother asking what Sukuna came across though. I just gave him permission and told him to not go overboard or anything. It was probably something Hunter related as I don't think there was much else in this city that could interest him.
Either that, or he just wanted to explore a bit. Hopefully he didn't run over to another continent. But unlike how he used to be, this Sukuna was responsible, so I doubted that would happen. Though part of me always wondered just what heights the original Sukuna could reach with his personality.
After another minute, I got up and quickly dressed myself and headed out into the living room. Once I got there, I ignored the smug smile that Lalatina was shooting Megumin.
Megumin herself was looking at the both of us with narrowed eyes and a blush. As expected of a Primordial, her desires are also equally messed up when compared to the other two as well.
Lalatina was a masochistic love slave, and those were her own words, while Arcueid was a bit more tame but no less lewd and loving; she just had way more control than Lalatina. I suppose after living for eons it was inevitable that you would develop odd kinks.
But I'd think more about Megumin in detail later. I'm well aware that she was more than ready to take the next stage in our relationship, but I've been busy and couldn't find the right time to give her something memorable. Despite having multiple lovers, I liked to think I did right by them, and giving Megumin a memorable first time was something I just wanted to do.
Though I had a feeling her definition of "memorable" was going to be rather… unique.
As I took a seat at the dining table I turned the TV on with a thought. I was curious what sort of news was being publicly broadcasted. Whether the governments would make sure the populace stayed as uninformed as possible, if they would claim things were fine when they most definitely weren't, or what.
Language wasn't an issue for any of us, so we could all understand the news broadcast. Language was, in its essence, information. This information was inscribed onto the Information Particles in this world, so I only had to understand the information to gain an intrinsic understanding of the language.
I then transferred that information to everyone I brought with me.
I swapped through a few of the news channels. Most were talking about what I did on Jeju Island, and the new information that the world was able to learn.
The success of the Jeju Island raid had been overshadowed by the Monarchs and myself, meaning not as much attention was being given to people who otherwise would have been enjoying fame, though Jin-Woo was still being thought of highly.
His aura farming ways were good for something at least.
Some channels spoke about the fight itself and how such high level combat had never been seen before, yada yada. The replays of the stream had apparently toppled all previous records as the entire world scrambled to inspect the broadcast.
Some news channels spoke about the interviews the National Hunters gave and how things were under control because the National Hunters said they could handle it.
Well the National Hunters that were combat oriented were at least acting confident. The last one was actually of the Healer classes and said that he would be there to heal his comrades just as he did in the Kamish raid. He didn't say anything about them being as strong as the Monarchs or I showed we were; he just wanted to make sure his friends stayed alive which was a respectable goal.
Out of the lot of them, he seemed to have the best head on his shoulders.
Whether the National Hunters were just being way too cocky or if their respective Rulers explained things to them and they were just trying to maintain some order I didn't know, and I suppose it didn't matter in the long run. If they were just being cocky, then soon enough they'd learn that their arrogance was misplaced and they'd have to take things seriously.
Though that's if they even end up being needed. If I get what I want from the Rulers, and if they are respectful and good hosts, I'm sure I can give them enough help to let them beat the Monarchs with ease.
Not to mention I want some of my people to face a few of the Monarchs since they could grow from those fights as well, mostly Sukuna, making it even easier for the Rulers.
The Monarchs were already down 3 Monarchs. Lalatina and Megumin will certainly be able to take down at least one other Monarch each if they feel like it. They could of course take down all of them I'm pretty sure, but I wanted to at least leave some for the rest.
Then there is the inevitable chaos those I'll be bringing over will cause, so even more Monarchs might die.
I wasn't going to be going out of my way to make sure no one changed things in this world too much; that would be boring. I wouldn't be surprised if Hinata interferes at least, and maybe Luminous will as well since she was interested in recruiting from another world, though I didn't have anyone special in mind that I think she'd like.
As for the National Hunters…
In the canon story the National Hunters stopped mattering quickly once the Monarchs made their appearance.
Only two among them managed to stay relevant, one was Jin-Woo's dad who managed to take on two Monarchs at once.
He ended up dying due to pushing himself of course, but that was still a far greater feat than any of the other Ruler vessels.
Then there was Gunhee who managed to push Sillad a bit before his age and frail body caught up to him.
Gunhee also gave a mini speech yesterday apparently, saying that the Korean Hunters Association were handling things and that the people should not panic unnecessarily.
Normally this alone wouldn't be enough, but before I showed up, Jin-Woo put on a show of his own. He demolished a monster that was shown bodying a group of the strongest S Rankers in the entire country.
People were already comparing him to National Hunters, and that gave the Korean population at least some relief that the Chairman wasn't talking out of his ass.
I'm sure the Chairman wasn't dissuading those kinds of thoughts either.
Jin-Woo had rapidly developed a fanbase of his own, most who worshipped his aura farming methods.
Gunhee was going to be giving a conference today to discuss things in more detail. I imagine he'll out my presence here during that as well to add an extra layer of security for this country.
The scene flashed to a clip of the fight on Jeju Island as the commenter praised my half hearted swordsmanship.
Apparently he ran a pretty famous dojo around here, and yet he was glazing me to the high heavens.
"This Felix is a grandmaster far greater than almost any I have ever seen before. I would give anything to learn even a tiny hint of his wisdom on the art of the sword." The commenter said reverently. "I have seen the swordsmanship of even Liu Zhigang, and he was at the same level of Grandmaster Felix."
Liu Zhigang could only do that much? Wasn't he known for being really good with his dual blades or something? At least that's what I read up on the internet yesterday. He must be a fraud then; I didn't show off anything too impressive. Or maybe I was just overestimating the levels that could be reached in this world.
Hakurou, before I met him, would be capable of more when it came to swordsmanship. Though that wasn't a point against Hakurou; he was excellent back then, just not at the top levels of swordsmanship.
Either Zhigang was a fraud or Zhigang just didn't show off much of what he could do in the fight the commenter watched, which was far more likely.
After changing channels a few times, I wasn't that surprised to learn that I was being glazed to the high heavens by various news channels.
The people mostly had a positive impression of me, at least that's what it seemed like according to the news broadcasts which were national.
Whether this was intentional or not, I didn't know. It wouldn't surprise me if Gunhee exerted some of his influence on at least the Korean news channels to paint a good picture of me, both to butter me up and make it easier to accept cooperation.
Some were praising me for standing up against the tyranny of the Monarchs which was ironic seeing as I was a Demon Lord, and many others as well as myself would consider me a tyrant even back in the Cardinal World.
I wasn't an evil tyrant per se, but I was an absolute ruler unrestrained by law or order.
Others were attempting to fear monger by saying that I was a dangerous rogue element, which wasn't wrong but those people were quickly shot down, with most people happy with the wait and see approach.
Part of why the people were taking my presence here so casually was due to the National Hunters. Those guys had been hyped up beyond belief, to the point that most thought they could handle anything, which was a foolish thought to have, but I suppose they had to cope to continue their lives somehow.
Many were taking a deep dive into my commentary, coming to conclusions based on the exchange between the Monarchs and I.
I had pretty much admitted to being from another world, and hadn't denied being a Demon, so many thought I was a new species of sentient Monster. So that was something, I suppose.
Others were wondering just how strong I was seeing as I restored Jeju Island back to its prime condition, with many claiming that it wouldn't take long for Jeju Island to become occupied again.
Many were talking about seeing if I could help the sites of other Gate outbreaks, seeing as Jeju Island was not the only time this happened, it was just the biggest of them all.
There was a whole mix of opinions pretty much.
The news anchor I was watching paused as he looked towards a group of young adults walking by with shopping bags. This news broadcast in particular was being broadcast from the very same city I was currently in, and since everything that happened was still so recent, most people were still able to go about their lives in a somewhat normal manner.
"Excuse me young ladies, do you mind if I ask you a few questions about the recent events so we can understand what some of the younger generation are thinking?" The news anchor asked politely.
One of the ladies looked at the camera. "Woah, is he watching you think?" She asked the news anchor.
The news anchor blinked in confusion. "That I do not know."
The woman who asked that question licked her lips. "I hope he is. You asked what I think about him?" She asked to confirm.
The news anchor slowly nodded.
A wide grin spread across the woman's face. "I want him to choke me! He deserves the hero reward. He can do me like a–"
That's as far as she got before one of the woman's friends placed a hand over her mouth, stopping her from saying more.
The news anchor was just watching in shock.
Her friend who seemed very used to this forced a smile as she held her friend back. "Haha! What she meant to say is that we're all super grateful for what he did. Without him who knows how the raid on Jeju Island would have gone. He's a real hero!" The woman said before looking to her friend. "Right, Jisoo?"
Jisoo, now muffled but still squirming, managed to let out a garbled. "Let him split me like a log in winter!"
Her friend sighed and tightened her grip. "She's very passionate about national defense."
The anchor, clearly regretting his decision to do street interviews, cleared his throat. "Right. Uh. Thank you, ladies. Very… insightful."
He quickly turned back to the camera, trying to recover the tone. "Well, as you can see, the public sentiment seems to be... overwhelmingly positive. Back to you in the studio."
The screen cut back to the newsroom, where the anchor on the desk was visibly trying not to laugh. "Seems like our hero Felix has quite the enthusiastic fanbase."
I just watched in confusion. Was this what Satoru had been dealing with his entire life? It was pretty weird, not going to lie. Being called a hero was also pretty odd seeing as I was the opposite of that, but I didn't pay it any mind.
"That woman has potential!" Lalatina called out from the kitchen.
I sighed. "Leave the poor woman alone. She isn't going to survive you."
She was just a bit… enthusiastic when it came to her desires. Totally understandable. After all, I'm me.
"If you say so, Master~!"
Megumin herself had ignored the broadcast from the start. She was on one of the phones Woo Jinchul sent.
From what I could see, she was looking through the Hunter's database. She was probably curious about the stronger people in this world.
"None of these guys are that impressive." She said with a pout.
"Some are pretty good, but yes, there probably aren't any you would enjoy fighting." I said as I swapped between channels. "The Hunters are connected through some sort of soul connection to an Angel, the Angel is the source of their power, and their compatibility with their Angel is what determines the amount of mana they have and can use."
Megumin nodded in understanding. "So these Angels are strong then, huh?" She said with a grin.
I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure some of them are."
Megumin shut the phone off. "Great! I'll have to find some to have fun with then."
"I can put in a good word for you when I speak with the Rulers. I don't see why they'd disagree so long as you agree to not cause any permanent harm."
Megumin nodded with an excited smile. "I'll wait for you then!"
I rolled my eyes at her battle maniac tendencies. "Until that's been arranged we can spar a bit if you really feel the desire to fight."
A shy smile grew on Megumin's face, and I could read her desires like a book. "I'd like that then."
"Once things get a bit more sorted out then."
Megumin nodded. "Un." I held back my smile at Megumin's nonchalant response. She was trying to act nonchalant, but I could sense her excitement.
Fighting really was the best foreplay for her.
"Some of the Hunters might be of interest to you though." I added. "None have enough raw power to give you any challenge whatsoever, but most of the stronger ones have done everything they can to make their powers truly theirs. They've trained to their limits regularly and have extensive field experience. At the very least, having fun with some of them can be an enjoyable experience for you."
"If I meet someone interesting enough, I guess." Megumin agreed. "That shadow guy was pretty interesting; he seemed to have the most potential of them all. Same with that Chairman guy."
"Jin-Woo does have potential. If everything goes well, he'll be the new Shadow Monarch, and Gunhee is also powerful. I'm sure you noticed he was a vessel for a Ruler."
Megumin nodded. "Mhmm, they'll probably be fun to play around with."
"Go easy on them."
Megumin grinned. "No promises!"
I eventually landed on a more local news channel. I blinked in confusion. "Is it me or is that Sukuna being interviewed?" I asked Megumin. Upon hearing me, Megumin looked at the TV and laughed.
The question was of course only rhetorical; it was hard not to recognize Sukuna. He was a pink haired Daemon with four arms and tattoos.
"Yeah, that's totally him. I wish I went with him; it seems like he had some fun." Megumin said with a sigh, but then she paused as a blush overtook her features. "Or maybe not."
Sukuna himself looked no worse for wear, his clothing was splattered with blood and whatnot, though. Though going by the color, it wasn't Human blood.
I quickly read over the headline. "Gate outbreak… prevented? Hundreds of lives saved by a kind monster?" I reread with a blink. What were these Humans on?
Did Sukuna accidentally play hero?
This was actually hilarious.
Sukuna, the same guy who terrorized the entire Heian Era, who had slaughtered an uncountable number of people was being called… a hero… pfft. He was quite literally the opposite of that.
Sukuna himself didn't look bothered at all.
I unmuted the TV. "You said your name was Sukuna?" The news anchor asked.
Sukuna, who seemed to be getting annoyed, nodded. "That is the name my Lord bestowed upon me."
"And this Lord of yours, you say it's that same Felix that fought on Jeju Island?" The news anchor asked with excitement. I'm sure someone was in for a promotion, good for him.
Sukuna narrowed his eyes. "It is Lord Felix to you, worm."
The news anchor froze stiff. "I-I apologize."
Sukuna nodded in satisfaction, but I couldn't claim the news anchor didn't have balls since he quickly regained control over his expression and continued on.
"Is it fine if I ask you some questions?" He asked.
Sukuna looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding. "Very well, the man that will be serving my Lord in this world requested that I remain here while he takes care of certain matters. I will answer your questions until it no longer satisfies my amusement."
"Thank you, Sir Sukuna. Now to start, what exactly happened here?" The news anchor asked as the camera panned out a bit to show a destroyed neighborhood.
Sukuna blinked in confusion. "I had thought you people were already aware of what occurred going by the incessant screaming that called me here."
The news anchor blinked in confusion, as if he didn't know how to take that. "A-Ah, I was just curious, just as many others are about what occurred here from the perspective of a seasoned veteran such as yourself. It is not everyday that a Gate outbreak happens."
I watched on as I was a bit curious how Sukuna got caught up in that situation and I had nothing better to do for the moment.
"Hmm I understand. I suppose it is not often that your weak species has the opportunity to witness true greatness." Sukuna said as if he had come to a profound conclusion.
Was that racist? That was probably racist, right?
The news anchor just looked bewildered. I had a feeling the people of this world had a rather skewed image of me and the people I brought with me, and Sukuna was the last person they should talk to if they wanted to reinforce the image they had of me, but I wasn't worried.
Despite the mind whammying Sukuna went through, he could still read between the lines and knew not to say anything too bad.
But once again, the news anchor showed that there was a reason he got his job as he continued asking Sukuna questions.
Sukuna said he could sense the Aura of the Gate as the outbreak happened and decided to check it out due to his own curiosity.
Once he saw a bunch of monsters coming through he decided to test their power to get a better understanding of the strength of the common monsters. During this, a satellite image played, showing Sukuna using Dismantle on groups of monsters, cutting them into pieces in an instant.
"As you can see folks, Sukuna demolished the legion of monsters that came through the Gate, saving countless lives in the process."
Before the interview could continue further, Jinchul showed up and intervened. He looked at the camera before looking at the news anchor. "Sukuna is a distinguished guest of the Hunters Association. I will have to cut this interview short." Jinchul said firmly, but it seems the news anchor was used to stuff like this.
"A guest of the Hunters Association? Is Mr Sukuna not serving Lord Felix? Does that mean that Lord Felix is also a guest of the Association?" The news anchor immediately asked with interest.
Jinchul's lips twitched. "That will be discussed at the conference the Chairman will be having, your questions will have to wait until then." He said looking to the rest of the reporters that were beginning to swarm.
Jinchul then looked to Sukuna, and then the broadcast was cut.
"At least he seems to be having a good time." I mused out loud.
"Those Gates lead to another dimension right?" Megumin asked.
I nodded. "They connect to different parts of the Chaos World, the dimension that the Monarchs pretty much rule over."
Megumin tilted her head. "So it's similar to the Daemon Realm then?"
"It's probably pretty similar, yeah. Each of the Monarchs have their own territories from what I understand, and are each rulers of their people in their own right, so the hierarchy and system is probably similar to what you know of in the Daemon Realm."
Megumin nodded in understanding.
As Lalatina served us our food, which was a rather simple omelet, I continued to browse through the global news to see how the world was reacting to everything.
In canon, the news about the invading Monarchs was given out way later, and it was heavily suppressed with only the important political officials and strong Hunters being made aware.
The Global Hunters Conference was initiated as part of this too, even if the primary reason for that event was Jin-Woo's dad causing too much trouble. But the Global Hunters Conference was the start of everything.
I wonder if the conference would happen sooner due to my interference?
After a few minutes, I heard a knock on the door. Already knowing who it was, I waved my hand, opening the door.
Sukuna was the first one to walk in. He immediately greeted me with a bow, but he looked rather heartbroken once he saw that I was eating Lalatina's food.
"I apologize, my Lord. I have failed in my duties as your butler for not being present to prepare your food. Do what you will with me." He said as he closed his eyes, as if accepting death.
Jinchul was immediately on alert before even having a chance to greet me.
I rolled my eyes. "It's fine Sukuna."
Sukuna straightened his back. "Thank you for your forgiveness, I am unworthy of your mercy." He said dramatically.
The Diablo template was really doing wonders on him.
I ignored him and looked at Jinchul with a raised brow. Jinchul, immediately feeling my gaze on him, straightened his back. "Sir Felix." He greeted me with a nod.
Sukuna narrowed his eyes at Jinchul, but the man himself seemed mostly unbothered.
I sighed, waving Sukuna off. "It's fine Sukuna. You know I'm not a stick in the mud about titles."
Jinchul took the opportunity to speak up. "I arrived with Sir Sukuna in order to inform you that everything will be handled. Sukuna has our gratitude for preventing the worst case scenario for the Gate outbreak."
I just nodded.
"Along with that, I have made the preparations in order to show you our culture. I can take you and your subordinates whenever you please."
"Oh? Where will we be going?"
It was pretty normal that they wanted to show me their "culture". They didn't know that I used to be Human, and getting me to appreciate their culture was a great way to get me a bit more attached to them.
Once I took a better look around and understood the situation a bit more, I'd be bringing everyone from the Cardinal World over as well.
Once Jinchul told us about the itinerary, I looked to everyone else. "Are you all open to exploring right now?"
"Of course, Master!" Lalatina chirped.
Megumin just nodded curiously, and Sukuna immediately agreed.
"Very well then. There is a vehicle waiting at the front." Jinchul said.
And with that, we left.
- Antares (Monarch of Destruction) -
As he materialized in the cavern all the Monarchs met at, he took a look around.
He was the last to arrive, and yet the cavern was no longer as full as it was the last time they had met.
Unlike the last time they had met, no one was as excited or casual as before. Each Monarch wore various faces of concern, as they should. He would think them to be incompetent if they still acted the same after the events that took place recently.
Being down 3 Monarchs was an incredible disadvantage, and that was on top of the Monarch of White Flames having no successor, and Legia still being missing.
They knew Legia was alive as his seat was still claimed, but they were unaware of where the long lost Monarch of the Beginning was now. He was captured by the Rulers ages ago and was likely strung up by them somewhere to eliminate him from the war.
Killing him would allow for his seat of power to be replaced, allowing a new Monarch of the Beginning to rise. The Rulers were wise to keep him alive.
He had no idea what happened after he dispatched Sillad, Rakan, and Yogumunt. They were meant to only investigate the anomaly they felt passing through the Chaos World, and possibly eliminate or recruit it if they felt it necessary, and yet they had died.
All three being dead meant that the anomaly was a far greater threat than Antares believed they would be. He knew no other individual who could kill three Monarchs at once other than himself and Ashborn. Perhaps the anomaly used tricks, or they had allies, but Antares wouldn't underestimate them either way.
It was best to think of the anomaly on his own level and plan around them with that belief in mind, meaning that he may have to personally take action to eliminate or recruit this new threat.
Recruitment was not off the table even now. He had been looking for a good rival now that Ashborn was gone, and he didn't blame the new entity for killing three Monarchs. He'd be insulted as well if such weaklings were sent to recruit him. But despite being lesser, his fellow Monarchs still had their uses, no matter how much they disgusted him.
They could be as powerful as he was if they did not grow arrogant in their power. He was not born as powerful as he was like Ashborn was. No, he had to train to get to his current level of power.
The Absolute Being had created them at a certain level of power, and most thought that they were limited to that level of power as well. While this was partially true, it was possible to surpass one's limits in strenuous circumstances. It was extremely difficult, and he had to go through extreme measures, but he had managed to far surpass the level of power he was born with thanks to his training.
Of course, none but him had gone through that effort. All of them just believed that he was created superior to them and had not earned his power, that he was born with his strength, and so they were content with being his lessers. No matter how much their weakness irritated him, he was not their minder; they were good enough for the war against the Rulers, at the very least. Or they were good enough, but it seems things had changed in this iteration of the timeline.
With only 3 of their numbers remaining, things were bound to be more difficult. It was just him, Querehsha, and Tarnak. The rest were all gone.
It would be amusing that they had fallen so far if he wasn't so infuriated.
The Priests were already searching for successors for each of their respective Monarchs, but that would take time, time that they likely did not have as the Rulers would be foolish to not capitalize on their newly disadvantaged situation.
The Priests were often the close subordinates and sometimes even minders of their respective Monarch. It was their duty to locate and guide a successor into Monarch-hood if the original Monarch died.
Thankfully, the Priests at least had some hint about who to seek out to become the new Monarchs, as Sillad and Rakan both had descendents that were compatible with the seat of Monarch. Some of the successors had already been prepared ahead of time for this event as well.
It would still take time for their descendents to ascend to the stage of a Monarch as they would need to go through the ritual and claim the head of the Nidhogg, after which they would absorb the Primordial Darkness that was associated with that Monarch seat from the head, but all was not lost at the very least.
Sillad's granddaughter in particular was a prodigy. Unlike her grandfather, she continued to train relentlessly, creating new ways to make use of her far more limited powers, and ascending to be the second strongest Ice Elf, now the strongest with Sillad gone. Though she still fell short of even the weakest Monarch.
Still, she was as strong as his Lieutenant, and that was no easy feat.
He had hope for her. He had already met her after Sillad's death was confirmed. She was loyal to the cause of the Monarchs and sought to allow her kind to continue to live the decadent lifestyle they had enjoyed thanks to Sillad's influence.
There were many races that had no affiliation with a Monarch after all, and these races had far less freedom to do what they wished, and so the seat of Monarch was sought after for that reason as well.
"Hrm. As you must realize, things are rather… dire for us, currently." He said to the other two Monarchs in the cavern with him.
Querehsha snorted. "That's one way to say it, Antares." She responded, her always present seductive smile nowhere to be found now. Instead, she wore a serious expression he hadn't seen since they were truly at war with the Rulers, back when the Rulers were in their prime.
He was glad Querehsha was taking things more seriously now. She could be a menace herself if she truly focused.
Yogumunt's loss would be felt the most. He always seemed to know his intentions and would help guide the other Monarchs to the result he wanted. He was the calm and collected one. With him gone, he needed to act more personally now.
All of the species under Sillad, Rakan, and Yogumunt had already been gathered up into his own legion with minimal resistance, but it was getting to a point that it was troublesome to make use of all the new underlings he had.
Their loyalties were questionable at best, and he did not have enough capable leaders under him to carefully manage the new burst of underlings he had received, but beggars can't be choosers.
"What is the plan, Antares?" Tarnak asked.
"You two have found compatible vessels, correct?"
The both of them nodded. "Good. Then whilst I continue my search for an adequate vessel, the two of you will begin to establish a base on Earth. Acquire information on the Ruler vessels, but do not provoke a fight."
Tarnak blinked in confusion. "The vessels? We already know about them from the previous loops. Thomas Andre, Liu Zhigang, Christopher Reed, Siddharth Bachchan, Go Gunhee, and Jonas."
Querehsha laughed. "We do not have as much information as we used to, Tarnak." She said mockingly. "We clearly cannot rely on the information from the other loops anymore."
He nodded. "Querehsha is correct."
Tarnak was by far the… least gifted in the intelligence department. He was extremely wasteful with his experiments, to the point that Antares believed him to be incompetent when it came to proper resource allocation, but he was still a Monarch and had his uses.
Tarnak grit his teeth at the insult but nodded nonetheless.
In the previous timelines, the Rulers never established the Gates, but they still had vessels back then to act through, and those vessels would remain consistent, this wasn't due to the Rulers' idiocy, but just the fact that finding compatible vessels was simply that difficult.
In each of the previous timelines, events would go similar enough, which turned into an advantage for them as they already knew the Rulers' secrets ahead of time. Though in the end once the Rulers' inevitably lost once again, they'd use the Cup of Reincarnation to revert the timeline. It really was quite annoying, but if nothing else he could praise his enemies' resilience.
"Hmm, for now then the two of you should order your forces to prepare for the upcoming war. I will begin assisting the Priests in their search for successors, and will aid Sillad's granddaughter in her ascension."
The two of them nodded. As they were preparing to teleport out, the three of them froze.
"Is it another one?" Tarnak asked in shock.
They had all felt a breach into the Chaos World, similar to the one they felt when the individual Sillad, Yogumunt, and Rakan died to arrived. This one, however, felt less controlled, and the breach in Space-Time did not pass through the Chaos World, but connected directly to the Chaos World instead.
"The two of you will remain as back up." He ordered them. "I will go and locate the breach and investigate."
The two of them nodded.
Truly, it seems this iteration of the timeline was destined to be chaotic.
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Author's Note:
Sup everyone, back with another chapter of Daemon. Things are finally moving along with Megumin after quite a while, and Sukuna is out doing Sukuna things. We got to see a bit of how the world is reacting to everything that's going on, and how the Monarchs are dealing with the sudden change.
And then of course the breach into the chaos world, i'll leave what happened as a secret for the next chapter, but I'm sure some of you can guess I've spiced up the world of solo leveling a bit with more out of context elements.
Anyways, thanks for reading, peace.
Thanks to @Salante and @Flowerman for beta'ing this chapter.
Last bit of editing -Omnax
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