Chapter 51: The Sovereign's Indifference
The arrival of the three Multiversal Heroes should have been a moment of global panic, but within the borders of Damon's nation, it was merely an atmospheric anomaly. Damon sensed their presence the moment they breached the stratosphere—three flares of righteous, misguided power. To anyone else, they were gods; to Damon, they were a distraction. He didn't even stand up from his seat. His nation was so well-fortified, woven with ancient demonic wards and high-tier mana-suppressors, that the "pressure" the heroes tried to exert felt like a light breeze against a mountain.
"They think they have the element of surprise," the Vice Commander noted, standing at the edge of the palace terrace. He watched the gold and silver rifts pulse in the distance but didn't reach for his blade. He knew his ruler's intent. Damon wasn't ignoring them out of arrogance, but out of a supreme irony: he was simply too busy preparing for a real war to deal with Witted's puppets.
The Queen of Nightmares moved through the inner sanctum, her presence ensuring that Saya never even felt the spike in external mana. Damon had built a sanctuary that could withstand a multiversal collapse; a surprise attack from three "heroes" was something he could respond to in the blink of an eye if they dared to cross the threshold. For now, he allowed them to hover, blinded by their own caution.
That irony defines Damon perfectly—he sits as a sovereign ruler who is so far above the "threat" that their presence doesn't even warrant a change in his schedule. The Council heroes think they are the apex predators, but they are walking into a nation that is essentially a fortress of gods.
To be continued ....