The atmosphere in the Imperial Palace was grim—so thick with tension that even the creak of a boot or the crack of glass felt like a sin. Even breathing sounded too loud.
The halls were empty as everyone was ordered to remain inside for the rest of the day, but whispers still slithered through the corridors like rats, carrying rumors of what had happened at the academy.
The servants spoke in hushed tones, but the terror in their voices was unmistakable.
-"Did you hear? Duke Marcus's punches didn't even scratch him..."
-"They say he smiled through Heaven's Roar—smiled."
-"My little brother, who is a student at the academy, said Arnold ate hundreds of the duke's fully powered punches like it was nothing."
-"It's hard to believe he could snap the duke's arms like twigs..."
-"The rumors about one punch being able to take down a demon lord are made up then…"
-"I can't believe we were so gullible to believe that."
The news had sunk into the bones of the empire's heart: even the Great Nobles, once praised as gods among men, were swatted away like bothersome flies.
-"Together, the Great Nobles can stop even a demon lord."
That line used to stir pride in the hearts of Eulia's citizens.
Now it mocked them.
The supposed demon lord they were meant to subjugate had toyed with their mightiest warriors—not like a rival, but like a cruel child plucking the wings off insects.
Somewhere deep in the palace, Marcus lay comatose. Dozens of healers stood around his broken form desperately keeping him stable, waiting for the best doctors in the continent to arrive at the emperor's calling.
"—Another." Jurnick hit his glass on the table and ordered the servant nearby to pour.
"Y-Your Majesty, y-you have already finished two bottles of strong wine a-and you have important meetings tomorrow so I fear—" the servant tried to dissuade him.
"Pour me wine!" Jurnick's spit flew.
"Y-Yes!"
The servant fumbled the bottle. A few drops spilled on the emperor's hand, and he didn't even notice.
He could care less about some fucking meeting.
What was a meeting compared to the fact that a godless calamity now walked his streets?
Should he seek help from the adventurers? If he declares a nationwide emergency, they will have no choice but to heed his call. News of Arnold's strength should have spread far, mostly by word of mouth but Jurnick also made sure to have his own agents spread the news around and outside the empire. With the Theocracy already on the empire's side, in addition to the volunteers who show up, they should have a chance against this demon.
After gulping down his wine like a sailor who was stuck at sea without fresh water, Jurnick went "Puahhaa!" like a tired office worker.
The wine tasted of ash. The burn down his throat reminded him he was still alive—unfortunately.
The weight on his head felt unbearable. He wanted to vomit. Or sleep for a year. Or die, just a little.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the boy's face—that same mischievous grin Arnold used to wear when he hid behind palace columns to scare the staff. That devilish little smirk now twisted into something far more sinister.
Or perhaps empty.
Where had that child gone?
He pressed his hand to his forehead.
'My dear Roseria, what will you do once you hear what that boy has done…'
Will she breakdown and cry? Stand against him? Or will she try to reason with him?
No, the most important question is: will he listen?
"—Your Majesty…" the door to the dining room opened, and several nobles entered.
"…What is it? I dismissed you for the day."
The nobles glanced at each other. Then their eyes swam around the room.
Jurnick threw his glass on the floor, "Don't you dare think of siding with that demon lord! Have you no shame as humans!? Do you want me to execute you for treason!?"
Normally such an outburst would bring shame upon the imperial family but with what happened, no one can blame Jurnick for acting like this. Someone who he considered a little nephew threatened to kill the Hero. And not just that, that someone beat all four Great Nobles like it was nothing.
When he recalled Vance's report of the matter, how Arnold was unscathed even after taking thousands of Marcus's Heaven's Roar fully-powered punches… It made him dizzy from the shock.
"B-But what if it's true? That Sir Arthur will only lead us down a path of destruction?"
"That will not come to pass! You are allowing a demon's words to influence your mind!" Jurnick stood up so fast that his chair was knocked back, "It couldn't be that the Vice Principal was under some charm spell meant to charm others!? Get a magician in here right now!"
"—There is no need. They are not under a spell of any sort, Your Majesty." Two individuals appeared behind the dozen nobles. One was Arthur and the other the Divine Titan woman. She was holding his arm lovingly as if the two were newlyweds.
"Guh, then how dare they even think of siding with a demon!?"
"I believe it is because humans subconsciously flock to the stronger side." The titan walked up to Jurnick then faced the nobles, "Please do not give in to this desire just because you fear retaliation from that demon. I assure you that Sir Arthur can surpass him. And do not worry, my sisters and I will also offer our protection if the demon—"
"—If the demon does what?" it felt like the temperature dropped when a voice came from behind Jurnick, a suffocating killing intent filling the room.
Jurnick froze and the hairs on his neck stood up.
"Y-You!" Arthur was about to unsheathe the Holy Sword but he was punched so hard that he crashed into the wall, breaking it apart and rolling across the ground until he hit a wall on the far side of the estate.
He was knocked out from that one blow, his eyes peeled back in his head.
"S-Sir Arthur!" the divine titan called out while the rest of them were frozen.
"Take a seat, old man." Arnold's hand forced Jurnick back onto his chair, "And you, Titan, remain here because I want you to convey something to Arthur."
Gritting her teeth, the golden skinned woman slowly backed away. Her mouth then moved, uttering in a strange language.
"There's no need to call your sisters. I am not here to fight." Arnold sat casually on the table, facing Jurnick, "All of you can have a seat because this might be a long chat."
"I-I'm fine standing… Sir…"
"M-Me too!" they replied immediately.
"I see." Arnold turned his golden eyes to Jurnick, "Mother Roseria will be returning to my city in a few days. She's off on business with Victoria. I'm excited to meet her again." he said with a smile that reached his eyes, seemingly fake but his words were genuine.
"She'll probably tell me to cancel all my meetings and tell her exactly what I've been up to these past few months. I've never lied to her, because she can pick up on lies no matter how good I think I am." He leaned forward, "What do you think she'll say when she hears what I've been through?"
"…"
"I don't expect her to stand by my side but I would like to know if she'll still call me Sweetie or Al after she hears what I've done."
Arnold placed one foot on Emperor Jurnick's chair while looking down at him.
"Actually, I've been wondering about something else—what will she think of you sending your most powerful subordinates after me? She said it herself—that I am as important to her as Julius, Jurius and Ronia. Basically, I am her son. Will she stand in front of me and tell you to back off on your schemes to eliminate me? Or will she stand with the empire? I won't be mad at her if she chooses the empire."
"Will you wage war w-with us just because of Sir Arthur?" one of the nobles stammered.
"Short answer? Yes. Long answer? I'll go to war just to kill the bastard who tortured me in ways that made time meaningless. Where seconds felt like centuries — where my soul screamed in a place outside time. Who knows how long my soul was tortured and ripped apart in time dilation? Years, decades, centuries? All I had were my screams and thoughts to keep me company. I stand here today with no inkling of how many years my soul was in torment compared to how many seconds went by in the real world.
Do you realize how frustrating that is? How hard it is to just not kill all of you so that I can get my revenge? What upsets me the most isn't that you are getting in my way, but the fact that I can't make Arthur experience that same torment. I could end it all in a single moment. Right now, even! I could always try torturing him but, hahaha, I don't enjoy torture, I guess? But killing him is enough. It should be."
It has to be.
Castacia's premonition won't come true.
Arnold stepped back from the chair. The emperor was trembling like a leaf in strong wind. Not just him, all the nobles and the Titan were petrified.
"Look at all of you, tired from all day of scheming to have me killed so that the guy who will actually cause your demise is allowed to run free. All it takes is one demon lord to recognize his weakness then they already win the next great war." He looked back at Jurnick, "I want you to answer a question of mine: if an opposing nation's king sent assassins after you during a war and you survive—will you kill that king?"
"…" Jurnick gulped.
"Then you should understand how I feel right now."
The emperor looked down, his sweat dampening the collar around his neck. It felt hard to breathe and he was feeling dizzy.
"You must be wondering where Angelica is right now." Arnold smirked, "She has chosen to take my side."
'WHAT!?'
The Oracle sided with a demon lord!? Surely he's jesting? Seeing that amused glint in his eye, one would assume he's just saying things to get people riled up but that smirk of his seemed genuine, as if saying he already won.
"W-What charm magic are you using…!?" Jurnick squeezed out his roar. Unlike how he screamed at the servant earlier, his outburst was mild in front of Arnold.
"The stars aligned exactly in my favor, that's all."
'Preposterous!'
"What is it that you want…?" the Titan asked, "Why not have your revenge now!? Do you simply enjoy toying with people's lives?"
"I'm not killing him now because it will end too quickly." He leaned forward, his face right in front of hers, "I could rip his heart out like digging into clay but that won't satisfy me."
"Revenge for the sake of satisfaction…? The demon Oriel has corrupted your mind…!" Jurnick yelled.
"Let me clear up a misunderstanding—Oriel is not in my body, at least not this one. All there is inside of me is the martial spirit gifted to me by Gederick, the God of War, and my soul."
"Impossible! Lord Gederick would never!" The Titan's eyes widened and she exclaimed.
"You don't need to know the details so shut up."
She glared at him. Could this "martial spirit" be the source of his power? Jurnick knows that the MMA's leader possesses such a thing and rumors went around saying that these spirits allow you to attain a newfound power out of the reach of normal means.
If Oriel isn't in Arnold's body, then the spirit should be the answer to his newfound strength. Regardless, the Theocracy should still respond to his threat. But how will it handle Angelica's betrayal first and foremost?
What a mess. What a great fucking mess.
"You already know my intentions now, Jurnick." Arnold turned to the emperor, "But you can train the fool to increase his chances to win, even if slightly. I want to feel my punches and kicks connect. I want my sword to feel the resistance of slicing a Hero's skin. Currently, every punch meant to kill will rip through his body, every kick will shatter bones and Luxtivin will skewer him easily—where is the fun in that? It would be like butchering a helpless sheep. That's why I will give you one month to train the fool and organize a grant event featuring only us as fighters. I want every influential individual to be there—including Freya York, the leader of the Murim Martial Alliance and the leader of Serz. I want them to see exactly what will happen to them if they even think of coming after me."
"A-Arnold, this is not you… T-That demon poisoned your mind!" Jurnick reasoned.
"…."
"Think of the consequences!" Jurnick stood up, grabbing Arnold by the shoulders, "The entire world will aim for your head! Even the Dragon Lords! How can we afford division when the demons are breathing right down our necks!? We should dedicate our time into nurturing both Heroes! With two, peace is guaranteed! We need not fear a third invasion either because Luke and Arthur will give me grandchildren who will fight for this empire and the rest of the world in the future! You can join them—be champions who triumphed against the demons!"
Please, listen to reason.
"I will grant you anything you desire, my boy! Stand with us and forgive Arthur!"
Arnold gently removed Jurnick's hands.
"Your words will not sway me. No one's words will."
"…" his hands dropped to his side, as he realized Arnold really is not going to change his mind.
He turned and walked over to the window, staring up at the night sky.
"Even with rage burning within one's heart, humans can still find solace in a peaceful scenery." He spoke as if he was alone. "Shouldn't you be thankful that you get to enjoy it?"
He glanced at the nobles, "I could snap my fingers and have a dragon's breath burn down this capital. But do you know why I don't do it? Why I don't use power the way it is intended to be used—that is, to kill? Your demise doesn't benefit me."
"…"
"So I ask you, does a demon weigh the worth of a human's life before it kills?"
When Jurnick blinked, Arnold was gone, the faint trembling in his muscles a sign that what they witnessed wasn't some illusion. Jurnick's knees buckled and he fell, grabbing the table for support.
That little boy who used to prank the emperor when he was at the palace is no more. His innocent grin and devilish little laugh was now a whisper that Jurnick couldn't even remember clearly anymore.
All that was left is a cold empty husk of absolute power that felt no joy in killing or letting others live. That husk treated lives as a transaction.
Jurnick sank to the floor completely now, staring at nothing. The nobles whispered, some stepped back, others froze. None dared speak to him. Not in that moment.
He brought a hand to his face, as if hiding his shame or wiping away the tears that hadn't yet come.
He had failed.
Not as an emperor.
But as a man who once told his closest friend that he'd watch over his son.
"…I'm sorry, Marcus," he whispered into the silence. "But I think we've both already lost him."
One month…
Arthur's execution date is one month away.