Life in the Hallowed Plane became relatively chill for Edmond after taking over the seat of the consumed leader.
Both Belphegor and Caligo were at his beck and call after witnessing Abigor's death; they offered him the best and most nutritious foods for his growth.
On one hand, they could be said to have been lucky to work for a highborn imp as— if he so decided— they could grow alongside him.
On the other hand, they could be seen as simple tools to feed and eventually be fed on by a gluttonous fiend that sought to advance by any means necessary.
The two of them were relatively high on the bloodline scale as they were part of a hierarchy that ruled over the Ashborne City since its creation.
The former trio had consumed mountains of demonic flesh that brought them up to an existence far above their subjects.
Even then, only Abigor had a single protrusion on his head that looked no more than a bump.
Both Belphegor and Caligo only had slight traces of a horn on their heads, and they only had their physical body to perform attacks with.
There were no flames they could conjure like Edmond, but that did not mean that they were defenseless.
Belphegor was a hefty, yet nimble creature that had razor sharp teeth that he sank into bodies and Caligo had extendable nails that were equally as sharp and could slice demons into pieces.
While they did have the power to back their standings, nothing they had was equivalent to the scary flames that danced in the palms of the highborn that sat in between their thrones.
'It's getting boring staying up here all the time,' Edmond groaned from his seat, 'I like it more when the food is fresh and writhing in its final moments.'
Days went by as Edmond halted his endless path of slaughter and lived a simple life consuming what was brought to him by his new subjects.
Though life here was better than struggling to find food in the harsh hellscape, the thrill he got when out there on his own made for a jarring difference.
It seemed like there was order in the lands from what he had seen in Ashborne City, but the matter of highborns and common demons was something he had still to consider in terms of nutrients out there.
He could not be the only kind of highborn out there as the demons in the city knew of the fact that they existed only outside of the city limits.
Edmond spent his days learning more of the language aside from consuming piles and piles of demon meat and was now relatively fluent in the tongue.
Since there was practically no entertainment to speak of, he was bored out of his mind the rest of the time.
This made him wonder if he should just quit and jump ship after consuming the entire city like he did the previous time, but something within him told him that it was best to at least wait until his strength grew over time.
Abigor and the two had at least spent their time presiding over the denizens and making sure things were run smoothly so that there was minimal chaos.
This conflicted heavily with Edmond's nature in his new life; if he was not risking his life for the sake of improvement then he was not truly living the life of a demon.
For all he cared, this life was punishment for his last and honestly, he considered that lax when he could roam free and uncaring.
His foundation in his new life brought with it great boons when compared to the parent he was birthed from.
Born to a simple imp, Edmond was an enigma.
This stayed with him since his past life and it would carry him on through his current one.
When he finally could not hold it in anymore, Edmond decided to say, "Fuck it!"
And with that, another city was about to be erased with no issue.
All consumed by the resplendent hellfire and taken in through his gullet, the two next to him could not even put up a fight and suffered the fate of the indecisive Abigor.
Flames spread quickly throughout the entirety of the city and again, the smartest of the denizens fled like their lives were in jeopardy— because they literally were.
Yet again, the stragglers that fell behind the fastest of the fleeing figures were instinctively traveling to areas that they knew would hold other cities in their way.
All Edmond had to do was pick the path he wanted and follow.
Unlike the other nameless city, Ashborne City was closer to many roaming lives, so he had no issues finding food on his journey to the next feast.
'I'm unfit to be a leader. If I can't find any who can oppose the purgatory flame, then I will become the sole entity in this never-ending hell.'
He ultimately decided after recalling his time spent lazing around on a throne.
Be it pride or pure ignorance, Edmond felt that there were not many who could endanger him with his current foundation.
Hell itself was turning out to be nothing more than a feeding ground to him, so he only wondered if there were any ranchers to the cattle he was consuming.
If only he knew that the rumors of a newly born highborn were beginning to spread thanks to those who managed to survive the devastation he brought to the two cities.
Horned demons throughout the hellscape wondered just where one of their kind managed to suddenly destabilize the balance that was conceived through unspoken rules.
If a wild highborn was out there laying waste to entire cities, then they felt the need to gather their forces to face the lone threat before he could grow any stronger.
Information was sent via hellbats or quick footed demons and after a long time— before Edmond could reach the next city— warnings about a highborn child with two magnificent horns were spread far and wide.
---
In one fortified city with grand walls with watch towers and fearsome guards was a towering figure who bathed in molten lava and spewed hellfire through his nostrils.
All of a sudden, a figure burst through the doors to his chamber with a message, "I've got word of another highborn spotted in the Ashborne City! His current location is unknown, but seeing as he left it with few to tell of it's downfall, they are no doubt headed for the next."
The giant demon snorted after hearing the words of the messenger, "If you barged into my chambers, interrupting my precious bathing time, just to tell me of a power hungry nobody then be prepared to be my next meal."
The messenger felt chills run down their spine despite the hot temperature of the room, "Of course, sir! This lowly messenger is entirely at fault for interrupting your personal time, but you must understand I have a good reason for doing so!"
"Then go ahead and tell me already!"
Flames erupted from his snout as he fumed at the messenger's inadequacy.
"This highborn is no more than a child, yet he possesses two grand horns of his own."
The eyes of the demon shot open at the revelation and a grin appeared on his masculine countenance.
Alas, he only had one horn on his head and it was only a few more inches longer than Abigor's.