Story: I'm a Daemon, so what?
Disclaimer: I do not own the original setting.
Chapter 101: Repairing Lune
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- Arcueid -
"Excellent. I am glad that we could come to an agreement." She said with a pleasant smile on her face.
The portly faced man she was talking to growled. "You vile demon!"
Arcueid's smile deepened, the sharp glint in her crimson eyes contrasting her deceptively sweet tone. "Oh, such words. You wound me, truly." She whispered, her voice dripping with mockery. She could enjoy toying with Humans from time to time just like any other Daemon could. She saw it as a waste of energy normally, but this time it would just be the cherry on top, it was best to make sure none of the wise counselors got any ideas.
She was glad that she listened to her Lord's partner when the being said that there would be an opportunity to acquire more power for her Lord.
The man's fists clenched as he glared up at her, but he was losing his defiance, he knew that she held all the cards.
Her Aura was spread throughout the room, not potent enough to physically or mentally harm any of the counselors, but sufficient enough for intimidation purposes.
She was going through the counselors, one by one, putting the blackmail she had on them on the table. After that it was up to them what they wished to do, so far all of them were wise enough to not protest against her. They were politicians first, they knew when they were cornered. She had enough to ruin each of their political careers, excluding the physical threat that she could become, which she was sure was also on their minds.
Perhaps they would get ideas in the future after her attention seemed to be elsewhere, but she would always know, and that's when she would replace them completely.
Arcueid took her time, eyes scanning the room, locking onto each counselor in turn. "Now then." She continued, flicking her wrist dismissively at the trembling man before her. "You all will play your part. Johann was just the first. I'd hate to see what would happen if any of you decided to… disappoint me."
She knew she was being rather heavy handed, but this was an optimal time frame to take control of the Council of the West. Her Lord may not have asked for such a thing, but one could not underestimate the influence of soft power. Wielding a vast amount of soft power over the entirety of the Western Nations will be very useful, if only because her Lord wishes to help Lord Rimuru out.
A few of the counselors visibly paled at her words, their bravado dissolving into nervous glances at one another. Some shifted uncomfortably in their seats, while others sat rigid, refusing to betray their fear but failing miserably in concealing it. All in all it was a rather amusing game.
Now only three counselors remained, all three of them were staring at her without flinching, hiding their fear away. One was the brother of the King of Ingrassia, Ingrassia was a thriving and powerful Kingdom in the West, it wasn't surprising that a Duke of such a nation had an inflated sense of self worth. Not to mention he had relation to one of the defunct Five Elders giving him more status than most others in the Council.
The second and third were both also at a similar status, the three of them practically led the Council of the West due to the soft power of the Five Elders behind them.
The three of them saw Johann's state yet they continued to be rebellious, she didn't know whether they were just being foolish or courageous. Perhaps they still believed Granbell would come and save the day? She didn't know of Granbell's current state, but she did not think her Lord would allow the opportunity to take out another annoyance slip by. Granbell had made himself into a clear threat, and this was a rather blatant opportunity to get rid of him without any fanfare.
"Now for you three." She said as she sauntered towards the head of the table. At the head was Duke Alfred Ingrassia, the brother of King Aegil Ingrassia. Sat to his right was Samuel Doran, brother of King Doran. Samuel was also one of the Five Elders, he had likely come to this meeting personally due to the interest the Five Elders had taken in Tempest.
The Kings of the General Kingdom of Doran took on the first name of Doran when they ascended the throne. Then finally sat to the left of Duke Alfred was Ralph Siltrosso, brother of the King of Siltrosso, he was also a descendent of Granbell's and the uncle of Mariabell Rosso, meaning he had an even larger ego than most of the counselors here.
He likely thought that everything would be fine, that the unbeatable Granbell would make sure that everything worked out, he was too foolish to realize that Samuel, one of the Five Elders, seemed to be a bit nervous. It was rather amusing just how out of touch with the world most Humans were. Though she wouldn't solely blame them for that, the Humans with power kept the other Humans uninformed, ignorant. They were easier to control that way, yet Arcueid still found it rather pitiful.
Ralph Siltrosso stared her dead in the eye once she was in front of him. "You will not cow us into submission like the rest of these poor excuses for counselors, wench." He spat out.
She raised a brow. "Amusing." Before she could continue she blinked as Space seemed to twist for a moment, and in the blink of an eye, Sukuna stood before her. His four arms, covered in dark, jagged markings, crossed casually over his chest.
He wore a rather smug grin as his eyes ran over the various counselors, each councilor shivered the moment he gazed at them. He was dressed rather neatly in a suit and tie, similar to Diablo.
She raised a brow at Sukuna's presence. Neither Benimaru or Souei reacted other than tensing slightly once they sensed the spatial distortion before relaxing upon seeing who it was.
"Sukuna." She said.
Sukuna bowed lightly. "Lady Arcueid." He then turned to Benimaru and Souei. "Sir Benimaru, Sir Souei." Sukuna greeted casually. He didn't see either Benimaru or Soeui as threats, but he seemed to respect them at least somewhat.
While they were technically equals as subordinates of their Lord, there was still a distinct status difference between the top of the Seven Demonic Generals and the bottom levels. While most of the others didn't refer to other Demonic Generals with titles, Sukuna was different as he respected strength above all. Since she was stronger than him he called her with the "Lady" suffix.
"It is nice to see you again, Sukuna." Benimaru said as Souei nodded along.
"Indeed, the last we saw of each other was during the Founding Festival." Sukuna said with a sigh. "Ah, the bloodshed of that night was truly wondrous."
Benimaru's lips twitched at Sukuna's proclamation but he didn't say anything, internally she agreed with Sukuna. She hadn't had much of a chance to let loose a bit and kill some mortals that crossed her. The Founding Festival was a truly pleasant occasion if only due to the bloodshed she caused.
"Why are you here Sukuna?" She asked with a sigh. The counselors were watching them with blatant fear in their gazes, some even had a hint of hope, though that hope was quickly fading. Perhaps they thought Sukuna was an enemy of hers and would take her out?
"Ah, my apologies for disrupting you, Lady Arcueid, but our Lord sent me here to see if I could be of assistance."
Her lips curled upwards. "I see, if Lord Felix has sent you to be of assistance then I will of course not turn you away." She didn't quite need any assistance, however she was sure her Lord was merely looking out for her.
She knew him well enough to know that this was not a dig at her own capabilities, he just worried from time to time which was rather heartening. No one had ever tried to look out for her of all people. She was the big bad Primordial Daemon after all, so it was a rather interesting feeling for someone else to look after her.
She couldn't say it was unpleasant, in fact the feelings that sprouted in her chest were rather wondrous and she couldn't wait to explore them further. It felt similar to what she felt for her dear Blanche, yet slightly different in nature.
She shook her head, now was not the time to ponder deeper on her own changes since incarnating.
"Very well then. My goal is to gain control of this Council so they can be used for our Lord and Lord Rimuru's ends." She added the last part mostly for Benimaru and Soeui's sakes.
Sukuna clapped. "What excellent initiative! Yes, surely our Lord will be happy if we gift him the vaunted Council of the West!"
"Demon Lord Felix, huh?" Ralph Siltrosso said. "It seems we now know who to blame for this mess. Do not think that the pathetic Demon Lord you call Lord will escape the consequences of his actions."
The moment Ralph uttered his threat, Arcueid's eyes flashed, and an intense wave of Demon Lord's Haki swept over the room like a crashing wave.
Crackles of blackish-red lightning shape energy spiralled across the room and crashed into the barriers.
The oppressive aura bore down on the counselors, seeping into their very bones and making the air feel heavy, suffocating. Even the remaining defiance in Ralph's expression faltered as he gasped for breath, his hands trembling involuntarily. She hadn't unleashed the full power of her Haki, if she had all the counselors would be dead.
Around the table, the other counselors instinctively clutched their chests or gripped the arms of their chairs as if bracing against an invisible weight. Their faces contorted in terror, and their gazes snapped away from her, unable to bear the full intensity of her gaze.
Arcueid's voice, cold and calm, sliced through the silence. "You dare speak of consequences?" She said, her tone laced with lethal amusement. "Lord Felix is far above the so-called consequences your meager power can deliver."
"Khaha, well said Lady Arcueid!" Sukuna joined in as his own Aura similarly pressed down on the counselors.
Ralph's bravado was mostly gone, his face now drained of color as he struggled to keep his composure. He gritted his teeth, but his body betrayed him, shivering under the crushing force of her presence.
The once-defiant Duke Alfred stared at his shaking hands, unable to look up, while Samuel Doran remained frozen in place, his arrogance now shattered. She had barely even used a fraction of her Demon Lord's Haki as she hadn't wished to kill all the humans in the room, yet it seemed even that may have been too much.
Sukuna slowly walked forwards. "So these three are the ones left causing you trouble?"
She withdrew her Haki as she looked to Sukuna. "I would not say they are causing me trouble, I merely am having to… convince them a bit more than I expected."
She disliked resorting to torture for she felt it was beneath her, she far preferred to dominate over others with her words alone.
"Khaha, it seems as if these people do not understand their positions. They are weak, and so they should bow." Sukuna chuckled, his voice dripping with menace. He took a step forward, and the air seemed to ripple around him, dense with malice. "Well, if they are so intent on keeping their dignity, allow me to strip it away piece by piece. There is no need for you to dirty your hands, Lady Arcueid."
She raised a brow before stepping back. "Very well, but do try not to kill them. It would be bothersome to have to deal with their replacements in a similar fashion."
"Khaha, you do not need to worry about that." Sukuna said as he approached Ralph, Duke Alfred and Samuel.
The Duke of Ingrassia stiffened, his face a mix of defiance and barely-concealed fear, while Samuel Doran and Ralph Siltrosso glared back, stubbornly masking their unease. Samuel Doran sneered, his voice trembling only slightly as he spoke. It was honestly rather impressive that they were so defiant even with Sukuna's menacing Aura beginning to leak out of him. The other councilors had paled and were currently shaking.
"Your tricks don't scare me, demon." Samuel spat, though his hand twitched toward the table, fingers pressing hard against the wood to keep steady. She smirked in amusement, from one moment he was scared and the next he regained his courage. What an odd little Human.
Sukuna's smile grew wider, a gleeful smile on his face. "Is that so? Then let's make it... memorable." His fingers flicked upward with a deadly precision, and in a flash, Samuel's right arm was cleaved from his shoulder, the flesh and bone splitting cleanly as though it were mere paper.
Benimaru looked on with a stoney expression, same with Souei. Both were Majin, they knew the nature of how this world worked.
"Dismantle, hmm?" She mused out loud.
She was aware of Sukuna's skillset, Dismantle allowed him to cut things with an invisible slash, while Cleave is the second slashing attack that adjusts its power depending on the target's toughness and energy level to cut them down with one attack. Though for Cleave Sukuna had to be making physical contact with his target if he hadn't already deployed his Domain.
Domain Expansions were rather interesting in Arcueid's view, she had been working on developing her own as an idle curiosity yet she gained a World System Skill from her evolution.
Sukuna's World System Skill hadn't been able to affect her much, though that was due to the sheer difference between them, a difference that had only widened with her evolution.
His abilities truly had quite a lot of potential, Sukuna had been training to cut apart more esoteric things like the souls of stronger individuals. As he was now he could cut the souls of weaker people apart, but the souls of stronger people were far more resistant to any negative effects.
So far he hadn't succeeded in that endevor but he had succeeded in others, like cutting apart magic circles, elements, Aura, and even Haki as well as various other things.
She watched with disinterest as the counselor let out a strangled scream, his face paling as he clutched the bloody stump, blood pooling between his fingers. Sukuna tilted his head, as though watching with detached curiosity, while the other two counselors sat frozen, their defiance quickly crumbling into horror.
"Still not impressed?" Sukuna asked mockingly, his gaze now boring into Duke Alfred, whose resolve visibly faltered.
Ralph Siltrosso, though visibly shaking, managed a glare. "You think this will change anything? Granbell will—"
Before Ralph could finish, Sukuna's hand whipped forward, and an invisible slash sliced through the air, severing his left leg just below the knee. Ralph collapsed, gasping in pain, his face contorted in agony. Sukuna chuckled softly, his expression a mix of sadistic delight and mild disappointment.
"Pathetic." He sneered, stepping over Ralph's writhing form as he approached the Duke. "Tell me, do you think you're any different?" He reached out, grabbing the Duke by his collar and lifting him effortlessly from his seat.
The Duke gasped, his bravado finally shattering as he struggled against Sukuna's grip. Sukuna leaned in close.
"From now on, you will obey every word my companion speaks. Or I promise, I'll dismantle you all... slowly."
He dropped the Duke back into his seat with a flick of his wrist, and the three bloodied, broken men sat in stunned silence, their rebellious spirit shattered beyond repair. Sukuna turned to Arcueid with a smirk, gesturing to the now thoroughly subdued council.
"Is that enough?" He asked.
She smirked. "More than enough." She said as she eyes the now submissive trio.
- Luminous Valentine -
She watched silently as Granbell, the once-proud hero, slowly lifted his gaze to the darkening sky. His eyes, once burning with conviction, now flickered with the last remnants of life.
"A-Ah… just wait for me… Maria." His voice cracked as the final name escaped his lips, his hand barely grazing the hilt of the sword, Truth, which stood stabbed into the earth beside him. With a shuddering breath, he collapsed onto his back, his body finally giving out.
She shuddered lightly as Granbell's lifeforce flew through her being, her reserves had increased by approximately 20% due to practically eating Granbell's lifeforce.
"A fool till the end" Luminous whispered softly to herself. Her words held no malice, only some regret for the man who had, in the end, remained true to his own misguided ideals.
She truly saw Granbell as a friend once upon a time, and a rival once upon a time. She would allow her anger at him to fade in his death.
A small, almost bittersweet smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Granbell was once truly a great man, to see him reduced to such a state was rather unfortunate.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the familiar presence of Felix, who appeared beside her without a sound. Rimuru had already left once the fight was over, he said he wasn't interested in hearing any more monologues. He also wanted to check to head back to the meeting with the Council of the West to make sure everything was fine on that front.
Kurumi was still lazily resting on his shoulder, seemingly content to just be there.
"That went a bit differently than I expected." Felix remarked, his tone casual.
Luminous gave a slow nod, her gaze lingering on Granbell's still form. "Indeed." She agreed. "It was almost as though I was speaking to a younger Granbell at the end, the one who hadn't lost his vision, his drive. The one who still believed in what he fought for. A Granbell who truly Hoped from the bottom of his heart."
Felix crossed his arms, staring down at the fallen hero. "I can see the appeal, he seemed almost… inspirational near the end there. I can see why he was considered a Champion, he certainly had the charisma for it."
Luminous allowed herself a moment of silence before responding. "He was once a truly grand Hero." She paused. "A man who led others with unwavering conviction. But somewhere along the way he lost himself."
"At least he ended up passing on some goodies. I didn't expect him to give his Hero's Egg to Hinata, and then he even gave you his Ultimate Skill to pass on. He was feeling really generous." Felix mused.
She nodded. It was rather ironic that their Ultimate Skills were so similar in nature but were also practically opposites, hers specialized in death while his in life.
Granbell's Ultimate Skill wasn't quite that compatible with her, she managed to loosely bind it to her soul with Life Domination, she could easily remove it and pass it on to another individual if she desired.
She could feel the Skill lightly testing her will, but she kept it tightly bound in chains. She was used to it with Asmodeus, and somewhere along the line Asmodeus had submitted. The Sin Series Skills were never particularly loyal, they required domination to be wielded properly.
"I don't think Hinata will be very compatible with it though. Those Virtue Series Skills and Sin Series Skills tend to have minds of their own. If they don't like their wielder they'll rebel."
She nodded. "Indeed. I do not think Sariel will be very compatible with Hinata either. But I promised Granbell to try. If not then I will retain Sariel until I find another worthy wielder for it."
Felix shrugged. "Maybe it'll fit Chloe. She does have a Manas so maybe she can handle it a bit better."
She nodded. "Perhaps. Speaking of Manas, will you be explaining Othinus." She asked with a raised brow.
Felix tilted his head. "Othinus told you huh?" Felix didn't seem to be bothered with Kurumi overhearing, so she didn't bother trying to conceal anything from Kurumi. If he trusted Kurumi then she would trust his judgment.
She nodded. "Partially, she merely confirmed it, I had suspected it when I saw her appear from you."
Felix shrugged. "Sure, I don't mind sharing a bit about her. What do you want to know?"
"How was she born for one?" The only Manas she knew of was Chronoa was originally just a mass of negative emotions. She didn't think Felix had something similar to that in his pocket.
"Keep this secret for one, but Othinus was actually born from one of my Skills. A very specific series of events had to occur but through a series of what I would call miracles, Othinus was born."
Luminous hummed. "I see."
Manas could be born from Skills? How intriguing. She didn't ask more as she was aware everyone had some secrets they wanted to keep mostly hidden, though she already had some ideas as to how that was possible, her own Asmodeus also held a will of its own after all.
Felix, ever greedy, approached Granbell's longsword, Truth, still lodged in the ground next to Granbell's body. She still remembered her beloved Night Rose clashing against Granbell's Truth ages ago. Truly time passed by far too quick, even for an immortal.
"He wanted Hinata to have this right? I suppose I'll pass it on to her when she wakes up. Maybe she can pull a Kirito and dual wield?"
She noticed the spatial phenomena that was always present around Felix dissipating as his hand moved towards the hilt, but the moment his fingers brushed against the blade, Truth erupted in a surge of explosive energy, sending sparks flying and forcing Felix to yank his hand back.
Kurumi growled lightly at the blade, which was rather adorable, especially considering how Truth as a weapon had more energy than Kurumi.
"Man, that actually stung a little bit. Stupid Holy Power." Felix sighed as he shook his hand in mild irritation which was a testament to his own strength. Holy Power was basically poison to beings of demonic nature like Felix, at least Holy Power not their own. Felix could likely control Holy Power of his own that he gathers from his own Faith. Truth's Holy Power was particularly potent with an EP of over 1,500,000, and yet Felix shrugged off a full blast of that much Holy Power, even she would be severely wounded by something like that.
"Fufufu, letting your guard down around even the weapon of a foe is foolish." She said with an amused smirk.
Felix rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah." He then looked back at the weapon. "Geez, you don't like me, I get it, but I'm just going to be holding on to you for a bit. I even lowered Infinity so that you could get a feel for me." This time, Truth allowed him to grip it without resistance, its fiery spirit seemingly satisfied with his intentions. With a swift motion, Felix tucked the blade away into his Spatial Storage.
"Shitty weapon." He grumbled, clicking his tongue in annoyance.
Luminous couldn't suppress the small chuckle that escaped her lips. "Fufufu." She laughed softly, her eyes glinting with amusement.
Felix shot her a quizzical look. "What?"
She shook her head. "It is nothing."
The silence stretched on between them, filled only by the distant hum of the wind. Luminous's eyes remained fixed on Granbell's lifeless form, her mind drifting back to a time when he had stood at the height of his power, leading armies with unwavering confidence. Those armies were led against her in fact, his forces against hers while the two of them would duke it out. There was no clear victor between them back then. He had been someone she respected, even if they hadn't always seen eye to eye.
As an immortal she hadn't gotten close to many individuals who had ended up passing away. It was always a unique experience for her, it had been some time since she felt that familiar pang of loss. She felt Felix gently place a hand on her shoulder.
She shook her head. "There is no need for that."
Felix pulled back his hand. "If you say so. At least this is all finally over and done with. Now there is just the Eastern Empire to worry about. After that hopefully we can relax for a few years."
She raised a brow. "I was thinking a few centuries."
Felix rolled his eyes. "You immortals have no sense of time."
"You will soon be the same as us." She retorted.
Felix shrugged. "Probably."
"Now I suppose we should coordinate a meeting between our forces now hmm? This meeting will have aftershocks that will resonate throughout the Western Nations. It would be best to put on a strong front to make sure the Eastern Empire doesn't see now as a time when we are weak. It would be rather annoying if they attacked now."
Felix nodded. "That would be a good next move." Felix gestured to Granbell's corpse. "What do you want to do with that?"
"I will bury him next to Maria's marked grave. I suppose I will also bury Maria's corpse as well since Granbell had made use of it."
Felix nodded.
She kneeled down and placed a hand on Granbell, storing him in her own Spatial Storage.
She turned to Felix. "Come, there is more to be done if you are not busy."
Felix nodded. "I'm down to help you out a bit, I already promised to repair the material damage to Lune."
She offered her arm to Felix, he promptly locked arms with her. She smirked as she caught Kurumi's eye, it would be amusing to tease the fox girl. She acted mature and seductive but in reality Luminous knew she was rather innocent all things together.
As she led Felix towards one of the still standing churches Felix spoke up. "By the way can you give me Laplace? I might have a way to restore his memories, that'll be a good way to secure Sarion's loyalty."
She raised a brow. "Very well. I do not mind handing Laplace over to you, I had long since lost interest in him. He is in a forced coma in my dungeons at the moment."
Felix nodded. "I'll grab him later."
She did wish to speak to Felix a bit more, she especially wished to tease him about Hinata, it was rather blatant that Hinata was fond of Felix, and despite seeing the signs Felix seemed to be taking his time. She was aware they had a date planned, Hinata herself had told her. Back then she did all she could to not grin like a cat that caught the canary, her plan was rounding up rather well.
Soon she would have the two people she cared for in a single bed!
But now was not the time for small talk or bonding, she had her duties to fulfill as the goddess of Luminism, she would be remiss to fail in her duties.
"You said you would repair the damage to Lune's infrastructure?" She asked.
Felix nodded. "I did say that. Want me to do that now?"
She nodded. "That would be appreciated. The sooner the civilians can get back to their daily lives the better. Louis is doing his best to maintain order but despite my efforts Humans are a rather curious bunch, I would rather not test their patience."
Felix snorted. "Veldanava did seem to favor Humans for a reason."
She nodded. "Indeed, they start the weakest but they have the potential to surpass even the most ancient of beings. Back when the High Humans were around they were an even bigger force to be reckoned with. If it weren't for Guy I imagine the world would be vastly different."
The High Humans were truly almost Twilight's perfect creation, other than her of course since she was far more perfect.
They had an extended lifespan, and an absurd talent for Magic. A High Human Saint would have been a match for her before she got her Ultimate Skill, and back then she had thousands of years of experience, and reserves that dwarfed every Saint she had come across.
"I can imagine, apparently Rudra was a High Human, and according to Guy the guy had more energy than even Guy did. He was built different." Felix said.
She raised a brow. She hadn't personally met the Hero of the Beginning, but she had of course heard of him. She knew just how vast Guy's own reserves were, even now he had reserves multiple times greater than her own. It seems Rudra was not the favored student of God for no reason.
Felix sighed as he stretched his arms. "I suppose I should get on with that whole repairing the city bit." He turned to look at her. "See you soon." With that he leaped into the air leaving behind a sonic explosion that thrashed the surroundings, just giving him more work. She narrowed her eyes as her carefully prepared hair was ruined by the torrent of wind.
She shook her head as she sighed. "Louis, bring them back. It will be useful if they see this."
"As you wish, Mistress." Louis responded to her Thought Communication. Most of the Monsters had been taken care of, she believed in the capabilities of her subordinates to prevent any civilian from meeting harm.
While her citizens were under her thumb, it wasn't like she controlled each and every one of their thoughts. She was sure some had rather mixed feelings about the Western Holy Church allying with Demon Lord, and so she thought to put on a show, that was part of why she accepted Felix's offer and asked him to repair the city now.
While most of the citizens were evacuated before they got to see any rather grueling sites, the event was still fresh in their minds. It was normal to feel anger at one's home and livelihood being destroyed. Now if they saw an allied Demon Lord fixing all their issues, wouldn't that endear Felix to them? While she was sure Felix didn't personally care about what her people thought of him, it would make things a bit more convenient for her.
She didn't even blink as she felt the presence of her citizens begin to appear around Lune. While neither she or Louis were masters of Spatial Manipulation comparable to Felix, she was still rather good. She had mastered Distortion Field after all, she had taught Louis enough that short range teleportation was possible for him. The bunker that the citizens were sent to wasn't too far from Lune either. She wanted to be able to reach them quickly in case something happened.
She had built it after Granbell's betrayal once she learned about his intentions, but she couldn't be sure if he could still find out about it, for all she knew he was mad enough to go after her people to get back at her.
She looked up into the sky and watched as a burst of energy was released off of Felix, a burst of energy that encompassed the entirety of Lune.
In a flash, Lune was bathed in a warm, radiant light, almost as if a second dawn had come. Felix's energy flared brilliantly, casting a protective shield across the entire city. Buildings began to mend and reshape, stone and metal shifting back to their original positions. Shattered walls reassembled, roofs reformed, and even the cobblestone streets were smoothed, each piece snapping back into place as if time itself had reversed.
The citizens began to look around and wander in awe. Felix floated above them, a calm and focused expression on his face, his hands outstretched as waves of energy pulsed from his body, rippling through the city.
Cracks sealed, rubble disappeared, and every last detail was restored down to the smallest scratch on the walls. It was as if the battle had never happened.
His power didn't merely repair the damage, it left Lune even more vibrant and immaculate than before. Even she was left surprised seeing it in person. As an Ultimate Awakened she could see the world in a different way from most, to her perception it looked as if Felix had practically recreated Lune. Not even Material Creation could do such a thing, the walls were all organic and not made of magicules like anything made of Material Creation. This was a whole different thing and she was left rather confused at the implications.
Could Felix wield Creation?
Such a thing was something only the Star King Veldanava was capable of, even Milim hadn't inherited that from him.
- Arnaud -
Arnaud grunted as he gripped the hilt of his sword tightly as he faced one of the few remaining Monsters left. Much of the chaos had been dealt with, now only a few Monsters remained, this one in particular was a powerful Calamity Class Monster.
The few that were left were rather powerful ones, some were even on the cusps of reaching Disaster Class which would require him or one of his fellow Great Saints to take care of, or a large group of Paladins.
The creature before Arnaud was a towering beast, its body was covered in thick, armored scales. Scales that were known to be magic resistant. It was a Molten Fang Drake, a rather rare and deadly Calamity Class Monster known for its molten breath and regenerative abilities. A Dragon offshoot alone was powerful due to their heritage and scales, but an offshoot that had regeneration aspects was even more deadly.
It seems that the Arch Dragon was not the only draconic beast present, the Molten Fang Drake was an offshoot of a Fire Dragon, not as powerful as an Arch Dragon but still deadly.
He would be taking it on alone since his other subordinates were busy handling other Calamity Class Monsters, they were grouping up so they would be fine, especially since they were trained to deploy their Holy Fields whenever the opportunity presented itself.
The beast's eyes, a smoldering red, focused on him with some intelligence, and a low growl rumbled from deep within its throat as it prowled forward, claws gouging deep furrows into the torn up road with every step.
Arnaud's muscles tensed as he watched the drake's every move. He could feel the intense heat radiating from it, waves of oppressive warmth crashing against his skin. Even his Heat Resistance Skill wasn't proving to be effective in warding off the worst of the heat.
"This one will be rather annoying." He muttered to himself, his fingers tightening around his sword's hilt.
Dragons and their offshoots were always rather troublesome due to their scales, they tended to be very hard to damage.
The drake lunged, maw open wide, revealing rows of razor-sharp fangs dripping with molten lava. Arnaud sidestepped just as the beast unleashed a torrent of molten fire, scorching the ground where he'd stood moments before. Using the opening, he dashed forward, his blade gleaming with Fighting Spirit.
Arnaud swung his blade in a powerful arc. The strike cleaved into the drake's side, sending shards of molten scales scattering, but the beast barely flinched, its wounds beginning to close almost instantly as its regeneration took hold.
He clicked his tongue as the drake's regeneration kicked in. He had been expecting it but a part of him had been hoping the drake was too drained to regenerate.
Arnaud eyed the Molten Fang Drake as it loomed before him, its molten scales radiating even more intense heat as the drake gathered more and more energy. It seems that rather than overwhelming it with his full strength, he would have to use a more precise approach that would be enough to handle this beast. He tightened his grip on his sword, focusing his Aura into a calm, steady glow around him.
The drake lunged, molten jaws snapping as it tried to crush him once again. Arnaud sidestepped as he quickly reached out his hand, invoking Earth Magic with a whispered command. The ground beneath the drake's feet shifted, trapping its legs in place with a binding of solid rock. He felt his Earth Elemental assist him in the endeavor making it far easier.
With the beast temporarily immobilized, Arnaud channeled Holy Power into his blade. His reserves were running rather low so he hadn't put his all into the earlier strike, but this would have to do.
He wasn't the reactor of Holy Power that Hinata was but he wasn't favored by the Spirits for nothing.
His weapon glowed faintly as he advanced, dodging a claw swipe with practiced ease. Then, with a single, graceful slash, he drew his blade across the creature's side, interfering with the Drake's body. Hinata had taught him a bit about Spiritrons and what they could do, higher level Holy Magic made use of Spiritrons rather exclusively, and so he used that to interfere with the beast's healing.
The drake roared in pain, unable to heal as its molten energy began to cool, its strength waning with each passing moment. Moving swiftly, Arnaud spun around to the beast's vulnerable underside and struck again, this time aiming to pierce its core with minimal force, just enough to end the battle.
The creature collapsed, its molten glow fading entirely as it crumbled to ash. Arnaud exhaled calmly, sheathing his sword and casting a quick look around, most of his subordinates had dealt with the Monsters around them.
Arnaud blinked as all of a sudden the citizens that should have already been evacuated began appearing. Perhaps everything was taken care of so the goddess Luminous summoned them back?
"Protect them!" He ordered his subordinates. He didn't know whether the area was truly secure yet.
All of a sudden Arnaud froze as he heard eight ear shattering roars echo throughout the surroundings. His eyes snapped to the direction of the beast and widened as he took in a Hydra.
His eyes narrowed as he felt the energy the Hydra was releasing. It was strong.
He winced as his eardrums burst as another sonic boom echoed throughout the surroundings. He kept the Hydra in his peripheral vision as he looked towards the origin of the sonic boom.
He watched with wide eyes and a gaping mouth as Demon Lord Felix took to the skies from the other side of Lune with a fox on his shoulder.
Arnaud's eyes narrowed as Demon Lord Felix released a burst of power, his mind thinking the worst he quickly deployed a barrier as large as a city block, there was only so much he could do under pressure in a moment.
"Cover yourselves!" He yelled to his fellow Paladins who immediately got to work extending his barrier and protecting the civilians, ignoring the Hydra who was also similarly distracted by Demon Lord Felix.
Yet the worst did not happen, he watched with a gaping mouth as he witnessed the impossible feat before him. Buildings mended themselves, roads smoothed out, and debris vanished, all within a moment. It was as if the destruction wrought upon Lune had been nothing more than a nightmare, now fixed by one of the so-called enemies of Humanity, a Demon Lord.
He clenched his fists, feeling both relief and an uncomfortable sense of humility. Here he was, one of the legendary Nine Great Saints, a protector of Humanity, yet even he and his comrades together would have been hard-pressed to repair such devastation with Magic. Yet Demon Lord Felix had done so in a simple gesture, it was even more humbling than getting thrashed by Hinata on a regular basis, that was for sure.
Arnaud glanced over his shoulder to see the citizens around him, who were staring with wonder and gratitude at their restored city. It was clear that their fear of Felix, or rather their wariness of any Demon Lord, was beginning to melt away.
This display of power combined with the care shown for their home had made an impression he doubted they'd soon forget. It was only natural to be grateful to the one that had protected your livelihood and home.
He couldn't help but wonder if that was all part of her plan. To create a religion as vast as Luminism, Demon Lord Luminous had to have a scheming mind. Was this all a show to help cement Demon Lord Felix and Demon Lord Rimuru as allies? Was this entire attack a hoax? He would never know he supposed.
Before he could dwell further on it, Arnaud's senses prickled. He spun around in an instant, in the distance he could see the Hydra had begun to make its move. It slowly stomped its way towards him and his group of Paladins.
"George, Allen, Roger! Take care of the civilians in the area and escort them away!" He ordered. "The rest of you, with me!"
"Right!"
This Hydra felt like a certified Disaster Class Monster, its reserves exceeded his own. He didn't think he could beat it on his own. All of its heads eyed him directly as he ordered his men to swiftly surround the Monster. They were aiming to deploy a Holy Field in line with protocols. With a Holy Field in place it would be much easier to take care of it.
Arnaud looked up one last time only to meet the eyes of Demon Lord Felix. He was looking down at him with some interest in his eyes if Arnaud could read him correctly.
Arnaud's eyes narrowed as he considered the meaning of that look before brushing it off. Trying to understand an unstoppable Demon Lord that may be in the leagues of Guy Crimson was pointless and a waste of energy.
"I suppose I'll be nice and help you out a bit. You've done your part rather admirably after all, also my cute little student would be upset if I just let you get your shit kicked in."
Arnaud's eyes widened as a voice resounded in his head. He hadn't even felt any sort of mental link established. It was as if the very sanctity of his mind was violated, something that caused him to shiver. Were even his thoughts not respected?
Demon Lord Felix raised a hand, releasing a pinpoint beam of energy that shot across the city with unerring accuracy, striking down several of the remaining Monsters in a flash of light. All nine heads of the Hydra were pierced in an instant, a resounding thud echoed the surroundings as the Hydra's corpse collapsed.
When he looked up again the Demon Lord was gone. And one thing that Arnaud learned was that Demon Lord Felix was scary. He took out the Hydra in one casual attack, a Hydra that even if he went all out against alone he would fail to defeat. Truly it seems he didn't grasp the vastness of heaven and earth.
Arnaud blinked as he saw Saare crash beside him. "I suppose I'm a little late, aren't I?" Saare mused.
Arnaud snorted. "You could say that." Saare had become far more chill for lack of a better word since Hinata had returned. He stopped being rebellious against Hinata, seemingly accepting that she was more fit to lead them. He was far more amicable with his fellow Great Saints as well which was a relief. Saare was a valuable ally to have, it would have been a shame if they couldn't develop a true bond due to Saare's jealousy.
Saare shrugged. "It can't be helped I suppose, I was on body guard duty, you know how boring that can be."
Arnaud nodded. "How was it? You were guarding the meeting with the Council of the West and Tempest, right? In fact shouldn't you be there right now?"
Saare sighed. "Yeah, but shit happened."
Arnaud nodded in understanding. Shit was always happening it seemed.
Him and Saare blinked as they watched various people begin to kneel down on the ground and begin praying.
"Oh thank you Lord god!" One fervent man said as he cried tears of joy. Arnaud supposed he could understand, he couldn't imagine what it would feel like to know that your entire home and livelihood were destroyed.
He was fortunate in that he was strong, so he could take his services anywhere else and he would be welcomed with open arms. These people didn't have a similar privilege, their lives were here, in Lune.
More and more people began to kneel down and join the man in prayer.
Saare looked at him with a sigh. "You think she planned this?"
He raised a brow. "Who? The goddess?" He shrugged. "Maybe, I wouldn't put it past her, despite everything she is a Demon Lord. I'm sure she has her goals."
Saare sighed. "Right. Let's just hope that those goals are beneficial to Humanity."
Arnaud lightly pat Saare on the shoulder. "Relax, just trust in Hinata. Despite everything she will put Humanity first, she wouldn't hesitate to go against the goddess if she needed to."
Saare's lips pursed. "I suppose that is true. Still, we need to train more."
Arnaud nodded. That Hydra was a serious threat to him, it was a Disaster Class Monster that was capable of destroying entire Kingdoms if allowed to. He had no idea how the attackers managed to get their hands on it, but he clearly needed to get stronger.
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I am highly motivated by your guys' reviews and likes, so do that! I'll probably keep writing or something.
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Author's Note:
Hello everyone, back with another chapter of Daemon. Things are slowly being wrapped up, now there are just some after effects of all the attack to deal with. Writing Sukuna scenes is really fun, his slashing attacks just uniquely interest me.
Though we haven't had a focus on Felix's POV in a bit so I'm going to try and focus on that a bit, but other things do need to be covered.
Anyways, thanks for reading, peace.
Thanks to @Salante and @Flowerman for beta'ing this chapter.