The silence in the throne room was as heavy as a shroud. Every eye, from the ancient, calculating gaze of the Empress to the suspicious glares of her ministers, was locked onto the black-armored figure standing in the center of the hall. The air crackled with a tension so thick it felt like a physical weight.
A portly minister, whose ornate robes could barely contain his bulk, was the first to break the silence. He sneered, his voice dripping with condescension. "So, you are the 'devil' the soldiers are whispering about," he scoffed. "The one who came straight from hell to aid our cause? It sounds... fabricated".
Gamma's helmet tilted slightly. "Sorry, ministry of fatness," he said, his voice a flat, electronic tone that carried an undercurrent of amusement. "But I'm the real deal".
A second minister, a stern-looking demon with a braided, silver beard, stepped forward. "Words are wind, warrior," he declared, his voice a low rumble. "Our situation is far too precarious to welcome a potential enemy spy into the heart of our command. Can you offer proof of your extraordinary claims?"
Gamma's visor swept across the room. "Anything in here expendable?" he asked casually.
The portly minister gestured with a flabby, ring-adorned hand toward the corner of the vast hall. "You may use that armor stand".
"Alright then," Gamma said, a sense of boredom in his tone. "Watch this".
He raised his pistol, the weapon looking deceptively small in the grand hall. He pulled the trigger. The sound was not a simple gunshot; it was a deafening BOOM that shook the very foundations of the castle. An explosive round streaked across the room and struck the decorative suit of armor. The stand, the wall behind it, and a good portion of the floor erupted in a shower of stone debris and twisted metal.
A wave of shocked silence washed over the ministers. Their eyes were wide, staring at the smoking crater where the wall used to be.
"See? How about that?" Gamma asked, lowering the pistol.
Another figure spoke, his voice cold and sharp. He was a younger minister, his features angular and his eyes holding a keen intelligence that the others lacked. "A powerful weapon proves you are a powerful warrior," he said coolly. "It does not prove you are a devil. Convince us further".
A heavy sigh, amplified by the helmet's speaker, filled the hall. "I really didn't want to do this," Gamma muttered. He turned his helmet toward Rie, who stood nervously behind him. "Hey, kid. You wanted to see what I really look like, right? Well, here you go".
With a hiss of depressurizing seals and the soft whir of servos, the locks on Gamma's helmet disengaged. He reached up and lifted it off, revealing his head to the demon court.
The ministers froze. Their collected gasps were stolen from their lungs. Rie's own breath hitched in her throat.
What was beneath the helmet was not the head of a man, an elf, or any known race of demon. It was something alien, ancient, and terrifyingly powerful. His skull was elongated and bone-white, framed by two large, forward-sweeping horns that curved menacingly, like the pincers of some great cosmic insect. Two smaller horns jutted from just above his temples. His face was a mask of sharp, predatory angles, with a jaw that split open to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth. His eyes, glowing with a faint inner light, held the cold, detached look of a being who had witnessed the birth and death of stars. This was not just a warrior; this was a primordial force of nature.
"What," the Empress finally spoke, her voice calm but carrying an immense weight that cut through the stunned silence, "brings a being of your stature to our world?"
Gamma took a breath, his true voice a deep, resonant baritone, unnervingly human yet emanating from that monstrous form. "Here's the situation, Your Majesty. After the first great war between my kind and the angels, a peace treaty was signed. We'd done enough damage to the universe. But a faction of angels disagreed. They rebelled".
He gestured vaguely with his hand. "I was on a transport ship, a decommissioned vessel carrying retired veterans and, more importantly, a vault of divine-tier weapons. The traitors attacked us, stole those weapons, and crashed our ship here. They're giving that hardware to your enemies, to the humans and their allies. That's an arsenal far too powerful for mortals to handle. It's not just a breach of treaty; it's a war crime, plain and simple".
As he finished, he placed the helmet back on, the seals locking with a decisive click.
The young, cold-eyed minister suddenly stepped forward, his voice ringing with newfound conviction. "Ladies and gentlemen of the court!" he declared. "I will take full personal responsibility for our... honored guest. He is the advantage we have been praying for". He turned to Gamma and bowed deeply. "My Lord, allow me to escort you to a palace befitting your station, where you may rest and contemplate our next move. I believe this audience has concluded".
"Cool," Gamma replied simply. "And hey, the oni girl comes with me".
The young minister hesitated. "My Lord, I'm sorry, but—"
"No buts," Gamma cut in, his tone leaving no room for argument. "She's my sister. She goes where I go, or I don't go with you. Your choice".
"…Understood, my Lord," the minister conceded with another bow. "You may bring her".
As they walked out of the throne room and through the grand, cavernous halls of the castle, Rie's mouth hung open in awe. She had never even dreamed of a place so large and ornate.
"Hey, Rie," Gamma said, noticing her expression. "Quick question. What's the difference between an oni and a regular demon anyway?"
Pulled from her reverie, Rie blinked. "Oh. Uh, we're basically the same species. The main difference is our horns. A demon's horns usually grow from the sides of their head and face upward. An oni's horns grow from the front and face forward, like mine".
"Wow, cool," was Gamma's simple reply.
The young minister led them down a final corridor and to a set of large, carved doors. "Your temporary residence, my Lord". He pushed them open to reveal not a lavish palace room, but what looked, to Gamma's eyes, very much like a modern, high-end office suite, complete with a large desk and tactical map displays. It was a space designed for a commander.