Medici pictured the scene in his mind, and suddenly, his lingering frustration vanished. The thought of becoming the Red Priest filled him with renewed determination.
Amon's eyes lit up, and he spoke eagerly, "Need any help with that?"
Alaric and Medici turned to him. Alaric raised an eyebrow, grinning. "He's still your father's son, and you're already so eager to mess with him?"
Medici just clicked his tongue, unsurprised.
Amon adjusted his monocle with a smile. "First, he's not my father. Second, him being my brother doesn't stop me from pranking him."
"Classic Amon!" Alaric gave him an approving look, acknowledging his mischief-making credentials, before turning to the others. "Mr. Pallez, Ouroboros, you in?"
"What's the game?" Ouroboros asked curiously, his expression calm, as if he either didn't catch the earlier conversation or simply didn't care.
Alaric suspected it was the former.
Pallez, on the other hand, looked like he was sweating buckets, clearly having caught the full weight of the drama. He chuckled nervously. "These old bones aren't up for young folks' games, but I'd be happy to join the club."
Pallez knew the score. After taking down Amon's true body and scoring a Sequence 2 characteristic through the Joker Club, he was all in. The operation had far exceeded his expectations... it wasn't just cooperation anymore; it felt like Alaric had dragged him along for the fun. Nothing came free, and Pallez understood that. If he didn't pay his dues after benefiting from the club, he might end up as their next target. Fortunately, the Joker Club seemed more like a loose coalition than a rigid organization, and with its powerful members, joining wasn't a bad deal.
Alaric wasn't surprised by Pallez's response. He'd pegged him as a sharp one from the start. With a smile, he handed Pallez a Joker Club badge.
Then he turned to Ouroboros, answering his question. "It's a simple game. Everyone transforms into an animal form and plays some lighthearted games... like charades or truth or dare. Just a fun way to wrap things up."
Ouroboros seemed to half-understand, maybe less, but after a slow moment of thought, he nodded. "I want to play."
Alaric handed him a badge too.
"Well, now my club has one true god, five Kings of Angels, and a decent number of regular angels… Not bad at all!" Alaric mentally tallied the club's roster, nodding in satisfaction.
He knew most members were only loosely committed... plastic allies, like Amon, who couldn't be counted on for loyalty and might even stab him in the back. But Alaric didn't care. The club was just a platform for his amusement, a mix of true allies, friends, and opportunists. With his abilities, he had plenty of ways to keep them in line. The more they bonded, the more even the plastic members would prove useful.
As for his real inner circle, that was reserved for the likes of Medici and Grisha. Alaric knew exactly where his loyalties lay.
The Creator's faction, like the True Creator and Ouroboros, counted as allies. "But the Creator's side alone isn't enough. I might need to reach out to others…" Alaric mused for a moment, then decided it wasn't urgent. Smiling, he led the Amon-beating crew, including Amon himself, back to the other dimension.
Amon's arrival clearly shocked the group there, but the badge on his collar clued them in.
Reinette Tinekerr and the others were unfazed, unfamiliar with Amon. Klein, however, frowned and pulled "Jack Jones" aside, whispering, "What's Mr. Lucifer thinking?"
He wasn't afraid of offending Amon... Klein already saw himself as Amon's enemy.
"Probably just chasing some fun." Jack Jones shrugged. "You know how the old guy's been since… well, you know. He went from slacker to full-on mischief-maker. Now it's all about the biggest thrills."
Klein choked, then grudgingly admitted Jack was probably right. Given Lucifer's personality, letting Amon join was likely just for the chaos.
The realization left Klein exasperated and a bit worried about what Amon might stir up. But recalling the group's earlier thrashing of Amon, he felt an odd sense of reassurance. Whatever Lucifer's past struggles with Amon, the tables had turned. And from past experience, Lucifer was reliable. If he'd let Amon in, he must have a way to keep him in check.
With that, Klein relaxed.
Amon, meanwhile, was as calm as ever. He adjusted his monocle, smiling at the others. The True Creator's fanatic, the Chained God, the Death Consul… huh?
His gaze lingered on Klein, sensing something familiar yet strange. Amon raised an eyebrow, then glanced at Pallez and Bethel, smiling. "I thought he was backing one of you."
"No way, this old man can't handle that kind of responsibility. I just want to be a regular retired angel." Pallez said, shaking his head. He'd once had ambitions for the Marauder pathway's top spot, but after the Amon beatdown, those were gone. The Lord of Chaos clearly wasn't on his side... treating Amon like a punching bag. If Pallez didn't play smart, he might end up as just a pile of characteristics.
Pallez's biggest hope now was to coast as a King of Angels, or at worst, a retired angel, sticking with the Lord of Chaos for safety. At least he wouldn't have to fear Amon's pursuit anymore. The worst-case scenario was losing his Sequence 1 characteristic... not a bad deal.
***
Every 100 Power Stones and 5 Reviews will earn you a Bonus Chapter.
And if you want to read up to 50 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit our patron: pat reon . com / XElenea (remove space)