After walking through the lifeless wasteland for a period of time, they stopped where the soldier had directed them.
"What in God's name is this?" Francisco asked, staring at the strange sight.
In front of the group, a small red ball floated in the air, somehow survived and seemed to radiate demonic energy. Any soldiers who tried to approach the ball sensed something horrifying and immediately stepped back.
The only one unfazed was Melian as she approached the ball confidently.
"Alien Witch, what are you doing?" the Major General shouted. "What is that thing?"
"That's the heart of the Demon Lord," Melian said. Her answer sent a shiver through the soldiers, but the Major General's hatred only grew.
Standing before the ball, Melian used the small amount of divine energy she had left from the Goddess to form a magical sphere around it, preventing any demonic energy from leaking out.
"In my studies, it is said that Demon Lords are Spiritual Life Forms. They won't die unless their souls are destroyed. If there is a power that could threaten their souls, they seal it in an orb before their physical body is destroyed. The problem for them now is that they are vulnerable in that state."
"So... what do we do with this?" one of the soldiers asked, pointing at the heart.
Approaching Melian with a solemn look, Francisco took the orb from her hands.
"We're destroying it," he answered, placing the orb on the ground. He looked at one of the soldiers and ordered, "Give me your rifle."
Nodding his head, the soldier handed his rifle to the Major General. He raised the gun and aimed at the heart, ready to shoot the Demon Lord's heart to pieces, when a radio call came through everyone's comms.
[Hold your fire, General Agraviador.]
"What the…?"
"Who is this?" Melian asked through the comms that the General had given her.
[Hello, your Majesty. I am the Emperor of this nation. Emperor Juran Delroy Maximo.] The person, who reveals to be the Emperor himself, said to them.
Learning it was the Emperor himself, the group exchanged glances as Melian continued to speak, "Hello, Your Majesty. Why are you calling us?"
[I want to say first great job at handling such a big threat and succeeding. I'm also surprised you survived, General. But I've heard what you both said about this heart. And now I like you to keep it intact.]
"WHAT?!" The Major General and his soldiers reacted with outrage.
In absolute anger, Francisco shouted, "Listen here you! These abominations nearly destroyed our beloved country, killed tens of millions of people, and our fellow soldiers, and NOW YOU'RE TELLING US TO KEEP THE ONLY THING THAT CAN BRING BACK THOSE MONSTERS?!"
[I know this seems wrong to you but we need to learn more about this heart for research and scientific purposes. And if possible, we could utilize it. So do not destroy it.]
"To hell with your science club and progressiveness! Do you even hear what you are saying?! You are literally trying to research the soul of a Devil! I'm breaking this damn thing now!!"
[If ANY of you try to destroy it, there will be serious consequences. And I mean very serious ones.]
"Are you threatening me, Your Majesty?" Francisco asked in a serious tone.
[We already made an agreement, General. We allow you as you please, such as learning classified documents and multiple blueprints of unique weapons from the Science Department and the Weapon Engineering Department, but if you go against the orders of someone as high-ranking as me, things can go horribly wrong for you. Don't forget we gave you all the most freedom, the most advanced weapons, and the most living privileges out of any forces of the Liberation Army, but we can take all of it away from you and your faction as well in an instant.]
[And think of it as a trade, your Majesty. The heart and our support to you,] he said to the Elven Queen with a gentle tone.
"What are you trying to say, Juan?" The Major General asked venomously.
[All I'm just saying is that follow our orders, your division will not suffer from your choices. You and I are not the villains of this story. We do what we do to keep humanity safe and have to make choices that involve great risk, even if it's inhumane and costing our own humanity in the process. You have a choice.]
"Yeah, I choose you to go fuck yourself!"
[The decision will not be placed on you, General. It will be hers.]
Turning his head around, the Major General looked at Melian, who was feeling conflicted.
[Choose wisely, your Majesty. And take the correct one.] the Emperor urged.
Melian took a few minutes to weigh her options. She could destroy the heart in this instant and make sure that nothing bad happened, but she thought of the consequences. She knew they won't hurt her or her people, but the huge problem will be her losing the government's crucial support needed to save her country.
But if she keeps the Demon Lord's soul intact, there is a chance where the Demon Lord has returned and will unleash chaos and destruction once again.
Going deep in her thoughts for a couple of minutes, Melian lets out a huge sigh and makes her decision.
"I accept. You will have the heart."
[You made the right choice. We will officially support you in reclaiming what is rightfully yours, and we will do our best to keep the Heart from falling into the wrong hands and keep it secured. You've done well today. I expect a lot of great things from you in the future. Terminating call.]
By his words, the radio call ended, leaving an uneasy silence.
"Are you out of your mind?!" The Major General grabbed Melian by the collar and shouted angrily at her.
"I'm doing this for the both of us, General. I get the support from the government, and they won't interfere with your activities. Plus, your nation and the Goddess will be better prepared if the Demon Lord is revived. And if I reclaim the throne of my nation, I will use all my power to support you all."
"You little…"
With all the self-control and the mental mastery in his being, Francisco calmed down and thought of the conversation Melian and the Emperor had.
"Just... make sure this decision doesn't come back to bite us in the ass."
Sighing in relief and a bit surprised by Francisco's self-control, Melian added, "So long have we kept a watchful eye on the heart, my decision won't come back to bite us in the... 'ass'. Alright?"
Nodding his head, Francisco released Melian, though his expression remained stern.
"Give 20 or 10 years or less, it will backfire on us, and I probably won't live that long anyway."
"Noted," Melian replied, picking up the heart from the ground. As they headed back, she couldn't help but feel the weight of her decision.
"Fucking politicians," Francisco muttered under his breath.