As the frantic energy in the chamber subsided into a languid stillness, Lyra's senses slowly returned.
The air in the room was refreshing, colder than normal, and the night was deep. Though, an average human would still find the temperature scorching and the air stifling.
She lay nestled against Adam's side, her body tingling with a deep, pleasant ache. A faint obsession lingered in her gaze as her hands roamed over Adam's sculpted muscles, over his smooth and hard red-tinted skin.
Not the faint, pale-red that Blair had, but an oddly soothing faint red.
His transformation, becoming a full grown devil, had neared its completion. His tail, horns, and many more minute details were nearing their full potential.
Even the budding bumps on his back for wings were growing firmer; though the wings would only bloom once he crossed the threshold into the Awakened Devil Realm.
The realm that signified a true, fully grown devil.
Her gaze drifted across the room.
Agri was still crouched in the corner, frustrated, her naked body tense, her feral eyes watching them with a hunger that was almost painful to see.
'A pitiful creature indeed~' Lyra briefly thought.
Her expression that of an abandoned kitten.
"Fuush~", "Fuush~", "Fuush~"
A shuffling sound pulled her gaze from Agri.
Blair was on her hands and knees, trying to scuttle away pathetically.
A malicious, mocking smirk tugged on her seductive red lips as she gazed at Blair's violated anus; desperately closing, leaking, and quivering.
Such an entrance wasn't used to such… activities. Therefore, the distraught demoness had to expel the overwhelmingly large amounts of fluids that were trying to escape.
Such an act would be humiliating and disturbing to say the least. It would explain why Blair was running away, trying to hide the shameful action that needs to be done.
There was a flicker of smug superiority as Lyra observed her.
This was their fate, the difference in their standing.
Mentality, physique, and lineage are all instilled and solidified at the earlier stages of a fiends life.
Had Blair lived long enough, matured in strength and mind, then she would have found out of the true difference between demons and devils all on her own.
If not by first had experience, then by word of mouth or by inheritances.
Though, such matters were a bit away from them at the time being…
Lyra felt, for lack of better terms, secure.
The hierarchy, which had felt like a chain not long ago, now felt protective, like a design that ensured her stability within her new home.
Their suffering was a testament to her elevation.
It was peaceful.
Not the strained, forced peace of elven life: always being made to act proper, to stay within the rules, and to never explore.
She had true power, dictating the life's of others, enjoying pleasures she never knew existed.
"Mhhhmmm~" Contentment morphed into a moan as Lyra stretched her body onto Adam's embrace.
In the quiet aftermath, their first true conversation began with casual murmurs of two powerful, royal beings enjoying each others company.
"This... teleportation," Lyra began, her voice husky, her head resting on his chest as she made twirls with her fingers on his abs, "Where would we go?"
The question was layered; it was about strategy, but also about destiny.
'Our destiny.'
Adam's hand traced patterns on the smooth skin of her back.
"Wherever we wish. A place where we can explore beyond our defenses, a place filled with treasures. The point is the freedom. A place where we can grow and overtake mortal worlds."
Lyra fell silent for a moment, considering. Her own vengeance was tied to a certain mortal realm, to the elves who had burned her.
"My old world..." She muttered, the words bringing back lingering old pain.
Adam's fingers stilled.
"A starting point," He agreed lazily, his voice a low rumble against her ear, "A place to hone our strength. But it is a stepping stone, Lyra, not a destination. Our kingdom will be built across worlds, not on the graves of a single, insignificant race." Adam's red eyes met her silver gaze.
It was a correction, an expansion of her vision.
He was not just offering her revenge; he was offering her an empire, and the scale of it was terrifying and exhilarating.
It wasn't a simple journey, it was a greater goal!
"And them?"
Lyra asked, her eyes flicking towards Agri and the spot where Blair had disappeared. Her tone was casual, yet a flicker of darkness deeper in her eyes seemed to be testing the waters.
"What is their place in this so called kingdom?" She probed the boundaries of her new authority.
Adam's chuckled darkly.
Her desires and worries laid bare before his domineering red eyes.
"Tools, weapons, pleasures, pets. They have their uses, but a queen does not need to concern herself with the specific purpose of every blade in her armory. She only needs to know that they are sharp, and that they will obey."
The answer was both satisfying and unsettling.
It once again confirmed her place within the group, but it also hinted at something more chilling.
"That will do, I suppose…" Though, Lyra couldn't care less about the situation anymore.
She was in first place, that was all the mattered.
As they lay in their dirtied bed, they murmured and contemplated on what their future hold: their new base, what will be achieved, and how they sought to torture their foes.
It was the first, calm, non-sexual weaving of their destinies.
Though, their hands were anything but innocent as they lazily talked into the night.
The perpetual gloom of hell's night was a deeper shade of blood-soaked velvet, a time when most demons and devils sought some semblance of rest.
But not Kaelgor.
While Adam indulged in the fleshy softness of his harem, Kaelgor was on the hunt, moving with a purpose that was both grim and transactional. His blazing gaze was filled with fiery anticipation; as within his heart he could no longer holdback his desire to leave, to loot, and to finally be free of a deal he once thought was good.
Therefore, he had a bargain to fulfill with a newborn devil.
Thankfully, his search was not difficult.
His daughter, like most of his spawn, was a resource he kept within his domain, a tool to be used when needed.
Of course, given the fast growth rate of demons and devils, his children had short 'shelf life's'. The greater majority of his children had left the first layer, leaving very few with at any given moment. Even less were true bloods.
Kaelgor quickly found her in the forge buildings adjacent to his main castle: a vast, open space ringing with the harsh and sharp 'clanks' of hammers hitting on abyssal steel.
It was where he had demons work on armors and weapons, not only for himself, but also the quota that had to be sent to lower layers or other realms.
At the side, his daughter wasn't one of the demon brutes working on the anvils, instead she was overseeing the demons.
A minor command, a test of her burgeoning authority.
A special treatment that would not only go towards his spawn, but to any devil that worked under him.
Their status didn't allow them to do the same task, after all.
Alas, as Kaelgor no longer had any devil subordinates; not since Lord Gorael had started his secret plans regarding Adam.
At it's peak, Lord Gorael's stakes in this part of the 1st layer were one million square kilometers, as opposed to the 100,000 of now, and 10 peak-tier lesser devils, with over several lower tier devils and over 100,000 thousand demons; though not all well armed.
All of that reduced for secrecy and deception.
Kaelgor shook his head slightly, amazed at the losses that a Devil Lord could take; as this territory was only one of many under Lord Gorael's command…
Pushing the stifling thoughts out of his mind, he looked towards his daughter.
Her silhouetted stood against the dying embers of a massive furnace, and even in the oppressive heat, a chilling assessment ran through Kaelgor mind.
She was beautiful, as all pure-blooded initially devils were; a cold, uncaring, lethal kind of beauty.
Her skin was a deep crimson hue, smooth and unblemished. Her hair was a cascade of beautiful, black obsidian that fell around her shoulders. But it was her horns that were most distinctive: a pair of small, elegantly spiraled purple horns, like those of a ram, curling back from her temples.
They marked her lineage clearly as a royal.
She had the appearance of a mortal girl on the cusp of womanhood, an illusion of softness and innocence that violently contrasted the hellscape that birthed her.
Her eyes, irises of molten gold, held a chilling hunger that devoured the light. While her soft skin did little to hide the perfect contours of her subtle muscles. The very air around her seemed to be reactive; demonic mana flickered and collided with the dust particles and ash; creating tiny sparks and explosions.
She had reached the high-tier lesser devil realm not long ago.
Still, none of this mattered, as to Kaelgor, she was not his child, but instead an asset that had recently appreciated in value.
He approached, his heavy footsteps announcing his presence.
The demon smiths immediately prostrated themselves, trembling.
His daughter turned, her piercing golden eyes widening slightly in surprise before she quickly converted her features into a mask of respect.
She bowed her head.
"Lord Father!"
Kaelgor did not waste time on pleasantries. His gaze was a physical weight, scanning her, evaluating her like a piece of livestock. Unfortunately, she Had no choice but to stay silent under his gaze.
"Saphira," He said as if he were reading the name of a cereal brand, "You have progressed adequately."
"Thank you, Father," She replied, her voice steady, though a flicker of wariness danced in her golden eyes.
She knew this man; praise was never given without a price. No meeting was meet out of boredom.
"I have a task for you," Kaelgor continued, his tone leaving no room for refusal, "A mission of great importance. It requires discretion, and a devil of your... particular qualifications."
He stepped closer, the flickering flames of the massive forges were nothing compared to the intensity of his presence. Every step seemed to force those weaker than him to bow down.
Kaelgor glanced around at the nervous and curious observes with an uncaring expression before striking his gaze back at his daughter.
"I have struck a deal with a particular individual." He said.
Saphira, now kneeling before her giant of a father, looked up with hidden nervousness, quietly awaiting further explanation.
"Your cooperation will be needed, as you will work with this individual for an… indiscernible amount of time."
"W-what am I to do, no~" Hesitation and reluctance intertwined as her facade threatened to break, "No, what am I not allowed to do?"
To refuse, or to escape?
What about killing?
Kaelgor understood, but such things couldn't be questioned openly; even if he doubted Adam could listen in on their conversations while he was caged.
Regardless, he had to have her act obediently, as any mishap could ruin his plans, and prevent Adam from escaping. Such an act could lead to his death.
Thinking thus, his expression end hardened as his demonic, malevolent aura became more focused onto Saphira.
"You are to offer him your service. Your complete and utter loyalty," His eyes bored into hers, imparting an unassailable command.
"You are to do as he says!"