Story: I'm a Daemon, so what?
Disclaimer: I do not own the original setting.
Chapter 110: Rain's Delusions
There are up to 15 chapters ahead of update schedule at [email protected]/theogbasilisk
______________________________________________________________________
- Dagruel -
Dagruel's heavy footsteps echoed through the corridor, each step reverberating like a drumbeat. His towering figure was intimidating to most, casting long shadows against the cold, dimly lit walls. His face, usually calm and stoic, bore a frown that spoke volumes.
The glow of a molten sunset filtered into the grand hall as Dagruel made his way to the training grounds. Ever since Felix and him had that conversation, Dagruel had felt a subtle sensation of hope in his chest. He knew better than anyone that relying on Felix alone was foolish; he should not be placing all his hope on another party, and he was not.
Despite the offer Felix had given him, the offer to solve almost all of the Holy Void of Damargania's problems, he would still continue to expand his resources to find another supply of all the essential goods that his people needed.
Having Felix as a sole supplier was giving another Demon Lord unprecedented power over him and his territory.
Once his people grew reliant on Felix's goods, what could he do when Felix demanded something of him under the threat of removing his aid? He would be under Felix's thumb at that point so long as neither wished to come to blows.
From Dagruel's brief observation, he did not think that Felix was that type of individual, but he had to always be prepared as a ruler. He owed it to his people.
He would be sending someone to negotiate on behalf of him with one of Felix's representatives. He had many diplomats as it was a subject that he heavily valued. Diplomacy was key for his nation since it could be what made or broke deals and alliances. However, he felt this situation needed a more personal touch, and so he was considering sending his brother, Glassord.
Glassord knew full well what this deal could mean for them, so he would do his best to acquire terms that would benefit their people.
He sighed as he thought back to the events that had occurred recently. Truly, it seems that times were changing, and it all started ever since Rimuru and Felix ascended into Demon Lords.
They truly were a troublesome lot. Ever since they joined the Council, both had been making changes to the world. Rimuru with his rapid domination over the Humans in the West, and Felix with the sheer power he commanded.
Felix was a good friend of Milim's according to his sources, and on top of that, the man had recruited and named Blanc and Jaune. Blanc and Jaune weren't serious threats to him; he was once the Mad Titan after all. It would take much more than some Primordials to get the upper hand on him. Guy was the exception among the bunch.
At least that brat Violet hadn't been bothering him lately. She always liked to play around in the West, which meant she sometimes came and caused trouble in his territory.
As for Guy…
Guy was the only man who had ever actually managed to give him a fight, other than Veldanava. His physique made him immune to all spiritron based attacks, meaning magicules, holy power, anything that was based on spiritrons, all were ineffective against him, and no amount of raw power could negate that effect.
Spiritrons were the base of various forms of energies throughout the multiverse that Veldanava created, and Dagruel and his brothers were immune to them all, with their descendents having a far lesser version of their immunity, and yet Guy still managed to stall against him.
It was important to note that back then Guy only had approximately 1/4th of the energy reserves he had now. He had fought Guy when he and his Giant army had gone against Heaven itself. It was him, his brothers, and his Giant army against Guy, and the Primordial Angels.
That alone was reason enough for Dagruel to stay on the Demon Lord Council. His respect for Guy was immense.
Guy had stalled him solely using his Fighting Spirit. Fighting Spirit was not based in spiritrons so his physique could not nullify Guy's Fighting Spirit. Even then, anyone else in Guy's situation would have lost. Despite his physique, Dagruel never relied on it primarily in a fight.
No, one of his biggest weapons was his sheer reserves; he could use his own Fighting Spirit to create a literal wall of Aura that was capable of blocking even the strongest of Disintegrations.
He was sure that Luminous was rather confident that if he attacked her in retribution she would be able to fight him, but her biggest strength was her vast holy power as the goddess of Luminism.
A small smile crept up on his face as he imagined her expression of her Disintegrations failing to even touch him. He truly did not like Luminous. She killed his best friend, and for what? Because she didn't like what he was doing in his experiments? Because he was slowly pushing her with all his experiments?
Dagruel knew full well that back then, Twilight was slowly degenerating with his methods, becoming more and more uncaring about his creations, and the consequences of his experiments, but he was still Dagruel's friend.
It wasn't as if Luminous was perfect either, the Humans under her were practically cattle.
He sighed as he allowed his hate to cool down. His hatred for Luminous had waned into mere dislike over the years. Time was truly the cruelest force in nature. He was a Spiritual Lifeform, he could have held onto his hate if he wished, but that was so… tiring.
Veldanava already branded enough hate onto him already, as well as onto Twilight and Zelanus. He did not need any more.
He wondered what his old friend Twilight would have thought of things?
He thought back to his fight with Guy. His total energy reserves surpassed that of even Velgrynd's, or at least such was the case last time he met her. And yet Guy still beat him, Guy truly was a special man; there was a reason Veldanava favored him.
And if Guy's attraction to Felix was anything to go by, then Felix was someone to keep an eye on as well. Dagruel would rather not have another Daemon of that caliber showing up now. Not when he was beginning to take action, or perhaps it could be good too; it all depended on how things played out.
As Dagruel made his way towards the training grounds he looked through the window spotting the Heaven Tower. One of the gateways to the Heavenly Star Palace, and the very same thing he had spent his life guarding.
The Heavenly Star Palace was where the True Dragon Veldanava was "born", for Veldanava was not always a True Dragon. No, he was once an omnipotent will that could wield Creation and Destruction as he pleased.
However, that omnipotent well found itself experimenting. Dagruel could not claim to understand why a being of such vast power decided they were worth creating, but it did.
And so it created everything. The multiverse, the foundation for the Laws of the Multiverse, the Voice of the World, all of it was created by the omnipotent will. Then its final creation was Veldanava itself, for it could not experience Creation as an omnipotent being, so it rebirthed itself as a living being within its own creation.
Veldanava then went on to create all the various worlds and dimensions. He created the Laws by which everything would be governed, and populated all the worlds; all while also further refining the multiverse. The omnipotent will created the base, Veldanava expanded on that base.
The Heaven Tower was one of the two remaining Holy Relics that supported the Cardinal World's existence. On top of that, it was also a seal and an entrance. More than worthy of his protection, especially since Veldanava personally asked him to do so.
Far past the Heaven Tower, he could see the Desert of Death which was the vast majority of Damargania. It was contaminated with agitated magicules from the battle of Guy and Milim and the reason why his people struggled as they did. Agitated magicules were corrupted in nature and nigh-impossible to manage.
Everything combined truly put the cards against Dagruel, he could not move or relocate his people due to the Heaven Tower. On top of that, resources were incredibly difficult to acquire. They were rich beyond measure due to the rare ore that naturally formed in the land due to Guy's and Milim's magicules, yet Humans did not look kindly upon his people, making trade difficult. And when he did trade with foreign nations, his people would struggle to cross the Desert of Death.
He was not experienced in teleportation; the amount of computational power required for teleportation was astronomical, which made what Guy's maids did on the regular all the more impressive, but that was expected for Primordials. His subordinates weren't capable of it either, so that was not a possibility.
It didn't take him much longer to make his way to the training grounds. He walked past some of the soldiers who quickly bowed.
He watched as his brother sparred with two of the warrior generals. His brother, Glassord, was his foremost General. He was the highest ranking officer directly under him. Glassord was the second strongest person in his entire territory, third if you count their sealed brother. Glassord always sealed his power to a fifth of his total power, and even then he still had at least twice as much energy as an average Saint. When unsealed, Glassord was a true monster.
Glassord spotted him but continued with his spar, Dagruel didn't mind waiting.
Around them various soldiers were scattered around, watching in awe at the fight taking place in front of them. Strength was still greatly respected among Giant culture. There were various species among his military. Giant Ogres, Cyclops, and multi-armed giants, and more, he did not discriminate. Even non Giant species could take residence here, though not many did.
Dagruel crossed his arms as he observed the clash on the training grounds. Glassord's opponents, two of the warrior generals, were no ordinary combatants. Both were renowned for their exceptional skill, and as Giants they were innately powerful in holy power. Giants, as a race, were intrinsically holy in nature as they were all offshoots of him and his brothers, who were some of the most holy beings in existence due to the nature of their birth.
The warrior generals were all Greater Giants, each over 1,000 years old. The lifespan of a Giant was 500 years generally, yet the Greater Giants had all managed to surpass their limits and extend their lifespans. For that, they were rewarded with position and power.
The Greater Giants did not possess his Magic Nullification physique, yet they did still have extremely powerful Magic Resistance. Almost no normal, magicule-based attacks could affect the Greater Giants; though if someone had enough raw power, they could break through the Magic Resistance they possessed.
Still, they were capable of dismantling even the most experienced of Enlightened with ease, and the stronger ones could even give a Saint a good fight.
Dagruel smiled as some of the younger Giants continued to watch the spar. Younger Giants were mostly reincarnations of older Giants. They carry on their power and rage into the modern days. This allows them to build up on their power over lifetimes.
Dagruel's gaze focused back on the spar. He had not seen Glassord or any of his warrior generals fight in some time. He was curious about their progress.
The spar continued with a flurry of movement, belying the size and weight of the combatants. One of the generals, a towering Cyclops wielding a massive war hammer, charged forward; his weapon crackling with Fighting Spirit.
All Giants and beings part of their sub-species were powerful in Fighting Spirit and Aura in general. The other, a multi-armed Giant armed with dual holy blades, flanked Glassord with precise, fluid strikes aimed at exploiting any opening.
Dagruel smiled at their progress. He had known them since they were children, to see them now made him feel as if everything he had done had some worth to it. He had given his people the best lives that he could.
Glassord met the Cyclops head-on, his greatsword swinging upward in a devastating arc that collided with the war hammer. The impact unleashed a shockwave of holy energy, forcing the surrounding soldiers to brace themselves against the sheer force. Sparks of light danced in the air as the two weapons clashed, the Cyclops gritting his teeth under the overwhelming pressure of Glassord's strength. Glassord was far from going all out. If he was, then the fight would already be over.
Without missing a beat, the multi-armed Giant closed in from the side, his dual blades moving like a whirlwind, each glowing with Fighting Spirit. The strikes were fast and relentless, aimed at bypassing Glassord's defenses. Yet, Glassord's movements were fluid and controlled. With a subtle shift of his stance, he parried one blade with his greatsword while deflecting the other with the bracer on his free arm.
The Cyclops roared, swinging his hammer in a wide arc, aiming to capitalize on the distraction. Glassord twisted, his greatsword moving with incredible speeds to intercept the blow.
He allowed the shockwave of their clash to pass through him as Glassord redirected the hammer's momentum, sending the Cyclops staggering back, and followed up with a sweeping strike that forced both opponents to retreat momentarily.
"You'll have to coordinate better than that." Glassord said, his tone calm but approving.
The generals exchanged a quick glance, nodding in silent agreement. The Cyclops slammed his hammer into the ground, sending a shockwave of holy energy rippling toward Glassord. At the same time, the multi-armed Giant leapt into the air, his blades glowing as he descended in a flurry of strikes.
Glassord didn't flinch. He raised his greatsword, channeling his own holy power into the blade. With a single swing, he cleaved through the shockwave, dispersing it in a cascade of light, and met the Giant's assault mid-air. The sound of metal meeting metal echoed across the grounds, each clash radiating bursts of energy that left scorch marks on the terrain.
Dagruel sighed. He'd need to get someone to fix all this damage. At least the barrier contained the damage from spreading any further. He may not have been a magical expert but he had formations set up long ago around the training ground for scenarios like this.
The Cyclops charged again, this time with a feint. He swung his hammer low, aiming for Glassord's legs, but at the last moment shifted upward, targeting his torso. Glassord saw through the ploy, sidestepping the initial strike and pivoting to avoid the upward swing. He countered with a precise horizontal slash, the sheer force of which sent the Cyclops skidding backward.
Dagruel raised an impressed brow. Not at Glassord, but at his generals. They had improved quite a bit since he last watched them fight years ago. Their teamwork back then had been horrendous; they were getting in each other's ways. Both were used to being the top dogs, not needing to rely on another to win a battle. Glassord saw this and sought to correct them.
There were five warriors generals total, here were only two of them. Dagruel could only imagine that Glassord was running the others through similar drills.
The multi-armed Giant pressed his advantage, aiming to overwhelm Glassord with speed. Yet Dagruel knew that it would fail. With a single powerful spin, Glassord deflected all four blades, the force of his counterstrike knocking the Giant off balance.
"Enough." Glassord commanded.
Both generals froze, panting heavily but standing tall, their expressions a mix of frustration and respect.
"Well done." Glassord said, sheathing his greatsword. "Your coordination has improved, but you must anticipate your opponent's adaptability. Predictable patterns are a death sentence against stronger foes."
The generals bowed deeply. "Thank you for the lesson, Commander."
As they stepped back to dismiss the soldiers, Dagruel approached, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Impressive as always, Glassord." Dagruel said. "Even when you're holding back, you make it look effortless." He did genuinely admire Glassord. Dagruel always preferred his fists over weapons, but he knew his brother's mastery over the greatsword was matched by almost none. Glassord had spent thousands of years further refining his swordsmanship. If it couldn't be considered divine then nothing could.
Even Dino had expressed admiration for Glassord's swordsmanship, and that was the greatest compliment the Fallen could give to anyone. Dino was and may still be the best swordsman in existence. The sword of God and the Watcher was not to be underestimated. He may not act like a refined swordmaster, but the Fallen was truly unmatched with a sword.
Dagruel knew that very well due to all the time he and Dino had spent together. The man was one of his closest friends. Even back before Dino became a Fallen they were good friends, Dino's subordinates were also rather unique individuals.
At first Dagruel only merely respected Dino for his steadfast loyalty to Veldanava, but they got to know each other and now he saw another brother in Dino. He did not wish to kick his friend out as he did, but it was for his own good.
There were factions playing in the background, factions that even Dagruel was hesitant to cross. For the strongest Angel was beginning to make his moves.
Glassord inclined his head. "It was necessary. They're improving, but they still have a long way to go."
Dagruel chuckled, clapping his brother on the shoulder. "Let's hope they never have to face someone like you on the battlefield. Come, we have matters to discuss."
The warrior generals were rather impressive; each easily capable of beating groups of Enlightened while the stronger ones could match Saints. He was glad for their improvement, as with everything happening, he had a feeling that sooner rather than later they would be needing that strength of theirs.
He led Glassord to a small booth located at the edge of the training grounds, one meant for observers.
Glassord was by far the person he trusted most in this world, they were once a single being and knew a great deal about each other. Fenn was the odd one among them who could not leave behind their chaotic ways.
Once they were in the room Glassord took a seat and looked him seriously in the eyes. "What has happened, brother? You do not normally come to me like this." Glassord began
Dagruel sighed as he leaned back against his own seat. "Demon Lord Felix contacted me some time ago."
Glassord raised a brow. "Did he? What for?" Dagruel had spoken to Glassord about the two new Demon Lords, Felix and Rimuru, so Glassord knew a bit about both of them.
"He offered me a deal, a deal that has the potential to solve all of our problems."
Glassord's brows shot up. He knew very well what kind of problems they had.
Glassord may have commanded his military, but his brother also served as his advisor. He was not always right; it was good to have another opinion from time to time.
Glassord leaned forwards, his eyes narrowed. "What has he offered?" Glassord asked.
"Food, water, infrastructure, everything that this nation lacks due to our environment."
Glassord's lips pursed. "Why would he do such a thing?"
Dagruel shrugged. "I have my suspicions, but nothing concrete. He merely reached out to me and asked for a trade agreement. In return, he wished for access to the natural resources the Holy Void of Damargania has in spades."
Glassord went on to ask about the more logistical side of things, such as how the goods will actually be traded. One of the biggest issues they had was the trek through the Forest of Death, after all. To that, Dagruel informed Glassord that Felix had stated he could create teleportation circles connecting both of their nations capable of safely transferring all the goods.
Glassord was suspicious and Dagruel didn't blame him. Teleportation of that level was possible perhaps only by a Saint who specializes in Spatial Magic. However, a teleportation circle that could do that and transport all the resources? Now that was unheard of.
"Why is he offering such a thing? He must know of our situation, everyone on the Council does." Glassord stated, and he was right. Azeroth was thriving from what Dagruel knew.
Felix's nation benefited from his close friendship with Rimuru, allowing Azeroth to get a share of the growth due to sheer association. Tempest was quickly becoming an economic powerhouse.
Not to mention Felix inherited Clayman's riches, and Clayman was the richest Demon Lord on the Council by sheer virtue of his vast trade connections. It was something Clayman always enjoyed bragging about.
Dagruel sighed. "I do not know why he is offering such a thing, that is why I wish to send you as a diplomat to the negotiations to iron out the details. Perhaps you can learn something."
Glassord nodded. "Very well. I will do my duty."
Dagruel lightly coughed. "There was one more thing."
Glassord raised a brow.
"Dagura, Liura, and Debura are in Azeroth, serving under Felix." He had sent them to bother Felix to see if he'd take them in. He already felt he had a decent understanding of his character, enough that he felt that Felix wouldn't do anything drastic at the very least.
After all, Felix was a Daemon of Black, meaning he shared a similar soul color to Noir. That allowed Dagruel to get a better understanding of Felix's character, if only barely. Daemons were ruled by the color of their souls after all.
A small smile grew on Glassord's face. "Very well, I will check on them for you."
Dagruel released a sigh of relief. "Thank you, brother."
Glassord laughed. "It is no problem, they are my nephews too. I do wonder if they have made any progress?"
Before Dagruel kicked his children out they had been stagnating in strength, content to rest on their laurels due to his own status and strength. They saw no reason to stand on their own two feet if he would always be there to support them. And while he would do all he could if they needed his help, Dagruel still believed they needed to grow as individuals to support themselves if they needed to.
Both were still very strong compared to the average of the Cardinal World, but compared to the even slightly extraordinary? They were mere fodder. A Saint could beat all three of them at once let alone anyone more powerful.
An otherworlder who trained their abilities to mastery could likely beat them in one on one combat as well, and that was unacceptable of his children. He was once the Mad Titan, a being that even Velzard, the strongest living True Dragon, would likely lose against.
His children had immense potential in their veins, and Dagruel wished to see them reach it. He had hoped that perhaps a change in environment could help spark their ambition.
Though there was another reason he kicked them out when he did. A far more important reason, their safety.
Feldway had reached out to him soon after the Walpurgis in which Felix and Rimuru were crowned as Demon Lords.
Feldway had always been a close acquaintance at best. For some reason, one of God's Angels was rather friendly with his sealed brother. The very same brother that Veldanava himself sealed due to Fenn refusing to change his ways. Dagruel would not have minded if Veldanava killed Fenn, for that was Veldanava's right as God. Yet Veldanava sought to show Fenn mercy and sealed him in the hopes that if nothing else, the passing of time could change Fenn.
The Heaven's Tower was the stairway to the Heavenly Star Palace, and Dagruel was honored to guard it. Those who did not have the key to open the main gates had no way to enter the Heavenly Star Palace except through the Heaven's Tower, and few had the key. It was he who guarded it. Though it also had another purpose. The Heaven's Tower served as Fenn's seal.
Fenn was sealed within the depths of the Tower. His reason for serving as the Tower's guard was to keep Fenn from being unleashed upon the world as well as serve as Veldanava's gatekeeper. And such had been his duty for millenia. It was why he would never leave the lands they were on now.
Fenn was powerful. Stronger than even Dagruel was, and Dagruel had fought True Dragons and Demon Lords alike without losing. Fenn was simply built different.
The three of them brothers were not split evenly, Glassord was strong but he was the weakest of them, then Dagruel himself was approximately 4 times as strong as Glassord was in his unsealed state, and Fenn was even stronger than that.
The three of them all had their Magic Nullification physique as well, Dagruel would be very afraid for the world if Fenn was released, and for some reason, Feldway was seeking such a thing.
He still remembered Feldway's Thought Communication, he had felt chills run through him back then. He had never truly liked Feldway, something was always… off about him.
- Flashback -
"My friend Dagruel, it's been a long time. I'm glad to hear you're well. I wanted to get in touch with you as soon as I got back here, but things have been crazy. I'm glad I finally got the chance to speak with you."
Dagruel rolled his eyes. It had been literal eons in Feldway's perspective, both of them knew he was bullshitting. Time in the Otherworld worked differently so far more time had passed for Feldway.
"What do you want, Feldway?" Dagruel asked with a sigh.
Feldway audibly sighed through the Thought Communication. "Straight to business? You're making it seem as if you don't want to talk with me."
"I'm glad you understand." He responded.
Feldway sighed again. "I suppose I should have expected as much. Very well. I am contacting you because I would like your assistance in something. Something I feel we can both devote our entire beings to."
Dagruel raised a brow even though Feldway could not see him. "What goal?"
"The revival of our Lord, Veldanava." Feldway said with reverence. "I have come across an ally who can assist in this goal as well. With the three of us working together, anything is possible. I already have the cooperation of most of the rest as well."
Dagruel knew full well who the "rest" were. They were the other Primordial Angels. There were seven Primordial Angels total, just like how there were seven Primordial Daemons.
There was Cornu, Dino, Feldway, Gracia, Obera, Pico, and Zalario. Each among them were absolute monsters in combat. Though Dino, Gracia, and Pico had become Fallen and remained in the Cardinal World. They likely did not know what Feldway was planning as Dino preferred to do his own thing, and Gracia and Pico would follow Dino's lead.
"The revival of Veldanava? I'm not interested. I don't hold any grudge against him for sealing Fenn, and I am indebted to him for giving us this land and taking care of us, but that doesn't mean that I think it's right for me to help him come back."
If God did not come back on his own, then that meant he did not wish to come back. Who was Dagruel to force him to return?
"Tsk. Has Dagruel, The Titan of Rebellion, been tamed after becoming a Demon Lord?"
"You can think whatever you wish to, but my answer is no."
Dagruel could tell what Feldway was trying to do. He was trying to use Dagruel's own anger to get him to comply, and it would have worked in the past.
In ancient times, they were known as the Vicious Titans and had challenged the Star King Dragon Veldanava and were subsequently sealed away. That was Dagruel and his two other brothers. A king of tyranny, spreading destruction across the earth. His tremendous powers of great destruction had turned many lands into wastelands. Dagruel and the others were even called the gods of destruction, but they became quiet after obeying Veldanava.
He lived quietly in the territory he was given and guarded Heaven's Tower as his duty. However, this did not mean that he had become quiet in nature. Even now, with his power having been sealed away by Veldanava, his rage had earned him the nickname Continent's Wrath, but it was controlled wrath.
"Tsk, fine. Can you at least unseal Fenn?"
"No." With that, Dagruel unilaterally cut the Thought Communication.
He audibly clicked his tongue. Feldway hadn't visited Fenn in quite some time. Dagruel had thought they may have had some kind of disagreement.
He rose up off his throne. It seems he would need to pay Fenn a visit. Feldway's words were rather concerning. Once Feldway decided on something, he would do anything to accomplish his goals, Dagruel knew that much about him.
He knew Feldway would not take no for an answer. Feldway may resort to drastic measures, but he underestimated Dagruel if he believed the Mad Titan could be intimidated into compliance.
He walked past his guards, making his way into the higher floors of the Heaven's Tower.
As he made his way higher he looked down, seeing his people going about their days. His soldiers in the training grounds, his citizens working, and the children playing. It all brought a small smile to his lips.
It didn't take him long to reach Fenn's seal.
"Wait here." He told his guards. Despite not needing any guards, Glassord insisted that he always have some with him. In Glassord's own words, it was about sending a message. Dagruel didn't care much, but he would respect his brother's opinion.
His unit of guards all tapped their spears into the ground in sync. " " " Yes! " " "
He smiled and shook his head slightly at their theatrics.
As he walked deeper into the floor, he felt Fenn's raging Aura more and more clearly. Veldanava may have sealed Fenn, but it was tough to completely erase Fenn's entire Aura and presence. Veldanava could do it of course, but he likely saw no reason to.
Before long, Dagruel was standing in front of his brother who was wrapped in Gleipnir, which was what was keeping Fenn trapped.
Fenn growled at his mere presence. He was tall, as all giants were, but even then, he would tower over the rest. His hair was green, as were his eyes. Fenn had not changed at all.
Dagruel stopped a few paces from Fenn, his eyes scanning the enormous form of his bound brother. Gleipnir glowed faintly, its divine threads pulsing with the power of Veldanava's seal. The air was thick with tension, the sheer weight of Fenn's Aura pressing against Dagruel like a tempest barely contained. Even sealed, Dagruel was well aware of his younger brother's destructive power. Their power was not split evenly and it showed.
"Still as stubborn as ever, I see." Dagruel said, his voice even.
Fenn's growl deepened, the sound reverberating through the chamber. "What do you want, Dagruel? Come to gloat over my imprisonment?" The beast's voice was low and rumbling, filled with disdain and fury.
Dagruel rolled his eyes at Fenn's theatrics. Fenn always hated him after, in Fenn's eyes, Dagruel turned on him. Fenn saw his current state of life as weakness. He saw any semblance of peace as something negative. Fenn lived to slaughter and rampage, and that hadn't changed for thousands of years.
Dagruel folded his arms, unfazed. "No, brother. I came to make sure you're still secure."
Fenn raised a brow. "Oh? Someone spook you into checking on me then?" Fenn said with a smirk.
Dagruel nodded. It wasn't like not telling Fenn would do anything. "It seems you somehow won Feldway over. He asked for me to unseal you."
Fenn tilted his head back and laughed. "Hahaha! I'm guessing you said no?"
Dagruel nodded. "Of course. You clearly are not capable of living in peace. You cannot change."
Fenn's growl returned. "Change!? You are the one who changed! You have become weak, Dagruel!"
"Perhaps. But I rather prefer my current life over my old one."
Dagruel shook his head. "But that is not why I am here. Why did Feldway ask for your release?" Dagruel asked honestly. His brother wouldn't lie to him; the man was far too prideful for something like that.
Fenn regained control of his temper as he shrugged. "Hell if I know. He hasn't paid me a visit in some time."
"Tsk." Dagruel clicked his tongue. He knew Feldway's goal, but he also knew that Fenn would not care to bring Veldanava back. Forcing Fenn to do something was nigh-impossible. Perhaps Feldway was counting on Fenn being grateful and would use that to convince his brother? It was a possibility.
Dagruel took a deep breath. "I see. Goodbye then, brother."
- Flashback End -
Back then he hadn't made contact with Felix yet, so he did not know what lay on the horizon, but it seemed everything may just work out if the deal with Felix goes well.
Almost right after that meeting with Fenn, he had gone to kick Dino and his children out. Dino because he had a feeling his friend did not want to be involved in whatever plot Feldway was planning.
Him and Dino were of the same mindset that if Veldanava wanted to come back, he would. Though Dino believed that Veldanava was still alive, merely choosing to watch them from far above like a father watching their children, allowing them to grow and sprout on their own.
He had kicked Dino and his children out because he wanted to keep them away from Feldway's plot. Feldway needed Fenn for a reason, and it likely wasn't a good one if he told the truth about his goal. Dagruel had no idea how Feldway would manage to force Veldanava into being reborn.
Now Dino, as he had learned, was surprisingly taking shelter in Tempest. Apparently he was doing… work. He had no idea how Rimuru managed to get Dino to do any sort of productive work; he had been trying for centuries.
He shook his head, sighing. He was getting distracted.
"Was that all, brother?" Glassord asked.
Dagruel nodded. "That was all."
Glassord nodded as he stood up. "Very well then. I will be leaving for the training grounds then."
Dagruel nodded as Glassord left. Once Glassord was gone he sighed and rested against the soft cushion of the chair.
Things had been going too quick recently. The world had been changing more than it had in the centuries prior. Luminism was stronger than ever, the Western Nations were growing stronger… He would need to do something drastic to make sure his people were not left behind. That was a last resort, however. For now he would put his faith in Felix, and if Felix betrayed that faith, then he would learn why many feared the Mad Titan.
- Felix -
"Very well. What are your questions?" Guy said with his ever present smirk on his face. Luminous was looking at me with a question in her gaze. I suppose blatantly questioning the Lord of Darkness wasn't the most intelligent move for most, but I was a cocky little shit. Damrada shifted subtly behind me; I could sense the tension in his frame. Even he was a bit afraid of Guy reacting badly.
Guy seriously built up one hell of a reputation if something like this alone was enough to make two of the strongest individuals I knew get wary.
Rain was just vacant eyed as she stared at the wall blankly, just as I expected from her. She was probably day dreaming about something stupid. My lips twitched as a goofy smile slowly grew on her face. Just what was going through her head?
- Rain -
She could feel the goofy grin form on her face. Yes, she could see it all now!
In her mind's eye, Rain stood triumphant atop a massive mountain of pastries, her hair flowing dramatically in the wind as if it had its own special effects team. A chorus of singing cats in tiny tuxedos circled her.
Rain raised her arms, which were inexplicably adorned with golden bangles that jingled in time with the cats' singing. "BEHOLD, MY KINGDOM OF DESSERT!" She declared, her voice echoing through an endless sky dotted with floating donut-shaped clouds.
From nowhere, Guy Crimson appeared wearing a pink apron that read "Bake It Till You Make It." He held a tray of perfectly frosted cupcakes and said, "Rain, I've finally acknowledged your supremacy as the Queen of Sweets. Please accept my humble offerings."
"Finally!" Rain bellowed with a laugh that could rival any villain's. She snatched a cupcake and took a massive bite, frosting smearing across her face. Then, with a snap of her fingers, all the cats were suddenly equipped with tiny chef hats and began preparing her a three-tiered cake shaped like a dragon.
But things didn't stop there. In the next moment, Luminous appeared, looking mortified, and handed Rain a scepter made entirely of caramelized sugar. "You've bested me, Rain." Luminous admitted, glaring at the ground. "I cannot compete with your genius."
Rain struck a pose, her foot perched atop a giant macaron, as fireworks exploded in the background, showering her in rainbow sprinkles. "Let this day go down in history!" she proclaimed.
"Rain?"
Rain blinked, the fantasy shattering like a sugar sculpture as Felix's voice cut through her daydream. She looked around to see everyone staring at her, including Guy, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else.
"You were drooling." He noted.
Rain quickly wiped at her face, only to realize she had, in fact, been drooling. "What? No! I was just... thinking!" She retorted, her cheeks burning.
- Felix -
"Let's please just ignore her." Guy asked, pleading for mercy.
"I do think that would be for the best." Luminous noted with an amused smile, while Damrada just looked ahead stone faced. The guy must have heard literal legends about Rain. She was one of the two maids directly serving Guy Crimson, a Primordial in her own right. She's slaughtered hundreds of thousands if not millions of souls. Yet Rain acted like… herself.
I looked back at Guy as we all collectively ignored Rain. Guy's ever-present smirk returned. "It's quite bold of you to to demand answers from me. You're lucky I like you." Guy said nonchalantly.
I rolled my eyes. "I am truly blessed."
Luminous and Damrada seemed to be content to just observe for now. Luminous was leaning back against her seat, sipping on her tea. We met each other's eyes, Luminous gave me a small nod of reassurance, one that said she would support me which was heartwarming.
Despite our relationship only recently beginning, she seemed to be the ride or die type of girl. Once she decided on something she stuck with it, no matter what. Then there was Damrada who was merely watching the two of us.
"I'm sure you've realized but Damrada has given me even more information."
Luminous narrowed her eyes at me. I gave her a small nod, signaling to her that I would tell her more later causing a satisfied smile to bloom on her face.
"Oh?" Guy said as his gaze wandered to Damrada. "I suppose you would have questions then."
"I'm aware you have a connection to the Eastern Empire through your friendship with Rudra." I explained, mostly for Luminous' own sake since I didn't know how much of the history between Guy and Rudra she knew. Going by her lackluster reaction, she already knew that Guy and Rudra were friendly with one another once upon a time. "And about Castle Guard."
Guy showed no reaction to my mention of Castle Guard, but I could tell he was surprised. "I'll be asking about Castle Guard more later." I told him. "But first, Damrada said that you and Rudra were having a competition of some kind. I'd like to know more about that."
Until I got the whole picture about the Eastern Empire, any sort of countermeasure I tried to make could have the potential to just not work. I didn't want to make the same mistakes that literally everyone that had tried to harm me had made. I wasn't going to make extensive plans and act on them with inaccurate information.
Almost everyone who had done so so far was dead. Clayman, Mariabell, Yuuki, Kagali, Granbell, and even Damrada. They were all missing some part of the bigger picture and they all suffered for it.
But despite my desire for information there was still more to it. Being strong in this world was all about mindset, if I ever set someone as a "goal", someone I wanted to surpass, then wasn't I intrinsically placing myself below them?
Perhaps I was just an arrogant bastard, but I refused to do something like that. We are the Strongest. I didn't go around tooting my own horn about it, but that was the confidence I had in Othinus and myself.
Whether I needed to prepare, or whether I chose not to, in the end it was only inevitable that my friends and I would win.
I quite literally cannot conjure the image of my defeat, both due to confidence in myself and confidence in my allies; especially my partner that has been with me from the start.
Even with people like Guy and Milim, I never acknowledged either as above me.
I may want to prepare and have information, but that was because it would make things more simple, and just because I was certain I'd win, didn't mean that I couldn't win in a different way. I hated troublesome things so I wanted to make things less troublesome.
It was as simple as that.
Guy raised a brow. "I suppose it's about time that you found out about that. You're going to be involved in that competition after all." Guy said with certainty.
My lips twitched at his blatant power play. He was making it seem like I was already a part of his competition, whether I wanted to be or not. I took a deep breath; I'd hear Guy out before anything else.
I could feel Othinus' frustration in the back of my head as well. She was upset that she was still missing a big piece, while simultaneously also being upset at Guy's disrespect. Thankfully, I was used to the latter. My pride wasn't so enormous that I'd lose my shit over it.
"Simply put, I made a bet with that asshole. He would go on and on about his crazy and unrealistic ideals; I sought to give him a dose of reality. Whoever's ideals were right would be settled in a rather simple way, whoever was stronger was right." Guy explained.
Damrada had said that Rudra wanted to bring peace to the world, and indeed, such an ideal was very unrealistic, though it was admirable. It was very difficult if not impossible to get billions of people to cooperate and be friendly with one another without any foul play involved, there were just too many differences, too many conflicts of interest present in each and every person.
It wasn't just Humans either, every race was selfish in their own way. Most will not want to compromise on the things they value. It was unfortunate, but it's just part of life. You need to step on other people's dreams and ambitions to step upwards.
"However, that didn't go very well." Guy said as he chuckled sheepishly. Rain who was standing behind Guy looked scared, she looked like a WWII veteran having PTSD flashbacks.
Luminous sighed. "So that was why the two of you began fighting even more than you had in the past."
Guy turned to Luminous. "Indeed, I wished to show him the error of his ways. However, he was stronger than I expected. Between the two of us, there could be no victor, and so we decided on the second best option for a competition between us. We decided not to fight each other directly, but to play a game against each other with only the pawns we have."
In other words, leaving someone other than yourself to fight and defeating all of your opponent's pawns means you win.
"The 'pawns' in your hands refers to…?" I already knew who the so-called pawns were without even asking, and judging by the stormy look on Luminous' face she did as well. She was always a prideful one.
Guy smirked. "You all of course!"
Red pulses of energy crackled around the room as Luminous' Demon Lord's Haki burst out from within her. My eyes widened as I felt the surprising amount of power within her Haki. The raw power in the air was suffocating, even I felt the pressure, it was as though the entire world had stopped to acknowledge her wrath.
Well that went well.
___________________________________________________________________
I am highly motivated by your guys' reviews and likes, so do that! I'll probably keep writing or something.
I have a discord server, come hang out if you want! https://discord.gg/VxR5Gn72Fp I also have a channel in Shiro's Gaming Omniverse.
Author's Note:
Hello everyone, back with another chapter of Daemon.
I decided to write a bit of a Dagruel pov since I was having trouble with how I wanted the rest of the meeting with Felix, Guy, Luminous, and Damrada to go.
I figured it out towards the end but I still thought the Dagruel pov fit in rather nicely. Hopefully it helped to explain his motives and his perspective of things a bit more.
Also a bit more lore dump from Dagruel's end, all of it is stuff that will be relevant in the future.
Also teased Feldway a bit, for those of you who know about him, he's still around doing his thing in the background.
Also the short Rain pov was me having a fever dream and I wrote it directly after writing the Rain crack from the last chapter. Don't question it. #Rainispeak
Thanks for reading, peace.
Thanks to @Salante and @Flowerman for beta'ing this chapter.
I'm also here. -Omnax