[Several weeks ago, after Plagas entered the portal…] "Haa! I made it!" said Plagas in relief.
The Lord of Parasitic Demons did not expect that a time would come when he would be this happy seeing the dark and gloomy walls of the Great Cavern.
Finally, he was back in the Demon Realm.
"That was terrifying," said Plagas, his hands still trembling from the very thought of that unknown magician chasing him. "But at least I managed to bring you along, right?"
Plagas affectionately rubbed the tentacle of the high-ranking nest next to him. This was his greatest spoil during his stay in the Human Realm. The body of the so-called Pirate King turned out to be a perfect host for this creature.
"You're finally back, Lord Plagas."
Plagas almost jumped from fright, hearing a voice behind him.
"Muuka!" said Plagas.
Muuka was an old tormentor from the Red Tower assigned to oversee the portal in the Great Cavern. One of the executives under Elrenar's direct command. Unlike the other tormentors who knew nothing but brute force, Muuka held intelligence almost similar to the Lord of the Red Tower.
Looking at Muuka, Plagas finally noticed the changes in the Great Cavern. He finally noticed the seventy-meter metallic snake coiled on the spikes dripping from the ceiling. He also saw several dozen tormentors guarding the pathways leading to the outside.
"I-It looks like you've been fortifying the cavern's defenses, Muuka."
Plagas' voice turned meeker than usual.
Although he had the high-ranking nest next to him, the colossal snake coiled on the ceiling was a mythical creature capable of devouring even Gryphons. It was one of the strongest creations of Elrenar, the Lord of the Red Tower.
"Indeed," said Muuka in the same monotonous voice from before.
"Although we've managed to temporarily connect the portal to the mana well below, if left on its own, the pathway of mana would be severed again.
Even my master, Lord Elrenar, is finding it hard to reconnect it completely."
Muuka rubbed his brows and shook his head. He sighed. "That damn Arzomos really made sure to make things hard for us before he died."
For a moment, Muuka gazed at the high-ranking parasitic nest, then at Plagas. "It seems that you enjoyed your stay in the Human Realm, Lord Plagas. The Demon Lord Barkuvara has been waiting for you."
Plagas swallowed the lump in his throat.
Enjoyed his stay in the Human Realm? Did he stay for too long?
Several thoughts started to concurrently run through his mind.
"H-How is the Demon Lord Barkuvara?" said Plagas.
Muuka clearly heard the parasitic demon lord's stutter, but decided to ignore it. "The Immortal Demon has not fully recovered his strength yet, but it's only a matter of time."
"I-Is that so?" Plagas forced out a laugh. "T-That's great to hear!"
Domineering against the weak, and meek against the strong. All of the tribe leaders in the Demon Realm knew that the Lord of Parasitic Demons was the greatest coward. He couldn't even appear dignified in front of Elrenar's right-hand man.
With his great intellect, by merely observing Plagas' movements and gestures, Muuka surmised that something of grave importance must have occurred in the Human Realm. He had several questions in his mind, but Muuka decided not to voice them. Muuka deemed that such questions should come from the Immortal Demon personally.
"We'll open the entrance leading directly to the outside," said Muuka.
"Please come and report to the Demon Lord Barkuvara at the capital, Lord Plagas."
Muuka hissed in a strange voice. In response, the colossal snake coiled on the spikes in the ceiling slithered, revealing a pathway located near the ceiling. Unlike the other pathways protected by the tormentors, this one led directly to the outside.
"O-Of course," said Plagas. "Come, my beloved nest!"
The high-ranking nest wrapped its tentacles around Plagas' waist and placed him on top of its body.
Using its tentacles, the high-ranking nest climbed the walls of the Great Cavern and entered the main entrance that had been opened by the colossal serpent.
*** [Capital of the Demon Realm] After the death of Naberius and Malphas, the Lord of the Red Tower acceded the role of the demon lord's right-hand man. Not only did he manage to successfully reconnect the severed pathway connecting the portal to the mana well, he also managed to activate it and force it open.
Unfortunately, the Lord of the Red Tower failed to fully assimilate with the body of Agreas. Elrenar couldn't pinpoint what exactly the problem was, but there was something preventing him from fully taking over the Arzomos' body.
"The missing piece… I need to find it," said Elrenar.
In front of him were several round glass tanks containing the bodies of different demonic species. There were several dozen of them inside this room granted to him by the Immortal Demon. In a sense, this place was similar to the concoction rooms of the alchemists in the Human Realm. A place where Elrenar could freely conduct experiments and test the bodies of his subjects.
At the center of the room was a large tank where the body of Agreas was submerged. The Arzomos had died long ago, but his corpse had been well-preserved by the Lord of the Red Tower.
"What is it?" The three faces of Elrenar, which had been stitched together, frowned. "Why can't I take over his body?"
It was frustrating.
Elrenar knew that the moment he managed to assimilate with the body of this Arzomos elder, he would gain strength far greater than a high demon. It wouldn't even be an exaggeration to say that he would gain strength on par with the Immortal Demon.
"Lord Elrenar," a voice was heard inside the room. It was from one of the tormentors under his command. "The Lord of Parasitic Demons has arrived in the capital."
Plagas, that coward, had finally returned. Honestly, Elrenar was interested in hearing about what Plagas found during his stay in the Human Realm.
Without glancing to his rear, Elrenar replied, "Is that so? Await further instructions. I shall personally inform the Demon Lord Barkuvara."
"As you will."
After leaving the room where he'd been conducting his experiments, Elrenar went to the throne room where the demon lord was resting.
Elrenar knelt down before the throne.
"Oh Absolute One, it seems that the Lord of Parasitic Demons has arrived in the capital," said Elrenar subserviently.
The Demon Lord Barkuvara, a demon whose body had yet to fully heal after being trapped in the ice prison for more than a millennium, coldly gazed at the demon kneeling before him. Every now and then, the demon lord's body would turn to wisp and smoke, before reverting to its solidified state. The four large horns jutting out of his forehead aside, the demon lord looked like a muscular human.
For several minutes, the demon lord remained silent. At the same time, Elrenar remained kneeling before him, unmoving.
Elrenar felt uneasy. It was peculiar, but it felt as though the demon lord could see the depths of his very soul, as though he could hear his thoughts and feel his emotions.
Finally, the Demon Lord Barkuvara spoke, "Elrenar."
Elrenar shuddered. The voice of the demon lord alone carried tremendous amounts of mana. Even he, a high demon, felt immense pressure just hearing it.
"Absolute One," said Elrenar.
"Bring the Lord of Parasitic Demons to me," said the demon lord.
Despite his human-like appearance, it felt as though the demon lord was a huge mountain looming in front of him. Although the demon lord had yet to fully recover his strength, Elrenar knew that this creature could kill him with the flick of his finger.
"Right away!"
Immediately, the Lord of Parasitic Demons was granted an audience with the Demon Lord Barkuvara in the throne room. Plagas visibly trembled as he knelt in front of the Immortal Demon.
"Y-Your humble servant greets the Absolute One," said Plagas, his slimy body wetter than usual, "the Immortal Demon, the ruler of the skies, the—" "Stop with the unnecessary titles and flattery," said the Demon Lord Barkuvara, his chin resting on his hand. "Report."
"A-Ah, yes!" said Plagas. "Of course!"
Nervously, Plagas started recounting everything that transpired during his stay in the Human Realm.
From the day he arrived at the Black Expanse, how he'd successfully slaughtered the humans residing in the Mullgray Islands, to the time he encountered the unknown magician.
Of course, Plagas left several events out of his story. In particular, he did not divulge the fact that he ran away with his tails between his legs.
"I would have captured and killed that impertinent human, oh Absolute One!" said Plagas, his hands and tentacles moving animatedly as he continued recounting his story. "But the human suddenly decided to flee from battle! That damn coward!"
Elrenar was frowning as he listened to Plagas' story. He was glancing at the Immortal Demon every now and then, checking for any reaction. It seemed that the Lord of the Red Tower found several loopholes in the Lord of Parasitic Demons' story.
"Had I been given more time, I would have been able to destroy those human nations, oh Absolute One," lied Plagas through his teeth. "But alas, my time to return to the Demon Realm has come."
Deafening silence fell.
Seeing the Demon Lord Barkuvara silently staring at him, Plagas instinctively shrunk his body and lowered his head, averting his gaze.
Although he'd seen it before, Plagas still couldn't get used to the deep, piercing gaze of the demon lord.
After what seemed like an eternity, the demon lord spoke, "So, did you get the name of this human?"
Although Plagas undermined the strength of the human in his story, for some strange reason, the Demon Lord Barkuvara showed interest in him.
"N-No," said Plagas. "But the human told me that he'd met my father before, oh Absolute One. And…" Plagas carefully said his next words, "He told me that he shouldn't have spared our tribe back then. Ridiculous, isn't it? A human couldn't possibly live that long."
Again, the Demon Lord Barkuvara fell silent. He calmly gazed at Plagas for several minutes. It seemed that he was in deep thought, Plagas was not sure.
"Elrenar," said the Demon Lord Barkuvara.
"Yes, My Lord."
"Summon the Lord of the Corrupted Land and the Lord of the Wraiths," said the Demon Lord Barkuvara. "It is time for them to enter the Human Realm."