A low, mocking chuckle echoed from Kaelgor's position, audible even from the great distance.
"Another newborn, playing king in a puddle of filth, a castle built of ash and sand," Kaelgor's voice was a deep, resonating sound, like an echo of boulders falling, "This territory is under the jurisdiction of my master. Your little game ends here." He stated as if it were law.
"And his majesty, Arch Devil Gorael, requires your immediate compliance. Now rejoice in your usefulness for an Arch Devil's purpose."
His arrogant and menacing gaze never leaving the newborn devil; scorn and superiority ingrained by the difference in their strength.
Adam said nothing.
Instead, he simply began to descend the obelisk, moving with a fluid grace that belied his fatigue. The footholds he had carved for the attack rune now served as his steps. His every movement was deliberate, a silent display of unwavering confidence and authority.
His heart was calm, and his eyes were cold and indifferent. His red eyes were stilled lava, and his gait was trailed by a black cloak.
The faint black aura pressed onto the demons below, causing them to tremble in fear and worship.
Kaelgor had a hint of surprise upon noticing the technique that Adam had employed. That this newborn hadn't gone into a rage upon birth, and instead learned essential devil techniques.
The demons below, who had been rowdy initially, now fell completely silent, their eyes following their lord as he descended from his throne.
The sight of their leader, his body immaculate and radiating a devilish aura, was a powerful display. The sight of the two kneeling demonesses below him was a statement in itself; adding to the display of grandeur.
The air grew thick with tension, but Kaelgor thought it was a foolish farce. He had seen many devils do the same; all to either submit, run, or die.
Adam stopped at the base of the obelisk, a few feet from the still kneeling Agri and Blair. He looked at Kaelgor, with a quiet confidence. The peak-tier aura radiating off Kaelgor seemingly nothing but a breeze.
"This territory is mine," Adam said, his voice calm but firm, "The land was ownerless and I have claimed this basin and its resources."
Kaelgor let out a louder, more disdainful laugh at his declaration.
"Claimed? You think a mere claim is enough? This is hell, little devil. Might is the only law. And I see very little of it in you," His eyes drifted to the translucent black barrier, a faint sneer on his face, "A simple defensive rune. You must be very afraid."
Adam's gaze remained steady. "I am not afraid. I am prepared."
He extended a hand, and with a soft push of his will, a pulse of energy went out.
The translucent black barrier shimmered, and a low rumble vibrated through the air. The atmosphere around them grew heavy, a pressure caused by the immense, latent power of the nexus point. Far stronger than an what a lesser defense rune should be capable of.
The power left in Gorael's residual runes was at a level that shouldn't belong in the first layer!
The ground trembled faintly beneath their feet.
Kaelgor's mocking smile faltered, his eyes widening slightly. He could feel it now clearly; the sheer, concentrated power radiating from the obelisk. It was a nexus point, but it felt… different. More potent, more primal than any he had ever felt.
As if the energy within the nexus was being used expertly and at its highest potential.
"I am the ruler of this basin now, Kaelgor," Adam said, bring Kaelgor's attention back to him, his voice dripping with confidence and his eyes gleaming in red demonic light.
Kaelgor's eye also radiated a devilish red glow. "It's impolite to use those eyes on another, Adam!" His voice was a growl.
The crimson glare in Kaelgor's eyes were piercing, Adam was able to feel as if his secrets were laid bare, as if he were put under a microscope. He now understood why hell's gaze would make one uncomfortable and even be hate inducing. Regardless, Adam didn't back down under his gaze and continued as if he hadn't heard him.
"The runes carved on this obelisk were not made by me, but by a being far greater than us. The power is too immense for you to comprehend, much less control. But I have grasped this power. I made it so a link that would sever upon my death, unleashing a torrent of destructive energy that would not only annihilate your pathetic little army, but tear this entire section of hell asunder."
This was a lie, a bluff thought on the fly.
But it was also a truth.
The runes were from a higher being, and the nexus point was an immense source of power. He couldn't unleash it on a whim, nor would he dare to, but Kaelgor didn't know that.
Adam continued, his voice cold as ice.
"If you try to take this basin, you will die. Your little army will die. And a destructive beacon will be lit in hell's sky, a signal that this place is unguarded and ripe for the taking by beings far more powerful than you or your 'master'~"
Kaelgor's face, which had been filled with arrogance, was now replaced with calculation and doubt.
He was not a fool; he had a century of experience. He felt that the validity of Adam's, the newborn's word was pathetically low; absurd even.
Yet!
The risk of a cosmic power struggle was not a price he was willing to pay.
Each section of hell was something that powerful devils, far more powerful than him, fought tooth and nail for. That went especially for the coveted 1st layer of hell, as many had set their twisted gaze upon it.
He knew that the stakes were higher than a simple victory over the newborn.
Although there were rules that prohibited their direct action, if Kaelgor were to lose this section of territory that belonged to Gorael, then more powerful devils that owned the surrounding territories could push their forces into the newly unclaimed plot of land.
Adam's words rang true; the nexus point was a treasure, but also a danger. And an explosive one that was only a short distance away for other, more powerful devils to notice and take advantage of.
"You have claimed this land, little devil," Kaelgor said, the sound of his voice now devoid of its previous mockery, "I will report your 'claim' to our master. But be prepared! For the next time we meet, it will not be with words."
He knew that what Adam had said was probably a lie, but it was just not a bet he was willing, nor allowed, to take. His life and purpose had long been tied to a greater power, his decisions no longer his own.
With a final, lingering glare at Adam, Kaelgor turned and stomped away, his armored entourage following in perfect formation. The pressure in the air dissipated with their retreat, and the collective sighs of relief from Adam's horde were almost deafening.
Adam stood there for a few more moments, his heart thumping hard against his ribs.
He had won!
The challenge had been met and overcame, and not with blood, but instead with wit!
In the process, he had asserted his dominance over his own followers and, more importantly, over an external threat.