Story: I'm a Daemon, so what?
Disclaimer: I do not own the original setting.
Chapter 115: Purple Meets Fist
As always, there are up to 17 chapters ahead at [email protected]/theogbasilisk
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- Damrada -
After his new Lord gave him the medallion he was meant to show if he was questioned, he appeared in Azeroth in the blink of an eye.
He looked around curiously. He had heard many things about Clayman's old nation, the Puppet Kingdom Jistav, and he had heard even more things about Azeroth.
None of his spies could get into the country to give him up to date information, but he still managed somewhat. It wasn't like he couldn't just ask the merchants that traveled in and out. Most had nothing but good things to say about the nation. Many commented on how strict many things were, but that was also what kept the merchants safe from various threats so they couldn't complain much.
They were treated fairly and were able to profit, and that was what mattered to them.
Damrada found himself in a meeting room; one of many he suspected in the expansive palace. He had expanded his senses almost right away to figure out where he was. The fact that he appeared in his new Lord's palace made things easier.
He would be able to meet the important members of his Lord's entourage that way and evaluate them. Despite relying on Felix to defeat Rudra, he still knew that his subordinates would also have a part to play. The stronger they were, the easier his and his new Lord's job would be. He had bet everything on Felix, now he needed to do his part.
He had tried to expand his senses further to surround the entire palace, but something was blocking his senses when he pushed too far. Likely a barrier meant to keep things from the common people. The Eastern Empire had a similar system in place.
He unfortunately did not know much about his Lord's subordinates. There was not much information on both Felix and his ally, Demon Lord Rimuru, both as individuals and who their most powerful and valued subordinates were.
The most he and his former allies knew about Felix was about his Dragon subordinate and his Oni subordinate. They were only known about due to the rather grandiose fashion Felix used when acquiring the Dragon.
Dwargon was keeping an eye on him when he first appeared due to his abnormal power, even back then. As for the Oni, she had accompanied him around quite a bit, so she was rather well known as well. The rest, and Damrada knew there were more, unfortunately mostly kept to themselves.
Felix, or a representative of his had released a notice to the world that his foremost lieutenants were dubbed the Eight Demonic Lords, though who exactly they were was never mentioned.
He also knew that Granbell had sent some of his subordinates to attack Felix in the past. More of as a test, but Granbell believed there was still a possibility of the attack succeeding. Glenda and that other girl, Ingvild.
He didn't know what happened to them other than the fact that they did not return to Granbell's service. It was a shame. Granbell had said Ingvild held potential.
Perhaps he would find them among Felix's subordinates as well. Both were fairly impressive and valuable resources, and Felix didn't seem to be the kind to waste potential. Emperor Rudra was like that as well.
Some of his aura was already leaking, he expected for someone to come meet him at any moment, and so he decided to wait until then. It probably would not be taken very well if he decided to venture off on his own and explore without first introducing himself, lest he be mistaken as a threat.
While he waited he decided to observe the surroundings. He walked towards a window that was situated nearby. He found that it was facing towards the palace training grounds.
Even now, there were some soldiers training on the training field. Quite a few seemed to have some talent as well. Nothing special, but if each member of the military put in the amount of work the soldiers below seemed to be, then that would be a fearsome mortal army.
They were of a variety of races, all Majin of course, but that is where the similarities between them ended. There were Ogres, Oni, Hobgoblins, Beastmen, and more. He was fairly certain he hadn't even seen the truly special factions within the military. With a force like the one he suspected Felix to have, it gave him hope that with his help, Felix could accomplish his promise to Rudra.
He observed quietly, noting the discipline and skill on display. The rhythmic clatter of their weapons and the shouts of the instructors echoed across the grounds. Amidst the controlled chaos of training, he sensed that all the soldiers below wholeheartedly wanted to be there.
As he stood there, a door creaked open behind him, signaling the arrival of someone. Turning slightly, Damrada was met face to face with a violet haired woman. Just from a quick glance, Damrada could tell she was an incredibly beautiful woman, in the same leagues as Velgrynd. She had purple hair tied into a side ponytail of sorts, and glowing yellow eyes that felt like they could see through him entirely.
There was surprisingly no power radiating from the woman which was rather incredible. It was incredibly difficult to conceal one's power in its entirety; he would know.
As the woman sauntered forwards she spoke up. "Now who could you be? You seem rather powerful. Are you here to cause trouble?" The woman asked calmly. "I hope you are, that fight with that mage wasn't all that relieving." She said as her lips curled up into a smile that Damrada would call demonic.
Still, there was information in her words. Had a mage attacked Azeroth? Damrada filed that information away for later.
"Nothing of the sort." He began. "I am one of Lord Felix's newest subordinates." He said as he handed her the medallion that had been given to him. Plus his reserves were still drained from his fight with Felix. He had a feeling that even a weaker Saint would be capable of defeating him now.
She raised a brow as she examined the medallion. "I do sense my master's aura on this, but he has never given such a thing before."
Damrada's lips twitched. Had Felix handed him a form of identification that was never seen before? That was what his closest subordinates were supposed to believe?
The woman shrugged. "Well it does feel like him so I guess that's fine. You appeared here out of nowhere. No one except my Master could do such a thing. Though, if you cause any trouble, I'll kill you!" She said with a cheery smile.
Damrada was already used to death threats so he merely smiled.
"I thank you." He said with a bow. "My name is Damrada, it is a pleasure to meet you."
The woman blinked in confusion. "Ah, Damrada you said? One of the heads of Cerberus."
Damrada nodded. "That would be me."
"I see." The woman nodded. "My name is Lalatina. I guess I'll show you around if you want?" Lalatina offered. He could tell she was a Daemon. All Daemons had a certain feeling about them and Lalatina had that.
It was not surprising that she was named. For her to be one of Felix's direct subordinates as a Daemon, having a name and vessel was a must.
He wondered just how powerful she was, though. She had to have been an Arch Daemon at minimum, though she could be one of the mythical higher evolutions of Daemons.
Perhaps she even knew about his old rival. It would be nice to learn what happened to that Daemon. He was the only Arch Duke of the Daemon Realm and a dependent of Blanc, while Lalatina seemed to be of Violet's lineage going by her hair color and the general feel of her presence.
He nodded. "I would appreciate it if you are not busy." If he was introduced to everyone by one of Felix's direct subordinates, that would help give credence to his presence and status. For some reason, he really didn't want to rely on a never before seen medallion as a form of identification from now on.
Lalatina grinned mischievously, her glowing yellow eyes glinting as she gestured toward the door. "Well then, follow me. Let's see if you can keep up." Without waiting for his response, she spun on her heel and began walking briskly down the ornate hallway, her heels clicking against the polished floor.
Damrada followed, his steps deliberate and composed, taking note of his surroundings. The palace was nothing short of breathtaking, with intricate carvings lining the walls, magical light fixtures glowing softly, and an air of sophistication that spoke of the care the palace had received. He could tell the place was well taken care of, likely by maids, if he got Felix's personality right.
"So, what brings a former head of Cerberus to serve my Master?" Lalatina asked over her shoulder, her tone casual but laced with curiosity.
Damrada focused his attention back on his guide. He was rather curious to ask about her history, but he could wait for that. "I had fought Lord Felix during the attack on Ruberious."
She raised a brow. "Oh? He spared you then, hmm?"
Damrada's lips twitched at Lalatina's confidence in Felix, but Emperor Rudra inspired that same level of confidence. Damrada couldn't imagine the Emperor losing in a fight, ever. Not even to Guy Crimson.
Though Lalatina's confidence was not misplaced, for he was in no way capable of harming Felix if the man came at him seriously. Even the wound he gave Felix with his newest Art, Galaxy Impact, was nothing impressive, and was healed instantly.
"Before I answer that, may I ask what your position with Lord Felix is? I do not wish to share anything that I should not be." Damrada stated.
Lalatina nodded. "Hmm, sure. I'm in charge of the intelligence department. I deal with spying on other countries, rooting out traitors within our own ranks, and all that. The only one who has a higher rank than me you could say would be my Master, no matter how much Arcueid likes to claim she ranks higher."
He nodded as he went through his memories, wondering if he had heard the name of Arcueid before.
"Oh, I'm also one of the Eight Demonic Lords." Lalatina mentioned off-handedly.
Damrada froze for a moment before he continued his pace behind Lalatina. The Eight Demonic Lords were Felix's lieutenants, his highest level subordinates.
Damrada expected each at minimum to be Demon Lord Seed level, especially with how powerful Felix himself was. A simple master-subordinate naming from Felix would likely boost one's level drastically. He had been present before when Rudra had named a simple Majin. A simple name from Rudra elevated that mediocre Majin to the level of the higher level Imperial Guardians, and that too with no training. Now that same Majin was number 17 of the Imperial Guardians, one of the strongest in the Eastern Empire.
"I see. You must be impressive then to have risen to such a position of power." He praised. A little flattery couldn't hurt. During his time as a merchant he knew full well how much sucking up a little bit to someone could help you long term.
Of course, it could also backfire depending on the person. They may think you were weak willed and not capable, but he had a feeling that after showing off his power, no one would think that of him.
Lalatina looked over her shoulder at him. "I suppose I am." She said with amusement. He had a feeling he was missing something.
They continued through a series of hallways and rooms; various meeting rooms where plans about the city and the kingdom itself were discussed, the throne room, Felix's personal office and room, and the library which held various magic tomes that Lalatina pointed out.
She told him about the rewards center which he was rather curious about. It was somewhat similar to the Eastern Empire's own system. However, rather than points, it was your rank that got you rewards. If you rose to Single Digit status you would be given Legend Grade equipment and an Alternative for example.
She had told him briefly about what rewards were available in the rewards center, and Damrada couldn't help but admire just how ingenious it was.
Craving strength was a natural feeling for those who dwelled in this world; it was only natural that people would go after it. Rather than go behind Felix's back for it or betray him for power, Felix made it clear that there was room for advancement, but not without a cost.
One would have to earn their right to gain more power. Once one managed to get enough points they could exchange it for an Art, Spell, or weapon, as well as other various things as they pleased.
This would inspire a sense of gratitude in them for the priceless reward they received as well as increase their desire for more power after getting a taste, driving them back to working hard by serving Felix's interests to acquire more points. It was all a loop that fed itself.
The rewards Lalatina mentioned were not half bad either. She didn't say what the top most rewards were, but even the mid-level ones were useful.
They had also walked past some of the maids that served in Felix's palace. On average, they were incredibly powerful, easily within the range of Calamity Class. Lalatina had noticed how impressed he was and commented that there were two maids above the rest who served directly under one of the Eight Demonic Lords.
According to Lalatina, both were at the Demon Lord Seed level, which had made him reevaluate his expectations for the Eight Demonic Lords as well.
For him though, the most interesting maid by far was not quite the strongest, though she was strong. It was a maid that Lalatina introduced as Evelyn. According to Lalatina, she was a bit of a pet project of Felix's, though she did not elaborate on the goal of said project.
When Lalatina told Evelyn that Felix would be returning and perhaps calling for her soon, the maid's reaction was rather interesting. She stiffened up as a slight heat gathered on her face before bowing to Lalatina.
He was not daft enough to not get the signals. It was not unusual for rulers to make use of maids in such a way and he wouldn't give it a second thought if the maid hadn't interested him. She seemed to be an elven homunculus of some kind, but it was rather abnormal for one to be so far from Sarion, and such a powerful one as well.
Evelyn had to be close to the crown in Sarion. Kagali's vessel was of the same variety, yet it could barely exercise the power of a Greater Majin, and even for that, Yuuki had to pull many strings for.
For Evelyn to have such a vastly superior vessel, she must have some rather powerful connections within Sarion. And that was why he was interested in her. For the Sorcerous Dynasty of Sarion was a powerful dynasty that could prove useful against Emperor Rudra. Perhaps he would advise Felix to attempt to draw the Sorcerous Dynasty of Sarion into the inevitable war that would take place.
Sarion would be attacked eventually, it was inevitable, but Emperor Rudra is likely to leave them for later.
Before he could continue his thoughts, he was interrupted. "There is only one more stop." Lalatina said towards the end of the tour. "I'll show you to the training grounds reserved for strong people like us."
He nodded, he wasn't surprised that there was a training ground separated for the more powerful, it only made sense. Most kingdoms didn't have that issue in the West since there were not many with a level of power that qualified for such treatment, but in the Eastern Empire it was common.
As Lalatina led him, they crossed paths with a purple haired woman. From a mere glance Damrada could tell she was powerful. She had tried hard to suppress her aura, but a slight amount of it continued to leak out of her, allowing him to read her like a book.
She was stronger than even his old rival, the Arch Duke of Blanc's. Felix truly had quite the force under him. The Single Digits were meticulously trained and handpicked for their power and station, yet Felix seemed to also have subordinates of that level. He suspected Lalatina to be at that level, and this other purple haired Daemon may have that same potential.
He hadn't heard of another Daemon on that level other than Felix and the Primordials. Just who was this woman? Could she be Violet? Violet was known to have purple hair, though she was also known to assume a more childlike appearance, but that could always change.
Her level of power could be explained if it was Violet standing in front of him. Damrada had never met Violet but he didn't imagine that she would radiate such an aura of… innocence if he had to describe it.
"Ah, hello miss Lalatina!" The girl spoke up with a smile. "Has everything been handled?" The woman asked. "Glen said you ordered her to return back to her quarters."
He raised a brow. Glen? Could that be short for Glenda? She was one of the two ordered to ambush Felix by Granbell.
Lalatina stopped to address the woman. Surprisingly a genuine smile seemed to be on her face. Throughout the whole interaction he had with Lalatina, he hadn't seen a genuine expression other than one of cold amusement and the like when she was observing him discreetly, so it was rather odd to see such an expression on a Daemon of all races, a race known for their heartless and vile behavior.
"Hello Ingvild." Lalatina greeted with familiarity.
His eyes widened hearing that name. So this was the girl Granbell had told him about? The Daemon with potential that he managed to practically enslave before foolishly throwing her away due to underestimating Felix.
So it wasn't Violet then. Still, she was rather powerful for a standard Daemon. Apparently she had been summoned using the otherworlder summoning ritual. Granbell was rather confused that a Daemon appeared when he had not used the Daemon summoning ritual, but he did not complain upon realizing that she would be a useful asset nonetheless.
"Yes, Master was victorious as expected. I saw no purpose in having Glenda scan the borders any further." Lalatina said.
So it was Glenda then. It was nice to hear that she was doing well. She had some potential, it would have been a shame if she met an early death due to Granbell pushing her too much. Glenda's Spatial Manipulation could prove to become rather powerful if she had the proper guidance.
Ingvild clapped excitedly. "That's excellent! Attacking a peaceful country like Ruberious is truly horrible. I'm glad that Felix was able to protect them."
His lips twitched as he heard Ingvild's way of referring to Ruberious. "Peaceful" was an odd way of describing that nation. Sure, they did not engage in war, but it still was not perfect.
The only thing that Damrada could admire about it was that it ran in a similar fashion as the world would under Emperor Rudra. In order to create a world of true peace, all conflict must be eliminated. Emperor Rudra knew this.
And so, he planned for everyone to have their roles to play, too busy to think of rebelling, and before long that obedience would be ingrained into them after a few generations, as they would have known nothing else.
Natural selection at its finest.
Cruel? Perhaps, but it would work. Though looking back on it, Damrada was not sure anymore if he wished to support such a plan. Would such a thing not take away what made Humanity what it was?
Ever since he joined Felix, he had been having some doubts about Emperor Rudra's methods. But the past was the past, there was no use dwelling on it. Emperor Rudra's goals had nothing to do with him ever since his friend asked him to act against him.
Emperor Rudra believed his loss to Michael would be inevitable, yet he would continue to march ever forward, always pursuing his goal despite the danger it would cause to the world. And so, he was tasked with ensuring Michael failed to take over Rudra's body, the only method Rudra knew of for that was death.
Lalatina turned back to Damrada. "While you're here, let me introduce you to Damrada. He is Master's newest subordinate. You may be seeing him around once Master decides what to do with him." She said as that familiar look of amusement shone in her yellow eyes.
Ingvild finally turned to him as she gave a light bow. "Nice to meet you!" She greeted him happily.
He slowly nodded. "Nice to meet you as well."
"She's also one of the Eight Demonic Generals." Lalatina added with a smirk.
Ingvild fidgeted slightly upon hearing that. It seems she was uncomfortable with the title, or the responsibilities that came with it? Or perhaps she did not see herself as worthy?
"Is that so?" He said. "She feels rather powerful, it must be deserved." He said, flattering Ingvild slightly.
Ingvild let a small smile blossom onto her face. "Thank you! But without Glen I wouldn't be as strong as I am now!"
Lalatina nodded towards Ingvild before turning around. "We must be going now, Ingvild."
Ingvild nodded as she stepped aside before they continued on. "It was nice to meet you, Mister Damrada!" Ingvild called out.
He nodded. "It was a pleasure to meet you as well." He said before he continued to follow behind Lalatina.
As Lalatina led him in silence, he found himself growing curious about the rest of the Eight Demonic Lords. "If you would not mind, would you mind informing me about who exactly the Eight Demonic Lords are? Not much information about them is publicly available I am afraid."
Lalatina paused as she looked over her shoulders at him, her yellow eyes gleaming eerily before a mischievous grin worked its way onto her face. "Heh, Arcueid is responsible for that, always trying to have some card in her pocket to play in case some other kingdoms get a bit uppity. Sure, I can tell you. I already confirmed with my Master that you were who you said you were."
He blinked in confusion. He hadn't felt the telltale signs of a Thought Communication from Lalatina.
As she continued to lead him she spoke about the Eight Demonic Generals. She said that it was generally ranked from strongest to weakest, but the top three of the Demonic Generals were rather even in power.
Though perhaps Lalatina was biased since she was included among the top three. Felix himself had apparently decided the rankings back during the Founding Festival of Tempest. According to Lalatina, the Eight Demonic Generals was a spontaneous idea of his.
The top three was filled with three women: Arcueid, Megumin, and Lalatina herself. All three were Daemons according to Lalatina. Lalatina had said that he'd meet the other two at some point.
Following those three was Saeko, the Oni he knew about, and Raiden, the Dragon Felix recruited on Mount Caanat who was also the Head Maid apparently.
According to Lalatina the two were also very close in power, and a fight between them could go either way. It was rather impressive for two weak Majins like those two to have grown as strong as they had.
According to the information he had, Saeko was once a mere Ogre, yet now she was an Oni, a Demon Lord Seed class Majin. And the Dragon, Raiden, as well. Arch Dragons were incredibly rare, Dragon Lords even more so, and yet from what he knew, Raiden did not start at that stage. No, she grew to that level under Felix.
After that was a man named Sukuna, who Lalatina called an "interesting Daemon" which confirmed his race for Damrada. Then after Sukuna was a woman named Kurumi, who was a Nine Tailed Fox according to Lalatina.
Nine Tailed Foxes were an incredibly rare and powerful species of Majin. Each being born with one Majin that lives inside each of their tails, besides the main one. Those Majins had the potential to be extremely powerful as well, and their total power would be added onto the power of the Nine Tailed Fox as well.
He had only ever heard of one other Nine Tailed Fox in existence, though he was sure there were more out there. It should theoretically be possible for one to evolve into one after all.
He wondered if the Nine Tailed Fox that Lalatina spoke of had any relation to the Nine Tailed Fox that Kanzis had resurrected as a shadow of his after killing off that village of Majins.
Kanzis was a powerful Enlightened and a hailed Champion of the Eastern Empire, one who now served in the military. He was an Imperial Guardian with a strong Unique Skill that allowed him to resurrect his defeated foes as shadows that served him.
His shadows maintained all their abilities, energy, and even Skills that they had in life. Of course, there were limits. If the ego of the one whose shadow Kanzis was trying to retrieve was too powerful for Kanzis to handle, then the Skill would fail to subordinate them as Shadows.
The village the Nine Tailed Fox under Kanzis was from was actually located close to Azeroth in the past before the Eastern Empire launched its attack on it, during which all the residents were massacred, with their leader, a powerful Nine Tailed Fox, being resurrected as one of Kanzis's shadows, or so Kanzis's report said.
Then finally, at the end of the Eight Demonic Generals, was Ingvild herself. She wasn't as strong as even the weakest Saint of the Eastern Empire in his perspective, but she was still powerful.
Felix had at least eight powerful fighters on his side then, not including his allies and Felix himself.
Felix had not even been a Demon Lord for 6 months, yet he already had such a powerful force under him. It could possibly compare to Emperor Rudra's subordinates, not in quantity but perhaps in quality, and the Emperor had spent centuries in his recruitment and refining of his subordinates.
Was Felix just lucky or did he have something that allowed for the birth of such powerful Majins?
"Lord Felix has gathered a rather impressive force. I take it the military is just as impressive?" Damrada probed lightly.
Lalatina shrugged. "They are adequate. Megumin is in charge of them, she's been training them up for a few months now to be of more use."
Damrada's lips twitched at her use of the word "adequate". If the soldiers he saw when he first arrived were only adequate, then he wasn't sure what excellent would truly be, but perhaps those ones were the elites.
"How strong are the common soldiers?" He asked.
Lalatina pursed her lips. "I'd say on average each common soldier has approximately 6,000-8,000 EP, while the commanders are even more powerful, some have an EP of upwards of 100,000, though those are the ones who put in the most hard work."
His eyes widened. He was familiar with the Existence Points system Tempest had released with their announcement of The Dungeon being open to all. It was a rather interesting concept all things considered, but not something he would put much stock in. While energy reserves were important, it was how you used that energy that mattered far more.
Still, even then, 6,000 EP was said to be equal to a higher level B Class Monster going by the Free Guild's way of ranking. B Class beings were capable of destroying entire villages with relative ease.
10,000 EP was classified as the level of Greater Majins. While to him Greater Majins were just slightly stronger insects to be stepped on, to the common people they may as well have been unstoppable deities. The common rabble were approaching that level.
Greater Majin were considered gods essentially in certain, more remote areas, and each common soldier was at that level? That was absurd. Not even the Eastern Empire could boast such a thing. Sure, they had many far above that level, but the common soldiers were far from that level, though perhaps the magi-tech that was being rapidly developed could allow common soldiers to fight at that level.
Not to mention she said some commanders had over 100,000 EP. While that was not even Enlightened level, it was still rather extraordinary. That level of strength was likely enough to wipe out weaker nations.
As he continued to ask Lalatina about the nation, they were interrupted by the appearance of another Daemon. Damrada sensed his teleportation long before he saw the Daemon appear. What he had not sensed was who exactly the Daemon was.
He met the grey eyes of a young boy, or rather, a Daemon who took on the appearance of a young boy. Damrada could recognize those grey eyes and ash grey hair anywhere. To think after so many centuries, he would meet him here, of all places.
Just as Damrada realized who the Daemon was, the Daemon realized who he was. Neither made any move to attack of course; both realized there was a reason for the other to be there.
"Oh?" Lalatina sounded out. "Do you two know each other?" Lalatina asked with curiosity as she saw the recognition in both of their eyes.
The Daemon looked away from Damrada to answer Lalatina. "I do know him, yes. He was an old foe not worth mentioning."
Damrada's lips twitched at the subtle jab to his pride. He took a deep breath. "Indeed, Miss Lalatina. That Daemon and I used to clash many times back in the Eastern Empire."
Lalatina raised an impressed brow. "Oho? To be able to clash with Moss, even before he incarnated and was named, is impressive." Lalatina praised.
Moss. So that was his name now. He could tell the moment Moss appeared in front of him that his old rival of sorts was incarnated now, something which likely took his level of power even further.
They had not clashed in quite some time, so Damrada did not know how strong Moss had become now, which was rather annoying. Moss's aura was perfectly concealed in his small form, making it impossible for him to get a read on Moss's power.
Moss nodded slightly. "I suppose he was an… adequate opponent."
Damrada's lips twitched again. Moss always knew how to get under his skin. He wasn't even sure if it was intentional or not at this point.
"You two can continue your conversation at another time then, I suppose. Why are you here, Moss?" Lalatina asked.
"My Mistress wished to be informed of who the new powerful presence was, so she sent me to inquire more." Moss stated simply.
Moss, the only Arch Duke in the Daemon Realm was referring to someone with a title such as 'Mistress'? Not to mention he was acting incredibly obedient and submissive towards Lalatina. He had never seen Moss act in such a fashion before.
There was only one woman that he could consider Moss calling his Mistress, and that was the Primordial of White, Blanc.
Lalatina hummed in understanding. "I'll go tell her myself, I want to see what she's doing with that mage anyway. Can you continue to give Damrada the tour?"
Moss bowed. "As you wish, Lady Lalatina."
Lalatina eyed him once more before vanishing.
"If you do not mind me asking, who exactly is your Mistress, Moss?" He asked.
Moss looked at him as if he were an idiot. "Who do you think?"
His lips twitched. That had been happening a lot today. "You mean to tell me that the Primordial of White serves Felix now?"
Moss nodded. "Indeed, and she is not the only one. Violet and Jaune also serve Lord Felix. In fact, one of them just left."
"You mean to tell me…."
"Lady Lalatina's true identity is the Primordial of Purple, Violet."
Damrada sighed. "I suppose I should have expected as much from Felix."
Moss nodded. "Which areas remain to be shown to you?"
"Just the training grounds."
Moss nodded, and with that his tour continued. Who would have thought he'd be having a peaceful conversation with a man such as Moss.
- Felix -
After answering Lalatina's Thought Communication about Damrada, I told Rimuru about what had happened after he left.
Chloe, Veldora, and Ramiris were present as well. Ramiris dismissed Beretta, leaving just us.
I told them about the talk I had with Damrada, the information that Damrada told me about Michael and Rudra, how Michael was basically rebelling against Rudra, and how Damrada was ordered to oppose Rudra and his dream, to find someone to counter him and deal the decisive blow when it became necessary.
I told them about Guy's arrival, his small spat with Saare, then the discussion we had with Luminous before Hinata jumped in due to a misunderstanding.
"Hehe, Hinata is always like that." Chloe giggled.
Rimuru joined in. "She does always seem to misunderstand things, doesn't she?"
I rolled my eyes, feeling the need to defend the honor of my student. "She's getting better! I think."
"Bhahaha!" Veldora laughed at our words. "I always knew something was up with her back when she def– back when she cheated her way to beating me!"
Rimuru and Chloe shot Veldora a look that made him wilt. "I'm pretty sure you're just coping, Veldora." Chloe said with a small grin.
Veldora crossed his arms with a pout that should not be on a face as masculine as Veldora's. "Fine, maybe she beat me fair and square, but I'm better now, I'm different! I've already had my training arc! I'm like post time skip Luffy now, except better!"
"But Felix said that Hinata fought Guy, could you do the same?" Rimuru asked teasingly, joining in on the bullying session.
Veldora froze before he shivered for a moment as if recalling some horrible memory. He coughed lightly. "O-Of course I can!"
Ramiris nodded atop from her perch on Veldora's head before she began shadow boxing around us. "Heh, Guy used to run from me whenever I showed up to have some fun with him before Milim was born! I could totally solo him too!"
It said something that I wasn't even sure if Ramiris was bullshitting us or not right now. I really didn't have a good idea of just how strong prime Spirit Queen Ramiris was. For all I know, maybe Guy really would run from her in a fight.
Still, I rolled my eyes at Veldora's bravado. "It's not like Hinata fought Guy to a standstill anyway. Guy was just testing her, if he went all out, Hinata wouldn't be able to win, even as a True Hero."
Veldora let out a sigh of relief. "That's good." Before he froze. "Ah, I mean, it wouldn't matter anyway, I would still win!" He said with a plastic grin on his face.
Ramiris let out a hum. "Still, you said that Hinata was given Granbell's Holy Spirit and Hero's Egg?" Ramiris asked.
I nodded. "Yeah, that's what happened."
"That's never happened before. Maybe Granbell's Elemental took a liking to Hinata then." Ramiris said with a nod.
"Eh, that's possible?" Rimuru asked.
Ramiris nodded. "Mhmm. If an Elemental finds another individual more worthy they can transfer the contract to them, if they wish to."
"Huh, I didn't know that." Rimuru said.
Ramiris sighed. "It's a shame though…"
"What is?" I asked.
"I was hoping you or Hinata would come ask me for another Elemental. Then I could exto– I mean ask for candy in return!" She said with a pout.
My lips twitched at Ramiris' words. I slowly approached her, which she noticed. "H-Hey! I know kung-fu! Don't come closer!" Ramiris said as she raised her hands in a mock fighting stance, clearly trying to look intimidating, but failing miserably. Her tiny fists were shaking, and her wings flapped nervously as I stopped just a foot away from her.
I crouched down, looking at her eye to eye with a grin. "Oh, really? Kung-fu, huh? Are you sure you're not bluffing, Ramiris?"
"Of course not!" She puffed up her chest, attempting to look confident. "I've been practicing for centuries! One wrong move and bam! You'll regret messing with me!" She jabbed the air, her movements about as threatening as a toddler swinging a toy sword.
This was actually kinda funny. There was a reason I liked messing with Ramiris so much. All of us here knew that it was all in good fun though, even Ramiris. She acted like a childish ditz but it was just that: an act, similar to Milim actually.
Speaking of Milim, I probably need to appease her for leaving her out of the fights. Knowing her, I'm sure she'll come to bug me at some point, asking about why she wasn't invited to the "fun".
I did want to invite her, but Milim and self control don't go that well together if she isn't taking things seriously. She'd make things too easy for our side, and while the attack was nothing special, it was still important that Luminous and her people be seen as the primary defenders of the attack.
Veldora couldn't hold it in any longer and burst into laughter. "Bhahaha! Ramiris, you're going to give everyone secondhand embarrassment! Stop embarrassing us mighty beings!" Veldora said with a grin.
"Shut up, you overgrown lizard!" Ramiris shot back, spinning around to glare at Veldora, though her small size made it look more comical than threatening. "I'm the Spirit Queen! Respect me!" She whined like a child.
Chloe giggled, hiding her smile behind her hand. "Ramiris, maybe you should stop before you hurt yourself."
Rimuru smirked, clearly enjoying the banter. "Alright, Ramiris, let's say you really do know kung-fu. Why don't you show us a demonstration?"
"Fine! Watch and be amazed!" Ramiris floated into the air, puffing her cheeks before launching into a bizarre routine of twirls, flips, and poorly coordinated punches. It was less martial arts and more interpretive dance, and the only thing amazing about it was how serious she looked while performing.
I crossed my arms and gave her a slow clap as she landed with a triumphant pose. "Bravo. Truly terrifying. I don't know how I'll recover."
Ramiris narrowed her eyes. "You're mocking me, aren't you?"
"Me? Mock you? Never." My lips twitched as I fought to keep a straight face. "But seriously, if you wanted candy, you could've just asked. No need to extort Hinata for Elementals."
Ramiris's wings fluttered with excitement. "Really? You'll give me candy?"
I summoned a pouch of candy from my Infinite Space and gave it to her. I always had appropriate bribes prepared if I needed them in a pinch.
Her eyes sparkled as she snatched the pouch. "You're the best, Felix!" She hugged the candy to her chest, her earlier bravado forgotten.
Rimuru rolled his eyes. "So what happened after Guy and Hinata finished their spar?" Rimuru asked.
It didn't take me long to finish summarizing the details of what the meeting was about, including Castle Guard. To say that the four were surprised would be an understatement.
"Hmm, so that's the current state of the Emperor, huh?" Chloe said.
"I can't say it is surprising. My elder brother's Ultimate Skill was said to be the strongest in existence." Veldora chimed in.
"Do you know anything more about it, Veldora, Ramiris?" Rimuru asked.
Ramiris was uncharacteristically looking serious as she sat on Veldora's head. "Hmm, I don't remember things perfectly, but I do remember some things about Michael."
"Oh?"
"Velda said that Michael, Lord of Justice could be considered the "King" of all Angelic Skills, and so it had authority matching that status." Ramiris said.
"The King?" Chloe said. "What does that mean?"
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Author's Note:
Sup everyone, back with another chapter of Daemon. This chapter is a bit of a Damrada centric one as you can already tell. We get to learn a bit more about how he sees things and such. His meeting with Moss has been foreshadowed a bit, but it wasn't really an explosive meeting. Both aren't the type to have some kind of overreaction to encountering one another in different circumstances, so they just acknowledged their shared history and moved on. I had Lalatina be the one to first meet him due to their interesting encounter in the light novel.
And then we get another Felix pov, woo, the main character gets some screen time! In all seriousness there are quite a lot of povs I wanted to cover just to get a variety of information from different sources, but that should be almost done. I'm getting pretty tired of writing all these other povs myself.
We get a bit more casual "hanging out" mixed into the moment of seriousness with rimuru, veldora, ramiris, and chloe as well.
Anyways, thanks for reading, peace!
Thanks to @Salante and @Flowerman for beta'ing this chapter.
Last bit of editing -Omnax
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