Amidst the commotion on the surface, Ren and the others were blissfully unaware of the happenings and were deeply engrossed in their activities within the Netherworld.
"Voraxa?" Dominique's mention of Vivi's other name caught Ren and Lorelai off guard.
"You . . ." Vivi clutched Azazel's cloth tightly, eyes narrowing at Dominique. "Desira?"
A weighted silence hung in the air before Ren and Lorelai were having a hard time to process what was going on.
Desira? One of the seven Warlords? She was standing right in front of them!
That does mean Dominique was Desira?
More importantly, she appeared uncorrupted, and looked perfectly normal.
Desira rose to her feet and nonchalantly instructed the guards, "Leave us."
When the guards left, Desira's countenance shifted into seriousness as she confronted Vivi. "What are you doing here? We agreed not to cross paths anymore."
Caught off guard by Desira's sudden appearance, Vivi stammered, "Uhm . . . I . . . well . . ."
It was Azazel who stepped forward, wearing a small smile. "It's been a while, Desira. Glad to see you're holding up despite the corruption inside you."
Desira fixed her gaze on Azazel, her voice slightly slurred. "Ara~? How do you know about the corruption?" She paused and then regarded Azazel with a grave expression. "You . . . who are you?"
Ren and Lorelai held their breath, sensing tension building in the air.
Azazel only grinned confidently at Desira. "I'm sure you already know who I am."
Deepening her frown, Desira shook her head. "No . . . that can't be . . . you're already dead."
"It's true," Vivi affirmed. "I'll vouch for him. He's really Obsidian X, Desira."
Desira shifted her eyes between Azazel and Vivi, appearing confused. Ren couldn't blame her, as he felt a similar confusion.
Then, Desira's face softened. "Are you really Obsidian X?"
Azazel nodded. "Yes. Can't you feel it? I'm not lying."
Desira bit her lip, and tears welled in her eyes. "I . . . I couldn't believe it. You're alive? How did that happen?"
Azazel nodded again, and explained everything. He wasn't finish with his explanation when Desira tightly hugged him, while he gently patted her back.
Vivi wiped her tears at the heartfelt reunion, while Lorelai couldn't help but comment on the side, "Well, that's pretty normal. I really thought that we're going to confront her like with Vivi."
Ren couldn't agree more. This had gone more peacefully than he had imagined.
"Desira," Azazel gently pushed her away and stared at her seriously in the eyes. "I want you to give me back the corruption. It might not have affected you much, but over time, it will have a negative impact on you, and all you'll think about is the lust in your heart."
Desira wiped her tears and smiled. "Of course. But . . . are you sure? If you have it again, wouldn't it just corrupt you, and we'll have to kill you again? I don't ever want to do that again. I'd rather die with you if that happened. Damn the Netherworld!"
For a moment, Ren saw how Desira's eyes changed, hollowed and red, before she quickly covered her lips with her hands and giggled.
"Oh my. I'm sorry that you have to glimpse at my ugly side."
Ren and Lorelai exchanged a look, and Lorelai asked, "What's this corruption, by the way? And can't you just, you know, not absorb it?"
Vivi was the one who explained. "Corruption is everywhere in every realm. However, the laws of the universes dictate that this corruption will go to the Netherworld, and the King of the Netherworld is responsible for managing it.
"The role of the Demon King is to maintain balance and ensure that this corruption doesn't overflow, making everyone succumb to their negative sides if happened. However, in the past few years, there's been no sign of the corruption decreasing. It only increases over time."
"I see now," Ren commented. He was starting to get the whole picture.
Lorelai crossed her hands and shook her head in disappointment. "Augh . . . demons are really sinful and corrupted creatures after all."
"It's not just demons and devils," Azazel said. "Every realm, even the Heavens realm, isn't free of corruption. It just so happens that the Netherworld is responsible for maintaining this corruption."
Lorelai's eyes widened. "No way. The angels are fair and just creatures, you know."
No one paid her any mind, and Desira continued, "The previous Demon Kings made a decision to take in some of this corruption over time to maintain balance, but they too succumbed to it as years passed by.
"The only way was for demons and devils with strong wills, like us and Azazel, to absorb it. Normal demons and devils would only corrupt themselves. If released, too much corruption might destroy the realm and even the other realms."
"I understand now," Ren said. "Corruption is present in everyone, and if left unchecked, it might spread and overflow, making everyone succumb to their negative sides."
"That's the gist of it," Vivi affirmed.
While Lorelai fakely nodded her head.
"I . . . I get it too," she said.
Desira then stared at Azazel, worriedly. "If you take in this huge amount of corruption again, you might . . ."
Azazel shook his head. "Not this time. I have a way to control it now. During my time drifting in the void, I've thought of ways to manage it."
Desira remained skeptical. "Are you sure?"
Azazel nodded confidently. "Trust me." He grinned.
Desira took a deep breath and looked at the others. "Oh my. Where are my manners? My name is Desira. I believe that we haven't been introduced, yet."
"Oh right, we haven't introduced you to Ren and the others," Vivi said, proceeding to introduce everyone and told the story on how they met.
"Is that so?" Desira said and bowed. "Thank you for helping Azazel and rescuing Vivi."
"Ah, no. Don't mention it," Ren said while Lorelai leaned in and whispered in his ear.
"For a demon of lust, she sure is respectful and tactful. Unlike these two, she seemed like the disciplined big sister."
