The Prince's Demonic physique was bigger—making him taller than the grinning human before him.
"The time for what?"
Legris Damien seemed to be enjoying the situation. He already knew what Abellion would say, but hearing it could provoke a different emotion.
The Prince returned Legris' undaunted smile.
His sharp teeth were displayed, and an almighty power enveloped him—causing the entire room to be filled with Miasma.
Any normal person would die.
"The time for war!" The Prince said with a sinister undertone.
His smile contained even more malevolence than before.
That was because he knew what he was talking about.
The humans were a threat! No, not just them… the others as well.
While the Demons were in seclusion, inhabiting the Northern Continent, the three other large patches of land contained the thriving races that basked in prosperity. They lived in an illusion that the Demon Race was vanquished—forever exiling them to this remote part of the world.
It was a shame Abellion could not bear.
This, however, wasn't the main reason behind the Prince's disposition against humans—no, even the other races.
'While we are in decline, they grow more powerful. While our population remains stagnant, they become more plentiful… why does no one see it?'
Before long, the other races would gain an insurmountable advantage—and that would mean the end of the Demon Race.
Abellion was aware of this!
Unfortunately, neither his father nor any of the old ones seemed to see reason behind his words.
So, he had to get rid of them!
Thankfully, he had support—both from his Demon brethren, and the organization Legris Damien belonged to.
As a result, he led a strategic coup, and in no time, the older Demon Lords had all been purged—replaced by the ones who shared his vision.
The King had also grown frail and weak—an effect of Abellion's doing. He hadn't intended on taking such drastic measures, but after considering how far he had come, the Prince made his choice.
For the greater good, sacrifices had to be made.
It wasn't paranoia.
It wasn't fear.
It wasn't unjustified hatred.
This was the real deal.
'Kahn's death has proved it… the humans can not be trusted…'
If Kahn could be stopped by the students of an Academy, that meant that they were being raised with the knowledge of a Demon's weakness.
That being the case, the humans had betrayed them!
"I never expected this… at least, not now…"
Abellion gritted his teeth as he moved back and forth, circling Legris while speaking aloud.
"The Demon Realm is still under stabilization. Any reckless move on our part could result in a disadvantageous condition."
He wasn't someone who didn't use his head.
Abellion was first concerned with his people.
That was the reason he trod this path, to begin with.
"If the other races band together, it will be difficult to win—at least, for now."
It would take some time for them to amass power. It would also be very difficult—in their current state—to achieve enough to properly fight back.
This was yet another repercussion of the pact made with the other races.
"We can help you." Legris Damien said with a smile.
Once Abellion heard this, he grinned back at his friend.
"Well, that's comforting to hear. What could you possibly do?"
Legris seemed to be getting more amused by the second.
"How about an Arcana? It should help a great deal in your battle."
Abellion was stunned, but as a prince, he chose to comport himself.
"To think you had such a thing at your disposal too…"
The Demon Realm had a few treasures of its own. One of which was the Arcana of 'The Devil.'
Of course, having another of those phenomenal tools would be crucial in achieving his goals. But… there was no such thing as free lunch in this world—especially in the case of power.
"… What do you want in return?"
Legris Damien smiled.
"Nothing much. The usual supplies—we want them tripled. Also, there's a small favor to add. It's a bit personal…"
Granting favors was also the duty of a friend, so Abellion decided to hear Legris Damien out.
"There's just someone special out there… a human enemy."
Legris' smile morphed into a sadistic and utterly demonic expression.
"I want you to spare him."
"Spare him? Why?"
Abellion was expecting many things, but this betrayed all expectations.
"He caught my attention—nothing else. That kid is quite interesting, you know?"
Abellion would have implored more, but this wasn't the time to delve into another one of Legris' fetishes.
War was imminent, and the Demonic Race was going to crush the denizens of the continent underfoot. Only then would there be true order.
To achieve that, Abellion would use all that was necessary!
"Alright, then. What's his name?"
The human male gave a satisfied smile and parted his lips.
"Jared Leonard."
***********
"Haa…"
I gave a deep breath as my eyes took in the vast landscape before me.
This would be the first time I was alone in this new life. However, I knew there was no time to take in the atmosphere.
'There's no time at all!'
Thanks to Kahn's little stunt, war was bound to break out at some point.
At my current level, there was nothing I could do to stop the enemy.
To truly make a difference, I needed to get stronger—and fast.
"With the problem of Demons and Arcanas popping up, it's finally time to visit that spot…"
By the end of this journey of mine, I was bound to get stronger—strong enough that I wouldn't have to endure the feeling of powerlessness any longer.
Before I lost anyone I cared about… I would ensure that I became good enough to protect everything and everyone precious to me.
After all… that was all that mattered.
'Wait for me, everyone…!'
"Next time, I won't lose!"
[DO NOT READ THE ! JUST SKIP TO THE NEXT ARC. AN ERROR WAS MADE]
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[END OF THE THIRD ARC]
[The Fourth Arc: 'The Demonic Incursion Arc' Will Resume Shortly]
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THANKS FOR READING!
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