"Kekeke."
Eren's composure remained unwavering as he let out a hearty chuckle, his gaze never leaving Demonmir's.
"If you truly wish to incite my anger, you'll need to put in more effort. Perhaps by insulting my mother? Although, I must admit, even that might not go as planned," he retorted with a touch of amusement in his voice. However, his tone turned somber as he continued.
"As for Levine, she is flourishing. Come year's end, I may have to reveal to her just how remarkable her cousin was before his unfortunate demise. I fear she may become overly excited and injure herself from the sheer delight of such a pleasant surprise," Eren concluded, his words laced with a subtle hint of anticipation.
Sirius couldn't help but feel impressed by Eren's unwavering composure and sharp retorts. He recognized Eren's ability to give Demonmir a taste of his own medicine. If Sirius were in Eren's position, he knew he would have lost his temper long ago. He realized that advising Eren to remain calm had been a foolish move on his part.
Ariella cast a disapproving gaze at Demonmir due to his choice of words. However, given Demonmir's favorable position with Sage Edgar, she chose to withhold her own comments for the time being.
'This… What is he planning?'
Demonmir's eyes narrowed as he absorbed Eren's words. Despite his outward demeanor, he had never taken Eren's words lightly. He recognized the significance of Eren's existence, as he was despised by the slumbering demon soul fragment within Demonmir himself. It became clear to Demonmir that Eren held a special quality that had the potential to attract the attention of a Demon Prince. Underestimating Eren would be foolish.
Throughout the past nine years, Demonmir had targeted Eren's allies indirectly in an attempt to disrupt his plans and force him into making mistakes. He was willing to employ any means necessary to eliminate Eren, no matter the cost. However, Eren had proven to be more cautious and pragmatic than Demonmir had anticipated, evading his traps and schemes.
The reason why Demonmir and House Lowin had chosen this particular moment to meet with Eren was because Demonmir had recently achieved the Grandmaster Rank and assimilated a draconic bloodline. House Lowin hoped that Eren and Demonmir would come to an understanding after this meeting.
Demonmir, on the other hand, had hoped to mentally unsettle Eren by showcasing his own accomplishments, aiming to provoke a reaction. Yet, the tables had turned, and it was Demonmir who found himself intimidated by Eren's chilling threat.
"What are you plotting, you bastard? If I am to fall, rest assured, I will take you down with me," Grimdawn countered, his voice oozing with confidence. He smirked, continuing, "All it takes is for the Demon Prince within me to seize control of this vessel. Your plans, your traps, will all be rendered useless." Demonmir's eyes emitted an eerie red hue as he spoke, the aura of Wrath mana enveloping his body.
'That's what I'm counting on,' Eren said to himself but didn't say out loud. He felt that it was necessary for him to distract Demonmir mentally before his next set of actions.
'Time to act a little brazenly.'
Eren quietly whispered to himself, knowing that he needed to distract Demonmir mentally before his next move. With a bold decision in mind, he leaned forward and pressed his right index finger against the wooden table, exerting an overwhelming force of physical pressure and mana. The table instantly shattered into countless tiny pieces, surprising everyone in the meeting hall. Fortunately, their experience and high-ranking status allowed them to avoid any injuries from the flying debris.
Standing up from his seat, Eren confidently walked towards Demonmir, causing his subordinates to tense up, ready to intervene. Mael, fueled by anger, prepared to attack Eren with his fire-element spells. However, Demonmir asserted his authority by raising his hand and commanded his subordinates to stand back, preventing any interference.
Demonmir gazed at Eren with anticipation and a wide smile, believing that he had finally shaken Eren. He had no qualms about complicating matters by killing Eren within Fort Fenris if given a valid reason.
"Eren, what the fuck are you doing? Stand back."
Concerned, Sirius stood up and warned Eren to stay back, ready to intervene.
But Eren reassured him in a calm voice, alleviating Sirius' worry.
"Relax Sirius. It's nothing serious."
Sirius realized that Eren's pun on his name indicated his lighthearted mood, signifying that he had everything under control.
Eren stood face-to-face with Demonmir, who stood a bit taller, peering down at Eren, expecting a reason to engage in conflict.
"I think it's high time we stop instigating each other with words, Demonmir," Eren said in a neutral voice as he looked at Demonmir. "I think it will sully both of our reputations if we do that for any longer. People will think we only talk with nothing to show for. Let's be civilized in carrying out the enmity between us. Let's meet each other on the battlefield and settle our differences for good one day. Until then, it was nice meeting you," Eren said while raising his hands.
Eren spoke neutrally, suggesting a change in their approach. He emphasized the need to stop instigating each other with words, as it would only tarnish their reputations. Instead, Eren proposed settling their differences in a Rankers' Code of Conduct on the battlefield, where they could truly prove themselves. With that, Eren raised his hands.
Enraged, Mael was about to retaliate, assuming Eren intended to attack Demonmir. However, Sirius swiftly intervened, restraining Mael and scolding him for jumping to conclusions.
"Don't complicate things, you overexcited brat. Eren is just offering a handshake to your boss. Now stop barking and stay still like a good dog."
Sirius asserted that Eren was merely offering a handshake. Mael reluctantly kneeled under Sirius' pressure.
Demonmir raised an eyebrow, surprised by Eren's actions and provoking words once again. Conflicting thoughts raced through his mind as he subconsciously raised his own hand. Eren chuckled before shaking hands with Demonmir, gazing into his eyes. "I have a feeling we will meet again soon, Demonmir. Until then, I wish you success and prosperity," Eren said, retracting his hand.
"Sirius, the meeting has concluded. We can leave," Eren informed Sirius. With a nod, Sirius proceeded to escort Eren out of the meeting room. Eren didn't forget to express his gratitude to Ariella before departing from Fort Fenris.
Amidst the chaotic turn of events and Eren's unconventional actions, nobody noticed the invisible space-element rune etched on Demonmir's palm—the same hand with which he had shaken hands with Eren.
