Damien knew he was being harsh, but it was necessary.
Someone like Ran couldn't learn through easy means.
She was entitled beyond belief. Her world revolved around her, and it was clear she never had to face the consequences of her actions.
If someone grew like that, they were bound to become a terrible person simply due to their ignorance. That was not bliss, but a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode.
And it exploded.
It exploded right in Ran's face and took the person she cared about most.
How was someone who never learned to cope with negativity to respond to a stimulus like that?
Ending everything was an easy choice. She was someone who would always pick the easy choice because she simply couldn't see the other choices at all.
Damien hated people like her. He hated people who lived in this cruel and cold world and somehow maintained the thought that they were above its rule.
It was a different kind of naivety from the pure innocence that children and others in similar positions possessed. Rather than something that should be protected while it lasted, it was something that needed to be crushed so those people could face reality.
Maybe Ran would hate him from this point forth.
Maybe she'd resent him for forcing her to live, but Damien didn't care.
In the first place, he was never doing it for her.
He was doing it for Di, the only person in the Ancient God Clan he respected.
He would've never wanted Ran to die with him. He would've wanted her to live on and find her own happiness, and he would've wanted her to continue his legacy in the clan so he was never forgotten.
Ran was his last lifeline, and she just wanted to throw all that away?
Damien abhorred that she was the one tasked with Di's last will, but that wasn't his decision to interfere in, so he did what he needed to make sure she lived.
'Worst case scenario, she tries to kill me later. But, even that's a positive. Whether it be hatred, guilt, or something more positive, they're all twisted emotions that give her a will to live.'
Positive reinforcement wasn't always the answer. Damien learned through countless experiences that facing the coldness of reality could be much more impactful on a person's psyche than positivity.
'I don't know if I'd use this method for people I actually care about, but…no, that's not the case. I definitely would.'
He just wouldn't do it directly.
Just like he'd made Astoria face reality back when he was teaching her, he would use some means to rid the people he nurtured of their naivety when the time came.
'Even Xue'er…'
"Haa…'
Damien sighed.
'I don't know if I'd be a good parent, but hopefully, I don't become a hated one.'
He'd just accepted Iris as his 4th wife. That was a number he never could've imagined back in his youth.
Now that such an event had happened, he started thinking about his future romantically again as well.
And having children was definitely something he wanted.
'Just…not right now.'
In this kind of world, having too many feelings was a sin.
He was afraid of what would happen if he had kids.
What if he ended up like his own father, unable to foster their growth or even have a say in their lives until they were too old to care?
He couldn't allow that.
His children wouldn't live like he did.
They'd live in a world he created for them, a world free of horror and cruelty.
'Though…'
Damien shook his head.
He didn't need to think about it yet. If he kept doing so, his desire to see his wives again and become a father would only grow stronger.
'Ascending is my main priority. I have to remember that.'
"Huu…"
Damien exhaled deeply and centered himself.
'I should start heading for the center. The enemies in the outskirts aren't enough for me anymore, and…for some reason, I really want to see the people I trust.'
Those who were worthy of his respect and fighting with their everything to end this war victoriously, he wanted to see them and refresh his mind.
But…would things go as he wished?
He seemed to have forgotten after spending so much time unhindered.
He had enemies in this place.
And not all of them were as patient as the Saint Emperor.
***
Somewhere several hundreds of millions of kilometers away from Damien's current position, two men stood surrounded by a river of blood and mountains of corpses.
"What did you say?"
One of them made an exclamation of shock upon hearing the information his fellow shared.
"It is just as I stated. A lower existence has arrived on the Ancient Battlefield and stirred up a storm."
Their conversation was naturally about Damien, the most interesting person on the plane at the moment.
But his specific identity was still up in the air…
"They call him by a variety of names, but those are only marks of their cowardice. The only concrete information our forces have been able to gather is a rough description of his appearance and power."
…well, not anymore.
The man held up his hand and summoned a projection. It was majorly nondescript, but the most important characteristics were represented.
A chiseled face, black hair that went past his shoulders, and…
"Those eyes…"
The second man's gaze sharpened.
Those purple eyes were not something just anyone could possess.
Rather, in the entirety of his existence, he'd only seen two people with those eyes.
One was the Void Emperor from the past, a man that had long disappeared into the Heavenly World, or at least that was how it was assumed.
And the other…
"Damien Void."
A blood-red aura filled the skies.
"That damned brat…"
Immortal Blood Asura gnashed his teeth.
He thought he'd seen the last of that man long ago, but by some odd means, he'd managed to survive not only the death land known as No Return Pass, but also a siege on Al'Katra that he was only able to learn about through the Karmic Emperor.
That thorn in his side that he'd tried to remove so many times was now standing amongst Demigods, slaughtering as he pleased.
"WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS?!"
Immortal Blood Asura roared.
He rarely found roadblocks in his path. This wasn't luck, but something he made sure of by suppressing and killing any who opposed him.
But this one survived.
Like a rat, he scurried away and escaped every perilous situation he'd been put in.
'And now he is here…'
Immortal Blood Asura couldn't stand him.
The Divinity he'd built was based on his eternal conquest, his subjugation of any and all things.
Even now, rather than a traitor who submitted to the Nox, he was someone who stood on the same level as a Nox Emperor.
And yet…
'Why is that brat still alive?'
He couldn't understand it.
But there was one thing he knew.
This was not Grand Heavens Boundary. This was the Ancient Battlefield.
In this place, Damien could not escape, and Immortal Blood Asura didn't have to leave his revenge to external forces.
"Where is he now?" He asked coldly.
The Karmic Emperor smiled.
"His position is being tracked in real-time. Take this map and go."
Immortal Blood Asura nodded and glanced at the Nox Emperor icily.
"I do not know what you are planning, but it does not matter to me. This is not a matter of your influence. Remember that."
The Karmic Emperor's mysterious smile widened.
"I am well aware. Now, quickly finish him and come back. We have much to do before we leave this place."
"Hmph."
Immortal Blood Asura left without another word.
As the Karmic Emperor watched him leave, his smile turned into a toothy grin.
'While it is a shame to sacrifice a piece like that boy, it is necessary to completely tame the Immortal Blood Asura.'
He turned around and walked through the rivers of blood like he was taking a calm stroll through the park
'Damien Void, the man even the Saint Emperor failed to kill. I apologize, but…'
'This is the day of your death.'
