It took half a year for him to readjust his mental state, but Damien returned to the Ancient Battlefield eventually.
He, of course, wanted to see Iris before anything else, but time wasn't on his side.
The portals opened before he even arrived back on the battlefield, and if he didn't immediately teleport over, he wouldn't have made it before the first batch arrived.
As for Iris and Tiamat, his awareness spanned a large enough distance for him to see their situation as he moved, so he was already assured of their safety.
Nevertheless, he came here with one purpose only.
To subjugate those who couldn't be killed.
The universe was severely lacking in forces at the moment.
Of their originally large number of Demigods, only a little over 1500 still remained alive. When one took into account the losses to lower existence forces as well, it was a severe blow that couldn't be easily healed from.
Naturally, once the Demigods returned victorious, the universe would enter a period of restructuring before it went on to grow.
And for the sake of that, there couldn't be any more rot inhibiting them.
Nobody could say how long the lower universe would remain safe from external threats. Just because the Nox were gone didn't mean nobody else would try to lay claim to their land.
These Demigods were the start of the problem. They allowed the rot to fester as they were the ones spreading it personally.
As long as they weren't brought under his control, the problems that tore the universe apart from the inside would continue to persist until it was pointless to even dream of it becoming whole again.
Damien couldn't allow that.
Disregarding any sort of desire for justice or righteous intentions, the lower universe would be his as soon as he got the opportunity to claim it, and he wouldn't allow these kinds of people to pollute his property.
However, he also couldn't kill them, because the universe was already lacking Divinities as it was.
The solution was simple.
Damien waited as more and more Demigods arrived before him.
Some had complaints, but most saw what he did when he came out of Cosmic Rebirth and shut their mouths when they recognized him.
It didn't matter if others complained anyway. Damien already set up a barrier of existence between him and them, making it absolutely impossible for them to break through to the portals.
When the crowd reached its full capacity and all the Demigods had gathered, Damien acted quickly.
He didn't explain himself nor did he listen to them.
He used his new eyes to completely perceive each and every one of their existences.
Once again showcasing his indomitable power, he forcefully separated them into two batches.
People who were worthy, like Alucard, Tang Lingzi, Tiamat, or Iris, were shifted to one side, while others who didn't have as much presence as those four whom Damien deemed unworthy were shifted to the other side.
After this was finished, Damien finally said his first words to the crowd of Divinities who'd already been subdued by his actions.
"I will not tolerate another case like the Immortal Blood Asura," he said, panning his gaze over them.
"From this point forth, our Grand Heavens Boundary will only experience prosperity. If you wish to cause discord or pursue personal gain by damaging the universe's foundation, I have unfortunate news for you…"
He looked to the side where the nameless Demigods were.
There were roughly 500 of them. It was a far smaller number than the other side, which was good, but it was still a number far too large.
"...I have already seen through your intentions," Damien said to them.
"What are you–"
"If you are unfortunate enough to be on this side, then it is by no fault but your own. Perhaps, in your next life, you will learn to not be overly greedy for things that aren't yours."
Damien glanced at Alucard and the rest, giving them a slight nod.
"I will not kill these people. I am not stupid enough to damage our overall combat power at a time like this. However, they will no longer move by their own will. I will put their lives in the hands of a few trusted individuals, and they will be used as the greatest labor force you could ever ask for."
"They will not doubt or complain. They will not rebel or bear grievance. They will be slaves, puppets who will follow the absolute command of anyone I deem worthy of such privilege."
Damien didn't plan to personally take part in the reconstruction efforts. He had other things to do.
So he gave them an explanation of what he was going to do, so they could both feel the severity of their responsibility and the fear for him that would make sure they never even considered acting against his will.
Damien didn't enjoy being a tyrant, but if that was the position he needed to take for the greater good, he would do so without question or guilt.
That was a lesson he learned from the Saint Emperor.
Sometimes, the villain was just as necessary as the hero.
It was time for him to take villainous action.
After he finished giving them an explanation of their roles for the future and what his next actions would entail, Damien turned back to the second group and pushed his hand out.
They were raging, of course. Their roars of indignance were loud, and their claims that he was committing heresy or betraying the universe were even louder.
But what could they do?
They were trapped in the box where Damien kept them. They were just barking dogs without any real power.
And what was the point of having a dog if it wasn't loyal?
Damien harnessed the Authority of Existence.
Using his perception as a base, he imprinted his will on the very cores of their existences.
It was a slave seal that could never be disobeyed, because it was not a matter of mind, body, or soul, but existence itself.
The process was quite easy for him, since he was already far above their level even before devouring two Nox Emperors.
And once it was over, he looked over at Alucard and the rest.
"I'll trust you with this?" He asked.
Alucard smiled and nodded.
"That, you can."
Damien nodded back and transferred control over the slave legion to the Hidden Death Valley Director.
Just like the controls for the teleportation arrays he set up, he made an assortment of keys to control the slave group and gave them to Alucard for him to hand out to the people he trusted.
That matter was brought to an end just like that.
Without blocking their paths any longer, Damien stepped aside and allowed the Demigods to make their choice.
Damien didn't treat it as much, because he already had a plan on what he was going to do from now on. He was also the only one with knowledge of the alternate ascension method, so he didn't possess the same worries as they did.
But for those that weren't duty-bound like Alucard, this was a choice heavier than any other.
It had already been several thousand years since the last of them rejected ascension.
After several millennia spent in contentment at the top of the food chain, what would they do?
Would they return to that position, to the place that would inevitably become far more prosperous than the Grand Heavens Boundary they knew?
Or would they reach for greater horizons, exploring the futures they'd disregarded in their younger days for the sake of such meager power?
For most, it was an obvious decision to return. If they were going to ascend, they would have done so from the beginning.
But…
That didn't mean there weren't any interesting choices made.
