The cobblestones of the capital square were stained not with blood, but with the glittering, crystallized dust of two thousand pulverized soldiers—the terrible testament to Cocytus's casual power. King Valerius lay prostrate in the posture of Absolute Submission, offering his kingdom, his life, and his lineage to the being who had just pulverized half his army.
Asmudeus watched the King. The human part of Kai saw the broken, desperate monarch, his desperation a pathetic plea. But the cold, victorious ego of the Tyrant Emperor saw only a mechanism of expansion. This man was a cog, terrified but functional, ready to be slotted into the machinery of manipulation.
Asmudeus: (His voice measured, dangerously calm) "Rise, Valerius. Your life, and the continued existence of the Southern Empire, is a gift from the Sky Conqueror. Do not waste it."
Valerius scrambled to his feet, not daring to retrieve his crown, and stood rigidly before the Tyrant Emperor, his face etched with both terror and desperate gratitude.
Valerius: "I live only to serve your will, My Lord. Command me. How may I best prove the Southern Empire's devotion to the TyrantEmperor!"
Kai knew he couldn't personally manage a world this vast. He needed an efficient, intelligent vassal. Valerius, who understood political maneuvering, was perfect for the task.
Asmudeus: "The continent of Light—Arcadia. Tell me what you know of it."
Valerius: "Arcadia is shrouded in faith, My Lord. It is dominated by the Celestial Citadel, the headquarters of the human religion dedicated to the Divine Light. It holds the largest repository of holy warriors and powerful mages—it is where the major Heroic Factions gather."
Asmudeus: "Good. Your first mandate is not war. It is not sacrifice. It is knowledge. I require an absolute, unfiltered intelligence report on the political, military, and spiritual state of Arcadia. Specifically, I want every name associated with the Heroic Lineage and any mention of the Angel Race from their sacred texts. You will use your network to achieve this. Failure to deliver is equivalent to defiance, Valerius."
Valerius: "It will be done, My Lord. I have envoys who can infiltrate—I will task them immediately. I swear on my crown that Arcadia will yield its secrets to you."
The Problem of Prince Luan
As Valerius bowed deeply, the injured Prince Luan—still clutching his frostbitten, ruined arm—let out a whimpering cry of rage.
Prince Luan: "Father! Are you truly surrendering our entire nation to this… this demon?! Look what he has done! Look what the icy fiend did to my arm!"
Valerius recoiled from his son. "Silence, you fool! You are standing in the presence of an Ancient Being! Your childish pride means nothing!"
Asmudeus turned his gaze on Luan, allowing a sliver of genuine, cold contempt to show. He didn't bother speaking.
Azatoth, the Dark Knight, moved instead. He stepped in front of Luan and knelt, placing his massive, armored gauntlet on the ground next to the Prince's frozen limb.
Azatoth: (His voice a low, mechanical growl) "Prince Luan. You have insulted the Tyrant Emperor twice. By divine right, your life is forfeit. However, your father's wisdom has spared the majority of this pitiful populace. You will serve as your father's shadow, doing only his bidding, or you will be used as a public spectacle to demonstrate the fragility of the human form."
The threat was terrifying because it promised unending servitude and humiliation rather than death. Luan, paralyzed by the sight of the armored giant, nodded frantically.
Asmudeus: "Take the Prince and secure the palace, Valerius. You have one solar cycle to begin your Arcadian report. My Primordials and I will remain in Hermes for three days to ensure the transition of power is complete."
The Immediate Threat: Draconia
As Asmudeus watched the King retreat, the adrenaline of conquest faded, leaving the cold logic of survival. His public display had cemented his power in Hermes, but the genuine threat remained the Angel Remnants hidden in Draconia.
Asmudeus: "Azatoth. Recall Evil Eye and Urpheus to the deployment room within the hour. The Arcadian intelligence is a slow burn. "
Azatoth: "My Lord, you wish for a full-scale assault on Arcadia?"
Asmudeus: "No. A full assault is unnecessary expenditure and risks attracting enemies forces before I am ready. The Angels want me to commit the Tyrant Emperor to a public battle so they can assess my strength and strategy. I will deny them that opportunity."
He focused his infinite Mana senses across the continents, locating the two Primordials best suited for clandestine war.
Asmudeus: "Evil Eye, the Nightmare Queen, will lead. Her powers of illusion and mental domination are perfect for espionage and eliminating key targets without a trace. I will send Urpheus, the Abyssal Lord, with her."
Cocytus, the Frost King, shifted slightly, creating a slight crackle of ice on the pavement. "Urpheus is volatile, My Lord. His ability is a raw manifestation of the Abyss. He risks causing a Mana cascade that will reveal the operation to the entire continent."
Asmudeus: "Exactly, Cocytus. If the Angels have a true counter-measure, I want to force their hand early with a measurable, localized catastrophe. If they retaliate, they confirm their presence. If they hide, they live in fear. You and Azatoth will remain here. I need absolute, stable control over Hermes before I commit to the field. This continent is too vital."
"It is done, My Lord," Azatoth affirmed.
Kai felt the chill of his own decision. He had just set two of his strongest subordinates on a mission designed to be both clandestine and potentially catastrophic. He was playing a dangerous, high-stakes game of inter-continental chess, and the moves felt increasingly natural.
I am not just playing the role of the Tyrant Emperor, Kai realized with a terrifying finality. I am teaching myself to think like him. The war for Ingrasia was also the war for my own soul.