The Demon Lord Is An Angel
Chapter 370: Interlude - Stage Of The Apocalypse

Chapter 370: Interlude - Stage Of The Apocalypse

Across the rest of the Triune Worlds, the events in Isegart meant little to nothing in the face of the larger Heavenswar. A new Sin of Pride would begin his march into infamy, but for the time preceding the events that would come in Montmorency, Chainsfree, and Heaven, the world was not idle.

And many tales found their beginnings and ends...

* * *

"I’m going to kill him, Brigit. I’m going to kill our son."

Darlae Gale Earonsheir Lavis Menaeon Calainn-Sidhe, Third of Her Name, declared this openly at the private dinner they were sharing with Chancellor Lumin and her associates. Associates who all seemed to know of "Professor Kiryu Nasumi" in a way that let her talk openly about the present source of her suffering.

"He’s not even here, Dar. What has he done this time?" Brigit sighed over her coffee pudding.

"His students are trying to murder me!"

"I told you not to wear the disguise," Lumin said from across the oval table, at which she sat at the head. "Are your shields not up to the task?"

"It’s not about the shields, it’s about not getting murdered!" Darlae snapped at her old mentor. "The mousekin twins blasted me off the damn cliff!"

"If you’re going to imitate your son’s teaching methods, then don’t turn your back on the Amendatory Arcanics class," Lumin quirked her lips sternly.

"Why would you let him run a class like that?" Darlae huffed.

"Because it profits the Academy and the city, and if a mere student can break through the shields of someone more than equivalent to an Archon, then they’re worth noting. To say nothing of the fact that in his first year, he enabled more students to resume their learning than his last four predecessors combined."

Given everything the students needed was close to the Academy, the gold they’d get from making "Kiryu" bleed was more likely than not going to circulate its way into the Academy coffers.

"If that’s your attitude, then I might start attacking them back!"

"Honey, please just use the next class to say Kir’s appointing a substitute. I hate seeing you like this."

Lumin sipped her coffee. "That sounds like an excellent and sane proposal. And I can even provide you some extra help once Imogen arrives."

"Lady Imogen is coming?" Brigit blushed.

Hearing the name of Brigit’s old crush did not improve Darlae’s mood.

"Indeed. Once she finishes wrangling her projects in Amrita, she’ll be on her way," Lumin sipped and placed her cup in its saucer. "Until then, try not to die if you insist on the foolishness of competing with your son."

"Are you afraid I’ll fail?" Darlae scoffed.

Lumin laughed, almost cackling before she caught her breath. "I’m more worried that you’ll succeed. After seeing all the bad habits I know he got from you, I would hate to see things work the other way around."

* *

On the other side of the world, a giantess held a tablecloth over her left eye as she regarded the men who had gathered before her.

"Everyone here?" Hartl snarled at a bullkin man who approached, her second in command, Telfair.

"The Somos Boys are sticking this one out; say their ma wants them up in the Fanglands, more green up there for herdin’ now that the demons been put down."

"How many we got then?" Hartle asked, her tone growing more demanding.

"Thirty-one."

She cast her baleful gaze over the posse surrounding the bonfire where they’d burned Cleto and Jop. And then she stood, looming in from the shadows as she approached, discarding the cloth and holding onto the pain as she addressed the slavers.

"Listen up you fucks," she said. "Mama Hartl’s got blood between her and those shit-for-slaves -"

"How much is the pay?" someone shouted. "Blood don’t buy bread in Aaru." Hartle looked to find a scrawny human addressing her. A newcomer, judging by the fact she didn’t recognize him.

"There’s money in it."

"For a catkin, a demon, and someone you says is an angel? Sounds more like a bar joke. Or a shitty lie-"

Her response was to flex her magic and stomp hard, causing a spike of stone to spear him from the ground up and through his head. A shock ran through the crowd.

"This ain’t just about money!" she shouted, cowing them. "But if it’s money you want, Heaven pays well for its own! Everyone knows this! Just like you should know Mama Hartl ain’t no liar!"

She slapped her chest with her fist. "So get your shit together and mount up. If we hurry, we can catch them on the mountains. Or leave your rides and walk into the desert for all I care, because if we get our hands on that lame little angel, the rest of us will be rolling in gold."

That got them riled up. Enthusiastically, the slavers started to prepare.

"Angels really worth that much?" Telfair approached, waving his hand to snap the corpse and its spike free of the ground, before hovering it over the flames and dropping it.

"Syndicate sometimes bounties out for one or two. Trust me, even if we don’t sell her back to Heaven, an angel will fetch enough for one person to live a dozen lives, even if she’s missing a wing. Especially if we find the right buyer..." She slapped the mage on the back.

Telfair chuckled. "Or maybe enough for two people to live a half dozen lives?" he winked and tilted his head at the burning corpse.

Hartle smiled, "Looks like you beat me to it."

"We’ve worked together long enough," Telfair shrugged. "And I’m thinking it’s about time to retire. Buy up some land once the Heavenswar winds down."

Hartl grabbed his shoulder. "Glad we agree. But one thing: Leave the cat for me. I want to feel his bones when I crush him in my hand."

* * *

Above the world, the darkness beneath Araqlun glowed with more light than it had in millennia. But even this light was fading as the thirsting metal channeled it to far-off places.

The two Dukes had battled for days, though time meant little in the deep dark, and now at last Lust broke before the might of Heresy.

And when the lights of their battles faded, and the destruction that rained about them ceased, only Maledict stood.

Standing above his fallen foe, he panted, looking around the crater of battle to find his people beginning to gather. To see who would emerge as the Duke of fallen Tzal...

Santina coughed, blood spraying from his lips as his body began to die, his soul already gathering toward the barely restored soul stone he’d gained from his encounter with the oldest of gods, Aideaeb.

"I know not what force set you in my path, but you should not have challenged me, Santina," Maledict stepped forward, planting his foot onto the skeletal body of his opponent. Without his glamours, Santina’s skin was a wasted, scarred mess. The same form Maledict inflicted on him centuries ago, when he’d defeated the Duke of Lust and claimed his throne. "Did you think I would not grow in strength during our centuries apart?"

Santina laughed. "Of course I did, Master of Goetia..." He wheezed as he took in a long breath. "It’s all I could think of... ever since she told me our fates..." Santina watched Maledict’s widening eyes, his smile growing. "I embrace mine... knowing you will suffer far more for it... You will suffer the fate of every Demon Lord before you... To die of love... Demon Lord Maledict Luciferos..."

Maledict heard but could not think, because he knew the only woman that could have Santina against him... And thoughts of her filled him with more emotions than he could count. "She spoke to you? When? Why? Why attack me, knowing you would die? Had you come willing to bend the knee, I would have found a use for you."

"My answers die with me... and you can die mad... I never wanted your generosity, Maledict. I just wanted you to remember me... before I go... One rival to another..." A crack sounded, not a physical one but one that echoed into the ambient mana as the crystallization of Santina’s being shattered. He raised his eyes to the sky, and shouted "ALL HAIL THE DEMON LORD! ALL HAIL THE FINAL LORD OF HELL! ALL HAIL-"

In a burst of light, Santina Luciferos, once Duke of Lust, broke beneath Maledict’s foot. In every direction, the darkness was banished as the hungering construct of Heaven’s core glowed.

Maledict stood, stunned, as he gazed where Santina’s face had been.

Until he heard the cries. The shouts. The roars.

His people, filled with new strength taken from Santina’s death cries."

"Aileas..." Maledict whispered, his fists tightening until his claws drew blood. "Why do you not return to me?"

A demon landed behind him. Then another. And another. His Generals, all looking at him with new eyes.

"We heard the dying cry of Lust... It is only right that he acknowledged your greatness in the end," General Sreev approached, then bowed. "What are your orders, Demon Lord?"

Maledict’s body relaxed as he returned to the present.

He saw the trap that Santina had set for him, but it was too late.

It had been too late ever since he’d come here, to strike at Heaven from the dark. To take the ancient secret of Heaven’s purpose and destroy it.

He turned to his Generals.

"Ready the Gate Ring. Once we have retrieved our forces, we will strike at Heaven with all that we have."

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