The Red Hand

Chapter 489 – The Curtains are Drawn.

"So much has happened while I was incapacitated that it seems an impossible task to digest all this new information." Lockheed grumbled as he read through a report while lying in bed. He'd been desperately trying to get a grip on the current state of both Demon Kingdom and Enoris as a whole, especially with the current threat of his nation fracturing from Civil War. "Though the petty internal rivalries of old seem to have remained the same. How I wish I could've awoke to a Kingdom at peace..." He sighed as a knock came at his door. "Enter."

"Father, reading more reports? I knew you couldn't rest." Ariel sighed as she entered his room. Lockheed had been ordered to rest, though she knew that he likely wouldn't. "You really should be resting as much as possible. Using magic to supplement your weakened physical state isn't healthy long-term."

"But alas, there is much to do, and I do not have the luxury of rest when I've spent the better part of a decade away from my duty." Lockheed said as he pulled another paper out of the stack on a table he'd propped up next to his bed. "Lady Silfana has kindly accepted my offer of assistance, and while I may no longer hold the title of Demon King, I will diligently pursue my duty to this Kingdom and her people."

"Good to see you're still a workaholic after all these years." Bathrumd interjected as he snuck in behind the former Demon-Princess. "Yo, how's it going, Lock?" He smirked as his gaze met the former Demon King's. “You look worse for wear.” He laughed.

"I was wondering when you'd finally stop by." Lockheed said as he sat the report down. “I guess that means my peace and quiet has finally come to a close.”

"I would've come sooner, but there were a few things that needed doing. Never a dull moment with everything going on." Bathrumd said as he walked over to his bed, where the two shook hands. "It's good to have you back, old friend." The two were friends and rivals who'd known each other since they were young. And, despite the former's attitude, got along rather well, all things considered.

"I'm sorry to say that we won't be having our usual sparring matches anymore." Lockheed laughed. "It takes everything I've got just to move around, so I doubt I can ever put your face in the dirt again. A pity.”

"Guess that makes me number one now!" Bathrumd said triumphantly. “I knew it was only a matter of time until I reached the top!”

"Perhaps, but I'd ask you to test your skills against Ariel before you claim the title of strongest." Lockheed shrugged. "She's gotten strong while I was away, and I believe she'll one day surpass me at my finest. So don't go getting ahead of yourself."

"I could never hope to compete with you, Father." Ariel couldn't imagine herself ever getting to her Father's level. In his prime he was more than a match for some Demi-Gods and easily one of the most powerful combatants on the continent. "You managed to go toe-to-toe with Emperor Hadrus. Not many can claim to have fought him and lived to tell the tale."

"That monster is an outlier." Bathrumd said with a dissatisfied snort. "If I didn't know better, I'd think he was a Demi-God himself. The bastard practically glows."

"Indeed, and I wouldn't go holding up my achievement so high. After all, The time we fought was merely an exhibition match to show solidarity between our peoples. I have no doubt that, in a fight to the death, I would lose." Lockheed recalled their clash and had grown firm in the belief that a war with the Empire was best avoided. "There is a reason I tried my best to keep our people out of a war with the Empire. Hadrus is many things, but most of all, he is ruthless. We may well not have survived such a clash."

"Indeed, a war with the Empire would inevitably bring in the Confederacy, not to mention we would've had to worry about the Alliance and those traitors in the east." Ariel commented. “A multi front war is never desirable.”

"It's also likely the Gods would've stepped in during such a war, given that they wanted us dead." Bathrumd growled. “Bastards.”

"Yes, had it come down to it we may very well have been given the same grim fate as the Spirits." Lockheed shook his head, regretting his cooperation in the war. "Such a conflict would, essentially, be Humanity against Demonkind, and it doesn't take a great deal of thought to see where that leads." Ariel and Bathrumd knew the former Demon King's words to be true, and they shuddered to imagine the genocide that would follow such a war.

"And now we've been dragged into a contest between powers far beyond our comprehension." Bathrumd said. "A Demon Lord fighting Gods. Had you told me just a few short months ago that we'd witness such a thing..."

"Our people need to be prepared for what comes next." Lockheed decided to move the conversation away from the prior topic. "Ariel, how goes the preparations? Lady Akagi has promised our people safe passage to her world so that we may survive Enoris' destruction. Do we have progress?"

"Yes, but its been slow." Ariel replied curtly. "As you know, law and order have broken down across the Kingdom with the destruction of our Army. Outside of the major cities, we have limited influence, and many Nobles have defected." She continued. "Kelira is not so subtly moving against us, and while Vilich has disappeared, my agents have confirmed Narmund's death."

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out who bumped him off." Bathrumd chuckled. "That busy body made plenty of enemies over the years, but Kelira hated him the most."

"Not to mention that his by-the-book attitude and implacable nature would be an obstacle to her plans." Ariel retorted. "Additionally, we've received word that she's been in direct communication with Mireton. It seems she wants their help in the coming battle."

"Unsurprising. Kelria's loyalty has always been to herself above all else. Had she been able to get away with it, I know for a fact she would've made a play for the throne once I became incapacitated." Lockheed grumbled. He hated Noble infighting and tried his best to curtail it, though he knew all too well that such a thing was an almost endeavor pointless. "It's only a matter of time until she makes a move. We must be prepared to repulse her scheme, whatever form it may take."

"For such a smooth political operative, she's misreading the situation quite severely, isn't she?" Ariel thought it was odd that someone as experienced as the Elector-King would try to make a power play against the Demon Lord that had just wiped out their Army. "This situation is far removed from typical political upheaval. She can't just raise an army and march on the Capital to declare herself the new Demon King. None of her actions make sense when you look at it from the outside."

"It's because she's being misled." Silfana said as she leaned inside the doorway to the King's bedroom. "By both sides are. Considering that fool as anything less than a disposable pawn is giving her too much credit."

"So you do have a hand in this." Ariel clicked her tongue, which made Silfana smile.

"I do not, the woman I work for does." Silfana corrected her as she wagged her finger. "And recall that at the end of the day I have a boss that I answer to and that I am an merely instrument of her grand designs." She continued. "Akagi is very good at getting people to believe that the actions they're taking will benefit them in the end while actually being part of a carefully laid trap. It was how she dethroned the Spirit Council and took command of their entire race with ease. And our little Demoness is walking down the same road. No doubt she's being fed lies by a certain someone's agents."

"At least you admit you're just a pawn." Ariel smirked, finding it amusing that such a powerful Vampire was little more than a piece of a larger machine. "You act better than everyone else, and yet you've got just as short a leash as we do. Ironic, huh?"

"And what is Lady Akagi's goal here? Sparking a rebellion will only see more of our people suffer, and I do not want that." Lockheed interjected, not wanting another argument between the two women.

"As I said, she has a grand design of which this situation is merely a single part." Silfana said as she flicked a letter to the Demon King, which he caught and slowly opened. "And the next phase has already begun, right on schedule."

"A letter? What does the letter say, Father?" Ariel asked, unnerved by the deep scowl on the former Demon King's sunken face.

"It's a Declaration of Ascension." Lockheed's words caused other Demon's eyes to go wide in shock. "That woman is bold, I'll give her that. Just look how many signatures it has."

{I knew the Nobles of Zolten would side with her, but to think so many others would make such a choice. And Redrud... I know that man cares for this Kingdom, so imagine he's doing what he thinks is right, but...} (Lockheed.)

"She can't do that!" Ariel exclaimed.

"She just did." Bathrumd shook his head. “Legalities don't matter when it gets to this point.”

A Declaration of Ascension was the formal document proclaiming the next Demon King. Historically, the paper was merely a formality and served little more than administrative purposes. However, if a Declaration of Ascension is formalized while there is currently a Demon King on the throne, it was an official challenge to their rule and a rejection of their legitimacy. This meant that the Demon Kingdom was effectively in a Civil War, as dozens of Noble Houses had signed with their official seals proclaiming their allegiance to Kelria. Something similar had happened in the past, though not within living memory for any Demon.

"How could they..." Ariel balled her fist in frustration as she read the document. "Those fools! Those absolute fools!"

"I'm honestly not shocked that Kelria went down this path, but to gather that many seals that quickly." Bathrumd furrowed his brow. “That worries me more than anything else.”

{There are even seals from the Nobles of Miretown as well. Do they intend to pledge fealty to her in exchange for concessions? An odd play, but then again...} (Bathrumd)

"We suspect that she's been planning this even before our arrival in this world. The destruction of the Demon Army and my ascension merely provided her the perfect excuse to call in whatever favors she's owed." Silfana explained. “And then you have the fact that she's being egged on by infiltrators and well...” She shrugged.

"The Gods must have a hand in this, too." Lockheed figured that Akagi's influence wasn't the only factor that caused her to formalize this rebellion. "Even if most of the Kingdom's surviving Nobles sided with her, Kelria is smart enough to understand that their meager forces would do nothing against a Demon Lord. There absolutely no chance she would take such a hostile action without Divine support."

"You would be correct." Silfana said with a grin that flashed her fangs. "Which means that the Gods took the bait, and the trap has been set. It won't be long now until Akagi gets what she wants, and the Gods won't realize that they've been dancing to her tune until it's far too late."

{Though from what she's said, I get the feeling that forcing the Gods into a direct confrontation with her is only part of a larger plan. For some reason, I get the feeling she wants something else to happen as well, but what that might be, I do not know and I honestly do not care since that's not my concern.} (Silfana)

"I do not appreciate my people being used as pawns. At this rate, countless innocent lives will be lost in the crossfire." Lockheed balled his fists in frustration.

"Unlikely, Akagi and I intend to focus on the ringleaders and crush them. Everyone else can be left alone, and it's not like we need to fight this like a typical war." Silfana replied. "Though in fairness, I do have a small army at my disposal now, so a test or two may be necessary."

"When will the battle be? How much time do we have?" Lockheed asked the Vampire, figuring out that everything had already been decided in advance.

"Soon. Very soon." Silfana replied as her blood red eyes met his, sparks seeming to fly between the two.

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“Bah! Those stupid Dwarves!” Camilla growled. She'd just been informed that the Dwarven special forces team sent to Dol'Kitrun had failed to seal the monster's entry point into the under ground tunnels. “I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that they're worthless.” Sighed as she took a small paper bird out from her sleeve and placed it on the windowsill in front of her. “These creatures are far more powerful than expected. I request authorization to use my full power if we're going to be successful. I can't fight under the current restrictions.” She said to the bird which simply fluttered out the open window in response. “It should only take a day to get an answer, and if I know Command well enough they'll grant me permission to go all out.” She smirked. “And once these monsters are dealt with I'll make sure to take good care of Lady Reflia's reward.”