Calming music, pleasant atmosphere, and attractive waiters and staff: Guy couldn't deny that Tempest knew how to cater to the elite. The High-end restaurant that he and Velzard had chosen as their first stop during their visit to the monster nation surely lived up to its reputation of being capable of handling the world's uppermost echelons. To his delight, she had even chosen her adult form for this visit, intending to enjoy the trip to the fullest.
Guy drank some lightly spiced apple cider while Velzard had chosen one made out of Tempestian pears. He was already on his seventh course of a small but exquisite meal, having enjoyed every morsel. The concept of ten to twelve-meal courses was something he didn't know he needed before, even Walpurgis was typically just a few platters handed out for Demon Lords to enjoy. As a demon, he could eat unlimited amounts of food without the problems of mere material beings, but these small portions seemingly worked a lot better than the massive meals he ate at home. The taste never got stale; just as he got used to the new experience it was over, and a new course was served to repeat the cycle of consumption and delight.
The people around them didn't seem to be bothered by his presence, even knowing who he was, though then again Momonga had garnered an enormous reputation as a ruler not to be trifled with, and touching his subjects surely would be the fastest way to bring about his wrath.
Still, the visit was far from just a leisure activity. For the first time in a millennia, all the True Dragons would meet in one spot and discuss the future of the world, and he was left out of it. Velzard had flatly denied his request to join in, and this rejection was like a stab in the back, knowing he was so close yet so far.
Guy was doing his best not to show how much it hurt his pride as Velzard was casually looking through the menu for appetizers, flipping through the pages.
"Shrimp tartlets sound interesting. I think I can start with them," Velzard casually spoke without glancing up.
"Sure, I guess I'll take cranberry meatballs. I can share with you," Guy replied, his voice slightly strained.
"If you plan to pout all the way, this won't be a particularly enjoyable visit," Velzard remarked as she raised a brow at Guy, putting aside the menu.
"I'm fine, but you could at least tell me why."
"You know why."
"Come on. I haven't played around and this is serious." Guy crossed his arms.
Their conversation was paused by the waitress taking their order. The young bunny woman appeared nervous, to say the least, but somehow managed to keep her composure, which Guy simply ignored. He knew his reputation and even if it would be plain idiotic for him to cause trouble in Tempest, he still was known as the original and most powerful Demon Lord.
"Really, darling? Do you think I didn't notice you were setting up blindspots?" Velzard's tone grew lower and more dangerous the moment the waitress was out of the way, having power walked straight to the kitchen before half-collapsing at the knees.
"And you plan to exclude me from something as important as the gathering of all True Dragons for that? Even Milim will be there!" Guy grumbled.
"That's one of the reasons but not the main one. You still want to play your silly game to feed your ego or sleep around behind my back. If you cannot commit, I see no reason why should I." Velzard gave him a slow smile that didn't reach her eyes.
The dragoness had become a lot more active ever since the Walpurgis and often left the world to do who knew what, leaving only an avatar of her behind to mask her movements, and she hadn't said a thing about what exactly she was up to, which infuriated him to no end.
The same dragoness that was passive and indifferent towards pretty much everything besides him now had some sort of agenda of her own, and that terrified him.
"You agreed to the game as well. You know we are doing this to keep the world stable and make sure no one goes all out and destroys it." Guy reminded her.
"And we both have known for a long while that this approach is barely working. The world will collapse if we do nothing and you know better than anyone that you are bound to this reality, while my siblings and I are not," Velzard replied.
"And you would let me perish like that?" Guy grinned.
"Darling, I will once again remind you that you are not committed to me fully. It will break my heart for sure, but… I will heal in time and, who knows, maybe fall in love again." Velzard stared back, her smile not fading.
'She is serious! She would leave me behind if the world collapsed. Dammit!' The realization hit hard. His ego, fueled by his ultimate skill Lucifer, the Lord of Pride, wanted to refuse this truth with all its might, but deep down he knew he would be left behind if he didn't change.
Guy looked away, his lips pressed together.
"Darling, you're still under the impression that I would wrap you around my finger and parade you around as a pet."
"And you wouldn't?"
"Not as much as you think. I want all of your dedication, that is not negotiable, but other than that I wouldn't mind giving you freedom and letting you take the lead from time to time, despite the role I need to take up." Velzard purred in a soft tone.
'Why does it sound like she plans to be in charge of the world? Should I dedicate myself to her fully or risk being left behind and this world potentially ending? Velzard, Velzard, Velzard, what a clever bitch you are. I should have learned how to leave while I still could.' He grimly mused. Demons like him were bound to the reality they originated from, and if things were to go horribly south, he would be left in a collapsed universe with nothing but scraps left behind and the only way out would be through the void, a terrifying prospect. He wasn't sure that the collective effort of all the primordial demons could deal with the inhabitants that thrived within the boundaries beyond the world.
Velzard and her siblings, on the other hand, could leave, and either form their own realms or join the pantheons as lesser gods as they wished. Dragons, by Veldanava's design, were the ultimate form of existence after all, capable of doing almost anything.
The real question was if he was even capable of fully committing to Velzard. She surely was a grand prize, but he would have to forget about chasing any men or women he fancied, forever. He wouldn't be on the very top anymore. In truth, he knew he would lose to Velzard and lose miserably should they fight again. The only duel between them ended in a draw because Velzard decided he had proved himself enough.
Fighting with her wasn't like it was with Milim. The daughter of Veldanava might be the most powerful in terms of raw power in the family, but she wasn't skilled enough to properly use her power, not by a long shot. At least he assumed so. No one besides the creator god himself knew how powerful Velzard was. No one had ever seen her go all out, not even Milim.
And this fact frightened him.
Veldora, who until recently was the weakest out of all the True Dragons, still packed enough punch for him to fight the dragon seriously if push came to shove. Velgrynd was on an entirely different level and from what he understood, Velzard was even more powerful than the former, as supposedly the longer the dragons lived, the more powerful they became, and she was the most ancient True Dragon left.
Ultimately, Guy knew what he needed to do. Self-preservation took priority over pride and if he had to choose one partner for the rest of eternity, Velzard wasn't a bad choice. He knew he couldn't fake his choice and lie to her, she would know.
With the decision made, he leaned forward reaching for her hand, and stated with a smirk, "You'll be my one and only then, but I want to be in on everything. You know I won't just do as told."
"I am well aware, but the game must end now, and we'll negotiate a new arrangement with Momonga and Velgrynd." Velzard pushed her hand forward, letting Guy grasp it with a gentle touch.
"You think Rudra will let her?" Guy asked, dragging his fingers over her delicate hand.
"I don't particularly care what Rudra wants. That man isn't what he used to be. Veldanava is likely very disappointed with his favorite pet. But you have a good point, my sister might be difficult. In either case, I'm happy you could finally see reason. Let's just enjoy the meal for now and then do some sightseeing. I think we have enough time to visit at least a few notable places," Velzard suggested.
"Sounds good." Guy agreed. Momonga had let them roam freely with an escort that ensured that they were treated properly according to their status, as long as they didn't cause any trouble.
Diablo's frustration grew with each passing moment. He had promised his master to return within a week, yet nine days had already passed and he hadn't found either White or Purple, as both had decided to hide for whatever reason. He only knew where Yellow was, but that was expected. The yellow primordial, also nicknamed Jaune, was up to her usual shenanigans, causing chaos and destruction wherever she could, thus finding her was no issue. He had decided to leave her for the last, as dragging her along during his search would only prolong his journey and disappoint his master even further, given her chaotic nature.
Unfortunately for him, the realm of hell was immense, and following the traces of primordials was never an easy task. The white and purple demons he had encountered refused to speak even when beaten and threatened with their cores being crushed. He contemplated dragging them into the void, but that could put a strain on the cordial relationship he had with the three unclaimed primordials, which in turn could cause minor trouble for his master.
Undeterred, he dismissed the white demon and continued following the subtle trail in the form of a connection all demons of the same color family shared. Sooner or later, he would find an archdemon and then Blanc herself. She was the most reasonable out of the three and had suffered a recent setback in the Eastern Empire, where her host was killed, which forced her to depart from the material realm to gradually recover her power.
Another few days went by, and after catching an old generation arch demon, he finally had a solid trail to follow. White was hiding in a very distant region of hell close to the material realm.
Relieved, he teleported right to her castle floating among islands covered with luxurious mansions, where the white primordial's closest confidants lived. The castle was made out of white stone with nine sharp towers, resembling a crown.
White sat on her throne, a wine glass in her hand, surrounded by a group of archdemons. She watched his approach with an amused expression.
Despite being behind his schedule, he chose a casual approach. He couldn't show his current failure and needed to act like everything was going according to his plan.
The archdemons stepped aside as Blanc crossed her legs and took a sip. "Noir, what a surprise. I didn't expect you out of all people to search for me, but since you are here I hope you at least know something about the recent events."
"Diablo! My master has given me a name, you should use it, and to which news are you referring to?" Diablo replied, his voice was smooth and pleasant, but there was a faint hint of anger behind it.
"Someone named you and you agreed?" White let out a melodic laugh.
"Indeed, I have come to bring you and the other two unclaimed ones before my master, as he is in need of additional competent servants." Diablo spread his wings and let his aura wash over the demons, sending most of them kneeling.
"Mmm, what delicious power you have gained. You have my attention. But first, what do you know of the depths becoming more tumultuous? Hell was breached twice and there is an open connection to the mortal realm," White questioned.
'Two connections? Could the master have acquired more void servants?' The news was intriguing for sure.
"I was aware of only one connection. I even met her in the court of my master. A lovely lady who serves my master." Diablo answered, his smile widening.
"Who exactly is your master? No entity I know would be insane enough to attempt to control a void beast." White continued questioning.
"Lord Momonga Tempest. Will you come with me willingly, or do I need to convince you?" Diablo took a step forward, revealing his claws.
"Hmm, you have grown bold. But I know when I am at a disadvantage. Very well, I will visit your master if he chooses to summon me." White took another sip and handed the glass to another archdemon, leaning back in her chair.
"Excellent. I will find Violet and then notify you when you'll be summoned." Diablo turned around and walked off at a brisk pace before teleporting away.
Only one more primordial needed to be found and he had few leads to follow. The need to succeed in a timely manner had grown that much more pressing with the knowledge that another void connection existed with the physical realm. Was it a new servant for his master, or something else. He would only find out upon returning to Lord Momonga's side.
Editing by aidan_lo.
Proofreading by fvvck, Sluethen, Alassandro, Stac, Omnax, IAMTHEPLOKOKIOPO, CakeEight, clagan, and aidan_lo.
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