Chapter 248: Negotiations or Fights? The Arrogance of Ogdoad
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Power was everything in this world, more so in the worlds beyond. When it came to entities like these Egyptian gods, power was the one thing they respected.
Osiris, Nephthys, and Anubis were all strong gods in their own right. They held a presence that could command the heavens. And yet Serafall stood her ground, for I stood beside her as the gods spoke, their voices booming.
They didn't bother sitting as they talked. Instead, they loomed over Serafall, practically spitting out their demands. "We want our lands restored!" Anubis' voice carried a raw and guttural edge as he jabbed a finger at Serafall. He was practically growling like the dog he was. "You must provide us land from you to compensate. And you must return the artifacts you stole immediately!"
His jackal-headed form exuded an aura of feral anger, his piercing eyes practically daring her to challenge him. I held back a laugh. Fucking dog.
"Artifacts?" Serafall's brows furrowed as she scowled at him, unfazed by his attempt at intimidation. "You think the devils didn't lose anything in this war? We've lost lives, too. As much as we lost our land. In fact, we've suffered more total losses. If anyone should be demanding reparations, it's us! You're out of line," she snapped back in a strong voice.
The reaction was instantaneous. The Egyptian gods raised their heads in arrogance, eyes narrowing at her audacity. Nephthys stepped forward with a haughty scoff, her black, gauzy robes swirling as she moved. The look in her eyes seemed colder than death itself.
"You're outnumbered, Satan," Goddess Nephthys said, her chin raised with a sinister smile. "Even with a decent demi-god by your side," she glanced at me dismissively, "you should show some respect. We can snap you like a twig."
Tiamat frowned from where she sat the gazebo, but didn't say anything. Even she didn't like how the Egyptian forces were acting. I couldn't help the laugh that slipped out. Look at her talk about respect while disrespecting us, I'd have loved to see that face of hers between my knees.
The talk was going nowhere. After I showed off a little earlier and the gods acted a bit more courteous, Serafall requested me to continue the talk herself. But clearly, when she took charge, they returned to their arrogant mode.
I decided it was time to step forward. "Why does my girl need to watch her tone?" I shot back, giving the three of them a slow, deliberate look. "You guys are the ones yelling like the world owes you something." They should take a page out of her book and learn some manners. "I was expecting you lots to at least be professional to sit it out and talk, but hey, since when did dogs sit on a table?"
"..." Anuis' face contorted in rage. He tried to step forward, but Osiris raised a hand to stop him. The tank-like god's patience wore thin. He raised his staff, slamming it into the ground with enough force to make the earth tremble. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground, and a rumble echoed through the air, but I didn't budge.
"Enough," Orisis bellowed, leveling his gaze at Serafall. "I agree with the young lad. If we're to talk, we should do it calmly. Why don't we sit down and work things out?"
I shook my head, waving him off dismissively. "No, it's too late for that. There's nothing to negotiate." I glanced at Serafall, catching her eye. "Do you have any demands for them?"
She looked at me confused. Then understanding dawned in her eyes, and she quickly shook her head. "No," she replied. "I just want to put an end to this."
"Then that's what will happen," I turned back to Osiris. "You can accept, or we can fight. Although I promise you, the fight won't be like any other. I'll kill the men and take the woman." I grinned at Nephthys. "I need to set an example, after all."
Nephthys burst out laughing, the sound ringing hollow in the air. "You foolish half-man, you dare say that to my face? Are you aware of who my husband is? Who I am? You mere half-god. The rumors fail to capture how arrogant you are!"
"The rumors fail to capture the ceiling of my strength as well, my friends." I didn't raise my voice. I didn't need to. Instead… I released my Icons.
One after another, the sky burst into light. First, the [Crown Icon] shimmered above my head, bathing me in a regal glow. Then, the [Sword Icon] manifested at its side, its blade gleaming with a deadly edge. Then the [Time Icon] appeared next, and finally, the [Blood Icon] completed the set. The air went heavy and oppressive.
My hair went raven black, and my eyes golden. The regal authority of a royal god, the god of men, the Emperor of Mankind, fell over my complexion. I looked at the haughty gods with an arrogance that far surpassed them.
The sheer force of my presence, the Icons in the sky, pressed down on the landscape, and the grassland flattened. The soldiers behind the gods wavered, trembled, and then crumpled to the ground. In moments, they were passed out, thousands of them littering the golden fields, unconscious from the weight of my Icons.
"W-what the-!" The gods themselves staggered, even if they tried not to show it. Their arrogant confidence had given way to something much more fitting. Fear.
So, they do know when they're outmatched.
"You…" Anubis snarled, eyes wild with fury as he regained his footing. He bared his teeth, then charged forward, swinging his staff with reckless abandon. "You halfling!"
I sidestepped his attack with ease and answered with a punch to his face. I didn't make any motion to do so. My fist simply rose and met his face. The air shattered. Underworld howled. The impact resonated with a thunderous crack. Anubis flew back, a black blur against the golden horizon, disappearing somewhere beyond.
"Now, two more remains?" I turned back to the others, brushing off my knuckles. My eyes met Nephthys' who gulped, her mouth agape. I'd have grinned without the Icons. "I'll take your silence as surrender and acceptance. But I'll ask anyway. You agree to end this war peacefully, right?"
I let my gaze settle on Nephthys. She was trembling now. Her earlier confidence was shattered like the bones I'd just broken in Anubis' face. She looked away, fearful.
The God of the Underworld, Osiris, grumbled under his breath but gave me a stiff nod. "We accept. But… we'll remember this, demi-god, Aquamarine."
"That you will, I hope so," I said, watching him lift his hand and snap his fingers. A pillar of light descended from the sky, washing over them, and in a flash, they were gone. Not a trace of the gods or their fallen soldiers remained.
Tension would remain. But a peaceful agreement had been reached. A more official meeting would probably be held later on, with all four satans, but I had taken the temporary measure.
****
As the Egyptian gods vanished from sight, I exhaled, tension slowly leaving my shoulders. I let the Icons vanish as the air lost its lethality.
That's one thing settled. Now, there was still Rizevim. He wouldn't want to remain in the underworld for long once he heard the Egyptians wouldn't attack anymore. I turned to Serafall. "You ready to head back?"
She was still staring at the spot where Osiris, Anubis, and Nephthys had stood moments ago, her face unreadable. "Sera?" I called again, and she turned to me. Serafall stared at me in silence. Then, in one swift movement, she threw herself into my arms, clinging to me tightly.
For a moment, I was too surprised to react, but then I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her closer. I kissed her head. Her body trembled against mine.
"Hey, what's wrong? They're gone now," I said, and she buried her face in my chest, her voice muffled but full of raw emotion.
"I was… so scared, Aqua. Not just during this meeting, but the last few months. I was scared that all of us devils would be wiped out. If Ogdoad had continued, other pantheons would've joined, and the devils… we'd be fighting the whole world. We would not have survived that."
I tightened my hold on her, letting her take comfort in my embrace. It was rare to see a powerful woman, a Satan, like this. So vulnerable, so openly afraid. She always put on this brave, bubbly front, but under it all, there was a girl who bore the weight of an entire realm on her shoulders.
"Hey," I murmured, running a hand through her hair. "You're stronger than you think, Sera. You'd have survived even without me here. But… I am here now. You're not alone in this. I'll take them all down if I have to. I won't let anything happen to you. To any of you."
It's strange, how seeing her like this stirred something in me. Her small stature reminded me of Nyxandra during her early days. Such a precious little girl.
Serafall made me wanna protect her. She'd been so tough earlier, standing her ground against gods, and now she was clinging to me like I was her only anchor. I couldn't help but smile, softly ruffling her hair. I felt sad that she wasn't one of the girls I spent more time with. Maybe I should start doing that from now on.
"It's okay," I said, reassuring her. "I'm not going anywhere."
Serafall let out a shaky laugh and then giggled. "I know you're not, I'm not a little girl. You kid." She laughed, punching my chest a little. Then she quieted down, and her trembling stopped. "...Thanks, Aqua. I don't know what I'd do without you. You are so reliable. I can't believe how easily you ended this. You make it all seem so… effortless."
She looked up, her small pink lips parting for me. They glistened as she closed her eyes. Before I could respond, a polite cough interrupted us. We both turned to see Tiamat standing a respectful distance away, a soft smile on her face.
"Well," Tiamat said, crossing her arms. "I think that is my cue to leave. I should get back to the Rating Game arena," she looked at me. "It was quite something meeting you, impressive lad. I suspect we'll see each other again."
"Yeah, someday," I said. She gave me a small nod, then spread her wings, taking off with the grace of a dragon goddess and disappearing into the sky.
As Tiamat's figure faded, the silence settled around us once more. It was just Serafall and me now, surrounded by the quiet of the golden fields. She looked up at me, the fear in her eyes slowly vanishing. Now, a spark of mischief returned to her eyes.
Serafall pushed me toward the gazebo behind us. I went along, a smirk on my face as she maneuvered me toward the marble structure. Her hands pressed against my chest, and with a gentle shove, she had me lying on the table.
Before I knew it, she climbed on top of me, straddling me as she grinned down at my face. She rested her hands on my chest, her blue eyes twinkling with a mixture of gratitude and something else.
"I know you're a busy man, but… allow me to thank you for this, my cute baby," she murmured, leaning down to press her lips against mine. Her eyes closed, and I held her. I was glad she was feeling lighter now.
I returned her kiss eagerly, my hands sliding down to grab her waist, feeling the soft curve of her hips beneath my fingers. She sighed against my mouth, her body arching into mine as her hands tangled in my hair.
Her perfect, fat ass wiggled as she shifted on my lap, and I couldn't resist reaching down to grab a handful, feeling the warmth of her skin through the thin fabric of her dress. Her ass was incredible. She let out a pleased hum, pressing herself even closer.
I chuckled, pulling back slightly to look at her. "Careful, Sera. We're still technically on a battlefield."
She laughed down at me. It was a musical sound that filled the empty air. "And we're going to have a battle right here~ Won't you try to defeat this devil pussy of mine, my god?"
Her body was jolted with lightning from calling that name. Yet, she kissed me again, slow and deep, as I let myself get lost in the moment, in the warmth of her embrace, in the softness of her lips against mine. If this was how she wanted to repay me, who was I to argue?
Plus her little game sounded fun. It wasn't long before I won, though.
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Here's an image of Leviatan in this Paragraph.
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