What followed were some of the most horrifying seconds of my life. Jean shattered her and made sure she was an open book after she left for another lesson with Yao. The sorcerer supreme was concerned that she'd kill the Cambion if she tried to interrogate her, despite Jean's recent strides in controlling her abilities and Isha's durability.
Jean didn't leave me high and dry, however. She made sure I still had access to the demon's mind by entering it and making some alternations.
Jean made sure could not lie or hold back information when Yao, Jean, or I asked her questions, and she could only act in defense of herself if her life was in danger, or she'd been removed from her prison cell without permission. She'd also not allowed to inflict deadly harm on her attacker unless they're a demon.
The entire thing reminded me of what the Originals from Vampire Diaries could pull off.
All Vampires had compulsion magic in that world, but theirs were almost impossible to break and were so potent they could make you believe you were somebody else entirely and live that way for the rest of your life potentially.
While Jean's compulsion had me feeling some type of way, I was not above using it for my gain.
I got a chair and perched down in front of a scowling Isha with a pen and a bottle of whiskey as I had her answer every last question I had about the demon world.
I found out some pretty outlandish and downright terrifying facts.
Limbo was just as big as Earth but only had about an 8th of the population. Logically, it tracked, but it did not inspire a lot of confidence.
Bombing a few million demons was one thing, but killing a billion of them…was murder on a scale that even I was not sure I was comfortable with.
Maybe Jean and the Captain were right. Sure, I'd like to have enough Red Orbs in me to fill several great lakes, but I wasn't sure I'd be able to spend it without handing my soul of Shin.
The next interesting bit I found out was that my understanding of the Demon World Hierarchy was wildly inaccurate.
"The Cambions don't rule by fear," she said. "We rule by connection. The bloodline of each tribe flows through him because of the strength the Archdemons granted him.
We share in that strength and blood tie, and our abilities are a manifestation of that connection. My Wind, Fire, and Wings earned me respect among the Steel Harpies of Shatter Peak. And Domina's potent Density magic made her beloved by the Titans and knights.
Enrique's Darkness and Fire Magic made him revered by the Knight and Dream Runner factions. Corvus is the unspoken leader of the Blood Wraith faction. And Lumos…well, he's the voice of the Mind Mages and the Lesser Clans."
"He's the second strongest after Corvus isn't he?"
Isha nodded eagerly. "And in time his strength will dwarf even the Firstborn's. He's only fifty years old. Imagine how much stronger he'll become in another 50."
I raised a brow. "I thought your growth with age is exponential not linear. Wouldn't Corvus just keep getting stronger?"
"Certainly," she said, "but his momentum is unmatched by anyone…well except you. He went from piddling with Demon energy to the height of the establishment realm in a few short years. He quickly approaching the Condensation realm, and we have hope he will reach the Saturation realm in the next 100 years."
"Is that impressive?" I asked, earning a shocked gasp that transitioned into a disgusted glare.
"How in the infernal circles did you even beat me!"
I shrugged. "A combination of really good genetics and exposure to exotic energies that would've fried anyone else."
"You're unnatural, more so than your philandering brother."
"Aha," I grinned, victorious. "So, you two have an 'history'." I wagged my brows.
"Don't be preposterous!" she huffed, looking away. "He was a rising talent I sought to use, nothing more, nothing less."
"Your face says otherwise." Her cheeks were turning red. "How old was he again?" I asked.
Silence.
I could've forced her to tell me what really happened between them, but I wasn't sure I was entirely ready to know.
Learning about her past did incinerate any ounce of goodwill she'd built up.
Closeted Pedophilia.
It was a surprise, but it should've have been given everything she'd done.
"So, the demonic realms," I steered the conversation back. "How do they work exactly?"
She huffed, muttering something to herself about the unfairness of talent before she went into detail of the hierarchy of power in the demon world.
Most demons are born with a mediocre talent for demonic magic, which puts a hard limit on what they can achieve. Lesser demons don't usually go beyond basic inherent techniques which typically fell into the first level of demonic magic.
According to Isha that was called the Awakened Stage. The awakened stage involved small expressions of demonic magic, limited to physical enhancements and energy projection.
It's in the second stage that things get much more interesting. The Establishment stage, which I found out I was currently on, was where most Greater Demons in the Limbo were stuck. The rank is marked with greater control and precision with demonic energy, but up to a certain point.
Demons and Cambions typically have no problem dishing out potent attacks at this stage. There's just hardly any substance to them.
The Condensation stage was where the bulk of the powerhouses of the demon world sat—the older, greater demons. They had unnatural control of demonic energy, were able to form constructs with it, create physical shields from esoteric elements, and achieved grand feats of power and control that amplified their power exponentially.
Domina and the second-ranked demon, Lumos, were on this level.
Finally, there was the saturation stage which granted you God-like control over your chosen element. That control is fully expressed in a powerful technique called a Domain. It put you at the upper echelon of the Marvel Universe, comparatively, from her description.
Belasco himself was on this level, and if Corvus really pushed himself, he could manage a single Domain activation before his body broke down.
They can affect entire cities with wide-area area-of-effect spells and skills that are akin to reality warping.
Isha told me that Belasco once unleashed a temporary domain that prevented all demons in the capital city from using their demonic magic.
Reportedly, Eva and Sparda could also pull off similar feats but were, in Isha's opinion, less impressive.
In the final battle that took their lives, Eva created a Domain that transported the hearts of every demon in a concentrated area to another dimension, instantly killing anyone without sufficient magical resistance or multiple hearts.
Sparda piled on by unleashing a domain that forcefully halved the strength of an army of 500,000 demons for an entire minute. He also made them unable to see him and made their weapons physically betray them.
Belasco, Corvus, and Mundus had to pull out domains of their own to counter Sparda and subdue him. Even after throwing everything at him, they were still unable to kill him. So Mundus took him away and imprisoned him.
I whistled at the story, appreciative of the information, but I was more concerned by the absurd power levels in the demon world. It begged the question, if they were that powerful, why hadn't they just invaded us?
When I asked, Isha turned pale and clamped her mouth shut, but slowly, Jean's command kicked in, and she was forced to unburden herself.
"Agamotto's wards and Sparda's alterations... The planet must be taken a certain way or else all of it would've been for nothing."
"Go on," I frowned. "Each Sanctum is a fortress with wards so extensive even Belasco himself could not bring it down. That is why we're going to the source, attacking the planet itself...creating a counter array to interrupt the one Agamotto set up all those years ago…
My eyes widened. "The properties and acquisitions worldwide. They're not random, are they?"
Isha opened her mouth and then viciously clamped down on her tongue, but in seconds, the damage already started to repair itself. I grabbed her by the neck, staring deep into her eyes. She glared back at me with gritted, bloody teeth.
"You will tell me EVERYTHING when you're healed, and you will answer without delay or interruptions," I spoke. "Or I'll have Jean pry the answers from your head. She may look sweet, but her temper runs even hotter than mine."
The conversation resumed when she was healed. Isha was forced to be even more forthcoming with her words, and she answered every question I had. It took significantly longer to pry all of her secrets from her.
But in 12 hours, I knew everything she did about the counter arrays and the foundation of demonic magic.
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