Return of the Demon Sovereign (Book 1) [MxM]

27. A Demon's Blessing

Erebus and the captains returned to the campsite, dragging Mikal and the Devil.  The Devil thrashed around and screamed out curses in his Devil's tongue.  No one but Erebus understood him, but he would chuckle from time to time and compliment the Devil on his creativity of words.

Mikal went limp, losing all fighting spirit.

The noise was loud enough to wake everyone when they entered the campsite.  They rushed to surround them and examined the pair they came dragging back.  Once they saw the anger on their leaders' faces, they pieced together what happened.  Mikal was working with the Devils.

They immediately started yelling curses and threats to Mikal, automatically despising him for his betrayal.

Erebus threw both of them in the center of their camp and squatted in front of the Devil. "You know who I am, right?"

The Devil glared at him and snarled.  "Demon."

Erebus smiled.  "Good! How about I give you a Demon's Blessing before you die."

"Fuck you and your blessings, shadow cunt."

Erebus laughed and then quickly punched the open wound where his right arm used to be.  The Devil cried out and writhed in pain.

"Didn't you want to know about me?  I was going to grant you three questions.  However, in return, I ask you three questions. The only rule is we are not allowed to lie. I'll let you start."  The Devil was silent, and Erebus let out an annoyed sigh.  "If you play along, I will grant you the Blood Ash Death.  How could this not be considered a blessing from a demon?"

The Devil's glare morphed into an astonished look.  He finally let his curiosity get the best of him. "How old are you?"

Erebus raised an eyebrow. "I didn't expect that to be your first question... This body is 18 years old.  However, my soul has experienced more than a mere 18 years of experience."

He didn't bother to speak in the Devil's tongue or to conceal it.  He felt it would be too tiresome to convince others that he was a teenager when he had been alive for thousands of years.  But he knew others would assess that his soul was in another realm for training where time moved differently.  It was not as unusual as it sounded.

The Devil nodded, understanding what he meant, and accepted the answer.

Erebus smiled.  "Who is the Acrid Doctor?"

The Devil didn't want to answer but was compelled.  "A scientist.  He is learning how to harness the powers of the different species of the realms.  His genius is comparable to the Mad Blasphemy Devil in the era of King Aboros."

Erebus' killing intent pulsed when he heard Mad Blasphemy's name. He laid the groundwork for the worst experimentations, and Erebus hoped he would stamp it out when he killed him.  But alas, his dark influence remained.

Erebus sneered. "Mad Blasphemy died a pathetic death.  He tortured so many souls yet could not withstand his skin being peeled off his body.  He cried and foamed at the mouth the entire time.  When his muscles were being separated from his bones, he passed out.  And when the powers he stole were drained from his body, he cried like a child before he bit his tongue off and died."

The Devil stared at him with a crazed look.  The Devils were told glorious tales of the death of Aboros and Mad Blasphemy.  Mad Blasphemy was supposed to have fought the Demon Sovereign with his powers for days until the Demon Sovereign tricked and stabbed him in the heart.  It was even said that Mad Blasphemy held on to his life long enough to cut off the arm of the Sovereign.

"But... Mad Blasphemy took the Demon Sovereign's arm!  It was a battle of attrition!"

Erebus laughed. "Arm?  That was lost long before the battle with the Devils.  And attrition?  You need strength and stamina to have a battle of attrition. Mad Blasphemy crumbled with one punch.  That idiot absorbed the magic from hundreds of innocent creatures but didn't know how to control it.  That is why Devils will never be able to succeed with your experiments. A Devil's core is cursed, so it sits like a stone in your gut. You can gather a small amount of mana but do not have the means to circulate it or use it properly. It's like an empty void."