—-

The sudden change in Apollo’s demeanor took Asteroth by surprise, causing him to freeze up as he stared at Apollo in disbelief. No matter how long his separation from the Monarch was, he’d never forget the disposition and tone of the Monarch. As a result, Asteroth lifted his trembling finger towards Apollo and spoke in a manner one wouldn’t expect of him.

Unlike his usual headstrong and combative nature, Asteroth sounded meek as he continued to tremble. “Y-you… you abandoned us. So how can you be here? And through him? Do none of us matter as much as he does? If this was possible… couldn’t you have done this in the past to appease all of our worries?”

Listening to Asteroth’s words, Apollo was silent for a moment, which Asteroth took as an admission of guilt. At least, that was how he felt until Apollo took a step forward and placed his hand on Asteroth’s shoulder.

Although it was a simple movement, both Asteroth and Apollo felt a world of pain from this simple touch. After all, both their bodies were battered beyond an average level. Even the slightest tap felt as if someone was unleashing hell upon them both.

Nevertheless, Apollo kept his hand on Asteroth’s shoulder as a display of trust. “I’m sure he has conveyed my message once before. Therefore, I’ll reiterate for the young boy. While there are some things that can’t be mentioned right now, what you need to understand is that you all were not abandoned, but protected.”

“How is this protection if our leader went missing? I believe it was more torturous experiencing your unforeseen absence than it was experiencing the horror on that last battlefield. Do you know how many of us went on without purpose?” Asteroth muttered as untold amounts of hurt appeared in his eyes. 

His words were genuine as even the destruction caused by the last battle where many of his brothers lost their lives failed to compare against the anguish he felt when he learned of the Monarch’s disappearance.

“I understand your feeling; however, I also kept them in mind. This boy, who stands before you know, is the reassurance I created for you all to once again find your way. So, for me, would you step under his mantle and allow him to return the Dominus Household’s name to what it once was?” 

After a short pause, Apollo then continued, “Without members of your caliber it’d be absolutely impossible to accomplish this goal. Thus, it is dependent on you, whether or not we can ever meet again.”

Before giving an answer, Asteroth bit his lip until it bled as his emotions were in turmoil. He had already made a promise to walk a path alone, but he’d be lying if he said these words didn’t move him. If what Apollo claimed turned out to be true, then there was a chance he could come face to face with the Monarch once again!

Eventually, Asteroth settled the intense feelings raging inside himself as he lifted his head. “Is this the truth? Will my joining truly pave the way to finding you once more?”

“Undoubtedly. After all, this was all planned to unravel this way. Once my descendant improves your powers and gives you the medium to restore yourself, I believe it’d be time for us to meet once again.”

“Fine…” Asteroth muttered, followed by a deep sigh. However, before giving a complete answer, Asteroth scanned the area of destruction caused by the fight between him and Apollo. ‘Although I was harsh, this boy indeed that the potential to exceed us all. He’s only a Greater Demon, yet he was able to fight me to this extent after gaining access to noteworthy abilities.’

After scanning the battlefield, Astetoth finally returned his attention to Apollo and nodded subtly. “I will join you; however, I will let you know now. I am not like the others. I trust the Monarch, not you. For me to do so,  you have to prove that you’re worth my wholehearted trust.”

Hearing these words, a grin appeared across Apollo’s face. But, he didn’t become overexcited as it vanished soon after, replaced by a composed expression. “That’s understandable. I’d expect nothing less of you; allow him to prove his worth. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.”

With this, a notification appeared before Apollo’s eyes.

〈System: Archdemon Asteroth of the original Dominus Household is willing to join under the mantle once again. However, due to their unique power and state, the effect of Absolute Authority is ineffective.〉

Part of Apollo was surprised by the ending of the notification, but another part of Apollo felt this was to be expected since Asteroth warned him that he wasn’t like the rest. After all, it took an ironclad will to achieve the level of resilience required to withstand the constant torture of his devastating Aura.

The byproduct of that resilience was an ability on par with Apollo’s resistance traits, except that Asteroth’s ability was geared towards his mind, which was why Asmidia’s presence had no effect on Asteroth whatsoever. In fact, reading through the notification made Apollo curious about the limits of this trait.

As per Apollo’s curiosity, the system generated the related information, giving Apollo a general understanding of his limits.

〈System: Because of Asteroth’s tenacity and monstrous willpower, you only maintain basic control over the subject. If Asteroth adamantly refuses to perform an action, it is liable to result in failure.〉

‘So, the most he is against something, the more likely it is to fail, understood. This means I’d be more beneficial to either improve my own power to a level that granted impervious authority or develop a way to deepen my trust with the fellow,’ Apollo thought.

Either way, both options required constant work since Apollo only managed to acquire Asteroth through unusual tactics. As for growing stronger, he still needed to visit 4 other Rings before he completed the requirements to evolve.

Suddenly, both Apollo and Asteroth staggered, threatening to fall out since their energy reserves and vitality dipped dangerously low. If it weren’t for Asteroth’s resilient body and the fragment of Bahamut’s Heart embedded in Apollo’s chest, both of these demons would have long since fainted.

However, before they could fall, Fuhrer appeared between them with a faint smile. “Although it wasn’t necessarily a win, since you managed to reclaim his presence, I’d say that it was overall a victory.”

“Heh, I suppose so. I guess this what you call the ends justifying the means,” Apollo said with a pained smile. Just a small chuckle caused his body to rattle in pain. Not to mention, the backlash of simultaneously activating all of his Stigmata appeared as well.

At this point, Apollo’s vision was hazy just as his consciousness was. Similarly, Asteroth had already fainted over Fuhrer’s shoulder, causing him to pick up the large fellow while also slashing his hand.

A portal five meters wide opened up right before them as Fuhrer returned his attention to Apollo. “Are you able to walk, or do you need to be shuttled like this guy as well? I’m sure your condition is no better, if not worse. You should rejoice over your fortune to possess that item.”

“I think I’m stable enough to walk now,” Apollo said in a hoarse voice. The fragment of Bahamut’s Heart directed all of its vitality towards healing the sites of his Stigmata. If it didn’t so, the repressed power would bubble over and cause irreparable damage to the core of Apollo’s body.

Therefore, Apollo’s body healed unusually slow. However, Apollo preferred to slow but thorough healing over leaving hidden wounds.

Meanwhile, after confirming that Asteroth had fainted and was completely unresponsive, Fuhrer turned towards Apollo with a curious expression. Although it may have fooled Asteroth, who at the moment, possessed chaotic thoughts, it was a much different situation with  Fuhrer.

“Was that truly the Monarch assimilating with you back then? Although it seemed like a seamless copy of the Monarch, there were some blaring differences with the impression. For example, the Monarch’s demeanor was a tad lazier, if I had to put it in words.

Suddenly, Apollo grimaced while shaking his head. “Correct, it wasn’t the Monarch but an impression I used to resonate with Asteroth the best.”

“Heh, what a trickster. I’m sure if this fellow was conscious, he’d be throwing a fit right now. I’m sure mimicking the Monarch would be blasphemous in his eyes, even if that actions were performed by his child,” Fuhrer said with an amused chuckle.

While he felt something was amiss the moment, Apollo’s demeanor underwent a sudden change, he didn’t expect him to adopt such a tactic. Nevertheless, it accomplished the goal Apollo sought.

“Well, although it was an impression at that very moment, it doesn’t mean I’ve never spoken with the Monarch. Otherwise, how would I know some of his idiosyncrasies? After all, he’s the source of many of my changes.”

“Wait…. Are you hinting that you’ve been in contact with the Monarch? If you’re privy to this information, then tell me, where is he?” Fuhrer asked after pausing suddenly. While it wasn’t as apparent as it was with other demons, Fuhrer desperately sought Aztraval’s location.

Sadly, there were no hints of his whereabouts or wellbeing.

“Unfortunately, that is information I don’t possess. Furthermore, it will most likely be quite some time before I can even think of contacting him once again. Wherever he is, it seems that all of his power has been exhausted during our last conversation, and I’m not sure how quickly he can regenerate his power.”

“If what you say is true, then the environment must be disastrous. Unlike us, Aztraval was known to draw power from anything.”

All of a sudden, Fuhrer turned towards Apollo with a grim expression. “It appears all our luxuries have disappeared. From this point on, we stop at nothing to increase your power.”

Evidently, learning of Aztraval’s potentially perilous environment ignited Fuhrer’s drive.. Perhaps even the system wouldn’t compare to a former Daemos’s incentive to gain power.