Chapter 10: New Member

Akros reappeared in a dark void, not knowing where he was. The hot stench of sulfur and brimstone told him he was in the Abyss, but the smell didn't make sense given the scenery. It was similar to the Shadow Realm, but there was no surface for him to emerge from. He could not discern direction or anything else, and was very perplexed. He could breathe if he chose to, but he no longer had a need for oxygen. His body was far beyond that stage. 

Suddenly the dark space became distorted as a spatial vortex appeared in front of his eyes. There was a glimmer of light in the center, giving Akros a clear point to see. He reached out to it tentatively, but before his claws touched it the vortex vanished with a low hum. 

Akros assumed what he had just seen was a spatial vortex, but didn't know much besides that. He tried to move using his wings to propel himself, but there was no point of reference. It was as if he was blind, there was no way to know he was moving off of sight. 

Other spatial vortexes appeared and disappeared around Akros. Each lasted 3-10 seconds before vanishing, making timing crucial if he wanted to touch one. Without air to displace, his wings gave him no propulsion. He was forced to use what little knowledge of spatial magic he gained from Morwen to lock onto a vortex and gravitate himself to it with Abyssal Grasp magic. 

As he was pulled through the vortex, he found himself in a new area. A open space with flowing magma, black volcanoes, and ashen trees that reminded him of palm trees. This was clearly part of the Abyss, but why was it inside a spatial vortex? Perhaps it was a broken off part of the Abyss, isolated by the shattering of space? Akros could only imagine the reasoning behind this phenomenon. 

The fragment world he was currently in was small, likely no large than 20 miles in diameter. It was a circular cut of land that ended in spatial distortions. These raptures of space formed the end of the fragment world, cutting the land off. 

Akros used space magic to protect his body, then entered a spatial fracture to exit the fragment world. As he reentered the black void, he had a rough idea of what was happening.

As a demon lord, the Abyss portal autonomously sent me to the deep Abyss where space seems to be fractured. Since my level of spatial magic was actually necessary to keep me from being torn apart by distorted space, I suppose this is what makes the deep Abyss unaccessable to non-demon lord demons. Only a demon with strong enough spatial magic can survive this world, and one that doesn't need oxygen. I probably have to settle down in a fragment world, if I had to guess. Let's just find one that I like. My Shadow Legion is okay, so I have loads of time.

He used spatial and gravitational magic to reach other spatial warps, visiting other fragment worlds. Most of the worlds he came across had features that were not appealing to him, such as a lack of size or a hellish environment like the upper levels of the Abyss. Akros preferred a vast, cooler environment. Room to expand structures and field test magic or weaponry was always good to have, and his body was built for colder environments. 

Shadow demons were uniquely genetically designed to handle environments of absolutely freezing temperatures, more specifically the Shadow Realm. A plane of existence with no heat at all, the epitome of cold. Akros' body featured a stubborn amount of warmth at all times, making hotter environments less comfortable. Even though his demon blood made the Abyss feel like home, the 50 years he spent in a temperate world with seasons made him remember the value of cool air. 

As Akros traversed these fragment worlds with extremely harsh environments, he discovered many monsters with demon bloodlines. They bore demon horns, but were of low intelligence and lacked magic power. He estimated these monsters were fit for the climate of the fragment world they were in, and would obey any demon lord who settled in their world. It only made sense, as low-rank demons likely would not survive the environment and would not be suitable slaves for required construction and other manual labor.

He spent what felt like weeks searching through rifts for an ideal world. At this point he had figured out that he would probably remain in whatever world he settled in for years, if not centuries given his immortal life. He would go in and out of the Abyss, but he would leave a beacon or a branded individual in his world to let him come and go. 

That was another issue he eventually would have to address, the matter of reducing the amount of repulsion he felt from the Infinite Worlds. Even high-magic worlds like Ashan gave him very little time. Without a contract, he won't be able to stay anywhere outside the Abyss for long. Demon contracts were binding, and Akros preferred to have free reign. It wouldn't be easy, but he would find a way to solve the issue at some juncture.

He came across several worlds with masters, other demon lords who had complete civilizations in their fragment world. Most of them were very unfriendly and fought him as soon as he appeared. Akros was not willing to fight other demon lords unnecessarily as he was exhausted. Even though he was stronger or on par with many of these demon lords, he would leave after trading a few attacks. 

Akros' nudity became apparent during this time. He modified his old  pants and boxers to fit his new body while keeping the self-repairing and "immune to wearer's magic" properties. While he was at it, he made the pants gold dyed, thin, stretchy, and tight like leggings. He created a long four-sleeved top just like his leggings. Together with his thin boxers that were also tight to his body to keep his package still as he moved, his clothes were like another layer of skin. It felt very comfortable, and in the end he only spent 100 souls on the fabric. 

With his new garments, Akros continued his journey. After an eternity, he finally came across a world that made him stop to think. A massive fragment world that was hundreds of miles across, in the form of islands. In a sea of sapphire blue water, islands that looked fairly earthen. The sand and sandstone had the color and consistency of that he remembered from his human years, having been to many beaches. The interiors of the islands held soft soil with open grasslands and running rivers that lead to the ocean. 

The smallest islands were the size of fast food lobbies, the largest being comparable to Chicago, a city Akros had once visited often. On the islands there were no trees, only soft vegetation such as ferns and flowers. Many types of berries and vegetables grew near water sources or where the soil was the richest. Some plants grew underwater while some grew in sand and stone. It was a beautiful fragment world, breathtaking to the weary demon lord.

The icing on the cake was the inhabitants of the world. While he suspected large fish and monsters lurked in the fresh water and ocean, the only living non-plant organisms on land where humanoid creatures. They were nothing short of unique. Not because they possessed light beige skin, human faces, various shades of hair color, like humans would. What made them special was their demon horns, muscular physiques, webbed hands, gills, and fins. They also wore tribal cloth made of leaves, scales, and string. Akros could only think of one name: mermen. 

Slowly, he approached a large group of them that were living in mud huts. They were startled by his sudden and silent appearance in their village, but showed no hostility. His magic power aura leaked out in the form of black mist from his mouth and nose. With each breath Akros took, more mist spewed from his body. He stood in the center of the village with the mermen gathered around him, dropping what they were previously doing. They knelt in front of him, acknowledging his status.

"Almighty lord, our humble village welcomes you. What can we do for you?" Said the chieftain, who wore the same clothes as the rest but stood out due to his scars and larger build. The mermen were human-sized, except for this one who stood 7 feet tall before he knelt. 

"You can speak demon tongue?" Akros was quite shocked, but quickly covered it with a pleased grin. "Very good, very good! I am Demon Lord Akros, the new master of this fragment world. Before I assign you work, I must know- what are you? How many of you is there in this world?"

"Lord Akros, we are the Venni, a race of mermen with sea demon bloodlines. We once lived in the depths in great cities of gold, centuries ago. However, alien sea creatures entered this world through spatial rifts and made the deep too dangerous. Now we live on land, split into 3 tribes. I am not sure how many of our kind lives at this current day as we do not keep in touch. All I know is that the 2 other tribes settled somewhat near. Our village is 3,000 strong," The chieftain explained slowly. Akros was quite intrigued by "cities of gold", but didn't let his curiosity show. He had other things to do before he explored the deep ends of this fragment world. 

"Hmm... is there bad blood between you and the other 2 tribes?" Akros asked mischievously, swaying his tail in thought. Many of the mermen surrounding him started whispering among themselves, which he took as confirmation. The chieftain grimaced, but said nothing. Akros went on to give them an offer. "I'll tell you what. In turn for your service, I will purge the other tribes from existence. Your working conditions are up to someone else..." 

Akros ignored the confused look from the mermen as he raised all four hands above his head. He muttered a short incantation before spreading magic power to his fingertips and drawing a magic circle in the air. When he was done, a ring of black demon letters formed a portal parallel to the ground. He could see the interior of a demon castle through the portal, so he knew he got the coordinates right. 

A few seconds after the portal opened, a familiar head of white hair appeared. Her eyes went wide, and she opened her mouth wide as if gasping. Sound didn't travel through the portal, so Akros heard nothing. However, he couldn't resist smirking at the expression on Okami's face and wagging his finger in a "come here" motion. 

Either by the sound of her gasping or the sight of the portal being open, the other members of the Shadow Legion appeared similarly to Okami. Rather than descend through the portal, they seemed to be conversing while studying Akros' new appearance. 

"Is that really him?" Querrlya asked doubtfully on the other side of the portal. The others were confused as well, not expecting Akros to suddenly change his looks and garb. 

"Probably," Lyra spoke up, getting everyone's attention. "Look at his horns. They may be red and metallic now, but they have the same structure as before besides being longer and sleeker. I think I know why his hair is golden, but to confirm I'll need to talk to him. He doesn't seem to be hearing us talk..."

"She's got a point," Pheom muttered. "What's the worst that can happen, anyway?"

"We all die?" Neiro chimed in with her sailor accent, earning many a scowl. "What? It's a possibility! Master mentioned having a rage skill before, have you all forgotten? I hate to be a downer, but we have to be careful of his temper."

"She's not wrong..." Uriel sighed, gazing longing at Akros through the portal. "He used some kind of spell that increased his power with a gold aura and an enraged roar, in order to defeat me long ago. Perhaps the gold hair has something to do with that? The gold cloth is probably just his fashion sense being horrible."

"His fashion sense is kind of..."

"Now that you mention it..."

"Another reason why we should have faith in his mental stability," Morwen smiled with hope. "If he can change his outfit, he's still sane, right?"

With that, the others were convinced. They took turns falling through the portal to enter the fragment world, landing in front of him. Fifteen women now stood before a relieved Akros, who was scratching his nape sheepishly. Even though he was in front of the mermen, his servants, he felt he guilty. The looks on the faces of his legion made it clear they weren't exactly pleased.

"Do I look that much different?" He couldn't help but ask. The lack of recognition on their faces as they looked at him hurt his heart inexplicable amounts. "I'm still Akros, I'm still-"

"A dumbass?" Lyra cut him off while marching up to him. Akros narrowed his eyes at the sight of her angered expression. He towered over her, twice her height with horns included. She glared up at him with her hands on her hips. "What the hell were you doing? Where have you been?"

"Wha- I didn't choose to be sent to this level of the Abyss!" Akros shot back, feeling he was unworthy of such scorn. He leaned down to look into her equally infuriated eyes. "What makes you think this was my idea?!"

"Oh, I don't know, because you went through with your promotion trial! Wasn't there a seraph in that world's heaven?!" Shouting now, Lyra's voice started to crack with emotion. "Why didn't you turn back?! You could have died!"

Akros' eye twitched. "You knew there was a seraph? And... didn't tell me?"

"Not technically a seraph, actually," Eon said carefully, watching Akros' expression. She kept the other members of the Shadow Legion and Pheom behind her. "Sinclair proclaimed to be one, but in reality he is not. He's a cherub angel at the peak of the rank, desperately seeking promotion."

"Oh?" Akros flicked his eyes to the fury. "I appreciate the explanation, Eon. What I don't appreciate is none of you three informing me of his existence! I would not have attempted to promote in that world if I knew a top level cherub existed!" 

Eon shrank with guilt, averting her gaze. Lyra, feeling ignored, punched Akros in the gut. To her shock she dealt no damage, only bringing great pain to her knuckle. Tears pricked her eyes, but her pride didn't let her admit anything. She stared at Akros' teal and purple eyes adamantly.

"What?" He spat, his tail swishing behind him irritably. 

"How long have you been down here?" Lyra inquired, gesturing wildly to the area around her. "You've been gone for weeks, you know."

"I do, in fact know!" Akros barked. "I have been searching for an ideal world for us for an eternity! Here we are, in a beautiful and extremely rare fragment world that I found after nonstop exploring! I have done this much for you, how ungrateful can you be!" 

"It's not that, you lug! Just the opposite! Why can't you stop to care for yourself! You're not a god!" Tears began to fall from Lyra's iridescent purple eyes, causing Akros to freeze. "Why did you promote in the face of such danger?! Why do you continuously pursue something that can wait?! You need to rest! Look at yourself, you're about to collapse!"

"No, I..." Akros couldn't move his vocal cords. After he found his ideal fragment world, his motivation to stay awake and keep going had been dissipating. His eyelids seem to grow in mass, along with the rest of his body. The toll of maintain Super Saiyan and his promotion to demon lord settled in, destroying what energy he had left. Knowing he was as safe as he could be, he let his body go limp. His 3 ton figure indented a deep print into the soft soil.

"Master!!" "Akros!!" The Shadow Legion rushed to his side. 

Sobbing with concern and frustration, Lyra fell to her knees. Luane held her in her vast bosom, whispering kind words. Morwen grunted with strain as she lifted Akros into a princess carry, insisting she wanted to hold him against Eon's offer to take his weight in her stronger hands.

Pheom went to work commanding the mermen, wasting no time. They were on of the largest islands in the fragment world with miles of empty space. The mermen began constructing buildings with the help of the demons. The used their magic to create material, break down stone, or create buildings by themselves. Akros had taught them how to create intricate designs with magic long ago, after he constructed Vrathe solo. 

Days turned into weeks as the Shadow Legion constructed their new home. Unlike the demon city Vrathe, they used smoother techniques and constructs to reform the large island into a sector-based territory. The outer rim of the island was coated with rigid pure ice walls. The water was used to stabilize walls in beaches by being frozen into spikes that pierced the bedrock beneath the soft sand. Okami was the head guard on the city walls, but they were mainly manned by mermen. Their bodies were accustomed to the cold depths, so Okami's pure ice did not harm them. 

Within the frozen exterior, the inland base consisted of 4 sectors. The first and most noticable was the heat zone. An area of smoldering rock and rivers of lava that flowed into a circular lake. An island of obsidian was in the center of the lava lake, which housed Enyo, Ulvone, Pheom, and Morwen. Enyo was responsible for producing the lava while Ulvone contorted the obsidian. Pheom and Morwen simply preferred the environment. The four of them shared a large home by themselves. They were isolated and without any labor slaves, but with Morwen's strength there was no need. She loved her strong body, and felt lazy making servants do what she could. 

The second sector was a tropical zone. The area had essentially been left as is, with green fields and a lone mountain that fed a large river. The mermen women and children lived here under the rule of Eon and the other fallen angels. They didn't love the volcanic atmosphere of the Abyss, so they kept the environment pure. All they did was construct buildings using Iris' silver magic, a fallen version of her gold magic she wielded as a pure angel. A large house contained the six of them, with a separate forge. Whenever they were not building, they spent their time smelting local ores given by the mermen from the depths. 

Galadriel and Okami shared a home in the mountains, away from the mermen and anything else. Okami wasn't often home with her, but Galadriel enjoyed the peaceful environment regardless. She spent most of her time relaxing in a hot bath of poison dragon blood, something she collected during her time in Asha. It helped take her mind off of her love, and her depression stemming from his absence.

Luane also lived in this sector, but rather than living with the fallen angels or other demons she remained with the mermen. She oversaw their work personally and had her own self-made home in their village. Over time she became an idol among the mermen for her beauty. Her exoskeleton and dragonfly wings didn't take away from her incredibly curvaceous figure. The young male mermen drooled at Luane's body any time she passed by, which she found humorous. One brave lad dared to approach her, asking for a meal together.

"Ha! Don't forget your place, little one!" The brunette demon laughed loudly, embarrassing the merman boy in front of his friends. "My heart is already taken. Maybe if you got your attention off my chest, you'd realize that."

Humiliated, the merman boy returned to his gaggle of friends who were laughing at him. Luane didn't fail to notice this, and called out to them. "Hey! At least he had the backbone to ask! Better than the lot of you!" 

Luane was essentially their mayor. She oversaw their labor with a firm hand, but was far from a tyrant. The mermen quite liked her after getting used to her presence in the village. She made it clear that she was above them, but did not act snobby or entitled. If she was in a good mood, she'd aid the elders in carving fish and crustaceans or use her dirt magic to help the women farm.

The third sector was the largest and least inhabitable. The land had been removed, the space becoming a harbor of sorts. The sector consisted of a large lake, which lead into an underground cavern. The cave had a tunnel carved into the side that lead out to the ocean. This area was used for fishing and mining underwater minerals such as oceanic silver, a dirty white metal that was found to be stronger than adamantium and very rare. Neiro and Hecate lived in this zone. They had a beautiful cave home they sculpted by themselves out of sandstone. Neiro spent much of her escorting mermen miners to protect them from predators such as megalodon and sea serpents. 

The final zone was in the center of them all, and the smallest. A small demon castle made of silver and obsidian stood in the core of the island. There were not many rooms, nor many inhabitants. Female mermen maids kept it clean and tidy, but aside from them the castle was silent. An empty throne sat in a grand hall of ribbon and silver decorations. In the master bedroom laid an unconscious shadow demon lord upon a grandiose curtained bed, alone. 

Different members of the Shadow Legion, plus Pheom who wasn't officially a member, took turns taking care of their master and lover. Iris and Querrlya were the only two who didn't have romantic feelings for Akros, key word being romantic. As fallen angels corrupted by depravity, they now felt sexual urges and desires. Both of them had been held by Akros before, and part of them wanted to feel his touch again. Yet they resisted their urges stubbornly, in spite of their fall from grace. 

Akros was in a comatose state, breathing steadily but not rising from unconsciousness no matter what happened. The girls tried everything they could think of. From stabbing him to sucking his rod, nothing managed to wake the sleeping demon lord. The toll of his power robbed him of conscious for weeks on end, greatly worrying the legion. The mermen were not informed of the matter as it was kept secret. 

When the first month ended, the legion had a meeting together to discuss matters of the island. At a circular table of obsidian inside the castle, the 15 of them sat together in silence. It was awkward at first, as they had not been gathered in some time. 

"Okay!" Hilda clapped loudly, getting the attention of the others. "We didn't gather today to sit around. Nor did we gather to discuss the island's state, we all know things are going great. We all have the same worry in our hearts, don't we?"

A chorus of silent nods answered her question. Hesitantly, Iris spoke up. "I will admit, even though I despise him for taking away my divinity-"

"Fucking tsundere," Hecate grumbled.

"What of it?! Not my fault he has a type!"

"Akros is a sucker for feisty women," Eon sighed. "We know that, so...?"

"As I was saying!" Iris glared at Hecate, who merely snorted in response. "Akros brings something out of all of us when he's around. Things aren't the same without him in our lives, in my life. We need to wake him somehow."

"News flash," Morwen rested her chin on her palm, uninterested. "Got any new ideas? What else could we possibly do? I think master just needs rest. Hopefully not eternal rest."

"But how much longer does he need?" Querrlya asked, revealing a rare expression of concern. "I'm really starting to worry about his condition. Fatigue should not render a demon lord unconscious for a month or however long it has been. An immortal being as no reason to rest this long."

"You mean, maybe he's cursed or something?" Galadriel chimed in, tapping her plated fingers on the table. "Perhaps one of the angels cursed him while he was in Asha's heaven? Is that possible?"

"Of course!!" Eon slammed her hands on the table, standing abruptly and startling everyone. "Sinclair's damn sword! If Akros fought him, then he was probably wounded by Sinclair's greatsword!" 

"If that's true," Querrlya bit her lip anxiously. "Akros may not have long to live if we don't find the cure."

"WHAT!?!" The room exploded with confused and worried shrieks as everyone stood up in panic. 

"Calm down, all of you!" Iris shouted over the rest of them, her magic power infused into her voice. The weaker demons and fallen angels sat down shakily, while Eon and Querrlya did so out of their own volition. 

"There is a cure to the anti-demon curse on Sinclair's sword," Iris continued with a grave face. "He must drink the blood of a nephilim, to be specific."

"But that's..." Hilda recalled her past interaction with the Horseman of Apocalypse, War. A warrior who could battle demon kings and seraphs on equal ground. Then she recalled Lilith, the creator of the nephilim. Hilda and Uriel were on good terms with the succubus demon king. 

"Actually doable?" Uriel added with a thoughtful expression. "If we can get to the Black Stone throne and talk to Lilith, it should be fairly easy. She should have nephilim blood somewhere, and would be more than willing to help her son. We just need proof that he's ill."

"Hold it! You mean Lilith, the Mad Queen?!" Eon said in disbelief. "She's Akros' mother?!"

"Um, yeah," Hilda said nonchalantly, as if it was common knowledge. "Me, Uriel, and master Akros once visited her in the Black Stone Throne. She loves him very dearly, so there's no chance of her refusing to help us cure him. Although, how would we convince her that he is sick?"

"Leave that to me! I've figured out how our Shadow Brands work! It shares our spatial coordinates with not only Akros, but with us too! It's encrypted, but I can decypher it!" Morwen interjected happily. "I can open a portal to you guys directly from his bedroom once you're with Lilith, then she can see for herself!"

"For a war demon, your magical capabilities are quite impressive..." Pheom thought out loud, earning nods around the table. 

"Well, me and my sisters from Askr are unique," Morwen admitted with pride, puffing out her voluptuous chest. "Master personally transformed us from humans into demons, and we gained special properties! Take his mega speed regeneration, or whatever he calls it. He gifted us with that trait."

"How is that possible?" Uriel asked in shock. The other four fallen angels who didn't know about this nodded in agreement, while Lyra simply shook her head.

"It's hard to explain, and is also a story for another time. The time is ticking for Akros, let's get back on track," She said coldly, shutting down Morwen's boasting. The blonde demon pouted, but didn't disagree.

"How would we get to that world?" Enyo spoke up shyly. Being the smallest demon and weakest physically, she was intimidated by the presence of six-winged fallen angels. "Does anyone have the spatial coordinates?"

"Actually," Hilda scratched her chin while trying to remember the time she spent with Lilith, over 50 years ago. "I think Akros branded Lilith too. I remember seeing the black tattoo on her collar at some point. Maybe, just maybe, Morwen...?"

"I can try, but she's unfamiliar to me," Said the axe wielder. "I can access the spatial coordinates of you all without too much trouble because I've spent a lot of time in close proximity with everyone. I can't promise anything with someone I've never met, much less been close to. It's worth a shot though."

"Before we do that, let's make a backup plan. Hilda, Uriel, do either of you have spatial coordinates for the world that Lilith resides?" Ulvone asked, looking at the two. "He brought you back from that world, so surely...?"

"I, er..." Uriel scratched her nape sheepishly. "I have the coordinates for the White City memorized still. It was practically ingrained into my brain after spending so many years there. I can open a portal, but..."

"A city of heaven, huh?" Okami sighed, resting her chin on the table. "That means only Eon, Iris, and Querrlya can go. We aren't ready to promote to demon lord, much less high-rank."

"Another few months, I reckon," Lyra pat the demon dragon's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, it'll come. Your progress merely slowed because you're not immersed in Akros' overwhelming dark aura. I think it actively helps demons grow in strength, like a booster. He's a beacon of darkness in light."

"That does make sense now that I think about it!" Ulvone's eyes lit up. "I promoted quicker when I was nearby him, but I never knew why."

"Anyway," Eon cleared her throat. "Us three can probably do it. We just have to flee from that world's heaven as soon as possible, right? One of us open a portal to the mortal realm while the other two defend. Unless we encounter seraphim, we can survive."

"When I was there last, no seraphs were present in Cloud City," Uriel played with a strand of her dark purple hair. "Two fallen throne angels and a fury at the power of cherub. I'd reckon you stand a fighting chance."

"Actually, I might come with you," Hilda interjected, earning surprised looks. "I've reached the bottleneck of my power as a four-winged fallen angel. It'd be safer for me to attempt promotion to six-wings with allies. Lyra, Uriel, you should do the same."

"We can't guarantee your safety, you know!" Iris waved her hands frantically. "Just because there isn't any seraphs in that heaven doesn't mean there isn't throne or cherub angels, who could eviscerate you with ease! Think about this carefully!"

"There may be a few throne angels, but that world's heaven is quite weak," Uriel murmured. "Ever since Azazel left and Abaddon fell, there's no six-winged angels at all. It'd actually be fairly safe, now that I realize."

"So basically..." Hecate intertwined her fingers over the table. "The six of you go the heaven of that world. Hilda, Lyra, and Uriel promote to fallen throne angels. Then you descend to the mortal realm, seek out Lilith, and ask for nephilim blood?"

"Yup!" Hilda grinned toothily. "I know exactly where the Black Stone throne is hidden in the mortal realm, so I must go with. The other two are just there for extra womanpower and the opportunity to promote somewhat safely."

"You'll need to be quick about it. We have neighbors here in the Abyss," Luane grimaced. "If we get attacked during your absence..."

"Yeah... Maybe I stay?" Eon proposed, unsure. "I can kill a demon lord solo, even a powerful one. The five of you should be capable of going without me, right? Since there should be no six-winged angels in that heaven..."

"We should be fine, right Iris?" Querrlya glanced at the redhead fallen angel, who nodded in confirmation. "Us two against a sea of dominion angels and weaker? Consider it done."

"Okay, so that's settled," Lyra yawned, covering her mouth. "Let's go to Akros' bed before you try the portal, Morwen."

"You got it! I'll do my best!" 

The 15 of them relocated to Akros' bedroom, which was more than large enough to fit them all. Morwen sat on the edge of the enormous bed as she focused on searching for another branded individual. Shadow Brands reacted to each other, forming a magical link. This happened whenever two branded individuals were in close proximity for extended periods of time. Uriel was the only branded one who spent time with Lilith, and it was not that long. 

Morwen gasped as she discovered a faint link stemming from Uriel's brand. She followed in as best she could in her mind, but the trail eventually dried up. She heaved a sigh and opened her eyes.

"No luck?" Uriel, who had been standing in front of her, asked softly. 

"I'm sorry. The bond between your brand and Lilith's is there, but it's very faint. Decades spent apart from each other has made it fade," Morwen rubbed her horns with a frown. "It does confirm that Lilith was branded, but that doesn't matter right now. I'm afraid you guys will have to execute the backup plan."

"It was too good to be true, honestly. I don't mean to be harsh Morwen, but it was unrealistic," Neiro sat next to her, putting an arm around her shoulder. "But this is a good opportunity for Lyra, Hilda, and Uriel to promote, right? I wouldn't worry about it."

"Yeah, don't stress over it!" Lyra encouraged with a smile. "Truth be told, I've been wanting to promote for a while now. I just never asked because I didn't feel I was strong enough yet. But with five of us we can do it."

"Let us prepare first," Hilda tapped her fallen angel armor. "Get some sleep, then reequip ourselves. I have to finish my oceanic silver armor, so give me a day. Let's reconvene tomorrow night, when the sun sets."

The Shadow Legion dispersed to resume their daily activities or prepare for the upcoming battle. Those who would fight went straight to their beds to sleep. The next day, Hilda finished her light but sturdy oceanic silver armor. Lyra and Uriel kept their adamantine armor sets. Querrlya, Eon, and Iris all had armor made from heavenly alloys, which were extremely durable. Angelic armor was unique in the sense that it grew in durability with the wearer's power. An angel would keep the same set of armor until it broke, as it would grow larger and stronger to fit them. Querrlya had worn her current set of armor for centuries.

Later that night, as the sun of the fragment world fell, the Shadow Legion regrouped in the castle of silver and obsidian. They collectively agreed not to name it, as it was Akros' duty to do so. Uriel opened a portal leading directly into Cloud City in the Darksiders world. The group of women exchanged goodbyes and hugs before they separated.

Eon hugged Iris and Querrlya tightly, squeezing them to the point of the two yelping in pain. "Please be safe!"

"We will, we will, let go!" Iris pleaded, grinding her teeth. Eon let them go with teary eyes, sniffling. "D-don't cry! We'll be fine, I promise!"

"Eon..." Querrlya gave her a small smile, cupping her cheek. "We won't die, alright? Just wait for us here, and have faith in us."

"I will..." The ravenette sniffed, wiping gold tears from her cheeks. 

At the same time, Morwen hugged Lyra into her bust tightly. "Lyra, be safe. Akros needs you, we need you. Make sure you come back!"

"Mrrghgf!" The four-winged fallen angel's voice was muffled by bright red tits. Morwen giggled with teary eyes, loosening her hold. Lyra gasped for air, giving the war demon a light glare. "Argh! I will be fine, don't choke me!" 

"You're right. That's Akros' job," Morwen teased, kissing the blushing Lyra on her forehead. "Go do it!"

"I don't choke on him like that..." She weakly protested amongst Morwen's giggles.

Uriel and Hilda were closest to each other, but they exchanged hugs with the others all the same. Everyone was emotional due to stress, making the scene very impactful on each of their hearts. For the first time, Iris and Querrlya felt like they fit in with the others, and shed tears of happiness together.

After the tearful farewells, the group of five fallen angels donned their armor and weapons before passing through the portal. Uriel was the last to go, and it closed behind her. The 10 remaining Legion members shared hopeful looks.

"All we can do now is wait," Hecate tucked a lock of gold hair behind her pointed ear. "Since we're here and have our tasks done for the day, why don't we play Crazy 8?"

The five fallen angels arrived in the archives of Cloud City. A vast library stock full with books that contained angelic history, techniques, and magics. It was quite empty save for a two-winged librarian and a lone two-winged angel reading silently. The entrance of the five went unnoticed temporarily as they appeared behind a tall bookshelf. Then their magic auras spilled out, alarming the two angels greatly. 

"Invas- agh!" Silver spears tore through the skulls of the angels, ending their lives instantly. Lyra collected their souls, then resurrected them with void power. Void creatures did not require souls, as they were entities with no mind. They only needed to heed the commands of the void mother, the hive queen. 

Querrlya mobilized her silver ichor magic, the fallen alternative to regular ichor magic that she once used against Akros. She condensed a large quantity of it into a fleck, then flicked it at the floor. The white marble exploded into microscopic fragments, opening a hole in the library floor. The fleck of silver ichor continued to blow its way through the layers of angel structures beneath the library until there was a straight tunnel down out of the city.

"Let's go! Before they give chase!" Hilda shouted as she dove headfirst through the vertical tunnel, tucking in her hellfire wings. Following suit, the other four tucked in their wings and dove. 

Alarm bells rang loudly as they fell through the layers of Cloud City. When they emerged from underneath the cloudy bottom, angels were already pouring out to meet them. Lyra, Hilda, and Uriel were weakened somewhat as they had to bear the blistering sensation of holy light from all directions. Their depravative power was growing in response to it, but at a very slow pace. 

"By my estimate, we'll need two hours to promote!" Lyra called out. The other four nodded in response gripping their weapons, or in Uriel's case her fists tightly. 

"I'll open the portal to the mortal realm at the 90 minute mark!" Querrlya shouted as she sent a ichor bullets at the oncoming two-winged angels, ripping them to shreds. "Iris, help me defend until then! They need time to adjust before they can fight!"

"Aye, commander!" Iris was previously under Querrlya's command in Asha, so she had no qualms taking orders from her again. Wielding her silver scimitar with glowing purple accents, Iris cut down several angels with each swing. Her blade sent out a silver slash of magic that cut through two-winged angels like butter. 

Lyra, Uriel, and Hilda hovered behind the two six-winged fallen angels as they adjusted to the environment with great effort. The burning sensation that was holy light contacting their skin was near unbearable without coating their bodies in their respective magics. Fallen angelic magic was not a branch of dark magic, but a corrupted version of holy magic. Combining holy magic with depravity created fallen magic. This magic was a stark contrast to holy magic, which was why fallen angels had to promote to six-wings by surviving in a world's heaven for some time.

Minutes passed by, and eventually four-winged angels entered the scene. They were far more agile than the their two-winged companions, but stood little chance against throne-level fallen angels. Gold blood lathered the joints of Iris' armor as she hacked her former brethren to shreds. 

Surprisingly, she didn't feel as much remorse as she expected. Whether it was the influence of Akros, the time she spent in the Shadow Legion, or her falling from grace, she felt no comradery with these weaker angels. Querrlya felt very similar, not even a pang of guilt touching her. Her thoughts were crystal clear while she annihilated ranks of angels with a devastating rain of silver ichor. 

Due to a lack of six-winged angels, there was no challenge for these two. Their mana supply was more than large enough to allow them to attack continuously. Eventually they would run dry, but they paced themselves well to avoid that for at least a few hours. Time passed by quickly as they got bored with killing angels in the air, wanting more of a challenge or at least variety. 

Angels were unlike demons in their variation. All angels were more or less built/born with the same stature and mana veins. The only real variations among them was the magic they wielded and their weapons, but even those didn't vary much. All angels used some form of holy magic, and their weapons were all made of angelic alloys. Very rarely would an angel take up a weapon not of heavenly origin.

By the time the 90 minute mark hit, Iris and Querrlya had began to tire slightly while the Lyra, Uriel, and Hilda had successfully adapted to the environment of holy light. As their depravity-ridden bodies grew stronger, they joined Iris in holding off the swarm of angels. The five woman squad descended lower, farther from Cloud City. Once they reached the bottom of the Darksiders heaven, Querrlya began writing a magic formation. 

"I'm opening a portal! Cover me!" She yelled out behind her, then focused herself on the process of breaking through the barrier seal of the heaven they were in. 

Each world that had been discovered by angels had its own heaven, like a restaurant line. These small heavens were connected through a magic network to the Heaven where the big shots of heaven resided. 

Or at least a clone of themselves, as they usually split themselves into clones to have larger influence at one time similar to demon kings. Lilith was the only known outlier of this trend, and because she only had one body she was feared. However this lead to her having less influence as omnipresence was a great method of multitasking.

The Darksiders heaven was a very weakly ranked heaven due to the loss of Abaddon, Azazel, and Uriel. The first two were their only six-winged angels, and Uriel had been not far from reaching the precipice of the throne level when Akros met her.

Now Uriel was a fallen angel in the midst of a grisly massacre and her promotion to become a fallen throne angel. She manipulated her fallen lightning to spread between angels as it fried their bodies, eliminating several with each bolt. While this method was weak in raw power, it was suitable for this situation. 

Hordes of enemies demanded one to wield area of effect attacks. Bruising her way through with her brawling armor was very inefficient due to the raw number of angels coming at her at once. Thousands of two-winged angels were swarming from Cloud City to attack Uriel and the other four fallen angels. She only fought melee against other four-winged dominion angels who survived her lightning assault.

Hilda was performing very similarly to Uriel with her magic, covering large areas with each cast. Hilda was a hellfire mage, who specialized in offensive magic and swordplay. Even though she now wore oceanic silver armor, a powerful ore that she enchanted specifically to resist holy magic, her evasive techniques remained. She always parried rather than block directly. Her strength was inferior to that of Uriel, so she could not afford head-on clashes.

Lyra could only be described as a necromancer of sorts. Her void corruption was most efficient on beings that died very recently. Living creatures had souls that resisted the void, but inanimate corpses did not. Better yet, while the void corruption malformed their bodies it also restored their injuries. This was the primary function of void corruption; sacrificing will for power. 

Void creatures or voidlings lost control of themselves entirely, answering only to Lyra through a mental link. She hid behind Uriel, Hilda, and Iris while resurrecting angels to fight for her and act as meat shields. Four-winged angels made great voidlings as they overpowered their kin due to the power boost. The only flaw with Lyra's necromancy was that voidlings lacked souls. Because of this, they would decay over time. 

She could prolong their lives by feeding them souls, but the method was costly. A mere four-winged angel voidling would cost 10 souls per hour, or one soul every 6 minutes, to keep alive. Stronger voidlings would last longer than the weaker ones, so strong specimens were preferred for void corruption. Lyra wanted to resolve the decay issue, but now was not the time.

Querrlya's portal opened smoothly after another few minutes. The angels became angrier after seeing that the fallen angels had an escape. However, they were unable to break through the bombardment of magic. The angels kept flying to their deaths for a while longer before a four-winged dominion angel called for them to back off. 

"They're only defending. We should stop this suicide run, and cut our losses. If they want to leave, let them!" The angel commander was conflicted wanting nothing more than to tear the fallen angels apart, but he knew better than to let his emotions run wild. He ignored the complaints from his four-winged peers and flew back to Cloud City. The two-winged angels in the scene followed his lead, soon joined by the four-winged after they gave the five dirty looks.

"That one was smart," Iris sighed in relief. "Took them long enough to realize it was for naught. Without throne angels, they cannot compare to our might!"

"Perfect- ugh! Timing," Lyra grunted, hunched over. She along with Uriel and Hilda were seizing up as their depravation reached its boiling point. Their magic veins bulged from their normally smooth skin, pulsing rapidly and violently.

"I've never seen a fallen angel promote," Querrlya commented from the side with Iris, watching the other three intently. "The only six-winged fallen angel to exist is Lucifer himself..."

"Lucifer was one of the Ten Commandment Seraphs by the time he fell," Iris tapped her chin with her thumb absentmindedly while she watched the three promote. "So he was immediately transformed into a Deadly Sin Demon King, while not biologically being a demon."

"Lucifer was once a Commandment Seraph?!" Querrlya gasped, looking at her companion with wide eyes. "I never knew of this! How did you gain such information?!"

"I've spent much time with Pheom, who is the oldest demon in the Shadow Legion. That is, if you exclude Akros. That succubus may be young compared to you and me, but she's accumulated a vast amount of knowledge over centuries of dealing with other demons," The redhead sighed lightly. "Whether through sleeping with them or some other form, she has gained a frightening amount of intelligence. She knows more about the Deadly Sin Demon Kings and some of the Ten Commandment Seraphs than I do."

"Whoa..." Querrlya was taken aback by this explanation. She could never figure out Pheom, the mysterious demon with even more mysterious ambitions. The thought of a succubus who sought romantic love and knowledge was preposterous, but so was a high-rank demon overwhelming a cherub blood angel. She was starting to assume less and less after joining the Shadow Legion for this reason. 

While the two chatted, the magic power of the three promoting fallen dominion angels exploded outward with a dark and lavish power. They were shrouded by clouds of purplish black mist for around twenty seconds as their bodies grew. Lyra's cloud was more violent and swirled anxiously. Aside from a few painful and surprised yelps, the three were silent during the process. The mana clouds were gradually pushed away, revealing three feminine, armored, and ethereal figures. 

Hilda's body grew to a dozen feet in height with six enormous wings of hellfire behind her. Her slim and curvy build didn't change, nor did her long black hair. Her oceanic silver armor was decorated in angel runes, the same that allowed angelic armor to grow with its user. Thanks to this, her armor grew in size with her body, consuming a great amount of her mana as the cost. The only part of Hilda's skin that was bare was her face, revealing her dark purple ethereal skin and fiery black eyes. Infen, her Imperial Gold sword, grew to fit her body as she had spent days inscribing angel runes onto its surface.

Uriel had done similar to Hilda, painstakingly writing runes on the surface of her adamantine armor. It was slightly easier for her due to the armor covering only her limbs rather than her whole body. She wore her original fallen angelic armor on the remaining sections of her body, making sure she had no exposed areas beside her head. 

The fallen angel's tan skin was no longer. Her flesh had become a translucent neon purple, accompanied with sparking black orbs in her eye sockets. Six great feathered wings spread from her back elegantly as she swept her hair behind her shoulders. 

Lyra was the last to emerge from her cloud of magic power, and the most unique following her promotion. Her straight purple hair bore new highlights of black and was oddly spiked in shape. Her wings were no longer angelic, but they weren't demonic either. Six black wings matching those of void-corrupted dragons replaced her former angelic ones. They were rigid black armored wings with purple membranes connecting the spines.

Rather than having translucent flesh, Lyra's was opaque and pitch black akin to her lover. Her adamantine armor changed with her body, reforming itself with the dark eruption of void power from her successful promotion. The red ore was now dark violet and embedded with black crystals in random areas. 

Ayrris, her double-headed Imperial Gold scythe was corrupted by this power as well. While the gold was unaffected due to its dense and ancient magical encryption, the staff morphed into a blackish crystalline substance, no longer demon pearl.

Lyra's face also changed slightly. Her eyes were replaced with illuminant, deep blue vortexes. She was a drop dead beaut, yet there was an evil nature behind her beauty. It was similar to Lilith's face, one of temptation and hunger. The only other change was her canines becoming longer and sharper. She looked like a vampire from a romance novel with her gorgeous but dangerous appearance.

The others didn't notice Lyra's changes at first, but it didn't take long due to how much her aura stood out. The void aura encompassing her form was far different from the dark aura of the four fallen throne angels. 

"Lyra? What in the Infinite Worlds happened?" Uriel was aghast at her friend's sudden and somewhat alien change in appearance. 

"I-I don't know, honest!" She replied anxiously, inspecting her new body with a downtrodden expression. "Shit, shit! I'm probably repulsive to Akros now!"

"That's your largest concern?" Iris facepalmed. The other three nodded in meager disappointment, but more so in relief. The fact that Lyra made such a comment meant she was mentally stable.

"I guess that isn't important right now..." Lyra rolled her eyes, huffing in retaliation. "Let's get out of here already. The holy air is suffocating."

The five of them flew through the portal Querrlya opened several minutes ago. Once she passed through it, the portal closed and sealed off the Darksiders world's heaven. They entered a vast cloud of ash and dust. Earth's atmosphere became thick with the sediment after dozens of nuclear explosions on its surface, creating a nuclear winter. Hilda and Uriel knew what to expect, but the other three where greatly confused by this environment.

"What is this?" Querrlya muttered, covering her mouth. She looked around as she descended with a bewildered face. "I swear I made a portal connecting to the mortal realm!"

"This is the mortal realm," Uriel said softly, but loud enough to carry through the ash. She possessed a sympathetic expression as she looked behind at the others. "Regretfully, the humans of this world bombarded their own realm as they were killed off during a great war between demons and angels. The battle should be long over, but time is not concrete between worlds. Expect demons and angels to still be present on the surface."

"Hmph! This world's angels are quite lousy!" Iris harrumphed in disdain. "If they can't even protect their own city from a few fallen angels, how can they expect to resist an army of demons outside of their home turf?"

"Actually, the war began in this world's heaven," Hilda chimed in with a wistful expression. "His Majesty Samael waged war on White City from an Abyss outpost, a separate space in possession of His Majesty. He directly warped his demon army into the outer reaches of this heaven. Due to the massive amount of them, the lower-ranking demons did not dissolve from the holy atmosphere. The light was dampened by so much darkness dirtying it. Anyhow, as the battle in that heaven turned to the demon's favor and White City."

"The angels cancelled the magic that solidified the clouds the demon tread upon, taking away their footing and causing them to fall to the mortal realm," Uriel continued, adding in her knowledge. She didn't remember any of it herself, but Hilda had told her all about it. "In their spite, the demons who could not fly dragged down many angels with them while those with wings continued the fight. Abaddon opened a rift in the bottom of that heaven to let the demons fall all the way to the soil.

The battle took to the mortal realm from there. Many humans were caught in the crossfire or were directly slain by demons, causing them to retaliate with their technological weapons. 'Firearms' I think is the term Akros used for them. Anyway, even with their highly-advanced technology humanity was wiped out. In their dying moments, they unleashed powerful bombs that destroyed the world. Most of the weaker demons and angels were wiped out, leaving only the more powerful to continue fighting..."

Uriel trailed off, not knowing the rest. Hilda was about to continue the explanation when the group broke through the ashen atmosphere, entering a cleaner air space below the gray clouds. There was no life in sight, only a dust-ridden wasteland as far as the eye could see. Bodies of water existed at random, filling holes in the ground or running through chasms. The earth was splintered and broken, leaving wide open fissures and craters. The only pattern consistent among them was the direction they seemed to stem from.

"Heavens above..." Querrlya was stunned, along with Iris and Lyra. "Human technology did this? A beautiful world became this- desert, by humans?"

"Yup," Hilda sighed, feeling nostalgic by the scenery. It had been a long time since she had been to the Darksiders world, but she had no clue how much time had passed here during her absence. The environment hadn't changed any, so it hasn't been centuries where life would've sprung back. "Although, they only made it dusty and destroyed many, but not all of their civilizations. What really wrecked this realm was a battle between His Majesty Samael and the Destroyer."

"The Destroyer?" Lyra whipped to face Hilda in bewilderment. "You mean, that demonic dragon that became of Abaddon?! He's a demon king level existence?!"

"Yes, but-" Hilda stared back at her in confusion. "How would you know? You weren't in this world during the End War, were you?"

"No no, but Akros told me all about it," Lyra averted her gaze sheepishly. "He tells me about all of his adventures, so I found out pretty soon after he returned to the Abyss. He didn't mention that the Destroyer actually fought Samael though."

"Samael, the Deadly Sin Demon King of Wrath..." Iris shivered, cradling herself. "What kind of monster could battle him on even terms?"

"Well, the Samael in this world is likely a clone," Uriel reasoned, patting Iris' shoulder with a soft smile. "The Destroyer is only at the power of a normal demon king like Lilith, not a Deadly Sin Demon King. If that makes sense. Although Lilith may not be the best example either..."

"Yeah, what? She has made zero clones of herself with her soul fragments so she's always at her full power. Lilith is no doubt much stronger than this world's incarnation of Samael because of that," Hilda remarked with sass, giving Uriel a disapproving frown. "Besides, there is no 'normality' between demon kings. Each is unique because there is so few that exist."

"I would concur," Querrlya nodded in approval. "I've never fought or encountered any demon kings, but from my knowledge of demons I know that those who reach the level of demon king possess godly qualities of magical and physical power. Those powers are far beyond their bloodlines and even reason. That said, there's no good method of ranking them besides differentiating the Seven Deadly Sin Demon Kings and those outside the seven. Even then those outside the seven may be just as if not more powerful than the incarnations of the seven if they don't clone. The Mad Queen Lilith is one such example."

"Okay..." Uriel nodded in understanding, before looking at Lyra. "Lyra, did Akros ever mention that Samael was imprisoned after his battle with the destroyer?"

"No," She responded, a little miffed now that she learned Akros didn't tell the full story. "He didn't tell me much at all regarding Samael and the Destroyer, aside from the fact that the Abaddon became the Destroyer. I have no clue how he even got a hold of such knowledge..."

"Not trying to interrupt, but we are on a timer here," Iris said loudly, getting the attention of the distracted four. "Hilda, Uriel, can you lead us to the Black Stone Throne? Lilith resides there, right?"

"My apologies, I got carried away!" Hilda shook her head, refocusing on the matter at hand. She studied the fissures in the earth to discern the point of origin. "I don't know the way from here, but if I can use Samael's seal location as reference... let's go!"

Hilda lead the other three fallen angels plus Lyra to the origin of the chasms. With their flight speed reaching that of Mach 10, it took them only a quarter hour to reach their destination. 

Unlike in Darksiders the video game, the ruins of the great human city where the game took place did not exist. The environment surrounding Samael was a bleak wasteland ridden with magic crystals and torn up stone. However, Samael's seal shrine was not fully alone. Further away, there was an enormous black demon tower. 

It was easy to discern the building's creators based by the architecture and the decor on the outside. Similar to the plot of Darksiders, the Destroyed distributed Samael's magic power to four demon lords, his Chosen. They each resided nearby the black tower, about ten miles from Samael's shrine.

The area was also crawling with demons. The shrine was tightly guarded by many upper high-rank demons, selected by the Destroyer's four Chosen to guard the imprisoned king. These high-rank demons commanded hundreds of middle-rank demons who guarded some walls erected around the shrine. However, there seemed to be a disturbance among them...

"Wait!" Hilda, who was at the front, held up a closed fist. She scanned the land around the shrine to the see that the demon guards were collectively running towards something while raising their weapons or casting magic. "There's something, or someone down there!"

"Who would challenge so many demons alone, and for what? To visit Samael?" Uriel said curiously as she and the other four spectated the battle from above. 

A single entity wielding a broadsword was cutting down all the demons present, seeming to heal his wounds by consuming their souls. When the battle was finished with all the demons reduced to mash, the figure became more clear. A man with a red hood and a massive gauntlet on his left hand was making his way to the entrance of the shrine when Hilda's magic eyes widened in shock.

"That- that's War! That's the Horseman War!" She cried out, spreading surprise to the others. 

"What is he doing here?" Iris muttered under her breath. "I've heard tales of the Four Horsemen, but never seen one in person. He must be here to kill Samael! He is an executioner of the Charred Council after all."

"Oh?! I never knew they existed beyond this world," Uriel shook her head. "No, that's not important. What's more important is that we seize this opportunity. War is a nephilim. A living, breathing one. If we can get some of his blood..."

"You must be mad!" Querrlya shot her down with an awestruck expression. "War is practically immortal, and is on par with demon kings according to legend! Even though we shouldn't need much nephilim blood, it's too dangerous!"

"Well, we could... bargain with him?" Lyra winced as she made the suggestion. "Although that sounds sketchy, but this could save us a lot of hassle with Lilith. Without Akros present, we can't trust her one bit."

"Worst comes to worst, we fly away. War lacks wings. Easy solution!" Iris put her scimitar away in her separate space. "Hide your weapons so he doesn't get aggressive."

With that, they came to an agreement to attempt bargaining with the Horseman of Apocalypse. Even though it was extremely dangerous, it wasn't any worse than dealing with Lilith herself in their opinions. Hilda and Uriel personally believed that without Akros' presence, she would've treated them much poorer. The succubus hadn't earned the alias of Mad Queen by being kind.

The five of them landed a dozen feet behind War just before he pushed the gate of the shrine open. He instantly turned to face them with his sword drawn, but when he saw their wings he froze.

"Six-winged fallen angels? You must not be residents of this world," War noted in a steadfast voice, but was visibly very tense. "What business do you have with me...? Uriel, is that you?!"

"You know my name?" The fallen angel in question was stunned. She had no recollection of meeting war, as she was still an angel during the events of War's original appearance in this world. She lost her memories from her angel life when she fell by Akros' hand... or rather his groin. 

"You have fallen, and you possess an odd mark around your neck. All of you do. Perhaps you belong to some coalition of fallen angels?" War speculated. "Six-winged fallen angels are extremely rare. Who on earth could've gathered you?"

""Um..."" The five shared a collective look of embarrassment. All of their ethereal faces brightened as they recollected the ways Akros made them fall, save for Lyra. She cleared her throat and spoke up to the confused Horseman. "A certain shadow demon lord. He branded us as his, and now we part of the Shadow Legion. Don't suppose you know the name of Akros?"

"...!" War's expression under his hood became one of unrestrained shock as the name registered in his mind. Then his eyes narrowed. "I only know one demon of the name 'Akros'. He is a mere high-rank demon. You must be referring to someone else."

"No, we aren't," Hilda chimed in, crossing her arms in defiance. "In fact, he traversed the Charred Council's space to steal the Red Sea Egg from them, likely when they had you imprisoned for descending before the seventh seal broke. He wore Imperial Gold armor at that time. Ring a bell?"

"Imperial Gold... that explains it. No demon would wear gold normally, but if it's of that ore..." War nodded hesitantly, remembering the glistening armor Akros wore when they met. He still possessed the gem the demon gave him to call for his aid. War had already used it once, to no effect or response. This made him bitter towards the demon. "Alright, so we refer to the same demon. What of it? Why have you met me here?"

"Akros is gravely ill. During his recent promotion to demon lord, he fought a cherub with an anti-demon enchantment on his sword. He successfully promoted, but he is dying. The curse eats away at his soul, rendering his immortal body useless. We need your help to cure him," Lyra walked closer to War, her expression pleading. "We will compensate you for your aid, but we must hurry."

Before War could respond, a dark apparition seeped out from his gauntlet. A six-eyed wisp with no other facial features hovered by War's shoulder. "I don't think so! This one is on a leash, controlled by the council! He cannot abide by-"

"Quiet yourself, filth!" Lyra hooked the neck of the watcher with Ayrris, making it go silent. "You do not speak for War. Besides, it is not a task that we ask of him. Rather, his blood."

"Excuse me?" War grunted angrily, drawing his sword from his back. He could care less for the watcher's health, but he would not take threats lying down if he could help it. He thought that her request for his blood as a way of announcing her intent to kill him.

"Easy, Horseman. You not of your full power, so you have no chance against us," Iris said from behind Lyra with a heavy attitude. "We don't need much. Only a vial of your blood is what we ask. It's the cure to the curse plaguing Akros. In addition, we will reward you if you comply."

"How so?" War asked skeptically, placing his sword on his back. In his current state, most of his power stripped by the council and restrained further by the watcher, he could not hope to battle four fallen throne angels. He eyed Lyra carefully as well as he was not entirely sure what she was, but sensed a vast and voracious magic power from her. 

"Knowledge," Hilda walked up to War, towering over him. She was 12 feet tall when standing, while the Horseman was a mere 8 feet. Her armored stomach was at his eye level, forcing him to look up quite a bit. She drew a glass vial about the size of a liter pop bottle from her separate space. "We know much that you do not. You have been sent to slay the Destroyer, to restore balance, no? We have information that will help you greatly. But first, your blood."

"Actually, I have a different offer," War stood fast, boldly staring down the more powerful fallen angel who raised a wispy eyebrow. He brought out the gem Akros gave him long ago, showing it to Hilda. "Akros had once offered me his services when we met in the Council's realm. By infusing this gem with magic power, it would act as a beacon for him to come to aid. If he really is ill, then that may be why he didn't respond. When you cure him, ask of him to meet me in this realm. There is something I need his help for."

"Hmm..." Hilda walked closer, readying the vial for collection. She popped the cork off and held the vial to War's face. He was perplexed by this at first, but understood when she balled her free fist. She smiled at him teasingly. "Don't hold back now."

She stepped on his foot to plant him to the ground, then crushed his stomach with a devastating haymaker. Due to War's power being stripped by the Council, he was unable to withstand the blow without injury. His organs compacted and broke, causing him to vomit blood violently. Hilda shoved the vial in his face until it was full, then pulled away. 

"You- what have you done?! War will not heal such a wound by himself!" The watcher, having been silent under the crescent blade, exclaimed with panic. "Heal him! Or you'll face the Council's wrath for damaging their-"

"You can face my wrath instead!" An irritated Lyra severed the watcher's head with one of Ayrris' blades. The watcher's dark misty aura faded away as his physical body fell to the ground, lifeless. His head rolled for a bit before Lyra's armored foot smashed it. "Dumbass spirit. You ought to stand up for yourself, War. That thing was pitifully weak, and you let it control you? What of your warrior's pride?"

"Guh..." War was bent over as Querrlya cast healing magic over his body. His flattened organs reshaped themselves in seconds, and he was healthy once more. "Is it... is it enough?"

"Yup!" Hilda smiled happily as she popped the cork back into the vial, sealing it shut. War's crimson blood glowed with magic energy as it swirled inside. 

"You gave us blood, and I saved you from retaining mortal wounds. I would say we are even," A dark grin stretched upon Querrlya's face. Although she hadn't been a fallen angel long, she enjoyed being evil and generally unkind to weaker existences. It was a feeling she never knew she needed, and now she drank it up with glee. The expression of anger on War's face made it all the more satisfying for her. "Did you really expect a fair deal? You are at a fraction of your famed might, why in the Infinite Worlds should we barter with you? Should have asked for a demon contract."

"You cursed-!"

"Watch it, buster," Lyra reprimanded, smacking the agitated nephilim with Ayrris' shaft. He stumbled backward as she looked down at him with exasperation. "We don't fear the Council. After all, their supposed 'enforcers' hardly obey them as is. You're a fine example of that. They have no power over you besides what they took. You should join us by Akros' side, let him free you from your chains."

"What madness are you suggesting? Why would I...?" War loosely grabbed his sword, before his hand fell to his side. "Why would I... serve the council? Akros spoke similarly. Perhaps they are truly framing me..."

"All the more reason to join the Shadow Legion!" Uriel chimed in, seizing the opportunity. A powerful nephilim warrior was a powerful and rare asset to possess. Although, she predicted that Akros might change his gender. For the sake of precautions regarding his ace in the hole, his charm magic. She guessed that this would displease War, so she lied through her teeth. "Akros has many valuable resources, and would be more than happy to help you. The blood is one thing, but your allegiance is another."

"I..." War felt extremely pressured at the sight of six more powerful fallen angels staring at him intensely, waiting for his response. He closed his eyes and thought for a moment before carefully picking his next words. "As a warrior, I cannot turn my back to those who-"

"That's a shame," Lyra cut him off, reeling him in with a light hook and tug with Ayrris. Querrlya swiftly bound War with tendrils of silver ichor, rendering him immobile. "I thought it was just my idea, but it seems you five think akin to me. Perhaps it's our comradery at work. War, be a good boy and keep quiet."

"..." Said Horseman seethed silently, eyeing the double-headed sickle. He felt great danger from the blades, and after seeing the watcher perish he knew one wrong move would be his end. So he grit his teeth and glared at the fallen angel crew.

Behind the others, Iris opened a portal back to Eon using her Shadow Brand as a beacon. The magic behind the sigil was not very complex, so it didn't take her long to learn to read the coordinates of her fellow Shadow Legion members. By entering the magical network connecting her Brand and theirs, she could locate them through worlds. As Morwen explained, it worked finest with beings she had been around often. Iris spent much of her time with Eon and the other four fallen angels, meaning their coordinates were the most solid reads. Naturally she locked on to Eon's spatial coordinates. She grabbed onto the spatial fabric of the world and tore it apart, opening a rift between spaces. Iris commanded the rift via advanced space magic to Akros' fragment world.

"Alright, let's go!" Iris barked, gesturing to her small but functional portal. "Make sure you use spatial magic to protect yourself, because this is a spatial rift!"

"What the? Did you not make an actual portal?" Hilda heaved a sigh. "You know it's a bad idea to tamper with spatial fabric, especially that of a high-magic world! What are you thinking?"

"Excuse her laziness, it can't be helped..." Querrlya politely apologized in Iris' place, who merely snorted and looked away. Querrlya's eye twitched as she gave the younger fallen angel a disappointed frown. "...although her attitude can be. Iris, stop being a slob and do things right."

"Mrgh, fine. Can you go now? This is taxing to maintain," Iris griped, pouring more and more mana into the rift to keep it stable. Uriel stopped hesitating and leapt through headfirst, due to the small size of the rift. The others did similarly, besides War who was tossed through by Lyra. He grunted in great discomfort, but could not escape his bonds as he flew. Finally Iris jumped through and the rift shut.

The five woman squad not only acquired nephilim blood, but the nephilim himself! All without the help of Lilith. They couldn't believe it at first, but they got over it quick due to urgency as they landed back in the fragment world. More specifically in Akros' bedroom.

Akros himself lay in a specially made bed from Lyra's system. It was sized to fit only him, with a hole in the middle for his tail and a softer upper middle area in the mattress. This allowed him to lay on his back without discomfort with his tail or wing stubs, which protruded slightly from his back. 

Eon was sitting beside the unconscious demon lord with a look of longing and care. She had spent the last hour polishing his horns, claws, and even his tail. It was time consuming, but she pined for him deeply. When she initially had oral sex with him as she fell, she didn't feel anything for him besides lust. That was only the result of his charming aura, which was a result of his genetic heritage. 

He could not restrain it, so when he touched her she felt the desire to have sex. She had slept with him once time in Vrathe before he promoted, and that still wasn't a very emotion-driven encounter. Yet for the the last month since he fell into his coma, the lack of exposure to his charm left her empty and extremely unentertained. She didn't realize how much she enjoyed his attention, as he didn't interact with her purely for sex. 

In general, he was kind to her and treated her with respect and affection as he did the other Shadow Legion members. This doting by Akros made her impatient, hungry for his affection. To soothe this emotion, she did some maintenance on his body. A mere touch of his flesh quelled the desire in her, if meagerly so.

Needless to say, Eon was shellshocked to see three unfamiliar six-winged fallen angels and some nephilim warrior. The aura oozing from his skin made his race clear, but not his identity. Even though he was bound, Eon immediately became alert. She left the polishing towel on Akros' left horn and shot to her feet, summoning her spear from her separate dimension. 

"Who is this nephilim, why have you brought him here-" Eon blinked, cutting herself off and promptly facepalmed. "Right. We need his blood."

"Already got it. So, put that away," Hilda grumbled, striding casually up to Eon. She flicked the speartip out of the way as she passed by the fury. The latter's eye twitched in irritation.

"A little respect is in order, Hilda. Just because you promoted doesn't mean you're above me. I still reign above you in terms of magical and physical might," Eon spat, anger distorting her graceful face. Hilda stopped in her tracks to half-stare back with one eye. 

"Really? Yet, it is I who is far more capable of pleasing Akros," Hilda sneered nastily. She puffed out her ample bust while looking down at Eon's chest. "I've been by his side for longer, serving him for longer. In terms of favor with Akros, it is I who is above you!"

The remaining four fallen angels and War watched on with mixed expressions. The nephilim warrior had never witnessed drama between six-winged angels, much less any kind of familiar banter. He gazed awestruck while Iris and Uriel were mentally picking sides with their close friends. Querrlya and Lyra simply sighed in exasperation. They knew this would take some time. Hilda held onto the vial of blood, so there was little helping it. 

"Oh? Being Akros' cum bucket doesn't raise your value outside the bedroom!" Eon sent her spear back to her separate space, not wanting to gravely injure Hilda. However, a piece of her mind and perhaps her knuckle was certainly a tempting gift. "Knowing how to please a perverted demon is mundane when in battle! I am a superior asset with my power!"

"You're calling me a slut? Who was it that sucked his meat in front of the entire angel army?" The black haired beaut was far from done. Her sneer contorted into a mad grin as she locked her black eyes with Eon's red ones. "Exhibition is quite the feat for an angel. To think that even before you completely fell, you were slurping on that big black cock~. Oh, I'm getting turned on by the thought."

"You really are a damned whore! How much do you idolize his- thing! It's just a rod of meat attached to his pelvis!" Eon roared, butting heads with the younger fallen angel. "Maybe if you got your mind off of his groin, you'd be able to write runes better! How long did it take you to enscribe your armor again?"

"At least I have something to idolize!" Hilda didn't relent against Eon's aggression, pushing back with her head. "It's impossible for me to idolize his power since he had yet to surpass the likes of Samael. But his sex skills are remarkable! It keeps me going throughout the day, knowing that the better I perform, the harder he'll thrust! It's invigor-"

"Okay, Hilda, enough. Administer the blood before Akros dies of cringe," Lyra remarked blankly from the side. The others nodded, including War. 

Even though he was bound and fearing for his fate, he couldn't do much but agree. The words coming from the two angels were somewhat intriguing, but more so disgusting. As a honorable warrior, he never indulged in his urges toward women. Not that any would accept him. Nephilim were outcast wherever they went. Too dark for Heaven, too bright for the Abyss. Humanity was deceived by their appearances in most cases, as nephilim tended to have a humane physique. Yet they were not free to mingle, as they were bound by the Council.

The only woman who was friendly was his sister, Fury. Even though they weren't technically blood related, they came from the same source and had a very close bond. Sleeping with her would feel blasphemous for War. Due to this, he had zero sexual knowledge nor experience. The words of Hilda and Eon greatly incurred both a dark curiosity and a righteous disgust.

"Cringe?" War blinked, mystified. "Why on earth would an emotion be lethal?"

Lyra's eyes widened briefly and she froze. War's words brought back a bad memory. The death of Ryla, and the birth of Morwen. Ryla's sadness and self-loathing kept her from eating until she starved to near-death. Akros transmuted her into a demon minutes before her soul left her body. After witnessing it from Akros' mind, Lyra knew well. The destructive power of emotion was never to be underestimated.

"Don't doubt the potency of emotion. Although a soulless executioner such as yourself could never hope to understand," Lyra's voice was thick with disdain and pity as she looked down at the bound Horseman, who narrowed his eyes in response. She glanced at Hilda, who was leaning over Akros' face with the vial tipped to his mouth. 

The liquid entered his open mouth as she pinched his chin. The blood was absorbed entirely by his oral cavity, sinking into his flesh. Once it was all poured and devoured, an odd scene transpired. Akros' muscles seized up suddenly as well as his veins and arteries bulging out of his skin. Luminescent purple mana could be seen flowing through his bodily tunnels, making him glow softly in the dark room. The only other source of light was a candle on the nightstand, and it was rivaled by Akros' mana.

"I hope this is a good sign..." Hilda gulped nervously, backing away from his shivering form. 

The others gathered around his bed to observe, but kept a moderate distance. Lyra however, went straight to his side and laid a hand over his chest. Feeling his heart throb, she knew he was alive. It sounded more powerful than it had previously during his slumber- a sign of his recovery. She sighed with great relief, elated to see her and the other's efforts were not in vain.

"He's mending, his soul I mean. His heartbeat is stronger, and feel around you...!" Lyra pointed out, a smile stretching across her lips. "His magic aura is returning in full."

"What a dense, dark aura!" War exclaimed, his eyes wide. "How can this be?! He must really be a demon lord at this stage! But he should be a young lord, not so powerful already! Is this his bloodline at play, or something else?!"

"Answering one question leads to more questions," Uriel remarked haughtily at War. Her eyes gleamed with adoration and pride as she gazed at Akros' glowing arteries and muscle tissue. "In my time with Akros, there is no meaning in asking questions. Not like he can answer them."

"No kidding! As powerful as he may be, Akros isn't the wisest here," Iris agreed. Her stoic expression faltered slightly when she said his name. She bore a small smile when she spoke of him. "Honestly, the meathead is so unpredictable. One minute he has these brilliant magic theories, the other he's so zoned out he can't even curl his tail."

"That aside, I think he'll wake soon," Querrlya noted. Akros' muscles calmed and his veins simmered down. His arteries were working overtime to push his magic power throughout his body, and took a bit longer. Once they finished and fell back into his skin, his body seemed totally healthy. He began to twitch at the fingers, causing a bout of relieved breath from the fallen angels. "War, I hope you're ready. Your fate will soon be-"

"Fate is meaningless, shut that shit up."

""Akros!!"" The six angels cried out in joy. His cracked an eye open as he sat up in his bed. One purple flash of energy later, he had observed the entire castle with Apathetic Omniscience.

"I must've been out for a while if a whole castle has been built. Feels like I only just fell asleep though," He mumbled groggily, rubbing his eyes. He opened the system interface to get a look at his stats and appearance in the selfie camera, and had to forcibly hold his jaw so it didn't drop. 

Name: Amin

Race: Demon

Bloodline: Shadow Demon

Demon Name: ...Noval Akros

Form: Sovereign

Attribute: Dark (Dominant), Blood (Recessive)

Strength: 23,201

Speed: 30,999

Magic Energy: 104,005

Stamina: 57,102

Vitality: 70,317

Souls in Possession: 1,690,000 Average-Grade souls, 7 Noble souls, 1 Soul of Might fragment, 4 High-Grade Holy souls, 3,213 Middle-Grade Holy souls, 400,000 Low-Grade Holy souls

Loaded Materials: Saiyan Blood, Tail Plating, Tremor-Tremor, Crafanc, Clone, Press-Press

Skills: Charm, Abyssal Tremor, Shadow Brand, Metamoran Fusion, Liquefy, Apathetic Omniscience, Dark Transcendence, Black Sheen, Production Suction, Bloodfire Vortex, Demolition Beam

Magic: Shadow, Bloodflame, Abyssal Grasp, Restoration

Universal Law Progression: Darkness (15%), Lust (10%), Wrath (10%), Blood (5%), Greed (2%), Pride (2%), Power (1%)

Soul Immortality Level: 1%

Race Ability 1: Soul Peer

Race Ability 2: Demon Blood

Race Ability 3: Soul Devouring Addiction

Race Ability 4: Immortal Body

Description: Upon reaching demon lord, you cannot die via conventional means. Your body will remain animated until it is completely obliterated or your soul leaves it. 

Talent Ability 1: Undying Spite

Talent Ability 2: Zenkai Boost

Talent Ability 3: Ultraspeed Regeneration

Notice: Due to being afflicted with "Super Saiyan" and "Blood Fury" during your promotion, your stats and abilities may have mutated. Universal Law and Soul Immortality progression displayed for sake of future promotion to demon king.

Holy mother of cabbage...! I can understand the mutations, but why isn't my strength higher? Super Saiyan and Blood Fury both boosted that stat more than the rest, excluding the infinite stamina bullshit. Although it's not really bullshit now that my stamina stat has been raised so much. Now, stats aside...

Akros tilted his head and scratched his chin as he read the system panel's text closely. Only Lyra could see the panel, so his motions puzzled the others.

Universal law? Soul immortality? What do those have to do with demon king...? Oh, I remember this now! The last part of CMDK that was released before my human life ended covered this topic. Roy called it "authority", or an overwhelming power that a demon king possessed over one universal topic. I guess the best examples would be the Seven Deadly Sin Demon Kings, whose universal laws must be related to the sins. If Samael is the Deadly Sin Demon King of Wrath, does that mean he has 100% control over the anger status of any beings in his reach? That's scary... so then, what would my mother's universal law be? Can't be lust, because Asmodeus has that. I doubt two demon kings have reign over the same universal law before due to the lack of demon kings that exist. I'll have to ask when I visi-

"My love?" Lyra asked tentatively, poking his cheek. The other five angels looked at him nervously, but not so brave so touch him. They were unsure of his mental state following his coma. "Is something the matter? Are you not feeling well still? We have plenty more nephilim blood to give you."

"Huh? Nephilim... oh. OH!" Akros shook his head, coming back to his senses. He gave Lyra a sheepish smile. "My bad, I zoned out. Give me a moment, please. I have some adjustments to make..."

He reconfigured his bodily appearance and features using the Modify tab of his system. He changed his eyes. Both eyes had black scleras and lacked a pupil. His irises were a brilliant swirl of crimson and amethyst. This change was purely cosmetic, and cost a low price of 5 Average-Grade souls. 

Next he used 2 more souls of the same value to dye his hair crimson, as he didn't love being blonde. While the thought of having the same hair as Morwen, his technical daughter pleased him, they held little genetic relation at this point. The only relation they had was the advanced white blood cells in her body that granted her ultraspeed regeneration. That in mind, she was more similar to an adopted daughter like the other demons from Askr. 

Lastly, he made an expensive purchase. He didn't love his blood mercury accents, so he directly replaced them with etherium instead. The hyper-rare alloy was somewhat weaker, but more importantly lesser in density. He could feel a tangible difference in his neck when his blood mercury horns were replaced with etherium horns. 

While he was at it, he also changed the way his horns branched along with his claws. The two newer branches that went low and parallel to his jaw were erased entirely. Etherium plates extended beyond his nails, covering the back of his hands and the top of his feet. This way he would retain feeling capabilities in his hands and feet, while strengthening the parts he could attack with. This new bio-armor stopped at his wrists and ankles, as to not make his movements slower or restrained.

The gallant luster of etherium caught the eyes of all present, including War. The alloy was extraordinarily rare due to the circumstances required to form it. Even Lyra was surprised to see Akros use the ore again. She knew Crafanc was once made of the material until it was remade in Imperial Gold, a stronger and severely more lethal ore. 

Why would Amin weaken his body by trading blood mercury for etherium? Is he that devoted to his color scheming- no, he can dye metals with the system. So why etherium? What quality does it possess...?

She could only ponder silently as she watched him continue to reconfigure his appearance. Akros spent 10,000 souls in total with the etherium replacements, most of it being his tail plates. He left his teeth alone, as he was content with them being made of blood mercury. He often ground his teeth, so keeping them durable was important. 

He was still wearing the golden cloth he made while he was exploring fragment worlds, and at this moment he felt it was inadequate. He unequipped the shirt and recolored the loose pants to be a bright red. He then made four pockets, two on each thigh. For the finishing touch, he made the back reach around his tail's base as to prevent the baggy fabric from falling.

Lyra and Uriel moved back to make room as Akros stood from his bed. He stretched all four arms with a roaring yawn. Without shame he rearranged his groin and scratched each armpit with his claws. His onyx skin took no damage from his etherium nails, allowing him to rid of his various itches. He tore his pants in several areas but showed no remorse for the cloth as it mended.

"Urgh, my apologies girls. I am quite stiff," Akros rubbed his nape with a small smile. He met eyes with each angel present, seeing the uncertainty in their gazes. He thought they were worried about his condition, when in reality they were confused by his oddly humble demeanor. "I must thank you for waking me. I was in a state of unrest, unable to wake and unable to sleep. It was horrendous. Now, what is War doing here? Did you try to signal my aid during my sleep, War?"

War shook his head and refocused himself, pushing aside his astonishment from Akros' physical changes. "I did, but- more importantly, how did you just do that?"

"Do what?" Akros played dumb with an innocent expression. 

"Do not deny that- that black magic! I saw your horns change material! Explain this!" War shouted, making the angels frown. They clenched their fists angrily.

You are reading story Imagination Incarnate at novel35.com

"How dare you raise your voice to Akros!" Uriel growled, cracking her knuckles. Her flesh was ethereal, but her bone remained allowing her to perform the motion. War stared stoic at Akros awaiting his response. Yet in contrast to all expectations, the shadow demon began to laugh.

"Uh..." Iris made a confused face. "What?"

"Rahahahaha! You amuse me, Horseman!" Akros bellowed heartily, pounding his chest with his upper arms. His lower hands slid into his pockets as he grinned maliciously at the bound War. "Not only did you trust a demon without a contract, but you seriously expect me to reveal my secrets?! What a joke. Even if I told you, you won't remember it anyways."

"...Memory wiping?" War grimaced. "To make me your puppet, I suppose. In my weakened state, I cannot resist. The Council tossed me aside, and my brethren are at their whim. I do not enjoy being toyed with, so get this over with already."

"You're quite bossy for someone without resolve," Akros pointed out, maintain his red grin. He whipped out a large syringe with a multicolored fluid inside. The fallen angels took the hint and left the room, leaving Akros to do as he wished. Before they all left, he called out to them leisurely. "Don't tell the others I'm awake! I'll do it personally, let me surprise them!"

""Roger!"" Came the dutiful response of the six. Akros sighed a little, making a mental note to prepare some kind of reward for the Shadow Legion. He knew everyone was alive thanks to their Shadow Brands, indicating they had been sustaining themselves autonomously without his leadership or power. He had been taken care of as an object of their concern, so he felt in debt and was grateful to them.

"Now, War. Time for you to be reborn!" The demon lord laughed giddily, his deep and sharp voice making the sound even crisper. His tail flicked about with a dark excitement as he knelt in front of War. The Horseman bore a grim expression, but did not flail or cry out. Rather, he let his head fall in defeat. Akros raised an eyebrow curiously at this. "Given up?"

"This may sound blasphemous, yet..." War muttered softly, his voice nigh inaudible. "I am weak and alone. If changing me to your liking will grant me power and allies, then I will accept it."

"Hmmm..." Akros narrowed his eyes in understanding. "You are weak only in will. You need a motive to fight. That, I shall grant you."

"I thank you for your mercy..." War smiled underneath his hood. Akros aimed the syringe's tip at War's shoulder, finding a chink in his armor. He pressed the needle into the nephilim's flesh, and injected a unique serum. As it entered War's bloodstream, the process begun. "WaaAARGH!!"

Akros stepped back as War's body trembled violently. White energy burst around him, evaporating his clothes and flinging his armor away. One piece of War's gauntlet flying at terminal velocity ricosheted from Akros' nose without damaging him. The pale white skin of the warrior was revealed briefly before his form was shrouded in white mist. Sounds of bones crunching and flesh tearing among his cries of agony filled the bedroom, much to Akros' displeasure.

"Maybe I shouldn't have done this in here," He admitted to himself while covering his ears. His other two hands were still in his pockets, maintain his casual posture. He was still very unaccustomed to having four arms, so for now he'd let them hang in his pant pockets.

A few minutes later, the sounds quieted down. Akros took this as a sign of completion, and whisked the mist away with a forceful clap. The mist revealed a nude woman with snow white skin and hair of the same color. She was sitting on the floor in a dazed state, and judging by her bodily proportions Akros deduced she was roughly 10 feet tall. 

The woman's eyes were entirely a dark gray, glowing softly. Her long wavy hair went to her ribs. As she shakily got to her feet, she revealed her figure entirely. Muscular limbs, but round flesh in sexual areas. Her body was like a paradox as it quite literally had magical curves, somehow balancing out her fat and muscle. 

She had a tight 6-pack, but had large breasts hanging over them. By human health standards, it should be impossible naturally. However, this wasn't the first time Akros did this. Morwen and Okami were better examples as they had even more outrageous curves while having more muscle bulk.

The white-haired woman looked at Akros blankly. "Where... am I...? You... my creator...?"

Maybe too much memory erasure? Or did the others act like this too? Damn, it's been too long.

Akros shook his thoughts away. He slowly approached the woman with a warm smile, spreading his four arms out in a welcoming gesture. "Greetings. I am Demon Lord Akros, your creator. How do you feel, little one?"

"I feel... cold..." She said coldly in a raspy voice. "May I have... clothes?"

"Of course, just a moment..." Akros went into the system to fabricate a pair of silvery leggings and a tank top. After sizing them accordingly, he placed them and a set of black undergarments in her waiting hands. As she slid them on, he continued to speak. "From now on, your name shall be Valentine. Tell me, what kind of magic can you use?"

"White flame... Also known as..."

"Holy flame. Unlike holy lightning which is gold colored, holy fire is pale white. Good, that's what I wanted. I need an anti-demonic soldier in my Shadow Legion, and you shall fulfill that role."

Not to mention, her magic aura is crazy! I must've unleashed her restrained magic power when I modified her, because this aura is on par with a full power Samael! Finally, someone who proves my need for only female combatants! Without Charm, she could fry me like a fish.

"Akros...?" Valentine said cautiously. "Do you... mind if I... address you as that?"

"It is of no concern, my lovely Valentine," Akros cooed, hugging her close. Due to the desparity in their heights, Valentine's bosom pressed into his clothed groin. Needless to say, he enjoyed the feeling greatly. He couldn't help pushing his hips forward a bit to press himself against her breasts more. 

As he did, he placed a Shadow Brand on her. Valentine was slightly alarmed at first by the black tattoo, so he explained it to her. "I call this my Shadow Brand. It allows me to locate you and know your current health. I can also use it as a beacon when I am warping through the Shadow Realm. To make things clear, I am a shadow demon. I apologize if I do not look it, for I have customized my appearance to my tastes."

He said all of that while staring at her chest. Her boobs were each larger than his head. Just looking at them was tempting enough, but the sensation of grinding of them was too much to bear. Akros' pants tented outward, taking Valentine's attention away from his face. She looked at his groin and was taken aback, her eyes widening.

"H-have my breasts... a-aroused you?" She gulped nervously, cupping her cheeks. "Forgive my poor speech... my throat is quite dry..."

"You should've said so!" Akros wasted no time, creating a glass of water the size of a garbage bin. He watched her chug it down with a sheepish smile. "Drink up. Least I can do for you. I apologize, I didn't intend to be so perverted so soon. I'm simply a sucker for big boobs."

"..." Valentine drank the glass container dry, then belched loudly. She covered her mouth with her free hand in embarrassment, her cheeks reddening. "E-excuse my rudeness, Akros! I am very grateful for the water. I put up a poor display just now..."

"Oh, forget that!" Akros chuckled, stepping back with an earnest grin. He felt less aroused and more happy to converse with her. Having been unable to talk to another for a month, he wanted to chat someone up. "Here in the Shadow Legion, you need not worry about excusing unpleasant actions. It happens. Such is life. Now then, why don't I introduce you to the other members?"

"Will they accept me?" Valentine's tender voice got even softer as she worried out loud, looking down at her pale hands. "I am the only nephilim here, no? I must be a freak to your demons and fallen angels."

"You knew I have demons and fallen angels in my ranks?" Akros was surprised by her intelligence. For a newly morphed being, her mind was already working fast. "By logical deduction, or by detection?"

"Both, Akros. A demon lord is bound to have demon soldiers. Fallen angels are not too rare for a demon lord to possess. I can also sense their magic auras, all of them. The furthest is in the sea as we speak."

"You continue to impress me. Don't worry about not fitting in. Even if they don't like you at first, they're open-minded thanks to my influence. Without me the Shadow Legion wouldn't get along at all, much less exist. On top of that, they can't refuse me or you. We're the most powerful of the Legion, so if they don't like you then that's too bad because they can't do much about it."

"You'd risk angering your subjects, for me?" Valentine's eyes widened. She felt very touched by Akros' devotion, a quality nigh impossible to find among demons. Yet here stood a demon lord who expressed shame, love, loyalty, and care. All positive emotions Valentine expected him to lack. She couldn't help but feel relieved to see her creator was a rare, kind demon. She expressed this great relief by smiling bashfully. "I-I am at a loss for words, Akros. You are too kind."

"Nonsense! How can I be too kind to my loyal subjects?" The son of Lilith refuted, striding leisurely to the double doors leading out of the bedroom. "Come. I will introduce you to my Legion."

Valentine walked up to his side obediently. Akros pushed the doors open with his tail, only to find all six of his fallen angels waiting right outside. When they saw Valentine, they all glared at Akros viciously.

"You didn't!" "Damn pervert!" "Unbelievable!" "Dick for brains!" "Really...?" "Knew it..."

Iris, Querrlya, Hilda, and Lyra were all outraged. Uriel and Eon were quieter, but still disappointed. The negative feedback made Akros flinch and Valentine gasp. She shot him a worried glance, and became even more flustered upon seeing his angered expression. She was wise enough to clamp her mouth shut as his began to open.

"SILENCE!!!" He roared furiously, creating a blast of wind. Everyone's hair minus his own and Querrlya's whipped wildly from the gust. The angels followed Valentine's example and remained dead silent as Akros bit back with the first genuine bout of rage they had seen directed at all of them. 

"I bring an extremely powerful ally into the Shadow Legion, and the first thing you do is complain! All of you have become too comfortable, too ungrateful of my efforts! I will not tolerate this arrogance!"

As he scolded them, the six angels averted their gazes out of shame. Not even Lyra could find her voice among her guilt. They stood like children getting berated by their father after breaking a window. Ridden with shame, fear, and regret.

However, contrary to their and Valentine's expectations, Akros did not say much before deflating. They looked at him again, and were shocked to see him with a depressed expression. His face fell and his voice with it, anger being replaced by somber distress. He heaved a shaky sigh, then continued speaking.

"I... I can't bear yelling at you girls, you know that. You're like family to me, and I hate seeing your faces turn sour. So please, don't make me raise my voice again..."

"Akros..." Lyra was deeply moved by his emotional burst. She stepped forward and hugged him tightly. "I'm so sorry."

She was joined by the other five angels and Valentine, all of who were tearing up at the sight of Akros' lamenting. Accustomed to his casual, confident, and upbeat attitude, the girls felt horrible seeing it shatter. Aside from his miffed remarks at those who degraded themselves, he never got angry with them. Such an emotional outburst told them exactly how hurt he was by their words.

Iris and Querrlya where hesitant at first, and were the least fond of Akros of the fallen angels. However they had lived long enough to know social queues very well. This wasn't a good time to display their differences, as emotions were clearly wrung tight within Akros. 

Additionally, they had been treated very well by Akros. While they resented him for corrupting them, they also appreciated his very not-demonic kindness. They had yet to meet a demon lord in their lives before him, but they expected a tyrant with an ego bigger than his log. Akros was the very opposite, a grateful and rewarding leader whose ego could not compare to his girth. Eon had filled them in on the experiences.

After a few minutes of a quiet but peaceful group hug, they broke off. In their relent, the six angels introduced themselves to Valentine. The nephilim beauty came to realize the bond between Akros and the six, and thought to herself. She retained most of her knowledge about the Infinite Worlds, including demons and their nature. It was quite unnatural for a demon lord to have this type of relationship with fallen angels of the same rank. 

Why is Akros' magic aura so dense and potent? He is but a demon lord, yet he outweighs the blood angel who had to be at least cherub-tier. Perhaps he is nearing demon king? No, he lacks an immortal soul, I can see it. A special case, then. I hope he will share with me. 

Akros had been asleep during the construction of the different zones of the island. That said, he had no clue how to navigate to his Legion members naturally, so he held Valentine close and sunk into the Shadow Realm. Once inside, she gasped and looked around wildly. 

"The Shadow Realm! You really are a shadow demon!"

"Uh..." He blinked in confusion. He looked at his black skin and pointed to it for her to see. "I have pitch black skin, a latent dark aura, and a naturally warm body. All of which you knew prior, on top of me telling you, so... did you not believe me or something?"

"I-I did not mean it like that!" Valentine put her hands up in surrender. "I was just surprised. The Shadow Realm is a natural space phenomenon, so it is interesting to examine."

"You think so? I always thought it to simply be a plane of existence below the mortal realm..." Akros looked above at the murky visage of the surface, where he could see six bright purple lights nearby. He scanned around to see more of them spread out, some grouped and some lonesome. Via transmitting the mana signatures to his brain, Akros was able to identify the nearby lights as the fallen angel gang. "Who first...? Neiro must be swimming or something... ah, let's go see Luane! Hold on tight, Val."

"Huh?"

Using Shadow Step, an unofficial skill that the system refused to recognize for reasons unknown, he propelled himself at speeds unknown to instantly arrive below Luane's light figure. Valentine's hair was frizzed up and her face was dazed. Akros didn't notice this as he surfaced with her, appearing in Luane's bedroom. 

The bedroom was a dark wooden room with a large bed in the center against a wall. On the left of it was a desk where Nozarichi laid in its scabbard, on the right was a chest. As she had yet to be able to store items in a separate space, this was her method of keeping items of value. A stone nightstand stood by the headrest, with an unlit candle. 

In the bed itself was a nude, slumbering Luane. She had her covers pulled up to her stomach, letting her girls breathe mainly unhindered. A string was tied loosely around her enormous breasts. This seemed to keep them from sagging or pooling while not squeezing them tight.

Akros had a hard enough time resisting the urge to bed Valentine earlier. Now his urges sprang loose with the ferocity of a caged tiger. However, he didn't come here for sex. He bit back the temptation that laid front of him, and knocked on the closed door behind him. Luane's eyes shot open.

"Who's there?!" She sat up with haste and flung her covers off, revealing the rest of her bare pine green skin. Unconsciously she began to reach toward Nozarichi. Luane's pupils dilated, and she recognized the figure in front of her. Jaw dropping as her eyes widened, she stuttered his name.  "A-A-Akros?!"

"Yo. I may look a lil different, but it's me," Said the demon with a small smile. "Good to see you're okay, Luane- oi!"

The insect down whisked herself into his embrace with her nimble dragonfly wings, hugging him tightly. While she may have hurt him with this force when he was a middle-rank demon like her, he was now far above her level of physicality. He could pry her off of him as easily as plucking a leaf from a tree during autumn. However he did not deny her, choosing to hug her in return. 

It was a little awkward as the height difference lead to the same issue with Valentine, but worse. If the nephilim's breasts were huge, then Luane's were monstrous. She couldn't put her body fully up to Akros' due to the buoyancy of her boobs. Her torso was half a foot from his lower abdomen as a result, while her bosom pooled and squished around his pubic area. Needless to say, this turned him on.

"I feared this would happen..." Akros sighed, feeling his member harden between the mounds of his companion. "I've grown so much taller, many of your heads or breasts end up near my family jewels. Okami may be the only demon tall enough to avoid that..."

"Not like she has boobs anyway," Luane giggled mischievously, wiggling her shoulders to rub her breasts against him with a devilish smirk. "But I do. Come on, isn't this nice?"

Valentine pouted enviously, looking down at her own chest then to Luane's. The white-haired woman had been in the exact same situation before, but her breasts didn't immediately elicit a response like Luane's did. Valentine hadn't thought of Akros in a sexual light much, but now she began to realize he had a preference. 

She was created, or so she believed, by him with huge breasts. The fallen angels underneath him all had smaller, but still large breasts with the exceptions of Lyra and Eon. Lyra's were on par with Luane after her ascension to six-wings, and Eon was pretty much flat. Now Luane, who must be a middle-rank demon judging by her uncompressed magic aura, had massive boobs as well. 

Lyra was 12 feet tall and an outlier among the fallen angels with her mysterious appearance and aura, so Valentine didn't think about her bust twice until now. Luane however, was a mere 10 feet tall and seemed to be nothing more than a female insect demon, perhaps with a latent succubus bloodline? Then Valentine thought deeper, and theorized that Luane was a creation of Akros as well. A being with knowledge of the Infinite Worlds already in their minds, along with magic power and a soul infused. 

As the nephilim pondered, her face got redder and redder. She had gratitude towards Akros for not taking advantage of her in her confusion earlier, and for his kindness that he often displayed. However, now that she had come to the conclusion that she had, she not help but think that he had a weak spot for front-heavy women. That included her. 

Meanwhile, Luane was trying to get into Akros' pants.

"Akrooooos! You don't even have to do anything, just let me wrap my tits around it!" Luane whined, tugging at his waistband hard. Akros needed but one finger to resist her efforts, sighing at her persistence.

"I said no! I have things to do!"

"Things like me?" She fluttered her eyes flirtatiously, but it mismatched her pleading expression. Akros rolled his eyes, a tad irked now.

"That was a poor attempt. For that alone you have lost your chance," He pushed her away gently, careful not to hurt her with his demigod strength. "I only came to let you know, personally, that I've awakened."

She pouted in defeat, accepting that it was a lost cause. Her smile returned at his last sentence, a smile of relief.  "I am very happy to see you alive and kicking, Akros. Oh! You don't mind if we call you that, right? I know I'm a mere middle-rank demon, but we've collectively been referring to you as 'Akros' rather than 'Master' or 'Lord Akros' for the sake of efficiency and understanding. Unless this is unacceptable?"

Luane's smile turned nervous toward the end. Akros' silent reaction frightened her a little bit, but she was hoping that he was only thinking and not seething with rage. The latter had happened before, so she was slightly wary. Fortunately for her, the former was reality.

I can understand that thinking. It makes sense that way, and doesn't everyone do that? Uriel and Hilda refer to Momma as 'Mother Lilith' when in her presence, but only 'Lilith' when she's not around. Speaking of which, I need to visit Momma... how long have I been calling her that? It feels oddly natural. Maybe my time alone as a low-rank demon made me hungry for motherly affection, so when I got it I welcomed it subconsciously? Hm. Oh, they're staring at me again.

"Apologies, my mind is racing. I have much to do," Akros coughed into his fist, then met Luane's eyes again. In doing so he took his mind off of her udders, to slowly deteriorate his arousal. "I have my pride, but I need not be praised constantly. That said, I care not of how you address me as long as it isn't patronizing. Nicknames are acceptable only in private, understand?"

"Mhm. Now that I think of it, who's this chick? A new Shadow Legion member...? Must be, right?" Luane peered over at Valentine, who had been silently contemplating this whole time with a flushed face. Luane noticed the flustered expression of the woman, but figured it was due to her bare chest. 

"In addition to the good news, I swung by to introduce you to Valentine. She is the newest member of the Shadow Legion, as you said."

"H-hello!" Valentine heard her name, and pushed her thoughts aside for the time being. She equipped a shy smile as she greeted the busty demon. "Pleasure to meet you!"

"Heyo! I'm Luane, middle-rank insect demon and technically the best endowed of the Legion!" The brunette giggled at Akros' disappointed face. "I'm kidding, kidding! Ulvone and I are tied."

"Lyra's got some too, but because she's generally larger..." Akros scratched his chin for a moment, then sighed in defeat. "Okay, I'll admit you're right. It shouldn't be a point of pride though, because I made you that way."

"Aw. You're no fun. No titfuck, no nothing. Hmph!" Luane puffed her cheek cutely, placing her hands on her wide hips. "If that's all, then I'm going back to sleep."

"One more thing," Akros snatched her by the waist before she could get under the covers. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips passionately. She was surprised at first, but recovered quick. She grabbed handfuls of his crimson hair and kissed back with force. They held this position for a few seconds, before breaking. 

Valentine had been looking away, feeling embarrassed and out of place during such a moment. Akros grabbed her again as he warped them to the Shadow Realm. Luane licked her lips as she watched them sink into darkness.

"Finally, I did it!" Tears brimmed at the edges of her eyes, contradicting her fulfilled grin. "After 50 something years, I got to kiss him! Take that, Morwen!"

In the Shadow Realm, Akros was scanning the purple lights from the surface. Luane's was almost directly above, and radiated a satisfied emotion. While he could guess what that meant, he didn't want to try. He may have created most of his female company, he could not comprehend their thought processes. Those who were transformed only kept muscle memory and some world knowledge, but their personalities were utterly randomized. 

Neiro was one such example. She who was once the kind and naive Princess Eirika, is now a obsessive and somewhat pessimistic warrior with a sailor accent. Her object of obsession being Akros himself. This seemed to be a trend with the 7 demons from Askr. Each of them possessed an unbreakable loyalty to Akros, due to the experiences they had with him. 

Valentine was another victim of the randomization factor. The proud and honorable War became shy and self-conscious. Akros did not manipulate her physical and magical details much, for the most part he changed her gender and defined her body shape. The holy flame detail was a product of him including a fragment of Sinclair's ethereal corpse into the serum.

Akros thought about this silently for a long while, earning an impatient flick on the forehead. His skull caved in from the force, making him vomit blood as his frontal cortex was crushed. 

"Kyaa! I am so sorry!" Valentine reeled back in horror, bowing her head apologetically while his head regenerated. Once his skull returned to his natural state he glared at her with great irritation. 

"Valentine, what the fuck?!" Akros rubbed his forehead as it grew tic marks. "I may be immortal, but ow!"

"Forgive me, I forgot my own strength!" She whimpered timidly, hugging her chest. The sight of such a powerful entity acting shy and afraid melted Akros' heart, and he lost his temper. He then sighed and rubbed her scalp softly, just as he would any of the other girls. Valentine's eyes widened in surprise. "Y-you are not punishing me?"

"I'm not your father. You should learn by yourself," He grumbled, swaying his tail in thought. "Let's goooooo to that one. Little Galadriel seems upset."

Akros took Valentine to a purple light emanating a lonely aura. It was somewhat close to Luane, but far from the others. He surfaced with the nephilim, entering a dimly lit room. He scanned his surroundings with the active ability of Apathetic Omniscience, getting a 3-dimensional picture in his mind. He appeared to be in a cave home, with several small rooms all connecting through solid rock doors.

The room he and Valentine were currently in was a bedroom with two beds of different sizes. The larger bed was fairly normal in design, with white sheets, pillows, and a sky blue comforter. This bed was vacant and neatly made. The smaller "bed" was actually a hot tub full of boiling poison dragon blood. There was a magic barrier keeping the blood inside a certain area, to allow space for a pillow. 

All in all, Akros and Valentine presumed it would be comfortable for one who likes poison. He knew this was probably Galadriel's resting place. Currently it was vacant, and the only people in the bedroom was the demon lord and his newest subject. Akros searched with Apathetic Omniscience again. Galadriel was leaning on the bedroom wall from the outside, with her ear up to the wall. 

Akros facepalmed, realizing how suspicious his entrance was. Given that Galadriel had no idea he was awake, it was only natural for her to be wary of an unknown intruder. Even if said intruder had a familiar magic aura, there was an unfamiliar aura next to his. With this knowledge in hand, Galadriel drew Magnar and Nargam and waited for them to exit the bedroom.

"Galadriel, it's me. Don't worry about the unknown magic aura, she's friendly."

The insect demon's eyes widened in shock. However, she was not so trusting to put her weapons down yet. She needed to see him in the flesh to be sure.

"Show yourself!" Galadriel shouted so her voice would carry through the slab of stone she used for a door. 

"Okay, but how the fuck do you open this door? You want me to destroy it?" Akros asked, genuinely befuddled. "Why the hell is your door a slab of stone, and can only be moved from the outside?! I have nowhere to grab it from!"

Galadriel froze briefly at his indignant complaint, then smiled. This was too in character for him, she thought. She set her sword and shield down on a nearby table. When she lifted the slab out of the doorway, she saw a pair of glowing red and purple eyes before anything else. 

Remembering Akros having teal eyes, Galadriel was confused for a moment. He had other changes to his body as well, but in the end it was still quite clear who the figure was. Demons had exceptional eyesight, especially in the dark. It was no issue for Galadriel to scan his body in the pitch black bedroom.

"Yeesh! Honestly, Galadriel! This place is on the shabby side. Why didn't you make a house out of something, rather than... oh," A lightbulb went off above Akros' head. "You melted the mountain face with magic, to create an artificial cave?"

"Y-yes, I did. I began studying acid magic back in Vrathe, but I kept it secret because it took me so long to master it. This is the first time I used it in large amounts," Galadriel murmured with a bashful smile. She fiddled with her fingers nervously. "Is it really that ba- er, shabby as you said?"

"Upon close inspection, the walls are carefully and smoothly carved to form clean curves. Along with several ducts that pump water and dragon blood through the cave, this is a work of art!" Valentine walked out from behind Akros, coming into Galadriel's sight. 

The insect demon stopped playing coy and gave Akros a jealous pout. He gulped at the sight of the cute face she made. "Akros, who is this woman?"

"Uh, a new member of the Shadow Legion. I came to introduce you, and you know," He scratched his nape sheepishly, averting his gaze in shame. "Inform you I was awake and all."

"...Okay? You didn't actually introduce her though...?"

"Well, I am Valentine. Pleased to meet you, ah...?"

"Galadriel. Pleasure's mine..."

They shook hands in an extremely awkward fashion. As both of them were reserved, once they said their names they became silent. Instinctively they both glanced at Akros for help, who rolled his eyes.

"Your social skills need work, botha ya. Have you not been in touch with the other members, Galadriel?" Akros raised an eyebrow inquisitively. Said demon chuckled nervously, poking her index fingers together. He sighed in defeat. "Have you been isolating yourself? We've talked about this before."

"Y-you know I like peace and quiet! Those guys are so... rowdy!" Galadriel huffed, blushing in humiliation. "Half the time they only talk about you and your... thing!"

"My thing?" "His thing?"

"Y-y-you know, his p-p-p-pe..." Her face flushed dark purple as she stuttered out a word she wouldn't usually say. "...penis!"

"Really? Who in particular? I'm quite intrigued now," Akros face went serious and he stepped a bit closer to Galadriel. 

"...is it acceptable if I use unkind words to describe a fellow member?"

"Oh boy. Go ahead."

"Hilda is such a fucking slut!" She erupted with anger and envy, clenching her armored fists. "She yaps about your cock for at least an hour a day, at least! I got so sick of hearing it over the years, so I distanced myself. Not like Hilda's the only one who talks about it, but she pridefully describes how it feels! Every detail! It's like torture!"

"That is..." Valentine blinked with utter shock, her face dumbfounded. "...quite something."

"Hilda's like that. I'm afraid she enjoys me too much under the covers. More my fault than hers, I'm just that good at what I do!" Akros grinned teasingly, winking at Galadriel. She jumped with surprise at the gesture, as in disbelief that he was flirting with her. Akros did not fail to notice this reaction of hers. "Hm? Something wrong?"

"I-it's nothing! Really!" She waved her hands around frantically momentarily. The next moment she brushed a lock of black hair over her pointed ear shyly. "I just thought you were... flirting with me..."

"Because I was, stupid. You really need social more encounters."

"F-forgive me! I didn't mean-"

"Ah, forget it. It's okay, Gala. I just don't want you to become a stranger is all," Akros crouched and hugged her, stunning the ravenette senseless. "You used to be less sensitive to this stuff, but your time alone has made you too hungry. Swing by to chill with the other members if you aren't busy. They like having you around."

"T-they do? You mean it?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. The only other members Galadriel consistently talked to were Okami and Hecate. The ice demon dragon lived with her and also liked some peace and quiet, so they got along well. Hecate had always been by her side since Askr, when it was just the eight of them. Galadriel seldom conversed with the other older members such as Querrlya or Pheom. 

"Why would I lie about that? Even if they don't, I'll always welcome you. Don't exclude yourself, Gala. You're home," Akros whispered in her ear. She began to tear up and sniffle, hugging him back tightly. "It's okay, little one. Let it out."

Galadriel wept into Akros' chest for several minutes without stopping. The demon had missed him dearly, and with Okami often out she was quite lonely. Her isolation lead her to enter a depression, and made her wall herself into her cave home. 

Valentine smiled awkwardly, mentally sighing. She realized at this point that she was bound to witness more emotional encounters with Akros and the Legion members due to the bond between them. While it was a bit teary, she also found it heartwarming. She respected the relationship between master and servant by keeping silent and averting her eyes as to not stare. 

When Galadriel calmed down, she gave Akros a peck on the cheek and a shaky goodbye. "G-go t-t-talk to everyone else. I'm n-not the last one to know, r-right?"

"Nope. I was planning on that anyway. Although there's somewhere I want to go afterwards..." Akros thought back to the Red Sea Egg, Lilith, and his Production Suction items. An excited smirk stretched upon his lips. "...It should be a quick trip."

"You only just came back to us, do-don't leave us so soon!" She sniffled, carefully rubbing her eyes with her bony claws. 

"Well, time is a relative thing. I may not take long where I'm going, but it could still end up being a long time here," Akros explained kindly, patting her head affectionately. She immediately perked up at the familiar sensation, one he hadn't gave her in quite some time. She nodded in comprehension, then grabbed his wrist. "Um, more pats?"

"Please."

"Alright, alright. Little touch bug, you."

"I'm not a touch bug! Nor am I little! You're just huge!"

"You're telling me! Look at these guns! Not to mention the gun in my pants..."

"I'd love to learn how to fire that baby~" 

"Wait, what?"

"Nothing."

Valentine giggled to herself. The display of affectionate banter was very easy on the eyes. She couldn't help but laugh when Galadriel slipped and had Akros questioning his hearing. The two stopped chatting to look at the nephilim.

"Right, I better go," Akros wrapped his tail around Valentine, bringing her closer. As he did Galadriel stepped back knowing he was about to descend. "Toodles."

He sank back into the Shadow Realm with Valentine. Without stopping, he moved to his next clients. A cluster of four seeming to be in good spirits. 

As he went, Galadriel sighed happily to herself. She had not intended to let her sexual intentions slip out of her mouth like that, but kissing Akros' cheek was certainly progress. She knew that if she didn't start moving on him, he would continue to view her with familial love. To break this bond and replace it with a romantic relationship, she needed to display romantic intent and desires. 

Akros was slowly figuring out that this was a shared mentality of the seven Askr demons. All of them had fallen for him a long time ago, but due to the difference in power they were afraid to confess or make moves. Lyra was also a large deterrent at first, but after other women entered Akros' bed the field was a little more level. 

The seven demons decided when he fell asleep that they would no longer bottle up their feelings. They could no longer bear being extra wheels. Luane and Galadriel were merely the first of the seven to start their movements on him. 

Additionally, they were no longer worried about the power difference. Not only were all of them nearing high-rank, but Akros was very humble with them. There was no reason to feel as if they were ants before a giant if that giant continued to lower himself to their level. Not to mention all of them had some kind of sex appeal. Namely Okami and Luane.

The shadow demon lord and the nephilim arose from shadows into a living room of sorts. A coffee table was in the center of four couches. The room was square-shaped, and behind each couch was an obsidian door. Fortunately, they were functioning doors with handles. 

Obsidian and brimstone made up most of the room, besides the couches. They seemed to made of an enchanted fabric, one that was resistant to the heat while remaining soft. The couches had to be soft because there was a female demon resting on each of them.

Enyo, Pheom, Morwen, and Ulvone sat facing each other. Enyo was mid-sentence when Akros and Valentine appeared, and her jaw promptly dropped. 

""Akros!!"" They rushed to their feet, almost stumbling as they ran up to their idol. 

"Woah, easy girls," He chuckled, ruffling all of their hair at once. He was slowly getting accustomed to having four arms. It was still noticeably awkward the way he moved his lower arms. "I want you to meet someone. Val?"

"Hello! I am Valentine, new member of the Shadow Legion... why must you stare at me so?" Valentine asked anxiously, disliking the envy in the four glares she was receiving. 

"Akky! How many more big-titted women do you need?" Morwen complained, pressing her voluptuous chest against his hip. "Seriously, in this room alone we have four ladies with huge knockers."

"I was going to ask something similar. Do you have a breast fetish?" Pheom asked with genuine curiosity. "Relatively plain, given your heritage."

"N-no, no. I do prefer boobs over butts, but it's not my fetish-" Akros tried to explain himself, but was cut off. 

"Then what is?" Enyo's lava orange eyes bore into his soul as she spoke in her childlike voice. "Do you like anal or something?"

"Wha- since when do you know anything about sex?!" 

"Pheom and Ulvone told me lots."

"Enyo! You weren't supposed to tell him that!" Pheom whisper-yelled with a finger to her lips. 

Ulvone nodded in agreement, adding: "Now he's going to be angry we ruined your innocent mind."

"I am angry you did that! Why would you corrupt her like that?!"

"You make sound so bad. She would've found out eventually, one way or another," Morwen chimed in. "Not like you're discreet with sex, Akky."

"I-" Akros started to retort. Then he thought back to when he had a public foursome with Lyra, Hilda, and Uriel. He sighed in defeat. "Whatever. What happened to all that surprise with my appearance? Did you already know?"

Pheom and Morwen exchanged a knowing glance. The latter then explained: "We've figured out a way to use our Brands as a means of communication. As long as we have enough exposure to each other, we can open portals to each other via the spatial coordinates given by the Brands."

"Huuuuuh?" Akros was lost. 

"We can also use telepathic communication with the Brand acting as a base. Luane informed me, and pretty much everyone else that you were coming around," Pheom giggled at his expression. He was caught between shock, irritation, and pride. "Don't misunderstand. We are very happy you are healthy and awake, but not surprised."

"I suppose so..." Akros grumbled under his breath. Suddenly he had a realization, and stared at Pheom. He nonchalantly placed a Shadow Brand on her while acting confused. "Hold on. Since when do you like headpats?"

"Since... always?" She crossed her arms defiantly, bearing a small pout. "I've asked for them for years, but you never gave me any. Normally I wouldn't be into such vanilla stuff, but you're different. It simply feels right."

"Because I'm not a freak?" 

"Aside from your deepthroat fetish..." Ulvone muttered quietly, but loud enough for all to hear. Everyone stared at her with their eyes bulging out of their sockets.

""WHAT?!"" Akros screamed along with the four women, sounding the most embarrassed. Enyo and Valentine blushed as they imagined the kink. Pheom was surprised by the rare fetish, but not terribly so. Morwen, however, was mortified. In a different world, she and Akros were daughter and father. She may not have that bond with him, but it still felt odd hearing his kink.

"Wha- why- Don't say that out loud!!" Akros covered his face with his hands as it flushed purple. 

"It's true," Ulvone harrumphed, relentlessly pressing on. "Actually, deepthroat is the wrong word. 'Throatfuck' is more accurate. Have you forgotten how you held me by my horns while-"

"Okay! Okay! Too much!" Morwen cried out, still leaning on Akros. She looked up at him with a apologetic smile. "You might want to leave before she goes for your meat, Akros."

"Hmph! You're just jealous," The high-rank demon sneered. 

"You're just a slut!" Enyo sided with the blonde war demon. "The only reason you were chosen is because of your bust!"

Akros cringed inwardly, knowing that Enyo was right. Originally, Akros only spent time on Ulvone because she had massive boobs. While she was also a good experiment for Charm at the time, that wasn't the motive behind his actions.

"Val, let's go. Leave them to bicker, they won't hurt each other's feelings," Akros said quietly, bring the nephilim back into the shadows. Neither of them wanted to stay and witness them bicker over sexual topics. Even for the lustful shadow demon, it was quite hard on the ears. He may love sex, but there was no need to chat about it. Dirty talk and so forth was not his forte, because he disliked degradation.

Pheom would watch the two argue against the one for another few minutes before they settled down. Enyo went outside to bathe in the heat of magma. Morwen and Pheom talked about telepathy, and how it was related to spatial magic. Morwen wanted to learn telepathy so she could talk to Akros privately without having to get him alone, which was extremely hard to do.

Ulvone went to her bedroom, undressing. It had been a month since she was graced with Akros' splendor, and even longer since they slept together. Laying on her bed, she held a smooth stone replica of his penis. She held her breasts together with one hand, pulling them by the nipples. That feeling was already slightly pleasing, but not enough. 

She slid the dildo through her breasts, remembering the feeling of his hot member. The stone was cold in comparison, but it helped ease her. The final touch was pushing her tail up her snatch, pleasuring herself further. 

Valentine and Akros reappeared in a sandstone cave. It was compact and smooth like Galadriel's, and only had a couple rooms. They appeared inside the doorway leading outside, where the door was open. To his slight disappointment, the door was a slab of stone. However, it bore grooves that allowed easy handling. It was more of a door than what Galadriel used, he thought.

"Yoohoo! You came at a good time, er..." Neiro appeared from a doorway, wrapped in a towel. Her dark navy hair was soaking wet, its usual spikes going flat from the weight of water. She thought for a moment before continuing to speak. "Um, how should I address, you...? Master?"

"'Akros' is fine," The demon lord chuckled, closing the distance between them. He crouched so they were around the same height before giving her a gentle hug. She returned it without hesitation, humming happily. "How's my favorite shark?"

"I finished up an underwater mining expedition a half hour ago, so I showered to get the seawater off me. I love it, but it does my hair no favors," Neiro's tail wagged from side to side. She felt elated to be embracing him, especially given that she was about nude. The thought gave her another idea, one more bold. "Akros, since I'm cleaned up, do you want to... oh, is that her?"

"Hello!" Valentine greeted politely. "I am Valentine."

"Who, Val? She's my newest addition to the Shadow Legion," Akros wanted to facepalm as he forgot he had her with him. 

"Yeesh, that magic power. Even restrained, it's extremely tangible," Neiro said in awe. She internally sighed in relief. The nephilim saved her from crossing a line that she might not wan to cross yet. "Hecate's asleep in her room. You want to see her?"

"Mhm. Door on the left?"

"Yeah, just- be careful. Sometimes she'll wake up all tense and send lightning at me. Not that she dislikes me, but she gets nightmares about losing you," Neiro murmured sadly. As Akros broke the hug, she gave him a somber glance. "We love you a lot, you know? All of us."

"..." He was silent, but nodded earnestly. He knew better than to hurt the feelings of those he treasured. He slipped into the Shadow Realm to enter Hecate's room without creating noise, leaving Neiro and Valentine outside. They looked at each other oddly.

"So, um. You want some fish? I can grill some," The aquatic demon offered awkwardly.

"I-I would greatly appreciate that. I am famished," Valentine rubbed her stomach as it grumbled.

"Someone say grilled fish? I want some too!" A cheerful voice came from outside the cave, startling the two. However, Neiro recognized it instantly.

"Okami, what's up? Didn't know you were swinging by," She chirped. Okami had to crouch under the entrance to the cave to get in. She put the door back in place, closing the entrance. After she did, she got an eyeful of Valentine's curvaceous figure.

"Um, hi? Who're you?" Okami raised an eyebrow at the white-haired woman. "You look human, but with those eyes and magic power... nephilim?"

"Yes. I am Valentine, new member of the Shadow Legion. I take it you are Okami?" Valentine was surprised to see a middle-rank demon as tall as the frost demon was, but she realized there was something odd about her. 

Something about Okami made her think of a dragon. Not just the scales, because Ulvone had dragon scales as well. Nor her magic aura, as Enyo too had a slightly draconic magic power signature. Okami had a draconic seed, one bursting to escape its egg. Valentine's eyes widened as she realized what Okami was: a frost demon dragon. Akros must have made her with the potential to switch between dragon and demon forms, but it seems as a middle-rank demon she was unable to unlock her dragon state. Valentine was able to deduce all this from observing her.

"A demon dragon, huh?"

"Y-you can tell?" Okami was shocked. "From just my appearance?"

"Your appearance, magic aura, scent, many things. You could be confused as a dragon in humanoid form if you concealed your demonic aura," Valentine tapped her chin in thought. "Akros is quite creative with his creations. I wonder what is next... maybe himself?"

"You mean..." Neiro raised an eyebrow. "You think he'll make a new body for himself? Or modify his current one? He's changed himself up plenty of times his mystery power."

"Mystery power?"

"Well, we call it that. In reality, we have no idea what it is," Okami sighed, her tail drooping behind her. "Akros creates objects out of thin air, and seems to require souls in order to do so. That, and his separate space is unique. He can store items without opening the space, but by warping them inside. We have no explanation. Only Akros and Lyra know what this power is, but they keep it very private. Lyra has it too, but doesn't use it all the time like he does."

Could it be...? Valentine's eyes widened as she chewed the words she'd been fed. A mystery power that allows the creation of objects while consuming souls as the fee? I have not seen him or Lyra use it yet, so I do not know what to look for. If I pay attention to his actions, perhaps I can see...

Meanwhile, Hecate was sound asleep in her bed. Akros decided that his footsteps were too loud, so he used Abyssal Grasp on himself to lessen the gravitational pull on his body. He approached her bedside, sighing internally at the lack of booming footsteps. His body was several tons worth of mana, muscle, and bone. In order to be discreet, magic had to be involved. He knew this would come to haunt him someday.

"Hecate. Hecate! Wake up," Akros poked her cheek with his tail gently. Not hard enough to break her skin, but enough to stimulate the nerves. Hecate's eyes fluttered open, and she slowly looked over to his towering form.

"Akros...?" She whispered in a daze. Then realization set in, and she sat up abruptly. "Akros! You-you're okay?!"

"Hm? You didn't know? I heard Luane told everyone via telepathy."

"No, I've um, been asleep. For a while."

"Good. Everyone needs rest at some stage. Come, I have someone I want you to meet," Akros began to make his way to the door. Hecate's heart thumped in her chest as she saw an opportunity slipping away. She reached out to his muscular back in longing.

"Wait!"

Akros halted, his hands inches away from the grooves in the door. He glanced at her over his shoulder. Hecate was out of bed now, and fully nude. His jaw dropped.

"I-I was thinking, while we're alone," She mumbled nervously, brushing a lock of wavy red hair over her ear. Her snake-like tail shivered, a sign of her emotions taking over. Akros saw this and realized what she meant quickly. 

"Tongue or no tongue?" Akros asked devilishly as he walked up to her. She blushed profusely, but didn't shy her gaze. She swallowed uneasily with a determined expression.

"Tongue."

Hecate was suddenly lifted up so her face on level with his, making her yelp. From there, he closed the distance between their lips and deployed his long purple tongue. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed back. Knowing she couldn't resist, she withstood his attack with her mouth. The slick purple tendril of his brushed every crevice of her oral cavity, as if scanning it. 

Without knowing it, she began to moan softly. She had no idea french kissing would be so enjoyable, but to her it simply was. This was when Hecate realized she was submissive. Letting him dominate her felt intoxicating. She sucked on his lips with whines and moans of excruciating pleasure. 

Akros felt himself erecting quite quick. Her submission was hot, but what really got him hooked was her taste. Her mouth tasted strongly of raspberries, oddly enough. One of Akros' favorite berries in the past. He was insatiable in his conquest of her mouth, wanting more and more of the flavor.

The two kept going, losing track of time. Akros didn't require oxygen and Hecate breathed through her nostrils. While it was usually unorthodox to breathe through one's nose during a makeout session, Akros couldn't care less. As it was, he was far too distracted on kissing her. He was conscious enough of his actions that he refrained from fondling her, not to give her the idea of sex. They would have to break soon...

"What in the world is taking you two so long..." Okami gasped in disbelief. Neiro and Valentine peeked in, before also having to gasp. Valentine wasn't surprised, but acted like she was on purpose to fit in.

Akros and Hecate broke the kiss suddenly. She hid her body behind him while he covered his raging hard-on with his tail blade. Aside from that, he displayed no guilt.

"It's exactly what it looks like," He stated. Hecate whimpered behind him in distress.

"Don't say that! It's not like we were having sex!"

"Duh. My pants are still on, baaaaaaka."

"Jerk!"

"Your idea."

"Anyways!!" Okami interrupted their bickering with a dark frown. "You know, I was going to say congratulations on your recovery, Akros. However, it seems like you have other plans. Go on, keep kissing while you ignore us."

"Wha-" Akros was caught off guard, but his surprise morphed into anger fast. "Watch your mouth, girl! You're talking a lot of smack for someone who wants the same treatment! You're just jealous."

"No- no I'm not!" Okami growled back, crossing her arms. Even though her expression was defiant and upset, her cheeks were darker than usual in the soft light from the outside main area of the cave. "I'm angry that you would prioritize making out with her over talking to us! We were very concerned about you!"

"Yes, we were, but come on Okami," Neiro heaved a sigh, getting everyone's attention. "He has to make time for everyone. While it is unfortunate that you were the last to see him, he can't spend time with everyone at once. As powerful as Akros is, it's hard to try and have emotional talks with a large group. He has to spend individual time with us, you know that. You'll get your turn, you always have. Stop complaining and eat some fish."

"..." Stunned silence reigned for a bit, until the growl of Valentine's stomach broke that silence. She blushed and smiled sheepishly. 

"I apologize, I am hungry. Can we eat together?"

The five of them around a circular table silently. Akros was too large and too heavy for the chairs, so he sat on the floor. Okami had the same issue with her size, but was much lighter than he was. Neiro had grilled a salmon-like fish that the local mermen called "sleeks" over a demon iron barbeque, which she had forged herself. The name made some sense given the aerodynamic bodies of the fish. 

"This is actually really good!" Akros exclaimed as he tossed another in his mouth. "Just the right amount of chewy, with a nice flavor. Did you season it with anything, Neiro?"

"Yes! It's a spice that Luane gave me. It's called "spike", made from a spiky plant that grows in the mainland. The mermen harvest it and season meat with it to add flavor, as many of our seafood catches lack significant taste. I'm glad you like it!"

"This is delicious!" Valentine agreed with Akros, but only after she finished chewing. Hecate nibbled on her sleek silently while Okami poked at hers. Valentine saw the awkwardness between them and felt like she should say something, even though she had no clue of why they were acting that way. "Um, are you two okay?"

"I'm fine," Okami mumbled. Akros glanced at her, making her jump and start eating. 

"I eat this somewhat often, but it's always so great," Hecate said after swallowing a bite. "Thanks, Neiro."

"Of course, of course. I don't mind cooking. What I do mind the fact that a guest is ruining the mood!" She glared pointedly at Okami, who looked away stubbornly. "Ugh. Akros, could you be amazing and kiss her or something? She doesn't want to admit she's jealous."

"I'm not-" Okami flared out, but was silenced by Akros' glowing eyes. "...sorry."

"Don't be. Emotions are difficult to control without magic. You see, it's not like I don't want to engage in volatile acts with you, Okami," Akros waved her off nonchalantly, ignoring the sputtering of the others as they registered his words. The frost demon's eyes lit up. Then his face suddenly hardened. "But I'm not into exhibitionism. Gotta set the setting before the pants come off."

"Pfft!" Neiro and Hecate started giggling. Valentine covered her mouth, but behind her hand she was laughing as well. Okami was crestfallen by his word choice. She facepalmed with a heavy sigh.

"You can't be serious."

"What? I couldn't be more serious. I ain't so desperate to bang just anywhere, at any time. Mood's gotta be right," Akros didn't back down on his opinion, raising his chin. "I wasn't the one who initiated that in the bedroom. I knew we'd be interrupted."

"Oh, whatever! Because you could see the future!" It was Hecate's turn to get pissy. She retorted with dark cheeks, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Akros winked at her with a sly grin, making her blink in confusion. "Wait, don't joke. Can you actually?"

"To some degree. I can only see the near future of things nearby. That included the door that was behind us at the time."

The girls present gawked at him. Even Valentine was shocked. Foresight was an advanced magical technique, one very few could master. She herself could not perform the technique, as she could not cast time magic. 

"I'm not even mad. That's so cool," Okami seemed to be in a better mood now. She dug into her plate of sleeks immediately after speaking. 

"No wonder you were able to survive your promotion trial against a pseudo-seraph. You could see his strikes in advance, and were able to dodge or block in time?" Neiro theorized with a thoughtful expression. "That sounds ludicrous..."

"It was, truly. I could foresee his movements. I could 'react' in time, but not 'respond' in time," The black-skinned demon crunched on another sleek as he explained. "My brain registered where and when he would attack, but my body wasn't always fast enough or in a position where I could respond in time. You understand what I'm saying?"

"Kinda. So when he'd attack, you weren't able to parry or dodge consistently?" Hecate asked curiously, very intrigued by the mention of his promotion trial. She would have to complete it someday herself if she wanted to become a demon lord, so gaining knowledge of it now was a good idea to her.

"Very good, Hecate," Akros gave her a thumbs up. "In the end, I was able to kill Sinclair but my foresight didn't play into it. He was one swift motherfucker."

Valentine remained silent as the three continued probe Akros about his trial. Since it was fairly recent, he recalled all of it and told them everything. Even about Blood Fury, and how it was the reason for his extra set of arms and red extremities until he changed them. 

After a few minutes, Valentine grew bored. She tapped Akros' upper right arm, getting his attention. "Yes?"

"If you do not mind, I shall excuse myself now. I wish to speak more with Lyra. She possesses an odd power..." Valentine murmured. Akros' eyes widened for a split second. 

Did she figure it out already? Fuck, her senses and intelligence are not to be underestimated. Lyra's void power shouldn't be a big deal, but if I ever develop something I need to keep secret, I have to avoid Val. She's too good at sniffing things out. 

"Go ahead. Don't feel the need to ask me for permission with minor things like that, Val. You're free to do whatever you like until I need your aid," Akros flashed a kind smile. "Consider hanging out with Neiro and Hecate more often. I'm sure you'd love swimming."

"I have never swam before..." Valentine tilted her head adorably. "What is it?"

"Don't worry about it! I can teach you sometime," Neiro piped up. "I'm a professional!"

"Okay! I will come back soon, then," Valentine smiled happily, then vanished with a flare of white energy.

"Well then, I best get going too," Akros stood, spitting out the bones of his last sleek. The three girls pouted at him with teary eyes, making him halt. "Don't do this to me."

"Can you stay a bit longer? I want to talk more!" Okami pleaded with her hands clasped. "We rarely get to talk to you without Lyra around."

"I love Lyra, but she has a bad tendency to hog you!" Neiro agreed. "We want your love too! She doesn't get all of it!"

"Yeah! While it's just us four, why don't you do it with us rather than her," Hecate spoke up, her cheeks flushing deeply. "You know... throat fucking?"

"Wha? A-are you sure? Not that I'm against that, but you guys..." Akros gulped. The anxious but lustful expressions of the three before him made him a little uneasy, yet igniting his sexual engine at the same time. 

"After seeing you do it with Ulvone one time, I've wanted to try it too!" Neiro grinned, her serrated teeth gleaming. "We have sharp teeth, but your skin is super tough since you're a demon lord, right?"

"That... may be true, but please try not to use teeth. It's less the pain and more the sensation that matters," Akros grimaced, remembering his very first oral sex session as a human. He shook his head. That wasn't him now. These women were not her. He unequipped his pants, sending them directly into his inventory. His erect member sprung out, making the three gasp. 

"Holy mother of sin!" "Jeez!" "Just how big...?"

"I don't know anymore. It grows with the rest of me. I was ten inches as a low-rank demon, but now..." Akros calculated mentally. "Roughly two feet long? At least twenty inches."

"And four inches wide, to boot..." Hecate swallowed down her anxiety. With the regenerative capabilities the three possessed, stretching a bit wider to fit him shouldn't be that bad. Or so she hoped. 

"I-I'm going first!" Okami stepped forward, licking her lips excitedly. She sat on the table while Akros stood, so his manhood was a tad above her mouth. As he was already at full mast, it was daunting to try and put in her mouth right away. Instead, she carefully moved her head underneath and went for his testicles. Her horns angled away from his body, so she was able to nuzzle her face all the way between his legs. 

"What're you- ooh..." Akros couldn't see what she was doing, and was slightly confused until he felt her tongue against his tender southern skin. 

Okami had claws made for war. Her four fingers were armed with curved talons that made stroking his pole impossible. Fortunately, she had help. Neiro and Hecate didn't want to wait for their turns. They kissed, licked, and sucked on his member while Okami slopped away at his balls. Akros was amazed by their technique.

"Damn...! For amateurs, you're doing great...!"

Okami spat out the teste she was slurping on. "We've watched the others go at it pretty hard. We may not be as good as Lyra or Ulvone, but..."

"Don't say that. Not everyone's talented at pleasuring others with their mouths. It's a learned thing anyway. If you do this more ofte- urgh! You'll get better," Akros was panting at this point. The pleasure of three mouths on him was a lot to bear. In the back of his mind, he knew that there were others who could do this better. Yet he also knew that they deserved a chance. After 50+ years of loyal service, why shouldn't they be allowed in his bed?

"O-okay, someone try taking it in their mouth!" He suggested, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Neiro, Hecate... your throats are going to be so tight!"

"I knew you'd say that..." Hecate rolled her eyes playfully, moving her lips to encompass his tip. Neiro joined Okami in her assault below to give Hecate room to bob her head. It was quite slow, but she sucked on him hard as she thrust her head further and further down. 

"Haaaargh! Your throat is squeezing me so much!" Akros groaned bestially as Hecate reached the halfway mark with 11 inches clogging her throat. She coughed and gagged, but endured it for the sake of pleasing him. She wanted him to burst in her throat so badly, she fought against her gag reflex and continued gobbling him up. 

However she reached a blockade when his tip hit the bottom of her esophagus, pressing against her stomach. She had three quarters of him in now, a whole 16.5 inches stuffing her gullet. Akros was breathing heavily. When he felt her stop, he took action without hesitation. With his two lower arms, he grabbed her by her curled horns and pulled her head closer to his pelvis. She gurgled in surprise, but didn't resist. 

With that his cock was engulfed inside her, the tip resting inside her stomach. Feeling the remains of the fish she just ate felt a bit odd, but the pleasure blew it aside. He let her off for a moment to catch her breath, then continued fucking her face. Pink hearts appeared in her eyes, a result of Charm sending pleasure through her body while he used her throat. 

Against Hecate's tight throat and two slobbering on his testicles, he didn't last long. Before he knew it, he blew his load in Hecate's stomach. She looked up at him while kissing his pelvis with loving eyes. Okami and Neiro relented for a moment, backing away to let him release without obstacles. 

When he was finally done, he slid Hecate off his yet to be limp member. With a bulging belly full of his semen, tears rolling down her cheeks, saliva drooling off her chin and between her breasts, soaked pants, and messy hair, she looked done for the day. Regardless of the fact that she hadn't been awake for long. She burped loudly, then giggled with a silly expression. 

"So yummy~. I wanna do it again~..." Was all that came out of her mouth before she passed out. Akros caught her before she could fall. He set her in a chair away from the table before returning his attention to the remaining two. They quivered with anticipation, fingering each other through their leggings. 

"I have an idea. I'll switch between you two so you can breathe," Akros grinned lustfully, lining himself up to Okami's waiting lips. "Get ready~."

Several minutes later, Okami and Neiro were passed out in chairs. Hecate woke just as Akros was done cleaning the liquids from the table and floor. She gave him a weary smile and reached out to him. He leaned in for a quick peck, then stopped halfway. 

"I don't want to taste myself," He muttered. He extracted a clean towel from his inventory and wiped her face, then kissed her. 

"Mmm..." Hecate moaned into his lips, wanting to pull him into a long makeout session again. He denied, standing up straight. She pouted, but didn't argue. "Have things to do?"

"Well, I've already done you, so..." He chuckled, ruffling her bright red hair. "...now I need to do serious stuff. I'll be out of this fragment world for a bit. Need to visit my momma."

"Lilith? Why?" She asked curiously, doing her best to not sound nosy. 

"Ehh, long story short, I will look different when I come back. If things work out. I will also be much more powerful," Akros thought of all the items he could feed the Red Sea Egg to make a powerful clone and smiled evilly. "I will explain to you someday."

"Lovely. Hey, can you do one more thing for me before you leave?" Hecate purred, tracing her fingers around his abs. 

"Like what?"

"C-could you tuck me in? You haven't tucked me in since Askr, so..." She blushed furiously with a timid smile, but managed to maintain eye contact. "Pretty please, Akky?"

Akros couldn't resist her puppy eyes. He carried her to her bedroom, helped her undress, then tucked her into her bed. As she got comfortable in bed, he leaned against a wall that was coated in shadows created by a candle on her nightstand. 

"Hecate."

"Hm?"

"Be a dear and tell them where I went, if anyone asks. I won't do anything long, but with time fluctuations between worlds..."

"It's okay, Akky. We trust you. All that I ask is that you be safe in your adventures," Hecate stared at the ceiling with a slight frown. "Be honest. We've been chaining you down, haven't we? Ever since you created us, your hands have been full training us, arming us, or other activities for our sakes. You've had no time to go out and adventure on your own. The last time you went off on your own was..."

"Over 50 years ago," Akros grimaced. He didn't want to make her feel guilty, but he couldn't deny the truth. Watching over and commanding the Shadow Legion left him no free time to adventure and battle by himself like he used to. He loved the freedom he had then. 

He was chained down by his responsibilities as the head of the Shadow Legion, the Lord of Darkness. As much as he wanted to take a vacation, he would not shove the responsibility to another if they were unwilling to bear it. He would make slaves out of those he cherished. That, he promised himself.

"It's not your fault, or any of theirs. I chose to uphold this role, so don't feel guilty for being my subject," Akros smiled to himself as he leaned against the wall. "If anything happens to me... if I am unable to return to this fragment world for whatever reason, do not panic. I know telepathy, so I should be able to contact at least one of you through your brands even if only a sliver of my mana remains. If that fails, and I cannot contact any of you nor return, I want you and the others to remain here. I would not risk losing this beautiful world to another demon lord. Understand?"

"Y-yes, but!" Hecate's eyes were wide with concern. "You're asking me to do nothing if you're in trouble? How can you expect me or any of them to obey such a blasphemous order?! We are supposed to help each other in need, are we not?!"

"Not in my case. If I am in trouble with my capabilities, what can you do? If you teleported to me while I faced an opponent that I myself cannot defeat, how do you think you will fare?"

"I... I see. You want us to stay safe."

"Nothing would pain my heart more, Hecate, than to see any of you die in an attempt to save me. After all the time and effort I've spent keeping you safe, making you stronger. What a waste it would be to give it back to me in your death. I will never ask you to lay down your life for me."

"Okay... then, goodbye for now," Hecate shot one last glance at his shadow-coated form. "Oh, and if you bring back more women, try being more diverse. Your affinity for breasts is quite apparent by now."

"Urk!" Akros was caught off guard by her comment. She giggled at this, but said nothing more. He melted into the shadows cast by her candle before she blew it out. Once she did, she laid down on her back and stared at the ceiling happily. Then she noticed something odd.

"My belly was overflowing with his seed just minutes ago. Why is it back to being regularly full?" Hecate blinked in confusion, patting her no longer bloated stomach. "Did it dissipate or evaporate? Or maybe it was absorbed like water? Ah, maybe it has something to do with the color. His semen is black, even though most male beings have white semen. Maybe Lyra knows..."

With that, she passed out. 

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