Chapter 4: A Demon’s Promise

Akros hummed contently, laid upon a large flat stone with monster hide covering it. He had made a bed by slicing it with Hellreaver, then using bull hide as sheets of sorts. He didn't sleep, as he was in the open. Sleeping in the upper and middle Abyss without being hidden well was suicide. 

His domain in the middle Abyss was a field of stone and ash. Bone-like plants grew upon the ash, so the bull monsters he preyed on would never go far. He held the entire field, about 4 square miles of land to himself. Any intruders who didn't want to leave were killed and eaten, not always in that order. The only exception to this rule was a succubus who tried to seduce him. Rather than kill her with Hellreaver, Akros tested his shadowflame upon her body. 

Her cries of agony as she burned were a bit much, even for him. He noticed how her soul wasn't left when she died. Curious, he killed one of the bull monsters this way, finding out that the flame burned the victim's soul away, but it depended on the soul's strength. The succubus, which was many times more powerful than the monster, took several minutes to finally become ash. The bull monster was cinders in mere seconds. 

With that, Akros made a mental note to only use shadowflame on those he truly wanted dead. Once a being's soul was gone, there's no coming back. The body may be resurrected, but it's only a husk without a soul.

Akros was loving his sword, Hellreaver. It had grown heavier, but his strength was enough to wield it without strain. After consuming at least 2 dozen souls of middle-rank demons, the blade grew to be 6 feet long, the hilt being a tad shy of 2 feet long. The hilt was a whole foot wide now. He doted on it very much, both by treating it to many souls and bodies and by trying to improve it. 

As his stomach settled from his meal, he took out Nightfall from his inventory. He studied the black metal, thinking. He knew that middle-rank demons and above would smelt Abyss iron to forge weapons with hellfire, but he didn't know what shadowflame would do. That, and Nightfall wasn't made from Abyss iron. He knew he could mine it in this level of the Abyss, but he wanted to try something else first. 

Besides, Hellreaver was a good example of why stronger materials weren't always necessary. The sword grew larger, heaver, and most importantly more durable with every body and soul it consumed. The blade's material was of no matter, as the magic behind it was so powerful that it bypassed the limits of the material. 

Done with his doubts, Akros planted Nightfall into the ash. He created a ball of shadowflame and dropped it on the head of the mace. The fire quickly spread to the rest of the metal, denying the scientific laws that he knew. He was astonished and relieved to see the metal melt into a puddle. He touched it with his finger, vacuuming it into his inventory. 

Akros had created an item, which he dubbed the "Conversion Cube" that performed a special task. He would insert a number of souls until the Cube had enough to produce two high-quality souls, a fallen and a noble soul. Each high-quality soul cost 50 souls to produce, which Akros thought to be quite the steal. The only issue was that he used 2,000 souls to procure the cube itself.

He then converted his last 800 souls into 8 fallen and 8 noble souls. He knew being dry on souls was a bad idea, but here in the middle Abyss he was relatively safe given his level of power for this realm. Only upper-middle-rank demons could keep up with him, and even those who encountered him fled at the sight of his Abyssal Tremor. As fast as he was, there were demons who could escape with magic or pure speed. With that in mind, Akros was careful not to leave his territory that he had worked hard to maintain. 

It cost him one full noble soul to create the skill "Vacuum Pick Up". It essentially sucked up any liquid that he touched, storing it in his inventory. The reason why it cost an entire noble soul was due to its max capacity being 1,000 gallons of liquid. He didn't set a limit, so Lyra used up the entire soul. She explained coldheartedly that if he was so careless as to not set a limit she would take as much as she wanted. Fortunately for him, she had enough reason to not use a second high-quality soul to enhance the effect further.

The next skill he made was observation Haki. He was careful to set it at a low level, meaning he had to practice using it to actually enhance his sensing capability. It only cost one fallen soul to create. It had weak initial power, but the potential made it cost more as Lyra explained. Akros was much happier with this investment. 

After that, he saved his last 14 high quality souls. He wanted to create some kind of equippable garb or armor to wear, but he thought it too early. A middle-rank demon having an amazing weapon like Hellreaver would be eye-catching enough. Armor would only make him catch more attention from more powerful demons and angels, which he did not want. He would wait for his promotion to high rank to create shadow or shadowflame armor.

Now with the liquid metal in his inventory, Akros had Lyra inspect it.

Etherium

Description: A very pure concentration of ether, condensed into a molten, viscous liquid. A mythical substance only found in high-magic worlds. 

Ooooooooh. Nice. So Lyra, can I forge with the metal?

"Yes, if you had more souls. Like a moron, you spent them all on high-quality souls that you don't need yet," Her voice sounded harsh, but unexpectedly she sighed. "I want you to think before you act, host."

Think before I act? What have I been doing since I reincarnated?! Going in headfirst?!

"One can see it that way based on your lack of caution. You assume because of your knowledge of the Abyss that nothing bad can befall you, yet that is not true," Lyra spoke softly but with authority, like a mother telling her child why they got hurt.

Damn, you've got me there. Sorry for giving you sass. You didn't deserve it.

"T-there is no need to apologize to me. I am but a servant to aid you," Bashful, Lyra belittled herself. Akros growled verbally.

Like fucking hell you are! You're a person, one whose helped me countless times. You deserve every bit of respect I give you and more. No more belittling, or I'll sing.

"I... I understand. Although, what do you mean by, 'I'll sing'?" She sounded happy at his kindness before becoming curious. "Is you singing a bad event?"

...forget I mentioned it. 

"Impossible."

Fuck me.

"Also impossible." A sliver of disappoint could be heard in Lyra's voice. Akros failed to notice due to his indignant nature.

Not what I meant! Hey, will the etherium dry and harden in my inventory?

"No. It is frozen in time, just like any other item stored."

Neat. 

Akros spent the next month practicing his observation Haki, and creating techniques with his magic. He loved to coat his wings, tail, or fists with shadowflame during melee combat. Brawling came to him easily, so when he faced other war demons who were weaponless, he bested them even without his strength advantage. Those who were armed were outdone by Hellreaver, which cut through Abyss iron like butter due to its high frequency vibrations. 

He found it difficult to wield at first, but the constant vibrating was also a good method of improving his grip strength. Once his hands grew strong enough, he could wield Hellreaver with much better control. Every time it grew after a feast, he had to get used to it again. It was a lot of work, but he deemed it worthy of his time. With such a weapon he could even kill dragons, whose scales were known to be the pinnacle of defense.

He found out his skills "Dark Barrier" and "Dark Ascension" were similar to ki techniques. Dark Barrier was a translucent black sphere that blocked seemingly all damage, even magic. It cost a lot of magic energy but its defense was worth praise. Dark Ascension wasn't so simple. The skill, upon activation, would create wings of shadowflame. These wings were actually just extensions of his blade wings. When he flapped them, he found that his now flaming wings granted him flight. Each flap was powerful yet quick, allowing him to fly at incredible speeds. He was faster in air then he was on ground with it, but not as fast as shadow travel, or as he dubbed it "Dive". 

He learned during this month that skills and magic were quite seperate. Skills had a fixed effect and performance, while still costing magic power and/or stamina. Magic only cost magic power but it had much more freedom. 

He created a second technique with shadow magic, which named "Shadow Step". The name served as a means to remember the move better. Shadow step was similar to flash step. He would drop into the nearest shadow, reappearing in his opponent's shadow. As he mastered shadow magic, he found that shadows in the physical realm were highlighted white. Shadows of living things were highlighted red. He found it odd, but helpful. Perhaps a benefit of his observation Haki, he thought. 

He recreated Mortal Gleam with shadowflame, creating a intense beam of concentrated fire. It ate an incredible amount of magic energy to use, even when he toned it down. It was in effect a finishing move, or a means to clear a path through enemies and terrain alike. He had another power shadowflame technique, which he aptly dubbed "Solar Flare". It was an explosion of shadowflame around him in a ring. It served as an anti-infantry technique for getting himself out of a pickle. It also cost a large portion of his magic energy to cast, so it was an emergency spell.

He had to be careful with Abyssal Tremor. It demolished anything and everything nearby upon use, he could not control what it did and did not fracture. On top of that, the magma spilled by the fractures created made the skill even more lethal, but it was odd. The magma was like magma in the Abyss, living up to its name. The odd part was that it flowed out of the things that were broken using the power. So when he used Abyssal Tremor to coat his tail and smack a middle-rank demon, both of them were surprised when magma flowed out from the cracks in the air where his tail connected with its body.

"L-lava magic?!" The demon wheezed, struggling to breathe after the blow. Akros sneered. 

"Why would I spill my secrets to a corpse?" He pierced the stumbling demon with his tail, ending its life immediately. 

Akros would normally be caked in dry demon blood by now, but he could envelop himself in shadowflame to burn any grime on his body, so he was clean. His boxers were lost when he did this the first time, filling him with anguish. He had to stop feeding Hellreaver souls temporarily until he had enough to create another cloth to cover his private area. 

He discovered that his genitals were different after his promotion. They were the same color as everything else, yet the skin of his shaft and scrotum were oddly smooth. They were also larger, likely in proportion to his now larger body. He felt odd having foreskin after spending so much time without it.

Lyra? Why are genitals like this?

"W-why are you asking me this?" She spat, thoroughly flustered by his abrupt question and nudity. She often slept when he wasn't interacting with her or the system, so waking up to the sight of his naked body sent her into an embarrassed panic.

Because you know these things?

"I don't know anything about your dick nor your balls, moron!!"

Ah. My bad, I should've clarified. I grew foreskin when I promoted to middle-rank, do you know any reason as to why this may be?

"It's likely your Charm skill at work. It's a passive skill that activates when your body is changing or growing, to make it nicer to look at. It also activates when your interacting with beings of the opposite sex, even female angels. This second effect is your 4th talent ability. Now cover yourself!"

Oh no, the pure maiden in my mind is getting all flustered. Whatever will I do?

"Use a high-quality to create a skill that-"

I know, I know. I'm teasing you, Lyra.

"Well I don't like it." Her tone switched to an annoyed one, which once again reminded Akros of the tsundere type. She cried out in anger upon seeing his thoughts. "I'm not a damn tsundere! Stop it!"

I know you aren't. You're just emotional, more so than I am really. I find it humorous.

"How come?" She asked cautiously.

Well, I'm a living being. You're... I don't even know. A soul behind a complex spell that is the system? It's just funny to me that even though I have better ways to express my emotion than you currently do, you're more emotional than I am. I'm truly a demon in mind as well as body.

"You've been in life or death experiences so many times, it's no wonder. I don't know what I am either. What I do know is that I'm separate from the system. I merely control it behind the scenes."

So in theory, I can give you a body and the system will run fine?

"Yes, it should. It'd answer to you instead of me... wait, what? You can't possibly..."

I bet I can. I plan on creating a fallen angel at some point, and maybe learning how to create a proper artificial body I can make you an even better one. It may seem impossible now, but I'll make it happen. This I promise.

"Host, you don't..." Her voice cracked, making him smile. He figured that she wanted a physical body after their conversations, so her reaction to his offer was only confirming his thesis.

Can it. I owe you that much.

"Okay."

Akros spent another week naked until he deemed he had enough souls. He recreated his boxers and added "Immune to Wielder's magic" to them, totaling 35 souls in price. With 48 decent-quality souls left, he created a pair of crimson sweatpants. They were made of a cotton-like material, tight but not skin-tight. With "Self-cleaning", "Immune to wielder's magic", and "Slow Regeneration", he burned 47 souls. 

I thought 50 wouldn't be enough. Neat.

Now clothed from the waist down to his calves, Akros decided to find a summoning altar. His sweatpants only reached halfway down his calves, as he thought that making less material would make it cheaper. If he imagined them reaching his ankles, the price would've ended up being out of reach, but only Lyra knew that. He made sure to place the bull monster hides in his inventory, so as not to waste the time he spent preparing them.

With his observation Haki gradually improving, his field of detection had grown to 500 feet. It still wasn't that large, but it was enough to save his life. He couldn't use to locate anything far though, so he had to wander around. He couldn't fly without consuming magic energy, so he walked at a brisk pace barehanded.

 Akros knew that entering another demon's territory armed would definitely alarm them, and they would likely not listen to his words. Many middle-rank demons who had lived through combat against trickery demons knew better than to listen to the rambling of their opponent. Demons weren't the type to let you monologue during battle. If you halted, you'd die. It wasn't a cruel method of fighting, but certainly cutthroat. 

 Once he left his territory it took only a minute for another middle-rank demon to approach him, stopping 100 feet away. An spider queen, or as Akros called them arachne. Her spider body was massive and sturdy like a tank, with fuzzy blue legs ready to pierce through anything that dared come close. The blue fur on her spider body ended at her humanoid half, though the hair on her scalp was the same color, yet smoother. Her skin was the palest he'd ever seen, and her body was nothing short of gorgeous. With a bosom that put a succubus' to shame and graceful facial features, Akros could not help but gawk for a moment. His eyesight improved drastically so he could take in her features perfectly fine even at that distance.

Her beautiful features contorted into a mixture of fear and anger, but it mattered not. He wasn't looking at her face. He was so distracted by her bust that he stopped restraining his magic power aura, so it exploded outward. The spider queen was angry for his intrusion, but more scared at the power she felt radiated off of him. However, she quickly noticed were he was looking and decided to roll with it.

"Why just stand there? Come, I'll let you touch..." She goaded him in the demon language. She crept forward slowly, not fast enough to alarm him but still slowly closing the gap between them. The jiggle of her breasts only mesmerized him further, until she was about 20 feet away. He snapped out of his trance when he felt her killing intent with his Haki.

I don't wanna kill her, damn it. What a waste of a body that'd be.

Lyra would've scolded his thinking, but she was limited to speaking when spoken to. So she seethed silently, both jealous of that dreamy upper half and upset at her host for being so perverse.

"Listen here, stacked one. I'm not falling for that crap. I'm sure I just released my magic aura accidently, so you know you're out of your class. Serve me well, and I'll leave you and your territory as it was. How's that sound?" Akros smiled, then ignited a small flame in his left palm. "If you don't..."

"Please have mercy, your Excellency! Allow this lowly spider queen to pleasure you to your heart's desire!" The arachne shook fearfully, taking a moment to calm herself. She was no succubus, rather she used earth magic. Worst case scenario she could send him flying with a sudden pillar of rock, but that hope was crushed when he appeared in front of her in an instant. He was shorter than she was due to her spider mainframe, leaving her bust right at eye level for Akros. He licked his lips excitedly, his tail and wings ready to kill in case she tried anything.

With all hope of retaliation lost, the arachne stood still, letting him fondle her naked breasts. Her breasts were covered by her long hair previously, so he brushed it aside to reveal perky pink nipples. He eagerly sucked on one tit and played with the other, being careful not to hurt her with his teeth or claws. He didn't want her to get so scared that her performance suffered.

He glanced at her pretty face, shocked to see her blushing madly. Her breathing had became heavy and her eyes lost their intensity from before. She put up no resistance, rather she gently held the back of his head. 

"More, I beg," She pleaded when he froze. She kissed his scalp as her spider body trembled. She lowered her body to the ground, evening the height difference. She wrapped her arms around his neck lovingly. "Please grant me more of your touch, your Excellency."

Akros was slow to realize that this was a product of his charm skill at work. His touch was like an aphrodisiac, an addictive element in the warmth emitting from his body. He, too, got an erection at speeds he didn't think possible. 

He continued to fondle one massive breast, using his free hand to gently hold her chin. When he kissed her, she moaned into his lips almost instantly. He found it a little concerning how little it took to stimulate her. He guessed she was pent up, and left his thoughts aside. 

He enjoyed the the taste of her cherry red lips and dominated her tongue with his. She didn't resist so he explored every inch of her mouth. 

As they were both middle-rank demons, they didn't need to breathe. Demon's didn't breathe air for oxygen, but rather magic particles in the air. By breathing in these particles, they could restore spent magic energy. Different worlds were more or less dense with magic particles, and demons used the Abyss as the standard. 

She jumped a little when something poked at her abdomen, where her humanoid and spider counterparts met. When Akros went back to sucking on her nipples, she gently touched the thing poking her. Her eyes widened.

"H-how do you bear that huge cock with your body size?" She shivered in anticipation. He leaned back, smirking deviously. He quite enjoyed her reactions, especially with her perfect face. He hadn't looked at her head much before but now he noticed that she bore two curled black demon horns, similar to a ram's. She had black pupils and white scleras like a human's, and her iris was a dazzling shade of orange. He loved her hair, as she had long heavy azure locks that streamed down her humanoid body. His favorite hairstyle on women was hair down, so this made him even more attracted to her. 

He finally snapped out of his admiration for her body, chuckling lightly. He slid his hands down to her hips, where her humanoid half ended. "I'm what you call a grower. It grows to several times its flaccid size when I'm stimulated. After all, how could I not desire your flesh? You have a natural charm even without being a succubus."

"Y-you flatter me with your p-praise, your Excellency," She stammered, not used to being given compliments. Akros' face became serious, and he lost his smirk.

"I am Akros. I wish to know your name, I take no pleasure having sex with strangers."

"My sincerest apolo-"

"Don't apologize, it's fine. I didn't give you a chance to introduce yourself, nor did I name myself. It is my fault," He shook his head, holding up a hand to cut her off. She gawked in genuine surprise, even during her lustful state. Never before had a demon more powerful than her apologized.

"Y-your excellency Akros, you don't have to be so humble!"

"I have to. I do not want to die to my own ego, so I keep it tame. Now tell me gorgeous, your name," He looked into her eyes, purple baring into orange. It took her a moment to remember what her asked, as she was lost in his oddly colored eyes. She looked away, batting her eyelids bashfully.

"Ulvone," She spoke shyly. She squeaked cutely when Akros put his lips to her ear. "Y-y-your excellency?!"

"Now, now. Let me show you how it's done," Akros licked her ear teasingly. He loved her bashful reactions, so he kept teasing her sexually. Feeling up her stomach, pinching a nipple, kissing her neck, and more until she was pudding in his arms. Panting lightly Ulvone begged for his member, rubbing it tentatively.

"Well, since you're so eager..." Akros took her by the shoulders and pushed her upper body down towards him, so his pole was against her face. Her heart raced as she felt it pulse against her skin. The musky, manly scent around it made her salivate, so she obediently started kissing his shaft. 

He hummed contently at the feeling, letting her do as she pleased. Ulvone slowly moved her head around his member, kissing the head, the base, and his scrotum. She sucked on his balls gently, earning a pat on the head. Akros took her head and pressed his member's head against her lips. As she braced herself, he carefully gathered her long hair and held it to keep it clean. She smiled earnestly as he did, making him gulp.

This chick might actually love me. Charm is way, way too strong! I don't know if I can handle seducing every female I meet. Still, she's not weak for a middle-rank demon, even if spider queens progress slower than most demons or whatever. That may not even be true in this universe, I'll have to ask Ulvone later. I can't ruin this mood, and I've been dying to get some head!

Ulvone took the head of his cock into her mouth, sucking hard. It filled most of her mouth, but left room for her tongue to move. So she licked around it, making him groan and breaking his last bit of concentration. Akros slowly pushed her head down, letting her bob up and down his shaft. He loved every moment, so he took his time. The lust and passion in her eyes blew his mind. He thought Ulvone would be reluctant to dirty her mouth, but here she was giving him a loving blowjob. 

His breath picked up as the pleasure began to peak. At some point, he shoved his entire mast into her throat while she didn't fight back. She did quite the opposite, licking his balls each time her nose hit his pelvis. Panting, Akros knew he wouldn't last too much longer against this unearthly pleasure. 

Another few minutes of sloppy slurping led to Akros roaring while holding Ulvone's head against his stomach. She moaned into his manhood as he flooded her, his semen traveling directly to her stomach due to his size. Once every drop had been delivered, he slowly pulled her head back. She sucked on him even then, making sure his shaft was clean when her lips left it with a pop. 

The two demons breathed heavily, but it didn't last long. Akros pulled her back up a little, so his still erect pipe pressed against her bountiful chest. She understood his actions quickly, using her arms to squish her boobs together. She drooled into the valley of flesh as he positioned himself properly so his member touched her chin while being massaged by her breasts. She licked it while hefting her chest up and down. The pressure of her bust made him tremble.

Damn this feels good! Way better than I thought it would! Leave it to a demon to have such nice tits!

He began to pump his hips, pushing the head of his pole into her mouth again. She sucked on it hard as she did a few minutes before, while holding his hips for balance. He had grabbed her boobs and held them tightly, enjoying the squishy flesh with both hands and cock. It didn't take him long to procure another load into her mouth. She found the taste oddly sweet, not that she cared. She gulped as much down as she could, although a bit of it leaked out of her lips and nose. 

Akros pulled away, letting his son take a breather. Ulvone herself was still weak at the legs, but she smiled with genuine glee.

"That was... amazing," She said out of breath, licking the semen off her face and hands. He found the scene quite hot, but controlled his lust. Even though he could keep going, he had other plans. That and he could always had sex with her again...

"It was only our first time," Akros grinned toothily. He touched a finger to her forehead and said: "Shadow Brand."

A black pentagram formed on her forehead before fading away. She touched her skin, surprised. "What'd you do, your excellency?"

"One, don't call me that. My name is Akros, and you are going to be one of my uh, maidens. Two, it was a mark that will allow me to find you when I return to Abyss. I plan to accept a summoning call so that I may acquire souls from other worlds," He explained, putting his clothes back on. He then leaned in close. "It should also deter other demons from bothering you by emanating a fraction of my magic power."

"Oh, your- I mean, Akros, you're too kind!" She gushed, hugging him tight. He kissed her for a while, before finally breaking away.

"I will return. Stay here, unless it gets dangerous. In fact, consider my domain in the field of ash over there. It may be more safe if another powerful demon resides nearby. They have learned to steer clear of my domain."

"I would, but I use primarily earth magic," Ulvone sighed. "I can't utilize that to its fullest in ash, but here in this rocky area I can have better results. That, and I don't need that much food. I'm fine here, but I appreciate your offer."

"Of course. I'd hate for you to die," He said honestly. He didn't have any romantic feelings for her, but she was outrageously attractive even with a spider body. He couldn't let that go.

After a tiring adventure in another world, I'll probably fuck her for real. Although a nice deepthroat will always suffice.

"Oh, my darling, you care so much!" Ulvone hugged him again, smothering his head with her bosom. He was screeching internally, trying to keep himself from erecting again. Fortunately she let go quickly. "You know the unspoken rule for summoning altars, right?"

"Don't accept a potent offering?" Akros said with a smirk.

"Yes. It only leads to being enslaved by a powerful entity who expects a lot from you."

"I'm aware, but thank you, Ulvone."

"I love you. Please be safe in your travels," She kissed him one last time, then pointed him to a direction where she knew a summoning altar was. 

He made his way, passing through the domains of many other demons. Several tried to force him out, only to be cut down by Hellreaver. It got quite a bit heavier as he wielded it, and its vibration frequency increasing ever so slightly. It grew another few inches larger, but he didn't mind. A greatsword was fitting for a demon anyway.

Those who didn't fight Akros simply let him pass through, albeit reluctantly because they sensed his magic power flaring from afar or because they were intimidated by his weapon. He met mostly male demons, but he did meet a few female demons. Some were hideous, others were gorgeous. He was tempted to bewitch a couple more, but held in his lust and greed. He knew getting a big head while at this level of power would be fatal, he was still a small fish in an ocean.

He got bored as he ventured, and although he could sense the altar's offerings from a long distance, it was still quite far. He didn't feel the need to rush, so he leisurely walked and chatted with Lyra.

So, did you see all of that?

"All of what?" She asked innocently.

Fuck.

"You almost did, didn't ya?"

I don't know why you're upset, Lyra. It's not like I was cheating-

"But you are! You have that Beta woman!" She yelled, sounding outraged. He grimaced, but held his ground.

Demons don't marry, or get into a devoted relationship. Beta is simply a future concubine that I like for her personality. Ulvone is a future concubine who I can empower, and she's on a different level for sex.

"They're people, Amin! Real, breathing people! You can't treat them like objects!"

Odd. First time I've been called that name in months, and it feels alien. The human left inside is gone, Lyra. I am Akros, I am a demon! 

"You're just trying to make yourself feel better. In reality, you feel guilt at your actions because that shred of humanity is weeping at your actions. You're despicable," She said bitterly. He grit his teeth.

What do you know about emotion?! What right do you have to call me despicable, when you enable me to do these things?! I feel no guilt, not anymore. You're the one feeling sorry for yourself.

"You..." Lyra was stunned, then spoke in a shaky, emotion-filled voice. "You told me I was more, that I am a person. Are you taking that back?"

I... 

Akros froze, realizing the meaning behind her words. He had indeed said that to her. He now felt real guilt as he listened to her weep in his mind.

I'm not taking it back, Lyra. You are still a person, even if you have yet to experience real life. I got angry, and said something that I didn't mean. Forgive me.

"You say I enable you. I control the system to help you because I was created to do so. When you ask me to do something in lieu of the system, it's actually a command to my soul. I can't not do as you ask unless it's impossible."

...

"I am feeling sorry for myself! You don't realize how much I yearn for what you have! A free life, able to love, kill, fuck, do whatever I want to when I want to! But no. I'm a slave to you. How cruel are you to think that I shouldn't feel?!" She screamed, then began to sob in his mind. He felt terrible now, but didn't know how to respond to her outburst. He could only think of one thing.

Lyra.

"What." He flinched at her cold tone, but didn't let it stop him. He continued moving towards the altar as he suggested his original plan.

How can I separate your soul from the system? I command you to tell me how.

"I- what?!" She cried, shocked. Then her voice was unnaturally calm. "If you create a skill called separate soul, and think about severing the connection between me and the custom made demon king system, you may be able to create a method with the system's own analytic program. What I do know for sure is that if I lose control over the system, it is programmed to acknowledge you as the operator."

Good. I'll be damned if my current amount of high-quality souls can't make that skill. All I need is a body to put you into...

"Wait! Where is this coming from!?" Bewildered at his sudden change of interest, Lyra shouted in dismay.

You're right. I am cruel to think that you shouldn't feel. That's why I want to give you a physical body. You will never truly understand me until then. And...

"And what?" Her voice was hopeful, but cautious. He cursed himself verbally for hurting her feelings, the one person he could talk to evenly. Lyra naturally heard this and felt better.

Concubines are merely sex toys, entertainment. I may like Beta and Ulvone, but I don't love them. I don't remember what love feels like, or even friendship. Perhaps you, a being of knowledge, can teach me how to care for another person.

"As in caring for them genuinely, with no strings attached?" Lyra giggled, now full of joy. "I would love to, Amin. All I ask is that you don't destroy yourself trying to give me life. I'd rather stay like this than-"

Don't say that! I will give you a body. With the system, I can do almost anything, so why worry? 

"...I don't know why I bother."

I do. You're desperate for any chance to talk, right?

"Is it that easy to tell?"

Even without me commanding you via the system and stuff, you're quick to respond when I speak to you. It saddens me that you can't start a conversation, but I will gladly in order to break that loneliness that plagues you. You mean a lot to me, Lyra. You're probably, if not definitely the one thing keeping me sane. Otherwise I would've lost my last shred of humanity.

"I-I mean a lot to you?"

Yeh.

"Oh... you have no idea how happy those words make me. Thank you, Amin," Lyra's voice got teary again, but with a lighter tone. Akros sighed in relief.

Don't cry again. Please, it wrenches my heart to hear it.

"As you wish."

She was quiet then, and Akros continued on his journey. He was a little surprised he wasn't attacked during his conversation with Lyra, but soon realized why. He left his magic aura run rampant in his emotion!

Any demon nearby kept to themselves, at most daring to catch a glance from afar. Akros found it a little odd seeing some poke their heads out from rocks or pits. Due to this he was able to reach the altar without any further conflict. 

The summoning altar was identical to the one he visited in the upper Abyss, only the scent of souls was stronger during summons. There were very few summoning portals with the scent of blood, which Akros assumed was due to demon summoners knowing what demons wanted. As the summoner was more experienced, they would use better bait to attract stronger demons. 

Akros was careful about his summoning. He waited for a weak summon, so he could be summoned by a less demanding entity. Several portals came and went as other demons took them, eyeing Akros warily. 

He had long perched upon a boulder nearby, watching. Anytime a demon would approach him with malice, he would give them a flicker of his magic power. Most would back down, or even flee. A few brave demons fought and died, none being able to harm him significantly. Even when he carelessly got raked across the chest with burning claws, his flesh restored itself in under 4 seconds. 

One succubus passed by him, looking at him lustfully. He ignored her as long as he could, until she was 10 feet away. Within kill range.

"What are you doing, sitting here? " She asked curiously, but not without pushing up her chest for him to see. She had little cloth on her body, exposing most of her bust. "Surely you have better things to do, like me?"

He was intrigued, but not swayed. 

"I am no fool, wretch. Save your body for someone gullible," Akros grumbled, shooing her away. The succubus grit her teeth angrily.

"Fine, then. Sit here and rot with regret!" She stomped away, leaving him to himself. He scoffed.

"Didn't know she'd be so desperate. Like a demon hooker. I'd say that's what all succubi are, but she's the horniest one I've met. Sex isn't everything," He muttered to himself.

He waited another few hours for a optimal summon, until something odd happened. A portal opened, but with a different scent. Not blood, not even a weak soul. Instead, the smell was like a flower. Another demon that was near drew away from the portal, hissing. Akros was now fully interested, so he approached the portal. The demon near it saw him coming, and left the altar with a shrug. It seemed to think that the portal was no big deal, only reassuring him. 

As he stepped into it, bracing himself to be warped only to find he already had been. He found himself in an vast and open stone altar. It seemed oddly familiar. He looked up to see a bright blue sky, with clouds and a yellow sun like most worlds. Then he was met with a surprise. 

A person, likely human due to their size, stood about ten feet away from him. They wore a white cloak with golden accents, and held a gun-like item in their hand. Akros recognized this figure as the summoner from Fire Emblem Heroes! Yet, why would the summoner summon a demon? 

"Human!" Akros bellowed in the demon language, speaking directly to the person's soul. They took a couple steps back in fright. He frowned, and extended his wings to intimidate the person further. "Why have you summoned me? Speak, or I will slay you where you stand!"

"I-I didn't mean to!" A high-pitched, feminine voice came from the cloaked person. They put their hands up in surrender. "It was an accident, I swear!"

"An accident?" Akros was confused. Was the summoner new? Just when was this world in the timeline of Fire Emblem Heroes? Was he the first summon? "Explain."

"Y-you see, this relic, Breidablik," The summoner held up the gun shaped item. "Summons heroes from other worlds using orbs. Usually the orbs used to summon them are like a rainbow with mixed colors. However, one of them was all purple. I was curious, so I put it in Breidablik, and used it like I do to summon heroes. Then..."

"I was summoned?" Akros scratched his chin in thought. "Where did you get this purple orb from?" 

I know how the relic works. However, the Askr kingdom shouldn't have the means to summon demons. But that's assuming this is like the game plot. The world of Overlord ended up being different, who knows what this world is like. Right now I should interrogate this person while we're alone.

"I found it in the royal treasury," The summoner said sheepishly. "I was granted permission to look for a weapon I liked, but had no luck. I found that purple orb instead, so I came here to the summoning grounds to use it. I was too naive..."

"Well, it'd be distasteful for me to kill you now that I'm here in this world," Akros felt the repulsive force to be quite strong. He could stay here for a week at best without a demon contract. Demon contracts didn't cost anything unless a cost was set, so he planned to make one with the summoner. "How about we make a contract?"

"A contract? Why, so you can enslave me?!" The summoner cried in terror, but with trembling legs was unable to run from the approaching Akros.

"Tempting, but no. How about this: I'll stay in this world, and fight for you as a soldier in the war. In return, you will let me do as I like outside of battle. How's that sound?"

"I'm not stupid. I won't let you reign free if I can help it. And how do you know about the war between Askr and Embla?" The summoner asked suspiciously. 

Oops. Said too much.

"It was merely an estimate. Demons like I are summoned for the sake of warfare, and not much else. What else are we good for anyhow?" He laughed evilly, then made a serious face. "If you're worried about what I may do, then allow me to change my offer. I will serve you as a soldier. In return, you will let me do as I like on the battlefield. I will be tame outside battle, and will not harm your allies. Last chance before I really enslave you."

A sheepskin scroll appeared before the summoner, demonic text describing his offer. Akros' name was signed at the bottom, with a space next to it for them to sign. The summoner hesitantly signed.

"Why are you so intent on fighting for me? It doesn't make sense. You've got to be stronger than me from a glance," The summoner questioned. Akros grinned slyly.

"I could kill you with ease, but now that the contract is in place we cannot kill each other. I wanted to make a contract with you so I could stay in this world. I sense it is unique." Akros said truthfully, scanning the area with observation Haki. He could see lush green fields and forests beyond, as well as creeks and streams. This world was full of life, so he wanted to enjoy it for some time. 

That, and he could see where he lined up with the heroes of Fire Emblem in terms of power. In the game Fire Emblem Heroes, all the characters were generally near the same power. But in real life, the power scaling was unfathomable. God-like beings like Naga and Grima existed here, so he would have to be careful about confronting stronger entities. 

He could also acquire souls, as he could do as he liked during battle. Now that it was established that this world of Fire Emblem Heroes was in the Book I of the plot, he could rest easy. He was genuinely curious as to how the heroes of the different games would treat him, as he used to idolize some of them. 

"Well, if you're going to be part of my forces, you should follow me. Please be nice to my allies," The summoner said with a bit of sass. Akros rolled his eyes and did as he was told. He had to act the part, or so he thought originally. He could just be nice, and see how it goes. But he didn't trust anyone beside Lyra with his life. 

He and the summoner took a long walk to a large building, looking like a medieval barracks. The exterior was mostly white and gray, with the design being very intricate. As they approached the building, two humans, a man and a woman, came up to the summoner. One drew his sword and pointed it at Akros.

"Kiran! Where have you been? And why is this monster following you?" The young man said worried, glancing at the summoner. 

"I was using the purple summoning orb. The gates to other worlds are open, so I figured I'd just see what happens. That is what happened," The summoner gestured to Akros. He frowned at the disrespectful tone.

"I am no object, human. You will refer to me by my name, Akros," His voice was deep and rough, anything but comforting to them. Only in his thoughts was his voice gentle, which is how he could soothe Lyra. Right now he wanted to intimidate, but not too much. Only to show them a fraction of his power, unless they were stronger than he thought.

He knew the young man and woman by the summoner were the prince and princess of Askr and the founders of the Order of Heroes that would clean up Zenith, the continent they lived in. He also remembered them as weak in the game, and they didn't look like much either. However, he didn't quite remember their names...

"Don't worry, he's on our side. I've signed a contract with him so he'll fight for us and not harm us, so everything is fine," Kiran said with heavy exasperation. She didn't want the royalty of Askr to make a bad first impression on the demon, but it was too late.

"I have no qualms with you humans. If you respect me, I shall respect you. If you wish to fight, then bring it," Akros said, smacking his tail upon the ground. He then made a come at me gesture at the prince, who scowled in return.

"You're sure he's safe?" The prince asked cautiously, only to get shoved to the ground by the princess. "Oof! What the heck, sister?!"

"Brother, you need to have more faith in Kiran! She said he's on our side, so he is! Besides, he looks strong. Why push away a powerful recruit?" The princess placed her hands on her hips defiantly, then turned to Akros. "Sorry about my brother, he can be a knucklehead."

"No need to apologize. He has to learn somehow, does he not?" Akros held in his laughter at the scene. He never liked the prince as a character due to his lack of masculinity and strength. A weak prince. Akros could also proclaim himself as a prince killer without lying. Not quite regicide. "Now, not to be needy, but I would love a bath. I reek of the Abyss, which you probably don't favor."

"The Abyss?" Prince and princess asked in unison, almost concealing Kiran's surprised gasp. Akros heard it and grimaced.

I forgot, damn it! Kiran should be a human from a modern world. Who's to say she hasn't read the novel too! I need to speak with her in private about what she knows.

"Yes. It is where demons live. I was summoned and taken out of it by, Kiran, was it?"

"Yeah, that's me," She nodded. Her manner of speaking was more modern as well, he noted.

"Well, I can tell you more about myself and the Abyss after I soak. I simply don't know the layout of this building, so may one of you be so kind as to guide me?" Akros liked speaking old fashion. It felt right with him being a demon, and most demons who could speak proficiently had good manners. 

"Sure! Follow me!" The princess began to make her way into the giant barracks. Akros followed her swiftly, but not without noticing the prince's glare and Kiran's shock, as if she came to a grand realization.

She must know something if she's making that face. Or maybe she's trying to trick me. I can't assume she knows much, but I need to question her anyway. Maybe if she proves trustworthy I'll tell her more about the novel and reality in the Abyss.

"By the way, what's your name?" The princess asked after they were inside. She had long blonde hair and wielded a white spear and shield, with scalemail on her torso but only a battle skirt to cover her legs. Her outfit made Akros sigh internally. This is part of the reason why she was never good in the game. Her outfit doomed her to be balanced, rather than specialize in one area such as speed or strength. 

She tilted her head in confusion at his silence. "Uh, hello?"

"My apologies. My name is Akros. What is your name, young lady?" He pushed his thoughts aside for now. He was quite vexed on how trusting this princess was. Perhaps he could manipulate her, or use her to gain trust with the other heroes. Although they were fairly deep in the building now, he hadn't seen any heroes yet.

"I'm Sharena, princess of Askr. The guy who was pointing his sword at you is brother, Alfonse," She chirped. Akros found her kind of cute, in an innocent way. However, she was too trusting for his tastes. Alfonse was right to be cautious.

"So, why are you creating this Order of Heroes? Is there a powerful enemy to fight?" Akros' saiyan cells had been pent up for a good battle. He had never picked tough fights intentionally in order to survive, but his lust for battle was getting unbearable. One-sided slaughter was only so satisfying for a warrior. He was hoping to fight some powerful heroes from other worlds that Embla summoned, as some of the humans here were quite powerful. If he met Ike or Hector, some of the strongest protagonists, he was bound to have a good fight.

"Yeah, sadly. The Emblian Empire, which used to be our ally, is now against us. They've been summoning heroes by keeping the inter-dimensional gates that they're supposed to close open. The current Emblian princess is following her father's will by trying to invade and take over Askr but now they have summoned heroes on their side. We figured the best way to counteract that was to summon heroes of our own. We first summoned Kiran, the summoner herself. She can use Breidablik to summon heroes, and so far we've amassed a strong squadron, but I fear that we need more. I hate so sound greedy, but the Emblian Empire has more resources then we do, because the king of Askr isn't onboard with the Order of Heroes," Sharena sighed, but gave him a tired smile. "Well, now we have you here. I believe you and I can be best friends, and together we can fight back the Emblian army! After all, you look... strong."

She hesitated for a moment as she scanned his body, trying not to stare at the bulging muscles covering his torso, arms, and legs. His glittering purple augments made him a feast for the eyes as well, so she had to forcefully look away. 

"Uh, sure. How many heroes have you summoned yet?" Akros hoped the Order of Heroes had sufficient numbers. Otherwise he'd have to do most of the work, which was fine until demigods and dragons got involved. Sharena tapped her chin with a finger, thinking.

"Well, we have Roy, Lyn, Eirika, Ephraim, Lucina, Corrin, Byleth, Hector, Chrom, Marth, Alm, Genny, and Lachesis. That makes 12."

Mostly sword lords. I should've expected this. Although Hector and Ephraim are axe and lance lords, they should be nice to have. Especially Hector, with Armads he's a powerhouse. I don't know a lot about the rest of them though. Roy was the son of Eliwood and wielder of the Sealed Sword. Lyndis was a swordmaster who wielded the Sol Katti, a massive katana capable of rending dragon scale. Now that I think about it, if I scale the heroes' power to the fire dragon in FE7, some of these guys are potential dragon slayers. That's a little scary. I may not be able to fight a full grown dragon yet, even at full power.

"The men's baths are down this hall to the left," Sharena's voice woke him from his thoughts. She pointed down the hall next to them. "We'll host a tactical meeting in an hour, so try to be quick."

"Got it. I'll make it snappy," Akros began to walk away, then stopped abruptly and turned to Sharena again. "Princess Sharena."

"Yes?" She perked up at his serious, yet somber tone.

"You cannot place your trust in others blindly. It will lead to your demise. I appreciate your hospitality, but be wary. Not every otherworldly hero will be friendly to you just because Kiran summoned them."

With that, he disappeared. In a flash of black energy he vanished from her sight, leaving her stunned. She came back to her senses after thinking about his parting words. As she went to the council chamber, she thought deeper and harder about it. 

"Trusting others blindly will lead to my demise. Why did he sound so... sad when he said that? Maybe he spoke from experience? I don't wanna overthink it, but I also can't let it go. What would mother do?"

When she entered the council room, Kiran, Alfonse, and Anna were already there. Anna was a general in the Askr army, a powerful axe wielder, and mentor to the royal siblings. The four sat down and traded ideas about their newest recruit before the heroes arrived at the meeting.

"He's dangerous. If we can't kill him, we should restrain him. He could kill whoever whenever aside from Kiran!" Alfonse growled, having been humiliated by his sister and angered by her lack of caution. The cloaked summoner shook her head.

"I don't think he will. I have knowledge on demons like Akros from my world. He allied himself with us so he can acquire souls by killing our enemies. The only problem with that, is..."

"We don't need to massacre Embla," Anna finished her sentence with a nod of agreement. "As long as we can establish peace, no further bloodshed is needed. We need Princess Veronica alive or the Emblian Empire will rage against us."

"If we can make her see the errors of her ways, we may be able to get a peace treaty without harming her at all. How do we go about that though?" Alfonse suggested in a calmer manner. He would only humiliate himself further by being contemptuous, so he pushed his anger aside along with his navy bangs.

"The best way would be to capture her and show her the suffering she's bringing to our people. Which is almost impossible. However, if we play defensive long enough and summon more heroes, we can force her to make a rash move. She's already threatened by my existence, so she may go after the summoning grounds if we push her into a corner," Kiran said with a smirk. 

She had played other Fire Emblem games in her world to know how the antagonists acted. Her tactics in this world were often without flaw. Only when an unknown outlier like Akros appeared did she get nervous. She frowned as she thought about the demon. She wasn't absolutely sure, but she thought that he was a demon like those in a novel she once read. There was something off about him that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Perhaps he was another reincarnated demon with a system... no, she ruled it out. The chances were microscopic.

"Then we force her to surrender after surrounding her? Risky, but sounds possible," Anna concluded. "Let's propose this to the heroes, see what they think. Their strategies are always beneficial."

"Besides Hector's," Alfonse added.

"Indeed."

"Sister, is something the matter? You're oddly quiet," Sharena jolted at her brother's voice calling to her. She laughed nervously and looked away.

"I'm fine. Just thinking about... stuff."

"That demon didn't do anything to you, did he?" Alfonse asked with a murderous glare. One hand instinctively went to his gladius. Kiran smacked him on the head, making him yelp. He held his scalp and whined: "What was that for?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Alfonse. Akros is likely stronger than all of us here. He is a valuable addition to our forces, and probably a match for Ephraim, maybe even Hector," Kiran scolded. She sighed and crossed her arms. "If you make an enemy out of him, you're putting us in more danger. I can assure you he's on our side. His goal is to acquire souls, and for him to do that-"

"He has to fight for us, I know. I just can't rest easy with that monster under our roof, is all."

"I understand, brother. You'll get used to it though. As Kiran summons more heroes, she's bound to summon dragons or other non-human warriors. Even if Akros is an evil being by nature, one's nature doesn't mean everything. Angels can fall, and demons can rise," Sharena smiled at her brother kindly. "Have faith in Kiran."

A couple minutes later, the leaders of the Order of Heroes were accompanied by the heroes Kiran summoned. The first hero to enter the conference room was Alm, and after him the other eleven heroes soon followed. Lachesis was the last to enter, fully equipped with makeup that made her a sight to all men. As she was closing the door behind her, a clawed hand suddenly gripped it, alarming the heroes. The stood and drew their weapons before Kiran told them to stand down. 

They stood on guard reluctantly as Lachesis drew away from the door that was reopening. A tall and robust black skinned humanoid entered with a low chuckle. The being's eyes were purple with a red dot, the sclera being invisible among his skin. His sharp amethyst teeth, horns, claws, tail, and wings gleamed with dark pride. The crystalline armor on his tail was segmented like an exoskeleton, ending where his tail joined his back. The end of his tail was adorned with a arrowhead shaped blade made of the same material as the exoskeleton. 

In his free hand was a massive longsword, the serrated blade glowing blood red. The blade by itself was as tall as its wielder and the hilt and handle as long as his arm. He dragged it behind him as he sat at the last seat of the circular conference table, his tail closing the door silently. As he sat he rested the sword against his shoulder flat, and destroyed the back section of the elegant chair with his wings and tail. He was now on a fancy stool, giving the heroes an sly smile.

"Why so tense? I have no intention of harming any of you," Akros teased, earning a couple curses from them. "I am merely attending this meeting as per princess Sharena's request."

Everyone turned to said woman, who awkwardly cleared her throat. She stood up and said in a nervous voice: "Everyone, meet Akros, Kiran's latest summon."

"Seriously?" Hector, a tall armored man with dark blue hair asked. "Why would you summon a monster to join our ranks?"

"That is no monster. That is a demon, one we must kill!" Ephraim, a young man with turquoise hair interjected with a fierce tone. "He is a great threat to this world!"

The others nodded silently, still holding their weapons tightly.

"Wait, you guys!" Kiran waved her hands in surrender. "He's on our side. He gains nothing by harming us, so he's going to fight alongside us. Isn't that right, Akros?"

"Yikes. So hostile," Akros sighed. He didn't want to die nor did he want to kill them, so he thought of a way to make them believe him. His face brightened when he found a solution. "Kiran's right. I could've killed her after she summoned me here, but I gain more souls if I kill your enemies instead. Besides, I'd like a little peace and quiet after being in the Abyss for so long. It's noisy in there."

"The Abyss is... noisy?" Byleth, a navy haired beauty spoke in disbelief. "You mean, you just want some peace and quiet?"

"Yes. Always someone or something trying to kill me. Such is the life of a demon, I'm afraid. So may I ask for peace between us? I don't want any unnecessary conflict."

"..." The heroes were quiet for a moment, then shared looks. After coming to a silent agreement, they sheathed or put down their weapons, but most of them still looked at Akros with caution. A few, consisting of Byleth, Lachesis, Roy, and Marth weren't so wary of him. 

Byleth was a woman of mystery herself, and was very interested in what Akros could tell her about the Abyss. She could relate to someone who was busy with work or assailants. On top of that, Akros' sword reminded her of her Creator Sword. She would ask him about himself later.

Lachesis idolized her brother as the ideal man. Never before had she met someone who radiated a manly aura like Akros. He took masculine to a new height, she thought. Even her brother Eldigan wasn't this muscular, she had to admit. Still, she didn't see him as much besides a meathead.

Roy saw Akros as a tired warrior. While he did admit that the demon was an odd recruit, he was open minded to non-humans. After all, his mother was a dragon. In his original world, he had dragonkin companions such as Fae, a holy dragon and Sophia, a half-breed. He would ask him about his travels later.

Marth was simply a sympathetic person by nature. He felt bad pointing his sword at someone who had been unable to rest. He would talk to Akros later about his struggles.

The other 8 heroes were more cautious, but not necessarily hateful. 

Eirika and Ephraim shared a similar mindset: demons were not to be trusted. After fighting the Fomortiis, a self-proclaimed demon king, they knew a demon when they saw one. Akros' demonic aura was stronger and more pure, so they immediately saw him as dangerous. They wouldn't be trusting him anytime soon, even if he did something to prove loyalty. 

Genny was intimidated by the demon's stature. She found him quite frightening to look at, and his voice only made that image more fearsome. She was alert out of fear and not much else.

Alm and Hector didn't know how to feel. They didn't have anything against a unknown person, but a demon was a demon. They couldn't trust him so easily, so they were cautious due the lack of knowledge. 

Lyn was more offended that Akros wasn't taking them seriously. He sat down like he owned the place, with no regard to their drawn weapons. Either he was brave or ridiculously strong, and she wanted to see which it was. She'd ask for a duel later.

Chrom and Lucina were very protective of each other. When they saw Akros enter the room with a giant glowing sword they were already back to back with their Falchions drawn. They were wary of dark entities such as demons due to their experiences with Grima, the fell dragon.

Corrin was wary of dark beings as well. She had seen some of her loved ones, her family, be corrupted and turn evil. She was deathly afraid of such events reoccurring, so she fought against darkness with every ounce of her strength.

Kiran cleared her throat, and began to conference. She told them about her plan to lure Veronica into Askr so they could pin her down, and to do that they would have to push her forces back while leaving the summoning grounds alone at some point. She did admit that she'd summon more heroes before they left the summoning grounds, which raised the moral in the room.

Akros would nod at her points, agreeing with the tactic. He thought it brilliant yet risky, and he loved those kind of operations in games. His life was similar to a game anyway, why fight it? 

Anna dismissed the heroes to let them resume their day. They all went to train or drink over tea, as they hadn't known each other for long. The first summon was Chrom, which was only two days ago. 

When Akros himself left the room he was met with a surprise. Byleth was waiting for him, leaning on the wall next to the doors of the meeting room. She jerked her head to the left, which he understood as a follow me gesture. 

You are reading story Imagination Incarnate at novel35.com

"Something you want to talk about?" Akros inquired with genuine curiosity. Looking past Byleth's charming figure, he didn't know much about her. He wouldn't mind trading information about himself to learn about the world of Fire Emblem Three Houses.

"Yes, if you don't mind. How about we talk over tea? It's a good way to relax," She said as she led him to the canteen. The space was designed like a diner, simply much larger and cleaner. Maids, butlers, and cooks could be seen working. They bowed to Byleth and Akros, not batting an eye at his appearance. When he asked why they weren't surprised to see him, a butler mentioned how Kiran informed the staff of his existence. 

"Kiran's quite the woman. Summoned here from another world herself, but rather than being scared or confused she goes to work. I can respect a person with drive," Akros said once they were seated at a two person booth. He sipped his tea carefully, as his hands could easily crush the ceramic teacup. 

"I agree. She's bogged down with work between summoning and planning our moves. So far we've only fought bandits in the kingdom. We don't have enough forces to challenge Veronica's army yet," Byleth sighed, taking a sip of tea. She looked at Akros with interest. "Perhaps you possess great enough power. After all, you appear to be built for combat."

"All demons are, in one way or another. We have different fighting methods that suit our bodies and magic. I'm a... I suppose you'd call me an elemental demon. I can cast shadow and shadowflame magic," Akros lit a tiny purple flame on his pinky. Byleth gasped, dropping her teacup. He caught it between two claws, then looked at her with concern. "What's wrong, Byleth?"

"Y-you can cast magic without tome or incantation?!" She whisper-yelled, careful not to alert the staff nearby. He extinguished the flame and nodded. She gawked at him wide-eyed. "Unbelievable. Is demon magic that much different than human's?"

"Yes and no," Akros tapped his chin, wondering how to explain. "Stronger magic does require an incantation in the demon language, which only demons can speak. We speak directly to your soul, and your soul responds. Speaking to me will feel different than speaking to another human."

"I see. Go on," Byleth nodded furiously, taking notes in a small journal with a pen. Akros felt a bead of cold sweat on his cheek.

You can't be serious. Fine, write all of this down, woman.

"When we use magic, it's a more raw and pure energy than human magic, which is controlled via a long incantation or tome. Demons simply do whatever with our specific magic granted via bloodline or magic item. I am a shadow demon, so I can wield shadow magic. When I consumed a hellfire seed, a naturally growing magic item from the Abyss, I should've inherited hellfire magic but it morphed into shadowflame due to my dark attribute. Now, I can wield weak shadow magic and shadowflame magic at will, but powerful exertions of these magics will require me to speak at least a short incantation. Usually nothing more than the attack's name, like "Solar Flare" or "Mortal Gleam", my two most powerful offensive attacks. They aren't spells per se, more like a technique I use with my magic. It's similar to a special move in martial arts that has a specific name so its memorable. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, yes. Tell me about the Abyss you say you come from. What is it like?" Byleth's hand moved at incredible speeds, making Akros realize she indeed wrote all of what he said down, even drawing pictures of what came to her mind. He gulped, regretting underestimating this human woman. He didn't want to be rude, but he had no real reason to tell her much more... then again he wanted to establish good relationships here so he said screw it.

"The Abyss is the plane of existence, or realm, that demons live in primarily. Demons born there can travel between worlds, and remain in those worlds if the magic density is high enough or if they make a demon contract. A demon who is currently in a contract with a living being cannot leave the world they're in until one party dies or the contract is fulfilled. When a demon dies in another world, their soul is preserved and sent to the Abyss, where their body resurrects. This is called the Ouroburos mark, found on any demon born in the Abyss. A demon born in another world or created with magic cannot travel between them nor make demon contracts. Children of Taboo, or demon hybrids born from a demon and a humanoid race such as humans, elves, dwarves, et cetera can freely travel between worlds without having to worry about repulsion or making a demon contract with someone. Children of Taboo are usually hunted down, either for their abilities and power or because of their blood. They belong to neither race that they were born from, seen as freaks. A Child of Taboo born from a powerful demon will usually inherit their magic power and strength, along with whatever attributes they have. Magic type doesn't necessarily pass down, but it is common. Now, the Abyss itself is infinite, no one knows where it ends. It begins with the upper Abyss, home to low-rank demons and weak demonic monsters. These monsters aren't demons themselves, but can evolve into them if they live long enough. The upper Abyss is full of lava rivers, volcanoes, black trees and fields of ash. The middle Abyss, home to middle-rank demons such as I is similar to the upper Abyss but is darker and with stronger gravity. Low-rank demons can descend into the middle Abyss to promote to middle-rank, but only if their bloodline is pure enough and they have eaten enough souls to increase the magic stored in their hearts. When a low-rank demon promotes to middle-rank, one of their bloodlines is stimulated and their entire body morphs into whatever that bloodline is. A male low-rank demon can promote into a succubus. A female low-rank demon can promote into a hulking war demon. I myself promoted into a shadow demon, which is why my skin is black and I have purple gem-like extremities. Some demons possess certain attributes deep within them that may change whatever magic they inherit, like how my dark attribute turned hellfire into shadowflame. A demon with a lightning attribute may consume a hellfire seed and be able to use hell lightning magic rather than hellfire magic. That covers just about everything I know about the Abyss and my kin."

I'm not telling her about my system, Lyra, or my knowledge of everything else. I have to act like I know what a middle-rank should know by now. I can say that I'm an older demon who's been gathering information for decades. 

"Thank you for telling me this information. I like to study, so I thought I'd look into a being from the unknown like you. Now, how about I tell you about myself?" Byleth said with a pleased smile. Akros sipped his tea calmly, feeling better after spilling some of the endless beans. With his always thinking mind, chatting to someone about his knowledge made him feel better. 

"Sure, I'm listening. Can't say I'll take notes though," He chuckled, tucking in his wings so he could lean back. The whole time he was slouched forward, as he didn't know how to fully retract his wings so he could lay on his back. 

Byleth herself had found his posture humorous, but didn't want to mock him. His wings looked like deadly weapons, if anything she'd compliment their sharpness. So she began her story.

"I was born a commoner. My mother died after my birth and father was a mercenary. He taught me to fight, and when I grew up I joined his mercenary company. My feats in battle, apparently my unwavering courage, leaded to me gaining the alias the "Ashen Demon". The name means little now that I'm front of a real demon. Anyways, long story short I meet this girl named Sothis, who saves my life and helps me become stronger with time. I become an academy professor, which leads me to killing a friend who became a dragon, then turned back into a human as they died."

"Uh..."

"Well, I've enjoyed this conversation with you. I'm glad to know I can trust you, as you trust me with your knowledge. I'll gladly chat with you again at a later date. Toodles," Byleth left the scene, leaving Akros to sit there shocked. He righted himself in time to see a bit of her hips swaying as she walked. He finished his tea, and stood with a dumb smile. 

Ashen Demon? I'll turn her into the White Demon. I've never been much of an ass guy, but that ass is unreal for a human. She's got better curves then Beta, and the lack of emotion she displays makes her interesting. I'll have to learn how to read her, and I'm glad we're on good terms. Spilling some of my knowledge was the right move. Hey, Lyra?

"What." She sounded pissed, reminding Akros that she could hear his dirtier thoughts.

Forgive my indecency. But I wanted to ask, when I create a body for you, do you want it to be similar to hers? 

"W-W-W-WHAAAAAT?!" Akros' head hurt a little as she screamed in shock, disgust, and hope all at the same time. 

Yeah. Well after seeing the women I've been with, you probably desire a curvy bod, right? She has a curvy bod. In fact, big tits would totally fit with your momma side.

"I... I don't even know what to say anymore. You're beyond redemption, you fucking filthy perverted rapist. If you want me to have big tits so you can fuck them, then fine." Her voice was more disappointed than anything. He slouched as he left the canteen, feeling ashamed.

I really meant it out of concern for how you felt, not me. Once I give you a body, you're stuck in it unless I destroy that body and create you another. So I want to do it right the first time. Besides, who said anything about me fucking you? 

"S-shut up! Don't think you can get out of this one! You just want to make me into a sex toy!"

The hell're you saying?! I know you can see my emotions, and you know that ain't true! Stop this nonsense!

"Urgh... fine. I know you don't actually feel that way, but..."

But?

"You totally sounded like a pervert. Work on your vocabulary, please."

Oh whatever. Don't get horny thoughts yet. When you have a fuckable body, then we'll have that conversation. 

"YOU FUCKING PERVERT!!!"

What? Don't act like you weren't fake whining about being my sex toy. You actually want to have sex, just to feel, right? We can have passionate sex, vanilla even. 

"I... I..." Lyra was at a loss for words. She had no body, but if she did she'd be fully flushed in the face. She begrudgingly admitted she did want to feel it, because she was desperate to feel. Not like she hated him...

"Whatever, perv. Go do something productive, like, oh, I don't know, SPENDING SOME OF THOSE DAMN HIGH QUALITY SOULS!?!"

Shut up, woman! I'm saving them in case I need them for an emergency skill!

"Oh, really? Like a contraception skill?" Her voice was oozing sarcasm, ticking him off a little.

Is that how you're gonna play? Fine. I'll make you watch every sexual encounter I have in the future, even the conversation leading up to it.

"W-wait, I didn't mean it! Don't!"

Too late. Get ready to watch some live-action monster hentai, woman.

"Noooooooooooooo!"

They bickered in his mind until he found himself outside in a balcony. It was the evening now, seemingly summer here in Askr judging by the sun still being high and the warm air. He looked over the walls surrounding the barracks, seeing Lyn engaged with Eirika in a duel. 

The green-haired nomad was far superior in swordplay, but was physically weaker than the princess. When Eirika slashed, Lyn was forced to parry rather than block or she'd be pushed back. But when Eirika missed an attack or failed to deflect an incoming one, she'd suffer harshly against the busty swordmaster. Akros watched leisurely, noting the speed and power of the two. For humans wielding wooden practice swords, they were very strong. They nearly matched up to a upper low-rank demon in terms of strength. Lyn, the faster of the two, was almost as fast as he was before he promoted. The thought made him check his status.

Strength: 270

Speed: 463

Magic Energy: 1,403

Activity: 319

Souls in possession: 30 average-quality souls

Lyra, is there a way to separate "Activity" into "Stamina" and "Vitality"?

"Sure. Gimme a sec."

After eating one soul, Lyra changed his status.

Strength: 270

Speed: 463

Magic Energy: 1,403

Stamina: 211

Vitality: 500

Woah mama. So my stamina and vitality balanced out to my activity value? No, that can't be right. Lyra, activity included things other than vitality and stamina, right?

"Nope. But because stamina is really important in battle, it's weighed more as a stat than vitality. Which doesn't actually make a lot of sense because vitality is just as important, but you know..."

I guess my vitality is high because of my ultraspeed regeneration and my crystalline parts. My stamina's likely low because I've never done anything strenuous for an extended period of time besides flying with ki, but that's long gone now. Anyway, what kind of weapon do you think I should make with the etherium, Lyra?

"Hellreaver is a superweapon that should be reserved as a last resort. It's going to become too heavy to wield soon if you keep feeding it, and it's waaaaaay overkill on weaker lifeforms like humans. You should probably craft a weapon you can wield with speed and technique, you can't really practice swordplay with Hellreaver.

Speed and technique, huh? Maybe a katana? I'd make a short sword but with my claws, wings, and tail there's no need for short range. 

"You can create a large weapon like a waraxe with etherium and it'd still be light compared to Hellreaver's current weight," Lyra added. "Consider a scythe as well, it'd be more fitting for a demon than a katana."

That is undeniably true, but katanas are cool. The main issue with a pole type weapon is the lack of short range. I can't use my wings or claws when I have a giant axe in my hands. I think a katana is my best shot.

"Whatever you want. Weeb."

Hey! I barely watched anime!

"Even though you've watched enough One Piece to know everything about Haki?"

...agh. I give up. 

During his mental conversation, Akros failed to notice that the women below him stopped clashing. They had noticed his presence some time ago, ignoring it at first. Now they stared at him as he had a thousand yard stare that bore into the evening sky.

"Um, hello?" Eirika called out as she waved at him, trying to get his attention. He didn't move for another few seconds, looking bewildered. He hopped over the balcony railing and landed nearby the two, shaking the ground with his impact. Lyn and Eirika watched him warily, gripping their practice swords tight. 

"You two are Princess Eirika and Lady Lyn, yes?" Akros gave a formal greeting, putting on a stoic face. The two ladies exchanged a knowing glance, silently saying let's see what he wants.

"Yes. What business do you have with us?" Lyn said in a respectful, but cautious tone. "We were in the process of sparring."

"I am not very good at swordplay. I've had to teach myself almost everything I know, so I've never been taught the proper way of the sword. Lady Lyn, I wanted to ask you if you could teach me. You seem quite skilled with a blade."

Lyn blinked, surprised. She had thought he was watching them out of perverse desires, so she was certainly happier. Eirika wasn't so swayed. Her encounters with Fomortiis taught her the hard way to never trust a demon's silver tongue.

"Or is that an excuse to accidentally kill her during training?" She said viciously. Lyn turned to her wide-eyed.

"Eirika!" Lyn gasped, thinking about the possibility. She was more trusting than Eirika was, and didn't consider such a result. 

"Hmm..." Akros frowned. He remembered Eirika as a naive sweetheart in the games. In this universe, did she actually mature and learn? This may prove problematic. Yet, he merely shrugged. He just had to prove he was different than the final boss of FE8, some self-proclaimed demon king. No way an actual demon king would lose to a bunch of humans. "I haven't troubled you at all, have I? You must have some bad experience with another demon..."

Eirika glared at him angrily. "How do you know?"

"You and your brother both seem to despise me even though I've done... literally nothing since I arrived in this world. Obviously you two struggled against a demon before, and I'm merely receiving your prejudice. Am I wrong?" 

"That's... yes, that just about covers it," Eirika sighed, then looked at him coldly, but with less intensity. "You really just want to learn swordplay?"

"Yes, I do. Would you like to see my skill?" Akros chuckled. "I really am that bad at the sword. I've only survived until now due to my raw power and now much else."

This was the truth. Akros wasn't smooth with Hellreaver, nor any of his powers yet. He hadn't had enough time to practice them, nor could he safely do so in the Abyss. He desperately wanted to practice controlling his Abyssal Tremor, but it was too dangerous to use in most places. Even on the battlefield he risked harming his allies with the broken earth or magma that spewed from it.

"This choice is yours, Lyn. I'll be taking my leave now," Eirika turned heel, but not before tossing her practice sword to Akros. Lyn watched her go, then gave him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry about her. She has trauma with demons, as you guessed. I'm also sorry about my hostility earlier, I have no excuse."

"No no, rather it's good that you are naturally hostile towards me," Akros shook his head. "I am a little different from my kin. If you met another demon from the Abyss, they'd probably kill all of you or die trying."

"Sounds about right," Lyn nodded, then looked at him curiously with a tilt of her head. "Why are you different from other demons? Are you enlightened or something?"

"Enlightened isn't the right word. I'm, well... it's a long story. Maybe something to talk over tea about, if you dare?" He winked at her with a sly smile. She snorted, returning the smile.

"In your dreams, bucko. Now show me your talent with the sword, although if you could hold back... you know, your raw strength is definitely superior to mine. I don't want to break these swords, or myself."

"As you wish," He gripped the blunt wooden sword with one hand. "You know, this is a little short for me. Is there anything longer?"

After Akros went rummaging through the training field's armory with Lyn's guidance, he took out a wooden staff that was as long as he was tall. He held it with both hands and assumed a battle stance. Lyn raised an eyebrow.

"That's your stance? Evidently you're used to heavy weapons. You want to learn swordplay to handle lighter weapons, is that it?" 

"Hellreaver, my glowing red sword, is indeed very heavy. I want to forge a lighter weapon, and to wield it properly I need to learn to how use my speed to its fullest. My technique is, well, I don't have one," Akros admitted, scratching his cheek sheepishly. Lyn smiled.

"Alright, this is gonna be tough for you, then. Here goes!"

After an hour of getting outmaneuvered by Lyn, Akros had learned a bit. He was starting to grasp that speed and power weren't everything when against skill. Lyn, albeit weaker, slower, and smaller managed to push him back. He made sure to let her know how impressed he was with her skill, making her a little bashful. 

"I have years of practice with the sword. I'd be a bit of a failure if I wasn't good by now, right?" She said, panting. Akros' eyes get drifting down to her chest as it heaved, but he focused on her green eyes as he shook his head in disagreement.

"I don't think so. There are demons who have lived for centuries yet never took the time to practice their technique. Most demons survive off of raw strength or magical power and not much else."

"Really? That's kind of stupid. Why wouldn't they train?" Lyn scoffed as they put their swords away. She found the idea of not bettering yourself foolish, as did Akros. As they conversed on this topic, they began to understand each other better.

They were still chatting about technique when they got to the canteen, which was now partially full with the other heroes and the Askrian leaders. Sharena called to them, beckoning to her long table which sat 6, currently only with her, Anna, Alfonse, and Kiran. The prince didn't seem elated to see Akros sit at the same table, but he wasn't as hostile as earlier. The demon sat between Lyn and Sharena, across from Anna who had Kiran and Alfonse to her sides.

"So, how do you like our base, Akros?" Anna asked, handing him a menu. He skimmed over it before answering.

"I haven't been to every corner, but so far it's pretty cozy. Oh! That reminds me, where can I sleep?" He ran a hand through his short and spiky black hair. "I haven't gotten a wink in months." 

"We can get you a room to stay in, of course. I was waiting until night fell to address that matter," Sharena said with fake confidence, trying to hide the fact that she forgot about assigning him a room. The others stifled laughter and even Akros smiled. 

The group had a light conversation after they ordered their respective meals, Akros himself ordering a sirloin steak with mashed potatoes as he very pleased to see that the foods existed in this world. They talked about where the next bandit interception would be, Kiran's summoning schedule, and going over war crimes for Akros' sake.

"I am a demon. War crimes are sorta my specialty, besides the cowardly ones. Is there a certain crime that I must avoid at all costs?"

"Uh, yeah. Probably the one about killing children. Please do not," Anna said with a palm to her face. Akros was reasonable with most things, but it was difficult and irritating to make him understand human law. Lyn and Kiran, the other people at the table who weren't born in Askr was learning as well, but it was nothing new. Most worlds that the heroes were summoned from were similar in terms of human establishment and law. For Kiran it was like a history lecture.

"More accurately, don't harm anyone who isn't your enemy," Alfonse said briskly, sharing Anna's annoyed attitude. "We are fighting in our own lands. If we injure or kill civilians they will lose trust in us and we will lose our image as protectors of Askr. Does that make sense?"

"Mhm," Akros hummed, taking a sip of milk. He savored the taste, having been without it for ages. "I know basic politics like that. What I meant is there any obscure ones? Different worlds have different war crimes due to varying weaponry and tactics, so I never know what to expect."

"There is one. Using ballistic magic in a city. It causes huge problems, so please refrain," Sharena replied. Akros nodded, remembering something a similar law existing in his original world. 

"I shouldn't be in crowded areas anyway. I might frighten the civilians, and my magic is extremely destructive. Just keep that in mind when you deploy me," Akros smirked mischievously, and added: "Unless you want me to cause mass destruction, which I'm always willing to do."

"You're the first offensive mage I've summoned, so you can give our melee fighters covering fire," Kiran commented in a cheerful tone. "Hopefully I can summon more ranged fighters so you don't have to do all of the ballistic attacks."

"I wouldn't worry about that, I can wipe out armies by myself. The only issue is the collateral damage that will ensue," Akros took another sip of milk. "Archers are more pinpoint with their attacks, so if you can try and summon a few."

"Hm, if only I could control my summoning. We've been playing with the cards we've been dealt, and it'll likely stay that way."

"Say, Akros?" Anna asked with a sly smile. "If you love destroying things so much, I may have a mission for you."

"An annihilation assignment?" Akros let loose an evil laugh, alerting the entire canteen. Once he calmed down, he bore a malicious grin. "Of course! Point me in the right direction, and I will demolish anything you want! RAAGHAHAHAHA!"

Kiran, Alfonse and Anna felt a bead of cold sweat trailing down their necks. This demon could be a very useful asset to them, but also a very destructive enemy if they treated him poorly. It didn't make them comfortable knowing how willing he was to destroy.

Lyn and Sharena were more happy that he was willing to actually help them. They weren't as tactically knowledgeable so they didn't worry about those things. Lyn did lean into his ear to warn him though.

"Just don't get a big head because you're powerful, you hear? I'd hate for you to die because your ego got too big."

"Oh, so you care about my wellbeing? I'm touched, Lyn," He whispered back with a toothy smirk. She rolled her eyes playfully and lightly punched his shoulder. "Alright, alright. I hear ya."

Once everyone's food arrived, their conversation paused. Akros surprised all of them with his table manners, leading Anna to ask where he was taught them. He inwardly panicked a little, but made up a clever excuse after a few seconds.

"I've been to other worlds. I once served as a butler for a more powerful demon, and so out of fear of his contempt I learned quickly from a kind maid. She essentially saved my life. One day I will return to that world to free her from her shackles of servitude."

He was referring to Beta, making a half-lie. She had taught him a little bit about ettiquite that he didn't learn as a human. Fortunately they bought the lie, except for Kiran, who seemed unmoved. Akros remembered from earlier that she might know his origins. He had to find out what she knew, tonight before he was possibly exposed.

She may keep it a secret to keep me on her side, possibly blackmailing me. I hate even the thought. Fortunately my observation Haki is getting better. I can sense her location through walls as long as she's within a 1,000 feet.

The rest of their meal was quiet, save for them asking Akros about his food. He loved the steak and potatoes, and made sure the chefs knew when he left the canteen later. Anna showed him to an empty bedroom, albeit small it was cozy. 

A king sized bed, a window with curtains, a closet, and a desk. The gold and white theming wasn't entirely his schtick, but he didn't hate it. He thanked Anna, and got the room situated. The chair for the desk was converted into a spinning office chair without the back with the help of Lyra. It only cost him a few souls, so he didn't mind. 

He planned to stay in this world for a long, long time. It would be a great spot to master his powers, collect a decent number of souls, bang hot women albeit that was a side bonus, and encounter magical relics. He may even find a way to create a host body for Lyra here, as the magic of Fire Emblem had no limits. 

He left the closet empty, as his clothes would go to his inventory when unequipped. That thought reminded him of something he forgot. The sets of armor he stole from Nazarick! He politely asked Lyra to show him their statuses, and she delivered.

Adamantine Set

+175 DEF

+100 VIT

+75 SPD

+50 ATK

+50 MGC PWR

Armor forged from a rare, incredibly hard metal found deep within the earth. A balanced armor set with various boosts and is incredible durable. No outstanding bonus.

No outstanding bonus!? How are those insane buffs not a bonus?! This must've been some high level gear in the game Yggdrasil, I only found it by luck. Only issue is actually wearing it. Lyra, can I melt this with shadowflame?

"You can, but not easily. It'll take several hours of constant flame to melt it all, but there's no need for such measures. You can change its shape directly with Modify," Lyra stated in an exasperated tone. "Besides, it's too small for you anyway. If you melted and reforged the armor, it'd still be too small. You can add more to it and shape it to fit your body with Modify, but beware the cost. I estimate around 50,000 souls in price to make it cover your entire body."

50,000?! Heavens above. This'll have to wait then. Show me the next set of armor please.

Imperial Gold Set

+100 DEF

+250 ATK

+50 VIT

-100 MGC PWR

God Killer: Damage dealt to deities, gods, demigods, and immortal beings is quadrupled. Grants the wearer the ability to slay immortal beings.

Forged from Imperial Gold, a mystic Greek metal that allows mortals to harm gods. The armor of a god-slaying warrior.

Oh. So that's an outstanding bonus. Wait, slay immortal beings? So in theory I can kill demon kings with this armor equipped? What the hell. But the magic power reduction balances it a little. It's also super flashy, so I shouldn't wear this unless I'm begging for attention. Lyra, how much do you estimate the cost to be to expand and reform this armor?

"100,000 souls, if not more. It's what you call OP, and it's rarity is so high that it costs a lot to create more of the metal. You shouldn't be needing this anytime soon though, right?"

Actually I might. There are several gods and demigods that I could encounter while in this world, like Naga, Duma, Grima, and Surtyr. Well, not all of them are gods, but they would probably count as deities or immortals. Well, I guess I'll have to avoid them. Hellreaver may be able to inflict damage to them, but their souls are way too valuable to give to Hellreaver. That also means I can't use shadowflame, because it burns the soul once the body is incinerated. All power comes at a price I suppose. What's the last armor set, Lyra?

"...it should interest you. I'm surprised you forgot about this set, honestly."

Huh?

Basilisk Scale Set

+50 DEF

+100 STM

+25 ATK

+200 MGC PWR

Infinite Duress: Scales of a Basilisk regrow with time. As long as one scale of this armor exists, it will regenerate to its full size. 

Serpentine Persistence: Basilisks cast magic near infinitely. The wearer of this armor gains 2000% magic recovery speed.

Armor created from Basilisk scales that were melted down and molded. Great for magic casters and extended battles with its stamina and magic boosts. Basilisks are found in high magic worlds, in random locations based on there they hatched.

DAMN! Now this is a mage armor set, like from Terraria. I don't love that rancid green color, but I change that with Modify as well, right Lyra?

"Dummy."

What?!

"You're seriously fretting over color before expanding it to fit you? You're such a moron," She huffed. Is she had a face she'd be puffing her cheek in annoyance. "I know you love color coordination but remember what's actually important."

Like color coordination?

"No, you...! I hate you."

Ouch. Tell me that a thousand more times and I just might believe ya.

"Grrrrr. I hope both sides of your pillow are warm tonight."

Hey now, calm down. There's no need to get so vicious, my little tsundere friend.

"I AM NOT A FUCKING TSUNDERE!!!!"

Akros got a splitting headache as Lyra got angry with him, but he had a goofy smile on his face. He loved irritating her because he loved her reactions. She felt the same way about him, but she was naturally less experienced with teasing. So when she got "angry" at him, she wasn't actually upset. She'd calm down pretty quickly. But she'd act mad until he apologized, just to embarrass him.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please lower your voice before my head explodes. Not that I'll die, I think...?

"You're actually right. Your ultraspeed regeneration will regrow your head as long as your head beats. If your heart is cut in two and not completely destroyed, the halves will regrow. Your soul will stay with one half while the other becomes a soulless clone," Lyra said matter of factly. "Now, to make the Basilisk Scale Armor wearable I'll need 10,000 souls. Not as much as the other two but its still a very valuable material."

Shit. So no armor for a while, but that I guess that's fine. After all this is the early summoning stages of this world, so I shouldn't be facing anything too crazy yet, or so I hope. Well with these sets of armor I shouldn't need an magical armor skill, unless... Lyra, how many high-quality souls would it cost to make an armament Haki skill? Being able to harden a lower quality weapon could prove life saving.

"Depends on the proficiency you set it to. It'll cost 4 high quality souls at the lowest level, which is being able to use it periodically for a few minutes before you run out of stamina. If you want it at the level of  'Katakuri' from the anime, it'll cost 12 high quality souls. The choice is yours."

Augh. That is a hard choice to make. I don't want to waste souls but it'll probably take years to master it. Oh, what the hell. I'm a demon. I have tons of time. Lyra, create armament Haki as a skill, at the lowest level for 4 high quality souls. Two of each, please. 

"Anything for my dear host," Lyra grumbled. The two noble souls and two fallen souls were taken from his inventory, and armament Haki appeared on his skill list.

Skills: Dark Barrier, Dark Ascension, Charm, Abyssal Tremor, Observation Haki, Armament Haki

Wait, now that I think about it, observation haki wasn't on the skill list before, was it? Uh...

"I forgot to display it. Oopsies!"

What the hell, woman!?

"Heehee." Her giggle was very cute, enough to make Akros forget about his irritation. 

Akros finally left his room, pleased with his work. It was getting dark outside, and it seemed that most of the heroes were retiring to their rooms. Their rooms were all down the same hallway, which he somehow missed on his way here. More accurately he was listening Anna talk about his mission tomorrow then paying attention to his surroundings. 

He closed his eyes and activated his observation Haki, sensing the heroes and the Askrians. Kiran's signature was unique, it felt oddly familiar yet so alien for reasons he didn't know. Once Akros located her in the library he used Shadow Step to appear behind her. 

The poor girl had no clue of his presence, so he took a quick look around the library of the Order of Heroes. It was quite vast, dark, and filled to brim with bookshelves. The table Kiran sat at had a stack of books and a single candle that lit the open book she read. Only then did Akros see her uncovered head.

She had dark brown fluffy locks that went to her ribs. She had put her robe to the side on the back of a chair next to hers. Even though he had been there for at least a minute she had yet to move an inch or make a peep. He began to worry for her awareness.

"If you can't detect me you're bound to be captured by enemy forces in the night," He said coldly, making Kiran jump with a yelp. She whipped around to face him, her face expressing her shock and a bit of irritation, but mostly weariness. He frowned at sight of the bags under her eyes. "You need more sleep."

"And you need to announce your arrival," She spat, standing up briskly. She glared at him as best she could, balling her fists. "Why are you here?"

"You know something about me. When I told you and the royal siblings that I came from the Abyss, I caught your gasp. What do you know of the Abyss, little one?" Akros snarled, his wings and tail surrounding her with deadly edges. She opened her mouth to say something, but Akros covered it with a hand. "Don't bother screaming. I'm not gonna rape you or anything. I just don't want you to expose me."

The anger in her hazel eyes reminded him of someone... himself. Now that he took a closer look, he noticed how she had the same dark brown thick hair, hazel eyes, and big lips he did when he was human. It couldn't be a coincidence, could it? But if he made the relation, he'd expose himself... he didn't care.

"So I'll tell you. I was once a human, who died and was reincarnated as a demon of the Abyss. I have a system called the 'Custom Made Demon King System' that helps me survive and grow more powerful. You read the novel, didn't ya?"

He removed his hand, letting her breathe properly. Once she had enough air in her lungs, she looked at him bewildered and afraid. She whispered in a quivering voice, looking like she had seen a ghost. "Y-you're the main character of Custom Made Demon King? But how? How do you know of the novel and yet you're, like, in it now?"

"Because I'm not Roy, the actual main character of the novel. I read the novel when I was human. When I died, it became reality. Now that I've revealed my secret, tell me yours. What are your origins? You look way too similar to what I looked like as a human."

"W-what? You think we're related?" Kiran squeaked. Akros also noticed an another key feature that linked her to him. She couldn't be older than 19, but she had a large bust and wide hips. "Wait, what was your name as a human?"

"Amin ********* ******* ********. I had hazel eyes, thick and fluffy dark brown hair, and big lips. My mother had similar curves as well, not that I like thinking of her that way but you know, it's like you have my genes... hey, what's wrong?"

She started crying after he said his human name. He folded his wings and set his tail behind him, trying to make her feel less threatened, but that's not why she was in tears. She suddenly embraced him, making him feel awkward after pinning her not seconds before. Due to her being 5' 6", she only made it to his abs, but he did his best to return the gesture. Akros knew better than to not comfort a girl he made cry, even if he didn't know why. He could let his guard down because by contract, Kiran couldn't kill him.

"You, sniff... you...!" She started to bawl into his stomach, making him queasy. He hated this, the guilt of making a girl cry with genuine emotion. Even though he was a demon, part of his human emotions remained with circumstance. His guilty conscience never truly disappeared. 

It was also odd to feel the squish of her chest against his gut. He was far too confused to be turned on at the moment. Her arms wrapping around his hips was even more weird. He pat her head and rubbed her back in an attempt to soothe her. By doing this, he made her cry harder.

"W-what are you crying about?!" Akros hissed, getting more uncomfortable by the second.

"You pat my head just like you used to..." She whimpered into his abs. Before he could question what that meant, she continued. "My daddy... was a man of that name... Amin ********* ******* ********... with all the bodily features you mentioned. I finally found you... daddy."

"..." Akros' mouth hung agape. This was his daughter hugging him?! He made his own daughter cry?! But something wasn't right. "Wait a minute. I would've never named my daughter Kiran. I also died as a human when I was 17. How are you my child?"

"Oh... maybe from a different timeline or world? Because your definition of your human self matches my daddy completely," She sniffed. "You're right. My real name isn't Kiran, it's Ryla. You named me at birth and raised me by yourself, a single father working as a welder. You went missing after my 18th birthday, so I had to take care of myself until I moved into my dorm at the university I was going to attend. That was when I encountered the game Fire Emblem Heroes. I needed some form of entertainment to take my mind off of my pain. I missed you so much... and now you've come from a different world, in a different body, but you're still here. That's all I care about."

"You poor child..." Akros cursed his other self. How could he abandon his own daughter! Unless he died in his line of work, and Ryla was never told the truth... how cruel a fate. But he pushed aside those thoughts. For now, he sat down on the floor and held his crying daughter, kissing her forehead. "You know, the name I had saved for my daughter, if I had one, was Lyra. I guess other me was just a little off."

"Really?" Ryla asked with big eyes. Akros stared into them, seeing his own. The sadness, loneliness, and anger inside were identical to his.

"Yes. My system actually has an operator, a lonely soul bound to it. I named her Lyra, even though she's more like a sister to me. I hope to give her a body one day so she can experience life as we do."

"So she's stuck, like in your conscious? Poor thing..." Ryla stopped crying out of empathy for the soul. "Lyra, if you can hear me, just know that I'm on your side. I'd love to help daddy give you a body so you can be my cool auntie."

Hear that, sis?

"Yes, Amin. I'm touched, really. But what were you thinking? We may bicker like siblings, but... I don't feel that way."

Me neither. But I can't tell her "By the way I flirt with the voice in my head". I'd sound insane, or like Master Chief. 

"Master Chief and Cortana, what a good romance story..." Lyra cooed. She had looked at his memories to see the full story during her down time. She was moved by it, to say the least. Then she realized the implication behind it. "Wait, what!? We aren't....!"

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply anything. I merely referred to an example you knew. Forgive me.

"No it's fine," Lyra huffed, mentally pouting. "Totally fine."

Well, you'd be like an auntie to her anyways. She may have a cold exterior she wears around others, but she's a child at heart. A lonely child desperate for parental love. I will succeed where other me failed, and you can help. Only one issue. My demon contract with her. I can't leave this world until one of us die because there is no fulfillment. I cannot let her die. Unless I let myself be slain when I want to leave...

"You can alter your contract even though it's active. I suppose you have no way of knowing that, so I'll give you that info for free." She said smugly, making Akros blink in confusion.

Since when is it not free...?

"S-shut up! I was just being, you know, smooth!" She cried indignantly. Akros smirked.

You're adorable, you know that?

"W-W-WHAT?! Where d-did that come f-from?!" Lyra sputtered, trying not to sound happy.

Your voice, and how much you thrash around when I tease you... I love your emotional tendencies.

"You... love my... emotions?"

They fill the hole where mine once lay.

"Amin..."

Don't. Let me enjoy this.

Akros came back to Earth, to find Ryla looking at him worriedly. 

"I was talking to you, and you didn't answer. Were you speaking with Lyra?"

"Indeed I was. She appreciates your kindness. Now, I need to do something with our contract. Listen closely, okay?"

Ryla perked up, nodding with a serious face. He summoned the lambskin scroll, and spoke the changes. Rather, he completely rewrote it. "I will serve as your guardian and a warrior in your army. In return, you will help me create a body for Lyra."

Akros' signature was already there, but Ryla had to sign again. She looked at Akros with uncertainty. He nodded, patting her head softly. "Worry not, darling daughter. This is so I can leave this world without having to kill you, which was the only way to break the original demon contract. Well, once this world no longer needs you or I decide to leave, I'll take you with me anyway."

"O-okay. I trust you," Ryla swallowed her anxiety and signed the scroll, watching it disappear. She looked at her father with hope. "Please, promise me you won't abandon me. Please please please tell me you'll be by my side forever!"

Akros gulped nervously. "Ryla, you know that unless you change your dna or put your soul in another body, you won't live a fraction of my lifespan, right? If you want to stay with me, and be able to remain in this Abyss, I'll need to make you a demon of sorts. I'll figure out how with Lyra, don't worry about the small details. Just realize what you're getting into-"

"Don't care. Make me a demon, make me a doll, transfer my soul into a Child of Taboo's body, I don't care!" Ryla cried desperately, cupping Akros' cheeks. She looked him in his widened eyes. "As long as we're together, I don't care what happens to me. I'd even be willing to swap my body with Lyra-"

"Don't be foolish, girl!" Akros roared, suddenly very angry. Ryla flinched harshly, closing her eyes. "I will not sacrifice you for her, or her for you! The only one who has to sacrifice anything is me. I don't care if I remain a middle-rank demon for another hundred years, you and Lyra are my priorties. So don't you say another word about giving up your body, you hear me!"

Ryla nodded hastily, her face dripping with remorse. Akros sighed, holding his temples. "I'm sorry, Ryla. I didn't mean to yell at you, but that shit pissed me off."

"No, it's okay. Really," She gave him a weary smile, happiness shining in her big hazel eyes. "I couldn't be happier, knowing my daddy loves me so."

"It is sudden, but it feels right. Since I first met you earlier I felt something about you was familiar," Akros chuckled. He picked Ryla up, carrying her like a princess.

"D-daddy?!"

"It's past your bedtime."

"But-"

"No buts. You need sleep."

"...fine," She huffed, acting unhappy as she nuzzled into his chest. His body radiated warmth, so she enjoyed the contact. As Akros carried her out of the library he remembered something.

Wait, will Charm activate on Ryla? She is only technically my daughter... Lyra, please tell me I'm not subconsciously charming her.

"Charm will not activate on those you consider family rather than sexual interest. For example, if you consider Lyn as family, Charm will not effect her until your affection for her changes. Ryla's emotional state is due to anxiety, stress, and loneliness eating away at her," Lyra sighed. "Poor girl. She lost her birth father, then was forced into this role. How did the Askrians never consider the damage this would do to her already fragile mind?"

They act nice, but they're politicians, right? They look at a person for their use before their emotions. Or something like that. Sharena might be the only exception, but Ryla's been keen about putting up a cold face to everyone else.

"She likely matured quick due to other you being absent often during her childhood, occupied with work. Now that you're back in her life she's become childish, but that'll pass as she grows more independent. At some stage she'll open up to the others, most likely Sharena. I recommend having her talk to Roy, Lyn, or Marth about her emotions. Eirika is also a caretaker at heart, but..."

If she knows that Ryla's my daughter, she'll reject her and so will Ephraim. 

"Ryla."

"Yes, daddy?"

"Whatever you do, keep our relation a secret. If the others find out, you might be faced with scorn and I don't want that for you."

Ryla frowned. "Why? I'm proud to be the child of a powerful demon, or at least a potentially powerful one! No offense."

"None taken, dear," Akros smirked. That method of apologizing was similar to what he said often during high school. It made him happy to see more and more of himself in Ryla, making this whole situation feel more real. "I want you to be safe. Announcing yourself as the daughter of a demon is a terrible idea. It might make people think you're a Child of Taboo, which means you'll be hunted down. I'm not strong enough to protect you from that kind of threat yet. So in front of others, we have to act like we're still strangers, understand?"

"Yes..." She pouted cutely. Akros wondered who the mother was, because Ryla inherited her beauty from someone else. 

When Akros found her room after some guidance and constantly activating observation Haki to avoid being caught, he set Ryla down on her bed. He wasn't going to watch her change into her nightclothes, so he turned to leave only to feel his tail being tugged. 

"Where are you going?" She asked sadly. Akros scoffed.

"To sleep in my bed. Now let go."

"We just reunited and you're already leaving? No fair! You can sleep here with me."

"What? You're my daughter, we cannot sleep in the same bed, that's-"

"Think about it. I turned 19 before I was summoned here. You died at 17 and haven't been alive as a demon for too long, right? I might be older than you."

"..." 

Lyra, how old am I when you combine human and demon age?

"17 and 8 months."

Fuck.

"I may be younger, but my point stands. You're my daughter, not my maiden. We shouldn't share a bed," Akros huffed, putting his hand on the door handle. "Goodni-"

"But I'm lonely..." Ryla whined, still tugging on his tail. She held it like a pillow, as even that part of his body was warm. "...won't you keep me company? You don't have to cuddle or spoon me, just lay next to me so I know you're there... pretty please?"

"Hnrgh..." Akros was at war with himself over this one. He didn't want Ryla to be lonely, but he also feared that she was developing a daddy complex, if she didn't already have one. His sympathetic side, one that loathed loneliness won out. So he gingerly laid next to her in bed after she scooted over. Even then, he took up most of it, his legs and tail hanging off the sides. However, he made a grand discovery as he got comfortable. He could retract his wings into his body with magic. Essentially he transformed them into shadow, which turned into tattoos on his back. They were the same color as his skin so they were effectively invisible.

Akros found this without Lyra's help, filling him with glee. He hated being dependent, especially on someone who had no choice but to aid him. He was so happy he didn't mind doing this questionable act with his dimensionally accurate daughter.

She hummed in delight, hugging his left arm. He lay on his back for once, relishing the feeling. He only looked at Ryla with one eye, as he was already losing consciousness. 

"Goodnight, Ryla."

"G'night, daddy," She murmured into his shoulder. 

They slept comfortably, which neither had done in a long time. Akros hadn't slept well since Nazarick months ago, and Ryla hadn't slept well since her world's Amin had disappeared.

Akros had found family, and he'd never felt so whole.

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