Chapter 408: Making A Statement
Bam!
The massive doors to the chamber were thrown open with enough force to rattle the iron hinges.
Rah rushed inside without a moment’s hesitation, her silver hair flowing wildly behind her as panic filled her beautiful face. Her eyes immediately darted toward the enormous bed.
Empty.
Her heart skipped and she quickly searched the room again until her gaze landed upon the luxurious sofa positioned before the towering Gothic windows.
Damian sat there alone.
His head rested against the back of the sofa while one arm hung lazily over the side. The golden goblet and jeweled wine jug lay overturned beside him, their dark crimson contents spilling across the polished table before dripping onto the expensive carpet beneath.
The rich scent of wine lingered heavily throughout the room.
Almost as though sensing her gaze, Damian’s eyelids slowly opened. For the briefest instant, his irises glowed crimson and then, just as quickly, the color dissolved back into their familiar violet.
"Aah..." he groaned softly as his palm covered his face.
Before he could lower his hand, Rah had already crossed the room.
She practically threw herself onto the sofa, wrapping both arms tightly around him before burying her face against his chest as though reassuring herself that he was truly there.
Damian smiled faintly.
His fingers slowly moved through her long silver hair with practiced gentleness while his gaze drifted past her shoulder.
Only then did he notice the figures quietly kneeling several steps away.
They were all beautiful succubi dressed in elegant garments woven from nearly transparent violet silk. Their attire resembled the graceful draped clothing worn by noblewomen from ancient India, decorated with golden chains, gemstones and intricate embroidery that shimmered beneath the torchlight. Though revealing, every movement they made carried refinement rather than vulgarity.
The moment Damian looked toward them, every one of them lowered her head until it nearly touched the floor.
"My Prince!" they greeted in perfect unison.
Pfft!
A puff of violet smoke blossomed beside the sofa.
When it dispersed, a fox quietly stood there.
Unlike the tiny fox that had once perched comfortably upon shoulders, Rin had changed considerably over the past decade. Standing nearly three feet tall on all fours, he possessed a lean, graceful body covered in glossy violet fur streaked with black. Nine elegant tails swayed lazily behind him while his intelligent golden eyes calmly observed the room.
"They are your Inner Court Attendants," Rin said evenly. "They serve both you and your wives. News of your awakening spread throughout the palace the moment you opened your eyes. Naturally, they wished to see the Lord they have served in name for the past ten years."
His expression softened ever so slightly.
"Welcome back."
Damian returned the smile. Yet there was something disturbingly hollow about it.
Rah continued clinging tightly to him, her warmth pressing against his body while her heartbeat echoed softly against his chest.
His heart ached simply from holding her again after everything that had happened.
Yet, he also knew that if he wished he could simply ignore those feelings. They no longer controlled him.
It was as though his emotions no longer belonged entirely to him. Before happiness arrived, he could choose whether to embrace it. Before grief consumed him, he could choose whether to feel it at all.
He had spent months hoping the Desire Bandit would eventually grant him such perfect control over his emotions.
Instead, the Abyss had.
’You should be grateful, I fixed your emotions for you. Now you can rule like a true prince.’ a familiar voice whispered.
Damian’s head snapped sharply toward one corner of the room. Standing within the shadows was himself.
His long black hair draped over equally pale shoulders while crimson eyes stared back with unmistakable amusement.
The other Damian smiled.
Rah instinctively followed his gaze and the Inner Court Attendants did the same. Every one of them stared at the completely empty corner with visible confusion.
Only Rin remained silent.
Unlike everyone else, he understood what his master was going through. The celebrity who defeated a god paid a price for it. One they can never find out about or he would be forced to make them vanish as well.
Huff...
Damian slowly exhaled before rubbing both eyes. The vision vanished and the corner became empty once more. His gaze drifted toward the overturned goblet and wine jug.
The alcohol had quieted the whispers and dulled the visions. Now that sobriety had returned, so had they. He couldn’t help wondering whether this would become his new reality.
Would he have to drown himself in liquor every minute simply to silence the voice living inside him?
An exhausted sigh escaped his lips.
Lowering his gaze again, he found Rah looking up at him with unconcealed concern.
"Are you alright?" she asked quietly.
Damian smiled before gently brushing several loose strands of blue hair away from her face.
He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
"Of course I’m okay," he answered softly. "What about you?"
His hand rested gently against her side before slowly tracing the scar hidden beneath her gown, his fingers carefully following the old wound Corbin had left behind.
Rah’s cheeks gradually turned crimson and her breathing became noticeably uneven.
"I’m alright," she answered shyly, unable to hold his gaze for long.
"Then why don’t you take me somewhere other than this room?" Damian asked with a warm smile.
Rah immediately brightened.
"I would love to, but..."
KRASH!
Before she could finish speaking, the world blurred. Rah’s beautiful eyes widened in surprise.
The room had vanished.
The next instant, she found herself suspended high above the Violet Palace in Damians arms. Powerful winds swept through the heavens, sending both their hair dancing wildly behind them.
For a brief moment, Rah simply stared at him, admiring his beauty. Then she traced his line of sight, she turned toward the magnificent city stretching beyond the palace walls.
An endless civilization unfolded beneath them. Towering Gothic towers pierced the heavens while grand stone avenues stretched in every direction. Gigantic statues of ancient foxes overlooked bustling plazas crowded with demons of every imaginable race and stature. Elegant bridges connected enormous buildings whose craftsmanship appeared capable of surviving thousands of years.
Carriages rolled steadily through wide streets while merchants filled colorful marketplaces with lively voices. Winged demons soared gracefully between towering structures as countless aerial beasts crossed the twin sunlit skies.
The higher Damian levitated, the farther the city stretched.
District after district appeared.
Walls, rivers, temples, fortresses, gardens farmlands and many more.
Eventually the civilization extended beyond even his enhanced vision. For several long moments, he simply stared.
It was beautiful and overwhelming.
"This..." Damian murmured quietly. "This is all mine?"
Rah smiled proudly.
"This and more," she answered. "These are merely the territories in the mortal world that belong to you. You can reconnect with every realm conquered by the previous Princes of Lust. Lands that have remained dormant for centuries will acknowledge you once again."
She looked toward him with unconcealed admiration.
" You made it."
Damian raised an eyebrow. He remembered Hazel telling him something similar when they first met. Back then, It had sounded impossibly distant. Now, It was reality.
A smile slowly spread across his face.
"Well, since we’re already here we might as well let everyone know I’m awake."
Rah’s smile widened.
Buzz!
An instant later, an overwhelming pillar of violet aura erupted from the heart of the Violet Palace.
It exploded upward with such terrifying force that the heavens themselves trembled. The clouds scattered violently as the colossal beam continued climbing higher and higher until it pierced the very ceiling of the Abyss.
Its magnificent radiance illuminated the realm, drawing everyone’s attention to him.