The Demon Sovereign (9)

As the war approached its half-year milestone…

Those who had previously paraded around proclaiming themselves commanders or leaders of Demon battalions could now be categorized into precisely two classifications:

Either they had enrolled into doctoral programs studying Demon psychologies.

Or they had already perished – buried somewhere across distant locales.

The shepherd boy, possessing minimal psychological acumens, had embarrassingly disgraced himself through consecutive triple falsity deployments.

Had he genuinely intended perpetually deceiving his villagers, he should have judiciously interspersed some truths amidst those fabrications.

Failing that, during the third lie he should have either spectacularly claimed UFOs had invaded their village instead of wolves, or – failing even that – at least invoked some anime tropes about cute girls manifesting to deflect attentions.

And the mere fact that they had survived within Demon societies already presupposed fundamental psychological mastery alongside robust intelligences – their elite leadership cadres had simply chosen redirecting those mental faculties towards sheer absurdities instead.

“Perhaps, just perhaps… if we surrender, could we not still salvage whatever remains?”

“You propose betraying the Demon Sovereign presently?!”

“What precisely has the Demon Sovereign provided unto us to precipitate this calamity?!”

“Those words ring true. We have fought sufficiently, and the Sovereign likely no longer anticipates further obligations from us. Therefore, if unwilling to forfeit everything, each must individually pursue their own survivals.”

“Such statements represent utter betrayals not just towards the Demon Sovereign, but our kindred awaiting imminent victories as well!”

“Yet that very ‘victory’ has remained utterly elusive, hence our present predicaments! I implore you to regain your lucidities, please.”

While radicals advocated swallowing humiliating surrenders before awaiting future vengeance opportunities, their diametric counterparts refused retreating even singular steps from the Demon Sovereign’s capital until the final individuals’ demises.

Moderates proposing pragmatic survivals through relocating the Demon Sovereign alongside reorganized defenses…

Alongside dissenting elements seizing any opportunities voicing oppositions amidst such chaotic pandemoniums.

With such disparate factions coalescing, the supposed leadership organs tasked with formulating overarching strategic frameworks had effectively flat-lined into systemic neurological necroses.

The Demon Sovereign himself? That senescent recluse who could not even pinpoint propitious initial offensives would likely prove more advantageous through absenteeism at this juncture.

One Demon commander who had previously mouthed incessant perseverance platitudes during conferences had returned to his quarters thoroughly exhausted after secretly probing the humans’ potential armistice terms along backchannels:

“This is utterly maddening, I tell you.”

“What seems to be the matter, sir?”

“Leave me for the moment until I summon you again.”

“Understood sir, I shall await your summons promptly.”

Having dismissed even his aides to secure solitary solitudes, he heavily plopped onto a stool before expelling a weary sigh. s apparently engaged in ‘prayers’ during such tribulations, he had heard.

But the Demons lacked anything resembling systematized religions – rendering that essentially irrelevant information.

Certainly, rustic folk beliefs or hereditary familial creeds existed to some extents.

But they possessed no equivalents to humanity’s organizational spiritual doctrines enabling genuine psychological solaces.

They had simply never required such faiths to begin with.

“Mentally distressed, are you? Could you be a human spy, perchance?”

“Then why not resolve it through straightforward clinical visitations? No need to engage in such pathetic lamentations.”

“Tch. To descend into such debilitated states, your psyche must have become extraordinarily feeble from inception.”

Mental illnesses represented largely inconceivable notions among Demons.

Issues that compelled humans into nasally snorting cerebrum-numbing white powders or drilling cranial perforations could be straightforwardly remedied through routine spellcasting applications instead.

Rather, they found utterly incomprehensible the human tendencies thrusting five-year-olds into factories while expecting uneventful developmentsーunless clandestinely harboring potent psychic mages, that is. Otherwise, did they embrace lionesque mentalities abandoning their whelps from cliffside precipices?

Thus, any necessities for religion-derived psychological reprieves had organically dissipated over time.

Yet they could not perpetually frequent asylums either, and ambiguous circumstances occasionally manifested where straightforward clinical interventions felt unwarranted – necessitating alternative self-grounding techniques.

“Brethren, our race has finally unified!”

“Under the ‘Demon’ designation, we have become one! Believe in the Demon Sovereign for celestial gossip paradises!”

“The Demon Sovereign…?”

And with utmost frequencies, the Demons had sought solaces within the Demon Sovereign himself during such exigencies.

Since all Demons existed under his sovereignties, did that not inherently imply miniaturized fractions of him perpetually coexisting alongside their very essences?

In some aspects, such intimacies felt considerably more palpable than conventional religions.

For while he certainly resided within the Demon Capital, he simultaneously maintained vigilant presences closer than their very heartbeats.

‘Demon Sovereign, are you presently here?’

By now, the Demon Sovereign had certainly lost considerable preeminence while descending into self-imposed seclusions.

Yet he remained the singularly paramount Demon alongside their sole unifying nexus.

One Demon commander – tightly clenching his eyelids upon witnessing those repulsive human hordes amassing at their capital’s outskirts beyond the city’s ramparts – had inwardly invoked him:

‘What ails you, my child?’

‘How should I proceed from this juncture? Grant me your guidance, I implore.’

And the internalized Demon Sovereign had responded – his voice resonating with unprecedented clarity, likely influenced by those dire circumstances alongside the commander’s agitated mindsets:

‘Our prospective futures appear increasingly bleaker while our war expenditures have become utterly unsustainable – potentially rendering us bankrupts imminently. Should we attempt salvaging whatever remains by fleeing?’

‘Oh, my son. You currently wander in disarrays.’

‘My apologies. But……’

‘No, no need for apologies. Such contemplations feel entirely natural under these circumstances. Your present weaknesses shall undergo tempering refinements as catalysts towards future rebirths.’

Receiving outright reassurances about awaiting miracles from another’s lips had brought temporary solaces.

After wordlessly expressing gratitudes towards that miniature Demon Sovereign residing within his psyche’s recesses, the commander had reopened his eyes while steeling his resolves for today’s challenges.

‘We inevitably experience disarrays whenever striving diligently. Therefore, your current disarrays represent proofs of your ongoing endeavors – I can personally attest to that.’

‘Ah……’

‘The moments have arrived for you to become me.’

And…

‘Fret no more. Everything shall inevitably culminate favorably.’

‘Yes, I understand……!’

‘I shall personally intervene. Entrust everything unto me, then depart in tranquility.’

‘…Pardon?’

Something…

Had gone terribly, horrifically awry.

‘You shall become me.’

Like psychic tentacles penetrating his cranium to violate his very mentalities, some profane alien presence had defiled his consciousness.

He had only briefly staggered against walls while experiencing vertiginous nauseas alongside convulsive dry-heavings.

But having attained command ranks already presupposed receiving rudimentary higher educations at minimum – including basic magical tutoring to achieve operational competencies.

Therefore, self-diagnosing his current malaises had become instantaneous realizations:

That supposed ‘imaginary friend Demon Sovereign’ providing motivational solaces within his head had actually represented the ultimate psychic parasite – the Demon Sovereign himself.

‘That demented Demon Sovereign monst–’

His consciousness had plunged into fathomless abysses following that truncated aghast utterance.

“…You there, approach.”

“Yes! You have summoned me.”

“Our race’s fated final defensive battles shall commence imminently. Immediately assemble every soldier under our disposals.”

“B-But during yesterday’s conference, had you not considered potential retreats as the absolute final contingencies…? Pursuing that decision now would leave us unsupported from behind!!”

While his tones remained superficially similar, they had undeniably grown considerably more arrogant with antiquated grammatical locutions.

The individual who had reopened their eyes appeared an entirely disparate entity – not an inaccurate assessment.

“An extraordinarily foolish inquiry.”

“……?”

“We never possessed any ‘behinds’ to begin with. My decisions remain unalterable.”

But above all, his actions no longer exhibited any hesitations whatsoever.

---

Londinium, the Edan Residence.

Still early enough for only sporadic night-shift laborers populating the streets during those predawn hours.

“…Ah.”

“What seems amiss?”

“Imminent important events appear increasingly likely.”

Freugne, who had been straddling atop Edan, had clicked her tongue in disappointments.

With considerable durations since their last indulgences, her patience reservoirs had significantly depleted.

And she had presumed Edan would certainly appreciate resuming those activities as well once properly motivated – prompting her preliminary considerations about employing slightly more aggressive measures towards securing that coveted consummation.

But after genuinely contemplating the issue’s stakes, she had prioritized accordingly – obediently dismounting from bedside despite evident reluctances.

Regrettable timing, but future opportunities would inevitably resurface as long as humanity avoided outright apocalyptic ruinations during this war.

“The Demon Sovereign has inevitably preceded us by initiating maneuvers before our arrival at the capital.”

“To be honest, concealing his full capabilities until this crescendo already felt somewhat miraculous in itself. His eventual exposures represented inevitabilities regardless of precise timings.”

“While certainly true that concealing or revealing his abilities became immaterial if the Demons refuse unified coordinations… it appears the Demon Sovereign has secured more formidable measures than we had anticipated.”

Freugne straightened her disheveled attires before making departure preparations.

Only then had Edan regained liberal usage over his limbs.

He had been attempting light warm-up exercises upon realizing immobility represented untenable options.

But from daybreak onward, no physical conditioning could withstand perpetually enduring those pinning pressures exerted against his person.

Given fair one-on-one engagements without restrictive encumbrances, overpowering her through sheer physicalities might prove feasible…

But would not such indecencies feel utterly unbecoming considering her ostensibly diminutive frames concealing unknown wellsprings of strength he could scarcely fathom?

Regardless of whether Edan perceived those existential perils, Freugne had inwardly cursed the Demon Sovereign for his interruptive propensities during pivotal junctures as she voiced her assessments:

She had merely intended confirming future trajectories through routine matutinal calibrations before invigoratingly commencing their day.

Yet she had unexpectedly acquired the following cognitions instead:

“The Demons appear exhibiting abnormal behavioral patterns.”

“Yet if they had genuinely resolved unifying during crises, such decisions should have manifested considerably earlier.”

“Yes, this situation can only be interpreted as the Demon Sovereign’s determined resolutions forcibly reconstituting their frontline deployments through outright mental subordinations – even against their individual volitional integrities.”

“Well, if he can access human memories, forcibly dominating his fellow Demons’ psyches hardly represents particular astounding feats.”

Freugne had diligently briefed Edan regarding her latest findings.

And at this revelation, even Edan – who perpetually inhaled every iota of incoming or outgoing intelligence like gaseous sustenance – could not resist furrowing his brows in contemplations:

“But could such solitary initiatives realistically precipitate strategic pivots at this belated juncture?”

“Certainly not through conventional measures. But he may have resolved personal interventions since possessing such self-assurances. I shall conduct additional future verification sweep… Regrettably……”

And at the precise moment Freugne had glanced towards Edan while relicking her proverbial chops in anticipation of gauging the Demon Sovereign’s latest machinations…

The Demon Sovereign himself had commenced tackling his personal tribulations.

“How many have assembled?”

“The entireties of our forces have responded to your summons, Your Majesty. Bestow upon us your directives!”

“…This constitutes the full extent? You are certain of this?”

“Yes Your Majesty, this represents our full deployable contingents.”