Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest

He lept to his feet, dismissed the fragment, and stormed out of his house.

As his ambition spilt to make his smile reach his sparkling eyes, Tiamat's short figure burst out of her blankets next door.

She observed his clenched fists and the smile stretching his lips, a shudder running down her spine. The spine of an existence that had once overlooked everything creation had to offer.

Then, her eyelids fluttered, and her voice cracked at the terrible consequences this fragment would bring. Of course, the maddening malice permeating it wasn't the cause. No. It was the note's last part, and even without reading it, the fragment shone like a dark lighthouse in this bright realm.

"I feel it even in my weakened state..." She bit her lips, her eyes piercing through the window east. "And they do, too. Oh, Adam, my dear Adam, you complained about your bad luck, but sometimes, it's a blessing in disguise. And now, you will learn this lesson the hard way."

Even if Adam believed the fragment was a game item, she knew it came from an existence older than her. One chained tighter than she had been and forbidden from interfering in the little game the gods set.

She bit her lips, remembering how the charismatic devil spread evilness through the cosmos.

Then, she shook her head and exhaled, the effects of owning a fragment related to him already showing.

"You found an interesting one, Tiamat."

A whisper, insidious, dark, and misleading, reverberated through the room.

"Angra Manyu, or is it Ahriman now?" She shrugged confidently. "What do you want?"

"The same thing I wanted after you disappeared. To spread darkness, lies, and suffering to counterbalance the order imposed by your children." The whisper sharpened, taking an alluring tone. "Let me join the fray. Together, we'll make your contractor an equal to the fragment's previous owner!"

Her brows raised at the unbelievable proposal before she chuckled.

"Hahaha. Ally with you? The father of illusion, the spirit of deception, darkness, and evil?" Her eyes narrowed into chaotic slits. "Fuck off with your offer!"

"Mhh. Your refusal doesn't matter, though. This fragment will fall into my hands one way or another. Trickery was only my gentle way of greeting you. Now? I'll select my own contractor." He let his words echo as his voice chilled.

"They'll meet on a battlefield, and trust me, your Adam won't win."

Just as Ahriman's voice had appeared, it vanished like an illusion.

Silence settled as Tiamat let out the breath she had held and dropped on her bed.

"This bastard... He was here for real!" She panted, icy sweat sticking her dress to her back, where she felt Ahriman's gaze. "Would you have dared if I had my powers, you bastard? Just wait! It's personal now. I'll obliterate you and your myth after Adam eats the dark fool you'll raise to oppose us!"

As her knuckles whitened, in a palace as brilliant as Zeus' temple, another being raised his massive head to gaze at the cosmos.

Landing on Hestia's realm and Tiamat's huffing figure, his lips quivered, and his righteous voice echoed.

"So, that's where you were hiding, corrupted dragon? I won't let you recover, shame my race, and threaten the universal balance again!" His eyes narrowed, platinum energies swirling out of them. "In the name of the just Bahamut, I'll stop you!"

Like Ahriman, Bahamut's eyes swept through his realms next as he searched for the best contractor to oppose her recovery.

Motivated by greed or the desire to see her fall, other ancient deities from different pantheons joined the game, heralding a storm that would sweep everything in its wake.

And in Hestia's realm, a few kilometers from Adam's territory, the echo of one that had given up long ago stirred and slowly awakened.

Her ethereal hand tightened around a crystalline stone, its warm shine contrasting with the dark place she stood in. A tear rolled down her eyes as she gazed at it.

"Has the time to awaken you come? I-I..." Her voice cracked with raw emotions. "I still love you despite what you did, my son..."

Then, her eyes trailed to another stone.

Shining a dark shade of gray, it caused her to sigh and shake her head.

"Despite the thousands of years that have passed, you can't give up the burning resentment for your father we created in you." She placed it in her dress, close to her heart. "Rest a little more. I don't want you to suffer because of me in this life, too."

Finally, her butterfly-like wings fluttered behind her as she turned west, her turquoise eyes piercing layers of earth to land on Adam.

"I'm waiting for you, little one... That fragment emanates an aura close to my son's father's."

As her words reverberated through the darkness, Adam's figure bolted to his territory's southern gate.

Once he reached them, he leaned over the railing, his eyes sparkling when he heard the rumbling footsteps disturbing the morning forest. The sight of his returning soldiers' smiling faces registered next. And accompanying them, he saw thousands of humans.

He chuckled at their conflicted frowns and twisted lips before noticing a five who stood out.

Without wasting a second, he jumped down the walls and, arms wide open, rushed to them.

"Welcome to my territory, brothers and sisters from Earth." He chuckled at their rolled eyes. "I know you're dissatisfied with the forced surrender. But hey! Look at the bright side. You won't have to worry about other lords attacking you."

"Tsk." One of the conquered lords clicked his tongue. "You mean we won't have to worry about your demons wreaking havoc in our surroundings?"

Another one clenched his fist and hurled it before him. "Bro, your strategy is just too much. They didn't let us leave our walls or sleep for a week with all the drumming they made!"

A woman trembled as she glanced at Luna's and Maven's figures before she observed his handsome face.

A blush crept onto her cheeks, burning them as she stuttered.

"You're the second imp who survived, right? I didn't know you could evolve into..." She gulped and didn't finish her sentence.

Meanwhile, he laughed and nodded at the pleasing words.

"That's me. But before engaging in small talk, let me first apologise for the method." His warm voice chilled as he pointed at his generals. "But I could have burned everything down, too. In fact, seven stubbornly refused to give up on their status. I'll let you guess what happened to them."