Chapter 53: Heart of the Abyss
Rewinding time, to the moment Bai plunged the dagger into her heart, her silver hair and dark-gold eyes returning.
Far beyond Solor, in the heart of the Abyssal Demon Realm, within an ancient, oppressive gray hall.
BOOM—
A deafening roar echoed through the hall, a ripple of power, seemingly weak yet potent enough to make the entire Abyssal heartland tremble.
In the center of the hall, a crystal, etched with faint dark-gold runes, was bound by countless chains.
The roar had emanated from the crystal.
“So beautiful,” a goat-horned demon murmured, his eyes glazed, “Such magnificent power, unparalleled…”
“A fatal beauty, capable of inflicting immeasurable damage,” a red-haired demon said from nearby, her arms crossed, her armor clinking, her beautiful face grim. “It’s weaker than last time.”
“That’s a good thing. It means the Abyssal Lord’s awakening has been suppressed,” a white-haired demon said lazily, leaning against a pillar, his half-closed eyes a deep black, his pupils a startling blood red, unlike those of the Shadow Demons.
“There’s another possibility. She’s learned to control herself,” a wizened old demon, sitting beside the throne, said, his voice deep. “What did we miss? Why is she awakening again? We erased all traces of her, and the seal shouldn’t have failed on its own…”
“And isn’t that a good thing?!” the goat-horned demon snapped, glaring at the old demon. “You old fossils, so complacent! If it weren’t for you, all of you!” he pointed at each of the demons in the hall, his voice a low growl, “the Abyssal Lord would have led us to conquer all worlds!”
“But before that conquest, she would have destroyed the Abyss itself,” the red-haired demon sneered, her gaze sweeping across the room. “If not for your decision, the Abyssal Lord would still be in her eternal slumber.”
“The human Empire is nothing to fear. Give me some time, and I will conquer it.”
The other demons fell silent, knowing she was right. Their earlier decision had been a mistake. She was the strongest of the demon commanders, one of the few who had surpassed the Calamity Class.
—Shaya, the Vampire Queen of the Abyssal Demon Realm.
Her legion was the strongest in the Abyss; even a combined force of the other legions would struggle to defeat her in direct combat.
“And what of it? Time was what we lacked,” the white-haired demon said, looking at the enraged goat-horned demon. “Azakana, save your breath. Yelling won’t do any good. You should be more like your leader, Isabelle. She’s already in the human capital, stirring up trouble. This latest surge from the Abyssal Lord is likely her doing.”
Azakana, the goat-horned demon, was the commander of the Heart Demons, a race of formless demons similar to Isabelle’s Shadow Demons.
He was one of Isabelle’s subordinates, and shared her fanatical devotion to the Abyssal Lord.
“Elthorp, enough,” the old demon said, then turned to Shaya, the Vampire Queen. “Since the Abyssal Lord’s awakening seems to be connected to the humans, Queen Shaya, will you go and… negotiate with the human Empire?”
“Negotiate what?” Shaya asked, after a moment of silence.
“A peaceful resolution,” the old demon replied.
“A peaceful resolution? Why me?” Shaya’s interest waned, her expression turning bored.
“Very well. Elthorp, will you go?” the old demon asked, looking at the white-haired demon.
“And do what? The moment those Legendary Knights see me, they’ll throw themselves at me, a futile attempt at suicide,” Elthorp sneered. “I’ve destroyed eighteen of their cities. They despise me.”
Elthorp was the commander of the Evil Blade Demons, one of the most bloodthirsty demon races.
Their innate Evil Blades required a constant supply of fresh blood. Even without the invasion of Solor, they would have turned their blades on other demon races.
They detested this peaceful stalemate. Although Elthorp wasn’t aligned with the Abyssal Lord, he was… curious about her awakening.
It was worth noting that while Shaya’s vampires also craved blood, their pride prevented them from feeding on humans, whom they considered an inferior race, their blood as unappetizing as swill.
And the Vampire Legion, ironically, was the most disciplined of the demon legions, resembling human knights. They rarely engaged in widespread slaughter after conquering a city—not out of kindness, but simply out of disinterest.
Why bother with ants?
So, although they had conquered the most territory on Solor, the vampires had a better reputation than most other demon races.
“As you can see, Shaya, you are the only candidate in this Abyss Council,” the old demon, Atwood, said, turning back to her. “I cannot go myself. Isabelle is already in the human capital, and sending Azakana as well would be… unwise.”
The Abyssal Demon Realm was ruled by a council, its members rotating, each commander or queen representing their race. Major decisions were made by the council.
Atwood was the current head of the council and couldn’t leave the Abyss.
“Queen Shaya, send my regards to Lady Isabelle,” Azakana said, his earlier rage gone, replaced by a calm composure. “And if you encounter the Abyssal Lord, my regards to her as well.”
Shaya ignored him, her gaze fixed on Atwood, then she turned and left.
“Wait, Queen Shaya, are you going to the human Empire like that?” Atwood asked, gesturing to her armor. She was in her combat form.
“…Troublesome,” Shaya muttered, a red light flashing. Her armor vanished, replaced by a blood-red dress.
Her form shifted, and the tall, imposing figure became a small, delicate young woman, around five feet tall.
Her long, crimson hair was tied in pigtails, her scarlet eyes and cold expression the only things remaining of her former self.
Without looking back, she left the gray hall, where a legion of vampires awaited her.
“Let’s go. We’re going to—”
“The human capital.”
