– 2 weeks later
Helios was growing increasingly irate.
Every day for weeks without fail, Hajun had come to him to bitch and complain.
“Helios, we must declare war! To continue to allow that country to exist is a stain on our pride as dragons!”
“You’ve finally lost it, haven’t you? You want to declare war on Abaddon just because your daughter fell into his clutches.”
‘Actually, she didn’t even fall it’s more like she threw herself at him.’ Helios thought.
He considered letting Hajun in on that piece of information, but he figured that there was only so much that the old dragon could take before he fell over dead.
Or even worse, actually ran off to start a war on his own.
“And?” Hajun asked, unconcerned with Helios’ accusations.
The dragon king merely sighed and gestured for a nearby servant girl to bring him another glass of dwarven whiskey.
He wasnt usually one to drink so early in the day but unfortunately, listening to the mad ramblings of his friend had reduced him to such a state as this.
With his glass once again full, the dragon leaned back into his throne and returned his attention to the walking headache in front of him. “It’s been ten years since you’ve even seen Seras. Now you’re suddenly falling apart at the seams?”
Hajun looked like he’d suddenly taken an arrow to the gut. “We were just having a little father daughter spat. Don’t tell me you don’t know what that’s like?”
Coincidentally, Helios also looked like he’d taken an arrow to the gut and growled in annoyance.
“Be that as it may, we have to allow our children to grow and make their own decisions. This is a lesson I’m only learning after several thousand years of life.”
Helios raised his glass to his lips, pleased with himself for displaying such maturity and wisdom.
Unfortunately, Hajun was buying none of it.
“Oh really? You’re leaving Yara’s future in her own hands?”
“That’s correct.”
“Then if she returns pregnant again, you will be fine with that?”
The sound of glass shattering could be heard as Helios put a bit too much pressure into his grip.
“You old liar.” Hajun said with a chuckle.
“I’m not a liar!”
At that moment, the shadows in the throne room went wild before pooling in the center of the room next to Hajun.
Rising up from the shadows was a man so handsome that it pissed them both off.
He had skin that was purely black and long mystifying silver hair.
He had two dark horns atop his head, and mesmerizing red eyes with black sclera.
Wearing a long open black robe with golden demonic markings, the man looked almost as infuriatingly handsome as his son.
A second later, a woman passed through the shadows behind him.
Suddenly, Helios forgot all about the rude demon who had so boldly showed up in the middle of his throne room as a huge burden was suddenly lifted from his mind and spirit.
“I’ve returned, father!” Yara said happily.
Helios was over the moon, and his mood only improved when he realized that he could not sense any additional life within his daughter.
Although, he did smell a concerning amount of that man’s scent all over her but he did not want to ruin this moment by thinking too much about unpleasant things.
The dragon king stood up from his throne and held out his arms, allowing Yara to fly into them.
“See? I told you that I would come back safely!”
“You did… I never should have doubted you.” There was not a single being capable of independent thought who would believe that this was actually Helios speaking.
The dragon of calamity was a lot of things to a lot of different people, but to Yara he was only a father.
And that was all that mattered.
*Sniff, sniff.* “Father… were you so worried about my absence that you started day drinking?” Yara asked worriedly.
“T-This is an unrelated development!”
“He’s right, princess.” Hajun defended. “Your father’s drinking habits are due to an ongoing debate the two of us have been having.”
“Oh, hello uncle Hajun!” Yara quickly embraced the other elderly dragon in the room before grabbing the arm of the man she’d shown up with.
“I would like to introduce you both to Asmodeus. He is Exedra’s father and the man I love.”
Asmodeus nodded politely in greeting before reminding Yara of something important. “Remember, my wife. Our son has a true name now.”
“Oh, right!”
Helios’ face became ugly while Hajun wore a shit eating grin.
Deciding to fan the flames a bit, Hajun held out his hand and offered his own warm greeting. “Asmodeus, is it? I’m Hajun. I am pleased beyond measure to meet you!”
“The pleasure is all mine, Hajun.” Asmodeus said politely as he took the old dragon’s outstretched hand.
“Hahaha! Tell me, how did you two meet?”
Asmodeus and Yara told him the moving story of how they met and fell in love so many years ago.
Even if Hajun was initially only doing this to piss off Helios, he had to admit that their love story was strangely compelling and captivating.
“A demon lord of lust, huh? I’m surprised that you have only one wife.” Hajun said as he rubbed his chin. 𝐕xt.𝔬𝚖
“Oh, I used to have more.” Asmodeus said blankly.
“Eh?”
“I killed them!” Yara said proudly.
Yara was the sole princess of the most powerful nation under the heavens.
She had never shared anything she wanted in her entire life!
She turned all those bitches who were buzzing around her husband into mincemeat!
Helios was suddenly feeling an immense amount of pride that was mixed with a deep despair.
Hajun’s face suddenly went pale as he realized that Yara might have been just as bad as her father.
“And… you were fine with this?” He asked Asmodeus.
“Well, they were really wives in name only. And I must admit, watching her passionately decimate over 100 women all for my affection was rather moving.”
“And I would do it again, my love!”Yara said as she threw herself into his embrace.
“Of that, I have no doubt.”
Hajun suddenly felt like maybe their love story wasn’t so cute after all.
“Oh, that’s right!” Yara suddenly exclaimed.
She turned back to her father with an excited smile on her face. “I have decided that I want to have a wedding! The biggest most luxurious one imaginable!”
Suddenly, Helios’ blank expression broke and he finally cracked the armrest of his throne. “You want to get married… to this… demon… alright.”
Yara’s eyes hardened when she realized that despite what her father was saying, he was not going to make this easy. “Father, you-“
“Demon. Step forward.”
Despite Helios’ unfriendly tone, Asmodeus showed no traces of fear as he stepped forward with an unchanging smile on his face. “Is something the matter, father in law?”
Helios’ eyes began to glow a bright gold and the temperature in the room shot up by several degrees. “You think you are worthy of my daughter? Your overconfidence is revoltingly annoying.”
“Father, you go too far!”
“Be silent, Yara. Do you believe that I will allow any common cur to be wed to you? I have already been extremely lenient by not killing him outright.”
Yara was trembling with rage, but a simple headpat and a few reassuring words from her love were more than enough to calm her down. “Easy, love. I don’t mind.”
He turned back to Helios and remained unflinching, even under his predatory gaze.
A feat that would not have been possible had Asmodeus not been a primordial demon who was thousands of years old himself.
“Worthy? I believe myself to be so, but I am quite the overconfident person. At the very least,I can say that I make her happy, and she does the same for me.”
“What good is building up a happiness that you cannot protect? Do you know what happened to that happiness when you were thought dead all of those years ago? It vanished and crumbled without a trace.”
Asmodeus’ smile finally cracked and his eyes briefly fell to the floor.
“We thought you dead, but the reality was something even worse. You were living your life as a puppet of those sniveling little humans, and were freed from that hell only by the grace of your son.”
Helios suddenly stood up, and began walking towards Asmodeus.
With every step he took, the marble floors underneath him melted from the sheer heat radiating from his body.
“You think I will give the most precious treasure I have to a man who cannot protect himself and what he values, and instead is the mindless puppet of others? You’re delusional.”
When he finally stopped in front of the fallen demon lord, he believed he had thoroughly gotten his point across.
Imagine his surprise when Asmodeus suddenly looked at him with a renewed smile and an unflinching gaze.
“Ah, so that’s what this is about! You believe I’m not powerful enough for your daughter, is that it?”
Helios was briefly stunned by Asmodeus’ unbroken demeanor, causing the former demon lord to nod his head in understanding.
“I don’t quite like tests but I’ll humor you just this once.”
“You.. What did you just say…?”
“Hm? I said I agree. You’re free to test my power however you like.”
Finally, Helios showed a smile full of razor sharp teeth.
“However I like? I’ll have you know that if you cannot defeat my chosen then I will kill you in the most excruciating way imaginable.”
Suddenly, all of the light within the room was cut out as the shadows swallowed the entire great hall whole.
Asmodeus’ no longer had his same charismatic and friendly demeanor, and now seemed like a much more dark and dangerous individual.
His eyes had become completely black and lifeless, and his voice that was previously soothing had now become horrifying.
“Pick your best, your worst, your most vile, it does not matter. Anyone that you send to test me will meet the same deplorable end!”