The room ran quiet. Reylin gazed at Ren, and by the look in his eyes, it was obvious what his plan was. “Hold, Ren Fahzul,” Grandmaster Reylin put a hand up, “a coup isn’t that simple. There must be someone who the masses trust to take over, lest there be riot and discord. As much as I dislike the empress, and as much as the Order has the power to overthrow the current rule, doing it without a proper plan is foolish and will end in unnecessary suffering. Frankly, the person most suitable to taking that seat is, ironically, you. You are the man who sacrificed everything to save Pargat, not just the Baruum Empire. Your legend is known to this entire world as one of a ‘just and fair’ man who loved his people. If you yourself will not step up to the plate, then I’m afraid usurping the throne will achieve the opposite of what you desire.”

“She’s correct,” Dillon added. “A sudden change in power is basically painting a big target on the Baruum Empire’s back. But, you know,” he stared at Reylin, “he isn’t the only one people have faith in.”

She exhaled and ruffled his hair, “I may consider it if I know I can leave the Order in good hands.”

“Get a room you two!” I teased. “Ah, but seriously, Grandmaster. I’m pretty sure we’ll need Ren to help us in the demon world. And I’m pretty sure he won’t do that until he knows the line of empresses and emperors who abused the heart that he begged for are gone. What I’m saying is, I, the former acting leader of the Order of Mages can guide Dillon. I’m also good friends with the current leader and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind helping. You can take control of the Baruum Empire in one day with the three of us here and you won’t have to lift a finger.”

“Oh, he’s entering debate mode…” August commented.

I rolled my eyes, “And even further to this, I can construct a bridge that would connect the Order of Warlocks and the Order of Mages together. We can share knowledge and become even greater, and that will be done under Dillon’s rule, which will concrete his competence as a leader that builds the Order of Warlocks.”

Reylin had a serious look in her eyes after my proposal, “How do I know I can trust you? Don’t you have control over the bridge? How will I know we won’t be invaded by you ‘mages’?”

Dillon patted her on the shoulder, “It’s alright. I hate his personality but he’s trustworthy. After all, he and that guy,” he pointed to August, “are the ones who defeated the Avatar of Chaos. They didn’t have to.”

She sighed, “This is a lot of information in such little time.” She got squirmy, possibly thinking of the scenario and how it’ll all play out. Eventually, a chuckle was let out, “I’d never have thought the way to move the Order of Warlocks forward would be for me to leave it. However, my one true calling is magic. Leaving that path forever is impossible, so I don’t mind being acting empress until we find someone more suitable. When we do, and I’m relieved of my duties, I would wish to see your Order of Mages for myself, mage.”

“You’re going to see a lot more than the Order of Mages, Empress Reylin,” I jokingly said.

In the coming days, Reylin sent out orders for all warlocks to return to the Order of Warlocks, as well as bring their loved ones for protection. In the meantime, I’d map the demon’s mind for practise on mind magic. Once everyone was under Reylin’s blanket of protection, she finally had a grand meeting with all members, letting them be very aware of her plans to take the seat of empress and also introducing them to Dillon. Of course, there was opposition, but it was met with the majority of the Order trusting her decision to be for the best, which reflected her prowess as the Grandmaster Warlock. Their Order’s style of ruling was a bit more authoritarian than the Order of Mages; we wouldn’t force our members to attend to political matters like war or rebellion. In the meeting, she also made clear that he main reason for the meeting was so that all members of the Order of Warlocks could warn any friends or relatives they might know who worked as soldiers in the empress’ army to lay low on the day of the attack.

With a plan like that, and her overtness about the matter, it was obvious there would be leaks, and the empress declared the Order of Warlocks’ act of unsanctioned retreat from Hyzek and planned rebellion as high treason. We were now enemies of the Baruum Empire and we operated in the damn centre of said empire; funny. Soldiers constantly attacked the Order, but it was no more than the annoying feeling of brushing off ants. Hydra erected a huge dome of dense water that made it impossible for anyone to enter. So, despite being outnumbered and surrounded, the army could do nothing; not even touch the wall.

The dome reminded me of Hydra’s capabilities. I remembered thinking about the spirit lords as having the ability to summon natural disasters. If they can do something as great as that, then what about me? My power level had long exceeded anyone I knew, and I mastered draconic manipulation long ago, yet I never pushed the limits – scale wise – of the draconic arts. It was something to test out. I dismissed the thought, and returned to practising mind magic.

A week was now gone and all soldiers who knew anyone in the Order were now warned. The day of reckoning had come. It was time.

August and Melissa chose to hang back and relax with their new demon friend who now had a taste for mead. I guess it thought we would be enough and didn’t seek anyone else to join its cause of bringing power balance back to the demon land, T’Ghuuz, and chose to wait it out for us. Dillon and Miranda hung back as well. Just Reylin, Ren, and I decided to go pay the empress a visit.

Using void magic, I simulated the effects of Levitate for Reylin, and simply cast Levitate itself on me. We floated by leisurely in the protection of a thin but dense film of water. I found something as simple that was both efficient and effective. Ren on the other hand, barehandedly dealt with all the soldiers standing before us as we made our way to the palace. Every one he hit would be bound by my Hydrotendrils. After ten or so minutes, we stood before the room. I forgot Ren was as ridiculously strong as August.

We entered after Ren obliterated the wooden door and found a few squads of soldiers and the throne seating a very relaxed empress veiled by a translucent sheet.

Gravity Field immobilised the soldiers and made our way to the throne. Void magic ripped away the veil and we found a fancily dressed woman. Ren was about to state his intentions, but I stopped him.

“Are you the empress?” I asked.

“What kind of a question is that?” she retorted.

I turned to Ren, “She’s not the empress…”

“But she looks exactly like–”

“A double,” I said, cutting Reylin off and casting Enthral on the woman. “Where is the real empress? I promise that I’ll keep you safe.” Like that, she melted, and revealed the direction that the underground tunnel led to. “You did good,” I patted her head and asked Reylin and Ren to wait. I cast Voidwalk and flew directly up and incorporated Life Perception and Hawk Eye. According to the fake empress, the real empress, her two children, and maybe some guards would be able to fit and move quickly in the small tunnel.

So, ten or fewer people. Of course, in the capital, there were several groups of people numbering between four to ten. So, I let out clones for each of those groups who went to inspect the groups in the guise of Voidwalk. In thirty seconds, one of my clones returned with a woman in tow. A simple Web of God and Discharge then sleep spell made it easy.

My clone left them to me and he dismissed himself. We were now in front of Ren and Reylin once more with the real empress. I didn’t stay to see if they decided her life should be what she used to pay for her bad decisions or not.

With this development, Dillon could now rest at ease because the Baruum Empire would be safer in Reylin’s hands, but Ren was bittersweet.

“You’ve done what you can,” August tapped him on the shoulder when they returned. It was obvious the man was down.

A low grumble came forth, “I hope you’re right.”

“So,” August bit down on an apple, “what now?”

My gaze fell on Melissa and then the demon, “Now we go to T’Ghuuz. There’s an artefact that is capable of teleportation into the demon world,” I regurgitated what Reylin had told me and entered Voidwalk, going down into the flooring and finding a basement with a small demon skull on a pedestal.

But first, we had to get the army of rogue demons that escaped from T’Ghuuz. According to Melissa’s directions, they were far from civilisation in another country to the north in an undiscovered tundra.

Lush green grass and a wintry atmosphere double-siding the one small river running through these lands. Well, that’s what we would’ve been able to see if demons hadn’t covered half the place. Melissa said something, but none of us paid it any attention because we were all gaping at the sheer numbers. The demon answered with something unintelligible and Melissa’s eyes widened in shock. “By the light… half million…”

“Half-a-wut?” August regurgitated in stupor, then shrugged, but un-shrugged, if that’s a thing.

“You’re thinkin’ we had to do worse at Ulanos but then you remembered these are demons…” I called his thoughts.

“You know me so well,” he snickered. “Who knows how strong demons in general are? What’s worse, these guys are just the rebels. I’m afraid to sniff at the numbers in T’Ghuuz.”

“Yes, and an even more malignant curse to our cause are the Champions of Darkness,” the demon said. He said! My eyes almost popped out their damn sockets! “They possess the aptitude to decimate the entire domain should they coordinate a proper assault.”

“Oh, Jynnak’s world magic finally kicked in, bro,” August explained.

“Oh…” Right. Of course. “Great, so we can understand demon jargon now. This helps. What’s your name?” I asked the demon.

“Candidly, I probably won’t be alive long enough for it to be of any great matter. I will have my brethren congregate, mage.” He flew off to do just that.

Something about his statement irked me. What’s with that sombre tone? I mean, sure, this was war and he knew, as well as August and I, that something as ugly as war bred death and hatred. I knew. Was I perhaps disappointed that he underestimated August and I enough that he thought we wouldn’t be able to save their lives? I stooped down in thought. Is this another case of the Virai tribe? Of ignorance? Are demons more than puppets meant to be used by humans? Do they have intelligence and consciences? Ugh, well of course they do, Eric. These guys gathered here particularly to dethrone the strong from abusing their monopoly on the soul well. I should think of them as no less than humans. But, is that simple naivety? Do they, like animals, have a nature that they can’t fight against? Is there something I should watch out for? I looked to Melissa especially, and although I was admittedly a little paranoid about letting those weaker than me die, I had to remember that she was under August’s protection, a man that could kill me in a split second. And I was the strongest magic user I knew that was alive.

I took a deep breath. Look at me, worrying about preserving the lives of the people I love yet training to maintain balance, something that needs neutrality. My pores raised. But so-fucking-what? I need to become more powerful and take what I want. I’m goddamn-fucking-Eric for fuck’s sake! I scrapped my indecisive duality and leaned onto the selfish side, at least for this journey on which we were just about to embark. The things important to me were important to me for a reason, and I would see that those things were kept safe.

I teleported to the very centre of the demonic camp, leaving a clone in my absence. Then I activated Magnet, then stacked Purist ten times to sit at just over twentyfold my base mana power. On one half, I used infused fear with manipulation instead of Mind Break, weak enough to stop them from passing out or dying from shock. On the other half, I sought to bewitch with manipulation instead of casting Enthral.

Those stricken by fear, I cast Scour because of its efficiency, in search of anything related to demons and their physical or magical abilities. Knowledge began pouring in, so much so that it was too much to intake at one point. I could feel like my mind was a balloon being blown up and expanding, drawing close to bursting. I had to somewhat dangle the knowledge in the air and safely funnel it into my mind. The demons which admired me had their minds mapped with manipulation instead of Scour.

I had the clone I left back ask our spokes-demon how much time we could get before immediately going back, and he advised that they could wait no more than nine days. Perfect, I thought. I could abuse Timedial here. Let’s see. I did some math in my head that I won’t bore you with, but I could stack about 25 Timedials with the base mana power I currently had – which I would absolutely never fucking do.

However, quarter of the maximum stacks of Timedials would have negligent backlash, which means I could stack that bad boy about six times which resulted in 55% slowdown. I’d have nine days of training in mind manipulation in about four and a half days. So, I decided to do just that and capitalise on preparation.

Should Hethekk be right about soul magic, I’d need to master both mind and nature magic first. Since I knew a lot more about mind than nature, I decided to focus on the former. After hours on end with barely any sleep, four normal days in Timedial yielded an amazing nothingness. No new spells or anything like that, but constantly mapping the minds of around two hundred and fifty thousand demons greatly improved my manipulation abilities. However, taking just four to five hours for rest and ten minutes to eat and do my business was hell and very unsustainable. Still, I kept grinding, squeezing out another four normal days to be met with nothing once more. No milestones in the form of spells were acquired, instead I achieved greater understanding of how the mind worked.

I took a breather. Oof! So, eight days for them, but four days for me. Hydra’s lovely ass, I’m tired! But I feel like I’m on the cusp of something. Let’s see now… I stretched a bit to get my blood circulation going. One more day in normal time, huh? Ugh, fuck it, I’ll abuse the time for now. Gaining a greater ability for mind manipulation, I cast my blanket over the entire lot of demons.

The knowledge that transferred to me of their memories, senses, habits, cultures, lives, and even the way their brain works was becoming clearer and clearer to me as time went on. At some point, I stopped keeping track of time, and simply explored the undiscovered crevices of the mind. In a way I gave up the urgency, and instead picked up the wonder that came with learning magic again. It felt like my younger days, where both the journey and the destination when it came to learning magic were equally enjoyable. This was me; this was Eric.

Until finally, I felt a gut-wrenching pain envelope my entire midsection. It felt like my stomach wanted to jump out my mouth. It shifted me out the minds of the demons, out my own damn mind even, and into the plains of oblivion where one was incapable of knowing anything else other than pain. I literally forgot I could heal myself. My clone had to do it, lest I squirm in agony and wait for August’s enchantments to heal me back. Speaking of the devil, it was he who punched me in the gut. How did he literally punch me out of Magnet? Only him and Hydra’s magnificent ass would know.

“You fucking mages and your meditation!” August cussed me out. “Bitch, we’re already a week behind! Get your dress-wearing ass up and portal us the fuck outta here, man!”

“…” I suddenly began to cry like a five-year-old girl, blocking my face and wiping my tears, “Y-you, you monster! Cry cry cry!”

“D-did he literally say ‘cry’?” Melissa palmed her face.

I stood up quite seriously and left the theatrics behind. “I’m sorry, I lost track of time. Are you messin’ with me or are we actually behind time right now?”

“We’ve been here for sixteen days, mage,” our spokes-demon clarified.

“I see.” A mischievous smirk wiggled across my face, “I’m sorry for taking so long, but it was well worth the wait. Let’s go do something about that soul well!”