Silveria 'Ash, can you help me?'

'Sure, Silveria, what do you need?'

Silveria 'Can you help me get stronger? I want to be able to protect Emmy better!'

'Sure!'

Silveria and I move off to the side of the clearing and I show her how to use her sacred power on her own core. While I am at it I put some power into her core to help her grow faster. I also explain to her how I created skills that use sacred power, but they may not work the same for her.

Hopefully, even if my way doesn't work for her, it will help her figure out her own way to do it. One of these days I really want her to meet Kechara and Asuna, I think they would be friends. I know for a fact that Emmy would love both of them and they could use someone else to play with.

Once the war is over I should ask the heroes what they plan to do with themselves. If they don't plan to stay in the kingdom I might be able to convince them to move to Illium where I can make use of them. After all, all the other surviving summoned are there so it would make sense for them.

When I am done teaching Silveria I quickly make my goodbyes and fly towards the capital. When I reach it I fly all the way around it and cover every inch of the city. What I find is that all the remaining shadow demons are still holed up in the palace.

Unfortunately, they are all so close together that I can't get an accurate count of how many are left. Yet at the same time it means that I don't have to go chasing them all over the place. I could probably kill them all at once but I don't think Mercy would be very happy if I destroyed the palace.

So instead I land in front of the main doors of the palace and I can sense many shadow demons on the other side. Yet when I try to open the doors I find they are locked and probably barricaded. It is just a pair of doors, I don't think Mercy will care too much and I need to get inside.

So I aim at the middle of the doors where the door should be and give it a good kick. I may have used a little too much strength, as both doors go flying. Before the shadow demons can pick themselves up I move into the palace swinging the naginata.

These are all rank one shadow demons and they die so easily it is a joke. More demons come rushing into the entryway only to join their fellows in death. By the time they stop coming the entire marble floor is covered in ashes.

The good news is that now that the majority of them are dead I can sense the remaining shadow demons. There are only about twenty or so left, but instead of hunting them I head for the throne room. My first priority is the king, because I want to kill him most of all.

Surprisingly, when I enter the throne room the king is the only one inside. There are no guards or anyone protecting the king, but the king isn't truly alone. I can sense a high ranking shadow demon hiding inside the king's body.

"Shadow demon, go run and hide somewhere. I will get to you later."

Demon says "Why would I do as you say?"

"Do or don't, the only thing that will change is how soon you die."

Demon says "You are lower rank than me, why are you so confident?"

"See this? This is my boomstick!"

The demon looks confused, and in that second as he is paralized by shock I stab the naginata into the king's shadow. The shadow demon screeches in pain as the naginata cuts into its body. Still screaming, the shadow of the king suddenly flees and disappears into a crack in the wall.

In doing so it leaves the king behind and luckily the king is still alive. Looking at him I am relieved to see that even without the demon his aura is completely black. I was half afraid that the king had been controlled all along and was actually an innocent.

The fact that he is just as evil as he acted means that Dark Mark will work on him and I can keep my promises. However, I don't use it yet, first the king needs to wake up and see me. Only then can I keep my promise to be the last thing he ever sees.

King Raden says "Huh? What happened? Where am I?"

"Oh, finally awake?"

King Raden says "What? You! The beast! How did you get in here? Guards?! GUARDS!!!"

"Your guards are all dead! No one is going to help you!"

King Raden says "What? How? Where is my army?!"

"All dead! Killed by the shadow demons you and your spymaster invited into this world!"

King Raden says "No! That is impossible! Quill! Quill get out here and explain yourself!"

To my surprise a figure suddenly appears from the king's shadow. He is a strange one, he isn't ridden by a demon, he instead has fused with a demon. I didn't even know that was possible, but from what I can tell he actually did it and is at least rank five.

King Raden says "Quill, there you are! Where are my guards?! What is happening here?"

Quill says "Oh, how did you free yourself from my master's control?"

"Your master ran away and is hiding somewhere. I'm more interested in how you managed to fuse with a demon!?"

King Raden says "Master? What are you talking about, I am your master!"

Quill says "No, you are not. I never served you, I just used you. My master is the shadow demon Threshlock! He is the one who found me as a child and gave me power! Without him I would still be nothing! I will help him consume this entire world and no one can stop us!"

Suddenly Quill lets out a horrendous scream as the naginata blade erupts from his chest. His scream lasts until his entire body turns to ash and then silence returns to the throne room.

"I love it when the bad guys monologue!"

King Raden says "Why are you here? What do you want from me? It was all their doing! I was controlled and had no choice!"

"I am simply here to keep my promise to you."

King Raden says "Promise? What promise?"

"To be the last thing you ever see! Dark Mark!"

At first the king looks confused, but then after a few seconds the pain starts and he starts screaming. Unlike with the nobles, this time I stand there and watch every second of his pain. When the king finally dies I let out a sigh and do my best to let go of all the anger I have been holding on to all this time.