I'm Not Your Husband, You Evil Dragon!

Location: Pacific Ocean

Place: Demon King’s Royal Chamber

Allen sat silently upon his throne while one of the elite demons stood several meters before him, reading from the report held carefully within his hands.

"My Lord, the forces were deployed successfully. more than Five thousand demons were sent as ordered, along with the mythical beast."

Allen remained silent.

His elbow rested against the arm of the throne while his fingers supported the side of his face. Although his eyes were directed toward the demon giving the report, his thoughts appeared to be somewhere else entirely.

The elite demon continued.

"The army has already destroyed several naval vessels encountered along its route. There was also an island within their path that suffered considerable destruction when the mythical beast passed nearby. According to our latest estimate, the army is now heading directly toward the country of Liebus."

The demon lowered the report slightly.

"They should arrive by tonight, My Lord."

Allen’s fingers tapped once against the throne.

"Anything else?"

"No, My Lord. Everything contained within the latest report has been delivered."

Allen’s eyes slowly moved toward him.

"I wasn’t asking about the army."

The demon became quiet.

Allen leaned back against his throne.

"Did you receive any additional information concerning Leviathan?"

The elite demon glanced toward the other guard standing beside him. The two exchanged uncertain looks before the first demon quickly searched through the papers once again.

"As far as the reports I’ve received... no, My Lord."

Allen’s fingers stopped moving.

"Hmm."

Something about that bothered him.

He had been expecting another report concerning Leviathan specifically. Allen hadn’t sent a mythical creature of that magnitude merely because five thousand demons needed transportation or protection. There had been another reason behind his decision.

He wanted to see how Leviathan reacted upon approaching Liebus.

Yet nothing unusual had been reported.

Allen’s eyes narrowed slightly as several possibilities moved through his mind.

Did I overestimate the dragons?

Perhaps the legends surrounding them had exaggerated their strength. If Leviathan had continued toward Liebus without hesitation, then perhaps there truly wasn’t anything within that country powerful enough to make such an ancient creature afraid.

For a moment, Allen considered that possibility.

Then he dismissed it.

"No."

His quiet voice made the two demons straighten.

"I can’t take that risk."

Allen had already come too far to become careless now. Everything he had prepared, every demon he had sacrificed and every move he had made had brought him closer to something he had pursued for far too long.

His title.

Once that title finally belonged to him, everything would change.

Allen lowered his gaze toward his hand.

If I obtain it, I’ll finally have enough authority to rule this world.

His fingers slowly curled into a fist.

And I’ll finally be able to save my brothers from the Goddess of Contractors.

He had endured too much to fail when he was this close.

"Just a little longer..."

The elite demons remained silent while Allen spoke quietly to himself.

"Just a little more, and everything will finally be finished."

Allen’s eyes returned to the demon standing before him.

"What about the Eclipse Coffin?"

The guard immediately looked through another section of the report.

"Yes, My Lord. Construction is progressing according to schedule. The curse is approximately, Ninety percent complete, My Lord. We require several more days before it can function perfectly.

Allen’s expression darkened.

"Several days?"

The demon lowered his head.

"Yes, My Lord."

"No."

Allen’s answer came immediately.

The atmosphere inside the Royal Chamber became noticeably heavier, causing both demons to stiffen.

"I don’t have a Several days?"

Allen leaned forward slightly upon his throne.

"Have it ready by tomorrow."

The demon’s eyes widened.

"But, My Lord, completing something of that scale within a single...."

"Tomorrow."

The single word immediately silenced him.

Allen knew the demand was unreasonable.

He simply didn’t care.

If the information he possessed about the Dragon Queen was even remotely accurate, then fighting her without that Eclipse Coffin would be suicide. There were many things he was willing to gamble upon in the coming battle, but the Eclipse Coffin wasn’t one of them.

He needed that curse.

Without it, Allen knew he couldn’t defeat the Dragon Queen.

Before either demon could respond, heavy footsteps suddenly thundered beyond the entrance of the Royal Chamber.

The sound grew louder with each passing second.

Then the doors were thrown open.

"My Lord!"

A demon rushed inside.

"My Lord!"

The two enormous buffalo-like demons guarding the inner chamber immediately moved. Each stood nearly twenty feet tall, and their massive bodies crossed in front of the intruder, completely blocking his path toward the throne.

The arriving demon stopped abruptly, breathing heavily as he attempted to look past them.

"My Lord, I have urgent news!"

Allen closed his eyes for a moment.

He had already received enough reports for one meeting.

A tired sigh escaped him before he waved one hand dismissively.

"Let him in."

The two enormous guards stepped aside.

The demon hurried forward, clutching something tightly in his hand as he approached the throne.

Allen watched the soldier come closer.

Whatever had caused one of his men to enter the Royal Chamber screaming had better be worth the interruption. The soldier hurried past the enormous guards before immediately dropping onto one knee, his breathing still uneven from how quickly he had rushed there.

"My Lord, we have an urgent report to submit."

Allen’s eyes narrowed slightly as he leaned against his throne.

"A report?"

"Yes, My Lord."

"Then tell me. What is it?"

The soldier swallowed before raising his head toward the Demon King.

"My Lord, we just received a report sent directly by General Malakar. It’s concerning Leviathan."

Allen immediately rose from his throne, and the sudden movement startled several of the demons standing around him. His expression became completely serious because this was precisely the information he had been waiting for only moments earlier.

"What happened?"

The soldier could hear the change in his King’s voice, and his nervousness became even more obvious.

"Tell me."

"My Lord... Leviathan stopped."

Allen stared at him for a moment, wondering whether he had heard correctly.

"What do you mean it stopped?"

"According to General Malakar’s report, Leviathan suddenly stopped in the middle of the ocean while approaching Liebus. It appeared unwilling to continue toward the country and hesitated for some time before General Malakar and Zeri managed to make it move again."

The soldier lowered his head further as he finished the report. Allen remained standing for several seconds without saying anything, while the demons around him waited nervously for his response.

Then Allen slowly returned to his throne.

Rather than sitting normally, his body seemed to fall back against it as the meaning of those words settled into his mind. The Royal Chamber became completely quiet, and none of the elite demons surrounding him understood what their King was thinking.

One of the guards eventually gathered enough courage to speak.

"My Lord...?"

Allen didn’t answer him immediately. His gaze remained lowered toward the floor while his fingers slowly tightened against the arm of his throne.

The guard waited several seconds before trying again.

"My Lord, are you all right?"

Allen finally raised his head.

A faint smirk appeared upon his face, surprising everyone watching him. That smirk gradually became a smile before a deep laugh escaped his throat and began echoing throughout the enormous Royal Chamber.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

His laughter continued growing louder until several of the demons instinctively lowered themselves onto one knee. There was something deeply unsettling about hearing their King laugh after receiving news that an ancient mythical beast had refused to continue toward its destination, yet Allen appeared more excited than frightened.

"How foolish of me."

Allen shook his head while the smile remained upon his face.

"I was actually foolish enough to doubt the Queen of Atlantis."

He leaned back against his throne and remembered the uncertainty he had felt only moments earlier. When no unusual report about Leviathan had arrived, Allen had briefly wondered whether the dragons described in ancient legends had simply been exaggerated.

"To be honest, I really did let my guard down for a moment. I thought perhaps I had worried about nothing and that the Queen of Atlantis wasn’t nearly as dangerous as those old records claimed."

His smile gradually disappeared as his eyes became serious again.

"But Leviathan didn’t merely hesitate."

Allen leaned forward, resting his arms against his knees while looking directly at the soldier.

"It stopped in the middle of the ocean."

The difference was important.

Leviathan was an ancient mythical beast that had crossed oceans, destroyed ships and passed through entire islands without showing the slightest concern for anything within its path. For a creature like that to suddenly stop while approaching Liebus meant its instincts had detected something ahead powerful enough to make it reconsider moving forward.

Allen slowly smiled again.

"So the legends weren’t exaggerating after all."

He remained silent for a moment before turning toward one of the elite guards standing beside his throne.

"Summon every member of the Upper Blood Moon."

The elite demon’s eyes widened slightly at the order. Calling even several members at once was unusual, but Allen had specifically demanded every single one of them.

"Yes, My Lord."

Allen then turned toward another guard.

"Recall our armies back to the kingdom. Every force currently operating outside our territory is to return immediately, and I want every available soldier prepared for deployment."

The guard stared at him in surprise before quickly lowering his head.

"Every army, My Lord?"

"Every one of them."

Allen rose from his throne once again as the atmosphere inside the Royal Chamber changed completely. The demons surrounding him finally understood that the five thousand soldiers travelling toward Liebus were no longer the only force being prepared.

"Open the armories and gather our reserves. Inform every general that all unnecessary operations are suspended until further notice, and make sure the Eclipse Coffin is completed by tomorrow."

"Yes, My Lord!"

The demons immediately began moving to carry out his commands, while Allen remained standing before his throne. His eyes slowly travelled upward toward the enormous ceiling as thoughts of everything he had sacrificed to reach this point passed through his mind.

He was close now.

After all the years spent gathering power, manipulating contracts and preparing his forces, the title he had pursued was finally within reach. Once it belonged to him, Allen believed he would possess enough authority to rule this world and finally save his brothers from the Goddess of Contractors.

Yet one final obstacle remained in his path.

Allen’s smile slowly returned.

"Oh, Founder of Zani..."

The demons who had not yet left the Royal Chamber immediately became silent at the mention of that name. Allen continued staring upward as though his words were intended for something far beyond the ceiling above him.

"Bless me in the war that is coming, and allow me to finally rise to the title I’ve pursued for so long."

His expression became increasingly excited as he imagined what awaited him.

"For this victory, I will offer you something worthy of everything you’ve given this world."

Allen paused for a moment, while the smile upon his face became far more sinister.

"I will sacrifice the very thing you love."

None of the demons surrounding him understood what those words meant, and none dared to question him. They simply lowered their heads before leaving the Royal Chamber to carry out the commands they had been given.

Within minutes, Allen’s orders began spreading throughout his kingdom. Generals received emergency summons, distant armies were ordered to abandon their current operations and return home, while ancient armories that had remained sealed for years began opening in preparation for what was coming.

The Upper Blood Moon was summoned as well, and work upon the mysterious Eclipse Coffin was ordered to continue without rest until it was ready.

Allen remained alone before his throne as preparations spread throughout his kingdom.

He had originally sent five thousand demons and Leviathan toward Liebus to test what was waiting there.

Now he had his answer.

And the Demon King had begun preparing for war.

____________________

Place: War Hall

Sara’s voice echoed throughout the enormous War Hall.

"All personnel..."

She turned toward the massive reinforced doors before lowering her head respectfully.

"...receive Her Majesty."

The enormous doors began to open with a deep mechanical sound that rolled through the chamber. Yet the moment a gap appeared between them, something far more unsettling than the noise entered the War Hall, causing the thousands gathered inside to instinctively tense.

An unnatural cold sensation spread through the chamber.

It wasn’t the ordinary cold produced by ice or winter. The feeling crawled beneath their skin and settled directly into their instincts, making breathing slightly harder and causing muscles to stiffen without permission. Even experienced soldiers who had faced demons countless times found themselves fighting against the primitive urge to lower their eyes.

For many of them, it felt as though death itself had entered the War Hall.

Erza stepped through the doors.

Her silver-white hair moved gently behind her as she walked forward, while her violet eyes remained calm and completely indifferent to the thousands of people gathered before her. There was no enormous explosion of aura surrounding her and no deliberate display of power, yet none of that seemed necessary when her mere presence was already enough to affect everyone inside.

The murmuring that had filled the War Hall gradually disappeared. Nearly ten thousand people had occupied the chamber only moments earlier, but as Erza’s quiet footsteps continued across the floor, the enormous gathering descended into such complete silence that every step she took could be heard.

Sara watched her approach before lowering herself onto one knee, and Sister Mary immediately followed beside her. Raven didn’t hesitate either, lowering herself the moment she saw the Chief and the Holy Saint kneel, while Lily and those surrounding her quickly followed.

Fiona and Erika soon joined them.

Elga was the only captain who hesitated.

Her eyes remained upon Erza for several seconds as memories of their previous confrontation returned to her. The injuries hidden beneath her bandages were already enough of a reminder of what had happened the last time she stood against this woman, and after experiencing that overwhelming difference in strength personally, Elga knew better than to allow her pride to make the same mistake twice.

She lowered herself onto one knee.

That single movement seemed to remove whatever hesitation remained among the personnel watching them. Throughout the enormous War Hall, soldiers, officers, healers and special operatives began lowering themselves almost simultaneously until nearly ten thousand people were kneeling before the unknown silver-haired woman.

Most of them still didn’t understand who she was.

They didn’t know her history.

They didn’t know what kind of existence had just entered their headquarters.

All they knew was that Sara Venom, the Chief they had followed for years, was kneeling before her.

Erza eventually reached the central stage.

Sara lowered her head further.

"We welcome you, Supreme Commander."

The response came immediately.

Thousands of voices joined together with enough force to shake the enormous chamber.

"WE WELCOME YOU, SUPREME COMMANDER!"

Erza’s violet eyes moved across the kneeling crowd before settling upon Sara.

A faint smirk appeared upon her face.

"Supreme Commander?"

There was a trace of amusement in her voice, as though she were testing the unfamiliar title for herself.

Sara remained on one knee.

"Yes, my Queen. For this battle, the entire Liebus Agency is under your command. Every division, every captain and every soldier gathered here will follow your orders."

Erza raised an eyebrow.

"Even you?"

"Even me, Your Majesty."

Erza looked at Sara for another moment before her smirk became slightly more noticeable.

"I like it."

Sara couldn’t tell whether Erza meant the authority or simply the title.

Knowing the Dragon Queen, it was probably both.

Erza turned away from her and continued toward the front of the stage, where a microphone stood overlooking the enormous War Hall. Thousands of people remained on their knees as she approached it, and despite their curiosity, very few possessed enough courage to raise their heads and look directly at her.

The woman standing before them was a complete mystery.

Some had heard rumors about a new authority appearing within the Agency. Others had heard that Elga and Erika had challenged someone terrifying and lost, while a handful had witnessed the strange events that had shaken headquarters earlier.

But none of those rumors explained why Sara Venom herself had surrendered command of the coming war to her.

Erza reached the microphone.

She wrapped one hand around it before slowly looking across the thousands of kneeling soldiers before her. Every person in the War Hall waited for the mysterious Supreme Commander to speak, uncertain what kind of orders or words would come from someone capable of making their own Chief kneel.

Erza’s violet eyes narrowed slightly.

Then she opened her mouth.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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