Chapter 533: Scolding Sol

"Sooooooolllllll!"

Buzz!

Damian suddenly appeared inside the Golden Palace, flanked by two human ministers who looked increasingly uncomfortable standing so close to him.

His arrival immediately drew the attention of the entire royal court. Dozens of ministers and officials turned toward him at once, their expressions changing the moment they saw his condition.

The white hair, the corpse like pallor, the heavily bandaged right arm hanging uselessly at his side and the numerous wounds still visible beneath his robes made the reports Sol had given them far more believable.

This young Prince had actually dared to fight Duke Dantalion despite being only a new demigod, and somehow he had returned alive.

At the centre of the court, Sol sat upon his golden throne with an almost insulting level of relaxation, using his pinky finger to clean his ear as though Damian’s arrival was nothing more than an interruption to his afternoon.

"You shouldn’t scream my name like that, many people have died for less." Sol rolled his eyes.

Damian’s eyes immediately burned with violent purple light as he stepped forward.

"Then tell me why I’m getting visits from my nobles asking me if I’m aligned with their greatest enemy and seeking an explanation for your appearance in Velmora!" Damian snapped.

Sol’s expression finally changed, his eyes narrowing as realization dawned. "Tch... That old lizard snitched to the council." Sol frowned.

Leo stepped forward from among the ministers, his cold gaze fixed upon Damian’s battered figure.

"I understand your anger..." he began, but Damian immediately turned toward him.

"No, you understand nothing!" Damian snarled, cutting him off so abruptly that several ministers visibly flinched.

Damian’s chest rose and fell heavily as he fought to control his breathing, but the frustration that had been building since his return from Realm Zero finally erupted.

"My greatest victory, which should have been turned into a vote of confidence from my ministers and the demon nobles, has been replaced with suspicion. So tell me, what the hell did I sacrifice so much for? I FUCKING DAMAGED MY SOUL FOR NOTHING AND ALL YOU CAN TELL ME IS YOU UNDERSTAND?!" Damian roared.

The entire court paled.

Silence descended so completely that the faint crackling of the golden flames around the palace suddenly seemed deafening. Nobody had expected to witness the day someone would stand before Sol and Leo and scream at them without restraint, especially not Damian in his current condition.

Sol’s relaxed expression disappeared completely.

"ENOUGH!" he snarled, and a golden shockwave erupted from his body, sweeping across the court and forcing robes and hair backward.

Damian’s eyes flashed dangerously.

"NO, YOU LISTEN!" he roared, and a violent purple shockwave exploded from his body in response.

The two forces collided in the centre of the royal court, crushing against one another before collapsing and repelling each other. Several weaker ministers stumbled backward, while the stronger ones remained frozen, unwilling to interfere between two Princes.

"You brought me here to break the balance, and that is what I have been working towards since the very day I got here. Three of the twenty four Dukes have fallen to me, and yet the demon race is yet to completely turn on me because I understand something you don’t, and that is deception!" Damian hissed, his gaze sweeping across the ministers before returning to Sol.

"Appearances matter. Everything matters, but you don’t seem to get that. That’s why you went out of your way to sabotage my work. Now my plans to deal with Greed are ruined, and I’m in this fucking condition with nothing to show for it even before my coronation!" His voice echoed through the golden hall.

Damian looked across the faces surrounding him, seeing shock and fear reflected in the eyes of ministers before he shifted his attention back to Sol.

"Now I’m meant to spend tonight and the rest of the month trying to prove to people I have nothing to do with you. Time I could be using recovering from my injuries and preparing for Greed’s arrival." Damian’s voice lowered, but the anger behind it remained unmistakable. "Stay the hell out of my business and I will destroy your opposition my way. If you can’t do that much, then just challenge the entire Underworld and get this farce over with!"

With that, Damian’s body vanished, leaving behind only the faint distortion of spatial energy.

The royal court remained silent like a graveyard. Every minister slowly turned toward Sol, whose face was twisted with rage.

For several seconds, he stared at the spot where Damian had disappeared, his fists tightening against the arms of his throne.

Then Leo’s voice quietly broke the silence. "He’s right...."

Buzz!

Sol’s anger immediately vanished from his face as he turned toward Leo in genuine surprise. Of everyone present, Leo was perhaps the last person he expected to defend Damian.

"This victory alone should have helped him gain the support of many demons, including Astaroth, who considered Dantalion an enemy, and in turn, that would have weakened the other realms, especially Wrath. But now the victory is marred with suspicion. He can’t make much out of that victory. In fact, it’s safe to say he damaged his soul for nothing." Leo stared at the empty space where Damian had stood for several seconds before finally turning toward Sol.

"He’s right to be mad, and it’s all your fault."

"My fault?!" Sol blurted out, his eyebrows rising.

"Who wanted to leave the palace and see what was going on in Velmora? Who decided watching from a distance wasn’t enough and wanted to get a closer look at the territory even after being told what our association with him would cost him?" Leo asked, his tone remaining completely calm despite the accusation.

Sol rolled his eyes. "Don’t put the blame solely on me. You came along as well!"

The two immediately began bickering over the matter, their argument becoming increasingly absurd considering the solemn atmosphere surrounding them. The ministers simply stood there and stared, none of them daring to interrupt the Prince or his spirit beast.

Back in the Violet Palace, Damian’s eyes suddenly snapped open. He found himself seated at a table with Shin, Rah, Loth, Alice and Mary gathered on the opposite side, all of them watching him closely after sensing the sudden change in his expression.

Puff!

Rin appeared on Damian’s lap in a cloud of violet smoke and immediately narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure it’s wise to piss him off like that?" he asked.

Damian shrugged indifferently. "If that’s what it takes to keep him there, yes. It’s better he’s pissed than we let him keep snooping around until they actually find evidence that we are plotting against them. Keeping him as far away from Velmora is in my best interest."

Rin slowly nodded as he considered the logic.

"But have you considered needing his help with Greed? We could frame it as the Prince of Pride protecting a wounded human on his coronation day." Rin suggested.

Damian raised a brow. "And will that boost my public image or make me a laughing stock amongst my people and a potential genocidal Prince’s ally?"

Rin slowly nodded, conceding the point.

Damian leaned back slightly, his expression becoming tired. "If I cannot handle Greed on my coronation day, then I will die fighting him and put an end to this extremely short story of pain and horrors. At this point I’m too tired to care if I live or die." Damian rose to his feet.

"Don’t say that!" Mary and the other girls exploded almost simultaneously, their expressions immediately filling with fear.

Damian rolled his eyes and began walking. He was far too exhausted to enter another argument, especially one he knew would accomplish nothing. The others quickly followed him, with Shin trailing behind them, until they entered Damian’s private room.

Once inside, Damian reached into his robes and pulled out the fox pendant. The moment his fingers closed around it, the air before him rippled and the hidden gate leading toward the Throne of Power slowly opened.

Damian turned toward the group behind him. "I’ll be in here for a while. Alice, wait for me here. I need you to look after me for the rest of today."

Rah, Loth, Shin and Mary were reluctant to leave him alone, but none of them dared challenge his decision after seeing how exhausted he was. They eventually bowed respectfully and left the room, while Damian stepped through the gate. Alice remained behind as instructed, standing silently within his chambers.

Seconds later, Damian entered the main chamber where the Throne of Power stood. He stopped immediately when he saw his portrait.

The image had changed.

His white hair was reflected within the painting, and more importantly, one of the two candles positioned on either side of the portrait had been extinguished. Only one remained burning.

Damian released a bitter chuckle. "Even the Throne of Power can tell I’m dying."

Rin’s voice came from beside him. "Don’t let it get to you. We will find a way to fix your soul."

Damian glanced toward him. "And what are the possibilities of this happening?"

Rin hesitated for only a moment before answering honestly. "With Astaroth helping, there is a ten percent chance."

Damian rolled his eyes. "Ooh my God, I should be happy I have a ten percent chance of living.... Get the fuck out!"

Rin’s ears flattened, but Damian was already moving toward the throne.

He planted himself upon the Throne of Power, and the enormous fox throne responded immediately. Its fangs pierced into his shoulders as the ancient power of the seat connected with his body.

Damian did not even flinch. A holographic map of the world appeared above the round table before him, countless territories and realms gradually illuminating across its surface.

"Let’s pay an old friend a visit."