Demons closed around them, cloaked in shadow.

  Vorn’s eyes darted, wide and panicked. Alex stood still—smart. He yelled from behind, “Vorn! Don’t do anything stupid if you want to live!”

  Kai laughed. Perfect. If his Demons scared trained soldiers, the rest would fall in line with ease. Prevent the leaks, maintain the threat, and he’d keep the lands stable when he left.

  Alira hid a sly smile. Levi’s hand left his blade. Lilith stepped back. If fighting broke out, they’d have little to do. Too many Demons, too few soldiers. Rusk’s shoulders slumped, hands falling beside him.

  Can’t please everyone.

  Yama padded beside Kai, still big enough to reach his chest.

  Kai sent a mental command to his Demons:

  Scare them, but don’t attack without my word.

  Fear was useful, but they still had to dismantle the humans’ blind hatred toward Demons. He needed them working together if this nascent kingdom was going to last. Absorbing the Noble Houses meant adding more humans to his domain. Fighting his siblings for succession meant gaining more Demons.

  Without harmony, the whole thing would implode.

  But if it worked—he’d be the linchpin that held it together. Nobody else could unite both races. No other Demon had grown up human, was Death God’s chosen heir, and had the brain to pull it off.

  They’d resist at first. Change was hard to accept. But they’d soon beg him to be their benevolent tyrant.

  The Nivisara lands were a test case. If humans and Demons could peacefully coexist here, he’d do the same with larger populations. The problem was that he couldn’t paint Demons as cuddly and harmless—they were his primary weapon.

  A little fear was necessary.

  Besides, the humans wouldn’t buy it. They’d fought Demons—watched them tear heads from torsos with their own eyes.

  Revealing his Demon heritage was an option—a bad one. It’d show Alira’s willingness to marry a Demon. Maybe bring the races together in unity. More likely, he’d fuel discontent. He was already a stranger marrying into nobility and usurping her family’s lands. Adding ‘Demon’ to that list added insult to injury.

  Worst case: it’d justify rebellion.

  Revealing his true nature was off the table until relations between the races improved, and he could crush the mere thought of rebellion.

  For now, he’d position himself as the only one who could make the two races cooperate. That’d solidify his position. And adding a dire external threat into the bargain would work wonders.

  Cooperation made practical sense. Humans wouldn’t have to fight the natives. The natives gained allies against abominations. Everyone won—especially him.

  The threat of the Eight Realms would force the nobles to act in his favour. He’d only need to overcome a few generations of anti-demon programming.

  Kai shrugged as he addressed Vorn’s accusation. “Why shouldn’t I consort with Demons?”

  Better to place the burden of justification on the opposing side. No need to make the case that Demons were good. Make them prove Demons were bad.

  Alex avoided the bait, but Vorn couldn’t help himself. “They kill us and wear our skins as coats!”

  “You wouldn’t defend your home if invaders attacked? And why do you care who wears your skin after you die? You’re not using it.”

  Vorn’s expression hardened. “They killed my mother in her sleep. How is that defending their home?”

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  “You ‘nobles’ invaded their land, purging any Demons in your way.” He gestured at Vorn. “Every dead human is a dead problem. Did you expect them to wait until your mother woke up?”

  Vorn’s jaw clenched. The nobles’ expansion into the Darklands came at a bloody price—and he knew it. The conviction in his eyes dimmed, but his defiance remained.

  “They’re still parasites who wear the faces of our loved ones.”

  Why did Demons do that?

  Seemed like classic counter-espionage. Or maybe Demons needed a human body to tolerate Earth. Earth had weakened Kai. Years of exposure and divine blood had helped him tolerate it, but he’d still felt sluggish and drained.

  Whatever protected Earth would probably crush lesser Demons—that lent credence to the human-shield theory.

  Or—most likely—all of the above.

  But sentiment was more convenient than the truth.

  “If you were being hunted to extinction, wouldn’t you blend in to survive?”

  “T-that’s not—”

  Alex stepped past red-eyed glares and grabbed Vorn’s shoulder. The stuttering soldier quieted at his touch. Alex surveyed the surrounding Demons before joining the discussion.

  “No matter what you say, Kai, consorting with Demons is illegal. Even if you take control of our lands, this will unite the other Houses against you. And the ministers will send Hunters to crush you.”

  He turned to Alira. “Sister, this man will ruin our family.”

  Alira scoffed. “Our House is already collapsing. Kai’s our best chance to recover. And the other Houses uniting?” She shook her head. “Since when do crabs unite instead of dragging each other down? Unification will only happen at sword point, and you know it. But if we’d had Demons protecting the village—”

  “You…have you gone mad?”

  Kai smirked. “The other Houses would happily consort with Demons if they could control them.” He spread his palms. “I’m sure they’ve tried.”

  “Maybe you’ve corralled these Demons for now, but you won’t be able to control them forever. They’ll turn on you when you least expect it. They’re only biding their time. Demons won’t bow to a human.”

  “Ah, so you’ve seen others try?”

  Alex sighed. “It didn’t end well. Please…take them and leave. Spare us the consequences of your folly.”

  “Can’t you see?” Kai gestured at the Demons with a theatrical flourish.

  Half the Demons bowed at his mental command, the other half stood at attention.

  “They bow to me.” Kai lifted his chin. “They’re loyal to me. I’m not only the best leader for these lands—I’m humanity’s best chance at survival. Why fight the natives when we can collaborate? The other Houses will waste resources fighting Demons while we harness them. They’ll beg for my protection soon enough.”

  He spread his arms. “And I’ll graciously grant it—uniting us all under one purpose.”

  “What purpose is that?” Alex asked. Every human eye focused on Kai.

  “To subjugate the Eight Realms and bring peace to the Darklands.”

  Silence fell.

  Alex’s brow furrowed. “Eight Realms? You mean the Eight Houses?”

  “No. The Eight Houses are cubs in comparison. There are eight other realms connected to the Darkgates. They all have champions who’ve ascended further than any human.”

  His gaze swept over them. “Past Saints.”

  Frowns spread like an infection.

  “Surely you jest?” Alex said.

  “I wish. Humanity’s a small fish in a big pond. We’re out of our depth. How can we hope to survive without help?”

  “Nonsense,” Vorn said. “If there were other realms, we would’ve met them by now.”

  The same thought Kai had. Embarrassing to share it with the mindless brute. Though he’d thought of a feasible explanation.

  “The system prevents it. It’s giving us time to catch up, but who knows when that time will run out?”

  If Balance God actually valued balance, this made sense. He couldn’t let the other realms steamroll over the weak humans—where was the balance in that? He must’ve placed restrictions on the other realms, giving the humans some kind of tutorial period.

  His theory also explained why the Darkgates stopped vomiting abominations after they arrived on Earth. And why the abominations infesting the old ruins hadn’t invaded the remaining cities.

  When humanity got powerful enough, or their time ran out—abominations would flood the land.

  Earth was on borrowed time. The nobles were smart to leave, but the clock kept ticking for them too.

  Safety was an illusion.

  Vorn shook his head. “Demons are the real threat. You’re just trying to distract us.”

  Kai shrugged. “There are bigger threats than Demons. But you’d need a bigger mind to understand.”

  Vorn’s expression darkened. Alex rubbed his chin. “If what you say is true…”

  Alira met Kai’s eyes. He nodded, signalling this was the truth, not a trick.

  She studied him for a moment, searching for deception. He must’ve passed her test, because she turned to Alex, sighing. “He speaks true, brother. The time for bickering crabs is over. We must unite the Houses under one banner, or these other realms will soon crush our divided forces.”

  “What do you think the other Houses are doing? Everyone wants to unite the others under their fist. We’ve been at a stalemate for years, but I hear Prince—”

  “Do you want to live under the Ashvales’ thumb? We have an advantage the other Houses could only dream of. These Demons helped us defeat the intruder you hid from.” She lifted her chin. “Are you so proud you’ll slap a helping hand?”

  “But Demons have—”

  “We’ve invaded their land, and they’ve defended themselves. Seraphina always said there were good and bad Demons, just like humans. We can’t paint them all as savage monsters.”

  Vorn sneered. “Seraphina’s foolishness got her killed.”

  Alex’s eyes widened.

  Alira’s gaze turned cold. An icy blade took shape in her palm.

  How do you think Alira's gonna react in the next chapter?

  Will Vorn back down and apologise?

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