News reached Prince Eyrin from one of the guards who had accompanied the eunuch on the ill-fated night to attack Prince Khane and Arnin.
As the guard stood before him in his chamber, recounting the events in detail, Prince Eyrin burst into laughter. It wasn't just a chuckle, but a deep, uncontrollable laugh that echoed through the room. Tears streamed down his face as he pictured the absurdity of it all.
"That's the demon that said I should obey him? So he's a fake? Wonders, Lourix, wonders!" he exclaimed, glancing at his trusted aide, Lourix, who chuckled along with him.
Eventually, the prince stopped laughing, wiping the tears from his face with a lingering grin. Turning his attention back to the guard, he said, "So... it's even a fake. I guess my stay in Essed wasn't that bad after all."
Falling silent, Prince Eyrin placed his little finger near his lips, his index and middle finger resting on his forehead as he leaned back in thought. The room became still, the weight of his pondering palpable.
After a moment, he broke the silence. "That demon... the aquatic demon who defeated the eunuch and the fake Bain—you said she's at Nameless' side, didn't you?" His sharp gaze fixed on the guard as he leaned forward slightly.
"Replying to your highness, yes, she is. When she fought the eunuch, she told Nameless to run away together with the one they call Arnin," the guard replied, his tone steady but with an edge of reverence for the memory.
"Your highness, that must be the demon that killed Palov!" Lourix interjected, his words coming out in a rush, almost frantic.
Prince Eyrin raised a hand, motioning for Lourix to stop. "Calm yourself," he said, his voice composed, yet commanding.
Then, fixing his piercing gaze on the guard, he asked, "Tell me, did you see that demon well?"
The guard's posture straightened as he replied, "Replying to his highness, yes, I did." His voice carried the weight of certainty, as though the image of the demon was burned into his mind.
"How did she look?" Prince Eyrin asked, leaning forward slightly, his curiosity piqued.
"She had long black hair, with some parts braided and adorned with sea shells," the guard began, his tone steady as he recalled the details. "Her eyes were strange.
They were black at first, but later they changed to blue. And... she was charmingly beautiful," he added, a hint of admiration slipping into his voice.
Prince Eyrin smirked at the description. Before he could speak, Lourix interjected, his expression contemplative. "Your highness, is it possible that it could be another aquatic demon? Or the One who killed Palov and also attacked you that night?" he asked, his tone laden with wonder.
Leaning back in his chair, Prince Eyrin shifted into a relaxed and comfortable position. "I feel it's the same," he stated, his face now serious as he motioned for the guard to leave.
Once the guard was gone, the prince chuckled softly to himself. "He sent a demon to attack me because I told him to crawl on the streets of Essed.
Little does he know, I can't be attacked by a demon," he said with a touch of amusement, his chuckles growing sharper. "Khane, Khane, Khane, do you think you are the only special one?"
"Your highness, how are we going to avenge Palov?" Lourix asked, stepping forward, his voice tinged with urgency.
"Avenge?" Prince Eyrin scoffed, a derisive smirk curling his lips. His expression darkened as if the very notion of vengeance amused him, though not in the way Lourix had hoped.
************************************
In the eunuch's chamber, Paozi paced back and forth, his anger growing with each step. His movements were sharp, his breathing uneven, as the events of the previous night replayed in his mind. Suddenly, the fake Bain materialized in the room, his presence unsettling as ever.
The eunuch froze mid-step, his eyes narrowing in fury. "You fake!" he spat, his voice trembling with rage. His aged features twisted into an expression of anger, though his wrinkled skin softened the effect.
The fox sighed, his demeanor calm as he eased into a chair in the chamber. "Mortal, do you wish to lose your tongue?" he asked, his voice smooth yet menacing.
"Lose my tongue?" the eunuch scoffed, his tone laced with mockery. "You almost lost your head last night," he sneered, his words dripping with scorn.
The fox's red eyes flared suddenly, glowing with ominous light. Without warning, an invisible force clutched the eunuch's throat, lifting him slightly off the ground. "Paozi," the fox said coldly, his voice now like a blade.
"You are but an ant in my eyes, despite your hundred years of life. Do not test my patience. Kneel!" he commanded, motioning with his hand.
The eunuch's knees hit the floor instantly, as though the weight of the world had pressed down on him. He gasped for air, his hands clawing at his throat in desperation.
"Leave demon matters to demons. Do not speak out of line," the fox warned, releasing the power gripping the eunuch's throat. Paozi crumpled to the floor, coughing violently as he fought to catch his breath.
The fox leaned back in his chair, his tone shifting to something more deliberate. "They are also on our side, and the aquatic demon did not know I was truly Bain.
That is why, when she saw my face, she didn't finish me off," he said, his voice measured, as though piecing together a puzzle aloud.
"She was stronger than you," Paozi rasped, finally standing. He brushed himself off and muttered, "I thought Bain was the strongest demon?"
The fox's eyes narrowed, irritation flickering across his features. "What do you know of demons?" he snapped.
"There are many strong demons. Enough of this! I didn't come here to discuss others. Tell me, that prince of yours—when was he born?" The fox leaned closer, his gaze sharp and unyielding.
"More than 17 years ago, on the day the war ended in heaven. Why do you ask?" the eunuch inquired, his tone edged with suspicion.
The fox's expression remained unreadable. "What about the former Prince Khane?" he pressed further.
"It was on the same day," the eunuch replied, his eyes narrowing.
"Again, why do you ask?" the eunuch demanded, his frustration bubbling beneath his composed demeanor.
The fox tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing as he fell into deep thought. "More than 17 years ago, I went to the battle with the demon emperor with other demons" he began slowly, as if piecing together fragments of a memory.
"However we had heard he wanted to fight alone... but while I was there, I once saw the god of war."
His voice trailed off, his gaze growing distant as though reliving the moment. "There is a demon in Essed who saw him once and said something," the fox added.
"What did he say?" the eunuch asked, leaning slightly forward, curiosity momentarily overtaking his anger.
The fox's eyes glinted, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips. "Prince Eyrin... when I said he looked familiar, I meant he looked like the god of war, Sael," he revealed, his voice low, weighted.
"However, this prince's behavior is not in keeping with the ways of heaven, so I could be wrong about what I thought that day."
"god of war? It can't be true," the eunuch murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, his disbelief clear as his mind struggled to process the revelation.
The fox leaned closer to him, his voice dropping to a near whisper, deliberate and foreboding. "But as for the former prince... the demon who saw him said... he looked like..."
The fox's crimson eyes gleamed dangerously as his words hung in the air.
"...the Demon Emperor."