Chapter 607: Underworld Territory Problem [2]

Astaroth waited for several minutes, allowing his gaze to travel between the six Princes seated around the auditorium.

Nobody seemed eager to speak.

"On this regard, the Dukes and I have decided this will be the main criteria for deciding who we will support to become the next demon lord by the end of this century... Who ever acquires the most territory will unanimously gain our support."

The announcement immediately changed the atmosphere. Several Princes straightened in their seats, and calculating gleams appeared in their eyes as they considered the implications.

The Princes’ expressions revealed their growing interest, each already considering which planets and star systems could be targeted first. Only Sol appeared unimpressed. He rolled his eyes and leaned back into his couch as though Astaroth had just announced something painfully obvious. His lack of interest stood out amid the sudden excitement, but nobody questioned him aloud.

"But let it be known that invading another princes territory is prohibited and a prince can lose all support of Dukes if this rule is broken." Astaroth’s warning cut through the growing murmurs.

His expression hardened as he surveyed the Princes, ensuring they understood that the offer came with conditions. "All resources and effort must be aimed at recapturing what we have lost and acquiring even more territory. Once the heavens is deprived of mortal support, we can the crush them directly in an all out war."

Several Princes nodded slowly. The prohibition against invading one another’s territories was particularly important.

Damian, however, had little interest in the excitement spreading through the other boxes. His attention had shifted toward Sol, who was yawning with an expression of profound boredom. The Prince of Pride looked as though he would rather be anywhere else, and the prospect of competing against his peers for the Demon Lord’s throne appeared to mean absolutely nothing to him.

’That bastard is clearly not interested in getting involved in this race for the demon throne,’ Rin chuckled from his shoulder.

’Does he have to be?’ Biron shrugged. ’I mean, he plans to murder all demons, what reason does he have to compete for a throne that’s bound to be his.’

He shifted his gaze away from Sol and found Belial staring at him from the opposite box.

"What if I kill a commandment, what do I gain?" Damian asked.

The question drew immediate attention. Conversations ceased, and the Princes turned toward him with varying degrees of surprise. Even Astaroth raised an eyebrow, apparently interested in why Damian had chosen to introduce the Ten Commandments into a discussion centred on territorial expansion.

"What?" Astaroth asked, looking directly at Damian.

"After killing Lazarus I returned to my home world which has been under the rule of the heavens and wiped out the Vatican but that does not account for the priests and religious figures scattered across the planet. My subordinates has started the black Vatican and has began a conscious attempt to sway the mass back to my side so it’s only a matter of time before I class with the commandment of piety." Damian explained. "If an opportunity arises and I murder the commandment of peity, don’t you think I should be compensated for my hard work?"

His explanation prompted another wave of murmurs. Some of the nobles had heard fragments of what happened on Earth, but others had not fully understood the extent of Damian’s ambitions.

Belial snorted disdainfully from his corner of the room. "You barely managed to kill Lazarus using so silly tricks and now you think you can kill anyone. If the commandments were so easy to kill, don’t you think we would have wiped them out already?"

Damian chuckled and shook his head. The remark had clearly been intended to provoke him, but he seemed more amused than offended.

"A man who can’t safeguard the lives of his subordinates, definitely cannot kill a prince. Don’t ever delude yourself into thinking we are on the same level, you little bug!"

The insult struck a nerve. Belial’s expression twisted, and before he could respond, the black snake around his neck lunged forward with a furious hiss. Its body stretched across the space between the boxes, its jaws opening wide as it raced toward Damian’s face.

The attack happened so quickly that several nobles barely had time to react, but Rin was already moving. His small body shot from Damian’s shoulder, white flames erupting around his fur as he met the serpent head on. With a violent swing, he smashed his forelimb into its jaw, redirecting its charge and sending it hurtling toward the ceiling.

Biron moved almost simultaneously. Golden energy surged across his body as he launched himself forward, intercepting the serpent before it could recover.

His massive form rammed into its body, driving it away from Damian’s box and sending it crashing back into Belial’s side of the chamber. The serpent struck the floor with a heavy impact, its scales scraping against the polished surface as it twisted to regain its balance. Rin landed beside Damian, white flames still dancing across his fur, while Biron returned to his position with a low growl. Neither spirit beast appeared particularly troubled by what had just happened.

"DAMIAN YOU HAVE GONE TOO FAR!" Belial roared as he abruptly rose from his couch. His chair scraped backward, and dark energy surged around his body as he prepared to continue the confrontation.

Before he could take another step, a violent tremor passed through him.

Brrr!

White flames burst from his mouth, and Belial immediately grabbed his throat, his eyes widening as he began coughing uncontrollably.

Damian rose from his couch, his expression turning cold. White light burned in his eyes, and his hair gradually turned completely white, matching the transformation spreading across Rin’s fur.

"Enough!"

Astaroth struck the podium with his gavel, the sharp impact reverberating throughout the auditorium.

Both Damian and Belial turned toward him, though Belial was still coughing and clutching his throat.

Astaroth’s expression had hardened, and the pressure of his authority spread through the chamber as he addressed them.

"Fighting is not allowed here." His voice was low and threatening, leaving little room for argument.

Despite the interruption, several of the other Princes looked more intrigued than displeased. Sol watched Damian with a faint smile, his earlier boredom replaced by genuine amusement.

"This lad knows how to keep me entertained," he chuckled lightly.

Across the room, Aein’s eyes practically sparkled with excitement. He leaned forward in his lectus, no longer appearing remotely interested in his grapes or the succubus beside him.

"Samara flames. The bane of all demons. I always envied Lin Qui’s possession of all the great fires," Aein chuckled.

His enthusiasm was understandable.

Damian eventually sat back down, and Belial did the same after his subordinates helped him recover. The Prince of Envy’s face remained twisted with humiliation, but he no longer attempted to attack.

Astaroth let out a long sigh, evidently regretting that the meeting had descended into violence before its first major topic had even concluded. Once he was satisfied that neither Prince intended to continue the confrontation, he returned his attention to the assembly.

"I agree... If we are going to win this war against the heavens we cannot be stingy. So I’ll make this offer to all princes. For every commandment killed a prince is allowed to pick an item out of the Demon lords Armory!" Astaroth declared.

The reaction was immediate. Aein sat upright, his languid demeanour vanishing as his eyes widened. Brolly stopped drinking and lowered his enormous gourd, while Kazier’s expression changed from irritation to open surprise. Belial, despite his recent humiliation, turned his attention toward Astaroth with renewed interest.

Even Sol, who had shown little concern for the competition to become the next Demon Lord, lifted his gaze toward the Duke. For the first time since entering the Council Chambers, the Prince of Pride appeared genuinely interested in what was being offered.

Damian, meanwhile, remained confused. He glanced around the auditorium, taking note of the sudden excitement spreading among the Princes, then looked toward Rin and Biron as though expecting one of them to explain what he had missed.

’Why is everyone so moved?’ Damian asked inwardly.

’Fool, the Demon Lord’s Armory carries all the God tier weapons and armors all the previous Demon lords have ever used in the past thirty thousand years!’ Rin gasped, his ears standing upright as he stared toward Astaroth.

’If you can get your hands on weapons exclusive to your inheritance, do you know how much of a power boost that is?’ Biron screamed.

Only then did Damian’s eyes widen with surprise.

Bam! Bam!

Astaroth struck the podium twice with his gavel, drawing the attention of the auditorium back toward him. The excitement did not disappear entirely, but the Princes gradually settled into their seats as they waited for him to continue. Astaroth allowed the silence to return before speaking, his expression once again composed.

"But of course... All this will only come into play... If we actually decided to go to war with the heavens..." Astaroth said.