The Demon Monarch System

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'There it is. It is being awakened. I have to keep pushing him. He seems to be the type who breaks through obstacles while under pressure. Thus, allow me to mold you into the most resilient gem to ever appear,' Fuhrer thought while witnessing the flickering in Apollo's eyes.

If Azridan were here, he would have realized the state Apollo once fell into was appearing once again. However, at this time, he was a demon unlike before. To put it differently, whereas he would have lost control in the part, this was a vital part of him becoming a demon.

"Are you frustrated? Have you come to realize that words fail to make a difference in the world? All that matters is action. If you think by saying you wish to accomplish something that others will move for you, then you are sorely mistaken. You must possess the authority and power to MAKE them move for you," Fuhrer roared while slashing downward.

An expansive wave fired from his sword that left a large fissure in the ground next to Apollo as he barely sidestepped in. In the process, a piece of his hair was cut off. From his point of view, it seemed as if Fuhrer didn't mind killing him. The lethality of that strike was off the charts.

As a result, the amethyst light in his eyes grew deeper, 'I must overcome! I must have the power to overwhelm. To become the Monarch is to dominate all and to do that, I must have control of everything.' Apollo thought to himself.

While dodging, the purplish light from his body prompted the same color tendrils to seep from Apollo. All it needed was one more small push for the process to be completed. 

Again, Fuhrer attacked. But this time, he took unhurried steps while retracting the Absolute Umbra Zone. He didn't cancel it but focused it solely on his body. As a result, Fuhrer looked like an ominous walking shadow.

"Allow me to open your eyes further, you must understand that the limit of every technique lies within your mind. A closed mind leads to a menial future. Therefore, you must always take the broad picture into account. Think of many ways to overcome a single problem. Once you've done that, strip them all bare and make them rely on your power," Fuhrer stated. He then added, "That is the way of the Monarch."

In response, Apollo felt as if a shackle on his mind was shattered as he roared to the sky. He released a purplish-black aura that blended seamlessly with the aura that he currently possessed.

In light of this, he received two messages.

〈System Alert! The requirements to complete the engraving process of the Tainted Temple and Infernal Nucleus have all been met. The blockage to completion has been unobstructed. When ready, you make attempt to complete the process.〉

〈System Alert! Alert! Alert! A strong Demonic Intent has been birthed. As a result, the Tainted Temple is absorbing copious amounts of unknown power. When finished, the change will reflect in your status.〉

'As I thought, this child was born to be the Monarch. This is something I haven't seen in a long time. A Monarch level Manifestation of Demonic Intent. If I'm not mistaken, this is the Intent of Domination. According to the First Monarch, it was with this power that he was able to cull all his enemies. I look forward to seeing how this lad wields it,' Fuhrer internalized while placing the sword back into his sheathe.

Although he would've liked to continue the battle, it wasn't the right time. Right after he invoked his state, Apollo's body staggered. Truth be told, he had long spent his Anima Reserves to deal with Fuhrer's attacks. He was using pure grit to continue combating Fuhrer.

For this, Fuhrer commended him. He understood why he awakening the Intent of Domination. It required one to have an almost nonsensical level of defiance as well as unrelenting nature in their bones. It could be seen from Apollo's action that he wasn't one to admit defeat.

"Just a little more and you would have reached the state required for me to teach you these two Noble Arts. Originally, I was taught them by the First Monarch, so it is only right that I reciprocate the favor and show you how to do so as well," Fuhrer said while resting Apollo's body against the wall.

Based on the fluctuations of Apollo's current state, Fuhrer could tell he had a much longer time than when compared to his prior visits. As a result, he didn't interfere with Apollo's recovery. He allowed Apollo to recover naturally as it was best he digested the Intent of Domination on his own.

In the meantime, Fuhrer pondered a few things. Firstly, he wondered what Apollo's connection to the First Monarch could be. According to what he knew, he didn't possess any kids. Of course, there was also the off chance that he hid his offsprings from society. After all, to take up that mantle, he had come in contact with many enemies.

Some of which even existed on his same level. Plus, even the strongest of beings resorted to schemes when victory was uncertain.

Secondly, he wanted to know why he felt an odd sense of familiarity with Apollo that went beyond Azridan. If he had to put it into words, then he felt like he was destined to follow this lad. Then again, if he did that, he was sure his future would become unknown.

Of course, to Fuhrer, that was better than wasting away guarding a sacred tool of the Daemos. He too wanted to find a successor to once again help the Monarch once again bring complete order to the Nihilistic Rings.

Lastly, Fuhrer was still curious as to how Apollo became a Monarch's Candidate. Unlike the others, it was safer to say that it seemed forced upon him. After all, one can only attempt to become a candidate after surpassing the initial Noblesse standard,

Yet, here Apollo was a Lesser Demon who was capable of mimicking the abilities of the first Monarch to a tee. 'If he's able to control the demons like the First Monarch was as well, then I will accept this feeling and follow him along his journey. But, should he fail to do so, I will accept my fate and waste away guarding this area against them,' Fuhrer determined.

Several hours later, Apollo finally woke up. Furthermore, he woke up in his peak state. There were no signs of a previous fight present on his body as he looked around. Additionally, he silently watched as Fuhrer chanted something that caused his aura to constantly jump states.

Concurrently, his actions caused the sword buried in the stone illuminated with black lights. Once his duties were done, Fuhrer opened his eyes, "You have finished recovering. Now that you have gone through your manifestations, you can call yourself a complete demon. There isn't a thing you lack now. All you need to do is solidify your foundations."

"Yeah, I feel...complete. Also, what is that? What's the purpose of that sword?" Apollo questioned while inspecting the sword closely.

"Well, it has two purposes. I have been tasked to keep us safe. Compared to the past, we don't possess the same position as before. To guard us against our enemies, the First Monarch displaced us from our original position. The other purpose is to be wielded as a weapon. But, as I said, I must first find a successor to teach the Tenebrous Sword," Fuhrer answered.

"I see, but why do you need a successor? Your vitality seems to be perfectly intact," Apollo inquired. Truthfully speaking, Apollo was correct. Fuhrer could easily live for thousands, if not tens of thousands of years. However, that wasn't the reason he sought a successor.

"You can see this as me looking for a successor from precautionary measures. If I am to stay here, should I ever perish, I would need someone to fulfill my role. After all, peaceful times are never permanent. You must always expect trouble even when the signs are not present," Fuhrer responded before taking a seat before Apollo.

He then continued, "Since you have your Intent, why don't we elevate the difficulty. What do you think of me training you until your Demonic Massacre Wave is perfected? Your Intent is special, unlike others, you can create derivatives of your own power. When you are ready, I will walk you through it."