Back on his throne, the emperor along with Dominion was watching the spiritual incarnation of Serena manifest itself out of the soul marble. Standing in front of them in her bare skin, she, despite just being a soul, was trying her hardest to cover the sensitive parts of her body.
"Tell me where your master is right now," the emperor asked, a taste of metal lingering inside his mouth.
Nervously fidgeting around, Serena tried to keep her mouth shut. However, as Dominion pointed a finger in her direction, a visceral pain began coursing through her astral body. Brought down to her knees, she glanced up between the two-feeling ashamed of showing her skin to someone who wasn't her master.
"Priestess, I can make you talk one way or the other, but I'd prefer if I don't have to destroy someone who used to be such a firm believer," getting off the throne, the emperor cast his cosmic gaze down at Serena. "Or do you need me to show you the true radiance that you had submitted your life for?"
The very next moment as he said those words, a blinding light burst from behind his body. Shielding her gaze, Serena looked away for a while, but then drawn like a moth she glanced back at the emperor's radiant frame.
"What? No-No…There's no way," despite her body being leagues away, she could feel her heart pumping from the fear of the almighty.
As if staring right into the burning stars, an eye of pure light was peering right at her from behind the emperor. Its cold blue flames burned her deeply, she desperately wanted to escape, but couldn't move an inch away from the marble thrown at her feet.
"That's right, it is I, the ruler of this land, the lord you call onto, and the being whose name would soon be itched into this very plain you stand onto," with each word he came closer and closer to Serena.
"Atlas?" Shocked beyond belief, Serena's mind was broken in two. On one hand, she was to remain loyal to Haruki; on the other, the very lord she'd served her entire life was standing right before her.
Throwing his hands wide, Atlas stood right in front of her with his radiance shining bright. The light behind him affected Serena's ability to reason, and she felt compelled to give in to his demands. But then a moment of realization hit her like a truck.
"Wait, how do I even know you're telling me the truth, and even if I tell you everything I'm still of the demon race that you so desperately want to eradicate!" Bringing herself to reason, she propped herself up with newfound confidence.
Seeing her rebel again, the smile on Atlas's face quickly disappeared.
"Have it your way then," shooting her a look of disappointment, he stood before her unmoving for a moment.
The sudden change in his tone threw Serena off her guard, and that's when the emperor grabbed her astral body by the neck and squeezed it as tight as his withering body would allow. Coursing his mana through her body, he had her squirming and groaning, all the while he scanned through all her memories.
Consumed by his strength, every pore in her soul began leaking out the same radiance as his light. Watching it all unfold, Dominion couldn't help but wonder exactly how this was affecting her body which he left behind.
'He's grown desperate.' Even in all that, like many others, Dominion managed to see through the farce of resilience the emperor was forced to mask himself up with. Wearing a smirk, he kept on watching until the soul of Serena, the high priestess, was utterly weakened and consumed back into the marble.
"Well done, now she's not gonna be able to come out at all," Dominion clapped for the emperor in a mocking tone.
"We don't need her for her testimony anymore, just keep her soul as a bargaining chip," his mind still scanning through Serena's memories, the emperor made his way back to this throne.
"So, what are you waiting for, just tell me where this nuisance is and I'll get rid of him," hysterical to finally reach Haruki, Dominion stared at the emperor with crazy widened eyes.
Settling down on the throne, the emperor shot him a tired gaze.
"Alive, I need him alive, Dominion," crossing his legs, he peered up at the stained-glass window right above his throne. "And don't lift a finger until I figure out what we must do."
Taking a moment to just relish under the light showering down on him through the window, the emperor shut his eyes closed to recover from the loss of mana. Although disappointed by the order he was given, Dominion simply nodded at the lord of this world.
"You've grown…into a coward," he mumbled, knowing full well that the emperor would pick up on his words.
Letting out a deep sigh, Atlas glanced down at him again before giving him a reply.
"If you're so keen on incurring the demon lord's wrath then go ahead, I won't stop you," the unexpected answer from the emperor shocked Dominion to the core. Raising his head to look at him, he felt utterly puzzled as to what changed in those brief few seconds.
"Ahaha…" Chuckling to himself, Dominion wasn't going to let the chance slide. "Very well then, I'll bring that demon to you in less than a week's time!"
With no doubt in his mind that he would keep his word, the emperor gave Dominion a nod of agreement. Scanning through the memories of Serena, the emperor provided him with all the possible locations Haruki could be hiding. Once done with the briefing, Dominion took the marble with Serena's soul and was just about to go off looking for Haruki. However, right as he got to the door, the emperor spoke to him one last time before he left.
"While you're out there, destroy the kingdom of Dolatia and its moronic rebels," no longer having the luxury to wait around, the emperor was clearly acting up in desperation.
Yet none of it mattered to Dominion for as long as he could get some kicks out of the action, he was willing to destroy anything that the emperor wanted.
"As you say, brother," with a cheeky smile, he walked out of the room.
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