Chapter 555: Demon Empress
When she approached him, however, Arthur felt a subtle shift in the energy around them and a quick glance at the expressions on the faces of those nearby allowed him to understand what had happened.
’She used an Isolation barrier... They can’t hear us.’
Arthur turned his eyes back to the Demon Empress, his pupils lighting up with a low glow as he met her piercing gaze.
"Lucifer’s Descendant, huh?
I’m a bit curious about where you popped out from. After all, as far as I know, Lucifer’s been dead for over 30,000 years."
The woman calmly revealed she was aware of something even the Demon Kings didn’t know: that Lucifer was no longer among the living.
This knowledge had fuelled her initial suspicion that Arthur might be a phony, a pretender to the legacy he claimed and so she came here to probe him.
Nephinae’s sharp eyes seemed to be searching for something in Arthur’s expressions and body language, but the boy’s nonchalant reply left her momentarily stunned.
"Where the hell did you get 30,000 from? It’s only been 12—oh."
Mid-statement, Arthur remembered the time difference between the Hell and Valmone Universes. 9 Hours: 24 Hours.
"I forgot this universe’s time runs faster. Back home, it’s only been around 12,000 years since Lucifer got K.O’d."
Arthur casually informed her of the time back in the Hell Universe, and right before her eyes, the boy began calculating exactly how many years it had been for Valmone using the time difference he knew.
Noticing that she was silent, the boy raised his gaze and arched his eyebrow.
"What? Surprised I admitted it so easily?
I never hid it in the first place, it’s just that no one asked."
With a shrug, he reached out to a passing waiter, using spatial magic to teleport a glass of wine into his hand before continuing.
"Besides, although the High-Tier Deities of this universe might be clueless about others, I at least expected Monarch Realm existences like you to be aware of things happening on the Multi-Universal Stage."
Nephinae’s expression flickered—a momentary crack in her composure.
"...It seems I took you too lightly, huh?"
"Yep. You did."
Arthur’s response was as smooth as the wine he sipped, and with a snap of his fingers, the space beside him glitched. A sword materialized before their eyes, causing a ripple of shock among the nearby Race Rulers.
Those who had lived through Lucifer’s advent in Valmone recognized it instantly. For the others, they could all sense the latent power within the weapon and it was enough to leave them speechless.
Those who were alive during Lucifer’s advent in Valmone reacted with recognition, while those who weren’t simply expressed shock as they sensed the latent power of the sword that just appeared.
It was a jet-black sword with silver lines running through its blade like veins
Laying her eyes on it, Nephinae’s doubts evaporated.
The sight of Lostvayne triggered memories she could never forget.
Nephinae had once tried to grasp the sword when Lucifer first came to this Universe, only to lose her entire left arm from the backlash of merely grazing its hilt.
That experience left no doubt in her mind—only someone who had been granted control by Lucifer himself could wield that sword.
’He’s the real deal.’
But this begged the question of how Arthur had gained control of Lostvayne since Lucifer was supposed to be dead and Arthur himself admitted it.
Sensing her unspoken question, Arthur conjured a ring of life and death law energy, twirling it around his fingers as he spoke.
"Surely, you’ve heard of resurrection spells, right?"
His tone was almost teasing, though the truth was more complex.
Technically, Lucifer hadn’t been resurrected—a part of his soul had never fully ’died’ in the first place.
But Arthur wasn’t about to dive into the intricacies of Soul Cores and homunculus bodies with her.
Satisfied with Arthur’s authenticity, Nephinae’s demeanour subtly shifted, transitioning from suspicion to a more formal interest. Her gaze softened, and she offered a slight nod, a gesture of acknowledgement.
"Resurrection, huh?
That’s something that becomes increasingly harder the more powerful you are since the Cosmos kind of wants dead people to ’stay dead’.
But knowing that man, I’m not so surprised he could pull it off."
Her tone shifted to a more conversational one as she continued.
"Enough of that and onto you. My curiosities do not end at just your authenticity.
What are your plans, Arthur? You’ve entered the Interstellar Stage in a blaze of attention, but where do you intend to go from here?
My little boy said you do not intend to remain here for long so I’m wondering the reason for all this fanfare."
"I’ve got some other Universes to drop by. When I’m done over there, I’d return here for a long time. I’m just laying the foundations for that time while I can."
Arthur replied as he swirled the wine in his glass, and hearing the boy’s words, the woman asked.
"You think whatever you mark you can make here would remain until then?"
"Oh, it definitely will."
His reply made her wonder just where he sourced his confidence from.
’Is it really confidence or just plain arrogance?’
Nephinae couldn’t tell which one applied in this case. With so many things happening across the Vast Universe every day, it was very easy for one to get forgotten if they vanished for a long time without a strong foothold.
Arthur had just laid his foundation, leaving the universe at this point seemed like an unwise move from her point of view.
But since she wasn’t in Arthur’s head, she couldn’t know what he had planned. She didn’t know what event or actions Arthur planned to use and permanently imprint his name in the Hallmarks of the Valmone Universe’s History.
"For starters, I’d make a little bit of a name for myself on you guys’ Battlefront Worlds. I assume you’ve been informed of the agreement I made with the Kings."
"The one where you want us to create an army of godslayers for you?"
Arthur wasn’t surprised Nephinae saw through his intentions of using them to do all the heavy lifting that came with creating an army and just nodded in affirmation.
"That’s very bold of you."
"Bold moves are what I’m all about. I mean, I realise that I’d be attracting a lot of attention in the coming months and not all of it would be friendly, yet I’m not backing out.
I’m actually counting on it. The more eyes on me, the better."
A strange glint flickered in Nephinae’s eyes when she heard Arthur’s words.
’It seems he understands the stakes, and welcomes them with open arms.’
"You’ve got the ambition, that’s clear. But ambition alone isn’t enough when you take things Intergalactic. You’ll need the power to back up that ambition, and allies—strong ones."
"I’m aware.
That’s why I’m taking a little break from Valmone. Imagine how impactful my return would be when I’m already a Deity realm existence.
As for Allies, I’m starting with your World’s Demon Rulers and I plan to expand my network. Although Might reigns Supreme, there’s a lot more to the Universe than just raw power."
Nephinae ignored the latter half of Arthur’s statement and focused on what he insinuated with his words in the first half.
"You think you can reach the Deity Realm in a little time?"
Arthur wasn’t hiding his power, so she could see his Semi-Transcendent state. Still, she asked this and Arthur understood that her question wasn’t asking about him reaching the ’Half-Deity’ realm which he was obviously guaranteed to hit in less than a decade but the ’Low-Tier Deity Realm’.
"I know I can."
Arthur declared confidently, meeting Nephinae’s eyes as he spoke. A tense silence ensued for a solid minute while everyone outside watched with bated breaths.
Finally, Nephinae’s lips curled up into a small smile and she spoke, satisfied with his responses.
"Very well. You’ve got my attention, Arthur Vaughn. I’ll be watching your progress closely.
Try not to die before you can make your mark."
With that, she ended the conversation and glanced at the gathering around them. Her eyes went to a clock and she viewed the time, seeing it would soon be the 5th of July.
"It’s time to conclude this Summit."
The Demon Empress declared as she disabled the isolation barrier around her and Arthur, before swiftly taking charge of the closing ceremony.
|As we bring this Summit to a close, let it be known that the universe is in a time of change. New powers are rising, and with them, new challenges and opportunities.
We must all be vigilant, but also bold. After all, the future belongs to those who dare to seize it. |
Her words resonated across the entirety of Imperium Astra, the sound extending past the surface of the planet and reaching those on the moons in the sky.
After bringing the event to its grand conclusion, Nephinae took her leave, casting one final glance in Arthur’s direction.
Her presence had been unexpected, but it was a perfect end to the Summit.
Throughout the Summit, Arthur had been careful to drop subtle hints about his future endeavours and these hints were not lost on the sharp minds of those present.
By the time the Empress took it upon herself to close the ceremony, many eyes in the room were already watching Arthur with a mix of curiosity and expectation.
Arthur had laid a firm foundation for himself on the Interstellar Stage and had some of the powerhouses of the Universe recognizing him as not just a descendant of legends, but a potential one in his own right.
In the months to come, these powerhouses would keep their eyes peeled for any sign of him in action, eager to see if this ’Progenitor godslayer’ could live up to the expectations and truly carve out a legacy that would echo across the stars.
"The stage is set, and the universe is watching. Now, it’s up to me to deliver."
