--
There was no doubt in anybody’s mind that the resurrection of the Demon Race was a problem.
None of the Human Sovereigns have gone senile. In fact, so of them could even rember how that war played out like it was just yesterday.
Sure, this was an outco that nobody was expecting, but was it an existential threat for humanity?
No. Far from it.
"See, I don’t get it," Berk muttered to his friends. "The Golden Bangle Bank had branch locations there. Couldn’t they have...I don’t know, given us a heads-up at least?"
"You know, now that you said that..." Urek looked contemplative too. "Yeah, an attempt to inform us would’ve been nice. I an, we’re one of the biggest clients; a little show of faith and loyalty could’ve been really nice."
"They’re rchants, boys." Patricia spoke without looking away from the system screens in front of her. "They’re rchants first, people who handle our money second."
"In their eyes, money cos first, not loyalty. You’re misplacing your feelings on people who would willingly sell out our information for the right amount of bangles."
"True," Gibson chid in. "Everything has a price tag to them. In fact, I’d even go out to say that they’d willingly convert into demons themselves if it ant they could squeeze out more profit for themselves. That’s just how they work."
Berk and Urek remained silent and unable to refute this because deep down, they know it’s true. Because while the Golden Bangle Bank sure had branches everywhere in the Heavenly Star Chaos Realm, it doesn’t an that they’re in favor of humans.
Whoever pays the most is the favorite of that bank. That’s how simply they work.
"I an, to be fair, I didn’t see any of their branches there when I was scanning. It’s very likely that I missed them. They’re good at protecting their vaults, after all," Urek muttered.
"That they are," Nick confird. "Speaking of scans...I guess you really weren’t pranking us, huh?"
"Oh, co on, Nick! We’ve known each other since forever! Where’s the trust? The love? Where’s your confidence in ? Am I really that type of guy in your eyes?" Urek sounded hurt and offended. It’s feigned, of course, but his act was almost convincing.
"On worst days? Yes. Yes, you are. And don’t even pretend that you aren’t," Nick blandly replied.
Urek was about to protest again, but Nick held up a hand and stopped him before the topic derailed again.
"So, what’s our plan? Do we sit still and let them think that they’re accomplishing sothing worthwhile, or do we go in and destroy them before the Horde notices?" Nick asked.
"I thought we already planned on doing the latter?" Gibson looked bewildered. "Thoroughly, if I might add. Was I missing sothing?"
"Well, we don’t need to be in a hurry, just so you know." Berk sighed. "Seriously, while demons have successfully staged a coback and beco a sovereign race, they’re still a nascent one."
"Their foundations aren’t as deep and thorough as ours." Patricia nodded. "The Horde too, I suppose. And if Urek could go in and out of there without alerting their supposed Demon God, then I can’t be convinced that he’s all that he pretends he is, and wouldn’t be, given how old he already is."
"I can’t imagine him knowing the secrets to Origin Laws either, so for now, he’s not a threat, which ans we can afford to take our ti, if we wish, of course."
"Or!" Gibson interjected, "we go in and end them before they actually beco a nuisance."
"We already confird that their sovereign was already planning on making a move on us. Urek said so, and we’ve seen his mories. That guy, Irma, was it? Is asking for an audience with the Bug Empress. He wants the Horde’s help in making our lives miserable because he’s a sore loser."
"Guys, we have the equipnt and the solution to trivialize the effects of infernal energy. We have all the tools we need to end them and take the Black Pegasus realm for ourselves, and any one of us could completely wipe out that delusional Demon God and his cronies from the face of the earth. The best part? There’s a high chance we can do all of this without alerting The Horde. Why are we deliberating between action and inaction this ti?"
Gibson has a point, a giant point at that, and nobody could deny that.
Humans have advanced far ahead since the war of sovereignty. They’re leagues above who they were back then, and Gibson wasn’t lying when he said that they have all the tools and resources to completely wipe out the demon race once and for all. Moreover, they have all the necessary tools to rehabilitate the Black Pegasus Realm and claim it for themselves, so his confusion was well-founded because, to him, their next course of action was already clear.
"Guys? Co on, talk. Don’t just look at ," Gibson groaned.
"You’re unusually fired up for this," Berk drawled. "Is there sothing in the Black Pegasus Chaos Realm that’s attractive for you?"
"Nothing that I know of. But you best believe that I’m willing to see if there are!" Gibson replied, "I’m just excited at the idea of us owning two of the five known Chaos Realms, you know. Aren’t you?"
"Gibby, we can understand your excitent. And believe , the idea is tempting for us too. But do you honestly think that we could keep this a secret?" Urek sighed. "Sure, we can prevent the Horde from knowing, but how about our people? Will we be able to keep this information from them? You do know that we need people, right? Just as your machines wouldn’t be enough to actually clear all the corruption in there."
"I an, you said it yourselves, we have ti..." Gibson weakly countered.
"Gibby." Urek gave him a bland stare. "Really? You do know that Nick and Pat had other priorities, right?"
"..."
"They’ll know, Gibby. Trust , they’d know." Urek sighed. "NDAs won’t cut it. Sohow, soone will discover what we’re doing. And when news gets out that we’re conquering another chaos realm for ourselves, everybody’s going to want to be involved, hoping to get a slice of the pie."
"And that’s where the real nightmare is." Berk sighed, "It’s our people. We, the council, already hold too much power for their comfort. Like it or not, they see us as a thorn in their side. The only thing preventing them from making a move on us is that our strengths are unfathomable in their eyes."
"Our movents to another chaos realm will be seen as an opportunity for them to jump out of our control. Independence. They would fight us, tooth and nail, to beco the next rulers of that place. And if we falter even for a second, they’d really be free to do whatever they want over there. We need to think about that first before doing anything else."
"Berk’s right," Nick sighed. "This isn’t about being a control freak. It’s about preventing a possible civil war that might end up sundering many lives, worlds, and universes."
"Our animosity is rightfully aid against those who want our extinction, not towards ourselves. NDAs, vows, oaths...all of those could be circumvented if one truly wanted to violate them for the sake of their own gain."
"The demon race isn’t our real enemy; it’s the Horde, and possibly us."
Gibson was silenced by the concern of his friends. It’s true, he didn’t see it from this angle. He should’ve, given that he’s one of the Human Sovereigns. He stood corrected, but he wasn’t happy about it.
Obviously, he didn’t like hearing these things about his own kind, but he couldn’t discredit their concerns, for they are very valid. As much as he hates to admit it, humans are ultimately flawed no matter how many stages of life evolutions they go through.
They are right that this needs deliberation. If this news were to spread, there will be a realm-wide movent that none of them would like to handle right now.
The ancient sects and organizations, including those who think they’re a ’hidden’ force...there’s no way they’d let this opportunity pass. They would fight tooth and nail to be ’involved’ in this, and if they truly forced their way through, there’s little to nothing the Human Sovereigns could do to stop them without being seen as overbearing leaders or tyrants.
So, it’s clear that they have to be careful about this.
The demons aren’t threats. This isn’t so blind arrogance or hubris that they as human sovereigns held; it’s a simple fact that has been established, especially after Urek’s main body returned to Heavenly Star to show them everything he collected so far.
"Well, how about we send our clones to handle it ourselves, then?" Gibson suggested. Which made others look at him.
"I an, others don’t have to know right away, right? We won’t tell them. We’ll conquer the Black Pegasus Chaos Realm with our clones equipped with the latest tech."
"It will take ti, obviously, but it’s possible, no?"
"And once we do, well, we’ll cross the bridge once we’re there. How about that?"
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