“I admit it is a long shot,” Sonog acknowledges, shrugging.

  “The Veil?! You mean he’s right?!” Zugdradak excims, looking from Sonog to Varzath once more.

  In order to understand Sonog’s pn, one needs first to know how Demon Lords come to be; Which is to say, once a demon amasses enough power, and followers, for reasons unknown, their influence takes on a physical form, creating a separated space where the demon has almost unlimited control… A Domain.

  A Domain isn’t a separated dimension, per se, as it occupies an equivalent space in the outside world. Also, sufficiently strong Demon Lords may possess multiple Domains, but no more than seventy-three Demon Lords may exist at any given point; For instance, Varzath took it upon himself to dispose of his predecessor once upon a time, instead of hoping one of them would go die on their own.

  As for what Sonog is pnning, exactly, Varzath can only assume one of two possibilities:

  First, the demon expects that once having been reborn in a Mortal Pne, Varzath’s body might be that of a human, but his Soul will have maintained its property as a Demon Lord Soul, which means, once having amassed enough power and influence, Varzath will once more attain a Domain… The very first located in a human world, and protected by a Veil against both demons and angels.

  How such a Domain would work, exactly, Varzath can’t begin to imagine. In a best-case scenario, he, as the Domain’s owner, would be able to allow within it any demons under his control, while outsiders would still be kept under the Veil’s original restrictions… Meaning, not only would they escape the Table’s influence, but also Heaven’s, for as long as they’re able to defend the Mortal Pne itself from falling.

  The second possibility is that Sonog doesn’t count on Varzath’s ability to sustain a useful Domain on the other side, but rather, on having an ally Demon Lord who is able to exist on a Mortal Pne for an extended period of time without breaking its Veil… That, in and by itself, would already give them a much-needed advantage against both sides going forward. And once there, Varzath might be able to coordinate the creation of some sort of permanent link in between his original Domain and the Mortal Pne itself, opening more possibilities for an eventual contingency pn against Apocalypse…

  Of course, everything hinges on Sonog’s seal doing its job, as well as Varzath being able to survive as a human for long enough to regain his powers and position; If such a thing is even possible to begin with. Additionally, it is possible the Veil may simply shatter once Varzath attempts to create a Domain within it, or grows strong enough to.

  “...I see Milord now understands the risks and possibilities involved in what I propose. Of course, the decision to follow through is solely yours, Milord.”

  Varzath sighs. “There are too many uncertainties. I don’t like the idea of simply giving my life away for nothing, and I certainly don’t fancy myself some sort of martyr.”

  Sonog nods. “I understand. But I hope Milord trusts me enough to know that I wouldn’t suggest a pn I hadn’t thought through… I have a feeling about this. I believe our chances aren’t as low as they seem.”

  Varzath sighs, considering the demon’s words for a moment, then shakes his head.

  “The rest of you, leave us. I wish to speak with Sonog alone.”

  The others grumble - Biranal gres at him- but they relent, leaving after bowing to him. Now alone with Sonog, Varzath eyes the goat demon seriously.

  “And what if I tried to become a member of the Table? What do you believe our chances would be?”

  Far from looking surprised, Sonog simply shrugs. “I believe Milord knows the answer already. The first twelve are monsters, and they have remained unshakable for millennia now. Unlike a certain succubus, I’m no coward. If I believed it was possible to change Hell’s current circumstances from the inside, I’d have spent my time developing weapons, rather than an escape pn.”

  “So, we cannot hope to defeat Heaven or make peace with it while under Hell’s current leadership, but we’re also unable to change said leadership… Very well. Tell me of your pn in detail.”

  For the next few hours, Varzath and Sonog discuss the possible applications to his seal, as well as what might go wrong during their pn... It is a tiresome discussion, but also an exciting one. Although Varzath understands little regarding Soul Magic himself, he comes to understand that Sonog isn’t simply betting on a faraway dream; He has solid reasons to believe his pn will work, which he arrived at through research.

  On the other hand, even if Varzath were to agree to Sonog’s pn, there’s still a big problem concerning the application of said pn; Namely, Sonog estimates that the amount of energy necessary to have his Soul (a Demon Lord’s Soul) escape the pull of Hell, even with the seal in pce, would be astronomical. And if said energy comes from Varzath himself, they can give up on any chance of his personality ever surviving the journey, which would require him to focus his own powers almost exclusively on protecting his Soul during the moment of his body’s demise.

  “We could have Milord’s servants gather the mana, of course,” Sonog suggests, “But... If they were the ones to do it, the Table might grow suspicious.”

  “No, there’s no way we could hide something of the sort... The Table would most certainly grow suspicious.”

  Sonog nods. “Which is exactly the problem. I’m sorry, Milord, but I haven’t been able to find an easy way to acquire, or use, such a rge quantity of energy while staying unnoticed.”

  Varzath waves his hand dismissively. “I’ll think of something. Now, these Soul protection spells you spoke of, how long would it take for you to teach me?”

  Sonog gestures toward the schematic of his seal. “They’re already built within the seal; Milord merely needs to supply his powers to the right runes… As for teaching Milord what each rune represents, I figure it shouldn’t take more than a couple of months.”

  Varzath nods. “In that case, I’ll think of a way to acquire the necessary energy... And kill myself, without attraction attention. Meanwhile, you’ll find a way to test as many of your theories as you can, before showtime.”

  Sonog’s excitement is obvious as he rises, and then bows. “I’m not exactly sure what I could do now that I wasn’t able to during the past millennium, but I’ll think of something.”

  “I’ll look for you ter. It has been a while since I st studied…”

  Varzath and Sonog share an excited smile before the tter disappears in a small hurricane of fire, taking his parchment with him.

  Now on his lonesome, Varzath stretches his stiff body as his lingering smile gradually disappears. Not in a million years would he have thought the sly goat was pnning something of the sort…

  However, as much as he wishes to summon some of the girls for a massage - or Salmorol, more specifically - as he thinks things through, certain problems are best handled as soon as possible, lest they grow out of hand and come to bite his ass ter…

  And these problems are called Sunnazoth.

  With a sigh, Varzath commands his shadow to transport him through the pace as he appears, moments ter, in a well-lit, luxurious room of gigantic proportions.

  The sounds of a whip being repeatedly struck attracts Varzath's immediate attention, and as such, he has no problems spotting Sunnazoth’s figure nearby, who seems to have missed his arrival.

  Before her, kneels the nephilim from earlier, his back now a bloody mess as his member stands almost painfully erect between his thighs, having been colred by a magical ring which Varzath knows for a fact has been enchanted to stop the poor half-angel from coming without his mistress’ permission.

  Each strike from Sunnazoth’s whip causes the sephilim to shudder heavily, even as he remains utterly silent under her assault...

  After watching for a moment, in the hopes Sunnazoth will notice his presence, Varzath sighs; It seems she has become too engrossed in her own perverse pleasure to notice anything beyond it.

  Seeing no other choice, Varzath steps forward, grabbing Sunnazoth’s whip mid-motion, as he stops the succubus’ arm dead in its tracks.

  Sunnazoth’s savage smile freezes in pce as she blinks with shock, and, a moment ter, in recognition.

  “Milord? What are you-”

  “Do you remember? I was forced to wear a simir ring for many centuries before I killed the one who controlled it.”

  Before Sunnazoth can muster an answer, Varzath steps forward and punches her lower stomach, hard enough to have the succubus double over herself, then wraps her own whip against her neck, stepping behind her, while abruptly forcing the female demon to arch her back to its limits.

  Holding the whip with his right hand as he chokes Sunnazoth with it, Varzath easily tears her pants away with his left, spanking the demon’s bare ass once, then twice, before brutally shoving his fingers into her sex.

  As he expected, her own cruelty and his assault were enough to have Sunnazoth dripping with excitement, and her pussy positively burning as it seems to want to devour his fingers.

  And although Varzath’s touch is far from gentle, it isn’t long before Sunnazoth’s legs begin to shake, denouncing her first orgasm...

  Her second orgasm isn’t far after, which is followed by a third.

  By this point, the demon’s knees have hit the ground, forcing Varzath to also kneel beside her as he continues his assault, now consistent of much more controlled, gentle thrusts...

  At st, Sunnazoth’s toes curl and her body tenses as she orgasms for a fourth time, and Varzath deems it appropriate to release of her whip.

  Without his support, the succubus ends as a scattered mess on the ground as she clumsily attempts to remove the whip, still attached around her neck, and crawl away from him at the same time, shuddering all the while.

  Oh, isn’t she a cute thing when unable to speak?

  The perverse part of Varzath wishes to keep going, to fry her brain so thoroughly she’ll never recover from the experience… And if he was as cruel as Sunnazoth, perhaps he would have.

  Instead, this time Varzath caresses Sunnazoth's brown skin gently as he approaches her, gathering the sprawled mess she has become, then pulling the trembling demon against his chest softly... Meanwhile, Sunnazoth desperately avoids meeting his gaze.

  Unlike Biranal, Sunnazoth is a fellow sex demon, and a powerful one at that, therefore being versed in Mind Magic enough to avoid Varzath from easily glimpsing into her mind. His nature as an incubus, however, still allows him to easily decipher her emotions, ying bare to him her shame, desire, fear, desperation, anger…

  Of course, Sunnazoth is aware of that.

  For a moment, she attempts to pull away from him, weakly pushing against his chest while still trying to keep her cheeks, wet with tears, away from his gaze.

  Varzath ignores her struggles, continuing to gently caress the Succubus’ body while pulling it against his, whispering calming words against her ears all the while.

  Her breasts, belly, thighs, sex…

  Sunnazoth’s weak sobs are soon repced by the occasional moan, and she no longer seems to have the strength to struggle against him.

  Her fifth orgasm has Sunnazoth biting her lower lip, and her entire body shaking under Varzath’s continued touch.

  Softly twisting her nipple one st time as he causes the demon to shudder yet again, Varzath then grabs Sunnazoth’s chin - despite her weak attempts at stopping him from doing it - and forces the demon to meet his gaze.

  Cheeks still wet, Sunnazoth’s almond eyes are wide and scared, filled with barely contained panic, and uncertainty.

  Varzath smiles at her. “I could py with these babies all day. Always showing them off as if you’re begging me to take you… You don’t mind I indulge myself every once in a while, do you?”

  Sunnazoth stares at him incredulously. “You… Y-you…!”

  Varzath interrupts her by petting her head, then softly dragging his fingers against her sweaty forehead as he attempts to fix the mess her hair has become, at least somewhat. He also ignores how Sunnazoth initially flinches under his touch.

  “Shush now. I like you better when you keep those pretty lips sealed... Also, had you truly wanted to stop me at some point, you’d have used your magic.”

  Having regained some of her fire, Sunnazoth stares daggers at him, at least momentarily...

  Once she attempts to avert her gaze, however, he once more forces their eyes to meet.

  “Bad girl.”

  Sunnazoth eyes widen slightly. And although Varzath can tell he could push her for another orgasm, he instead chooses to gradually comfort her, until her anger and fear are all but gone.

  “...There, better now?”

  Under his gaze, Sunnazoth blushes slightly. This time, Varzath doesn’t stop her when she turns away.

  “You bastard…” Sunnazoth murmurs weakly.

  “It has been a while, hasn’t it? I realize now I’ve neglected you, Sunnazoth, far more than I should’ve. I’m sorry.”

  “S-shut u-up…”

  “In truth, you scare me; You remind me of a life I’d rather forget, and that I thought to have left behind long ago.”

  Sunnazoth looks at him as though he has grown another head, even as Varzath merely smiles at her.

  “What?”

  “You can’t possibly think I’m stupid enough to fall for your bullshit,” Sunnazoth murmurs, sounding almost offended, “How many men does My Lord think I’ve seduced by showing them my ‘weak side’?”

  Varzath shrugs. “It was worth a try. And you could’ve pretended to have been seduced, then stabbed me in the back at the first opportunity… Isn’t that what you usually do?”

  Sunnazoth grimaces. “And suffer whatever distorted vengeance that perverted mind of yours might come up with? I think I’ll pass.”

  “Shame, and here was I thinking you’d look rather lovely hanging upside-down from the pace’s doors… Legs sprawled, and demon cum dripping from those pretty lips of yours…”

  Varzath clicks his tongue, even as Sunnazoth shudders underneath him, an unmistakable fsh of desire briefly crossing through her eyes.

  “…Then again, I’d rather not have lines forming and cluttering my porch.”

  Varzath smiles at her as Sunnazoth’s blush deepens, prompting her to avert her gaze from his again. Oh, Varzath might’ve become mellower since his Ascension, but Sunnazoth is more than old enough to remember what he was capable of when he was still pursuing vengeance against Hell…

  Coincidentally, Varzath’s gaze then happens to fall upon Sunnazoth’s sve, now having dragged himself against a corner as he stares wide-eyed in their direction.

  Varzath doubts the poor creature has ever seen his mistress in such a state… Being an incubus, Varzath is no stranger to having sex with other men, and ideas about how to use the pair of sve and mistress to his satisfaction quickly flood his mind, hardening his sex, currently pressed against Sunnazoth’s ass, even more.

  “We should move to my bed,” Sunnazoth murmurs, dragging a nonchant finger against his chest as she now meets his gaze coyly, clearly having noticed the state of his member, “So you can break my mind on a more comfortable position…”

  Varzath snorts. “Who is seducing who now?”

  Sunnazoth pouts. “I’m not above begging… Milord needs but to say the word…”

  Tempting. And, had she offered him the same a couple of hours prior, he might have even accepted it.

  “I’m sorry,” Varzath says.

  Abandoning her act upon realizing he won’t fall for it, Sunnazoth sighs, pulling herself away from him at st as she rises and heads toward her destroyed clothes, picking them up while giving Varzath a full view of her bend-over naked ass and sex.

  “I guess this means you’ve decided to go through with it?” she asks.

  “Yes,” Varzath admits simply while also rising, then crossing his arms as he leans against her bed’s frame and watches Sunnazoth searching through her wardrobe for a new pair of pants.

  “How long?”

  “That depends. We still need a source of energy powerful enough to activate the seal - which is to say, kill me - that we can use without giving away we’re doing something worth investigating. Also, the energy can’t come from me; I’ll be too busy protecting myself during the activation of the seal.”

  “You’re afraid of what the Table might do if they find out what we’re trying,” Sunnazoth deduces.

  “Precisely.”

  Sunnazoth frowns thoughtfully as she redresses herself in skin-tight pants, then turns toward Varzath, shaking her head.

  “I’m sorry. If My Lord wished to kill somebody unnoticed, or bring a particur demon to our side, or even extract a particur piece of information…”

  Rolling his eyes, Varzath waves his hand dismissively. “I’m well aware of your talents. I’ll find a way to get it done without attracting attention on my own; I came here for a different reason altogether.”

  “Does My Lord mean he wasn’t suddenly struck with a wish to choke me with my own whip as he fucked my brains out with his fingers?” Sunnazoth asks, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

  Oh my, he had forgotten how fiery she could be… And perhaps he was too harsh in judging Sunnazoth’s heart as unattainable. Have the past centuries truly blinded him to his surroundings to this extent?

  “My Lord?” Sunnazoth calls uncertainly, bringing Varzath to realize his own frown and silence.

  Forcing himself to regain a neutral expression, Varzath shakes his head. “Sorry. My mind has been elsewhere as of te; But to answer your question, I came here in regards to our six-winged friend.”

  He also came here to make sure she wasn’t going to cause problems, but that’s the type of secret a man takes to his grave, lest he finds himself stuck in it far earlier.

  “The Seraphim?” Sunnazoth asks, raising a brow. “I see. What does Milord wish to know?”

  “What do you think? Are they going to be a problem?”

  “He,” Sunnazoth corrects, tying her hair in a loose ponytail as she takes a gnce toward the mirror, releases a sigh, and then shakes her head, “His name is Abdiel. And no, I don’t believe he’ll pose much of a threat.”

  Abdiel? Where has he…?

  “He is newly Ascended to his position, and it seems he rushed here after acquiring it, without much of a pn to speak of. The fool seems intended on storming Hell on his own, and even for a Seraphim, that’s a death sentence. Without backup from Heaven, he’ll die under our hordes sooner, rather than ter.”

  Abdiel, Abdiel… Oh! But… Such a coincidence…

  “Lord Varzath?”

  Despite Sunnazoth’s gazing at him as though he’s finally lost it, Varzath finds himself ughing uncontrolbly for several moments, until tears have left his eyes and his breathing has grown erratic.

  “Oh, oh, my stomach… No, no, no, there’s no such thing as fate… But this… This is the most hirious joke I’ll ever pull. Sunnazoth, summon the others. I want you to change their orders: Gather our best troops, and prepare them for battle in a month.”

  Sunnazoth blinks. “I don’t-”

  “Shush, I’ll expin ter. For now, know that I’ve found a solution for our problems in regards to energy…”

  Without waiting for an answer, Varzath continues to ugh softly as he heads toward the door, only to stop, scratching his head, as he remembers he didn’t arrive by making use of it.

  Damn it, his dick is so hard he can scarcely think… He had forgotten how annoying it could be.

  Looking back toward a confused Sunnazoth, Varzath smiles devilishly. “And about your offer… Heal your sve’s wounds. I’ll be back by nighttime today…”

  Utilizing his powers briefly, Varzath reapers near Sunnazoth, as she squeals, then aims him with daggers in her eyes.

  “Is there something else, Lord Varzath?”

  Eyes locked against hers, Vardash runs the back of his hand through her chin, bringing a shiver out of Sunnazoth, as he asks, “Do you remember what I promised you when I freed us from Ig'droren?”

  Sunnazoth doesn’t even hesitate, “Of course. Milord promised us a world where we would no longer have to fear for our safety and a kingdom we would call our own… On that, Milord delivered far more than any of us could’ve ever asked for.”

  Vardash steps back, then shakes his head. “No… No, I have not. I realize as much now. I realize why I’ve felt so empty as of te…”

  Oh, how could he have been so blind, so idiotic?!

  Two thousand years spent together, and he understood Sunnazoth as a power-hungry creature who’d stop at nothing to have her hunger satisfied; So much so, that he considered the day she’d betray him as an inevitability.

  But was she always so, or was he the one who pushed her away by virtue of her cruelty, which reminded him of Ig'droren’s way of doing things?

  He sees it now, the scared creature beneath the facade, and what Sunnazoth could’ve been where she to have found something other than pain throughout her miserable existence.

  But why now?

  Why hasn’t he ever allowed himself to see it before?

  Sunnazoth smiles teasingly. “I see. How long has it been since Milord has had such a look on his face… How long has it been since Milord st feared something?”

  Vardash steps back, as if struck.

  Feared something? Him?

  But of course… This time, it isn’t just another party he’s throwing, he could truly perish; In fact, the chances he’ll die are most likely higher than otherwise…

  Varzath smiles, then ughs out loud.

  It seems his fear has given him a different perspective on things.

  Sunnazoth sighs, then shakes her head, rolling her eyes. “I had forgotten how insane you are. How could I ever think there was a change you would refuse Sonog’s pn?”

  Smiling savagely, Varzath abruptly pulls Sunnazoth by her waist, pnting a brief kiss against her lips.

  By the shocked look on her face as he steps back, one might think he pulled out a dagger and stabbed her heart with it.

  “You know what, Sunnazoth, I was about to select Zugdradak as my heir, but I realize now how foolish putting that idiot in charge of anybody would’ve been... He’d have the pce become a glorified brothel within the century.”

  Once her shock subsides, Sunnazoth averts her eyes, clearing her throat. She is visibly desperate to pretend his words aren’t affecting her, even though her hands have now begun to shake visibly.

  “Milord underestimates him. But does this mean Milord has changed his mind? I don’t see how any of the others would make for a better fit to rule…”

  Varzath meets Sunnazoth’s sidelong gnce with a roll of his eyes.

  “Don’t even try to pretend you don’t understand what I’m getting at, you cunning bitch. How many times did you consider ways to release me from the burden of rulership of your own accord?”

  Sunnazoth stops, her eyes growing cold, as she drops her act of coyness in order to stare Varzath straight in the eyes, “I’m not going to pretend I’m perfect. But I’ve never, even once, put a single pn in motion to undermine your authority…”

  “You would be dead if you had.”

  “…And Milord knows why? Because over these past two thousand years, I have never, even once, thought there was somebody better fit to rule us.”

  Varzath raises his eyebrow. “Not even you?”

  “Especially me. You might be a pervert, but you still have our wellbeing in mind… Do you think I don’t know much of a broken mess Ig'droren has made me? We… demons… We are monsters… All of us. And as such, we’re fated to burn for eternity. But Milord is different… Has always been. While we all dwelled in our despair, unable to see beyond its shadow, Milord believed in a better world, one we could call our own. A world freed of cruelty and pain…”

  Varzath frowns. Sunnazoth has never spoken with him so frankly. He had no idea this was how she saw herself, or him.

  “…And I know the Domain isn’t what Milord imagined. There’s still much in us, and yourself, Milord was unable to change. And I hated you…” Sunnazoth eyes gleam with unfallen tears, her breathing growing erratic as she seems to force herself to maintain her eyes locked against his.

  If this is a performance, it is one of a lifetime.

  “For so long, I hated you for being who you are, Milord. For shining so brightly when all I’ve known is darkness… But now I see I was foolish. I…”

  “That’s enough.”

  Sunnazoth smiles sadly. “I see now I had but to step forward, and extend my hand.”

  Varzath steps forward, but Sunnazoth steps away from him, shaking her head as she hastily wipes away her tears.

  “No… Milord should choose Zugdradak. He’s much better at handling the girls than I am… And, if I’m being honest, most of the boys, too. I know how to seduce, but he’s a master at winning their heart, and a cherished leader is what they’re used to.”

  As Sunnazoth continues obstinately to refuse meeting his gaze, Varzath clenches his teeth.

  “I’ll do no such thing. Zugdradak is an idiot; There’s no way he’d make for a better ruler than you.”

  Sunnazoth ughs joylessly. “He’d be heartbroken to know you think of him as such. After all, Milord is his hero; If such a thing can even exist in this pce. At least, Milord is the closest thing most of us have from hope.”

  Varzath grimaces. Although he wishes nothing more than to throw Sunnazoth against the nearest wall and fuck her brains out until she no longer has such a low opinion of herself, the remaining - admittedly small - rational part of his brain knows no fuck could make up for two thousand years of neglect.

  But he still has a month left, doesn’t he?

  And Sunnazoth is going nowhere.

  Varzath smiles... Before this is over, he doubts she’ll still think of him as some sort of savior.

  JBDantas

  Ig'droren: Ig'droren was a pseudo Demon Lord (a demon close to forming their own Domain) to ensved Varzath during the first centuries of his life. She seemed to enjoy tormenting succubi and incubi, as well as other races of weaker demons. Both Varzath and Sunnazoth spent several centuries serving Ig'droren before Varzath eventually killed her. At the time, succubi and incubi were still believed as abusable, disposable sex-toys by most of Hell, and ironically, such a fact made it easier for Varzath to amass a gathering of followers, often freeing them of simir circumstances as the ones he escaped from. Although Sunnazoth followed in his footsteps, she was then overtaken by hatred, seeking revenge against the demons who once held power over her kind. It is not without reason Varzath believed her too far gone... And perhaps she was, at the time.

  Angels: Ranking of the angels:

  Angel (two wings)

  Archangel (still two, but have a golden halo drawn on their forehead)

  Ophanim (Four wings, still one halo)

  Cherubim (Four wings, two halos)

  Seraphim (Six wings, three halos drawn, one straight, the other two vertical, resembling some sort of crown).

  Ps: A Seraphim is indeed considered the equivalent of a Demon Lord, though, much like their counterparts, they tend to vary greatly in strength.

  [colpse]