Noah was thinking about his next move.

How should he handle this situation?

Annihilation of the royal family was not a big deal for him, but he knew that if he did that, the other primordial empires would learn of this situation.

If that happened, every powerful eye in the universe would be fixed on him.

If there were other anomalies or hidden masters out there, he might face serious problems in the future before he was ready.

His best course of action was to become the Count properly and legally.

Then, he would visit the other primordial empires to ensure everything was fine.

Only after securing his information and position would he start the process of creating the Earth Empire.

He needed more information about the universe and the upper realms.

Specifically, how one could transcend.

If the Demon Realm had a system for this, the Orthodox system must have one too.

He just hadn't found it yet.

"Let's go. We will meet the Emperor now. We will try to solve everything peacefully, but if he dares to think he can force us out, we will destroy the royal family," Noah said coldly.

"As you wish, Your Majesty," everyone nodded.

"You guys stay here. You don't have to go there," he said, looking at his family.

He didn't want them in the line of fire if things turned ugly.

After that, the group headed out.

As they stepped beyond the gates, they saw that a massive crowd had gathered.

People had come from all over the capital to see the "thieves" who had dared to cause such a scandal.

The Emperor's decree had been broadcast across the planet, and the public expected to see a group of rough hooligans or desperate rebels.

Noah decided to give them a show they would never forget.

He ordered his twelve generals to activate their SSS-tier physiques.

He activated his own as well.

Because his physique was unique and could mimic or combine any form, he chose a new transformation, the Arch-Demon and Arch-Angel Physique.

BOOM!

A series of shockwaves erupted as twelve pillars of light and shadow shot into the sky.

The aura that gushed out was heavenly, shaking the very foundations of the street.

Even though they suppressed their power to the limit of an Immortal Venerable, the sheer quality of their energy was terrifying.

Each general looked like an ancient god descending from the heavens.

Noah walked in the middle of the formation.

He was a breathtaking sight, an angelic demon with a face of divine beauty and eyes that held the darkness of the abyss.

He looked pure, yet infinitely dangerous.

The crowd went silent.

The mockery and insults died in their throats.

"Who are these people? Are they the criminals?" someone whispered in awe.

"How is this possible? Every single one of them has the aura of an Immortal Venerable. There is no way people like this would stoop to petty theft."

"Maybe that Count's son is the real liar," another person muttered.

The aura of transcendence radiating from Noah's group subtly influenced the minds of the onlookers.

It was hard to believe someone so divine could be a "bumpkin" or a "thief."

Kael Sorus was watching from a dark corner, his heart sinking.

He had expected the public to spit on them and curse them.

Instead, he heard the people starting to doubt him.

He gripped his hands until his nails drew blood.

"How?

Why can they transform like that?"

They were acting like commoners yesterday!

With a calm glance forward, Noah and his twelve generals vanished in a blur of light.

They reappeared instantly in front of the Imperial Castle.

The square in front of the palace was packed.

The Emperor had announced a public judgment to show his strength, and the high-ranking military officials were all present.

When Noah's group appeared out of thin air, standing like untouchable stars, the Royal Guards instinctively gripped their weapons.

"We are here to answer the summons of His Majesty," Noah said.

His voice wasn't loud, but it vibrated through the stone walls of the castle and into the ears of every person within a mile.

Kael and the Major General stepped forward, joined by other high-ranking nobles.

They wanted to see the Emperor crush these newcomers.

A moment later, the heavy palace doors swung open.

The Emperor appeared in a grand display of power, clad in a golden aura that shimmered like a sun.

His presence was heavy, designed to make everyone kneel.

The Captain of the Royal Guard stepped forward, looking at Noah with cold, narrowed eyes.

He was a close ally of Kael and had already been bribed with the promise of a share in the Sorus inheritance.

"Who are you people, and how dare you snatch assets from the Empire?" the Captain demanded.

Noah didn't look at the Captain.

He looked directly at the Emperor, who sat on a floating throne.

"Your Majesty, before you judge, let me show you the truth."

Noah waved his hand casually.

A massive light screen manifested in the sky, large enough for the entire city to see.

A video began to play.

The figure on the screen was unmistakable, it was Albedos Sorus, the late Count.

Kael's face turned white.

His breath hitched.

"It's all lies! It's a magic trick!" he screamed, his voice cracking with panic.

The Emperor turned a cold, piercing gaze toward Kael.

The boy flinched, realizing he had just interrupted the Emperor.

Kael immediately fell to his knees, trembling.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty... I only meant..."

"Oh? My master didn't even say anything yet," Noah said with a thin, mocking smile.

"Why would you call it a lie before you've even heard it? Do you have a guilty conscience, Kael?"

Kael gritted his teeth, but he couldn't find the words to speak.

The video played on.

In it, Albedos looked frail but his mind was clear.

He spoke how his adopted son, Kael, had betrayed him.

Finally, the Count held up his official seal and stated clearly that he was passing all authority, lands, and titles to Noah.

"Your Majesty," Noah said as the video faded.

"I only came here to fulfill my master's last wish. I am not a thief. I am the successor chosen by the man who built that estate."

The silence in the square was deafening.

The evidence was absolute.

The crowd began to hiss and murmur, pointing at Kael.

The "victim" was now the villain.

Kael felt the world spinning.

His reputation was gone.

His inheritance was gone.

He looked at the Major General, but the man had turned his head away, already distancing himself from a loser.

Despair, cold and heavy, began to swallow Kael.

He was a dead man walking.

He knew the Emperor hated being embarrassed, and Kael had made him look like a fool by bringing a false case to the throne.

Just as he was about to collapse, a dark, oily voice echoed inside his mind.

It didn't come from the world around him.

It came from the depths of his own soul.

"Boy... do you want to live?"

Kael froze.

"Do you wish to see them suffer? Do you wish to become the true ruler of this empire? I can give you the power to kill that boy and the Emperor alike."

Kael's eyes turned bloodshot.

He was willing to do anything.

He didn't care about the cost anymore.

"Then," the voice whispered, "say it with me. 'I am willing to summon you, O Great Demon Lord.' Say it, and the world is yours."

Kael's mind was in chaos.

His knees were still pressed against the cold stone, but his thoughts were spiraling out of control.

Who was this?

What kind of existence could speak directly into his soul, bypassing all defenses, all laws?

He had grown up around cultivators, generals, and even Immortal Venerables.

Yet none of them had ever made him feel this small.

This afraid.

His breathing grew erratic.

"Who are you?" Kael shouted inwardly, his voice trembling with panic. "What are you? Why are you helping me?"

The response was not an answer.

It was laughter.

Deep, ancient, and overflowing with mockery.

The sound echoed endlessly inside his mind, as if countless beings were laughing at once.

Laughing at his fear.

Laughing at his despair.

Laughing at the fate of the entire empire.

"You have only 1 minute," the voice said lazily, its tone dripping with amusement.

"Summon me or die."

Kael's pupils shrank.

One minute.

There was no negotiation.

He glanced desperately toward Noah, toward the Emperor, toward the countless eyes watching him.

In their gazes, he saw judgment.

Disgust.

Abandonment.

No one would save him.

No one ever had.

The laughter faded, replaced by suffocating pressure.

Seconds ticked away like the tolling of a death bell.

Slowly, Kael's trembling stopped.

His panic vanished.

In its place came something colder.

Darker.

His face hardened, all hesitation wiped clean.

"If this is hell," Kael thought, "then I will rule it."

He bit his thumb, blood dripping onto the ground as forbidden symbols ignited beneath him.

"I am willing to summon you, O Great Demon Lord."

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