The Demon Monarch System

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It wasn't long before a large tempest occurred inside the forging room as Xorgrah and Fuhrer's aura contested one another. Of course, Fuhrer could always introduce his Dominion and amplify the oppression baring down on the room tenfold, but he didn't do so.

Instead of committing to this little show, Fuhrer decided to test just how far Xorgrah's power went. And, from his initial observations, Fuhrer understood that his power far surpassed an average Noblesse. After all, Fuhrer made quick work of two Noblesse, rendering them useless in a single hit.

Contrarily, Xorgrah seemed to be faring quite well seeing as there were no apparent signs of strain surfacing. Even his expression remained calm as he continually augmented to amount of pressure billowing from his body.

At this point, even a Greater Demon would be crushed by the overwhelming oppression being released by both of these figures. In fact, if this were to take place in public, then chances were that no one would stick around to see the outcome, because having the gall to do so meant they didn't treasure life in the slightest.

Suddenly, Fuhrer tapped his finger against the crease of his elbow, sending a pulse of energy that increased in quick intervals. By the time it reached Xorgrah's body, the force was so potent that it caused him to take a step in retreat while presenting a surprised look.

'This old man is this strong? Could that Greater Demon state be a facade? How could a Greater Demon ever force a Noblesse to take a step back? No… that's the most worrying matter. It's the effortless control of this energy… It was unleashed by a finger!' Xorgrah thought to himself.

Fuhrer's display of strength made Xorgrah question what frightening power this ancient demon wielded when he held his sword in hand. In truth, this was a curiosity that Xorgrah didn't wish to address. 

The fact that he had failed to grasp an upper hand despite unleashing his energy for so long told Xorgrah that Fuhrer's reserves were absolutely monstrous. Additionally, he sensed an eerie sensation from the sword at Fuhrer's waist, as if it possessed a life of its own.

Until now, he had never experienced a weapon containing a soul. Therefore, Xorgrah remained wary of that sword. Whether or not he needed to retreat depended on the chances of that weapon being drawn.

As a result, Xorgrah wondered if he should retract his aura or continue with his display of presence. 'Is it worth it? I understand that one's pride must be defended, but one's pride is never more valuable than one's life. Conviction must not be mistaken with foolishness.'

Eventually, Xorgrah made his decision, releasing a sigh as he retracted his powerful aura. Unfortunately, the damage of their actions was permanent. The forging room was in ruins as many items shattered the moment Xorgrah retracted his aura.

The abrupt change in pressure caused a chain reaction. Just as the items shattered one by one, Xonnomor felt his stomach clench with each successive cracking noise. "Oh no!!! My work! My precious work!" 

Xonnomor fell to his knees while clutching his head as he witnessed the scene of horror unravel before his very eyes. It was just as he expected―the fated meeting between two sides resulted in a terrible outcome. Although the price of the meeting wasn't the loss of lives as Xonnomor estimated, he felt something far more precious was robbed from him.

As a forger, his creations were almost as precious as his own life. So, to witness the destruction of such precious items came as a heavy blow. After all, some of the items in his forging room were the result of receiving guidance from his grandfather.

Therefore, some of these items possessed unmatched sentimental value since his grandfather's whereabouts and condition were unknown. 

Meanwhile, Apollo watched Xonnomor's breakdown silently before glancing towards the shattering items. Every time an item broke, Apollo observed the process. Soon enough, he noticed a pattern to each of the items breaking.

'Oh? They're all shattering from their flaws first. In other words, these were imperfect creations that Xonnomor cherished. Although it's unfortunate, perhaps there's a way to avoid emotional anguish,' Apollo thought.

The first solution that came to mind was to contact Furcas who specialized in all kinds of demonic circles. While there was no proof that Apollo's speculations were true, Apollo felt it was possible that a demonic circle existed that could be of use.

'If Furcas can heal someone as injured as Arleo, surely he can fix the issues with these shattered weapons as well. Regrettably, I don't have any concrete answers, so I can't make any promises,' Apollo thought to himself.

On the other hand, Fuhrer withdrew his aura as well while turning his head to the side as Saehtyn disabled his barrier. An unusual look appeared on his face as he shifted his gaze between Xorgrah and Fuhrer repeatedly.

'I didn't expect Xorgrah to be this strong. If I had to make an estimate, then he's one of the few demons nearing the level of us Lords. I wonder how'd he fare against Lucifer. As for this old demon… he's even more dangerous than that rambunctious individual. There's a calm to his power that signifies a greater depth… I'd hate to become his enemy,' Saethyn thought to himself.

Obviously, Saehtyn was referring to Asteroth as the rambunctious individual. There was a blatant difference in the sensation Fuhrer and Asteroth emitted. Despite revealing an unprecedented amount of destruction in the tower room, Saehtyn felt Asteroth's power paled in comparison to this old man.

For one, Saehtyn felt Asteroth was using at least eighty percent of his power to deal with Irzanach's unusual strength. Conversely, Saehtyn possessed an eerie feeling that Fuhrer hadn't even tapped into ten percent of his true power.

'Truly scary,' Saehtyn thought as his expression grew increasingly solemn.

Finally, Apollo broke the silence with a calm chuckle. "I assume we can settle down now? As you see, we're more than capable of defending ourselves. So, why don't we take the reasonable approach?"

"Understood," Xorgrah nodded in agreement. He, too wished to settle for the reasonable choice after experiencing how fearsome Fuhrer could become. After a brief pause, Xorgrah continued. "I am Xorgrah of the Demonic Council."

Apollo acknowledged the introduction before returning one of his own, "I am Zethroz, and the one you went up against is known as Old Man Fuhrer, one of my extremely trusted aides."

"An aid?" Xorgrah muttered in surprise before giving Apollo and Fuhrer another look. He didn't expect the relationship to be one of master and servant. And, if he did, he thought the roles would be reversed with Fuhrer being the one in charge.

Nevertheless, listening to Apollo's introduction made Xorgrah sure of one thing. 'This youth much come from some affluent family or organization. However, is there really something like that? According to my knowledge, there's no organization with such an old monster and I'm not aware of any families since they all banded to form the Council.'

Of course, Apollo's introduction was part of his plan. Instead of completely taking the Nihilistic Rings by storm, Apollo decided to ease his way into the grand scene since the Council separated themselves from the fate of the Rings.

The easiest way to ease his way into the larger picture was by expanding his clutches. In other words, Apollo had his eye on Xorgrah after learning of his strength. If he could bring this entire family under his wing, then he could form the gateway to walking directly in the Council's realm.

Since acquiring his true residence was beyond him at the moment with the Kings being confined to that area, Apollo sought a suitable area to start an official branch. Once the foundations were set he would then link the branch back to the main source in the Abysmal Ring.

Sadly, Apollo had no set timeline for this action because of the precarious situation plaguing the Nihilistic Rings.

"Correct, I serve the Lord to guarantee his progress," Fuhrer said while making direct eye contact with Xorgrah. His piercing gaze caused Xorgrah to fall silent. Despite his gaze seeming normal, Xorgrah felt more vulnerable than when they clashed earlier.

'This man is not to be trifled with,' Xorgrah thought as he released a heavy exhale. He could sense the aura of protector undulating from Fuhrer when he uttered those. It was clear that this youth before him was of utmost importance in his eyes.

In fact, Xorgrah felt the look in Fuhrer's eyes meant he was more than capable of razing an area to the ground to ensure Apollo's protection.

Suddenly, while the two continued to talk, Xonnomor emitted a blood-curdling shriek as he watched the last of his creation shatter!

"Eeeyyahhh! My weapon! Dammit! Dammit! What did you all do? What will I do now? This is my identity, my worth! My name will be dragged through the mud without proof of my credibility," Xonnomor shouted.

Amongst the shattered items, Xonnomor's gaze fell on one in particular― a blood-red sword that seemed similar to Armageddon and Gram.