Asmodeus's breathing had steadied, but the ache clung to his bones. His body felt like ash barely held together.
The warmth at his side anchored him—Yuina's golden eyes watching him closely, her soft blonde hair brushing against his shoulder. Yumiko's red eyes shone with quiet relief, her tails curling behind her like protective ribbons.
Then ca the footsteps.
Velvet was first, violet hair falling loose, her hips swaying as she entered like nothing had changed. The glow of her horn pulsed faintly. She folded her arms under her heavy chest and tilted her head.
"You just had to nearly die. Drama king."
Vinea followed—tanned skin scraped and sared, one eye silver, the other gold. She didn't say a word. She dropped to one knee, pressed her forehead to his, and lingered there.
Velvet smirked. "She cried."
Vinea muttered, "Shut up."
"Admit it."
"…Fine. I cried."
Asmodeus rasped a breath. "I'm still here."
"You're lucky," Velvet said, flicking her gaze over his body. "We were this close to dividing your estate." She spread her arms with a wide grin.
Then Ciela arrived.
Brown-skinned, green-haired, eyes like fresh spring leaves. She moved quietly, like her footsteps belonged to the shadows. She sat beside him, rested her cheek against his hand, and let out a breath.
"You're okay?"
Unlike Velvet and Vinea, the smooth feeling of her fingers brushed against his cheeks. Asmodeus saw flashes of when he first t her, and then again when he confronted her sister... The pretty elf narrowed her eyes and leaned against his chest. "It's all over, right?"
"I hated feeling your aura vanish," she whispered. "But I still believed."
Alice followed, fussing imdiately. "You look like hell."
She crouched, pulling a comb from sowhere in that ruined cloak and began fixing his hair with cool, practised fingers.
"You scare like that again and I swear, I'm trimming this down to the roots."
Asmodea entered with a faint smile, her blood-red hair flowing loose, obsidian horns curving beautifully toward her ears.
"You were never going to die," she said, kneeling beside him. "You'd miss us too much."
Levia followed, wings tight against her back, not wearing armour, her huge shield nowhere to be seen, only the black haired beauty beside him... all his wives seed to have co to the castle to see him.
Asmodeus felt it was a dream; he pinched himself several tis, unable to contain his delight.
Velvet's sensual and mature reaction, Vinea being jealous and snappy, while gently removing the knots from his hair. It felt... unreal.
"You took too long," she said bluntly.
Then Sariel bounced in, blue skin flushed from movent, pink hair bouncing with her every step.
"You woke up for them?"
She plopped down beside him, puffed her cheeks, then leaned on his shoulder like she owned the spot.
Riel ca in behind her, turquoise hair tucked behind one ear, dark skin shimring faintly in the broken light.
She didn't say anything—just stood there, arms crossed, watching.
"Master, you look so manly right now..." Sariel's eyes shone bright, while rubbing against him like a cat, the huge seat was comfortable, but there were more and more won making it difficult to maintain a connection to them all.
Levia and Vinea didn't complain... their faces were warm and filled with smiles.
"It's nice to see you all..." His voice almost cracked when Alice walked in, with her hair straightened, the long hi styled haircut down to her hips, as she looked at him for a mont, remained still... Then, in the blink of an eye, she dashed towards him with teary eyes.
The cold duchess... crying?
"Wow..."
"That's sothing you don't see often." Velvet huffed with a sarcastic smile.
"Aunt Alice..."
Asmodea created soft petals for everyone to sit on, but when Alice dove at Asmodeus, he could only open the right side of his chest and accept her.
For too long their focus was only war, fighting and survival... so now he couldn't help but feel a sense of loss, and confusion. This mont of calm... would it really last?
"You foolish ape, why did you fight when all of us were away!?"
Alice scolded Asmodeus while rubbing her nose against his chest; the only ti they could be completely honest was when beside him. Even more so, after Serena's nightly chat, they realised that holding back was foolish.
And finally, as he enjoyed bathing in the affection and anger of his beloved won, another stepped through the archway, of course, it was the woman who saved everyone.
Serena.
A woman without a glow, pressure or divine aura... even in his eyes, her attributes and level beco close to zero.
Only golden hair, soft eyes, and one hand resting on the curve of her belly.
"We did it."
"Ah, we did it thanks to you. To all of you."
Asmodeus looked around at them all.
Different won... but all of them supported him on this journey, one to avenge the past and to find a new way of living in this world. He never thought about it in the past, driven by his desires, not his mind.
Yet now he needed to use his brain.
He exhaled through cracked lips.
"…I'm ho."
Yuina squeezed his hand. "Took you long enough."
Velvet rolled her eyes. "Now don't fall asleep again. We're still mad."
Yumiko smiled. "We'll scold you later."
And for the first ti in far too long, there were no gods to fight. No thrones to defend.
Only the won who waited.
And the man they waited for.
———
Morning ca.
Thanks to his magic, the citadel beca beautiful. The air no longer felt heavy. The shadows had stilled, and sunlight broke through the fractured do above, scattering warmth across the stone floor.
A makeshift roof and set of beds appeared, thanks to his item ring; they didn't need to sleep in bad conditions.
Asmodeus lay propped against a stack of cushions, freshly cleaned, faintly dressed, and surrounded by the lingering scent of herbs and perfud oils. Soone had even trimd his hair—Alice, no doubt.
The room was quiet now.
The wives had been ushered out after much pouting, sighing, and a few suspicious tail swishes from Yumiko. Sariel had been carried out over Riel's shoulder after trying to sneak under the blanket.
Now it was just him.
And footsteps.
Heavy ones.
"Still breathing?" Alan's voice ca with that dry, familiar rhythm.
Asmodeus didn't look up yet. "Barely."
A chair creaked as Alan dropped into it. "Good. Would've been a waste if I saved your sorry ass just for you to die anyway."
Asmodeus turned his head slightly. Alan looked like hell—bandages down one side, hair tied back lazily, a fresh scar across his collarbone. He had the nerve to look relaxed.
"You look worse than ."
Alan smirked. "You're uglier."
They sat in the quiet for a mont.
Then Asmodeus said, "Thank you."
Alan's expression didn't shift much. "You'd have done the sa."
"Would I?"
"Hahaha, you little shit."
"Don't make beat you, little prince."
"Acting tough because your wives are outside to back you up... unfair."
Asmodeus and Alan broke into laughter, a strange but calming laugh that made everything fade; they lost a lot in this long battle, n, friends and even lovers.
"Did we really win?" Alan's voice was soft, almost hesitant.
Asmodeus didn't answer right away.
His gaze drifted to the high ceiling, where his reconstructed roof shimred faintly with enchantnts. Wind brushed through the open sides of the great hall, carrying birdsong and the scent of forest dew.
"…We're alive," he said finally.
Alan leaned forward, elbows on knees, fingers laced loosely. "That's not the sa."
"No. But it's enough."
Another silence.
Not tense. Not awkward. Just full.
The kind of silence between n who had seen war not as glory, but as rot, between two who had bled beside each other too many tis to pretend at words.
Asmodeus turned his head slightly.
"You thinking of her again?"
Alan didn't flinch. "I always do."
They didn't speak the na. It didn't need to be said.
Then Asmodeus closed his eyes and murmured, "If we had lost… we would've left them behind. Serena. Yumiko. Our daughters."
Alan let out a breath that was more sigh than an exhale. "That's the part I can't stand."
A beat.
Then he laughed.
Dry and low.
"…I think I'm going to propose again."
Asmodeus cracked one eye open. "Again?"
Alan shrugged. "Third ti's the charm. Unless she throws out again."
"You're persistent."
"Hypocrite."
Alan proposed to Akari several tis, but because it was during the war, he always failed to get a yes; maybe he didn't think it through clearly. At least, in the past, he was too anxious, but now, he felt like he could propose without her rejecting him.
"Haa.... but the mainland, they seem prid to strike." Alan grunted.
"Those fools really want to attack now? AFTER we've killed the demon queen?"
That made them both grin.
The tired kind. But honest.
Alan rose from his seat. He walked toward the arch, pausing at the curtain of silk threads that separated the quiet chamber from the rest of the world.
"You'll be sward again soon. Half of them were pacing outside like lions in heat."
"I noticed."
"Better rest now."
Asmodeus chuckled. "Did you really co here just to lecture ?"
"No. I ca here…" Alan glanced back, voice suddenly steady. "Because I needed to see you breathing. With my own eyes."
The words hung in the air.
Then he nodded once, short and clean.
"I'll get the council ready. You'll want to see what the human kingdoms are doing."
"Already?"
Alan gave him a look.
"You think peace lasts forever?"
Asmodeus lay back, eyes tracing the lines of the stone above. His body ached. His magic stirred restlessly beneath his skin. But for the first ti, he didn't feel like running.
He was tired.
But he was ho.
And maybe that was enough.
"Ryuji... Thanks for setting them free."
All of a sudden, their promise a year ago returned to their minds, a foolish little kid acting out on his desires and a prince who lost hope... just gripping at his last chance.
"Alan, the pleasure was mine."
"Ah... rest well, brother."
"You too."
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