The hall was enormous.
High ceilings. Long shadows. Stone pillars running in two perfect lines down the length of the chamber. At the far end, beneath a raised platform where the royal seat had once stood, dozens upon dozens of soldiers and adventurers were gathered in stunned silence.
Not dead.
Not anymore.
Alive.
Confused.
Afraid.
The last thing any of them remembered was black-red hellfire swallowing the battlefield whole. One moment they had been standing in formation, ready to march against a Demon Lord.
The next—
They had awakened here.
All of them.
At the very front of the hall, seated lazily in the chair that had clearly and immediately become a throne simply because he occupied it, was Loki.
One leg crossed over the other.
Ragnir resting against the side of the seat.
Maroon-and-gold hair falling around his face.
His expression was calm.
Almost patient.
To his right stood Testarossa, smiling faintly in the way only she could, which somehow made the room even more tense.
To his left stood Rimuru.
Arms stiff at his sides.
Trying very hard not to look as out of place as he felt.
A little behind them, off to either side, stood Moss and Cien in complete silence.
The room felt like a courtroom.
Except everyone present understood on instinct that there would be no appeal if the judge got bored.
For a while, nobody spoke.
Then Loki broke the silence.
"You're all wondering why you're alive."
His voice carried easily through the chamber.
The soldiers shifted uneasily.
The adventurers exchanged glances.
At the front of them all stood the two princes.
Aslan's jaw was tight.
Sauzer's expression was harder to read.
Both of them looked ready for violence, even if neither was foolish enough to start it immediately.
Loki leaned back slightly.
"I revived you."
Murmurs spread instantly through the room.
"What?"
"That's impossible."
"He revived us?"
Aslan's eyes narrowed.
"…Why?"
Loki looked at him.
"Because if I wanted all of you dead…"
He gestured around the hall lightly.
"…this conversation wouldn't be happening."
That shut down most of the noise immediately.
It was crude.
But true.
Loki continued.
"I did not seize this kingdom because I want to burn it down."
He rested one arm against the side of the chair.
"If anything, I'd prefer the opposite."
Loki's expression remained composed.
"There is no value in ruling ash."
He glanced around the room, eyes moving over soldiers, officers, adventurers, and nobility alike.
"I intend to improve this country."
A pause.
"And protect it."
The hall went quiet again.
Not because they believed him.
Because they hadn't expected those words.
Loki did not rush to fill the silence.
He let it sit.
Then added—
"As my domain."
That part felt more like him.
The room visibly tensed again.
He had not softened the reality.
He had simply framed it properly.
This would be his kingdom.
His territory.
There was sincerity there.
But it was still the sincerity of a Demon Lord.
Aslan stepped forward first.
"And our father?"
His voice was controlled, but just barely.
"You killed him."
Loki met his eyes without hesitation.
"Yes."
That simple answer made several soldiers flinch.
Aslan's hand tightened around his weapon.
"You speak of protection and improvement, yet the first thing you did was murder the king."
Sauzer did not interrupt.
He was watching Loki carefully now.
And more importantly—
Watching the room.
Watching whether the Demon Lord would react badly.
Loki didn't.
He only looked mildly bored.
"Your father was scum."
That brought the tension back instantly.
The hall stirred.
Some of the officers bristled.
Several soldiers looked offended.
Aslan actually took another step forward.
"Watch your—"
"He planned to steal one of his own sons' bodies."
Loki's voice cut cleanly through the hall.
Aslan froze.
So did Sauzer.
Loki continued.
"He intended to use Sauzer or you as a vessel so he could continue living."
His gaze moved between them.
"He manipulated the two of you into opposition because whichever one survived would be more useful to him."
Then Loki looked past them both.
"Your sister too."
That was when even Sauzer's expression changed.
Loki's tone remained calm.
"He was willing to sacrifice Zenobia for his own gain."
Aslan's face hardened.
"No."
Sauzer frowned deeply.
"That's a lie."
Loki shrugged.
"You're free to think that."
The words had barely left him when footsteps echoed from the far end of the hall.
Everyone turned.
A woman entered.
Pale.
Weakened.
But walking on her own two feet.
Princess Zenobia.
The entire room froze.
Aslan's eyes widened.
"…Zenobia?"
Sauzer turned fully toward her.
"You're awake?"
Zenobia moved slowly into the chamber, one hand resting briefly against the wall as she passed through the entrance. She looked thinner than she should have.
Her eyes moved first to her brothers.
Then to Loki.
Then back to the hall.
And finally she spoke.
"It was true."
Zenobia stepped further in.
"Father meant to use me."
Her voice was soft.
But every word reached the room.
"He was willing to hand me over."
Aslan stared at her.
"No…"
She looked at him directly.
"Yes."
Sauzer's expression darkened.
"How do you know?"
Zenobia's gaze dropped for just a second.
Then she answered.
"Because Loki healed me."
That made the room shift again.
The soldiers did not know what to do with that.
The adventurers looked even more confused than before.
The princes stood caught between disbelief, rage, and the simple fact that their sister was standing there alive when she should not have been.
Zenobia looked at Loki once more.
Then back to the gathered hall.
"I don't know what kind of king he'll be."
"But I know this much…"
She took a breath.
"…he could have killed all of us."
Her eyes moved across the soldiers.
Across the adventurers.
Across her brothers.
"And he didn't."
Then Loki stood.
The room immediately straightened.
He descended the few steps from the raised seat slowly, without hurry, until he stood at the front of the hall.
Not above them now.
Before them.
He looked at the assembled army.
Then at the princes.
Then at Zenobia.
And said, with unusual directness—
"Accept me as your king."
Loki continued.
"I will not betray you."
His voice remained steady.
"If you serve under me, I will keep this kingdom standing."
"I will protect it."
"And I will make it stronger than it has ever been."
The hall stayed silent.
Rimuru, standing off to the side, felt something shift in the room.
Not fear.
Not exactly.
It was the moment people realized that the monster in front of them was speaking plainly.
Aslan looked at Sauzer.
Sauzer looked at Zenobia.
Zenobia gave the faintest nod.
That was enough.
Aslan exhaled slowly.
Then, still clearly hating the situation, dropped to one knee.
Sauzer followed a moment later.
Then, one by one, the soldiers followed.
The adventurers too.
Not because they loved him.
Not because they trusted him entirely.
But because they had heard the truth.
Seen their sister alive.
And understood what the alternative would be.
Soon the entire hall had bowed.
Loki looked over them.
Then smiled faintly.
"Good."
---
Far away, in the golden halls of El Dorado, Guy Crimson was in a terrible mood.
He leaned back in a chair that belonged to Leon and looked deeply offended by the world itself.
"This is ridiculous."
Leon, sitting across from him, did not look remotely sympathetic.
"What is?"
Guy clicked his tongue.
"Velzard."
Dino looked up from where he had been pretending to nap.
"What about her?"
Guy folded his arms.
"She's been spending all her time around Loki."
Rain immediately smirked.
"Oh."
Misery sighed softly.
Leon looked completely unmoved.
"You say that as if she belongs to you."
Guy glared at him.
"That's not the point."
Rain raised a brow.
"It sounds exactly like the point."
Guy ignored her.
Then his expression shifted.
Slightly.
Enough to tell the room he was moving on to something more serious.
"A Walpurgis has been called."
That changed the atmosphere immediately.
Even Dino sat up a little.
Leon's eyes narrowed.
"By who?"
Guy answered without ceremony.
"Carrion."
"Frey."
"Dagruel."
"And Clayman."
Rain blinked.
"That many?"
Misery folded her arms.
"Then they're serious."
Guy nodded once.
"They voted for it."
Leon's expression remained hard.
"The topic."
Guy looked at him.
"Loki."
Then Guy smiled faintly.
"More specifically…"
His crimson eyes gleamed.
"…his declaration as a Demon Lord."
The room went quiet.
Loki had moved onto the board fully now.
And the other Demon Lords were going to respond.
Guy leaned back again, this time looking a little more amused.
"Well."
He spread one hand.
"This should be fun."
---
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