After dressing up in his best attire, Lupa left the manor and entered the stables. Mare didn’t really have carriages except for occasions like the king’s coronation or a royal marriage. Any other occasion and it would be either by foot or horse back. As the second prince, Lupa would travel via horse back. The horse in his stable was a stunning black stallion that looked much like the friesian horse breed from Earth. The distance between the old manor and the actual palace was quite far despite being on the same grounds.

As Lupa cantered along, he filled Trainie in on the him of the current world’s situation.

[Wow! So, you’re already engaged to your man in this world!? ∑(⊙o⊙)]

“Makes things easier doesn’t it?” Lupa chuckled as steered his horse through the palace’s woods.

[You’re pretty cheerful about it.]

“Shouldn’t I be?” Lupa raised a brow.

[No no, it’s good that you’re happy about it…. I just thought you’d be uh, y’know…. Jealous. ^_^;]

“And what would be the point in that?” Lupa scoffed as he gazed ahead at the passing scenery. “From beginning to end; whether it was Mael, Luka, Ciell or this Prince, they are me, as I am they. I wouldn’t be so childish as to be jealous of myself.”

[If you put it that way, I guess it makes sense! ~\(≧▽≦)/~]

“How could I put it any other way?” Lupa laughed. “They’ve always been parts of my soul, I just lost connection with them and they were affected by the worlds they ended up in, becoming sentient.”

Lupa: Part of it might have been because when I sealed myself, I no longer wished to be myself… So, the fragments of myself took on different forms of life. It didn’t change the fact that all of them were myself though.

Lupa rode for a good 45 minutes before reaching the royal palace. The tallest spire reaching higher than the city walls, watching over the people. He took his horse to the royal stable, alighted and greeted the stable hands before heading through the back doors of the palace.

“About time Lupa.” A vigorous voice called out from his side as soon as Lupa stepped out into the corridor leading to the ballroom.

“Brother.” Lupa looked to the voice, a man with a bushy beard and a hearty smile. The king.

“I bet you went swimming again and forgot the time.” The king laughed as he patted Lupa roughly on the shoulder. “Come come come, the ball is about to begin!”

Lupa just chuckled as he was pulled into the ballroom by the king. Inside the ballroom, the walls and tables were decorated simply yet you could feel the dignity of the kingdom from it. The tables were all set up in the outer circumference of the room, with a sumptuous buffet to choose from on all sides of the ballroom.

Just by looking at the room Lupa could tell that it would probably be the most festive feeling ball he’d been to in all the worlds. He just felt it a pity he couldn’t be with Divus to enjoy it.

Lupa: No matter, there’ll be other opportunities once he comes back, in the meantime, I should take this chance to relax for once.

*********

As the evening went on, the guests chatted, danced and frolicked, all having a good time. Of course, there would be some who weren’t in the mood for such festivities.

Skulking in a corner of the ballroom was a man with an ordinary appearance that could easily blend into the crowd. However, he stood out at this time. His murky brown eyes hidden beneath his greasy dark fringe were filled with hatred. He bit on his thumbnail as he looked at where the dazzling second prince was stood.

This man was the last remaining shard of Sordes. A little part of him had escaped to Seineff every time one of the worlds were purified. He was enraged and loathing at the fact that he had been reduced to such a state by Divus’s little lover.

Sordes: Dammit! How dare Divus send his little lover to deal with me! Tch, And why did Divus have to return at that time!? Had he been gone even a second longer, I could’ve taken over the pantheon and absorbed some of his power, he wouldn’t have been my opponent then.

Sordes’s poisonous gaze flickered over Lupa from head to toe as a thought appeared in his mind. He thought that it would be great to see the look on Divus’s face if he finds out his little lover became dirty.

A nasty smile crawled onto Sordes’s lips as he took out a vile from his pocket. The vile was filled with a viscous muddy purplish liquid. He slipped it into a special part of his sleeve that could hold it and controlled his emotions, appearing harmless as he headed over to the service hatch of the kitchen. 

*********

Lupa was chatting casually with a few people from both nations while enjoying the tasty food served on the tables. No one would as him for a dance as they knew he was engaged to Divus. In fact, many people would come up to him and ask about when he and Divus would hold their wedding. Of course, with Divus’s time of return being unknown, Lupa couldn’t answer that.

“Unfortunately that’ll have to wait until he returns.” Lupa sighed as he answered a noble lady’s question for the umpteenth time.

“True.” The noble lady sighed. “Well, I’m sure it’ll be a lovely day when it happens!”

“Haha, thank you for your words of blessing.” Lupa chuckled before clearing his throat.

“A drink sir?” A humble voice spoke as a cup of wine upon a tray was placed in front of Lupa.

“My thanks.” Lupa smiled as he took the cup, he thanked the young waiter. “Just in time, I was beginning to get a dry throat.”

“My pleasure sir.” The young waiter bowed his head, hiding the sneer in his eyes.

Lupa shrugged and brought the cup to his lips, he’d been talking a lot without any drink, so he gulped down half the cup in one go.

“Haah! That’s bette-!” Lupa’s words were cut off as the liquid flowed down his throat and burnt on the way down. As soon as it entered his stomach, a bone crushing pain swept through Lupa’s body as his magic power and demonic energies surged and began to clash. His muscles swelled up as if they were about to burst. He dropped the cup and held his head that felt as if it was going to split apart.

“Aah!”

“W-what’s happened to the prince!?”

“L-look at the floor! The floor was dissolved by the wine form his cup!”

“That’s no wine! Who is it? Who was so cruel as to give the prince corruption water!?”

The crowd flew into a panic as they could only watch the second prince suddenly collapse to his knees in pain and drop his cup. They noticed the floor dissolve where the wine had touched and all of their hearts skipped a beat. They all knew what the liquid was, it had been taught in tales since they were young in order to teach of its dangers. The very same liquid had lay ruin to kingdoms in the past. The liquid was a special poison that was also a liquid curse. Any who drank it would either die, or turn into a demon against their will.

The crowd were fearful and wept as their dear mermaid prince became a victim before they knew it.

Lupa snarled as images flashed before his eyes, both old and new, his emotions ran rampant and he could no longer contain his demonic power. It seeped out of him and swirled around him like flowing iron sand. Form his back, a large pair of black dragon like wings sprouted and spread out, at the base of his spine, a long powerful black scaled tail grew and flailed about. Upon his head, large dragon like crystal horns protruded through his snow white hair that began to have streaks of gold, black and blood red.

“AaAAaAAAAAAAAAAARGH!” Lupa roared as he released a wave of power before finally the pain subsided and he silently stood up.

“N-no way.” Sordes mumbled to himself after he tried to shuffle away. He had fallen on his arse from the sheer power that had burst from Lupa. His voice and body trembled, however, as he saw a being he thought he’d never see again. He still remembered the near fatal injury he had suffered from that being, even though he had stollen that very being’s power before that. “H-how could it be you!? Why aren’t you dead!?”

Lupa took a deep breath as he felt his surroundings with all his senses, his mind a little bit dazed from the influx of memories. As he exhaled, he opened his eyes that had changed to being a mix of emerald green, silver, gold and icy blue. His eyes appeared emotionless as he looked down at Sordes, who was cowering on the ground like a bug.

“Sordes.” Lupa’s voice was low and cold as a gentle smile appeared on his face. “It’s been a long time.”

“S-stay away from me!” Sordes shuffled back further, only to fall down as his limbs gave out in fear. The current him was unlike the time he’d stollen the being in front of him’s power. He no longer had that capability after his long battle with Divus, he had also become a lot weaker.

“Be still.” Lupa slowly approached Sordes and crouched down before grabbing the snivelling thing by the throat. “I’m only going to take back what’s mine.”

“N-no! I-it’s mine!” Sordes shrieked as the hand on his throat tightened its grip slowly. Despite that, he was still greedy for the only power he had left. “Let go of me!”

“It can never be yours.” Lupa’s voice was frosty as he continued to squeeze Sordes’s throat and began to absorb the power Sordes had stolen from him over a millennia ago. He felt gleeful at the look of despair in the skin bag of the mud blob’s eyes. He pulled Sordes closer to himself and coldly spoke in his ears. “In a way, I should thank you for poisoning me. Thanks to that, all of the seals placed upon me have been released.”

“Y-you really are Abyssus!” Sordes struggled wildly, but he couldn’t budge out of Lupa’s grasp. He looked at his surroundings and saw the shock, horror, fear, and pity in the surrounding crowd’s eyes directed at him and Lupa, no, Abyssus. “Hehe….. cough…. Are you sure you should be doing this…. In front of all of them? ….They’ll surely think you’re a monster…..and what would Divus think…..cough…. about how all this time, his little lover was the Demon God…cough…. I wonder what his face will be?”

“I never liked that name.” Lupa narrowed his eyes. “It wasn’t one I chose for myself. As for your questions, you’re the one who made me drink what this world knows as corruption water so they only think I’ve become a Demon, and they’re not wrong. As for what face that person will make? Heh, I’m more curious than you are.”

Sordes could only glare at Lupa after his words had no affect as his life along with the stolen power were drained from him. In the end, his body shrivelled up like a dry raison.

Lupa stood up and tossed Sordes’s body to the floor and raised his hand. A black fire ball appeared above his palm and he dropped the flame onto Sordes’s body, turning it to ash in an instant.

Gasps filled the ballroom that had long lost its festive atmosphere. The guests however, didn’t back down. They all surrounded Lupa with an assortments or weapons ready, even though they were hoping they wouldn’t have to raise their blades against their beloved prince.

“Lupa?” The king walked out of the crowd, a tear of frustration slivered down his bearded face. He slowly walked until he stopped in front of Lupa.

“….Brother.” Lupa sighed as he looked at the man in front of him.

“Lupa!?” The king’s eyes widened as a bit of hope was lit. “You’re still rational!?”

“For now…” Lupa smiled wryly. “But I’ll have to go. I don’t know when I might lose control.”

“But!.... I’m sorry Lupa.” The king wanted to tell Lupa to stay, but he knew he couldn’t. As the king, he knew even more than others what the corruption water could do to a person. He knew that the case of a country being brought to ruin in the past was because that time, the person had been like Lupa. Still rational after a change in appearance and power, but the kingdom of the past didn’t know that the person had been a ticking time bomb. When it blew, it took the whole country with it.

“Sorry I couldn’t stay with you brother.” Lupa put his hand on the king’s shoulder. “But you won’t have to worry about anyone else becoming like me. The culprit is that pile of ashes.”

“There’s nothing you need to be sorry for!” The king stomped his foot as his tears fell, his cute little brother, the strong sweet little mermaid that looked cold on the outside but was soft on the inside. His precious family was about to leave and he’d never see him again.

“Brother, could you do me a favour?” Lupa looked into the king’s sad eyes and asked.

“What is it?” The king sniffled. “I’ll do anything you ask.”

“Then could I ask you to make sure no one tells Divus about this until he returns from the frontlines?” Lupa asked softly. “I don’t want him to lose his life over being distracted by me on the battlefield.”

“……I’ll see it done.” The king wept as he wrapped his arms around his younger brother, holding him tightly, wishing he wouldn’t have to let go.

But alas, there was no choice.

Lupa hugged the king back before releasing. He didn’t have much time. Whilst the corruption water wouldn’t actually turn him into an irrational monster, it had, as he told Sordes, released all his seals. On top of that, he had also retrieved the large amount of power Sordes had stollen from him in the cave. Yes, that hadn’t been a dream, but an old memory as he had expected. But Lupa couldn’t think about that now, the power in his body was unstable and raging, he needed to go somewhere where he could just release all of his power once and finish the process of re-fusing with his power and part of his core.

“Well, I have to go.” Lupa spread his wings and smiled at the king and the weeping crowd. “Stay strong.”

The king could only watch powerlessly as his younger brother took flight into the night through the shattered windows.

*********

Lupa flapped his wings strongly, shooting through the sky as fast as he could, his body began to ache all over once more as the fusing process continued.

[Dear Host!? Are you ok!? What happened back there!? QAQ]

“…I’ll tell you later.” Lupa grit his teeth as he answered the panicking Trainie. His eyes began to fill with a silent rage as his memories also continued to flow through his mind. He really needed to vent soon.

Once Lupa had, with difficulty, reached to the centre point of the sea between the human world and the demon world, he folded his wings and fell into the sea. As soon as he hit the water, his strong fish tail took place of his legs and he continued to swim deeper and deeper into the ocean depths.

If anyone was flying above the sea at this moment, they would see the silhouette of a mermaid that got bigger and bigger until it was 10 times the size of the largest whale.

Lupa swam until the light could no longer reach through the water. He closed his eyes as he stopped trying to suppress his power and let it loose.

Lupa’s body glowed with a dark light as a colossal blast of magic mixed with demonic energy and divine power blasted out. With Lupa as the epicentre it caused a current to rush out, almost like a pulse that flowed to every inch of the sea. Luckily, Lupa had managed to reach the depths of the sea. Had he been on the seabed or on land, the results would’ve been either a tsunami on every shore connected to the sea or an earthquake with the strength to crumble mountains. Instead, the shores connected only had a wave that was slightly bigger than normal.

Lupa felt much better after releasing all that power, he floated a bit before thinking about what to do next. He needed a place where he could rest and sort out both his memories and for his power to restabilise.

After thinking carefully, Lupa decided to go to the demon world. There he could find a place for himself, and it didn’t matter even if his powers went out of control.

Lupa: As for Divus? Hmph! He can come find me! I’ll teach him for leaving me in such a way!

 

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Hope you enjoyed it.
（づ￣3￣）づ╭❤～