Silence fell after the Elf King's trembling words.
Thick.Heavy.Charged with unseen storms.
Then —
A deep, amused chuckle broke it.
The Demon Lord leaned back, folding his arms behind his head lazily, a wolfish grin curling his lips.
"Well, well," he drawled."I knew the elves were crafty, but this... this is inspired."
The Dragon Monarch's chair groaned beneath his weight as he leaned forward, golden eyes burning.
"You play with fire," he said, his voice a low, dangerous rumble."And if it spreads, it will not only consume you."
The Elf King paled but stayed silent, his quill hovering uncertainly over the parchment.
Aren spoke, his voice cutting clean through the tension.
"It is dangerous," he said."Very dangerous."
His golden eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"But calculated."
He tapped a finger lightly against the stone table.
"If the summoning is partial, and the contract is willingly accepted... we gain a being that can match — perhaps even surpass — several angels at once."
He met the Dragon Monarch's gaze evenly.
"If they refuse, the ritual collapses — and the Primordial returns to chaos."
He shrugged slightly.
"Low chance of success.High reward.Minimal immediate risk."
The Human Emperor's voice was hard, like steel drawn across stone.
"And if we fail to control the process?If the summoning slips?We birth an enemy no less catastrophic than the gods themselves."
The Dragon Monarch growled low in agreement, his scaled fingers flexing.
The Demon Lord only smiled wider.
"Then we simply don't fail," he said lightly.
Aren ignored the bait, speaking directly to the Human Emperor.
"We are already preparing for a war we likely cannot win," he said calmly."Every weapon matters."
The Human Emperor was silent for a long moment.
Then he nodded once — sharply.
"The risk is acceptable," he said grimly."But —"
He looked around the table, his gaze harder than ever before.
"— only if we remove the chance of betrayal."
The others stilled.
The Demon Lord arched a brow lazily.The Dragon Monarch folded his arms, considering.
"Explain," Aren said simply.
The Human Emperor's tone left no room for misunderstanding.
"We forge a pact," he said."A binding contract — signed and witnessed — between all of us.A vow never to betray the alliance.To never turn blade, word, or thought against each other."
He leaned forward slightly.
"No loopholes.No treachery masked as politics."
His eyes gleamed.
"And we sign it before the Primordial is summoned — so no doubts, no second-guessing, no knives hidden beneath cloaks."
The Demon Lord laughed quietly.
"You humans," he said."Always so distrustful."
"And you demons," the Human Emperor replied coldly, "earned that reputation."
The Dragon Monarch gave a rare smile — humorless, heavy.
"I approve," he rumbled.
Aren gave a slight nod.
"As do I."
The Demon Lord tapped his fingers against the table thoughtfully — then shrugged.
"Fine," he said, grin flashing."But don't cry later when the contract binds your precious freedom too tightly."
The Human Emperor didn't smile.
"We are already shackled," he said softly."By necessity.By survival."
The Demon Lord chuckled again — but there was something harder behind his eyes now.
Something ancient and cunning and resigned.
It was agreed:
Before the Primordial Summoning Ritual began —
Before even a single syllable of forbidden language was uttered —They would swear binding loyalty to the Circle of Guardians.
No betrayals.No doubts.No division.
Only unity —Or extinction.
Finally, the Demon Lord clapped his hands lightly.
"Well, then," he said cheerfully."If we're all ready to sell our souls to honor and hope... let's move to the real question."
He leaned forward, crimson eyes gleaming.
"Which of the Seven Primordial Sins do we dare summon?"
The air grew colder again.
Not from fear.
From awe.
The Seven Primordial Demons — beings so ancient, so vast, that even transcendent beings whispered their names only with caution.
Pride.Wrath.Greed.Envy.Sloth.Gluttony.Lust.
Each one monstrous.Each one wielding partial Laws of Sin strong enough to shatter armies.
The Dragon Monarch frowned deeply.
"We cannot choose lightly."
The Human Emperor nodded.
"We must weigh their personalities.Their... tendencies."
The Demon Lord smiled like a man preparing to bet everything on a single throw of dice.
"And their willingness," Aren said quietly.
The others stilled at that.
Yes.
Not all Primordial Sins would accept helping mortal races — even against divine destruction.
Perhaps none would.
But perhaps...
They sat back, heavy with thought.
The names of ancient horrors flickering silently through their minds.
The fate of the world might well depend — not just on choosing a weapon — but on choosing the right monster.