Chapter 572: Forced Marriage

___ Velmora Capital ____

Cracks!

The purple glass prison cracked after nearly an hour of silence, and everyone’s head snapped toward it in anticipation. The people gathered around the capital had been forced to wait without knowing what was happening inside, unable to see through the territory or determine which of the two Princes remained standing.

Ministers, soldiers, clan leaders and servants had all been watching the same prison in tense silence, and for many of them, the waiting had become almost unbearable.

"Please... Please... Please come out alive." Mary prayed silently alongside many others, her hands clasped tightly together as she stared at the cracking prison.

Krash!

The territory finally burst apart, releasing a violent wave of energy across the capital and revealing Damian standing in midair. His body was battered, his clothes torn and covered in blood, but he remained standing.

One hand held a white haired, shriveled elf dressed in extravagant golden robes by the neck. Lazarus’s body hung completely limp, his once overwhelming golden presence nowhere to be felt.

Damian’s black hair currently had golden and purple stripes running through it, making his already strange appearance even more striking.

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! The crowd exploded violently into cheers.

Mary and the other girls released relieved sighs while ministers raised their voices in celebration. Soldiers shouted Damian’s name, while several of the ministers openly celebrated the death of one of the Underworld’s most powerful Princes.

The patriarchs and matriarchs of the new clans that had joined Velmora, however, could only stare at Damian’s figure in horror. They had watched the battle, and what they had just witnessed had fundamentally changed their understanding of the young Prince standing before them.

"He really won..." Donatello muttered in disbelief.

The entire realm continued cheering until...

Blegh!

Blood poured from Damian’s lips and splashed onto the ground below. His body swayed back and forth, his grip on Lazarus loosening as the corpse slipped from his hand and dropped toward the ground. His breathing became heavy, his vision blurred and his legs finally gave out.

The cheers died almost instantly as everyone realized something was wrong.

SWOOOSH!

Everyone’s eyes widened as Damian tipped forward, his body beginning to fall from the sky, when a green flash tore through the heavens like lightning.

Buzz!

A female elf with golden hair, dressed in beautiful green robes decorated with floral embroidery, appeared within the green lightning and gently caught Damian before he could fall. She held him effortlessly against herself as the entire realm fell deadly silent.

No one dared to move. No soldier raised a weapon. No minister spoke.

Even the patriarchs and matriarchs who had been celebrating moments earlier remained frozen as they stared toward the woman in the sky. The pressure radiating from her body was unmistakable.

This was a True God.

Damian’s blurred vision struggled to make sense of her features, but even through the haze he could tell that she was extraordinarily beautiful. Her face carried an elegance that seemed completely out of place amid the devastation of Velmora’s capital, and the calmness in her expression only made her presence more intimidating.

"Hmmm... You have the face of a warrior and the build of one despite wielding the sin of Lust. I can see why my husband lust to you." The lady had a melodious voice that caused the entire realm to hold its breath.

Her hand gently moved several strands of hair away from Damian’s face, revealing his features fully as she studied him with open curiosity.

"You.. You are..." Damian muttered, his consciousness struggling to remain focused.

"Elsa, Queen of Gildreach Vault... I’m here to bargain with you... Young prince." A mischievous smile bloomed on Elsa’s face.

Her gaze briefly shifted away from Damian as she glanced across the ruined capital, taking in the shattered buildings, destroyed streets and the countless witnesses surrounding them before returning her attention to him.

"You and your people really put on a show for everyone. This battle will be taked about for ages to come." She smiled.

"If you were here all this while. Why didn’t you help?" Lucius asked.

Elsa giggled softly. "Why could I help a man trying to replace me?"

She shook her head. "That’s why I came here... Name me as your first wife right now and I will be yours, alongside all of Gildreach Vault."

"What?!!" The entire realm blurted out in shock.

Hahahahaha!

Damian’s weak laughter rang across the capital, causing everyone to fall silent once again. He remained comfortably cradled in Elsa’s hands, despite the pain coursing through every part of his battered body, a bitter smile resting on his face as he looked up at the woman who had just made one of the most outrageous offers imaginable.

"Why do I always meet women like you in my most vulnerable moments?" Lucius laughed, his voice hoarse from the battle.

Elsa laughed lightly as well, her emerald eyes carrying a hint of amusement. "This is the only time I can make such outrageous demands. If I come back when you are well rested and your court is prepared, I will just end up like my dead husband."

Damian nodded with a faint smile and calmly reached toward her face. His bloodied hand rubbed against her cheek, leaving a streak of crimson across her fair skin, but Elsa didn’t mind.

She simply continued looking at him as though the blood staining her face meant nothing.

"I can’t believe that fool was going to abandon a God just to chase after demigods..." Damian muttered, his expression carrying a mixture of disbelief and disdain.

"And now he’s dead... That’s why he is a fool." Elsa nodded calmly.

There was no grief in her voice, only the blunt acknowledgment of what had happened.

Damian sighed and tried to move, but the moment his muscles shifted, pain surged throughout his battered body. He winced slightly and remained still.

Elsa noticed immediately, and spoke up. "If you take me as your first wife, not only will I hand over the Bull pendant which is in my hand right now which will unite both, I’ll help you subdue the nobles of Gildreach Vault and purge those who refuse to submit. Finally i can help you recover from your injuries in seconds. It’s dangerous for a prince to show weakness to all demons across the underworld. The opportunistic ones may be preparing to make a move as we speak." Elsa said rather calmly. "Even better, you will finally have a God realm ally who is eager to fight and die for you. As long as you don’t plan to cast me aside like my ex."

Damian listened without interrupting. Her offer was not merely a marriage proposal. It was a political alliance, a transfer of power and territory, a God realm combatant and a solution to the instability that could follow his weakened state, all wrapped into one decision.

He sighed lightly and shut his eyes, allowing the sounds of his heavy breathing to fill the silence for several seconds before his eyes slowly opened again.

"You really bring a lot to the table." He muttered.

Elsa nodded with a proud smile. "I do."

"Very well then..." Damian slowly raised his head and glanced toward Fulgur.

The silver dragon immediately understood that Damian had reached his decision.

"Let it be known that from henceforth, Elsa is my first wife." Damian declared.

"Understood Sire!" Fulgur nodded and bowed deeply, his voice carrying across the capital so there could be no confusion about Damian’s declaration.

Before Damian could say anything else, Elsa gently grabbed his face and pulled it back toward her. Her emerald eyes met his for a brief moment before she pressed her lips against his.

Mary and the other girls frowned deeply at the sight, their expressions instantly souring, but their irritation quickly shifted into confusion when they noticed something happening to Damian.

His veins bulged beneath his pale skin, revealing a bright green light flowing through his body. The color slowly returned to his skin, and the exhaustion that had nearly caused him to collapse began receding as his battered body started recovering.

"She’s kissing our man in front of the entire underworld!" Rah hissed, jealousy burning in her eyes.

Loth’s expression darkened as she stared at Elsa. "This bitch... She has guts I’ll give her that."

Racheal immediately stepped between the two emotional reactions with a calmer expression. "It’s infuriating but everyone needs to calm down a bit, she’s a God and the queen of Gildreach Vault... She’s not in our league."

Hazel rubbed her forehead and let out a tired sigh. "We have to get used to it. If Damain is going to unite all realms under one banner we will have to learn to deal with these kind of additions to our ranks."

Mary rubbed her forehead with another tired sigh. "I can’t believe a day would come when I agree with you."

Their lives were truly about to become far more complicated.

Elsa eventually pulled away, and Damian immediately felt his entire body buzzing with energy. The difference was almost startling. His soul remained wounded, but the exhaustion weighing down his physical body had practically vanished.

He blinked in surprise, his vision now completely clear as he focused on Elsa’s face.

The lady had long golden hair, emerald eyes and pointed blade ears. Her skin was fair and flawless, and she looked no older than twenty despite her status as a True God.

"You..." Lucius muttered, temporarily mesmerized by her beauty.

"We can have this discussion in private sire... For now, claim your prize and unite both realms." Elsa said as she placed a bull pendant against Damian’s chest.

Damian immediately grabbed the pendant alongside her hand, his eyes never leaving her face as the world suddenly began trembling around them.

Everyone’s faces began darting around in panic as enormous movements could be felt beneath their feet. The ground groaned as ancient formations buried beneath Gildreach Vault awakened, and the entire realm slowly began shifting from its original position.

At first, the movement was almost imperceptible, but it quickly became impossible to ignore. Buildings trembled, mountains shifted and rivers surged over their banks before settling again.

Across the borders of Gildreach Vault, demons stared toward the horizon in disbelief as the entire realm began moving toward Velmora.

The trembling continued for more than thirty minutes. Then the demons living in the border towns saw something that would remain burned into their memories forever.

An entire piece of land the size of a continent was slowly moving across the Underworld toward Velmora. The massive realm eventually reached the borders of Damian’s territory before slamming against it, causing the earth to tremble violently and sending shockwaves across the surrounding lands. The two realms had become one.

Throughout the entire process, Damian did not move. He simply remained in Elsa’s arms, his eyes fixed on her while she continued looking into his eyes as well. The chaos occurring around them seemed almost irrelevant compared to the strange silence between them.

After several minutes, Elsa finally tilted her head slightly. "Sire, don’t you feel uncomfortable staying like this for so long?" she asked.

Damian shook his head. "Regardless I would have waited this long. What better way to pass time than looking at your beautiful face?"

Elsa’s face immediately flushed red, and the edges of her lips tugged upward into a reluctant smile. "Don’t flatter me... I may actually mistake your lust for love."

Damian’s expression remained completely shameless. "Does it matter if it’s lust or love? All that matters is you are desired by someone."

Elsa laughed lightly and looked away. Truly, this man was shameless and, more importantly, completely unashamed of it.

"You have a coronation ceremony to finish." Elsa said after a moment.

Damian shook his head. "I already possess the fox pendant.. I killed a God on these lands and acquired the greed Inheritance. Who dares question my claim to the throne?"

Elsa looked at him with an amused expression. "You have a response for everything."

Damian smiled. "As long as it keeps the conversation going."

Puff!

Rin appeared on Damian’s chest without warning and immediately slapped him across the face, leaving a bright red paw print on his cheek.

"Bastard stop flirting and get your affairs together, we have another appointment."

Elsa chuckled lightly at the sight while Damian simply rubbed his cheek.

Corbin!!!

The amusement disappeared from his expression almost immediately, replaced by a cold seriousness. His eyes shifted toward the distant horizon as the events of the day returned to his mind. Lazarus was not the only one meant to die today.

"You have other plans?" Elsa asked, immediately noticing the change in his expression.

Damian sat up and let out a heavy sigh before turning toward her. He looked directly into her emerald eyes. "You should head back to Gildreach now... I will get back with you very soon. It won’t take long."

Elsa released a soft sigh. "All men have secrets."

Elsa released Damian from her hands and remained floating in midair. Her green robes fluttered gently as divine energy gathered around her body. She then transformed into an emerald beam of light and shot into the sky, vanishing into the distance toward her newly relocated realm.

Damian watched until she disappeared completely before turning his attention back toward the capital.

He descended toward the ground and landed firmly on his feet. His ministers, officials, soldiers and concubines immediately approached with hurried steps, their expressions filled with concern after seeing the state he had been in moments earlier.

Minister Talos stepped forward first. "Sire... Are you alright?"

Damian nodded without hesitation and shifted his attention toward Fulgur. "Can you take over affairs here... There is somewhere I need to be."

Fulgur immediately understood. His expression changed as he realized exactly where Damian intended to go.

"Shouldn’t you rest a bit?" Fulgur asked, clearly concerned.

Damian shook his head, his expression becoming cold again. "Don’t worry... There is no Lazarus to fight me on earth... I’ll be back soon."

Without wasting another moment, Damian’s body transformed into a beam of purple light and shot toward the distant stone gate, leaving the stunned ministers and soldiers behind as he disappeared into the sky.