Hero of Darkness

Demiurge openly declared that Axel had the potential to even defeat the Demon God. The very entity all the chosen Heroes were summoned to kill in Vantrea. But no one had succeeded in the past 3 thousand years thus very being. Yet, the pope spoke confidently that the new Hero of Fire would certainly be able to do the job as soon as he became a Demi-God.

"Although Axel has the potential… he still needs time to become a Demi-God.

And after that… he might as well even surpass someone like the 8th Hero of Darkness, 6th Hero of Space, 5th Heroine of Lightning, Emperor Rathnaar of the Rakos Empire, the 3 living Archangels and the last remaining Elder Dragon, Baltaraaz.

He will be able to become stronger than all these untouchable legendary figures one day." spoke Demiurge vehemently as if he could already see the bright future.

"We will have Venessa marry Axel and since your daughter will be wed to him, he will have a legit claim to the throne as well.

Later, we will take over the empire and then make him the Emperor on the surface.

Since he's the chosen Hero of our god Hetrax… people will come to accept him as the new ruler very soon." the Pope revealed his intentions.

"As for the fireborne clans… once you're dead… they will look for their own survival and eventually join us after we reveal our three 7th stage saints." he iterated.

"Aren't you being too overconfident?" asked Havi with a contemptuous gaze.

"The previous emperor of the Rakos Empire was only a human in the end despite being an 8th stage knight. He had no bloodline-related abilities that raised his battle strength.

Even with your big cannons… I'm fairly capable of facing all three of them myself if I use my bloodline.

It seems reckless of you to not consider that fact." said Havi as if he was still looking down on his opponents.

But truth be told, he was trying to probe them first and get the overly chatty Pope to reveal some more information by trying to instigate him.

"My my… Did you really think we were that ignorant?" smirked the Pope.

"We went to great lengths to prepare everything from a century ago. Everything was going to fall into order after your father's death. But things took an unexpected turn in the past 3 decades.

Because you're even a bigger nuisance and harder to kill… Compared to how easily we finished off your father and elder brother."

BOOM!!

Without even waiting for another moment and thinking about the backlash on his body, a massive burst of fire exploded from Havi's body and spread across 5 kilometer radius as soon as Pope mentioned his father and brother.

"You! What did you say?!" shouted the emperor in a tyrannical voice that sent shockwaves in the surrounding.

Demiurge on the other had retreated 10 kilometers far from him in a second, he still maintained that smug smile as he riled up Havi whose body was now covered in flames while the surrounding area turned into a large pit of fire akin to a volcano.

"You really don't know anything. Did you think this whole plan was orchestrated just for you?

No… it was for the entire imperial clan. Just that we had to alter a few things here and there." he replied in an elated voice.

"It took us decades to weaken the previous emperor's body through many methods.

Unlike you, he was a devotee of our god Hetrax. Thus he visited the church very often. Through many interactions and feasts we held for him, we slowly poisoned him.

And finally when his health dwindled, we weakened him even more in the name of curing his condition.

Your father was a 7th stage saint but he couldn't even lift his hand in his final days. Just achieving that took us over 20 years." said Demiurge gleefully.

"After his demise, we targeted your elder brother, Vili. But we couldn't use the same method.

However… the Elven empire's attacks on the western border presented us a great opportunity as he went there to lead our forces." he grinned.

"You bastards!! Don't tell me…" shouted Havi as his eyes were wide open with shock.

"Yes. It was us who contacted their forces and revealed the crown prince's location as well as how to infiltrate the area he was staying in.

All I can say is that he did put up a good fight despite only being a 4th stage saint back then." replied the pope without the slightest hint of guilty consciousness.

They even joined hands with the enemy empire to kill Havi's elder brother, betraying their motherland just so they could cripple the imperial family and take control over the empire amidst the chaos.

"But you and that cunning mind of yours… you married the heiresses of the two strongest fireborne clans and even married a princess of the neighboring empire to stabilize the whole situation.

That was when we had no choice but to delay our plans." he spoke.

"You… you killed my father and brother. And that poison…" Havi stuttered.

"Yes. It was the Church of Hetrax who provided those two fireborne clans with that poison.

But instead of targeting you… those morons used it to kill that human wife of yours." said the Pope as he unveiled one secret after another.

Why was he revealing all this information like an idiot?

It was because he wanted Havi to lose his calm and get enraged to the point he'd lose his sanity as they engaged in a battle soon.

Sometimes breaking your enemy's mind can lead you to a swift victory.

"It was me who told you about them being the guilty party. And look what you did…

You traded your daughter's fate in order to protect her life by joining hands with me… the one who played a part in her mother's death. Ha ha ha!!" laughed Demiurge loudly.

Havi was losing all of his rationality as he found the truth about the deaths of his family and his true love.

The church has ruined his entire life just to become the sole ruler of the empire.

He fell into their diabolical plans and even ruined Venessa's life thinking he was doing it for her own sake.

"Like I said… we did not come here unprepared."

Finally, the pope suddenly revealed his own aura and Havi's expression turned grim.

Because just now… Demiurge revealed their final trump card as he revealed his real rank at this moment.

As if the previous situation wasn't precarious enough, the emperor was now facing…

Four 7th stage saints!