As the only true pureblooded demon of the Infernal Realm, the only offspring of two Primogens, Malkam's bloodline allowed him to reach the Legendary God Rank. But alas, even for him, that was the limit. Without the status of Son of Hell, he could never take another step on the road of cultivation.
Only two roads lay ahead, rob Talroth or Asmodeus' Primogen Blood, or become a Nephilim. Of course, in the absurd case a Primogen Blood Fruit appeared, a third road could open. Alas, none of these paths were viable.
"Thaaat is *hic* not necessarily accurate. Who knows, perhaps one day you will get tired of your Primogen pet and gift me her blood out of the kindness of your fatherly heart."
Malkam replied with a drunken smile, causing Talroth to arch his eyebrows.
"Some say a son's heart lies with his mother. You have not seen yours in hundreds of thousands of years, but instead of seeking ways to free and restore her, you query her blood. How depressing. If I had a heart, perhaps I'd shed tears for poor Asmodeus."
Talroth sighed and stood up. Malkam, however, appeared undisturbed. If the words had any impact, he didn't show it. Meanwhile, Talroth's eyes looked past his son to lock on the invading demonic legions in the distance, all stemming from Stolas' archduchy. Obviously, they'd prepared teleportation formations to bring their armies right into Stolas' capital and attack from there.
"When even rats dare raise arms against giants, you know that the times of strife have arrived. Good, it is high time I clean the Infernal Realm of its undesirables to pave the way for my Crown Prince."
Talroth declared, and vanished in billowing purple flames, leaving behind Malkam who frowned at the mention of "Crown Prince." Unlike what some could expect, the Crown Prince in Talroth's lips wasn't Malkam, but his youngest child of 258 years ago. If at first, Malkam didn't care for that "half-breed bastard," when 240 years ago Talroth declared that the day that child ascended to the Infernal Realm, he would abdicate in his favor and take the title of Retired King, he couldn't help but care.
None of the demon princes and princesses could understand what went on within Talroth's mind. Especially when one of the "three bastards," as they called them, successfully returned, they didn't find anything worth mentioning in that new sister. Low cultivation and lacking experiences. Although she boasted remarkable craftiness, her ambitions surpassed her abilities. It didn't take long for them to tame her.
What could the youngest of the lot possibly accomplish? With a sneer, Malkam turned heels.
"Father, I don't know what you're planning to do, but if the day comes a half-breed junior sits on this throne, my name is not Malkam. Should he dare step into the Southern Domain, death is his only outcome."
Malkam sneered, and following another sip of wine, returned whence he came.
…
Meanwhile, within the Northern Infernal Domain, the Hekeret Archduchy ruled by the Hekeret Primogen Apep welcomed nine unexpected visitors. More precisely, Archduke Apep now lay inert on his throne, with his flesh unharmed, but his soul destroyed.
Not just him, the majority of his children and most loyal retainers, those that met him in the throne room, suffered soul destruction while five more unfortunate were reduced to a big pile of nothing. Yvonne, Else, Gulistan and Krann stood beneath the stairs with Helmut, the three State Protectors and a bored Elia right behind them.
Shockingly, the Western King of Hell, the Balam Primogen, Urzul, stood between the three protectors with a blank, inexpressive look. Following his return to his palace, the three State Protectors captured, enslaved and brought him alongside them for a flawless scheme.
Else waved her hand, causing the five imperial kin to turn into perfect replicas of Apep's "missing" five descendants in both appearance, bloodline and everything.
"Very well, it's time we suffer Urzul's attack. Else, State Protectors, you know what you have to do."
Yvonne declared, and instantaneously, the four nodded in approval and got to work. Dolgron's spies soon reported Apep's demise under a sneak attack from Urzul and the imminent extermination of his house. Once those words echoed within his mind, an incensed Dolgron barreled through Hell's sky, shooting across the Northern Infernal Domain to land above Apep's ducal palace.
An ominous silence awaited him, but ignoring his apprehensions, Dolgron dived in, forcing his way into the palace to land on the scene of Urzul and three of his strongest Balam Gods exterminating the remainders of Apep's house. On the scene, only three hekeret princesses and two of Apep's grandsons remained. But if none intervened, they would die in the following second. Dozens of Royal Hekerets' corpses filled the hall alongside the most trusted and highest ranking of Apep's Serpent Fiends.
It was a clean slaughter, the notorious Balam style.
If before he still maintained his cool, when his eyes locked on Apep's inert corpse, they widened in disbelief. But when they shifted back to the pale-blue-skinned, middle-aged man smiling at the execution, they erupted with blazing fury!
"Urzul, Urzul, I knew you bold, but not harebrained. After murdering my number one vassal and father-in-law, how do you expect me to not execute you?"
Dolgron inquired in an oddly calm but chilling tone. Indeed, his second wife was Apep's eldest daughter. Though Hell was a lawless place with nobles and commoners alike gutting one another for a yes or a no, to minimize pointless losses the upper layer of the infernal hierarchy had an understanding.
Unless insurmountable grievances existed, they would never risk domain wars. Urzul's favorite son was a lawless felon who craved what he shouldn't have and attempted to refine the souls of three of Apep's daughters. In response, the Hekeret Primogen swallowed him whole, body, and soul, thereby earning him Urzul's eternal enmity.
Alas, with Dolgron's backing, Urzul didn't dare act on that hatred…until today, of course.
And as he stared at the corpses littering the hall, Urzul curved his lips into a contented smile.
"I should have done this sooner…"
He whispered, more for himself than anyone else, and as Dolgron's double fists assailed his back, Urzul, alongside his "Balam Gods" vanished in blue haze.
"…And you can come find me in Ashara's palace."
On the same day, the Vampire and Balam King, Ashara and Urzul, united against the Asura King's threats, and dispatched their armies to meet him in battle! Meanwhile, the Overlord was paying his old friend, the Warden a resounding visit while Talroth faced four self-overreaching Primogens within his domain.
Hell had officially gone up in flames.
Meanwhile, the elite disciples, deacons, protectors, and elders of Heaven's hegemonic sects suffered the crushing abuse of a certain devil's house.
