Joash twirled the winecup in his hand as he sat on his throne.
“A bold plan, but it won’t be that easy to bring down that old snake,” Joash muttered. “But, it will suffice as good bait.”
The Black Dragon who commanded the strongest fortress in the Demon Continent summoned a round mirror and activated it.
Soon, the image of a wrinkled, grumpy, old hag, appeared on its surface.
“Ah, it’s you,” Baba Yaga said with a trace of irritation. “What do you want, you black lizard?”
“I only want to know one thing,” Joash said with a smile. “Are you going to play as a spectator, or will you join the stage and play your part?”
Baba Yaga snorted as if the mere thought of her dabbling in these muddy waters was enough to disgust her.
“All of you can hack each other to pieces, and I will not give a damn,” Baba Yaga answered, “but if any of you plan to use my Disciple as a tool for your foolishness, I will be more than happy to snap all of your necks!”
“Understood.” Joash nodded. “So, as long as your Disciple is safe, you will remain outside the fence, correct?”
“That’s right.”
“Very well. You have my word. I will not include your precious Disciple in our plans.”
Baba Yaga scoffed before cutting the connection. She really didn’t want to involve herself in the struggle of power in the Demon Realm because this act was beneath her. The Old Hag was a free spirit that came and went as she pleased. There was no one who would dare to annoy her because her Pestle alone was more than enough to annihilate an entire city with a single strike.
Joash was well aware of Baba Yaga’s character, so he was pleased that one of the obstacles in his way decided to watch from the sidelines. As long as she doesn’t interfere, he was certain that he could cope with any kind of situation.
“One down, two to go,” Joash muttered. “If only one of them joins then I can manage. But, if there’s two of them…”
The Demon Continent had four Demigods that stood at the peak in the power rankings. Baba Yaga of the North, Joash of the South, Mapinguari of the West, and the wandering Demigod of the East, El Silbon.
Baba Yaga was the strongest of them, and Joash was the second. However, Mapinguari, and El Silbon were just a notch weaker than Joash. The Black Dragon wasn’t sure if he would come on top if he fought either one of them in a life and death battle.
‘No matter,’ Joash tossed the idea aside for the time being as he reactivated the round mirror in front of him. ‘Soon, the image of a young man in his late teens appeared in front of him.’
“Adam, how many black stars have you gained?” Joash asked.
“Your Excellency, I only managed to get my third star two days ago after much hardship,” Adam reported. “The number of candidates has also dwindled to a third of what it used to be. I estimate that it will take me roughly a month to get the 7th Star, if I am able to survive that long.”
“Understood.” Joash nodded. “Have you been able to pry some information out of Felix about his father’s plans?”
Adam shook his head. “Aside from watching over the progress of the exploration of the Holy Land, he spends most of his time in the company of two ladies. I tried to subtly gauge the strength of these two girls, but what I found out far exceeded my expectations.”
“Oh?” Joash arched an eyebrow. He knew what kind of person Adam was, and understood that he wasn’t someone who liked to exaggerate things. “Are they that strong?”
Adam nodded. “If I were to make a guess, the two of them might be Sins. It seems that they have a close relationship with Felix. I don’t know if they are his acquaintances, or his lovers, but one thing is for sure, both of them are dangerous. I don’t dare to investigate them further.”
Joash smiled. “As expected of my Disciple. You have done well. For now, don’t mind those two ladies. Just focus on collecting those stars, and unlock the secrets in the Holy Land. Remember, you are the key to our plan. Do not disappoint me.”
“Yes, Master!” Adam pressed his hands together and bowed respectfully.
After giving a few more reminders to his Disciple, Joash cut the connection to ensure that their communication wouldn’t be discovered. He had gone to great lengths in order to allow Adam to stay below the Demon Lord’s radar, so he wouldn’t be too suspicious of the young man’s identity.
“I am not the type that puts all my eggs in a single basket,” Joash muttered as he activated the mirror for the third time. “A new era will open, and those of the old would have no choice but to acknowledge the change of times. This is merely the opening gambit to bring an end to all struggles.”
The surface of the mirror rippled as an old man with white hair appeared in front of Joash.
“Joash, how are things in the Demon Realm?” Byron, the Headmaster of Hestia Academy asked with a smile. His old face held a trace of amusement, as if he was looking at a wonderful toy that he had just discovered.
“So-so,” Joash replied. “Have you prepared things on your end?”
Byron nodded. “We have prepared to the best we can. All that we need to do is wait for the prophecy to come to pass.”
Joash smirked. “Don’t we all?”
Both men chuckled. They were people who held great power and influence in their respective factions, so working together was something that both of them benefitted from.
“Adam just told me that the trials in the Holy Land might only last for just over a month,” Joah stated. “It’s only a matter of time before Luciel makes his move also.”
“Is William not a good enough bait?” Byron asked. “I could have sworn that Luciel would immediately go and find him as soon as he made waves in his home turf. This is why I personally delegated him to go to the Demon Realm to find Celine. As long as the two of them are together, Luciel will have no choice but to pay attention to them.”
The Black Dragon nodded in understanding.
“Luciel is not as bold as he used to be after losing his arm,” Joash replied. “However, as long as William and Celine are together, he will have no choice but to pay attention to them.”
The Black Dragon knew that fighting against Fate was a very difficult thing to do.
This was why he decided to take control of it instead. As long as he played his cards right, he believed that he would be able to guide the events that would soon happen to his desired outcome.
An outcome that would have a higher chance of letting the world of Hestia survive the disaster that would soon come knocking on its doors.
