I nodded at the old demon.
"There’s no need to thank me," I said calmly. "Primus is a good friend of mine. Helping him was only natural."
Then I turned my attention to Dorian.
"Mr. Dorian, Primus has told me how much you’ve done for the Bloodreavers, and for him and his siblings," I said. "I’m impressed by the way you raised them and by the principles you taught them. If you have no objections, I would like to work with you in the future."
He blinked, clearly caught off guard by my words.
"Um... yes," he said after a moment. "I only did what I could, both as a father and as the head of a demon family. We are... not the easiest group to manage." A faint, tired smile appeared on his face. "I’m glad you were here when trouble came knocking on our door. And for that, you have my thanks."
I smiled back, but didn’t let the matter drop.
"I understand," I said gently. "But you haven’t answered my question yet. Do you have any objections?"
Dorian hesitated and glanced toward Orobas. Orobas let out a slow breath, then spoke without hesitation.
"Since you say Primus is your friend, I’ll be honest with you," Orobas said. "I find it difficult to accept an alliance without knowing what we are truly supporting, or what you will ask of us in the future. I hope you understand our position."
I nodded. I had expected that answer.
"I do understand, Mr. Orobas," I said. "But knowing more than you already do would only place you and Armus in greater danger. That is something I want to avoid." I paused, choosing my words carefully. "What I can tell you is this: in the future, you will hear my name almost every day. And when that happens, you won’t regret choosing to stand with me."
I leaned back slightly and continued.
"Of course, I have no intention of becoming a traitor to the Prime Universe. I share the same goal as every being who still believes in it, to defeat the Eternals. I will never ask you to do something that goes against your morals or forces you to betray what you believe in.
Primus would be leaving Armus with me. From here, we would go to Dragos, and from there toward the true center of power in the Blue Spiral Galaxy. He would stand beside me when we clashed with Ferans, Nagas, Elementals, and even the Eternals and their forces."
The idea was simple.
While we were away dealing with the truly powerful players, I wanted them to stay here and turn Armus into something stronger. Not a fragile world hiding in the shadows, but a force that could at least stand in the same space as the big ones without being crushed.
"I’m not asking you to do this without giving you anything in return," I said calmly.
That alone caused a visible reaction in both of them. But before either of them could speak, I continued.
"First," I said, raising a finger, "my people already helped clear fifty percent of the abomination zones yesterday. We could have wiped out more, but we deliberately stopped. You need what remains as training ground. Your forces need to grow stronger through real pressure, not comfort."
Their expressions turned serious.
"Second," I continued, "once we move to Dragos, we will make sure Lana or anyone backing her does not come sniffing around Armus. This world will be off-limits."
Orobas’s jaw tightened slightly at the mention of her name.
"Third," I said, turning my gaze directly to him, "I will pull you out of that miserable position of yours, Mr. Orobas. You won’t have to sit inside a chamber surrounded by blood rituals every single day anymore."
His eyes widened just a little. He hid it well, but I noticed.
"Fourth, I will give you a boost in power," I said simply. "Not something reckless, but enough for you to handle any internal problems within Armus. Enough to let you start consolidating power from the Ronics instead of merely maintaining the current power dynamic."
Both of them were fully focused now.
"And finally," I said, "I will make sure that Armus, going forward, produces more talented newborns. Stronger bloodlines. Better foundations. And who knows, there may even be beneficial mutations that appear over time."
I leaned back in my chair and gave them space to think. I wanted them to feel the weight of what I was offering, not rush into it.
A few seconds passed in silence before Dorian finally spoke.
"Are you sure," he asked carefully, "that you can help with my father’s situation?"
I nodded once. "I am."
He hesitated, then pressed further. "And this matter of greater talent and strengthened bloodlines... will that truly work?"
Before I could answer, Primus spoke from behind me.
"It will," he said firmly. "I have seen him do this to another world."
The two demons looked at each other again. I could tell they were tempted. Very tempted. The offer was far beyond anything they could have imagined. Yet something still held them back, some final doubt that refused to disappear.
I smiled inwardly.
I snapped my fingers.
The Essence flowing through their bodies and swirling around them came to an instant halt, frozen as if time itself had paused for them.
"Lyrate," I said.
A blur appeared beside me, and Lyrate materialized silently.
"Can you heal the old man?" I asked.
She nodded without hesitation.
Lyrate raised her hand and pointed forward. A small green drop began forming at the tip of her finger. It grew slowly, condensing into a marble-sized sphere filled with pure vitality. The power inside it was so dense that even the air around it felt alive.
With a simple flick of her finger, the marble flew forward and stopped right in front of Orobas’s face.
"I’m sure you can feel it," I said calmly. "What matters now is the choice you make."
Orobas didn’t hesitate. Not even for a second.
"All right. I agree," he blurted out, his eyes locked onto the glowing drop.
"But father—" Dorian started.
"Shut up," Orobas snapped. "I’m still alive. And a decision this important is mine to make." He straightened slightly. "I have decided. We will stand with the Prime Monarch in the future."
Dorian let out a long breath and rubbed his forehead awkwardly, clearly overwhelmed.
I smiled and nodded toward Lyrate.
She released the sphere. The green marble drifted forward and gently merged into Orobas’s body, its light fading as it was absorbed.