"Alas~"
Looking up, meeting Kaelgor's unwavering red gaze, feeling the steady rhythm of his breathing and the heavy, oppressive weight of his aura, Adam let out a slow sigh.
The tension in his shoulders eased, not entirely in surrender, but still in acceptance.
He could not gleam any more benefits from Kaelgor.
The peak-tier devil had the strength to back his cunning, and any attempt to push further would only result in further humiliation or death.
"Fine," Adam said in concession, in acknowledgment of the uncomfortable unbalance between them, "At least tell me how to control this new possession of mine," He gestured with his chin towards Saphira's battered, fur-cloaked body, "There is no way you wouldn't know a way. A brand, a technique... something to ensure she does not try to kill me again. You owe me that much."
Lyra, who had been silent throughout the exchange, her body pressed against Adam's side, stiffened.
Her beautiful face, which had been coldly and patiently observing, twisted into a slight scowl.
She realized, with a hint of jealously and anger, that Adam intended to keep the bitch after all!
Her lips pressed into a thin line, and her hands, hidden beneath the furs, clenched into fists.
But she did not dare interrupt.
She was his queen, but she was not foolish.
The two devils were negotiating, and her voice, no matter how justified her anger, would only be a distraction, or worse, a sign of weakness.
During her seemingly lazy observation, she had taken much note of the devil who stood before her and Adam.
Even she had grown to become wary of the devil's cunning and strength; only by being at Adam's side did she feel safe.
Still, she made a mental note, a silent promise to herself, to complain to her king later, when they were alone, when she could press her soft, warm body against his and whisper her grievances into his ear.
Her body flickered with slithering shadows: a physical manifestation of her simmering rage, the surrounding darkness pulsing in rhythm with her heartbeat.
Saphira, on the other hand, looked up.
Her gaze, which had been fixed on the ground, vacantly and defeated, lifted. Her molten brass eyes widened slightly.
Faint, fragile, and utterly unexpected, something stirred within.
A flicker of something that might have been hope, bubbled within her chest.
She had been certain, in the depths of her heart, that Adam would kill her. Or keep her as a broken, mindless, soulless toy; a vessel for his lust and nothing more. Her soul parted with only her body kept.
Such an outcome was basically death too.
But this was different.
He was asking for a way to control her, to ensure her loyalty. That meant he intended to keep her alive!
She knew that Adam had absolutely no trust in her.
And it made sense.
She had tried to kill, assassinate him.
Trust, after such a betrayal, was an impossibility.
All he knew of her, in their short time knowing one another, was deception and, well, fucking: not of her volition by the way.
But if her father could provide a method, a brand or a technique, that would give Adam a sense of security, then she could keep her life.
Her humiliation, her debasement, the brutal violation she had endured: all of it would have a purpose.
All of it would be worth it, if it meant she survived to see another dawn!
"Hmmm~"
Adam stared as Kaelgor hummed in amusement.
The rumbling sound vibrating through the space between them like the purr of a contented lion.
The peak-tier devil did not rush to answer directly. Instead, he seemed to savor the moment, letting the tension build, his red eyes glittering with a knowing light.
"The tier gap," Kaelgor began, his voice a slow, "Is why I can still control Saphira. The difference in our strength, of my superior quality, alongside the brand she bears, is what brings her to her knees."
He paused, his gaze flickering to his daughter's battered body, then back to Adam.
"But even I would have difficulties controlling a devil at the same tier as myself. Even with over a century of experience, techniques honed to perfection, and a will that has crushed countless rivals... in the end, they would have a similar amount of power," He shook his head ever so slightly.
"Similar mana. Similar soul strength," He shrugged in acceptance.
"It is the fundamental nature of our kind. Technique and skill can tip the scales, but they cannot erase the basic mathematics of power."
His wise, devilish eyes finally glanced to the side, settling on Lyra's still-pissed, silver-haired face.
She had been quietly observing; a silent observer rather than a participant.
Yet Kaelgor's gaze found her instantly, dissecting her, understanding her in a single, penetrating glance.
Lyra tightened her face as she felt as if she were a mouse being stared at by a lion; her mercury eyes flashing with defiance.
She did not look away, but her body betrayed her.
Despite her pride, despite her fury, she moved, shifting slightly so that her body was partially behind Adam's broad back. Her naked body, hidden under the cloak, almost made Adam's focus falter as one of Lyra's breasts pressed directly against his back.
Just the way he saw through her felt like an insult and a violation.
Kaelgor's lips curved into a knowing smirk beneath his helmet.
He recalled who she was: the deviless who had possessed primordial yin, who had slipped through his fingers, and been claimed by this arrogant, lucky newborn.
A flicker of something that might have been regret, or perhaps amusement, passed through his red eyes, but he did not dwell on it.
The past was immutable.
The future was where his plans lay.
He continued, his voice shifting to a more instructive, almost professorial tone.
"The reason you were able to brand Lyra," He said, raised his chin towards the silver-haired deviless, "Is multifaceted. But a major factor is simple: she was oblivious. She did not know what branding was, had never experienced it, had no defenses against it."
He paused, letting his words linger.
Lyra of before would have felt something, but just like Kaelgor, she no longer cared about the past.
She was his, and he was hers: that was all that mattered at this point.
"Even then, the branding that occurred between you was symbiotic, not parasitic. It was mutual, a two-way street. You influenced her, but she also influenced you. Her desires, her nature, her sin, all of it now resonates with you. Shaping your own growth in subtle, perhaps imperceptible ways." His red eyes gleamed wisely.
"A devil's insidious contamination works both ways, newborn. Do not forget that."
He shifted his stance, his massive, armored body seeming to grow even larger, more imposing.
"Now, as for Saphira..." He glanced at his daughter, who was still sitting on the ground, her breath held, her eyes wide with a hint of hope, "You could try forming a symbiotic branding with her. Perhaps even a parasitic one, if you were skilled enough, powerful enough, patient enough..." He shook his head slowly, "But a paralytic branding would most likely not stick. Not on a devil. Especially not on one who is at an equal strength to you. We are naturally resistant to such crude forms of control. Branding, mind control, and any other form of manipulation. All of it slides off us like water off abyssal steel, unless carefully, subtly applied."
Devil parents with their children for example.
He took a single, deliberate step closer to the barrier, his red gaze boring into Adam's. His extremely concentrated demonic mana sizzling like water onto a hot stove as it collided with his barrier.
"Symbiotic branding is the only logical route. And it is a route that has already begun, whether you realize it or not. Subconsciously, instinctively, naturally. The moment you claimed her body, the process began. You cannot stop it now, even if you wanted to. She is already being contaminated by you. The question is simply: how long, and how much of her can you control?"
Adam scrunched his eyes, as he too knew this much.
Kaelgor's red eyes gleamed with a knowing light.
"Let's say you succeed with the branding. Remember, it will not change who they are. It is not mind control. You cannot rewrite their fundamental nature with a few imprints and a surge of your will."
He let the words sink in, his gaze sweeping from Saphira, then to Lyra.
"You can strive to make Saphira more agreeable to you. You can cultivate her loyalty, encourage her submission, reward her compliance, and so on and so forth… Over time, with patience and consistency, you can make her more accepting of her new position. But who she is, the core of her being, the sins that define her soul, her own personal beliefs and desires. Will. Not. Change! She will always carry the potential for betrayal, buried deep within her, waiting for the right conditions to bloom."
His raised finger settling on Lyra; the sudden action made her flinch.
"Unlike her," He continued, "Your silver-haired lass seems to have accepted her fate. More than accepted: she has embraced it!"
Lyra had chosen Adam, not out of fear or coercion, but out of a genuine, fervent desire.
Just as he had lust for her character, her beauty, and her strength, she had lusted for his. The fact that her virginity was forcibly taken is no longer something she cares about.
In fact, she had replayed that day in her mind, had found herself growing wet at the memory of his dominance, his power, the way he had taken her without hesitation or mercy.
Lyra just leaned her cheek against his chest, not denying that she has grown very fond of her situation, or as he called it, fate.
Kaelgor turned his attention back to Adam, "Symbiotic branding is a way for devils to grow as a group. It is our own form of safety, a substitute for the deadly, binding contracts we can forge. It creates a bond, a mutual dependency, that encourages cooperation and discourages casual betrayal."
He leaned forward slightly, his red eyes boring into Adam's.
"But, as said I before; complete branding is not instantaneous. It takes time, repeated contact, constant imprints, to fully take root. And even when it is complete, it cannot one hundred percent guarantee your safety."
His gaze lingered on Lyra, a subtle warning in his eyes.
"Even your companion here, as devoted as she seems, could turn around and kill you under the right conditions. A moment of weakness, a surge of overwhelming emotion, a whisper of temptation from a more powerful devil... the brand is a mark, not a cage. It can be broken, if the will is strong enough and the circumstances are right."
Hearing his words, Adam's expression did not change.
He met Kaelgor's gaze with a steady, steely stare, his jaw set, and his eyes burning with that familiar, unquenchable fire.
The techniques he had practiced on Agri and Blair, the subtle shifts in their behavior and desires, had given him a peek into branding mastery.
Kaelgor's words were a cold reminder that the depths of hell's knowledge were vast and deep; that he was still a novice navigating dangerous waters.
Kaelgor's smirk deepened, a flicker of approval in his red gaze.
He liked that Adam pursued knowledge, that he was not too proud to listen, to learn. The newborn's unafraid expression, even in the face of unsettling truths, was a mark of his potential.
He would have been a good subordinate.
"But," Adam finally spoke, "If done, it is still a good indicator of their loyalty and the threat they pose, is it not?"
Kaelgor's slowly widened his demonic smile, sharp teeth peeking from behind the black steel. A student who knew the right answer for this little quiz.
"Yes, it is."