Not Just The Throne Offer. Somthing more

Allen came to a stop in the eastern wing of the Demon Clan's territory—a quiet region with few buildings, pressed close to the towering walls that encircled the realm. He immediately dropped his hands to his knees, sweat bubbling across his skin. His breath came ragged, his heart pounded at inhuman speed. Inside, his body was alive with heat. His cells raced; he could feel his digestion accelerating, his senses heightened to an unnatural degree. And then, slowly, everything began to settle as the heat cooled together with his tension.

They stood exposed under the open night sky. There was no cover, only the pale gaze of the moon suspended behind thin clouds. Carpet-like grass stretched across the landscape, blanketing the terrain in all directions.

Natasha and Elara stood wide-eyed, stunned like the world around them suddenly transformed into another world. Their minds hadn't yet caught up with their surroundings. Their breath came out hot, and confusion twisted their expressions—but relief softened their faces. The looming images of the raging wolves had vanished from existence.

"When... and how did we get here?" Natasha whispered, as if afraid of waking a sleeping beast, her voice low that only her and the wind could here it.

"Are you alright, Allen?" Thalvron asked, his deep, muscular voice cutting through the silence. Although it had happened in a flash, he and Lilitu had managed to catch fragments of what occurred.

Allen didn't reply. He simply dropped to the ground, sitting on the grass, trying to catch his breath.

"This... this is all because of you!" Elara snapped, her voice cracking as tears welled in her eyes. She stepped toward Lilitu, shaking with emotion.

"Don't blame me!" Lilitu replied, smiling fearlessly. "I'm not the one whose father has anger issues."

"How dare you speak that way to a princess!" Elara shouted, her voice echoing into the night. With a swing of her arm, she summoned a slab of stone from the earth and hurled it at Lilitu, her stance as sharp as a sprinter's just before the race begins.

Thalvron intercepted the stone effortlessly, taking the impact directly to his body without flinching. But Elara wasn't finished. Her emotions clouded her thoughts. The image of her own father fighting against her, the possible consequences of her choices, the looming threat of losing her title—it all weighed on her like chains.

She stomped the ground with her feet, and the earth beneath Lilitu and Thalvron transformed into quicksand, pulling them off balance. But in a flash, Thalvron spread his massive bat-like wings, grabbing Lilitu and launching them into the air as more stones came flying their way.

"Enough of that!" Allen yelled, grabbing Elara's wrist mid-strike.

Elara backed off, slowly dropping her stance as Thalvron and Lilitu landed opposite them.

"Seems anger runs in the blood," Lilitu muttered under her breath, chuckling as she covered her mouth.

"Who's there?" a voice called from a distance, followed by the sound of shuffling footsteps.

"Damn it," Allen muttered, his eyes scanning the dark silhouettes of wooden huts in the distance, their black thatched roofs catching faint moonlight.

Elara reacted instantly. With a stomp, the ground beneath them split open, swallowing them in silence before sealing shut again.

Moments later, about ten Demon Clan scouts emerged from the far corner of a hut. Horns curled from their heads, their humanoid bodies thick with muscle and unnatural strength.

"I thought I heard something," one of them murmured.

"Let's move," said the other, whose horns were longer and sharper, his frame more defined. "Next time you pull a false alarm, I'll make you pay for interrupting my sleep."

Beneath the surface, they were surrounded by darkness and heat. Thalvron formed a small ball of flame in his palm, illuminating the cramped earth-walled space just enough to reveal their tense expressions.

Their breathing slowed as they realized they were safe for now.

"So... what do we do now?" Elara asked, letting out a slow breath. Her voice still held the echo of consequences yet to be paid.

"Finished drowning in rage, Princess?" Lilitu teased from across the room.

Elara's face hardened again, but Natasha gently placed a hand on her shoulder, calming her with voiceless information that passed between their eyes

Moments of scilence passed the allen whispered, his voice sharp with resolve"I'm going back to the Elf Clan."

"What? No—you can't do that!" Elara gasped. "My father doesn't let go easily. You're likely public enemy number one by now!"

"I'll be fine, Elara. I just need to see a friend."

"Playing hero now?" Lilitu teased with a sly grin.

"You really need to shut up," Elara barked at her, eyes flaring.

"No, Lilitu," Allen murmured, looking toward her with purpose. "I just want to make sure Elara doesn't lose her royal seat because of me."

"That's... unexpectedly noble," Lilitu replied with a raised brow.

Elara didn't protest. She couldn't. Her eyes shimmered with quiet awe, brimming with unshed tears.

"Thalvron," Allen said, "can you open a portal back to the Elf Clan?."

"Yes, of course," Thalvron nodded, still mentally replaying Allen's incredible speed and abilities in all his battles he had witnessed.

He extended his hand, and dark mist flowed from his palm, swirling into a magical orb that expanded into a wide, circular portal.

Allen stepped forward boldly, eyes filled with conviction and a clenched fist at his side.

"Alle—" Elara started, but stopped herself, her emotions twisting her voice. "Stay safe," she whispered at last.

Allen turned, giving her a calm smile. "I will."

He continued forward, then paused again before entering the portal. His gaze met Thalvron's.

"You're in charge now. Take care of them."

Thalvron nodded slowly, his respect evident. He looked around at the others, then back at Allen. 'In time... he might even defeat me in a head-on clash,' he thought. 'He's worthy of being called master.'

"I will, Master," he said firmly.

Lilitu's eyes widened. Her guardian—humble? That wasn't like him. 'What did he see in Allen?' she wondered.

Allen gave a single nod and stepped into the swirling mist, holding the image of a familiar hut door in his mind.

When he emerged from the portal, the air changed. It was crisp and cool—completely different from the heat still burning inside him.

The Elf Clan's streets were busy, even at night. Male elves patrolled in squads, moving swiftly along the roads and around corners. Drawn posters with Allen's face and a red painted "X" drawn over it hung from the walls.

"Elara wasn't kidding," he muttered. "The king is really desperate."

As Allen raised a hand to knock on the door of the hut, it opened before he touched it, pulled by an inner force.

Amaterasu.

Her eyes widened at the sight of him, stunned—but something else flickered behind her innocent gaze. In her hand, she held a small vial.

"Come in..." she said softly, stepping aside.

Allen walked inside, the scent of herbs and bottled potions heavy in the air.

"You're one of a kind," Amaterasu said behind him with a sly grin. "Walking into the lion's den willingly with both feet."

"I came with purpose," Allen replied.

"What do you want?"

"First—Amaterasu, do you believe me? Do you believe the child has been born?"

She tilted her head. "Given the timeline between your departure and when I was summoned, I'd say yes... but in general, men aren't to be trusted."

"Perfect," Allen said. "Then you're the best person to deliver my message to the king."

"Go on, Elder Allen," she said, amused.

"Tell him this: I'm holding Elara hostage for voting against my command to bring vampires into the walls. The girl using earth manipulation today wasn't Elara—it was a vampire with a mimicry ability."

"So... you're removing Elara from suspicion," Amaterasu said with an unreadable grin.

"Just deliver it exactly like that."

"You know this will only fuel the fire," she murmured.

"I'm aware."

"Fine," she said with a wicked smile. "I'll deliver it. But I can't let you leave."

Allen stiffened. "Why?"

At that moment, the system rang in his mind:

> [System Alert]

[Potential Threat Detected: Amaterasu]

[Intimacy Status: Determined]

"The king is the strongest man I've ever known," Amaterasu said, her eyes darkening. "He's offering a throne beside him—and all it'll cost is your head. I don't care for the throne. But being that close to his having his co*k in me?"

She took a slow, deliberate step forward, her smile turning devilish.

"I crave much for that, Allen. You know how much I desire the co*k of strong men..." her voice dropped, thick with hunger. "Lets make this easy, be a gentleman—and let me take your head."