Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

Chapter 2000: Occupying the Rightful Throne

God Vulcan leaned slightly forward, his aura crackling faintly as he stared.

A wind goddess let out a small breath, the swirls around her slowing to stagnation.

A bunch of water deities frowned non-stop, their expressions hidden by Origin Force acting as their veils.

Some of them were shit-scared even though they didn't show it on their faces or through their divine aura.

After all, even though God Raashim was no major god, he was not a nobody. He had recently expanded his faith in many new worlds. And successfully at that.

Someone capable of killing Raashim was also capable of killing minor deities. Especially those who had gained their Immortality relatively recently.

Basically, all the elemental gods were tensed.

The murmur of silent thoughts thickened the air.

And just as the tension threatened to spark, Elder Goddess Mortessa stirred. Her eyelids lifted only a little more than before. But it was enough.

Her gaze was strange. Heavy-lidded, but sharp. Her voice cut through the mist with cold clarity.

"Friends," she said softly, "it's not what you think."

The murmurs stopped.

Mortessa didn't look at anyone in particular. Yet every Immortal who was doubting her suddenly felt as if she were speaking directly to them.

"Although it may seem like a newbie demigod planned this kill to target his enemies in a preemptive strike, he didn't."

Her lips curved slightly—not a smile, but a knowing tug.

"He killed him for his elemental faith. And his God Spark."

The atmosphere shifted again.

"He's not hunting because of grudges or politics," Mortessa continued.

"He's doing it because he has to. He wants to form his divinity faster, before we can do anything to him.

Because of the nature of his bloodline, he can assimilate with any elemental God Spark and take over any faith related to it. So that makes most of us his targets."

She raised a hand, the motion so slow and graceful that it seemed to ripple through the Origin Force around her.

"This naive and immature Young Demon Emperor is predictable in his actions if you think about it. As someone who carries the fallen God Aleph's inheritance, this path was already written for him."

Her words struck deep.

She now looked at those with elemental divinities. Her tone remained calm, but her words carried weight.

"Do you remember the Elder Ichor Prophecy?"

A stillness fell once more.

None of them responded. But all of them remembered.

The prophecy that spoke of a new ruler rising through chaos. A collector of broken thrones.

A slayer of gods bound to the elements. The one who would inherit the Eternal Ichor. The one who would bring dusk to the well-established gods.

The Young Demon Emperor.

Goddess Mortessa sat on her throne and smiled. A mysterious, quiet smile.

"This naive little Demon Emperor thinks he can do whatever he wants just because those puny demons support him," she said, her voice calm but sharp, slicing through the thick silence of the Celestial Court. "He's overly dependent on his Elder Ichor bloodline, thinking it gives him an edge."

She let the words settle.

"Indeed, he's killed an Immortal. That's not something we can brush aside. It may even be fear-inducing… to some of you."

Her gaze drifted, not landing on anyone in particular, but it felt personal to every Immortal present.

"But don't fret," she continued, her tone now filled with assurance.

"Before this, he kept a low profile. We've also learned something important—that divination doesn't work on him. His future isn't fixed. It's constantly changing.

In short, we didn't know how to target him in the past."

Some Immortals exchanged glances.

"But his mistake," Mortessa said, raising one hand slowly, "was acting too soon. Killing God Raashim was bold… and foolish. He's exposed his location. I've confirmed it—he's in Labh Salem. And with the Witches' Sabbath around the corner, it gives us a perfect chance."

She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in.

"It's too late to create new avatars," she admitted. "But we don't need them. We'll make use of our followers instead. Labh Salem's divine boundary limitation is strong, yes—but not infallible. Some clever tactics can still be used. With the right tricks, we can descend there."

At that moment, an unknown Immortal with an elemental God Spark leaned forward and asked, "And what will we do there during the Witches' Sabbath?"

Mortessa turned her head ever so slightly, her eyes lazily opening a bit more.

"We'll target him," she said with finality. "And we'll kill him in a special way so that the demonic hegemony is separated from the Elder Ichor throne."

Her tone carried no doubt. It wasn't a suggestion. It was a promise.

She looked toward the Immortals again, and though her tone remained calm, her words grew heavier.

"Make no mistake. Whether you stand with him or not… he won't hesitate to take your God Spark if it serves his purpose.

It's just like Echidna said—he doesn't care who you are. Friend or foe, if he can use your divine powers to expand his own broad divinity, he will."

Mortessa let out a slow breath, and for a moment, there was a strange tension in the air.

"This is why the prophecies warned us. The prophecies about the fallen God Aleph's true successor… the one who would kill gods bound to elements."

She sat straighter, her hands resting on the arms of her throne.

"Some of you wonder why I stand against him. You think I'm afraid. That I worry he'll come for me because I had a hand in God Aleph's fall."

She let the thought linger before nodding lightly.

"Well… that's not entirely untrue."

A few Immortals blinked in surprise.

"But that's not the only reason," she went on. "This new Demon Emperor is more dangerous than God Aleph ever was. His path leads to the fall of many Immortals. And the ruin of many worlds."

Her voice softened slightly.

"This is why I want to fracture his divinity. The Elder Ichor throne itself is too powerful. Even if we kill this successor, someone else could rise later and do the same in the future. He will soon be seen as a ticking tomb by many of you.

So we have to do something. We need to find a permanent fix."

She leaned forward.

"We must break the throne's hold. Separate it from its demonic roots. God Aleph wasn't born a demon emperor. He became one by splitting the demon realm into the seven Sin Series planes and binding them to his divine path."

She shook her head slowly.

"That's why this new Demon Emperor must first strengthen his elemental divinity before fully controlling his demonic powers. Until then, he's vulnerable. But he won't stop with just Raashim. He'll come for the rest of you too."

Mortessa let her words hang like a heavy curtain over the court.

"Especially you… the ones who carry elemental God Sparks. You think you can stay neutral?" she asked, her voice growing firmer.

"Think again."

She leaned back, her expression unreadable once more.

"Join me… and we'll make him pay."

And just like that, the court was filled with silence again—one far louder than words.

Just then…

A voice echoed through the Celestial Court, cutting through the divine murmurs like a blade through silk.

"You want to make me pay?"

The voice was mocking, smooth, and unmistakably confident.

In the next instant, a swirl of white Origin Force gathered near the Elder Ichor pantheon. The mist parted slightly, revealing a blurred silhouette. It was Eren's ethereal form, flickering like a phantom yet grounded by his sheer presence.

Though he wasn't fully materialized like the Immortals present, the pressure he brought with him was tangible.

After killing a god, he was surrounded by the aura of a godkiller, granted to him by the cause-and-effect fabric of the boundless cosmos. This was the kind of aura that could only be sensed by experienced Immortals who could vaguely feel the strings of the cause-and-effect fabric.

Eren chuckled as he stepped forward. "Kekeke. I haven't even started… and some of you are already croaking like scared frogs."

The Celestial Court fell into a strange silence. Immortals across all pantheons turned to look at him. Some narrowed their eyes. They were clearly not happy with the Young Demon Lord's provocative statements.

Of course, the reason Eren had decided to engage in trash talk was because it benefited him in terms of gathering Origin Force Points.

He found out that invoking feelings of anger in the hearts of Immortals was much more profitable for him than doing the same thing to his mortal enemies. It was 100 times more effective—especially inside the Celestial Court, where the Origin Force of the boundless cosmos had gathered.

Eren ignored their stares. His gaze locked briefly on the demonic circle of thrones, then turned slightly toward a divine seat not far from it—Goddess Mortessa's throne.

His expression shifted into a knowing smirk.

He remembered meeting her consciousness back in Anfang when she took possession of her avatar, Sienna Slughorn. So he could easily identify her by her aura, which was somewhat similar to Sienna's—only more powerful, deeper, and full of divinity.

However, Eren was different from his past self. He had been bullied by Goddess Mortessa at that time before she was kicked out by Anfang's World Will. But now, he had already touched upon divinity with his demigod status. He wasn't afraid of her anymore.

In fact, he had even dared to insult her to her face when he was weak and a nobody and was scared by her. So now, with his ridiculous growth backing him, he was even bolder with his gaze.

"Goddess Mortessa, right? I hope you received your avatar's memories—the one who was active in Anfang," Eren said and smiled wickedly. "Do you remember how I killed your avatar, right? And what did I do to her before she was killed?"

When Goddess Mortessa heard Eren's question, the air around her turned dangerously cold and frightening. She was angry and clutched her divine throne.

She didn't want anyone to know, but Eren was quicker and said further.

"If anyone wants to know, I made her avatar get railed for money by many people at once. They all fucked her and paid me money. Haah! It was wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed counting my money that day," he said and laughed.

The other Immortals were surprised and looked at Goddess Mortessa with complicated gazes. Even though it was not her directly but her avatar, who among the Immortals didn't have avatars of their own? Everyone knew that avatars' experiences couldn't be isolated from their creators'. If anything, as Immortals, the main soul felt and absorbed the experiences of its avatars even more deeply and vividly.

Does that mean that the Goddess Mortessa digested the experience of being fucked by an entire group. No wonder she wanted to target Eren and was dead set on eliminating him in the mortal realms.

However, Eren didn't care. He sighed, as if relishing his nostalgia as he said.

"Haah! Those were my days of struggle. I made huge profits that day. So I let her go. But can you imagine? She came back to bother me again so I killed her while she was being possessed by you," he said while looking around and pointing a finger at Mortessa.

Before Goddess Mortessa could speak or even begin to express her fury, Eren continued casually.

"Hey! Don't blame me for your actions. I only returned the favour—with a little extra interest."

He chuckled darkly.

"Anyway, where were we? Oh right! Making me pay, huh? For killing God Raashim? Or for giving you a jumpscare? Why can't you be honest for a change?"

He laughed again, the sound echoing like a ripple in the foggy skies of the Celestial Court. Then, without hurrying, he turned toward the wide, inky black stairs that led to the Elder Ichor pantheon's divine throne—his throne.

These stairs were special. No Immortal Demon, not even among the seven Demon Princes or the 72 Ars Goetia Immortal Demons, had ever climbed them. But Eren did it without hesitation.

As he climbed, he looked at Beelzebub and Echidna and gave them a small nod, calm and relaxed, as if he were greeting old friends. The two of them returned the gesture, saying nothing but watching closely.

Finally, he reached the top.

Eren stood in front of the Elder Ichor throne—a divine seat made from ancient matter, pulsing with sin, infernal power, and the raw force of the Origin. He placed his hand on the cold armrest.

At once, waves of dark emotions surged into him. Wrath, greed, pride, lust, and the other sins—too many emotions, too much weight for any ordinary soul to bear. His knees buckled slightly. His mind spun, and his vision blurred.

It was just like the last time. But this time, Eren didn't fall. His status had improved a lot. So even the divine throne was cooperative.

He gritted his teeth and steadied his soul essence. Slowly, he sat down. His body trembled for a moment before settling. He leaned back, resting his arms on the throne's sides, claiming it not just with his presence—but with his will.

Then he looked at the Immortals sitting in the demonic pantheon.

"Before I deal with anyone else," Eren said calmly, his voice slowly changing, "I guess I need to get my house in order."

His tone sharpened. Cold. Distant. Deeper than before. Almost ancient.

"Now… why don't you all show me if you're obedient enough," he said, eyes locked on every Immortal Demon below him. He raised his right hand slightly.

"Kneel."

The single word struck harder than any command. A wave of crushing pressure blasted out from the throne. The divine authority of the Elder Ichor seat was undeniable, pure, and final. It fell over the entire demonic pantheon.

All at once, the Immortal Demons dropped to their knees.

Even the proud Demon Princes couldn't resist. A few of them gritted their teeth and lowered their heads. The throne wouldn't let them stay standing. Not even Samael.

Samael's eyes burned with anger. His heart screamed in defiance. But he couldn't move. His lips wouldn't open. His body was frozen in a forced bow, silenced by the weight of the throne's command.

Eren sat on the Elder Ichor throne like he belonged there. And for the first time, the entire demonic pantheon bowed before their new ruler—whether they liked it or not.

Eren's blurred shadow smiled coldly as he looked at the entirety of his demonic pantheon, all forced to their knees before the overwhelming might of the Elder Ichor throne.

His voice echoed through the Celestial Court, louder now—carrying weight and divine authority.

"My Immortal Demons, it's time to choose your side."

He let those words linger, his gaze sweeping over the seven Demon Princes and the 72 Ars Goetia Demons.

"It's foolish for you to think why I killed Raashim. What you need to focus on is my ability to kill him. Don't let someone dictate your opinions by sounding smart. She will not come to your aid when it's your mushy Immortal ass on line.

Those who bow before this throne will be spared and allowed to retain their positions. Those who defy me—" his voice dropped lower, filled with the coldness of the abyss, "—will be replaced. This is not personal. This is business. I like cheerful employees who want to work in this organization of their own will."

He raised a hand slightly, and the pressure around one of the kneeling Immortals lessened.

"So yeah. You are subjected to potential replacement. Except for Billy," he said, glancing at Beelzebub.

The demon prince straightened and offered Eren a respectful bow, his sly grin flashing as always.

Eren continued, "I also have support from Furfur, Malthus, Raum, and Bifrons." At his words, the divine pressure on those four Ars Goetia Immortal Demons vanished as well. The Demon Earls promptly got up and bowed to Eren before looking around and smirking at other Ars Goetia Demons.

Eren could have also revealed the fact that Vapar, whose Demon Soul fragment was in Roza, also supported his claim to the throne. However, Vapar was a part of Samael's cohort. For the time being, he wanted to keep it that way.

As such, he maintained the pressure on Vapar as well so that Samael doesn't doubt her loyalties. Vapar also understood Eren's actions and decided to stay quiet.

"The rest of you," Eren said, now looking over the pantheon again, "don't have much time. Contact me somehow. Pledge your loyalty. Before the Witches' Sabbath."

His tone turned colder. "If you don't, I'll mark you for replacement. It may not happen today. Or tomorrow. But when it does… regret won't save you."

His gaze then settled on Samael.

"As for you," he said, void eyes gleaming with power, "It doesn't matter what you choose. You are going to get replaced before I take you for a wild ride. You just start counting your days."

Eren gripped the throne's handrest. The divine force around Samael multiplied tenfold, flattening the demon prince completely, his lips still sealed, unable to speak.

"You see, Samael, I have no patience for those who try to steal what's mine. And yeah…. If any of you think to follow in his footsteps, I promise… you'll understand what kind of Demon Emperor I truly am.

The fallen God Aleph was indeed Lord of the Elements but he didn't have the heart of being a Demon Emperor. But…. I do.

If you don't fear death and my retaliation now, I'll first impart you with those feelings first before taking your lives, butchering your Immortality.

Some Immortalfalls will be quick and decisive while the others would make you consider shedding your own Immortality as a logical choice.

You know I can do this, right? What kind of Demon Emperor am I if I can't?

God Raashim also had his pride. But look at him now."

Eren, as if remembering something, made a correction.

"Wait… you can't. Because he is gone. Like, super gone."

He then looked beyond the demonic pantheon, addressing the rest of the Celestial Court.

"As for those planning to 'take care of me' at the Witches' Sabbath—know this. Once you move against me, there's no going back. I don't just strike back at those who raise their hand against me—I strike at everything they stand for.

I will not only target you but your entire pantheon. I'll devour all that you have before making you die like a sick dog beaten to death in a heavy rain.

Of course, it's fine if you want to stay neutral. I don't bother you and you don't bother me. That's pretty much what it means. But fake neutrality will not be tolerated.

Don't worry. I am not being cocky in saying this. I already know I'm not strong enough yet. But I can always hide and survive.

I can always Run away and plan for my return. I don't have any shame or honor.

I am not restricted by my divine pride as I don't have any.

I am not compelled by any emotions. And you can't control me with your silly tricks.

As long as I run, you can't find me.

And as long as I live, I will eventually surpass you.

That's just the way things are and will be in the future."

"But," he added, softening his tone just slightly.

"For those who are willing to extend their hand in friendship, the Elder Ichor Pantheon will welcome you.

We will work for mutual growth and benefit. I don't betray those who stand with me. I may come across as a vile demigod in your eyes. But I indeed respect an alliance as long as it doesn't give me a reason not to."

Then, with one last glance at the crowd, Eren rose from the throne.

His form began to fade, swallowed by the swirling Origin Force.

"That's about it. I'll be waiting for your answers in Labh Salem," he said with a smirk, his voice lingering.

With that, the Young Demon Emperor vanished from the Celestial Court. Only his last words remained in the air like a distant echo, inviting everyone.

"Come soon."

===

AN: VEH hits 2000 chapters with this one.

Huge thanks to everyone reading — and an extra shoutout to the top fans. Thanks for being with Eren in his journey so far. I'm grateful. More chapters coming your way soon, so stay tuned! :)

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