CHAPTER 98: THE GOLIATH

"Then why did he not come to capture you by himself?" Neo questioned with a puzzled look.

Anna and Hanna fell silent on Neo’s question. If that man was truly the strongest, then why would he not come forward himself to capture Anieal or Damien? Why send the Acolytes or Priests against them?

It would be as easy as a child’s game for him, no?

Anna’s and Hanna’s expressions twisted in puzzlement; it made no sense to them after all.

Lavina, who was listening to all of their chat, thanks to her enhanced hearing, spoke with a shake of her head.

"That’s where you are wrong."

The trio looked at her with a frown, and Anna questioned.

"What do you mean, Miss Lavina?"

Lavina stopped in her tracks for a moment and spoke.

"The Demon Lord rules over all those who walk the path of the demons, which means they do what their heart desires, even if their desire is twisted, even if it’s madness. They will do it."

She turned towards the trio and asked in a heavy tone as if she was testing them.

"What do you think someone needs to rule above such beings?"

The trio blinked a few times as they thought about it...

The demons held no order; their very existence thrived on chaos - so how would one rule above them?

"You become their sanity?" Anna answered in a somewhat doubtful tone.

How can someone become sane of something that is insane? How would that even work? The Demon Lord may be the strongest, but can he really rule with strength alone?

Lavina looked at Anna and gave a slight nod as she commented.

"It’s neither right nor wrong. The Demon Lord is arrogant; he is madness born out of order after all... he makes them sane by taking all of their madness for himself, and that is what the Crimson Moon is."

"The Den of Demons, The Crimson Moon is nothing more than his own desire. His desire to be above all, to be immortal, and he does anything for that desire."

Neo looked at her with a deep frown as he questioned in a sarcastic tone.

"How does that answer my question?"

Lavin shook her head and answered.

"He desires to be above all, and you want him to move by himself just to capture a bunch of Seekers?"

She sneered at Neo as she turned and continued her steps.

The trio also didn’t say anything and followed after her in silence.

What Lavina had said did make sense; however, if Anna was right, there must be something else stopping that demon from moving himself. He didn’t only want to be above all, he also wanted to reach the mythical rank of transcendent, and Damien must be one of the keys to it.

The Night Seer did say that he could absorb the star code of others... so why would he not want to do it? Why would he not move by himself?

Anna looked at Lavina’s back as she questioned.

"When was the Demon Lord sighted last?"

Lavina heaved a sigh and shook her head as she answered. She wouldn’t have answered any of their questions if she didn’t know that Anna could see ’Him’.

"Sigthed? Not sure, however, he was last heard of after the Battle of Starfall."

Hanna stepped forward and asked curiously.

"What is the Battle of Starfall?"

Lavina’s expression darkened as she answered in a cold tone.

"The battle in which the Demon Lord killed the Goliath."

Her voice held a bit of anger and sadness when she said so.

"The Goliath?"

Lavina turned her head towards Hanna and questioned with a deep frown.

"You don’t know about The Goliath?"

Hanna shook her head and asked with a tilt of her head.

"Am I supposed to?"

"Of course, you are. The Goliath was the last sovereign of the Star Council. Dios Starborne - The Goliath."

She commented in a prideful tone, her voice held deep admiration, reverence even. She was so deep into it that she didn’t notice the sudden change of expressions within the trio.

Hanna worried about her friend, looked at her with the back of her eyes. Neo also looked at her, but he made sure not to give away anything from his expression.

Anna, however, was neither worried nor troubled by it... She was too young when her father, Dios Starborne, met his fateful end; because of that, she held no loving memory of him; most of his memories were blurry. Even if she wants to act like she cares, she couldn’t do so.

"I see," Anna said as she nodded her head and gave a reassuring smile to both Hanna and Neo.

She stepped forward and began walking beside Lavina as she questioned.

"Who do you think is stronger between the two of them?"

Lavina’s admiration-filled eyes dulled as she sharply turned to Anna and stated in a cold voice.

"That’s not something for us to decide."

Anna studied her expression for a few moments before nodding.

"I apologise for asking," she replied in a soft tone.

They continued their steps, and soon their eyes fell on an above-average mansion, which was not extraordinary in any sense... instead, all of the scenic beauty it held was because of the lake, which glowed with a dim blue. Small, white and violent flowers bloomed within the lake. The lake’s periphery was covered with small crystals and flowers, which radiated a slight glow of various colours.

Stepping forward, Anna looked at the lake and questioned.

"This lake... what is it?"

Hanna and Neo had similar questions about it, but they got no answers, and Lavina shrugged at them.

"Who knows? Some say it’s the blood of the Goddess of Night, and others say it’s the liquid moonlight."

"But, no one truly knows what it is."

Anna walked towards the moonlit lake and stepped into it; however, just as her step touched on the water, she felt resistance as if something was keeping her away from stepping in.

"A strange lake indeed."