God Ash: Remnants of the fallen.

The essence of discourse is difference.

The nature of everything that had life was to devolve into difference and complexity. In this case, there were also several factors at play.

For one, Cain knew there was some differences between the {Willow Direwolves} and the {Blood-Curse Bats}. One that definitely couldn't be resolved easily.

He was however, a bit surprised to realize that the bad blood also extended to him and the rest of the humans. The reason for this, was still a bit unclear, but he got the idea...

Staring down at the rather cute Night Empress, a series of thought drifted through his mind quickly.

Suddenly, he smiled.

Ambrosia frowned, clearly taken aback by this.

Cain bent down and spoke calmly,

"I know you might be a bit upset, but just hear me out for a moment."

He eeached out his hand to pat her head.

"Insolent!" Shadow rushed down from the throne with a flap of his wings.

However, he was to late.

Cain gently placed his hand on the head of the Night Empress and ruffled the silky black hair.

Whatever negative emotions he had seemed to have faded away.

Ambrosia stared at him blankly for a moment.

Then her face turned red and twisted with rage,

"Why you—!"

Her hands swatted at Cain's, but try as she may, she simply didn't possess the physical might necessar to stop him.

Cain's eyes flashed with an incomprehensible light as he felt something awaken within him.

Sensing this change, the Night Empress let out an embarrassing shriek as she tried to escape whilst yelling,

"Shadow, save me!"

A heavy deluge of blood attribute mana surged forth.

Cain gave Steve a glance, and the wicked mage chuckled.

He snapped his head towards the charging Mutant Creature and waved a hand,

"Please, do not interfere."

The wave of blood energy crashed into a translucent barrier before ebbing away.

Shadow slammed into the barrier next, his claws scratching away at it.

Meanwhile, Cain caught the Night Empress before she could fly away.

Now that she was in his arms, Cain could help but notice how frail she actually was.

Despite that, he could sense that her reserves of mana were immeasurably, nearly bottomless even.

That means her magic power would be equally as impressive.

She was a small, dangerous, ticking time bomb.

He had to be very careful from this point forward.

But he had already established that the Empress was not infallible. She was just to explode despite him treating her this way.

"U-unhand me, you brute!" The stammered away.

Cain shook his head, the same calm smile on his face,

"No, not until you've heard what I have to say at the very least."

She snarled,

"I will never listen to you! You are lucky I haven't called on my children to—"

Cain strengthened his grip,

"Are you sure your children will be able to respond quick enough?"

The Night Empress' eyes narrowed,

"That sounded like a threat, Human."

Cain released his grip and hummed,

"It's more of encouragement than anything else. So? What do you say?"

Ambrosia was silent for a moment.

Eventually, she let out a sigh,

"Shadow. Stand down. I'm fine now."

Shadow struck the invincible barrier one more time, forcing it to shatter like glass before dashing at Cain.

Steve was a bit surprised by this and hurriedly tried raising another barrier, but the {Blood-Curse Bat} had turned into a literal shadow and was not behind Cain.

Its firm had twisted into something truly terrifying.

Its claws and fangs had elongated, and a layer of crimson energy surrounding it.

"Enough!"

Just when Cain thought he would have to act, the Night Empress raised her voice.

Shadow froze midair as though frozen in place by some mystical unseen hand.

Cain raised a brow and turned to the little Empress.

She turned and glared up at him,

"Don't take this the wrong way. I still hate you. But I am willing to hear what you have to say. At the very least."

She turned around and flapped her wings, landing on her throne,

"And you have only one chance to impress me."

Cain chuckled.

From what he could tell, this Little Empress was just as powerful as Roc, the {Willow Direwolf Lord}.

Anathe was more powerful than the both of them, of course.

He figured one of the reasons the Little Empress had backed down and given him a bit of leg room, was because she had recognized that he was much stronger that she was.

If he wanted to, she would die before any of the reinforcements could get here.

Still, with that said, he could tell she also had a few tricks up her sleeve. Which meant he didn't have the upper hand yet.

In the first place, his goal was not to come in here and start up a ruckus by going on a killing spree.

Instead, his plan revolved on bringing the inhabitants to heel and under his banner not by force, but through reason and negotiations.

And he felt like he had a lot of material to work with.

Assuming her arrogant position on her throne once again, Ambrosia waved her hand.

Cain tensed when he felt the ground beneath him rumbled.

Then it cracked and a spire shot up with him on it.

'Earth elemental magic?'

Very soon, he was seated on a stone chair at the same level with the Night Empress.

'I guess this is a show of her recognition?'

Ambrosia cleared her throat and spoke seriously,

"Human, you have gone here to intercede on behalf of the dogs, no?"

Cain paused for a moment then shook his head,

"No. My goals run deeper than that."

He took some time to choose his words,

"You could say my ultimate goal is to fully utilize every creature and resource on this island."

Ambrosia's eyes narrowed,

"Then you are no different from the bug queen, no?"

Cain shook his head,

"No. I do not have any gods motivating me. I am not a paragon of piousness after all."

A strange smile crept onto the face of the Little Empress,

"I see. So you are a bit more my speed then. I just so happen to have a disdain for the Celestials as well."