My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

Paimon was a demon lord. However, when Damon envisioned Paimon, this was not what he imagined.

In his mind, Paimon was a huge demon with six eyes, long wings, a massive tail, two grotesque heads, and very furry.

However, reality was quite the contrast.

Paimon was actually just a humble-looking nun with bat-like wings.

Her hair was covered with a beige habit, but the strands that poured out were blue, like the color of the sky. Her eyes were like the sea, deep and endless. Her nun's outfit was dark with white trim, her sleeves longer than usual, giving her a flowing, ethereal appearance.

She wore a gentle and polite smile, giving off a soothing aura, almost welcoming, as if you could confide in her and trust that your sins would be forgiven.

This was Paimon, the Demon of Knowledge.

As for why she was given that name, Damon had read that Paimon was a learned sage who had glimpsed secrets or magic bestowed upon whoever inherited the title of Paimon by the Unknown God himself.

Or was the knowledge given to the original owner of the name?

But that wasn't important. What was important was Paimon's role as a ruler and a religious leader. After all, she was High Priestess of the Snake Temple.

"What do you want, Paimon...."

She turned to Kronos, her smile still polite, her body showing no hostility.

"Like I said earlier, I come in peace. We do have a peace treaty after all."

Grand Duke Brightwater scoffed, his hand resting firmly on his sword of light.

"A peace treaty? I wouldn't go that far. What we have is an armistice, at best."

Paimon giggled softly. Her expression was serene, almost like that of a gentle maiden rather than a terrifying demon lord.

"That is still an agreement, and as long as it stands, I am a guest here."

"A guest is someone who was invited, not someone who fails to respect boundaries," Emperor Kronos spoke, his tone sharp, representing everyone present.

"Hmmm, that is true. In that case, my apologies. I did not mean to be rude. However...."

Paimon looked around with a charming smile, her eyes gleaming with subtle amusement.

"You're all having such a grand ceremony amongst yourselves but didn't invite us in the Demon Continent. Thus why I showed up."

There was a deep silence. Everyone was on edge, sweat beading from the sheer pressure of not knowing what Paimon would want.

Paimon raised her hand gracefully.

"Don't be so tense. I would never resort to harming the young. However, I think it's unfair to leave us out."

She placed her hand on her chest, her smile gentle, as though her words were nothing more than reason and fairness.

"That is why I took it upon myself to right this wrong."

She pointed to her dromedary in the sky. On its back, several figures stood looking down. Each of these people was young and full of vitality, their auras resting at the third class.

Young demons.

Paimon had dropped the gauntlet.

"For years, you have held these war games, claiming whichever child of the goddess races won was the greatest prodigy in the world, but you failed to include the Demon Continent. We are also children of this world, created by the goddess. We have a right to compete."

Kronos scoffed, his eyes narrowing.

"Leave, Paimon. This is no place for you and yours."

Paimon smiled mischievously, clearly having expected such a response.

"I see. You goddess races are afraid. I can understand that. After all, demons are the superior species. To us, you might as well be weaker."

She placed her hand on her chin, feigning thought, before delivering the final insult.

"That's why you never win against us in a war, even when it is eight continents against one."

Her words sent outrage through every heart. In the warlike world of Aetherus, this was the greatest of insults.

Damon crossed his arms with a serious expression.

'Hmmm. I didn't realize demons were ragebaiters too....'

However, Paimon had already inflamed the young members of the goddess races. Each of their prodigies stepped forward, glaring at the young members of the demon race, eager to prove themselves.

Well, except Damon. Ragebaiting of this level would not work on him.

Though he wasn't the only exception. His friends also didn't really care about the demons. Though they didn't like them, perhaps you could say they had built up resistance to petty insults and taunts.

Kronos chuckled coldly, feeling irritated by her words.

"You scheme something, deceiver. What is it? Whatever it is, I don't care. Leave. You will never get a chance to act it out."

Paimon sighed softly, shaking her head.

"I promise, I mean no harm. If anything, I come as a harbinger... a harbinger of omens to come."

She walked forward slowly, making sure she was visible to all.

"I came here in the hopes of letting the young demon-kin test their mettle against yours."

Her expression grew faintly worried.

"After all, we both know what is to come."

Everyone frowned, clearly understanding her words.

Paimon raised her hands, her smile widening faintly.

"The Dominator walks amongst us once more...."

There was silence as Kronos' eyebrows twisted. He already knew this. In fact, all those in the upper echelon knew it. To put it plainly, this was an open secret.

Kronos didn't want to show unease as the crowd began murmuring fearfully.

"Ashcroft... he's not real. The Demon Lord of Domination from the legends... he was invincible."

"He's a myth. But what of the prophecy...."

"Does this mean there's going to be another war?"

Paimon seemed to enjoy their panic.

"We do not know where Ashcroft is, what he looks like, or how powerful he is. Or rather, how much of his power he has regained. But Lord Ashcroft has never been known to be low-key. After all, domination doesn't hide... he rules. Arrogant and unbridled, defiant and unbroken."

She smiled faintly, her words carrying a finality that chilled the room.

"No one can defeat him."

Paimon extended her arms, pointing at the youths of both sides her left to the demons, her right to the goddess races.

"Let the young ones show us their mettle. Would it not be a good opportunity to see who will rule and who will fall?"

She lifted her head, a smirk forming on her lips.

"Let us have a glimpse into the future."

"Our future."

Kronos narrowed his eyes.

"Except if you fear you would lose...."

Kronos was no fool. Something was off. He would not agree easily.

"We accept...." The voice came from his side, from the Temple representatives.

It was Father Dantalion. His expression was filled with righteous anger.

"The young of our goddess race fear no evil. In the name of the goddess Minerva, we shall win, filthy heretic!"

Paimon lifted her face to see him. Her smile flickered, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. No one knew her thoughts, only the mask of her expression.

Kronos gritted his teeth, cursing the Temple under his breath. He couldn't say no now. He had to risk it all.

After all, the Temple had invoked the name of the goddess. Those fanatics... they had dared to speak her actual name.

"Very well then. Let the goddess' doom decide who will be victorious."

Paimon smiled, her wings fluttering faintly as her voice lowered into a chilling prayer.

"Then I invoke the forgotten name of the Unknown God. May we visit death upon you."