The Eminence of a True Monarch of the Shadows

[Third Person's PoV] 

Cid and the others continued their conversation for some time, to the point that it lulled the babies around him to sleep. They all rested peacefully, their expressions serene. Celeste, hugging Cid's arm with one hand and sucking her thumb with the other, was no different. The twins leaned against Cid's waist, also sleeping soundly. The women watched them with endearing expressions, continuing their discussion in low, soft voices to avoid disturbing the children.

Suddenly, Cid's head turned to the side, his face contorting in confusion, which the others noticed. The monarchs in the room exchanged puzzled glances.

"Who…" Claire began, but Cid held up a hand, signaling her to wait. His shadow stirred, and from it emerged three figures: Beru, Igris, and Bellion.

"Put them to bed," he ordered.

The three nodded, carefully prying the children away from Cid's body. Though the children stirred and groaned, they soon disappeared into the shadows.

"What's going on?" Alexia asked, a sense of unease creeping into her voice.

"We have a visitor," Cid replied, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Who is it?" Aurora asked, scanning the area. "I don't detect anyone."

Cid didn't answer immediately, his gaze fixed on the door. A moment later, the door opened, revealing Akane standing in the doorway. Everyone looked confused.

"Akane?" Aurora called out, noticing Akane's golden hair and eyes. For a moment, she thought Akane had gone berserk, but she quickly realized that wasn't the case.

"That's not Akane," Cid said, stunning them all.

"And you would be correct, Ashborn," 'Akane' retorted, her tone and demeanor noticeably different from the usual. The air around her felt distinct, unfamiliar.

"Zeraphiel," Cid addressed her. "Have you come to join me now that we're at war with the other monarchs?"

"I'm afraid not, Ashborn," she replied softly.

"I'm sorry, but what is going on!?" Alexia asked, clearly confused.

"I share Alexia's sentiment," Rose added, her eyes narrowing suspiciously at 'Akane.' "Who are you?"

"As Ashborn just referred to me, I am Zeraphiel, the Ruler of Light," she introduced herself. Angelic wings unfurled from Akane's back, taking them all by surprise.

"So, she's a ruler…" Claire muttered, her suspicion growing.

"If you aren't here to join me, may I ask why you are here?" Cid asked, raising an eyebrow.

"To warn you," she said, her tone tinged with apprehension.

"I'm already aware of the other monarchs preparing to go to war against me, but I appreciate the heads-up," Cid responded with amusement.

Zeraphiel let out a heavy sigh. "No, Ashborn, you don't understand. This isn't a warning about the Monarchs; it's from us, the Rulers."

Cid sighed, closing his eyes briefly. "I understood why you were here the moment you arrived. However, it seems you fail to grasp the opportunities I've laid before you."

Zeraphiel's eyes widened slightly before she relaxed. "Why do you have to be so difficult, Ashborn?"

Noticing the confusion on everyone's face, Cid motioned with one hand. "Just go, make your request. Let's make this official so that when you go back, you can tell the others that you at least tried."

Zeraphiel's eyes twitched. "You have become a bit arrogant, have you not, Ashborn?" She shook her head. "Very well... Ashborn, stop having any more children, and just so we're clear, this isn't a request."

"WHAT?!?" they all exclaimed, hearing the absurdity of her statement.

The look of displeasure on Claire's face grew as she snarled, "Who do you think you are to intrude into our place and make such demands?"

Zeraphiel looked at Claire coldly. "You're all young, unaware of the ways of the universe. Ashborn knows what he's doing is wrong, which is why he knew of my request before I even said it."

They all looked at Cid in confusion. Cid just scoffed at Zeraphiel. "I knew what you were going to say, not because I know it's wrong, but because I know how you all would act. You're just a bunch of cowards, which makes you all predictable."

Zeraphiel's gaze grew colder. Already knowing what the others were going to say next, Cid continued, "You're all scared—scared of more monarchs popping up. The so-called 'Darkness can never overpower the light; otherwise, it would plunge the whole universe into darkness,' or some bullshit along those lines. Right?"

Cid sneered disdainfully. "I'm sure you understand how unreasonable your request is and why I'm going to decline."

Zeraphiel looked irritated. "The issue isn't just you having children. Although you have 'defeated' some of the monarchs, the number of them remains the same as you're merely passing along their powers to your wives. In fact, the number has increased by one, and your two others are soon to awaken, increasing the number again. Aren't you already happy enough with three children? For what reason could you possibly need more?!?" she asked in exasperation.

Cid's expression grew cold, his voice sending a shiver down everyone's spine. "What I do or what I want isn't any of your concern. If I wanted to have a thousand more children, it should be of no concern to you. This is merely a war we've all been fighting for millions of years. You want it to end, yes, but you want to be called and labeled the winner."

Zeraphiel narrowed her eyes at Cid. As she opened her mouth to speak, Cid interrupted.

"I will not be discussing this any further, Zeraphiel. My stance is final. However, I'm not an unreasonable person. I'll make one final proposition to you." Cid raised a single finger. "Let me finish my war with the Monarchs, putting an end to the million-year war you all crave. When it's over, I'll swear to you that I won't bother with any of you and will just continue living my life in peace. In this scenario, we all win. Isn't that what you want?"

As Zeraphiel sighed and was about to shake her head, Cid's cold voice cut through again.

"You would be wise to take this final chance I'm offering you. I won't be making it again." Cid's half-lidded eyes glowed ominously purple.

"You really are a stubborn person, Ashborn…" Zeraphiel said, shaking her head. Her eyes also grew half-lidded, glowing molten gold. "You leave us no choice. Consider yourselves warned, Ashborn. Although this was a last resort, we will be joining the other Monarchs in their battle against you."

An explosion of mana spread through the room as the girls took their seats. Their faces were shadowed, only their glowing hateful eyes visible, expressing their intensity.

However, Zeraphiel paid them no mind. Akane's eyes rolled to the back of her head as her hair returned to its black color. Zeraphiel stopped possessing her, and she was about to collapse when Cid motioned with a finger, using Ruler's Authority to stop her.

A heavy silence filled the room, broken only by the squeaking of Cid's chair as he stood up. He beckoned Akane into his arms and began walking away. "This meeting is adjourned until further notice," he said in a cold, emotionless voice, his eyes still half-lidded and glowing an ominous purple.

"What are you planning to do…?" Beta asked softly.

Cid didn't turn around as he continued walking. "I'm giving them what they want. They want to end this war? Fine. It's going to end... but it's going to start with their graves. They won't be alive to see it end"