Chapter 169: The Burden of the Crown and the Whispers of the Void
The heavy silence that followed Volt's display of power was thick enough to suffocate the flickering candlelight. Volt, the supreme Demon King, returned to his meal with a stoic grace that unnerved everyone except Vanessa. She placed a steadying hand on Sai's shoulder, noticing how his breath hitched in the aftermath of Sakuna's suppression. Vanessa's presence was the only thing that kept the room from collapsing under the sheer weight of Volt's aura.
Inside Sai's mind, Sakuna was a caged beast, snarling in the darkness. "I will not forget this humiliation, Volt!" the cursed spirit roared within the confines of Sai's psyche. "I will tear that finger from your hand and use it to unmake everything you love!" Sai, however, met the spirit with iron resolve. "You'll do nothing, Sakuna. You are a guest in this body and a witness to a power you cannot comprehend. Be silent, or I'll let Volt finish what he started."
Akuto watched his father with a mixture of pride and fear. He felt the Sakuna root within his own blood pulse with a dark energy, reacting to the original's rage. He turned to Anos, who sat beside him with the calm of a sleeping volcano. "Anos," Akuto whispered, "I used to think power was about how much you could destroy. But seeing your father... it's about how much you choose not to destroy." Anos nodded, his violet eyes reflecting the wisdom of the Demon King's lineage. "My father could delete the multiverse with a thought, Akuto. But he chooses to till the soil. That is the ultimate sovereignty."
Karin and Sasha moved quietly around the table, clearing the remnants of the feast. Sasha leaned in toward Karin, her voice barely audible. "Do you feel it? The way Anos and Akuto are connecting? They are becoming the shield this world needs." Karin smiled, her hand briefly brushing the hilt of the blade at her waist. "They are. But we are the ones who must ensure that shield never cracks."
Aki, ever the observant mother, looked at Volt with deep gratitude. "Volt, thank you for allowing this second season to begin with such peace. We owe you more than words can express." Volt offered a simple, subtle nod. He knew that outside the safety of the farmhouse, the shadows were already beginning to realign. The peace was but a temporary veil.
Little Alisa climbed onto Volt's lap, her innocent eyes searching his face. "Papa, are you really the Demon King they all talk about?" Volt smoothed her hair, his expression softening into that of a father. "I am just your father, Alisa. The rest is just a title people use when they are afraid."
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