After his battle and eventual victory over the heroes, Zyel deactivated his [Battle Instincts] ability, and his body finally gave out.
That ability had pushed his physical attributes far beyond their natural limits, forcing him to fight opponents much stronger than himself.
In the end, his body could no longer endure the strain.
The exhaustion and overwhelming pain dragged him into a deep, unconscious sleep.
And he did not wake for three days.
Now, the moment he opened his eyes, he found himself on the verge of another battle.
A very different kind of battle.
This one was for approval.
Amelia and Aria's mother, one of the strongest high demons, was waiting for him.
From everything his wives had told him, Zyel already understood what kind of person she was.
A powerful, proud, and noble demon with an unyielding personality.
Someone who would never accept a reincarnated lesser demon like him as her son-in-law.
In fact, she might even try to kill him.
Even if it meant harming her own daughters.
Because their souls were now bound to his through the soul marriage ritual.
At the same time, that very bond was also their only safeguard. Killing Zyel would mean damaging her daughters' souls as well.
Amelia and Aria could only hope that would make their mother hesitate, that it would force her to listen.
Amelia looked at her husband, her worry clear in her eyes.
Zyel, however, remained completely indifferent.
Too calm.
Far too calm for her comfort.
It was as if everything was already under his control.
As if he felt no fear, not even the slightest concern, about facing their mother.
They followed the maid, Mira, the woman with crimson hair and the personal attendant of Alisha Astaroth.
Her long ponytail swayed behind her as she walked, her steps measured and deliberate.
There was a certain rhythm to the way she moved, one that was impossible to miss.
Positioned just ahead of Zyel, she made no attempt to hide the way she carried herself.
If anything, she emphasized it.
Every step, every shift of her posture, every subtle motion felt intentional.
She was doing it on purpose.
She was trying to seduce him.
And she was not even bothering to hide it.
Even Zyel could tell, and in response, he simply let out a quiet sigh.
'Looks like she has completely fallen for my charm...'
The way she glanced back at him, the faint smirks, the playful expressions, and the lingering looks all made her intentions obvious.
Amelia and Aria noticed it too.
But they did nothing.
More accurately, they could do nothing.
Mira was far stronger than them.
She also held the position of an older sister figure within the household.
And technically, she had not crossed any clear boundaries.
It was all subtle.
Just gestures, expressions, and teasing hints.
Besides, it was not even working.
Zyel remained as stoic and composed as ever.
Though his gaze would occasionally shift, instinctively drawn to her movements, he showed no real reaction beyond that. It was nothing more than a natural response.
The simple, unavoidable awareness of a man noticing an attractive, mature woman who happened to align with his preferences standing so close to him.
Nothing more.
After a few minutes of walking, Mira led them into the palace backyard.
It stretched farther than the eye could see.
Above them, the sky of the underworld shimmered in a deep, dark blue.
Three moons hung in silence.
The central moon was the largest, radiating a vivid blue glow, while two smaller white moons rested beneath it.
Together, they cast a cold, ethereal light across the land, bathing the entire underworld in a blue hue unlike the pitch-black nights of the human world.
In this realm, a full day lasted twenty-six hours.
Only three hours were considered daytime.
The remaining twenty-three hours belonged to the night.
And now, they were still deep within that night.
Seven more hours remained before daylight would reach the Astaroth palace.
The backyard itself was vast and meticulously arranged, filled with strange yet beautiful vegetation.
Trees, herbs, and plants with leaves of purple, crimson, grey, and even black spread across the grounds in careful patterns.
Fountains stood among them, adorned with carvings of gargoyles and other demonic beasts, each statue distinct and intricately detailed.
At the center of it all stood a woman.
Her pale fingers delicately held the stem of a transparent glass, filled with a deep red liquid.
Her hair was a rich shade of dark purple, long and slightly untamed, cascading down her back in soft natural curls that only enhanced her allure.
Her skin was pale, smooth, and flawless.
Her eyes glowed a faint red in the dim light.
She stood alone beneath the cold glow of the moons, her tall figure wrapped in an aura of quiet authority.
Even in the dimness, Zyel could see her clearly.
Her presence was captivating.
There was a natural elegance in the way she carried herself.
Her figure was impossible to ignore.
Though hidden beneath a thick, dark robe, her curves still showed through in subtle ways, the fabric concealing and yet somehow accentuating her form.
Every small movement she made seemed deliberate.
Every motion drew attention.
'Damn... what a woman.'
Zyel exhaled slowly, steadying himself.
For a brief moment, even he needed to regain control.
Her presence alone was overwhelming.
Her attention shifted from the nearby fountain the moment she sensed familiar presences approaching.
Her personal maid, her two beloved daughters, and… another presence.
A young man.
Her eyebrow lifted slightly.
It was not that his presence radiated overwhelming power.
Rather, it carried something strange.
Something beyond demonic.
Something unfamiliar that even she, Alisha Astaroth, could not quite place.
Her expression shifted to one of mild surprise, then narrowed as she observed her daughters.
Aria and Amelia were clinging tightly to his arms, as if they were trying to merge themselves into him.
"Heh… so you finally woke up, my son-in-law. Are you enjoying having both of my beloved daughters all to yourself?"
Her deep, mature voice flowed from her luscious red lips.
The moment those words reached Zyel's ears, his entire body went numb.
Fear.
A kind of fear he had never experienced before.
It was not ordinary fear.
It was something primal, something overwhelming.
The kind of fear that grips you when you know a painful death is approaching, yet you are completely powerless to stop it.
His instincts screamed at him.
Run. Run. Run.
But he could not move.
Not even an inch.
His entire body was paralyzed as cold sweat formed on his forehead and slowly slid down his face.
'This woman… how powerful is she…?'
'How can she make me feel like this with just a single sentence…?'
'She is a monster.'
Zyel swallowed hard.
His fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his skin.
It felt as if he were nothing more than a newborn, standing before an apex predator at the very top of the food chain.
Then something stirred within him.
Frustration.
Disappointment.
And jealousy.
Frustration that his own mother-in-law could crush him with nothing but her words and presence.
Disappointment in himself, in how utterly and shamefully weak he was.
Jealousy, born from that weakness.
Here, he was the one who needed protection.
The helpless one.
The insignificant one.
He envied her power.
That suffocating pressure.
That overwhelming presence that made him feel like he would rather die than endure it.
He wanted that power.
He wanted to become someone who could make others feel the same.
Unknowingly, Zyel began to resist.
The invisible pressure that bound him trembled slightly.
A flicker of surprise appeared on the monstrous woman's face.
His teeth sank into his lip, drawing warm blood.
Pain shot through his nerves, and his frozen body began to move, slowly, inch by inch, against the crushing force.
"Hehe… look at that. You are pushing through it with sheer willpower… fine, I will go easy on you."
She let out a soft, amused laugh.
In the very next moment, the suffocating killing intent vanished as if it had never existed.
Zyel felt as though hundreds of pounds had been lifted off his back.
Air rushed back into his lungs.
His entire body trembled, covered in goosebumps. His legs threatened to give out beneath him, but he forced himself to remain standing.
He refused to show weakness.
Not in front of his wives.
Not in front of her.
"What the hell, Mother?" Amelia shot her a sharp glare as she rushed forward, grabbing her husband's arm as if to help him stand.
"I can stand on my own, Amelia."
Zyel pulled his arm away.
Amelia was taken aback. Her calm and composed husband was acting differently, slightly aggressive.
But when she saw the frustration on his face and felt the anger through their soul connection, she fell silent.
"Oh, relax. I was just greeting 'my' son-in-law."
Alisha said lightly, as if nothing had happened.
...
[Author's Note]
If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider adding my novel to your library and supporting it with Power Stones. It really helps! No pressure at all though. Arigato!