The dragon's harem

Lunara stared at the other two demon lords, and asked with a growl. “What is inside, exactly. I want details.”

Shuten sighed, shifted back to her little girl form, and started gulping down from her gourd. “What is inside? A charred skeleton, Susanoo’s remains. They leak power all the time, and have turned one cavern into a violent storm.” She sighed, took a bigger gulp, and then glanced at the old lady beside Amaterasu.

“The people around the mountain always complain that they hear demonic cries and moans of agony at night, but for god’s sake, I swear it’s neither Ibaraki nor me. The wind is howling beneath the ground, and its sound echoes out of the creeks and wells, reaching the surface as a terrifying groan.”

Ibaraki waved her hand, “It sounds like a groaning ship, or a dragon snoring.” She then looked at Arad. “I know I was holding back, and even Shuten didn’t go all out…” She approached him and took a closer look. “Is this kid from your original one, or was the big, bulky old man?”

“Neither, I’m a dragon, a large, big, and black one.” He lifted his arms, and covered with obsidian black scales. “I can lift this mountain with gravity magic and throw it into orbit, so I was also holding back a lot.”

“A friendly advice from me, don’t fight him.” Lunara looked at them with a smile. “He clapped so many demon lords down that it’s not even funny. You two are strong, but nowhere near a threat to him.” She approached Shuten and patted her on the head. “So, don’t fight him if you don’t need to.”

Shuten glared at Lunara for a long while, then sighed. “Ibaraki, we leave the buff guy alone. I’ll trust Lunara’s words.” She then threw a glance at Arad. “Well, if Amaterasu brought anyone with her, then they are worth showing some respect for.”

“Is it that rare?” Arad asked, and Shuten shook her head. “Well, of course, that debaucherous only surrounds herself with women. I never saw her walk like this either.”

Arad threw a glance at Amaterasu, and she smiled. “She is right. I’m always only seen with women I take pleasure with, and I was never seen walking like this. Like how the sun only looks down on everyone, I am always floating above.”

She then pointed at Shuten, “However, that is beside the point. I let Shuten here to both protect the remains and make sure those remains themselves don’t harm anyone else. She is powerful, but in reality, I didn’t appoint her; I just allowed her to protect the remains.”

Shuten stared at Arad. “Technically, I have three parents. That eighth daughter who was supposed to be sacrificed to the serpent and who slept with Susanoo is my mother, Susanoo is my father, but… when the eight forked serpent ate my mother, I remained alive inside its corpse and was soon born as a demon.” She looked at Arad with a smile. “So, I’m protecting the remains of my parents. If you came to take them away, then sorry, but I won’t let you disturb their rest.”

Arad shifted his gaze toward Ibaraki. “And who is she? Your sister?”

“No, servant.” Shuten smiled, and Ibaraki sighed. “I once heard that a powerful demon was rampaging around and stealing all of the sake they found, so I came to check and met her. She beat the living hell out of me and made her little servant. Then I spent centuries working as her lackey.”

Amaterasu smiled in the back. “You won’t mention the other part?” And Shuten immediately growled at her. “Mind your own business!”

After taking a deep breath, Shuten pointed at Arad with her steel Kanabo. “Leave. Even if she says you can take it, I won’t let you touch the remains.” She then threw a glance at Lunara, “I’m asking nicely, so help me get him to leave.”

“Shuten!” Ibaraki rushed in, grabbed Shuten by the shoulder, and pulled her back. “Are you drunk?” She whispered. “Amaterasu, that arrogant goddess herself, brought him here, and he even got Lunara to act like that. I don’t think we can stop him; he might be more than we can handle.”

“It’s not about that.” Shuten growled back at her. “I’m not protecting the remains out of love or mourning. Those parents of mine already left a bit, stinky mark on the world, and I just don’t want them to cause another disaster after their death just because an arrogant dragon thought he could take their power.”

“I understand that as well, but do you really think Amaterasu would bring him here and risk the entire place getting destroyed? She is the one who suggested Susanoo leave the serpent alone in the first place to avoid disasters.” Ibaraki threw a glance at Arad, “And I don’t think she is charmed by him, she only likes women.”

Arad stared at them, then sighed. “You know we can hear you?”

“We’re speaking in the demon tongue! How can you understand us?!” Ibaraki pointed at him, and Lunara took a step in front of Arad. “You speak as if I don’t exist.” Lunara then threw a glance at Amaterasu in the back. “You two, speak up a bit, will you?”

Amaterasu giggled. “But she is right. Besides Overgod Cain, I’m only interested in women.”

“Not that part! Why did you bring Arad here?”

Amaterasu looked at the two demons, then threw a glance at Arad. “Well, to take that power, of course. I want him to give Susanoo’s power to my hero, Jack, but he should be able to keep everything else. Like you two.” She pointed at them, “Ah! I forgot to tell you, you’re going back to serve Kali, and she is his wife.”

As the two demons paled, Lunara sighed. “So that’s… Did Kali suggest this?”

“No, she doesn’t know.” Amaterasu smiled, puffing her chest. “But I raised her for a long while after her parents died and before Kayden took her in, so I’m like a mother to her. A secret that many don’t know, but to her, I’m like a wet nurse. I had to breastfeed her for several centuries after she was born and her mother died.”

Lunara stared at Amaterasu with a tired face. “You shouldn’t be revealing divine secrets to us… Do you know how much damage would happen if the people knew that their beloved and divine beauty of a sun goddess nurtured the Literal Demon Goddess of Destruction?”

“There is no one like that here.” Amaterasu pointed at the darkness. “We need to go and pick it up quickly. Arad here doesn’t have much time to waste.” She walked with the old lady until they passed by Shuten and Ibaraki. “So, after today, you’ll answer to Kali, not me. So, behave yourself.”

The two demons sighed and silently followed after Amaterasu and the old lady, prompting Arad and Lunara to do the same. It took them almost half an hour of walking to reach the bottom of the cave, and when they did, they were faced with an endless storm.

The entire massive cavern was filled with raging wind and flying debris; it was to the point that the old lady couldn’t see anything inside, and even Lunara struggled to see through due to the excessive divine magic infused into the wind.

Shuten looked at Arad, “See? Even I can’t walk through that without getting torn apart. Look at all of those talismans we’ve spread all over the place. Without them, this storm would get out and rip this entire land to pieces.”

Ibaraki approached the edge of the storm and tried to push a finger inside, only to have it torn and burned to ash. “All of Susanoo’s divine magic is raging in there, alongside the countless demonic essences of the beings he slayed, including the eight forked serpent.”

“If I, a demon lord, walked in there, my body would be torn apart and evaporated in the blink of an eye.” As Ibaraki looked back, Amaterasu nodded as she approached and easily extended an arm into the storm. “I’m fine, but this is enough to kill gods with ease as well.”

She pulled her arm and looked at Arad, “Susanoo was my younger brother, albeit he was far weaker than I; he was still one of the strongest gods. Talos replaced him, but that was merely a deceiver with a lot of trickery.”

Arad took a step forward, and Lunara backed away from him. “I get it.” He said as he walked closer to the edge of the storm, and then, without slowing down or hesitating, he walked right through, causing the entire mountain to shake.

Ibaraki and Shuten were blown backward as a blinding flash exploded from the storm’s edge, and even Lunara could barely maintain her footing. The only one who was fine was the old lady, who found safety beside Amaterasu.

“What is he doing?!” Shuten cried as she could see Arad slowly walking through the storm as the divine magic burned around his body like a welding arc, and the countless demonic horrors hiding there were all burned and torn apart.

Nothing stuck to his pale skin, and his hulking body slowly moved through the storm like a freight train.

“He isn’t getting erased by it even though he isn’t divine!” Ibaraki cried, then threw a sharp glare at Amaterasu. “Who is he?”