Chapter 892: Chapter 893: Second Time In History Someone was just about to call him a retard for running behind the grand duke and screaming "grandpa," but the grand duke actually agreed. And stood by him firmly. Damon wore a smug smile. He was safe here. Who dared touch him now? No one. An old noble with deeply wrinkled skin stepped forward, his expression calm and composed. "Your Excellency, if I may," he said politely. "Do you not think it is a bit unreasonable to claim this boy as your grandson over a mere elixir?" He bowed slightly, his aura subdued. "Please consider your reputation." Damon glanced up at the grand duke, then leaned close to his ear. "Grandpa, is this guy calling you a liar? He deserves to die." The grand duke’s eyes turned cold. A flash of light followed. Before the old noble could even react, both of his arms were gone. Just like that. He had not even been given the chance to resist. Damon smiled like a fox that had just realized the mountain tiger had mistaken it for one of its cubs. Except in this case, he really was one of its cubs. "Nepotism is only bad when I am not benefiting from it." Cassian frowned when Damon said that. ’He said the quiet part out loud.’ Damon took a deep breath. His sister was staring at him in confusion. She was the one person present who had no idea what was actually going on. Everyone reacted differently to what they had just witnessed, but at this point the grand duke was not even surprised that Damon had figured it out. As expected of his grandson. A soft sigh came from Aurelius Venn as he rose to his feet. "I had no idea the Golden Death had a son," he said, directing his words specifically at Cassian. Cassian sighed. He had simply been minding his own business, yet somehow they had found a way to drag him into trouble. "While you may see an uncanny resemblance, I assure you I am not his father." Damon placed a hand over his chest. "You are breaking my heart." Cassian sighed again. He really wanted this to be over so they could all just go home already. "Then how exactly is he related to you, Grand Duke?" Aurelius pressed, seeking confirmation of what he already suspected. "That is not important. This is a family matter, and outsiders should not involve themselves," the grand duke replied sharply. Someone else could explain things to the temple. It would not be him. Damon let out a quiet sigh of relief. He had been in real danger moments ago, so he had simply sprung the trap he had prepared for his grandfather. The truth was, Damon never planned on leaving this place without exposing their relationship. As for the fallout, that was the old man’s problem. Still, Damon had to press his advantage. He pointed at those present. "How dare you treat me this way? Have you forgotten that I was the one who defeated Amon? Was I not promised rewards? I distinctly remember the temple offering me the illustrious title of hero." He then glanced toward the emperor. "And the empire promised me an enormous sum of money and a noble title." The emperor’s expression did not change. He had not forgotten. If anything, he had simply been observing the entire time. "The empire has not forgotten its promise to you." Damon looked around, searching for anyone else who owed him something. His gaze landed on Seras Blade. "Do not think I forgot about you either." She chuckled. "You really are a cockroach. You certainly did not get that from your mother. I wonder if it came from your father’s side." The old man from the Ravenscroft family laughed softly. "Ah, I see. So this is Ranar’s son. You should have said something. What a small world. To think one of Xander’s friends would be the son of Ranar Brightwater." "Ranar Brightwater? Didn’t she die years ago?" "Yes, I even attended her funeral." "Then why would the grand duke lie?" Damon raised his hand. "Sorry to interrupt, but he and I are not friends. More like classmates who put up with each other." Clap. Clap. Clap. The sound echoed through the arena. Damon turned toward it. Paimon. She had been silent the entire time. After gathering the surviving demon heirs onto her dromedary, she stood atop the creature’s head. "Thank you. I never realized the goddess races had so much drama," she said lightly. "I was thoroughly entertained. Unfortunately, I do not have all day, and it is getting rather late. So if you do not mind, I have a small declaration to make." She cleared her throat as dark wings unfurled behind her back. "I know this is not customary, and there has only ever been one precedent in our history, but I am making a declaration. A declaration of war on all goddess races on behalf of the Demon Continent." Her voice rang out. "In the forgotten name of the Unknown God, I, Paimon, High Priestess of the Snake Temple, declare war on all of you." Her dromedary rose into the sky. A spatial rift opened, and Paimon vanished. Just like that, the world stood on the brink of war once more. In all past incidents, the goddess races had always been the ones to declare war. When they did, the demon races inevitably suppressed them and drove the conflict back to the goddess lands. There had only ever been one precedent where the demons declared war first. That was during the Era of Ashcroft, when the Demon Lord of Domination acted as Demon King and ordered all demons, who were treated as a minority at the time, to rise up. That was the era when demon supremacy began. Suddenly, every other problem seemed insignificant. The goddess races, once divided by countless differences, now stood closer than ever. It was a strange truth. Hatred united people faster than love ever could. "We must prepare for war. This is no time to hesitate," some nobles shouted. "There is going to be another war? The last one was only a few years ago." "Have the demons gone mad?" "We have not even fully recovered from the last one." "Is this the end? Has Ashcroft returned?" In an instant, Damon’s dramatic reveal no longer mattered. The demon race had declared war. Damon remained silent, staring in the direction Paimon had disappeared. His danger sense pulsed with distant intensity. He was certain of it now. Deathless was going to throw him somewhere truly dangerous. ’Damn it. I do not want to die.’ The curse embedded in his heart responded instinctively, forcing Damon’s reflexes to act in the sole interest of preserving his life.