Had Ain known that he would one day go to the Demon Realm to keep the peace, only to have humans ruin it, he might have stayed in bed. Or dead.

Silence settled onto the foyer, faint glimmers of light spraying onto the walls as a breeze rustled through the room and gently nudged the hanging lanterns. It wasn't so much about what was readily available to be seen, but about what wasn't. Ain could be considered an individual who always had a courteous countenance and a polite smile, no matter the situation. So when they saw the discrete disappearance of that smile, and the darkening color of Ain's eyes, everyone knew - as if it was universal knowledge - that they had stepped into a conversation where the outcome was likely cataclysmic if not navigated well.

The corners of his lips turning upwards and his generally cold expression twisting nervously, Ain asked the question: "The Humans are invading?"

"Yes, Lord Ain," the Realmbreaker replied immediately, however, his voice was half an octave higher, and several decibels lower than before.

Ain licked his lips and blinked. A pause. "Invaded where?" he asked.

The Realmbreaker's nostrils flared, a flash of anger flitting up through his expression, culminating in the furrowing of his brows. He cleared his throat. "Here, Lord Ain."

Ain chuckled. "The Demon Realm, you mean?"

"Yes." The Realmbreaker rolled his eyes - he couldn't help it anymore. "The Humans have invaded the Demon Realm. They are here. They are about to lay siege to Gramr'ial."

"That is why we need the Teleport--" the Ravener from earlier spoke but was interrupted by Ain lifting his index finger in the air.

The other demons looked at the Ravener and were silently cursing him for pushing the matter further. Could the Ravener not read the situation at all or was he just hoping to die today? In particular, a a snowy-blue haired demon in a white dress had the shape of a sword appear in her blood-red eyes - one sword in each eye. Catching a glimpse of her, Ain recognized her instantly - or at least, her heritage: The Maiden of the Blood Sword - a legendary hero of the Spirit Realm. But what is she, or her offspring doing here?

Then again, what was Ain doing here? The humans invaded the demons! That was ridiculous. He could not even begin to comprehend the reason why the humans would do that? What was the goal? Was there earlier provocation? What was the means of even waging war across Realms?

"I do not understand," Ain whispered, his gaze fixing to the tile-covered floor, seeking an answer to his burning questions in the lines of the mosaic the tiles produced, hoping for divine inspiration or whatever else may offer insight. Perhaps if he beat up a Domain in the Planes and extorted it for answers -- that was not even a bad idea. Generally, the oneiric-minded Idols of the chaotic nightmare planes had tremendous ability in psychic divination.

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"What is there not to understand, Lord Ain?" Latela, who was present, stepped through the crowd of gathered demons. "We are under attack. You are a Lord in the Demon Courts - it is your duty to defend the Realm."

Several demons nodded in agreement with Latela. Of course, they all wanted to defuse the situation, but in the Demon Realm, cold logic such as this was the way to obtain that desired outcome. However, Ain was not a demon. He, also, was a creature of logic, but more than that, he was also an emotional being.

The faux-smile faded from Ain's lips.

"If you do not wish to give access of your Teleportation Chamber - that is acceptable; it is your private property and no one can take it away. However, your person is not your own property - a part of it belongs to the Realm at large - this comes in the form of your duty towards the Realm," Latela coldly explained.

"I can't," Ain said flatly. "Not against them."

Latela lofted an eyebrow quizzically. "You can't?" she asked, advancing on Ain. "You were the one who said that if our Fate was to fight each other, then both our races would be destroyed. You also said you no longer abide by Fate and that you intend to take matters into your own hands."

Ain's eyes became thin slits as he narrowed them. He saw what was coming and glimpsed his first defeat in the Demon Realm on the horizon - albeit, in rhetoric.

"If you do not want that Great War to repe--"

Ain held his hand up towards Latela to cut her off. "Fine," he said. "This is what I will do: I will go to the Humans--"

A collective gasp rose from the gathered demons. Ain - a monster in the Demon Realm - going back to his own kind was obviously going to rise tremendous suspicion.

"--And I will meet their leader and inquire about their motives. If I find them to be foolish, I will deal with them myself."

Latela nodded. "That is acceptable."

"Latela," Ain said, looking at her and then his deadly gaze swept over the Ravener and Realmbreaker with equal venom. "Pray to your Maker if they have a good reason for being here. And if you do not have a Maker, then either disappear from this world, or kill yourself. Because if you fall into my hands..." Ain let the silence finish his sentence, but his warning - no, his threat - was received with determined and, in a way, righteous expressions. It was their demeanor that almost convinced Ain that they were not at fault and Ain had to remind himself that he was dealing with demons. He could not trust them. Not even one bit.

He trusted a demon once. Never again.

"You are all dismissed," Ain said, his tone more imperious than it ever was before. The demons did not even want to question his authority - in fact, they all just wanted to leave. The air was still thick with that invisible miasma of portent; the sweet promise of death was clinging on their bones at this point.

"Except you, Maiden," Ain said, looking at the snowy-blue haired girl.

The girl in question smiled at Ain as she glanced towards him, politely inclining her head. "Lord Ain, perhaps some other time," she said, tone warm and surprisingly kind. She hurried after the other demons that cleared out Ain's foyer.

Politeness and kindness was a clever weapon. Rarely anyone would press an issue against such a warm reply. Ain was no exception. He nodded grimly and headed up the stairs towards his room.