Location: < A pit cell within 'Uggrock's Den' > - One of many caverns found throughout the upper stratums of the netherworld.

POV.: Nameless silver-haired demon larva.

For a few moments, I simply stayed sitting there looking as the first demon larva to fall into the pit got up and unconsciously went to push its dark purple hair out of its face with a claw before still unconsciously stopping since both of its claws seemed to be full.

Noticing that another demon larva was about to come falling on top of it the demon larva with purple hair quickly moved out of the way.

A little too quickly it seemed, as the demon larva with dark purple hair like amethyst soon tripped over the dead demon larva body that I had left lying where I had killed it in the middle of the room. The momentum from tripping while running sent it skidding across the stone ground of the pit stopping right in front of me.

Silently I congratulated myself for rolling up the two scrolls and hiding the succubus' one before I started practicing their technique just in case something happened. Having already had all their information loaded into my brain I didn't need to worry about losing them.

So before I had seriously tried practicing the technique I had discarded the dead demon larva's scroll and cut a cubby hole into the wall with my unusually sharp claws and then after placing the succubus' scroll in it I had roughly hid the scroll and cubby hole with another piece of stone I had cut out. It wasn't perfect but it would have to do in this dark pit.

So after congratulating myself for my foresight, I look at the demon larva with amethyst colored hair. Trying my best to combine my experience with Uggrock and the knowledge I had gleaned from the technique Scrolls I tried to project a domineering aura.

While I was unsure whether or not I succeeded, the demon larva with amethyst-coloured hair stared at me for a few seconds longer than normal with an expression I couldn't quite identify.

However, it mattered not since not long after demon larva stopped falling into the pit. Swiftly I analyzed the situation.

Including me, there were a total of nine larvae in the pit currently, and it seemed like I was at a disadvantage since they seemed to know each other. They were probably spawn mates captured at the same time.

I guessed this since after falling, the larvae seemed to group up into two small groups of two or three leaving me, the demon larva with amethyst-cloured hair and one rabid-looking demon larva on our own along with one other demon larva.

Drawing on my recent encounters with adult demons and my own instincts I quickly formed a plan in my mind. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the rabid-looking demon larva with murder in its eyes quietly approach the fourth solitary demon larva.

It was time to see if these demon larvae would act like I thought they would.

Still trying my best to maintain a domineering aura I stood up, just when, as I had predicted, the rabid demon larva leaped on the fourth solitary demon larva dealing a fatal blow to its neck.

Suprise at being attacked despite Uggrock's domination which should have prevented it still etched on its face the demon larva fell to the ground with a thud.

Silently rejoicing in my heart that I had been correct in my first prediction I swiftly walked past the amethyst-haired demon larva as it shakily stood up. As I had thought the rabid-looking demon larva had the same look as the demon larva I had killed earlier.

Perhaps I thought to myself it was less that they were too dumb to understand the instructions but more that they acted completely on instinct which Uggrock's domination skill didn't seem to affect.

Seconds later I finished my trek towards the rabid-looking demon larva as it was stooping down to cut the dead demon Lover's core from its chest.

Having already decided to make an example out of this larvae I spoke in a loud commanding tone, "Stop!" Then as the rabid-looking demon larva stopped what it was doing to look at me with annoyance and anger clearly painted across its face I continued, "By killing without permission you have disobeyed the rules and for that, you will die at my claws."

For a few seconds, nothing happened as my voice seemed to echo through the surrounding cave.

Deciding to showcase my strength I waited until the rabid-looking demon larva had stood up and was moments away from attacking me. Then right as it lunged forward to attack me I impaled it through the chest with my tail, which like my claws I had noticed was not only unusually sharp but also stronger than those of the other demon larva.

For a few silent seconds, the rabid demon larva's momentum carried it farther forward impaling itself even more on my tail. Then as the larva coughed blood I pulled my tail out of it. The first and only thing to break the silence was the third of its dying body on the stone ground.

Building the suspense in the cave I waited a few more seconds as the demon larva coughed blood a few more times before breathing its last.

Then turning to the rest of the demon larva I said still, "Follow the rules, and do as I say or else you will be next."

As a few of them began to slightly tremble in fear of me, subtly smiled at having hopefully linked following the rules and doing as I said in their minds.

Then I pointed my tail, which was still dripping blood, at the nearest demon larva I said, "You there," I paused as the demon larva silently pointed a claw at itself, "Yes you! Collect their cores for me, and you'd better not damage or steel one, understood?"

The demon larva fearfully nodded its head before walking over to the two fresh demon corpses.

As the demon larva with trembling claws dug out the cores of the two dead demon larvae I once more analyzed the situation.

Out of the nine demon larvae (ten if you included the corpse of my first kill in this pit) that had been in the cave mere minutes ago, there now remained only seven including myself. And of these seven only myself and Amethyst—as that is what I decided to start calling the demon larva with amethyst-coloured hair—were on our own.

Speaking of Amethyst, it was now approaching me with hesitation, mixing with a hint of something else, perhaps respect, on its face.

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As Amethyst reached me it seemed to quiver for a second before hesitantly reaching out one of its claws as if offering something to me. To my surprise, Amethyst seemed to be offering me a demon larva's core.

Taking the core from Amethyst's claws, I inspected it, not only with my normal vision but also with my aether sight. The core was in good condition, if a bit old.

Somehow knowing that despite what my demonic instincts told me, rewards should go hand in hand with threats when it came to controlling others, I stretched out my hand and affectionately ruffled Amethyst's hair, despite Amethyst being almost as tall as I was.

the scene might have even looked cute if it weren't for the fact that we were both meter-tall demonic forms, adorned with sharp claws and Tails which in my case was still dripping blood.

Quietly I said, "Good job," to Amethyst before raising my voice and continuing on to say, "you're now under my protection," in a voice loud enough to be heard by all the other demon larvae in the pit.

It wasn't long until the demon larva I had told to gather the cores for me finished cutting out the cores and was now holding them out with shaky arms, offering them to me.

Realizing the difficulty that would come with holding three cores at once but not wanting to free up space by eating one since it was extremely inefficient compared to using the 'Plutonic Id-Vesture Technique' I said to the demon larva, "Follow me."

Then with those words I walked to a section of the wall behind where I had been sitting while cultivating the 'Plutonic Id-Vesture Technique' and not too far away from where I'd hidden the scroll the succubus had given me. Then as Amethyst and the demon larva carrying the cores caught up to me I quickly clipped another cubby hole into the wall with my claws and tail.

Before turning around and telling the demon larva, "To put the cores in here."

As I watched the demon larva still scared but trembling less than it had before carefully place the cores in the cubby hole I sat down thinking about what to do next.

Then as the demon larva quickly scampered off to its group, I looked to Amethyst who was standing hesitantly before me and softly said, "You can sit down here," as I motioned with a claw to the ground beside me.

As I saw Amethyst sit down, I let a bone-white smile stretch across my face, sending a chill down the spine of most of the demon larvae who were watching me.

I was truly smiling for the first time in a while, glad that Amethyst seemed willing to do as I said, as I had a few experiments to do with the 'Plutonic Id-Vesture Technique' that I would need a relatively smart test subject for.

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Location: < Ground floor of the 'Temple of Birth' > - One of a few such places scattered through the isolated corners of the lower heavens.

POV.: Nameless silver-haired fledgling angel.

After having a few of my attempts at looking through the contents of the white bundle of cloth that the sleeping angel was carrying stopped by some unseen force that didn't seem quite like the magic I had seen the members of my coven wilding I had finally given up on opening the bundle.

When as if to mock me it had wriggled around in the sleeping angel's grasp like some kind of large white slug. This had been so unexpected that I had almost let out a startled scream as I jumped at least half my height into the air.

Softly landing a little ways away from the white cloth slug I heard Lyra chuckle at my "adorable" snooping attempts.

Turing to see the grin still etched on her beautiful face I said, "It moved, the cloth moved!"

Lyra gave me a curious look for tilting her head to look at the sleeping angel and what it was carrying. As she looked at the moving clothes I could see a mixture of surprise, interest, and humour change her expression momentarily.

Before she looked back at me, and replied "It's not the cloth that's moving silly, it's whatever's inside it."

Exasperated I replied, "How it's moving isn't the problem."

At that, Lyra asked me something that I hadn't considered, "Then what is the problem?"

As I pondered her response I realized that I didn't have a good answer for that, what was the problem. That I hadn't expected it I guess.

But before I could try and formulate what I was thinking into proper words I heard a loud whooshing sound in the not too far away outside the Temple. This time both me and Lyra were monetarily startled although neither of us jumped into the air like I had last time.

When I turned my head to look outside, it didn't take me long to see what had happened. Lady Berenices had jumped up from the ground and then flapped her four wings so hard that it had created a whooshing sound loud enough for me to hear it inside the temple.

Although it had been less than a second after she had taken off Lady Berenices was already well past the temporary barrier the coven had set up.

While both Lyra and I were startled we soon turned to look at each other before silently agreeing that it wasn't worth worrying about.

I having lost track of what we were talking about asked Lyra, "So what do you think is inside that bundle to cause it to squirm so much?"

Taking a second to actually consider her response for once before replying Lyra looked closely at the white bundle before opening her mouth, "The white cloth there reminds me of something," pausing for a second Lyra seemed to think back before a look of recognition flashed across her face. "Ah yes, I remember now! That cloth, isn't it the same material as your robes are made of?"

Having almost forgotten all about the robe I was currently wearing I looked down at myself. Lyra was right the thin white cloth of my elegant form-fitting robe did indeed seem to be made of a similar cloth to that of the white bundle in the sleeping angel's arms.

Curiously I looked back to Lyra, "Any idea of what that might mean?" I asked her.

Lyra shook her head saying, "All I know is that the cloth that fledgling robes are made is special. Not only does it purify the aether that a fledgling absorbs it also is made of a strong, thin and soft material that lets clean air easily travel through it so that fledglings can't accidentally hurt themselves..."

At that, Lyra seemed to trail off looking at something behind me. As I turned my head to look at what had caught her attention I heard Lyra say, "It looks like whatever is inside that bundle of cloth is trying to escape."

Now looking back at the sleeping angel and the moving buddle I noticed that Lyra was correct. First, it was two pale little grubby hands that poked through the cloth. Not long after a foot found its way out, and soon after its other foot followed it.

As I walked back up to the sleeping angel wondering if I could help whatever was trying to escape the bundle somehow a large cute head finally managed to poke its head out from the bundle.

At that sight, Lyra gasped in disbelief, "I didn't think it was possible. But is that a baby fledgling?" she asked incredulously.

As Lyra had said the baby that was now wearing its bundle like some mix between an oversized diaper and a vest did resemble a much smaller and chubbier version of me, although it had offputting dark chartreuse hair rather than my silver hair.

But wait I thought that fledglings were spawned as tall and physically developed as I had been not as babies like this or younger. How was this possible?

I momentarily tore my attention away from the cute baby to look at Lyra to ask her if she had any idea of what was going on. However, as I saw the confused expression on Lyra's face I decided it wasn't worth wasting my time asking her as she obviously didn't know anything more than I did about what was happening.

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Within the Netherworld, demons have been found to have a vital mode of sustenance considering how barren the soil of the Netherworld is. Rather than relying solely on physical nourishment such as food and water, demons can sustain themselves from the ambient aether of the Netherworld.

This adaptation is seen to be very similar to those of other monsters such as the undead or slimes who also primarily consume aether to sustain themselves. However, unlike these monsters, it seems as if this adaption only applies to the ambient other of the Netherworld since the vast majority of demons have been shown to need both food and water anywhere else.

Though not driven by physiological necessity, demons exhibit a noteworthy inclination for loving to eat physical food and drink water; finding satisfaction in the act of eating much like other life forms, if not more so.

— Excerpt from "Aetheric Nutrition: Demonic Feeding Patterns in the Netherworld."