Chapter 101
Nahun, who decided to leave the Demon World and head to Hell, came to a desolate place. Originally, to go from the Demon World to Hell, one had to descend to the first floor, but Nahun didn’t need to do that.
He had the magic “Gate” that could open the path to the place he had been before. And Nahun had been to Hell, the domain of the Great Demon.
Nahun drew upon his own magic. The vast circuit of the Great Demon could emit a tremendous amount of magic power in a very short moment, and the moment he extracted his magic, the activation conditions for the spell were met.
“Gate.”
『 Līmen 』
With his powerful magic, space was crushed. A passage connected to the void appeared before his eyes as Nahun stepped into it.
In an instant, the scenery changed. The blue moon in the sky disappeared, replaced by a red moon. And the screams soaked in pain that came from all directions made Nahun furrow his brow involuntarily.
However, if he walked a little further, the horrific screams would fade, and tranquility would come. The surroundings instantly quieted, leaving only silence and stillness. Nahun stopped walking and looked up at the sky.
“…the master of the upside-down kingdom.”
It was one of the titles Ersha Scarlet had referred to him by. He could fully understand its meaning in this moment.
There was an upside-down kingdom. The land, the buildings, even the grass and trees there were all upside-down. He didn’t need to think about how it hung upside-down in the sky; he understood that much without consideration.
Thick, enormous roots of trees could be seen underneath the broad ground, rooted into the clouds. It was a scene that defied common sense, but this place was inherently a space where common sense did not apply.
“Ha…”
Nahun let out a hollow laugh. The owner of that place was none other than himself. It was hard to believe, but there was no choice but to accept it. It had to be that way…
“Open.”
Nahun knew how to enter that place. As he murmured while releasing his magic, a translucent staircase descended from the upside-down kingdom, as if welcoming a returning homeowner.
When Nahun stepped onto the staircase, the world flipped. He squinted for a moment, feeling dizzy, but soon got accustomed to it.
The upside-down kingdom became an upright kingdom, and another space appeared to be flipped upside-down. As Nahun descended the stairs and placed his foot on the ground, someone approached.
“Have you arrived, Your Majesty?”
“You are…”
“I presumed you would not remember me, Your Majesty.”
“…You know I am under a prohibition.”
“Indeed. You mentioned that fact to me in advance, and requested guidance upon your return.”
His words seemed credible. Nahun looked around and asked him.
“What is my name?”
“Due to the prohibition, I cannot dare to speak it.”
“…You certainly know.”
“Indeed, Your Majesty. May I dare to tell you my name?”
“Proceed.”
“It is an honor to be given a chance by one as insignificant as myself. I am your loyal servant, Tubalkain. When you returned, I was instructed to answer anything you need. Please ask anything.”
Nahun nodded. Then he looked around and spoke.
“Was my kingdom always this quiet? It seems no one is here.”
“Not at all. The residents merely fell into a quiet slumber while you were away. If you command them, they will awaken at any time to serve you faithfully.”
“No. It will not be that long.”
“I presume that to be the case. You have yet to achieve your goals.”
“You know well.”
“Those of us, including myself, wish for you to fulfill your intentions.”
Nahun asked Tubalkain.
“I came here to find the Massus that follow me.”
“…Are you looking for Behemoth and Gize?”
“Do you know where they are?”
“Your Majesty, they are… not in this kingdom.”
“Why is that?”
Tubalkain looked at Nahun for a moment. Then he lowered his head again and said.
“It seems to be a matter not to be discussed here. Please enter the palace.”
“…Understood.”
Nahun followed Tubalkain along the main road. It was quiet. It truly seemed like a kingdom where all the residents had fallen into an eternal slumber. Tubalkain guided Nahun to the palace, and Nahun was shocked to the point his eyes widened.
‘Is this it?’
When he saw the upside-down kingdom, something particularly prominent had caught his eye, and it turned out to be Nahun’s palace.
It surpassed the scale and height of the Imperial Palace of the Bismarck Empire. As Nahun stepped into the palace, those inside bowed their heads and expressed their loyalty.
“Isn’t everyone here asleep?”
“Since we did not know when Your Majesty would return, we kept the palace under constant management. For that reason, only some servants are awake.”
“I see.”
Nahun continued to move with Tubalkain, who stopped in front of a gigantic door and said.
“This is the throne room that Your Majesty used.”
“…It’s spacious.”
“Spacious? Compared to Your Majesty’s renown, it is quite small… but since you did not permit any expansions, we had no choice but to be satisfied with this size.”
It seemed that even before he possessed this body, Nahun was a person of very rational thinking. Satisfied with that fact, Nahun said to Tubalkain.
“Open it.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Tubalkain drew a circle with his finger and spun it once. Then, the door to the grand audience chamber began to open on its own.
‘Ancient magic indeed.’
Tubalkain was clearly an entity that had lived for an extraordinarily long time. Moreover, the magic he emanated was far beyond the strength Nahun had faced with Doviel and Demogorgon.
‘Such a monster was my subordinate?’
That thought crossed his mind for a moment, but then he recalled Leviathan next to him, and it seemed understandable. Tubalkain humbly placed his hands together and bowed his head.
“Your Majesty, please take your seat upon the throne.”
“…Very well.”
Nahun sat on the enormous throne like a hall. He squinted slightly, as it wasn’t a position he was accustomed to, prompting Tubalkain to panic.
“Your Majesty! Is there discomfort?”
“Oh, no. More importantly… finish what you were saying earlier.”
“Understood.”
Tubalkain continued.
“First, the prohibition placed upon Your Majesty is self-imposed, but the reason lies elsewhere.”
“What do you mean?”
“While Your Majesty was briefly absent from the kingdom and descending into the Demon World, you offered something as a negotiation card to the ruler of Hell. It involved sealing part of the power you possess. Along with that, a prohibition was placed on your name and memory as well.”
It was a mystery how the Great Demon could carelessly descend into the Demon World, but it had turned out that way. The product of a negotiation between Nahun and the ruler of Hell… in other words, Taumiel.
Nahun had descended into the Demon World to fulfill the last request of his friend Seir, intending to raise and care for his daughter. To do this, he needed to stay in the Demon World and obtained permission from Taumiel to reside there in exchange for sealing part of his memory and power.
As a result, Nahun descended into the Demon World with some of his memories and powers sealed, and that was when Ebel Queen Maker began. It was also the moment Nahun possessed this body.
“…I see.”
After resolving the puzzle, Nahun nodded. However, there was one aspect that intrigued him.
“By the way, how is that related to Behemoth and Gize being absent from here?”
“Behemoth and Gize have returned to their respective territories.”
“What?”
“They are Massus. Powerful beings known as the Massus of the Apocalypse. They followed Your Majesty because they admired your powerful strength. However, it seems that upon hearing the news of your power being partially sealed and your departure to the Demon World, the two Massus were disappointed.”
“…Then why is Leviathan still by my side? If what you say is true, Leviathan should have left as well.”
“Leviathan has been raised by you since your very young age.”
So, Leviathan was one who followed Nahun like a parent, while Behemoth and Gize were not. Nonetheless, it didn’t sit well with him that those who would run away just because their powers were sealed would be looked at kindly.
“Then is there no way to bring them back?”
“There is.”
“What is it?”
“It is quite simple, Your Majesty.”
Tubalkain briefly lowered his head in bow, then stepped back to approach the sword placed in one corner of the throne room. Nahun watched, doubting his eyes.
“That is…”
The blade was black. And a crimson eye gleamed in the center of the sword, looking around in every direction. It was a typical form of a “Demonic Sword” that could be found in any media.
“This is the sword that Your Majesty used.”
“Why are you bringing this?”
“Use it to subdue Behemoth and Gize directly, and show them the difference in rank.”
Nahun’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“You mean I should catch them myself?”
“That is the only method. There is one more, but that method is certainly something Your Majesty would not permit.”
“…You mean I could give up the Demon World and return.”
“That is correct.”
“Ha.”
In the end, if he wanted to carry Behemoth and Gize, he had to act on his own. Nahun pondered for a moment and then smiled wryly.
“Alright, that doesn’t seem bad.”
It was a game-based world. A boss event like this was… to be expected.
“…Will you really go?”
“Of course.”
“The powers of Behemoth and Gize are beyond imagination. Especially since they have returned to their territories, their strength will be twice as strong within their domain compared to usual. It could be dangerous for you, who currently has sealed powers.”
Tubalkain lowered his head in more respect.
“Please ponder it well.”
“…It’s fine. I need their powers anyway.”
Nahun thought that in order to have the strength to negotiate with other Great Demons, the presence of the three Massus was essential.
“……So it is.”
Tubalkain said politely.
“I wish you good fortune, Your Majesty.”
“Thanks.”
Nahun grasped the sword that Tubalkain had handed to him. He felt a familiar sensation. It truly seemed like a sword he had originally used.
“TubalCain.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You’ve worked hard during this time. Please endure a little longer.”
As Nahun encouraged him with a smile, Tubalkain widened his eyes slightly. Then, maintaining his smile, he politely bowed his head and replied.
“I will do my utmost to ensure I do not become a burden to Your Majesty.”
“Where are Behemoth and Gize’s territories?”
“Behemoth is in the ‘Land of Heat’ between the seventh and eighth Kliroft. Gize is in the ‘Sky of Mist’ between the fourth and fifth Kliroft.”
“Understood.”
As Nahun stood up from the throne, suddenly a dark mist shimmered beside him, and a small white whale popped out.
“Boo.”
“Leviathan, what’s wrong?”
“Boo!”
Leviathan waved its fins and swam over to Tubalkain. Then, as if greeting him, it nodded its head. Tubalkain also smiled kindly at the sight of Leviathan.
“It seems Leviathan serves you well, Your Majesty.”
“…It has been of great help.”
“Even the gods will maintain this place until Your Majesty returns. Please achieve your goals and come back.”
Seeing Tubalkain’s greeting, Nahun nodded. Then, with the sword slung over his shoulder, he simply said goodbye.
“I’ll be back.”
“Have a safe journey.”
