In the world often referred to as ‘Hell,’ there were five rulers. They are known as the Great Demons.
After the Celestial War, they were sealed away and disappeared for over a thousand years.
Stories about them remain only as traces in myths. Few in the Material World know of them.
The Duke of Crimson, Tyban.
The scaled Empress, Sadarkelisa.
The Nightmarish Mumto.
The Seven-Crowned Yekaset.
The Insect King, Urkasia.
Their original power was so immense that they gained divinity and became concepts. Each represents destruction, corruption, death, hatred, and pollution.
In the deepest parts of the Church of the Temple of the Gods, prophecies and apocalypses mention their future. When the world’s end comes, they will rise again and burn the Material World.
Honestly, during his time as Faijashi, he was close to believing in that apocalypse. In his later years, consumed by hatred, he searched for the seals of the Great Demons hidden across the world and dimensions, studying ways to break them.
Though it’s unknown when the prophesied destruction will occur, one sure condition is the resurrection of the Great Demons. So, if one could artificially resurrect them, could they not bring about the world’s end?
To cut to the chase, after resurrecting Tyban, the other Great Demons were released by different factions. Regardless of the process.
Faijashi, the summoner of Tyban and the one with the most notable achievements of his time, used all his cunning and political power to contact heretical organizations worldwide, stealing information.
After the world’s complete destruction, a civil war among the Great Demons was inevitable. This was preparation for that. To ensure Tyban’s victory, they needed to find a way to reseal the Great Demons.
In the process, he naturally learned about the seals and the methods used during the Celestial War. Though he never used them and had no way to, they became ‘known spells.’
Thus, replication wasn’t difficult. Though still speculative, the possibility was chilling.
So, Fernandez left for Paltennoia that day. With a single horse and light armor. It was no longer time to scheme in the shadows.
What he didn’t expect was…
“Your Excellency? Your Excellency!! Where are you going!!”
Deep in the night, as he was about to leave the outskirts of Bülrang, a horse followed him. He had noticed the pursuit but didn’t realize it was Kirhas until she approached.
“Kirhas?”
“Your Excellency! Wait. Huff, puff… Just a moment. Where are you going?”
Kirhas looked at him with anxious eyes. They had only spent one night together, and when she went to his room in the middle of the night, she found it empty, stripped of all armor and equipment.
Until now, Fernandez had always shared his destination and grand strategy when traveling together. Even if they parted briefly, he would leave instructions.
This was a sign of trust in Kirhas, but also because his strategic view was based on meticulous coordination and elaborate planning.
But this sudden action. Especially from a lover who had just spent a night with him, left Kirhas frantic as she chased after him on horseback.
Fernandez stopped his horse and waited for her to approach. Under the dim moonlight, her silhouette became clear.
“What happened?”
“How did you know which way I was going?”
“Piel told me.”
Ah, that woman. Fernandez gave a bitter smile. An independent information reflector. Known as a prophet. They can see not only the future.
They can see the ‘past’ and the ‘present.’ The direction of information is unbiased, and the proposition applies equally to the flow of time reflecting unspecified information.
Told not to read the future, she was peeking at the present. Fernandez looked at Kirhas with a wry smile.
“Is that all?”
“She told me to follow you. Is something urgent?”
“Yes. But you…”
Fernandez stopped mid-sentence. If Piel could see the present, it meant they could communicate remotely without any restrictions. It would be one-sided, but still better than sending messengers.
Piel is no fool. Originally, her true form was the Archangel of Wisdom. If she had restored even half of her original power, she could be of great help in the future.
“I’m returning to the capital. Will you come with me?”
“Don’t say such things.”
At his words, Kirhas, who had been anxious, suddenly smiled brightly. Clop, clop. Slowly guiding her horse closer to him, she spoke softly.
“I told you before. Don’t ask for my opinion, just give me orders.”
“Let’s go together.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
Unless leading a great army, the journey from Bülrang to Paltennoia is neither harsh nor long. If the path were rugged and the journey long, Duke Sephor would never have easily raised his troops.
Thus, they could comfortably follow Duke Sephor’s marching route. Naturally, that route included the mountains where Duke Sephor had fallen.
“Ah…”
It should have been there. A mountain burned in early summer couldn’t have recovered in just a couple of months. Either the charred ashes should have been spread before their eyes, or even if washed away by rain, a barren mountain scarred by landslides should have remained.
“Flowers…?”
“Impressive.”
The sight of a mountainside in full bloom in the middle of summer created a stunning view. Fernandez’s initial shock quickly faded.
He was a man trained to analyze situations and principles first, no matter the circumstances. Moreover, Diemonica’s heart is not easily startled by ordinary events.
Thus, looking at the flower-covered grave, he spoke loudly.
