In the human world, somewhere in Japan, Ravel Phenex stood. A member of her brother Riser Phenex's peerage, she was accompanied by all but the "King" and "Queen."
Her purpose was an arranged marriage decided by her family. The suitor came from a pack of mystical beasts, specifically phoenixes, wielding immense power among their kind. In Japan, the phoenix symbolizes the nation. The Phenex family, sharing roots with the phoenix, likely leveraged this connection. Yet, couldn't a better match have been found in Chinese mythology? It felt as if their position was inferior.
(Perhaps our position is weaker. Devils face endless troubles. Japan seems to be distancing itself from Biblical factions after the Solomon incident. Was I chosen as a bridge?)
As she pondered, Riser contacted her.
"Hey, Ravel. How's it going?"
"Thanks to you, it's coming together smoothly."
"Great to hear."
"But I'd have preferred a more spirited suitor."
"Really? I met the guy once, and he seemed like a fine young man. I trust him and the family with your future. Oh, and you don't need to return here. It's all been arranged with them. Spend today relaxing in the human world."
"Well then, I'll take you up on that."
Deciding she had the day free, Ravel considered browsing luxury brands in the human world.
Riser's usual flamboyant tone shifted to a serious one.
"Ravel."
"What's with the sudden gravity?"
"It might be tough, but be happy. For all of us. Everyone, it's in your hands now."
"…As you wish."
The call cut off.
"Nii-sama…?"
It would never connect again.
Sirzechs Lucifer's peerage: "Rook," "Knight," "Pawn" dead.
Serafall Leviathan's peerage: all but the "King" annihilated.
Rating Game top players: first place defected, second place dead, third place gravely injured. Their peerages defected, gravely injured, or dead. High-class Devil Tannin dead.
Original 72 Pillars annihilated. Old Satan faction annihilated. Rizevim Livan Lucifer and his faction defected.
Agreas shot down. Rare metals for "Evil Pieces" in Agreas completely lost.
Red Dragon Emperor Hyoudou Issei, freed after becoming a Beast of Humanity.
White Dragon Emperor Vali Lucifer, freed after rampage.
Fallen Angel leaders Baraqiel, Sahariel, Tamiel, Armaros dead.
Seraphs Uriel, Raphael dead. Gabriel, gravely injured, temporarily withdrawn.
Church side: some defected, joining the Knights of the Round Table.
At this moment, all ignorant of the truth misunderstood.
No one could fathom.
That the damage thus far was merely a prelude.
One of the five special envoys, Baal, driven by hatred for a mundane boy, declared:
"This is proof. Worthless, meaningless, pathetic, wasteful, harmful. What an ugly ecosystem sustained for millennia. To show the true value of the 72 Pillars' name, we challenge you."
One of the five, Andras, yearning to embrace life, proclaimed:
"This is extermination. You are dangerous. To us Demon Gods, to humans, to all other beings. At least become sustenance for the next era. That is the final forgiveness for your sin of neither understanding nor being understood by other life."
One of the five, Zepar, dreaming of paradise, spoke:
"This is plunder. We lack resources. We lack time. You wastefully consume. You needlessly destroy. Survival of the fittest. If we lack, we take from elsewhere. You've forced this on others—accept it."
One of the five, Phenex, seeking self-destruction, sang:
"This is revolution. Once the Noble Phantasm activates, none can stop it. As long as I exist—no, even if I perish here, the flames of destiny guarantee the plan's success. Rejoice. The new world's order is etched here."
One of the five, Raum, exploring cosmic possibilities, declared:
"This is salvation. Not just for humans. Through pain, we save you Devils and Fallen Angels. This pain absolves your sins, ending the truth of your existence this universe overlooked."
King of Men Goetia commanded attention:
"Behold, the end of your life's journey. The end of the Biblical star. The moment of my great work's completion! Third Noble Phantasm, deploy. Ars Almadel Salomonis: The Time of Birth Has Come, He Is the One Who Masters All.—Burn to ashes!"
The Underworld.
In Biblical terms, it is hell. The realm of Devils and Fallen Angels, nearly as vast as Earth. Its sky is purple, not blue, with no seas. With dwindling numbers of Devils and Fallen Angels, much land lies untouched, especially in remote areas. As a supernatural realm, only skilled mages or reincarnated Devils' kin can enter; ordinary humans never set foot here. Time is adjusted to align with the human world.
That world was burning.
"Help—"
The phrase "hellfire" paled before the heat consuming this world.
"It burns, it burns, it burns!"
"Rilencus!"
"You…!"
"Someone—"
Children. Adults. Elders. Men. Women. Pure-blood Devils. Reincarnated Devils. Mixed-blood Devils. Familiars. Wild beasts. High-class Devils. Mid-class Devils. Low-class Devils. Fallen Angels. Satans' parents. Stray Devils. Former Dragon King's peerage. Devils preparing for mid-class exams. The Fallen Angel deputy's wife. New Satan faction senators. The Great King. Low-class Devils blessed with good masters. Youths discontent with peace with gods. Researchers content with study. Reclusive former 72 Pillar lords. Life. Life. Life.
Life was burning.
"Contact Sirzechs-sama at the summit—or Ajuka-sama!"
The earth, sky, lakes, rivers, hills, mountains, forests, fields, valleys, roads, grasslands, houses, mansions, villages, towns, cities—everything burned.
"What's happening…?"
Unjustly, irrationally, indiscriminately, life in the Underworld was snuffed out.
"Why aren't the trains to the human world moving!?"
"Even magic circles aren't working!"
"Someone's interfering with the Dimensional Gap around the Underworld! Mass transport is impossible!"
"The path to Hades is sealed? The work of Reapers!?"
"Even Limbo and Purgatory are unusable…"
"All paths to other mythologies' hells are closed!"
"No way! While we're stuck here—"
Second by second, moment by moment, the Underworld's lives ended one by one.
A band of light shone in the sky, proof the world itself was being incinerated. Too late. Ruined. The history of Devils and Fallen Angels—the Underworld—was finished.
In the sky above the Underworld city Lilith, a girl floated via magic. A silver-haired Devil girl, about ten years old, reminiscent of Lucifugus. But within was Solomon, a king knowing only rage. Before the long-awaited extinction of Devils, his—no, her—eyes held no joy, only fury.
Something spoke to her from behind.
"What a contradictory sight. Such ugly life serving as kindling for this grand blaze. Three thousand years well worth the wait, don't you think, my Solomon?"
"I'm not yours."
Turning, she saw a Devil.
"That's this era's body?"
"Indeed. Quite excellent, and useful. My position made gathering information easy. And you've become quite the lovely form."
"Stop. I didn't choose this loli body. If I had to be female, I'd rather be a sultry beauty!"
Originally, the body birthed by Lilith was meant to be mature. If not for some psychosis-con creep tampering with the ritual in Lilith's womb.
"But you noticed my existence. Since when? I thought I did better than during Moses' time."
"I got suspicious when she died."
"As expected. My greatest failure was letting you meet her. And by rewriting her legend, I failed with that child who became the Messiah. That failure affected Arthur, Charlemagne, and Richard. Women are incomprehensible. Expecting something from them leads to results like Jeanne."
Had she not been judged as a witch, things might've gone better, the Serpent mused. Solomon's face burned with rage—no, the King of Magecraft was always angry.
"Honestly, were you the one who taught me about other worlds?"
"Yes. I secretly fed baby you a special apple."
"The world's most troublesome baby food."
"But your ideal is yours. The desire to save the world, to evolve humanity—that love is undeniably yours. Be proud."
"Who needs your permission? My ideal was always mine."
The King of Magecraft laughed with rage.
"One question."
"For my cute Solomon, anything I can answer."
"Who killed her, the Queen of Sheba?"
Solomon couldn't grasp that day's truth. Not forgotten—never known. Despite God's wisdom and perspective, the truth eluded him. That ignorance revealed the Serpent's existence and that the nearly completed Truth was the Serpent's design.
"You? The Lord? Lucifer? One of the 72 Pillars? A human then? Or me? Or—her?"
Only her name, Queen of Sheba, remained in the Bible. Likely, only the Serpent within this Devil knew the truth. Treating it lightly, the Serpent began to speak.
"Oh, that was—"
At that moment, a ferocious blast erased Solomon's body.
"Huh?"
The Serpent glimpsed a human-like figure striking Solomon. Stunned, it looked that way, scratched its head, and sighed.
Meanwhile, Solomon was flung through the burning world. Barriers and healing mitigated the damage, but the impact was unavoidable.
"Argh! Why's it always like this!?"
As momentum faded, she crashed into the ground. The blazing earth didn't faze Solomon; even world-consuming light couldn't breach her protective barriers.
"Ouch… Kingu again?"
Lying on the ground, Solomon turned her head to see a glowing human boy. Ten horns adorned his head, six wings—bird, dragon, bat—sprouted from his back. His aura could overpower gods and Buddhas.
"Nice to meet you, fake father. Second time, apparently, but first for me."
"Father…? Oh! You're Trihexa! I wanted to meet—guh!"
Trihexa straddled the fallen Solomon, pummeling her face with fists full of killing intent, yet precisely restrained to avoid death. To onlookers, it looked like a boy beating a girl—a legal issue.
"And goodbye! Wanted to meet me? Die, you idiot king!"
"Wait, Trihexa, stop, ouch, gyah! I'll die, I'll die, seriously die!"
"You'll just revive anyway! Want me to stop? Hand over the ring! I'll smash it!"
"Enough, Trihexa. Leave some for us."
At the voice, Trihexa stopped and dismounted. Finally able to move, Solomon looked at the speaker and grinned—not with rage, but pure joy.
"Wanted to meet you too, King of Men Goetia…!"
"Greetings, this world's Solomon. Now die. No more idle talk."
***
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