The Prelude to Chaos
The Association President's office, now empty save for Inferno after the president had departed, erupted in a deafening roar as a sudden explosion tore through it, reducing the room to charred ruins. The president, his face drained of color, could neither enter the blistering heat nor flee elsewhere; he could only stamp his feet in frantic circles, praying for Inferno to emerge.
"KRRAAAAAAGH!!! You goddamn son of a bitch!!!!!!"
Yet the face of the Inferno he awaited never appeared. Only his agonized screams echoed out from the ruined office.
"S-Sir President, what happened?"
"I don't know. I don't know either. But whatever happens now, you mustn't tell anyone. Do you understand, Secretary Song?"
"Y-Yes, sir. I'll keep it absolutely secret…"
There had been two witnesses to the current situation. Now, only one remained.
"Hrk… hhh…!"
"Mr. President."
"Y-Yes! Lord Inferno!"
"Forget it."
"Pardon…?"
"Forget everything. Before I make you forget by force."
"I-I'll forget! I saw nothing at all!"
The moment Inferno's right hand shot out and seized her head, Secretary Song's body ignited and crumbled into ash without so much as a scream. Faced with those crimson eyes and the searing heat radiating from his form, the president—forgetting his age of over fifty—wet his trousers and could only nod repeatedly at Inferno's words.
"So Ravilis sent this?"
"Y-Yes, sir."
"How did you find out? Who delivered it, and how?"
"Well…"
"You'd better answer properly. Unless you want to end up like that woman just now—reduced to ash."
"I-It appeared out of nowhere! It just popped out of thin air! Only Secretary Song and I confirmed it!"
"Good. What happened here never happened. No one must ever know about this conversation. Understood?"
"I-I understand completely! I won't tell anyone!"
"Good."
Fortunately for the president, Inferno soon turned his glowing red eyes away and leapt straight through the window, vanishing outside.
"Ah, right. Call a press conference immediately."
"A press conference, sir? What should I say when I summon them?"
"Tell them we're going to wipe those Ravilis bastards off the face of the earth—those filthy black spheres will only be seen in history books from now on."
"U-Understood! I'll see to it at once!"
With those final words, Inferno soared into the sky and disappeared from sight. Only then could the president release the tension coiled through his body and wipe away the cold sweat. Yet Inferno's last words continued to ring in his mind.
"Wipe out Ravilis? War… is it? And at a time like this, when I'm the president?"
A declaration of war—surely no leader would welcome such a thing. Even if he was nothing more than a puppet, the responsibility would ultimately fall on him. But no matter how much he loathed the idea, he had no desire to face an enraged Inferno. His brief spark of defiance remained just that—a fleeting thought.
"Damn it, what am I supposed to do now that he's killed Secretary Song? That bastard… I spent so much money breaking that woman in. Tch…"
The press conference hall inside the Association building was packed with far more reporters than usual, each clutching a large camera. Over a hundred had rushed over after receiving the sudden summons, convinced this would be the scoop of a lifetime. Yet none dared speculate aloud about what might be announced; not only did they lack information, but they feared being ejected from the venue if they spoke out of turn.
The tense silence was broken by the arrival of the Association President, who—despite holding the highest position—walked at the front like a mere bodyguard escorting Inferno. Behind him came Inferno himself, followed by Ileana and Elin.
"We will now begin the Association press conference."
With the president's characteristically oily voice, Inferno, Ileana, and Elin took their seats at the center table while the president sat alone at the far end. The floor was now Inferno's to speak.
"Wait—just a moment!!! Breaking news! Breaking news just came in! It's live right now!"
A single reporter who had burst in unannounced shattered the moment.
"Ravilis has declared war! They've declared war on humanity! They said they'll make Tenebris great again!"
"W-What are you talking about…"
"It's true! Check it yourself right now!"
Before Inferno could even open his mouth, before Ileana or Elin could speak, the words the heroes had intended to deliver spilled from the reporters' lips instead. Anger flashed in Inferno's eyes, but there was nothing he could do—the news had already broken.
"W-Wait, this guy is the Cezar? No, more importantly—what even is a Cezar?"
"He's the king of Ravilis. They say he's their new king!"
"That can't be…! Didn't Hero Inferno already defeat the previous king of Ravilis? Don't tell me this is his son?"
"Who knows!"
The reporters' attention had completely shifted. Those with faster connections had already heard rumors of a new Cezar in Ravilis, though none had seen his face—Tenebris had never broadcast his image outside its borders. Yet this new Cezar boldly revealed his face, speaking with an eerily calm expression as though delivering a public notice to humanity.
Effective immediately, I, Ira, Cezar of Ravilis, declare the following: Ravilis will never forgive the humans who have defiled Tenebris. Those who value their lives—surrender at once. Those who wish to preserve their dignity—betray your own kind. All others will either lose their lives or come to wish they had. This is my final mercy toward you. If you wish to live, surrender. If you wish to keep your human dignity, make yourselves useful to us.
It was a simple message—yet it amounted to nothing less than a demand to betray humanity. No one could accept it. After years of quiet, Ravilis had suddenly thrust forward a new king with such words; it was both infuriating and deeply unsettling.
"What is this… Mr. President, were you aware of this information?"
"W-Well…"
"You didn't know, did you? Right?"
The reporters, forgetting their earlier restraint, swarmed the president with microphones, desperate for any statement. But the president, who had known nothing, could only sweat profusely and glance desperately toward Inferno, silently begging him to speak—or at least draw the questions away.
"We were aware."
Fortunately for the president, Inferno finally broke his silence.
"Hero Inferno! You knew the truth?"
"Then was today's press conference called for this very reason?"
"Yes. We received word that Ravilis was preparing for war. As heroes sworn to protect the people, we have no intention of standing idly by. Therefore, as the S-Class Rank 1 Hero Inferno, I promise here and now that the Hero Association will never yield to this great evil."
In an instant, camera flashes erupted across the hall as reporters began furiously typing Inferno's words.
"Ravilis is weak. Their so-called 'Cezar'—the king they revere—once stepped outside that black sphere and was forced to flee with a hole punched through his stomach by my own hand. It seems they've forgotten that nightmare, but I swear I will make them relive it."
His confident words were meant to reassure the public—though beneath them lay his own shock.
"Hero Inferno! Does this mean you'll be invading the black sphere this time?"
"Not immediately. But one thing is certain: that black sphere is called Tenebris. The fewer people living inside it, the weaker its power becomes—and the smaller the sphere shrinks. Our goal is to ensure they can never invade again, then eliminate them completely so the black sphere vanishes from this world forever."
"Then the people will once again witness your magnificent battles?"
"Yes. I'll make sure they can watch from the safest place possible, with peace of mind. That's what it means to be a hero."
Scattered gasps of awe rose from the crowd. Hopeful expressions appeared on many faces—much like a pack of starving dogs watching a rescuer approach. Yet even amid the optimism, one reporter refused to let go of her doubts.
"I'm Mago from Ocean Times. May I ask Hero Inferno a question?"
"Ocean Times—I know the paper. Go ahead."
"I'd like to ask about the rescue of Hero Miriam. It's been several weeks since she went missing, yet we've received no proper updates. Has her survival been confirmed?"
"……"
For a moment, Inferno's eyes flashed crimson—an intimidating glare that made onlookers shrink back. But the reporter who had introduced herself as Mago stared straight back, determined to get an answer.
"Mago, was it?"
"Yes, Mago from Ocean Times."
"That is…"
"I'll answer that."
Before Inferno could respond with his furious tone, a golden light cut in—Ileana.
"Hero Miriam betrayed humanity. Because of her intimate relationship with the traitor Eternal, she helped him from behind the scenes. When the betrayal was discovered, she feared for her life and deliberately summoned Ravilis to Osril to stage her own death. She is currently alive and well inside that black sphere. If she weren't a traitor, she wouldn't still be breathing."
"Hero Miriam… is a traitor?"
"Yes. Obviously! Miriam hasn't gone on a single mission in over half a year, even after her sister was killed by Ravilis assassins. Make no mistake—she is definitely a traitor."
"H-How could that be…"
Stunned by the revelation, the reporter calling herself Mago collapsed against the person beside her, her legs giving out.
"Ocean Times… that's Osril's local paper, isn't it? She seems unwell—please escort her to the infirmary immediately. This press conference is now concluded."
At the president's words, the conference ended, but the reporters—still hungry for answers—rushed forward in a frenzy. Inferno, radiating inexplicable fury, Ileana, whose mood seemed strangely improved, and Elin, her expression hidden behind her veil, simply brushed past them all and departed.
Thus began the true age of chaos.