Interlude: Into the Vortex of Chaos
Recently, there'd been a huge uproar in Amdusias's palace. "Dantalian. What the hell has your contractor done this time?"
Demons gathered one by one in Dantalian's palace, keenly watching the chaos unfolding there as a major topic of discussion, wondering how the madness would play out next.
Amdusias, who had recently contracted with Actor, could read her contractor's memories. Drawing from Actor's recollections of Earth's art, culture, and history, she had been absorbing it all step by step—only to suffer a shattering blow to her worldview, the one where she'd always considered herself supreme. In response, she was demolishing her palace to rebuild it anew.
For someone as prideful as Amdusias when it came to art, the fact that she'd been so shocked by whatever she'd seen that she destroyed her lifelong masterpieces—the ones she'd praised as her greatest works, indulging in endless self-admiration—along with her opulent palace, was enough to stun the other demons.
The first demons to emerge with the world's birth. Among them, the current Rank 10 demon lord: the Demon of Depravity, Azazel. No matter how noble a human, desire exists within them—and when that desire exceeds its bounds, he symbolizes their fall. Also called the Demon of Decadence, he was a sadistic soul who reveled in humanity's corruption.
His reason for submitting to Lucifer and rebelling against the Ruler of Time, Baal, was simple. That haughty, ice-cold Ruler of Time... What pathetic form would the demon king Baal take in her miserable downfall? It was a glimpse into his brutally simplistic, sadistic nature.
Everyone in Hell who mattered knew he was just biding his time, watching to see how far Lucifer would go—or how he'd crash and burn. But Lucifer was the absolute one who had toppled that very Baal. Even Azazel couldn't imagine Lucifer's downfall.
Yet for demons, time was meaningless. A fallen angel reigning as demon king? Curiosity burned about how Hell would change.
Twang!♪ Clang!Twang! Twang-twong!!~~~♪ !!!
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...
Amdusias burst into Dantalian's palace amid deafening noise pollution that turned the place upside down. But this was no Amdusias they knew.
Once, her goddess-like beauty matched a pristine white dress, and she'd softly plucked a golden harp, weaving beautiful melodies to mesmerize and dominate her targets.
Now? She wore a jacket of raw black beast hide, a spiked choker, black underwear peeking out under an orange miniskirt—a total transformation. Black eyeliner rimmed her eyes, and a chilling, mad grin gleamed in her pupils. She looked like the war-crazed psycho they called Halphas—enough to fool anyone.
Her contract with Actor had changed her. The myriad music and arts he'd encountered in his past life, the evolving culture of Earth's advancing civilization—it hit her like a massive culture shock, forcing her to realize how outdated and archaic everything she'd built was.
And so, her theory of art evolved too...
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...
Screeech!~♪ Ching!~~♪ Screeeeech!!!~~~♪
Screeech!~♪ Ching!~~♪ Screeeeech!!!~~~♪
And so Amdusias awakened to a new genre.
The path of Heavy Metal...
**
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"Lord Ostis. This branch has been hit too."
"Grrraaah! Those filthy North Continent barbarians! How dare they touch noble mages!"
"All the test subjects seem to have escaped. And the research records—every last one has been destroyed!"
Ostis and Magus Civitas's elite mage legion had arrived on the North Continent, heading to their secret labs and branches to gauge the continent's current state. But everywhere they went, every Magus Civitas hideout lay in ruins, utterly annihilated.
Each branch was supposed to house high-ranking archmages as branch heads, backed by the towers' elites—yet they found them torn to shreds or pulped into meat chunks. No human could have done this.
"Lord Ostis. Could this be the test subjects rioting?"
"Then why were the research records destroyed?! You think those things had the wits left to do that?!"
"But there's no other explanation. Look at the corpses—no human could do that."
"Grrraaah! Damn it... How the hell did they manage the test subjects so poorly... Wait!"
"Yes?"
"Test subjects with wits intact... Test subjects... That's right! It's those bastards!!— Ten years ago. The ones who stole my face! The chimeras did this!!—"
!!!
"How dare they bare their fangs at us Magus Civitas again! I won't forgive them! I'll wipe out every last one—these North Continent barbarians and all!!—"
At last, the White Tower Lord Ostis had found his enemy's trail. Using necromancy from the black magic he'd recently begun studying, he summoned the souls of the slain mages here, confirming the identity of his foe through their testimony. He even breathed those souls back into the corpses, raising them as undead.
Woooong!
"Uuuoooh~"
"Uwaaaah! So full of hate~"
"Rise, noble mages of Magus Civitas! Aid me in avenging your deaths!"
⟨ Necromancy ⟩
"Brad City? Heh heh heh heh... Finally found you! Dantalian... My face! I'll annihilate you all!!—"
Seized by vengeance, Ostis's burning hatred now pointed toward Actor's location.
**
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"Sister Gloria. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Sorry for worrying you, Brother Abel."
"Don't push yourself too hard. Pursuing faith and God's will is good, but remember: neglecting yourself hinders righteous deeds."
Two days ago. The day the North Continent's major powers gathered in one city for a meeting.
Led by Gloria, the paladins had gone—on orders from the Holy Kingdom's leadership, Archbishop Antonio—to sway them with indulgences.
But clashing with Actor and the Black Prince Gerhart after ten years apart, the persuasion failed spectacularly. Gloria fell victim to Gerhart's power, reliving the nightmare of her fellow Purity Paladins' massacre by Magus Civitas a decade ago. The mental shock knocked her out.
Big Daddy's family had taken the fallen group and returned them to the Holy Kingdom's fortress.
As Actor said, killing them outright would be a hassle to clean up—so they'd been spared for now.
The one receiving Gloria and the paladins was the fortress commander and fellow Seven Virtues member: Abel, Captain of the Wisdom Paladins. To purge Gerhart's power ravaging their bodies, he'd prayed all day, finally cleansing the fear gnawing at their minds.
"Understood. But... what about those filthy heretics? We gave them a chance to repent per the archbishop's orders, but we only confirmed they're soul-selling scum bound to ugly demons."
"I know. Just now, orders came from headquarters: 'Execute God's will. Purge the heretics tainted by evil.'"
"You mean finally—!"
"Yes. God's will has descended to purify this land. As His agents, we'll burn every filthy heretic in purifying flames! Sister Gloria! You're still recovering, but lend us your strength!"
"Of course! For justice, I'm ready to cast aside this life like chaff at any moment!"
"Good! Vice-captains, listen up! We begin the holy war here!— We'll exterminate the filthy heretics and purify this land!—"
Rooooaaar!!!~~~
"Their leaders are still gathered in that city! This golden chance to sweep away the ugly heretics! Brothers! Rise and fight! God watches over you!—"
Bwoooong!~♪ Whoosh!
Crusade horns blared across the fortress, signal fires rising. For their one true God. To deliver justice's judgment on this land, they mobilized every stationed force toward Brad City.
To drive out the evil heretics and return this land to the Lord's embrace.
And so, each faction converged on one spot.
Brad City. The city where Actor resided.
Into the vortex of chaos.