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In the world of humans, the Old Continent, and the world of demons, the Demon Continent, there exists a place that belongs to neither, a place that lies beyond the sight of those who move the great currents of the world. Shrouded in illusion and darkness, separated from the present world, they gathered here.

In this land, wrapped in illusion and darkness, there is a place even closer to the abyss. A place that could be seen as the summit of a hill or the bottom of a pit, where an altar stood.

In the western part of the continent, the Druids, and in the northern part, the traditions of the Skalds, often feature phantom stones corresponding to celestial bodies. However, what is engraved on each of these phantom stones is not the sacred form of the Celestial God, but rather something profane and bizarre.

Surrounded by such phantom stones, the area around the altar was dark. It was as if all the conceptual darkness of this world had been gathered here, an unreal blackness. And the more it darkened, the more clearly the strange silhouettes of bizarre forms became visible, revealing the identities of those who prostrated themselves beneath the altar.

The Ten Thousand Demons Battle, truly a scene worthy of the name, at its highest point, standing with her back to the altar, was surprisingly a woman of pitiful and beautiful appearance.

Compared to the other demons, who were grotesque, hideous, and profane in appearance, she was strikingly different. Yet, despite this, the woman exuded an aura of ominousness and strangeness.

Her beauty, vivid and radiant, was not obscured even by the abyss of darkness. Her captivating appearance, which seemed to draw the gaze of all, was accompanied by an unexpected sense of purity and modesty.

{He said, ‘Since the war with the hateful traitors and their disciples, we have lost our true form as the rightful masters of this land, abducted by the hands of the outer realm, and have come to this day.’}

As the woman’s sermon continued, the prostrate demons trembled and shed tears of frustration. They genuinely felt anger and sorrow over their plight.

Since the war with the cursed Grand Master and his disciples, the descendants of their ancient priests had been driven out, stripped of much. Their spiritual authority to communicate with the Celestial Gods, their secular authority to rule over the humans of this world, and even their right to live as true life born in this world—nothing was left to them.

The event their kin called ‘Ascension’—in that event, they had abandoned their true flesh and blood, replacing their bodies with the laws of another realm to become immortal beings. But in doing so, they had lost their right as true life of this land, their innate destiny.

Because of this, the demons had completely lost the ability to interfere with the flow of the world, the countless destinies and fates, the fortunes and misfortunes that intertwine. Despite possessing great magical power and all sorts of bizarre abilities, they could not go against the ‘truly great currents’ or change the direction of the lives of those ‘born with truly great destinies.’

Originally the true masters of the continent, since that event on that day, they had become ‘external stage devices that mean nothing whether they exist or not’ on the stage of the world.

This must not be. If this continues, it will be impossible to reclaim their rightful sovereignty, lost in the past. If this continues, they will merely end up as the tentacles of the outer gods who ‘ascended’ them.

{Yet, at this time, those who stand above us, the 72 noble clans, are not applying any wisdom to this problem.}

Of course, the nobles have minds, so they must know what kind of loss accompanies the phenomenon called ‘Ascension.’ Yet, there is no movement to solve the problem. Why?

{They are satisfied. Satisfied with the reality of being treated as nobles among us, and with the authority bestowed upon them by the outer gods.}

Whether they are called outer monsters or whatever, the outer envoys who imposed the subjugation of Ascension upon them are, no matter what anyone says, beings of a higher rank than them. Therefore, even if the Ascended themselves were to find a way to break free from the subjugation or replace it with something else, the cost would by no means be light.

Even their own lord, as an Ascended of this world, had to abandon his flesh and wander alone beyond the horizon of thought, into the realm of concepts and domains. If it were not for the existence of the shrine maiden, he would have had no connection to his followers in this world.

Such an adventure, those high-ranking individuals with so much to lose would not attempt. With so much in their hands, it is difficult to expect them to make the decision to let go of what they hold now for the sake of something better.

Despite eternal life, they have forever lost the sense of life and achievement, becoming a race detached from the world.

For them, the promise to reclaim their ‘destiny’ was like the light of a lighthouse found in the vast sea, or a rope lowered into the abyss. Unlike the outer gods who merely use them as tentacles for world invasion, this was a truly great guide, a leader who would lead them.

And now, at this moment, the seductive silhouette of the woman standing on the altar was none other than the messenger of truth, the true shrine maiden of the altar, conveying the message from their lord who had disappeared into the horizon of events.

{Rejoice, everyone! The day of final victory is approaching. The great father will soon obtain the answer destined for him. The destiny that has persistently rejected us will no longer be able to deny our greatness!}

At the shrine maiden’s declaration, those prostrated in the audience, those who realized the plight of the Ascended and dreamed of changing it, immediately buzzed and looked at each other. In their variously shaped eyes, there was an all-too-human surprise and excitement.

Their lord, the woman’s own father, the leader of them all.

The declaration that the greatest demon, who had disappeared beyond the horizon of thought, had finally obtained what he had been searching for. This meant that their lord would soon descend, and they would reclaim the destiny they had lost.

Finally, the demon race would once again become the masters of the history of this world, the realization of the promise was now within sight.

{Father, when our lord returns, we will finally cast off the shackles imposed upon us by the outer gods and restore our true, flawless glory. But do not forget, there is necessary preparatory work to be done for this.}

At the shrine maiden’s words, the demons’ faces were filled with joy and determination.

What their lord would bestow upon them was nothing less than a new, true Ascension. A true identity distinct from the false Ascension of the outer gods’ alien providence.

For this, they could endure anything. Sacrifice anything. Yes, even if it meant shortening the lifespan of the world and hastening the end of this era.

After all, the immortality they would soon obtain would surely continue even after the end of this Iron Age. What, hadn’t the races of the Bronze Age already shown once how to prolong their destiny even after the end of their era? They could surely do the same.

Even if it meant endlessly hindering the rightful transition of eras and turning the world outside their paradise into an endless hell of unending apocalypse, it was not their concern.

{From now on, we must become his hands and feet, preparing for the glory that will descend.}

Through death, screams, violence, lamentations, and above all, through the most blasphemous and profane chaos.

The bizarre forms gathered at the altar, clad in twisted evil and ugly malice like ceremonial robes, began to renew their newest oaths in a line.

At the end of the oaths, the shrine maiden began to present the matters that required their attention, flowing like water.

{The work in Vindobona seems to have taken a strange turn. Since communication from Krampus was cut off, has there been any update on the report?}

{I regret to inform you, there has not.}

{The last communication was clearly a report that they would deal with Caesar’s eldest son. So, what happened to Caesar’s eldest son?}

{According to field reports, he has safely entered Vindobona.}

Vindobona, the old name for the imperial capital Vienna. At the demon’s answer, who oversaw the situation in the imperial direction, the shrine maiden frowned in concern and then spoke.

{It seems that the followers of that cursed Anathema have intervened.}

Krampus was by no means an ordinary demon. Although his rank as a demon was not particularly high, his necromantic arts, which he had devoted himself to over the years, were certainly remarkable. He was a master who could not be compared to the ordinary demons who only focused on their innate demonic powers.

Surely, the Church Order, and among them, the Paladins, who were the essence of their martial power, must have intervened.

{The empire is the cornerstone for establishing the Iron Age on this land. And in Vindobona, there is the ‘Omphalos.’}

The content of the shrine maiden’s words was surprising. In the late Heroic Age, the term ‘Omphalos’ referred to the navel of the world or the sacred rock altar. But for those who explored the mysteries of spells, it had another meaning.

{If the empire is the cornerstone, then the Omphalos is the peg that fixes it to the ground. If we are to create a place for ourselves in this Iron Age, we must first seize the Omphalos.}

If one seeks to manipulate something that runs through the Iron Age, one must seize the Omphalos of the Iron Age. For those with some understanding of the world’s form, this was an absolute proposition.

Over the past years, how many sacrifices had been made among them to find the traces of the Omphalos of the Iron Age? When they discovered that it was hidden in Vindobona—the land they called Vienna—it seemed as if everything had suddenly come within their grasp.

The chaos and death they had spread throughout the empire were all to create the conditions for them to refine the Omphalos and lay their hands on it. If they succeeded in this and their lord returned to this world, the demons, who had been treated as non-existent by the world, would finally be accepted into this world.

In such a situation, the fact that their most detested enemy had set foot in the city where the crucial Omphalos was hidden was no ordinary emergency.

After frowning and pondering for a moment, the shrine maiden soon made a decision and continued.

{Krampus was in charge of the strategy in the Vindobona area. If his position is now vacant, it must be filled. Sir Arioch!}

{Your servant, Arioch! I have come at the call of the shrine maiden!}

At the shrine maiden’s call, a particularly large demon among the prostrate demons revealed himself. His appearance was quite imposing.

There is a race called the Centaurs. They have the four legs and torso of a horse, and where the horse’s neck should be, there is a human upper body.

This demon, Arioch, looked like that. The difference was that, whereas a Centaur would have the lower body of a horse, his lower body was that of a lion, and his muscular human upper body had four thick arms, and his head was like that of a male lion with a lush mane.

His height was a full 9 cubits (about 4.1 meters), and just by standing, he exuded an overwhelming pressure. Around his waist and back were sheathed massive black swords suited to his size and strength. Beneath his faintly purplish-blue skin and fur, bulging tendons and veins writhed.

With an aura of both a warrior and a beast, the demon, who exuded a truly bizarre pressure, bowed his head respectfully to the shrine maiden, despite his intimidating presence.

{Vindobona is a land of crucial importance in our grand scheme. If the followers of that Anathema have sent the essence of their martial power there, we must also play a corresponding card. Sir Arioch! You must go and complete the grand scheme that Krampus left unfinished.}

{I will obey your command!}

{Remember, sir. Krampus, though not a hero, was by no means incompetent. I will attach Choronzon as your adjutant. Please, fulfill your duty.}

As Arioch listened to the shrine maiden’s orders, he flinched slightly at the mention of ‘Choronzon,’ but soon nodded silently and left.

{Now, the next problem is, of course, the followers of that cursed Anathema.}

The shrine maiden’s gaze turned to the others.

{I ask about the land where the descendants of Merovech originated. Are the followers of Anathema still gathered there?}

The descendants of Merovech referred to the Merovingian royal family, who had once ruled the continent before the empire, Franquia, and Rotaringia were divided. The land where they originated was the Lowlands.

Given that the Church Order’s power was now concentrated around Strabenher in response to the empire’s chaos, it was a matter of great concern for the demons who were plotting against the empire.

{That is correct.} {Most of the actual martial power} {has been directed towards the empire,} {but there are also} {supporting forces} {gathered there.}

The one who answered the shrine maiden was a demon with the heads of a parrot, an owl, and a rat, with eight short legs and three long arms. The parrot’s mimicry of human speech, the owl’s hooting, and the rat’s squeaking blended together in a chaotic mix that somehow formed human-like speech.

The sight of the three heads taking turns to speak the sentence was quite awkward and bizarre, but the shrine maiden, accustomed to it, listened and pondered the content.

{Do they still possess that venomous power?}

What the shrine maiden referred to was the Immovable King Wisdom Technique. Her father, their lord who now roamed beyond the horizon of thought, had warned them about this, the golden light as indifferent as lightning.

When they first heard of it, the demons had doubted it as some absurd rumor, but according to reports from all over the continent, they could not help but acknowledge that this new type of Light Power was a highly threatening factor for them.

Initially, the spread of those who mastered this light had begun in Ravenna, Rotaringia. Just as in the empire, the demons sent to search for the Omphalos had been eradicated by clergy who had mastered the Immovable King Wisdom Technique, clearly demonstrating the technique’s extreme effectiveness against demons.

To be honest, contrary to what many might think, Light Power did not hold a perfect advantage over demons. It was merely the only means by which humans could resist demonic energy, but that was all.

However, the Light Power generated through the Immovable King Wisdom Technique was entirely different. The moment it was exposed, all the corrupt and twisted elements that composed a demon would disintegrate, and all impure means would be suppressed. The light had the property of negating the very sources of all the powers granted to them as demons.

And as expected, the demon’s answer to the shrine maiden’s cautious question was merciless.

{As the shrine maiden said,} {a significant number of them} {have mastered it.} {If we had not recruited human informants,} {we demons would not have been able to approach them.}

As the parrot, owl, and rat heads took turns speaking, the shrine maiden pressed her forehead with her index finger and thumb.

{Those followers of Anathema are always a hindrance.}

Originally, the clergy of the Church Order had always been a truly bizarre and detestable hindrance to the demons.

From the demons’ perspective, they were a race that possessed the destiny of true humans, which the demons themselves did not have. Despite being born with not-so-great potential, they nevertheless gave up their human destiny and stubbornly interfered in the demons’ affairs.

Those who relied on a mere flicker of light and stubbornly charged at them, such beings had now obtained a truly threatening weapon against demons……. As a shrine maiden concerned for the future of her father’s kin, it was impossible not to be troubled.

If this continued, the demons might lose all opportunity to exert their power in almost every move the Church Order made. It was then.

{Well, if it’s a conflict among humans, perhaps, but when it comes to dealing with our kin, they are strangely strong……. Wait. Did you say most of the actual martial power has been withdrawn?}

Huh? Could this be…… usable? In an instant, the shrine maiden’s mind flashed with a thought, and she clenched her fist.

 

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