'In the dark abyss of hell, a menacing presence looms over all who dare to enter its domain. His name is Haagenti, a great president of the underworld, and ruler of thirty-three legions of devils.
His form is that of a mighty bull with the wings of a gryphon, a fearsome sight to behold. With a single glance, Haagenti can strike fear into the hearts of even the bravest souls.
He is a master of transformation, able to transmute all metals into gold and change wine into water, and vice versa.
His knowledge spans every subject, and he takes pleasure in sharing it with those who seek his wisdom.'
But, now, he is just a side charactered villain in the grand scheme of things. Although he is S ranked devil, he would face his doom in this volume, this volume starts the mark of war, a payback from humans to devils.
In this hell, there were no souls to be found, but the air was thick with ominous and oppressive energy.
The devils who inhabited this place moved about in a state of constant agitation, their bodies contorting and twisting in unnatural ways.
The landscape was desolate and bleak, with jagged rocks and twisted trees dotting the horizon.
The sky was a sickly shade of green, and the air was filled with the acrid stench of burning sulfur.
As the group of students gathered around the white-bearded man, Xander Montgomery, the third SS-ranked auror in the world, a sense of apprehension filled the air.
The students knew very little about him, except that he was their new academic administrator.
"Ok, everyone, the area behind the poles embedded in the ground is prohibited," he spoke, his voice stern and commanding.
"Your expedition is supposed to take place in the required perimeter. Beyond that, the instructors cannot guarantee your life."
The students exchanged nervous glances as Xander's words sank in. This was no ordinary academic expedition. There were dangers lurking in the shadows, and they would have to tread carefully if they wanted to survive.
"Did I make myself clear?" Xander barked, his piercing gaze scanning the group.
"Yes, sir," the students replied in unison, their voices echoing through the clearing.
"Good. Now, split up into groups of two. You have twenty seconds," Xander instructed, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Ruby's partner had already been assigned according to her. Her partner had already been assigned, and he was standing right beside her.
Correct, that was me. Meanwhile, Sun-Jung went along with Ji-Ho and Stella with Alex.
Xander Montgomery stood tall, his white beard and hair blowing gently in the wind. He addressed the group of students gathered around him, his tone serious and unwavering.
"Now then everyone, for every devil you kill, you will receive points," he declared.
"F-class will give you one point, E-class will give you five points, D-class will give you ten points, and C-class will give you twenty points. And for those of you who manage to take down a B-class devil, you'll receive a hundred points. Although I know you are already aware of this."
The students nodded in understanding. "You have thirty minutes to return to your check post," Xander continued. "The current position is your starting point. Your time starts now."
With that, the students scattered in all directions disappearing into the terrain of woods, their weapons at the ready.
The forest terrain offered a maze of pathways, each one meticulously marked by instructors to ensure the security of the students, while cameras and microphones were installed to monitor the area.
Upon completion of the test, the number of kills would be tallied. Each student was sent on a different passage, each equally infested with lurking devils.
These passages led to the outermost circle, the habitual area of these lower-ranked demons.
"May I borrow that?" Ruby's gaze landed on the metal pole I wielded as a weapon.
"Certainly." I relinquished the weapon to her, curious as to the extent of her arsenal.
With a fluid motion, she spun the pole around her body, its weight appearing to pose no challenge.
Her movements sliced through the thick, moisture-laden air, shattering the illusion and revealing hundreds of lower-ranked devils that encircled our passage.
Three types of devils surrounded us, working in harmony - Wailing Banshees: These ghostly devils can create illusions and manipulate sound waves to deceive and confuse their enemies.
Ashen Imps: These small, mischievous devils have the power to ignite fires and create smoke screens to obscure vision.
And last - Infernal Hounds: These demonic beasts have powerful jaws and razor-sharp claws, and can track their prey through scent alone, making them formidable hunters.
"Marvelous! We never needed to seek them out," Ruby exclaimed as she paused the fluid movements of the pole and held it aloft vertically, with multiple ethereal copies of the weapon emerging at the head of every devil.
"And that's how you eliminate them," she stated triumphantly, thrusting the metal shaft into the ground, causing the spectral replicas to follow suit, impaling and obliterating every last infernal creature.
"How did you manage to create those duplicates of your weapon?" I inquired, still stunned by Ruby's impressive display of skill.
"What do you mean? That's your technique," she replied with a casual shrug.
I remained speechless for a moment, completely mesmerized by Ruby's newfound abilities.
"What other skills have you acquired?" I inquired, my curiosity piqued.
"Anything you'd like to see?" she responded with an air of confidence, as shimmering chains, reminiscent of my own, but of a pure white hue, appeared and gently encircled my neck, causing no discomfort.
"These chains as well?" I murmured in amazement and added, "This is certainly fascinating".
"I know, there is nothing you can do and I can't," Ruby boasted, tossing her red hair back in a gesture of superiority.
I raised an eyebrow, "Really? Can you do this?" I asked as I focused my power, causing time to slow down around us.
In an instant, Ruby's body was frozen, but her mind remained active, allowing her to comprehend the moment as everything ground to a halt.
I reached into the realm of Zurvan, the Zoroastrian god of infinite time, and replicated its essence.
Living beings moved slowly, their souls connected in real-time, as time, in reality, became adjacent to the realm of souls.
"So, will you be able to accomplish this?" I asked, as the realm of Zurvan slowly dissipated, and time resumed its normal flow.
Ruby looked at me, stunned, before regaining her composure. "...You can never once act surprised, can you?" she pouted, before turning and continuing our walk through the woods.
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