The Underworld was totally different from the Oni Village and Dragon King Castle.
The underworld was a desolate and ominous realm, shrouded in a perpetual darkness that seemed to suffocate any glimmer of hope or light. The sky above was a sickly shade of dark green as if the very air was tainted by the malevolence or poison that permeated this place.
Amidst this landscape stood a city, its architecture reminiscent of the 19th century. Ornate buildings with intricate details over the cobblestone streets cast long shadows that seemed to stretch out into the city.
At the heart of the city stood a grand and majestic castle, its towering spires reaching toward the sky in defiance of the green sky that surrounded it.
"Welcome to the Underworld."
The Devil, Meryl Dantalion, greeted them once again as they stepped out of the portal.
Kai found this place very depressing, but the Devils that were in the street around the castle seemed to be having fun. They walked around the street, lit by warm lights from streetlights extending across it.
"This is… unique." He spoke while looking around to get a better look.
They were now standing on the tower around the city, getting a better look at the landscape around them. And as he saw it, it seemed like general female Devils wore something as close as a micro bikini to go around the street.
What Meryl used, a bodysuit that covered her breasts and private areas, was one of the clothes that covered most skin.
"Devils are indeed a unique Race, Kai," Amber replied from the side as she also looked around. "From their cultures to their clothing. They don't belong to anything but themselves. That's why they thrive in the Underworld like this."
"Indeed." Meryl interrupted from behind, and the group turned to her. She was standing near the door that led downward while gesturing with her hands. "Please follow me. The party will be held in an hour. If we take our time to walk, we will still be tight with time."
"Alright," Kai replied with a nod and followed Meryl.
They walked down the narrow and long line of stairs. Kai walked first behind Meryl with Ao, and the other two followed behind them.
No one was speaking. They just hesitated to talk because there was Meryl in front of them. They just followed the guide.
When they arrived on the ground floor, Meryl opened the door for them and let them exit first.
"Please,"
Kai nodded at her and exited. At that time, he could feel basked by the atmosphere of the city.
The city felt alive with a bustling energy from people walking around. The tower they were transported to was located at the edge of the city, but the atmosphere was still lively.
People rushed to and fro in a couple. A man and a woman walked side by side, seemingly going somewhere. The street of this area was lined with neon signs, their bright colors illuminating the area.
Suddenly, Kai felt like they were transported to a weird place. Ao was frowning in dissatisfaction while Amber chuckled from behind.
"Guide." The Dragon King called out for Meryl.
The Devil girl, daughter of Duke Dantalion, raised her head and turned to Ao. "Yes? May I help you with something, Your Majesty the Dragon King?"
"Can you explain to this lady why you ever teleported us to this… area with these kinds of establishments? This lady hopes you have a satisfying answer, or it will ruin my mood." Ao narrowed her eyes and glared at Meryl, letting out her Dragon Aura.historical
Instantly, the bustling atmosphere from earlier disappeared. Many pedestrians looked at us in fear before fleeing away. Suddenly, the street was devoid of people.
Meryl looked like her face was caught by something dreadful. Her breath suddenly stalled, becoming rough, as her face paled.
Only Kai could stay unaffected. Even Ibaraki and Amber looked a bit threatened, not scared, and unconsciously flared their Spirit Power slightly to make them calm.
'Well, I understand why Ao suddenly acted like this. It's not apparent when we are on top of the tower, but… When we arrived on the ground, it became clear.'
Kai and Ao were guests at the Devils' Ball Party. Not to mention, Ao was the Dragon King, someone who commanded all dragons in the world. Her position should be the VIP among the VIPs.
They should have welcomed grandiosity as they were supposed to. Or at least they should have a decent welcome near the party venue. However, this area was something that didn't really welcome Ao.
Maybe some people with unique tastes would love this area. But for the Dragon King, it was just a humiliation. To think they welcomed them in the area that looked like a red light district.
"A-aa…"
Meryl tried to speak but was unable to due to the oppression from Ao's Dragon Aura. The Devil girl then covered her body with purple Spirit Power. Only then could she catch her breath and speak.
"P-Please… L-Let me… explain."
"Very well. Explain it to me, daughter of Dantalion."
As she said that, Ao retracted her Dragon Aura and let Meryl go.
Their guide coughed hard, inhaling air into her lungs. Even for a noble daughter like Meryl, facing Ao's Dragon Aura made her unable to breathe. It was just impossible for her to be able to move freely under oppression.
After calming down, Meryl took a deep breath and explained.
"T-This area is a noble residence area and by no means something else. Its ambiance has changed over the last 10 years due to the influence of mobile phones. The younger Devils who just took over the house renovated their house to make it… pop up. Or so they say."
That wasn't something that Kai nor the other had expected. Pop? More like… this was the noble residence area?
"By noble residence area, do you mean the one where Devils from 72 houses lived? This lady is sure that it's not this… pink looking. Last time I visited, only the area around the Underworld's outskirts where Lilith, the Succubus Queen, lived looked like… this."
Even Ao looked rather baffled by Meryl's explanation. Not even in the Dragon King's wildest imagination, the Underworld, which was depicted as a scary place, turned into something like a red light district. Especially not the noble area.
"Unfortunately, this is the case right now." Meryl looked down in shame.
Amber tried to hold on to her laughter as she was also surprised by the Underworld. Ibaraki only looked around without saying anything. The Oni girl understood this wasn't normal, but nothing seemed strange to her.
Mainly because back in Ancient Kyoto, many places also looked like this. Prostitutes were everywhere, and Geishas were out on the street to seduce men who walked alone or with some company.
So this was normal for Ibaraki Douji.
"Truly. Youngster these days." Ao sighed and turned to Meryl. "Doesn't matter. This lady accepted your explanation. Guide us to the party venue. I believe it's not far from here, no? Seeing that you deliberately teleported us to this… noble residence area instead of the castle."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Meryl replied with a polite nod. Her calm demeanor returned after seeing Ao regain herself again.
"Due to some… problems. We have decided to hold the party in President Valac's castle, located right in the center of this noble residence area. Please don't worry. President Valac's castle still looks normal and is the best venue for this grand party. If you please, then allow me to guide esteemed guests."
"This lady expected an explanation if we saw something strange."
"Yes, Your Majesty. This Meryl Dantalion will deliver."
They began to walk toward a small castle that could be seen between the building from where they stood. Many curious eyes looked at them, and some lustful gazes were also directed at Kai as the female Devils could feel a great amount of Spirit Power within him.
However, they immediately averted their gaze as Amber and Ibaraki took place beside Kai on his left, and Ao sent a glare toward them. They were scared to offend the group composing the Ruler and three Mythical creatures. Each of them could rival their King, and they knew they couldn't defeat them.
While it was a shame, the female Devils chose to back up instead of taking a taste of the Ruler. They still loved their life more than a quality meal.
"Insolent. How dare these people ogling my dear husband with such lecherous eyes?" Ao spat out as she looked around. Her gaze landed on Meryl. "This lady hopes we will be able to teleport back home from the castle when the party finishes."
"We will arrange that, Your Majesty." Meryl immediately replied.
Kai noticed that the Devil girl's emotion was a bit unstable. She was… tired and wanted this to be over as soon as possible. She was like a worker who had just received an unreasonable guest.
'Hahaha. But, well, it's not like I will stop Ao. Because she's correct to be offended from earlier. The Devils' gazes weren't too uncomfortable though, so I also didn't complain about it.'
After walking for a while, they arrived in front of the party venue, a small castle belonging to President Valac.
The small castle stood tall and proud, a magnificent sight to behold. It was decorated as minimally as possible. The gate was open wide, welcoming guests who had just arrived from various directions. There were many races: Vampires, Werewolves, Devils, and some Youkais.
Meryl turned around and curtsied.
"Welcome to Devils' Ball Party."
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