【 WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT? YOUR HOME IS PRACTICALLY GONE! 】
Azazel was in an exceptionally good mood.
Ever since the war between Gods and Demons had begun, it had been a very long time since he had felt this delighted.
Within his magnificent palace in the Labyrinth, the great Seventh Demon Lord sat leisurely upon his throne, holding a melon in his left hand and a map of the labyrinth in his right, smiling brightly as one Abyssal Myth after another was thrown inside.
Ever since the Abyssal Myth Belial had been thrown into the dungeon, it was as though some kind of switch had been flipped as more and more unfortunate demons were being sealed within.
Inside his palace, Azazel’s gloating voice thundered endlessly:
“Oh? Why if it isn’t Varak, Leviathan’s little lackey? So you ended up here too? Heh, why the long face? Where’s your army? Hm? Why does your expression keep getting uglier the moment I mention it? Don’t tell me the elves wiped them out?”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk… and who might this be? Isn’t this the evil god famed throughout the Abyss as the most beautiful of them all, Lord Andrealphus? What splendid tail feathers! Hm? Wait a second, why is half of your plumage burnt black? Oh dear… the skin’s peeling off too, burnt to a crisp!”
“Ahahahaha! Isn’t this Stolas? You got caught too! How many years has it been already, and you still haven’t mastered manifesting your domain? That’s just pathetic. How has Leviathan not kicked you out of the Demon Lord Guard yet?”
“Hehehehe! How wonderful! Long time no see, everyone! It truly warms my heart to see so many familiar faces right now!”
“Hm? What? What kind of expressions are those? Shouldn’t you all be overjoyed to see your old pal, the great Lord Azazel? You dare look unhappy? Andulia, slap their mouths for me! Harder! Hmph!”
“Where’s Leviathan? Why hasn’t Leviathan been thrown in yet? I even saved a few melons for him.”
“Good heavens! I seriously cannot believe this! Has Yggdrasill completely overturned Leviathan’s Third Layer or something? One after another, all of his underlings are getting dragged in here! All I can say is… well done!”
“Hehehehehe… aside from those two bastards Samael and Beelzebub, the one I hate most is that gloomy octopus-faced bastard!”
One Abyssal Myth after another was tossed into the labyrinth, each in a more miserable state than the last.
And as he watched these unfortunate figures continuously being thrown inside, Azazel’s mood grew increasingly exhilarated.
His rough and excited laughter echoed throughout his palace.
Before long, the palace was filled with a long row of Abyssal Myths, every one of them sealed and stripped of their power, collapsed helplessly upon the floor.
Their faces were filled with fear and confusion.
Looking at the growing number of victims, Azazel burst into roaring laughter:
“Luria, Alissa, assign them numbers and let them choose their own palaces. I’m in a good mood today, so the lot of you get a week off. Let our new friends here take over your duties for the time being!”
At those words, Luria, Alissa, Andulia, and the other Abyssal Myths who were imprisoned earlier trembled slightly before their eyes lit up with excitement.
Faced with their malicious gazes, the newly arrived Abyssal Myths could not help but shudder.
“L-Lord Azazel… where exactly is this place?”
One of the Abyssal Myths asked in terror.
Azazel glanced at him and replied meaningfully:
“Can’t you tell? This is your new home, of course! Relax now, hehehe… be good, be good, my little treasures. Food and lodging are fully provided here. You’ll definitely forget all your troubles eventually! Hahahaha!”
After speaking, he looked over his increasingly crowded palace, eyes brimming with amusement.
“Excellent, very nice. Seven newcomers all at once. The labyrinth dungeon is finally going to become lively again.”
Azazel was extremely satisfied.
With so many unlucky newcomers accompanying him in this sealed prison, the resentment within his heart finally felt much more relieved.
Although no other Demon Lords had been captured yet, the sheer number of Abyssal Myths gathered here had already surpassed the number of mythical subordinates he once commanded at the height of his rule over the First Layer of Hell.
Speaking of which, fate truly had a wicked sense of humor.
Even at the peak of his power, he had never ruled over so many Abyssal Myths.
However, unlike Azazel’s gleeful schadenfreude, Luria and Alissa exchanged glances as they watched the growing number of Abyssal Myths.
Within each other’s eyes, they saw unmistakable fear.
To capture so many Abyssal Myths all at once…
It seemed the All-Divine Mother’s powers had recently grown even stronger.
For a moment, dread spread through their hearts.
With such a terrifying existence suppressing the labyrinth…
Did they still have any chance of escaping?
Recalling the miserable suffering they had endured not long ago, the two could not help but shiver in despair.
If they were asked now which race they hated the most…
They would undoubtedly choose the elves without hesitation.
If they had been given another chance, then after awakening, they absolutely would never have provoked the forces belonging to the All-Divine Mother.
They would have fled as far away as possible instead, disappearing to the ends of the world.
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
Still, the sudden arrival of so many newcomers at least allowed them a brief chance of respite.
And just after the newly arrived Abyssal Myths had been assigned to their respective palaces, the triumphant arch gate shining with golden radiance suddenly appeared once again after only fifteen minutes.
Seeing it, Azazel immediately perked up.
He straightened his posture at once and widened his eyes eagerly, prepared to see which unfortunate old acquaintance would be thrown in next.
Even the other Abyssal Myths turned their attention toward the arch gate.
In the next moment, a massive figure stumbled through.
His hair was scorched black, its armor shattered, and its aura terribly weakened.
The savage serpent head still burned with fury as he stared at the gradually fading golden arch gate. Trembling, the newcomer stretched out a hand and roared in grief and rage:
“Eveeeeeee!”
Inside Azazel’s Palace, the surrounding Abyssal Myths fell silent.
To their surprise, the newly arrived individual was none other than the ruler of the Sixth Layer Hell, the Second Demon Lord, Samael, the Demon Lord of Wrath.
Upon seeing Samael’s miserable appearance, Azazel’s eyes widened instantly as he leapt up from his seat.
Then he threw back his head and burst into wild laughter:
“HAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
Hearing that unrestrained laughter, Samael shifted his gaze.
The moment he saw Azazel, his eyes paused slightly.
“…Azazel?!”
Azazel narrowed his eyes.
“That’s right. It’s me.”
After speaking, he carefully sized up his fellow Demon Lord from head to toe once more, clicking his tongue in amazement.
“Tsk, tsk… Yggdrasill truly shock me this time. I thought Leviathan would be the one dragged in here first. Never expected you to get captured before him instead.”
“Hehehe… looks like preparing a few extra palaces was the correct decision after all.”
“Hm? Wait—Samael, where’s that favorite demonic spear of yours? What happened to it? Don’t tell me Yggdrasill picked it up as a trophy?”
“Oh my? Did I really guess it right? Why did your already ugly face suddenly become more uglier—Hey, don’t get angry now, my old pal.”
“Ah, ah… what a truly wonderful day it is! Just look at you, you hotheaded brute who knows nothing but throw a tantrum, finally ending up like this. Hahahahaha!”
Azazel threw back his head in mad glee.
Yet after laughing for a while, his expression gradually turned cold.
The quasi-overseer of the Labyrinth Dungeon looked down at the grim-faced Samael, stepped off his throne, and walked over to him.
Then he kicked Samael viciously while sneering:
“Hmph. I should’ve known better than to trust you bastard when we first invaded the world of Seigües together. You sold me out… completely screwed me over!”
“Now look at you… similarly captured too, just like I do. Heh, serves you right!”
He cursed furiously.
Long before Azazel had been captured by Evé, he had already been sealed within the world of Seigües for countless years.
Back then, before he launched his solitary assault upon Seigües and was ultimately sealed away, Samael had originally agreed to invade this world alongside him.
Yet in the end, Samael abandoned him and fled.
It was precisely because of that betrayal that Azazel had ended up being sealed for a long time.
The moment those old memories surfaced, the Seventh Demon Lord felt fury surge within his chest once more.
Narrowing his eyes, he looked at the enraged Samael and suddenly grinned again.
“Relax, my dear ‘old friend’… I’ll make sure your life here is even more enjoyable than Luria’s and Alissa’s. You’ll definitely become the finest model worker in this entire dungeon… hehehe… Hahahaha!”
Upon hearing those words, Luria and Alissa whose hiding in the corner shivered coldly, their gazes toward Samael carrying unmistakable sympathy.
As for Samael, he raised his head and glared at the laughing Azazel with eyes blazing with fury.
Suddenly, he let out a cold sneer.
“What are you laughing at? You worthless fool, while you’re laughing here, your home’s practically gone already!”
Azazel’s smile froze slightly.
He narrowed his eyes at Samael, and his aura instantly became dangerous.
“What did you just say?”
Samael sneered mockingly.
“So you still don’t know? The armies of the gods have already advanced deep into the First Layer of Hell. At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before they find your Demonic Core in Hell.”
Azazel’s expression changed slightly as his face immediately darkened.
Ever since learning that the Gods had already launched their grand Crusade against the Demons of the Abyss, the situation of the First Layer of Hell had been his greatest concern.
Yet with him trapped within this sealed prison, Azazel could do absolutely nothing about what was happening there in Hell.
During this time, he had tried desperately not to dwell upon this matter too deeply, repeatedly comforting himself with the belief that throughout the ages, the Realm of Hell had never once truly fallen during any of the Gods’ previous Crusades and therefore surely would not fall this time either…
But Samael’s words instantly shattered all of that self-deception.
Azazel’s expression turned ugly as he roared furiously:
“Bullshit! My dominion the First Layer will never fall to the hands of the Gods! You traitor!”
“Hmph! Don’t think I don’t know! It was bastards like you who lured the armies of the gods into my dominion!”
“You all deserve to die!”
As he spoke, he roared toward the other Abyssal Myths who had already been thoroughly disciplined into obedience:
“Drag this bastard to the ugliest palace! I want him working nonstop from dawn until nightfall without a moment of rest! I want the elves to torment him until he suffers a complete mental breakdown!”
The surrounding Abyssal Myths exchanged glances with one another, yet none of them moved.
Azazel’s expression darkened.
“What? Do the lot of you also want to work nonstop from dawn until nightfall?”
The Abyssal Myths faces instantly paled.
They shuddered violently before immediately springing into action. Under Samael’s furious glare, they hoisted him up and dragged him away…
Soon, Azazel’s palace was left with only the Seventh Demon Lord remaining inside.
After a long silence, he collapsed heavily back onto his throne.
The smile on his face gradually disappeared, and his gaze slowly became vacant.
The once arrogant and overbearing Seventh Demon Lord suddenly seemed to have aged countless years.
His fists tightened slightly as he muttered hoarsely:
“They’ve already… reached the inner regions of Hell?”
“W-What exactly am I supposed to do now?”
→⟐←
Passing through the Gate of Reversal, Evé returned once more to the battlefield in Maple Moon Territory.
The fighting upon the ground was still ongoing, though it had already completely transformed into a relentless pursuit.
Smoke and dust billowed across the battlefield.
Faintly, the battle cries of players and the warriors of various races could still be heard.
Looking out across the battlefield, countless guild banners belonging to the players fluttered proudly in the wind as they advanced alongside the long marching formations, pursuing the routed Demon army.
Dust clouds surged across the earth. It was the reorganized cavalry force, seemingly mounted upon warhorses the players had acquired from Maple Moon itself, forming genuine elven cavalry.
Viewed from the sky above, the sight of countless armies charging forward in pursuit was immensely spectacular, no less awe-inspiring than a true holy war.
Yet the most eye-catching sight of all remained the traces left behind by the battle between Evé and Samael: the enormous abyss-like ravines carved across the land, along with the towering vine platforms Evé had raised to shield the roots of the World Tree.
The towering platform woven from vines and tree trunks, standing nearly a thousand meters tall, would undoubtedly become one of the iconic landmarks of Maple Moon Free State. Perhaps, in the future, it might even draw pilgrims among the believers of the Church of Life to worship before it.
The war upon the ground still continued, while the mythical battle in the skies had already come to an end.
Among the Abyssal Myths who had fought against Reinhardt and the others, several had already fallen. The remaining few, having been besieged by multiple Mythical-ranked opponents, ultimately chose to surrender and were bound by the Platinum Dragon King with Chains of Divinity.
Although this incarnation of the Dragon God was no match for Samael, dealing with Abyssal Myths who had yet to reach even the rank of Weaker Divine Power was still more than manageable for him.
Even in his heavily wounded state.
And when Evé returned, the now fully ascended Black Dragon God Meryer eyes lit up. Letting out a long draconic roar, he immediately flew to her side.
Meryer then transformed, taking the form of a handsome black-haired youth before respectfully bowing toward her.
“Your Divine Grace, the battle has concluded. The remaining three Abyssal Myths have been captured and are awaiting your judgment!”
Evé nodded slightly.
“Well done. Send them all to the Labyrinth Dungeon.”
After speaking, she smiled faintly and added:
“And besides, it is time for you to change the way you address me.”
Meryer paused briefly, though realization quickly dawned upon him.
He bowed once more and spoke with visible excitement:
“Yes, Your Grace, Divine Lord!”
He had already become a true god.
And his relationship with Evé was no longer merely that of a favored pet or lackey.
In a certain sense, he had now become one of Eve’s subordinate gods.
Evé gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.
Afterward, she turned her gaze toward Reinhardt on the other side.
The handsome Platinum Dragon King inclined his head respectfully, placing a hand upon his chest as he offered her a formal salute. His voice was filled with sincerity.
“Lady Evé, congratulations on returning to the peak of your strength and ascending once more to the rank of Higher Divine Power.”
After speaking, he withdrew an invitation letter from within his robes and respectfully presented it with both hands.
“Lady Evé, this was entrusted to me by our Divine Mother, to be delivered to you after you attained the rank of Higher Divine Power. She invites you to visit Dragon Island whenever you have the time.”
Upon hearing Reinhardt’s words, a small figure flashed through Eve’s mind.
The only being whom a Dragon God like Reinhardt would respectfully address as their Divine Mother was undoubtedly the Ancestral Dragon, Urinos.
At that moment, Evé recalled the promise she had once made with her.
Her thoughts stirred slightly as she gently nodded and accepted the invitation.
“I understand.”
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