Amidst the scarlet-red, broken ground, an unconscious young man lay there; however, his body seemed uninjured. Soon, horned humanoids began to appear around him. Their skin was metallic in color, and their teeth were shark-like.
They had four arms and were about two feet tall. These beings were demons. There were several of them, and they were stunned and surprised by the presence of the man lying there. They had most definitely seen him crash from the sky.
"What is this? He came from a portal in the sky. Should we tell the higher-ups?" one of the demons asked.
"He's a living person... why is he in the underworld?" another said.
They looked at each other, and one of them spoke again:
"Let's give him to Lord Valier. He'll decide what to do with him."
---
Slowly, Iode—the unconscious man—began to open his eyes, only to find himself galloping… or rather, being carried. He realized he was being held horizontally, from his legs to his head.
'Huh?! Where am I?' he thought, looking around.
'The sky... why does it look so unnaturally orange and red? And the ground—it looks like it's melting and burning. This place is freaking hot, like I'm inside a volcano.'
He saw lava flowing like rivers, and the heat surging through the area was intense—almost unbearable.
'Where am I?' he kept asking himself. Then, he noticed small humanoids in front of and behind him. He could feel hand-like appendages carrying him, galloping steadily across the red biome.
"Demons?!" Iode yelled in surprise. But he quickly noticed his arms and legs were tied, and the small demons were carrying him toward a majestic castle—awfully black in color.
"Unhand me, you preposterous filths!" Iode shouted, struggling to break free from their grip. But no matter how much he fought, the tiny humanoids were determined to carry him into the castle.
Within minutes, they entered the massive structure. Inside was a vast throne room lined with demons on either side of a long red carpet aisle. Their faces were hidden beneath helmets, and they were clad in black and red armor. Even through their helmets, their glowing ruby eyes were visible. They stood motionless, holding all sorts of weapons.
The demons carrying Iode placed him down and bowed, then stepped aside and remained on the red carpet.
Now on the ground, Iode could see more clearly. His pupils shrank in shock as he laid eyes on the symbol etched into the red carpet, printed on vinyl banners across the castle walls—and directly above the figure seated on the gigantic throne.
It was the emblem of Valier: a forward-facing dagger inside a compass star of numerous human arms.
Iode was stunned and speechless. He didn't need anyone to tell him where he was...
He was in the underworld.
And he was standing in the presence of one of its lords—Duke Baran Valier, the devil and Celestial of Sabotage and Perpetuation.
According to Igor, Valier had summoned him and the other members of the Original Five—Seraph, Barbara, Larmore, and Orpheus—after a strange magic dust filled the air. The phenomenon, known as the Magic Plague, had turned humans into ten distinct races or tribes.
They were summoned to the very same throne room Iode now stood in, and a pact was made.
For reasons unknown, Valier did not collect his side of the bargain until their deaths. But even in death, the Original Five did not fully repay their debt. They had split their souls to pass on their powers to successors.
By merging with their successors, they created a new bond—extending the contract through generations. Valier, well aware of this, didn't object. In fact, he saw it as a win: more souls in his possession.
Iode, as Igor's successor, was part of that lineage—a party to the contract. However, he had severed himself from Igor's soul, relinquishing his powers and ending the merge. As far as he was concerned, he owed Valier nothing...
Or so he thought.
'This feeling of dread… it's the most intense I've ever felt. Ugh.'
He couldn't even raise his head to look upon the being seated before him.
Valier was a devil with four horns—two emerging from the sides of his head in near-complete circles, and two protruding from beneath his jaw. His entire head was engulfed in black flames. In fact, his entire body was wreathed in those flames, with no visible skin. Only his glowing red eyes could be seen, shimmering through the darkness. His mouth was invisible, yet his voice echoed loud and terrifying.
'Is this the might of a Celestial? I can't move a single strand of hair… not even my muscles.'
Celestials were beings of unimaginable power who governed the affairs of the universe—or even multiple universes. They drew their energy from mortals across various worlds who worshiped them. Most lived in dimensions separate from the mortal realm.
Celestials resided in two realms. The first group lived in the Celestial Realm, or the Universe of the Celestials. The second group resided in the Underworld.
Those in the underworld were typically demons and devils. Demons were low-ranking Celestials, serving and obeying the more powerful devils. Devils, in turn, ruled the underworld, and their power rivaled that of the most powerful Celestials in the celestial realms. Their hierarchy ranged from Baron to Absolute Ruler.
"Iode de Pandavatton. You have breached the contract binding us together. For this, you must pay for the damages," Valier said, his dreadful tone shaking the very foundation of the castle.
"I-I-I owe you nothing, demon!" Iode replied, straining to speak.
"Demon?! How preposterous, you worthless mortal!" one of Valier's lieutenants bellowed.
The lieutenant, standing to Valier's right, was clearly a devil. He wore a red cape over his intricately designed armor. His large, semicircular horns curved upward, and his helmet gleamed under the flickering light.
The devil raised his hand, summoning a ball of dark energy and firing it toward Iode.
Though Iode's head was bowed, he sensed the danger. He leapt to the side just in time.
The energy ball struck the ground where he had just been, exploding and vaporizing the small demons who had carried him. Though Iode had dodged the main blast, he was still caught in the shockwave and fell, clutching his stomach.
'The hell... I dodged that attack, yet I'm still in pain? Is this the power of Celestials?'
'If that was just a lackey… how strong is that damn devil himself?'
"You will pay for your insolence, you senseless mortal!" the lieutenant shouted, about to advance.
But he was stopped by Valier, who simply raised a hand.
"Enough," Valier said. "Mortal, to pay for your transgressions... I have decided what to do with you."
His glowing, expressionless eyes stared into Iode's soul—cold and terrifying.