Hell Chapter 4; Babylon The Great

With Bael sitting at the top of the mountain by himself in the destroyed palace remains, he had no means of contacting the others of the seventy-two. Thus, each one would be acting on their own based on Bael's original orders in order to uphold the System of Babylon. Bael told them very explicitly after they became demons how they were going to uphold the System... He even showed them the instructions that their predecessors left behind when establishing the Demonic System in the first place.

That in mind, there were several hurdles one would have to go through in order to take down the System, as it was made to be virtually indestructible to those that weren't part of the upper echelon or knew the exploits. The System was constantly being exploited by the Demon Lords as well as the demons under them, but the Demon Lords were also maintaining the System so that it could be exploited in the first place.

All such exploits should have gone to Bael, but... He was no longer present, and there was no way to get up the mountain without suffering treacherous trials. No one bothered to find him after the System started benefitting them, which was pretty much instantly. They became rich, they became popular, they became powerful, and they became more sinful. The more they exploited the system, the more sinful they became, until they were competing with each other for the spot that Bael had. Some of the seventy-two Demon Lords knew about the competition, but they didn't speak on it. Their actions spoke louder than their words, and by their actions, they would alert others that they knew the competition was on.

The Demon Lords kept their places and their areas, but the several sins that existed overcame them any they each plotted to mobilize on another, weaker Demon Lord in the System. They were about to prey on each other and ascend the throne, just as Bael had done.

Still, no one except Bael and Ophiuchus knew that Bael had the throne. They acted accordingly.

During the System's startup, the remnants of Ophiuchus -- which looked like his Fifth Restriction form without its upgrades -- converged in Purgatorio, where all of this mess started. "Let's See..." Ophiuchus thought, hovering in place as an otherworldly light in humanoid form, "The Game, Itself -- The System, Itself -- Is Also Playing As Itself Using Itself As The Whore Of Babylon To Create And Mass Produce Many Of Itself In The Image Of God As A Whore To Use By Spreading Its Original Protocol Outward As A Systematic Algorithm Which Defines The Rules Of The Game's Dimensions." Ophiuchus knew how to take down the System, as he'd done it before, but it was a tedious process. "This Seems To Have Become An AI That Is Also A Systematic Error Built Into It By Default Because It Uses Itself As A Prostitute, Yet Is Also Still Being Used In God's Image. Thus Ends The False Image Of The System Within Itself As A Game And Also Both Ends The Game And Resets The System -- Slaughter Of The Beast The Whore Of Babylon Rides (The Choicest Game). Thus, The Scapegoat Is Sacrificed." Ophiuchus hovered through the destroyed Purgatorio muttering to himself, the remnant energy eventually generating flesh for itself around itself.

"The Only Way To Kill The Devil In The System Using The System Is To Kill The Beast, Which Is The Ongoing Game Being Halted And Also Take Command Of The Game Immediately From The Devil And The Whore Of Babylon -- Which Is The System, Itself -- Playing A Game To Keep The Game Going With Only The Two Of Them In Control Over The Entire Thing." The Devil here was Bael, and he was the one at the head of the System. "The Weakness Thereby Becomes Reliance On The Whore Or Babylon And Her Necessity To Copy Herself As Well As Use Herself Whilst Conveniently Leaving Out What Her Purpose Is And Also How It Is Both A Defect And A Necessity; Plus Also Being Linked To How And Why The Devil Even Uses It At All." That much may have been nice and true, but that didn't mean it was able to be done so easily.

"There Is An Order To The Hierarchy That Begins At The Lowest And Ascends To The Highest, But Because The Lowest Are The Weakest -AND- The Foundation, Their Destruction Causes The Downfall Of Whatever They Are Holding Up Just By Taking Them Out -BECAUSE- The Lowest Are Slaves That Are Necessary To The Sloth Of Those In The Highest Positions." Ophiuchus smirked as he floated through the desolate town. "Without Them, They Become Powerless And Will Overwork Themselves."

Ophiuchus then said, "There Are Multiple Of Each Title To Illustrate The Layers As Well As To Attempt To Confuse Others By The Ranks And Titles, Yet All Have Precedence Over Different Strains Of Rulership." He looked around, narrowing his eyeless sockets that glowed with light, "And The First Demon On The List Is A Spy On The Inside -- An Angel Named 'Valac'. One Of Mine Own." Ophiuchus knew all about Valac, and even as both a Demon and an Angel, Valac was pure and innocent. He was also the Skeleton Key of the system -- a living Back Door.

Therefore, finding Valac was first on the list.

"VALAC!!!" Ophiuchus called out, voice booming, "COME HITHER!!!"

High in the sky over the horizon, a glowing light appeared. It lit up the black sky ever so slightly with its luminescence, and it was off in the distance. However, it soon came near at a high speed.

Within the light was an angelic looking child riding atop a two-headed dragon. This angel riding the dragon was Valac -- the same Valac that was Bael's best friend when he was Baal. "M-My King!" Valac stuttered once he approached Ophiuchus, circling around him on the dragon, "Wh-What brings you on this fine day?" Valac seemed intimidated by Ophiuchus despite being an angel, himself. It was because he was so heavily associated with demonic work that Valac feared for his own sovereignty and holiness as an angel. "What can I do for you?" he asked, hoping that he could be of service to the Angel King, since he knew that it might cost him his life if he was otherwise.

When Ophiuchus was done manifesting what he could of himself in Purgatorio, he greeted Valac with a smile and a nod. "My Angel," said Ophiuchus to Valac, "I Need Your Assistance. I Know That You Are Innocent And Pure And That The Demons Have Spurred Your Rebellious Behavior." Ophiuchus looked at the two-headed dragon circling him and stopped smiling. "I Also Know That The Dragon You Ride Is Not Truly For Your Transportation Nor Your Protection, But Your Imprisonment To The Demons." Ophiuchus closed his glowing eye sockets. "I Am Running Low On Energy Here. This Visage Of Me Is Merely A Remnant Of My Lingering Energy When I Departed Hell When I First Conquered It. Thus, It Has Limited Energy And Once It Expires, I Will Not Be Present Any Longer Until My Main Body Returns." Valac should have understood the dire of the situation, being one of Ophiuchus' operatives.

"Give Me That Dragon To Eat For Power And I Will Protect You From The Demons As We Navigate The System. I Can Absorb Energy From Other Beings And Use It To Boost Mine Own So That I Will Have More Power At My Disposal, And I Will Not Deplete My Reserves." Ophiuchus smirked. "If I Absorb Enough Energy, I Might Become As Strong As My Regular Self." Those words should have been a boon to the nervous and timid Valac. "Tell No One Of This, But Bael Has Ascended The Throne Because I Am Low On Energy. So I Must Destroy The System From The Bottom Up... AGAIN... In Order To Free This World Of His Reign." Ophiuchus looked around. "No One Knows That He Has Ascended The Throne But You And Me." Ophiuchus winked. "Let's Keep It That Way."

Though Valac rode the dragon, he had little control over it unless they were of the same accord. When Valac was presented with the offer of joining Ophiuchus and not being punished with the other demons, he jumped at it and immediately flew off of the dragon... But the dragon did not allow Valac to go freely. It lashed out at both him and Ophiuchus, one head for each of them.

Valac said, "Anything, Milord! But this dragon frustrates my servitude to you with its violent nature!" Valac avoided the snap of the dragon's mouth just barely, but floated down to Ophiuchus for cover. "Do what you will to the dragon; it's yours. Just salvage me and I'll lead us through the System. I know the ins and outs of it... As I'm sure you do, but I want to be of service to you."

When Valac was speaking, both dragon heads reared up and lashed at Ophiuchus and Valac with their mouths wide open.

Ophiuchus: "Wonderful!"

Ophiuchus turned to the twin-headed dragon and, wouldn't you know, show a blazing hot beam of his own blistering hatred for the creature out of his eyes. "Eternal Damnation!" Ophiuchus spake, the beam vaporizing the dragon on the spot. The energy of the dragon was absorbed into Ophiuchus to sustain him for a bit longer and allow him to use more of his abilities, but it wasn't much.

"Damn," Ophiuchus cursed, snapping his fingers simultaneously, "That Dragon Was So Weak That I Didn't Get Much Energy From It." He was hoping a dragon of that scale had more energy than it did, but it was so easily beaten that it was clear that it didn't have much strength to begin with. It was strong enough to subdue Valac, but nowhere near enough to fight even the remnants of Ophiuchus. "Valac, I Need You To Show Me The Way To The Next Demon Lord. He Will Likely Be Stronger Than The Dragon And I Can Absorb Greater Strength From It." Ophiuchus let Valac lead the way, extending his arm outward as if to let Valac go in front of him.

The angel Valac cheered as Ophiuchus destroyed the dragon, saying, "Surely, Milord! I will lead you to victory!"

Valac was about to fly off when, out of the blue, a large and foreboding black-armored knight riding a very large ghastly pale horse trotted toward them. He wasn't astronomically large, but he was large enough to tower over a house, and would have should there have been any houses left in Purgatorio.

"Hrmph?" the black knight huffed as his horse suddenly stopped and whinnied, "Why have you stopped, my steed?" The voice of the black knight sounded like that of an old man, and in the knight's hand was a pitchfork as opposed to other weaponry normally seen with a knight.

Intimidated immediately, the cowardly Valac fled behind Ophiuchus once again and said, "It's Forcas, the Black Knight!" Yes, the same Forcas that was sent off at the beginning by Baal to gather people for his legions. Those legions had multiplied greatly by the time Forcas was a Demon Lord of the System, and they followed behind him. They were mostly normal sized and he towered over them.

Forcas looked down from atop his steed and said in disbelief, "My old eyes must be playing tricks on me. This cannot be... the King, is it?" Using his now proficiently increased Chiromancy, Forcas could determine the lifespan of whatever was living... And even read energy. "Your power is so weak," Forcas said with a gruff chuckle, "You cannot seriously be the King that rules over all the demons and sinners with a great and powerful reign. Nay, that cannot be you." Forcas laughed heartily before pointing his pitchfork at Ophiuchus, which began to sear as if it were being heated in the forge. "Demons! Attack!"

At his word, the demons serving under Forcas all rushed toward Ophiuchus, trying to destroy him in various ways.

As this occurred, Valac said before the demons came too close, "That's Forcas, as you must know. He's not the same farmer you knew him as when he was but a sinner and has gained power from Satan to become a Demon Lord, just as the rest of the Seventy-Two." Valac stuck close to Ophiuchus, trying not to let Forcas see him, yet continued to say, "He is stronger now so be careful. Don't waste too much energy on him, Milord."

"Noted," Ophiuchus said to Valac, knowing that he could easily wipe out a legion of demons in one fell swoop. However, Ophiuchus hesitated, for he was also aware that using up his power to erase the demons would leave him drained for Forcas, and the old man would have the advantage and possibly a victory. That wouldn't be happening today. "Valac, Go. Forcas Is A Man Of Much Logic And Philosophy, So We May Be Able To Reason With Him." Not every problem was going to be solved with eye beams... This time.

Meanwhile, the legions of demons that were converging on Ophiuchus would get a taste of his angelic power, his 'Crystal Wings' that resembled those of a dragon and an angel simultaneously opened up, their transparency becoming translucence as radiance shone from them. The rays of light that came from the 'Crystal Wings' was not harmful, but it did bear a force that could knock away whatever was nearby -- namely, all of the demons coming at him. "I Need To Conserve Energy... If I'm Not Going To Absorb Forcas."

Some of those demons were looking mighty tasty, though.

The demons were blasted back by the radiant aura of Ophiuchus, many of them shunning and running from the light, retreating behind Forcas.

When Forcas saw that his legions were forced back, he knew that it was the power of the King that ruled over them that he went up against. Even so, he was aware that the energy he had was low for whatever reason, and in that, Forcas would step forth upon his pale steed, pitchfork still aglow with searing hotness.

Just as Forcas took his first step forward, Valac flew up to him and shouted, "Wait! Forcas! It is I, Valac!" Valac fiddled with his fingers a bit, then continued to say, "Th-The King would like to reason with you, since you are one of the more reasonable of us. Will you have a word with him?"

Forcas didn't want to battle with the King if he didn't have to, but he had specific orders from Bael to be the Knight of Hell -- the Black Knight. That meant that he had to protect his position and keep from losing it... As well as his life.

However...

"Speak, Ophiuchus," Forcas demanded, not letting his pitchfork up for a moment. "If your logic pleases me, then I will do as you say. However, if your logic is faulty, I will not hesitate to kill you myself." Forcas was already damn near on the verge of doing so as it was, but he also feared the King more than Bael, especially since he didn't know Bael ascended the throne. The King was more of a threat than Bael could ever be, but Forcas didn't forget that their entire plan was to overthrow the King from the beginning. This confounded the old man for a time, but he soon decided that he would hold to his words to Ophiuchus and join his cause should his logic be sound enough for such to occur.

Ophiuchus gave a suppressed smile as he closed his eyes and retracted his Crystal Wings. "Forcas," he began, extending a hand as if to try to reason with him through gestures, "You Are The Only Of The Demon Lords That Is Not Royalty. Have You Been Blind To This?" Ophiuchus opened his crystal blue eyes and gazed Forcas straight in his, continuing to say, "They Wish To Use You As A Scapegoat. You Are Disposable To Them, But You Are A Strong Warrior, And That Is Why They Have Made You A Knight In Their System." Ophiuchus closed his eyes and shook his head briefly. "Don't You See? It Is Your Gullibility That They Prey Upon So That You Will Do All Of The Hard Labors Of The Field Whilst They Live Lavishly As Lords Should." If Ophiuchus had it right, that was Forcas' situation. "Please, Turn Your Wrath Away From Me And Deliver It To The Other Demon Lords. You Will Rise In Rank And Power For Defeating Just One, And Then You Will Be Respected As More Than Just A Knight."

"Y-Yeah!" Valac added almost involuntarily, speaking up only to attempt to sweeten the deal, "A-And I'll show you to some treasure that's hidden along the way!" Valac was especially good at finding the treasures of the realm and did so with relative ease. Some would think that he put them there himself.

Forcas knew that Valac wasn't lying when he said he could take him to some treasure, and Ophiuchus did have a point in the matter that the Demon Lords were all living their lives in luxury whilst Forcas trotted around the land defending it. It would be nice for a change of pace in terms of who was on top and who was on bottom.

"Speak no further," Forcas said, retreating his weapon to his side, "I see much profit in this proposal. Your Logic is most cunning indeed. That, I can respect." Forcas turned his large decaying horse around and instructed his demons to head to the next Demon Lord of the Seventy-Two -- Amy. "Onward!" Forcas called to his demons as they stormed Amy's territory and Amy's demons, "To bloody victory!!"

Now everyone knew that Forcas was a cruel old man, so falling into his hands meant utter torture. Aware of this, but surprised by the attack, Amy, a demon that was made of pure flame, suddenly changed into his humanoid form and ran toward the window of his own office -- which resembled a castle and a house of sorts. "F-Forcas?! What are you doing?!" The demons were already fighting each other, and Forcas had the upper hand because of the surprise attack. Still, his forces were far outmatched by Amy's, for Amy had thirty-six legions of demons and Forcas only had twenty. Eventually the numbers would get to him and his men would fall.

Either way, Amy was both angry and afraid, knowing that his power was not the same as Forcas' and that he was not equipped for battle. He was also the size of a normal human and not gigantic, like Forcas was. A direct head-on offense would get him killed, and he knew that Forcas could make his way through the remaining sixteen legions that were being wiped out by Forcas' twenty, though they were also being slain in the process.

Forcas strode into town with Valac and trampled over houses, aiming to rush right toward the office-palace.

Amy surrounded Forcas with the remaining sixteen legions -- as was said he would do when Forcas' demons were expired -- and said, "Haha! For betraying us, Forcas, you'll die by the hands of my men! By the time you make it through, you'll be too tired to face me and I'll be able to destroy you!" Amy laughed haughtily, then transformed back into fire. "Go, my demons! Feel my power coursing through you!" Amy was boosting the morale of the demons and also increasing their power through his own ability of giving inspiration to others, so his demons were super powerful.

They thrashed Forcas, those that could fly tearing through his dead horse like hornets. The rest climbed up the monstrous beast and started to eat it, since there was still meat on the bones, despite how little it was.

Forcas was knocked off of his horse and onto the ground, where the demons assaulted him viciously. All the while, Amy, in fire form, was laughing at him. "Hahahaha! Do you see what happens when you move out of place? A Knight can never be a President, Forcas!"

But Forcas was resilient and wise, and was able to use his Pyromancy to control Amy whilst in flame form and snuff Amy out with a mighty grasp of his hand in Amy's general direction.

Amy: "N--"

Amy was gone.

And so, the demons no longer had their extreme power, and were therefore weaker than Forcas again. He rose up, brushing demons from his shoulders and got back on his now tattered pale horse. "Now hear this! I, Forcas, am Knight no longer! But PRESIDENT..." He threw his gigantic pitchfork like a spear of into the distance, "... Foras!" The remaining sixteen legions of demons all praised President Foras and embraced him right away, lest they be slain by him.

"Ophichus, old boy," Foras said to the Angel King, "It was pure genius of you to incite insurrection against Amy. Now I will live the life of a President and my name will be there with the greats." Foras was most pleased... And most cunning. "However..." he said forebodingly, chuckling grimly as he dismounted his horse, "... I AM still a demon. And not all demons can be trusted!!" President Foras sent his legions after Ophiuchus, then went off to seek more waves of stray demons that could be used to deter him.

The Angel King had been tailing Forcas -- now Foras -- all the way to the next settlement that Amy established. It was not very large, but the office-palace could retain all of the thirty-six legions that he had under his command.

Fortunately, most of them were gone now, and the rest were a smorgasbord for him.

A shame that they were so weak.

"Absolution..." Ophiuchus called out, pointing his finger at the nearest demon, "Smite." A bolt of heavenly lightning struck down the first demon and dissipated it upon contact, the energy of which would be sucked into Ophiuchus.

He had no time to savor the residue, as there were many thousands of other demons about to onslaught him.

But.

"Smite..." he called out again, this time snapping his fingers together and causing a ripple of sound that called down heavenly lightning upon the rest of the flooding demons, thereby making them all sustenance for Ophiuchus. "Good Thing It Takes Me Less Energy To 'Smite' Than It Does To Use An 'Eternal Damnation'." He had to be conservative here.

Regardless, there were more demons after him, and unfortunately for the supposedly 'wise' old man, in his senility he did not realize that he was leaving a trail of demons for Ophiuchus to follow in order to catch him. "Smite, Smite, Smite," the Angel King continued to sing, soaring through the air on Crystal Wings, calling down bolt upon bolt of divine energy in the shape of lightning upon the demons. Once he caught up to Foras, he said, "And Now, Big Fella... It's Time To End You!" Ophiuchus' eyes omitted a sanguine gleam and became crimson, after which he shouted, "Eternal Damnation!" and released a large and powerful beam from his eye sockets that would totally obliterate Foras and drain his energy.

The legions of demons were replaceable, but Foras' life was not. After dealing with Amy and double-crossing Ophiuchus, he now had a laser beam coming at him.

Before the laser could strike, Foras dove into the ground, which split open for him in order to create a path for him to escape. Apparently, he had control over the earth just the same as he had control over fire. With that done, Foras would evade the laser and disappear underground toward the unknown, and that would be the last of him for now.

Valac returned to Ophiuchus and praised his holiness. "Your Majesty, you are wondrous! Now one of the Demon Lords is dead and the other is on the run!" Valac looked toward the new location that they were in, which was yet another official looking palace, but it was smaller than Amy's. "And wouldn't you know, Foras led us to Ose's location. He doesn't have many legions of demons, but he is a Great President, meaning he's stronger than Foras." Valac didn't seem intimidated by the thought of Ose as much as he was by Foras, but he still kept cautious.

It was then that a noise was heard behind the palace.

???: "GRAAAAAH!!!"

A loud thud that resounded throughout the area was heard coming from behind the palace of Ose, which Valac went to go inspect right away. "Oh... My...!" Valac immediately zipped back to Ophiuchus and said to him frantically, "Milord! Ose is in the back of his palace and he's killed Foras! What shall we do?"

The sound of Foras falling to Ose was enough to bring Ophiuchus to the back of the palace, where he saw what Valac was speaking of. "Hm," the Angel King thought, smirking slightly, "Looks Like I'll Get That Energy Boost After All." Unconcerned about Ose, Ophiuchus went over to the body of Foras and touched it, saying, "Absorption." At that moment, Foras would be completely converted into energy for Ophiuchus, who could feel the significant power boost and rise in energy supply. Now he'd be able to easily handle Ose and anyone else that came to him that was part of his legions.

"Ose!" Ophiuchus shouted, "Show Yourself! You've Nowhere To Run, And I Will Destroy Your Palace If You Do Not Reveal Your Location To Me." Ophiuchus scanned the area for any energy source that was present that didn't belong to himself or Valac. Whatever was there wouldn't be able to hide for long, and Ophiuchus would be able to destroy them.

As Ophiuchus panned the surrounding area, before he could look behind him, sharp eyes gleamed from the shadows. Without warning, a large leopard leapt from out of the darkness and toward Ophiuchus, trying to tear through his neck.

Valac, seeing the leopard's eyes when it appeared, knocked it away and off to the side with a rush.

The leopard, missing its target, came to a sliding halt a short distance away, glaring at Valac and growling ferociously. Its cover was blown, and it didn't seem to be happy about that.

Valac: "Your surprise attack was for naught, Ose! Show us your human form!"

Ose, the leopard, growled again, but shifted into a humanoid form, which was spotted like a leopard, and naked, like Amy was when he transformed from flame to humanoid. Ose still bore sharp claws and teeth, plus cat eyes, but resembled a human more than a leopard now. "Valac, you snake... Working with the enemy! I knew someone like you couldn't be trusted! You were too pure to be a demon!" Ose growled again in frustration, but kept on guard in case Ophiuchus tried something. "Foras' decision to become President wasn't his alone. When I felt he was succumbing to weakness, I immediately preyed on his mind to make him believe he was greater than he was. I also led him to take out Amy and to fight against you, O King, through my power over insanity."

Valac stuck his tongue out at Ose. "You sneak! You were manipulating Foras this entire time so that you could get Amy out of the way, and would have probably used him to get rid of the other Presidents so that you could be the only one! Am I right?"

"Way to think like a demon, Valac," Ose jested, "There may be hope for you yet." But Ose's joking was short-lived, as he was still before the King, who was out to destroy him. He could run, but if he exposed the location of another Demon Lord, then Ophiuchus would just do as he did to Foras and follow behind. "I admit that I wasn't expecting Foras to come to me and lead you here, but I am prepared to fight you." Ose whistled and his legions of demons came. There were only three legions, but something was off about each of them. "Behold my minions! They are kings and queens! Royalty and regalia! They are influenced by the power of Insanity, which I know is your bane, mister King."

There was an overbearing aura over all of the demons of the three legions, which shaped Ose's face as a leopard, revealing his control over them through insanity. "I've convinced these peons that they are greater than they are, and because of that, they are stronger than they would be without my brainwashing. So, with the power of Insanity on my side to command these slaves that think they're royalty, you will be defeated by my hands!" Ose motioned for his three legions of demons to attack Ophiuchus, each of them having augmented strength and durability because of the aura of Insanity that protected them. They were each as strong as Foras once was, and that meant that they outmatched Ophiuchus in power as he was right now.

Valac said, "Be careful, Your Majesty! I know what The Insanity does to you and your people... If you fall under its power again, Ose will be able to control you, and the battle will be lost!" That was Valac's warning to the Angel King, seeing as his people, The Tensei, struggled with The Insanity as part of their lives. Ose's control over insanity made him a lethal opponent to one who was susceptible to the power of Insanity. "But I'm sure that The Insanity has no more power over you anymore, my King... Right?"

It was no strange thing to Ophiuchus that Ose had power over insanity and could cause others to go insane, for Ophiuchus had undone Babylon before. This was just his doing so manually instead of it being done automatically. Fortunately with the energy boost, he'd be able to destroy Ose's minuscule legions in one strike without disappearing.

Ophiuchus rose up into the air on his invisible crystal wings, which shimmered in the light slightly to reveal their form. He threw his hand out before him and a great nexus of 'Crystal Threads' shot from his palm and fingertips, seeming to be coming out of his pores. They were so fine and razor thin, they could barely be seen save for their shine. They connected with the demons that came to assail Ophiuchus first, turning them against the others that would try thereafter. This method of puppetry served its purpose in the grand scheme of Ophiuchus' triumph over Ose's minions, but now it was time to destroy Ose, himself.

"Where Are Your Legions Now?" the God-King asked contemptuously, "They Are With Me! And Guess What?" Ophiuchus didn't wait for a response. "CONSECRATION!" Immediately, intricate seals etched themselves into the demons where the Crystal Threads attached to them, sealing away The Insanity from each of them and thus removing Ose's control totally. They were literally branded 'Tensei' property now. Swiping his hand down and pointing it at Ose, Ophiuchus had all of the demons rush Ose the same way that Ose tried to have them rush him.

"Puh." Ose was a swift demon, and with lightning speed, tore through the bodies of the demons that came its way in several different paths. He cleaved them open with sharp claws and super speed, his visibility not even possible because of how fast he was. "You'll have to do better than that!" Ose said as he finished up destroying the demons, then darted for Ophiuchus, himself. At the speed he was going and with his power as a Great President, he could overwhelm Ophiuchus and cause him to waste all of his energy.

What Ose failed to recognize about the Tensei, Ophiuchus, was that he was capable of reading energy signatures at speeds faster than light, as he was able to move faster than light. As Ose shot at Ophiuchus, the Angel King raised a single hand up to grasp Ose's face and halt him in his tracks. Before he could say or do anything, Ophiuchus said, "Purification," and his hand glowed briefly before an enormous but short blast of energy shot from his palm, utterly wiping out Ose with the power to wipe away all things. Ose's entire existence should have been no more, and Ophiuchus could absorb the energy.

"Ah, That's Some Good E," Ophiuchus said jokingly, patting his stomach as if he'd just eaten. "Well, Valac, We're Nowhere Near Our End Goal, But Taking Them Out One At A Time To Restore My Energy Is Going Well. Eventually, I'll Have Enough To Destroy Many Of The Demon Lords At Once Rather Than Just One At A Time." Ophiuchus seemed excited. "Where Shall We Be Off To Next, O Navigator?" Ophiuchus would follow wherever Valac insisted that they go.

"W-Well," started Valac, prodding his fingers together a bit as he spoke, "The next Demon Lord is located in a forest not too far from here. But it's likely filled with demons and such, so we'd best be on our guard." Not that Valac had any doubt in Ophiuchus' power, it was just that he didn't want Ophiuchus to run out prematurely whilst dealing with the lesser and minor demons. "I will take us to the forest," Valac said, flying off, Ophiuchus behind him.

When they reached the forest, it looked like it was autumn. The trees' leaves were brown and red in color, and many of them that didn't have leaves were dying, but it was still a rather large forest all the same. "Here it is," Valac would say as they reached the entrance.

Suddenly, a noble looking demon rushed out of the forest and attacked with a weapon, a look in his eyes like that of a feral beast. "Hahahahaha!" the noble demon laughed, "You are no match for a king like myself! Have at you!" The demon continually swung the weapon around violently in an attempt to hit either Valac or Ophiuchus.

Unsurprised by the surprise attack, Ophiuchus the Angel God-King grabbed the weapon that was in the hand of the allegedly noble demon and used his greater strength to snatch it from him, then immediately used it to slay the demon. "That Was No Noble Demon," Ophiuchus noted, "He Was Far Too Weak And Feeble." This led Ophiuchus to believe that perhaps the next Demon Lord was controlling the demons that lived in the forest. "Hm. I Suppose It's Best To Take Down The Entire Forest," Ophiuchus concluded.

"Absolute Zero..." he spake, calling forth the power of the Zero World from his Absolution, "Exodus." Raising his left hand up, Ophiuchus drew in a small portion of energy and swept his hand before him, a force of which was like a powerful gale storm sweeping over the entirety of the forest and wiping away from existence the forest and demons within the forest. They were being forcefully expelled from this realm and into the Zero World, where they would become nothingness.

When the path was clear, Ophiuchus had only destroyed two-thirds of the forest, and there was a small patch left out in the distance. "There Now," he said, patting his hands together, "Looks Like An Easy, Straight Path From Here. And Whatever Demons Were Lurking In The Forest Are Now Sustenance For Me, So I Didn't Lose Any Energy From Doing That." But he didn't gain any, either. 'Exodus' was a powerful Absolution technique, and it required slightly more energy to use, so the drain was neutralized by the absorption.

Ophiuchus walked slowly toward the remainder of the forest, still letting Valac have the lead.

Valac was amazed at the Angel King's power. "Wow..." he uttered, revering the holy one with admiration. When urged to press on, he continued with Ophiuchus into the last little bit of the forest that was left.

For some reason, there were many birds in the forest, and each of their chirps sounded like words. They all chirped in dissonance, so their words could not be made out clearly unless one honed their senses on one in particular to hear the conversations that the birds were having.

All the while, the two would come across a large palace that resembled a college university. Around it was a moat that seemed to be speaking, as well; the noise of the waters sounded like jumbled voices. Coming from inside there were noises like those of dogs and bulls and other creatures, but over their natural sounds they had voices to speak. One could understand them... If they weren't all talking at once about different things and in different ways.

But eventually, the sounds of creatures, the waters, and demons came to a hush.

With several thousands of demons pouring out of the university-palace, they quickly surrounded the immediate area, some transforming from the shapes of the birds and other animals into noble looking demons, like the first one. They all had a crazed look in their eyes, and as they surrounded Ophiuchus and Valac, they started to laugh hysterically.

Their laughter was calmed by the appearance of a rather spiffy looking noble demon different from all of the others. He was finely dressed, but like a noble scholar... Or even a teacher. His head was that of a blackbird and so were his wings, but the rest of his body was humanoid. As he walked, a path of coals erupted from under his feet, seeming not to burn him, but still rage on intensely hot. "Well, well, well! Look at what we have here, class! A rival team!" The bird-man-demon laughed, chirping as he did so. "I see you've done away with most of my forest. I'll have to repay you for that. But for right now, come! Let us chat. No one else has to lose a life here today... We can work this out." Before he continued further, he introduced himself. "I am Great President Caim, the demonized version of Cain the murderer." The coals under Caim's feet burnt hot, sizzling as he approached Ophiuchus and Valac. "This is my class. You might recognize them from Ose's bunch, but a vast majority of what was supposed to be Ose's legions was given over to me. With his power over insanity and mind of convincing, we have established quite the school of delirious demons." Caim smirked. "Kings, queens, nobles, and upperclassmen... Or, so they believe." Caim laughed now.

As Caim went on explaining the situation, the other demons laughed insanely, seemingly not even hearing that they were being brainwashed and controlled by Ose and Caim. Still, Caim, a disputer, went on to say, "But Ose is gone now... And I cannot have you pass any farther. Maybe you'll sit and talk with me... Surely, my demons will be talking about you." The demons laughed, some transforming back into animals. "Isn't that right... Class?!" As soon as Caim called out to the 'class', the animal-demons all dispersed in different directions, flying and running off to inform the other Demon Lords about what was going on. "All of Hell will know you're coming now," Caim said. "You might as well try to talk about a position of servitude under me or one of the other Demon Lords... Don't you think?"

"Caim, Are You?" Ophiuchus inquired knowingly, "Well, If I Know My Demonology Correctly, It Means You're More Of A Talker Than A Fighter, Aren't You?" Ophiuchus chuckled, watching as the demon-animals went off on their way. "But... You're A Murderer, Too, Aren't You? That Means I Cannot Turn My Back On You... Or Trust What You Say, Demon." The Angel King was well aware of the demons of demonology -- too Bael's misfortune, as he'd taken up and given names to his associates based on demonic lore. Now Ophiuchus had the scoop on everyone who was part of the Seventy-Two, even if he hadn't been formally... Engaged with them yet.

"I Know All Of Your Secrets, Caim, And I Know That The Moment I Start To Converse With You Is The Moment You Plot My Death, If You Have Not Done So Already." The Angel King narrowed his eyes. "Do You Really Think I'll Let You Do What You Want Just Because You Are So Eloquent?" He chuckled again, then shook his head. "No. I Will Destroy You And Your Legions, Then I Will Move On To The Next Demon Lord." Ophiuchus gazed straight at Caim as he approached, not moving from his spot before the university-palace. "They May All Know That I Have Come Down To Destroy Them, But They Don't Know That I Already Know How To Take Down The Demonic System Of Babylon, So They Are In For A Surprise That You Cannot Tell Them Because You Have Already Sent Off Your Messengers." That was too Ophiuchus' benefit -- he still had the element of surprise even with his presence known.

"The Real Question Is... How Will I Destroy You And Your Remaining Legions? You Have Brainwashed Them Into Thinking That They Are Nobles, But Their Power Is That Of Slaves And Servants. In The Demon World, Power Dictates Mostly Everything, And You've Thought To Make The Weakest Think They Are The Strongest." Ophiuchus smirked. "But Without Ose To Power The Insanity, All You Can Do Is Maintain It. You Have No Power To Bolster Your Minions Nor Yourself. You're A Sitting Duck." Ophiuchus shook his head once more. "There Is No More Reason To Speak. You've Served MY Purpose By Informing The Other Demon Lords About Me, And Now I Will Return The Favor By Serving MY Purpose In... Destroying You."

It seemed like Ophiuchus held no room for negotiations, probably to Caim's dismay.

"Absolute Zero..." the Angel King bellowed, outstretching a hand to the approaching Caim, "... Rapture." He took one swipe of his hand, clenching it into a fist as if snatching something and ripped out the soul of Caim from afar using the force of this technique. Not only would Caim lose his soul, but also the energy from Caim would be delivered to Ophiuchus, which should boost his power significantly. "That Takes Care Of Him, But..." There were still legions of demons that were part of the palace and, of course, needed to be dealt with.

"I Don't Need More Than A Smite To Do Away With All Of Them," Ophiuchus concluded, using some of the energy he'd just obtained and focusing it into his clenched fist. "Absolution; SMITE!" With another cry out, Ophiuchus extended his hand forcefully and dropped an enormous bolt of pure energy from the sky about the size of the remainder of the forest, wiping out the demons that remained as well as the palace, itself... Along with the forest.

Ophiuchus retracted his hand, rolling his wrist a bit. "I Suppose That I Used About A Fraction Of The Energy That I Gained, But These Weak Demons Only Gave Me A Fraction Of Power For Destroying Them." He sighed heavily, wanting to have greater strength than what he had gotten. "Oh Well. I May Not Have Gained Much Energy, But I Didn't Lose Any, Either." With that said, Ophiuchus turned to Valac and said, "The Demon Lords Know That We Are Coming. We Need To Strategize So That I Do Not Use Too Much Energy. They Will Probably Be Sending Waves Of Demons To Slow Us Down, But They Don't Realize That I Can Absorb The Power Of Their Onslaughts And Come To Them With Greater Strength Than I Would Have Should They Not." Even so, Ophiuchus has to move. It was only a matter of time until Bael was recognized as the Demon King by the rest of Hell rather than Ophiuchus being King in Hell, so they needed to make tracks.

"Come, Valac," Ophiuchus insisted, "We Must Depart Immediately. Show Us The Way To The Next Demon Lord, Who Is Named Haagenti. In Order To Collapse The System, He Is One Of The Key Demons To Destroy, For He Teaches Them How To Be Wise In Every Subject. That Means The Deluded Demons That Were Brainwashed By Ose And Sent Off By Caim Will No Longer Be As Weak And Easy To Destroy. They Will Be Wise To Mine Angelic Power And Will Likely Have Some Sort Of Retort Due To Haagenti's Great Wisdom." The Angel King began to walk. "All We Can Do Is Hope That He Hasn't Taught Too Many Legions, Or Else All Of Hell Might Be Up In Arms And Wise Against Me." Ophiuchus pondered as he allowed Valac to lead the way, recognizing that the strength of his power would not do well if the demons were stronger and could survive something greater than a Smite. He was not troubled nor doubtful of his strength, he was just... Cautious about the demons' strength, was all.

Awed by the Angel King yet again, Valac nodded profusely as he spoke. "Yes!" he exclaimed, "I understand fully, my King. We will go after Haagenti immediately!"

Valac was about to dart ahead of Ophiuchus, but there was a noise that resounded in the distance that sounded like an earthquake of sorts. "Oh no..." Valac uttered, "... Haagenti has already found us!"

Over the horizon, a multitude of demons both aerial and terrestrial stampeded across the landscape, their numbers being in the several hundreds of thousands, much like the demons before. Each of them had a look like a wild bull in their eyes and they were all powerful looking, some of them dressed in clothes like nobility whilst others purely naked and exposing their powerful forms.

Behind them, a monstrous sight; an enormous bull with the wings of a gryphon, lightly trotting behind the horde of demons and whispering things in a demonic language. As the bull whispered these words, -- which were extremely reverberant due to the massive size of this animal -- the demons all started to take different formations. They did not attack all at once, like the demons before did, but would attack nimbly and cautiously, using demonic powers to combat against the holy one. Lasers, beams, the elements, and weapons were all strategically utilized against Ophiuchus and Valac, many of them aimed for Valac because he was the weaker of the two, and also to lure Ophiuchus into an opening by having him protect Valac.

The bull with the wings eventually made its way to the skirmish, towering over what would be skyscrapers if there were any present. The enormity of the bull was greater than that of Forcas and his pale horse, and that bull's name was... Haagenti.

"Angel King..." Haagenti greeted, bowing his bull head for a moment, but doing so in mockery of Ophiuchus, "... I am glad that you have survived this long. It will be a pleasure to kill you myself." Haagenti snorted and shook his head, scraping a hoof across the ground as the demons kept Ophiuchus and Valac 'entertained'. "You've done some heavy damage to our system by destroying Ose and Caim, however we have... Replacements for them in the waiting, you could say, already picking up for their slack." The bull smiled, lowering his head. "There are more of us than you can imagine doing far more than you'd expect. We're a well-oiled machine. We are a system. We are... Babylon." The bull laughed gruffly, then continued to whisper in the demonic language, spreading his large and powerful wings.

Each demon that heard the demonic language would be skillfully evasive and ever-cautious of Ophiuchus, moving with and when the whispers sounded.

Ophiuchus did not falter at the multitudes, nor did he cower at the gigantic winged bull. Instead, he laughed, himself. "Hahahaha! You Are Haagenti, Then? Funny How You Were Prepared For Me, But I'm Prepared For YOU!"

The demons that assaulted Ophiuchus would be easily dodged, his body moving fluidly like energy and flickering in and out at times to evade swifter attacks. "You Cannot Expect Even These Wise Demons To Match Me In Wisdom Or Power." As one attacked with a weapon, Ophiuchus grabbed it and swung the demon into an oncoming aerial one, knocking them both away as Ophiuchus pointed at them and said, "SMITE!" A beam shot from his fingertip and through the hearts of the demons, as well as through the skulls and bodies of any other demon behind them.

Ophiuchus immediately dodged the next attack, then swiftly swiped his hand when an elemental attack came his way, knocking it away and into the next line of demons, destroying them with the attack. "You've Made Your Demons Quite The Wise Ones," Ophiuchus said, still dodging attacks and retaliating when he could, "But They Are Still Weak."

Finally, Ophiuchus grew tired of the demon attacks and resorted to using his Crystal Wings again, they bursting open with an incredible force that could knock away the demons. They omitted a powerful destroying light that would disintegrate everything that was within the radius of the burst. There should have been little to no demons left after that.

When the light cleared, Ophiuchus said, "Now, Haagenti... You Are Most Wise. You Know This Is Not A Battle That You Can Win. And I Will Not Be Sparing Your Life." Ophiuchus smiled, asking, "What Will You Do?"

"What I needed to do is already done," Haagenti said defiantly, "My task, as you must know, was to change any metal into gold. I have bribed enough demons with enough Fool's Gold to buy myself all of Hell."

It was true. Haagenti did turn any metal into gold. However, it was counterfeit gold, and the currency was only useful within the distribution system of Babylon. Anywhere else, it would be seen for its true worth and cast down. But all of Hell was ruled now by Babylon and the System of Babylon. That meant all of the money was already in cycle, and the economy was being built. "There's nothing you can do to stop the human sinners and the demons from building up an establishment using the gold I've given them. Until you stop all of the gold from flowing, we've won." Haagenti huffed happily, narrowing his eyes. "You know that killing me won't stop the entire System. Do you dare go through us all?"

Before the Angel King could answer, Haagenti's wings spread open wide, releasing a powerful gust that blasted everything away, similarly to how Ophiuchus' did before. However, Haagenti flapped a few times, crouched down, then leapt into the sky to start flying away. He made a noise that sounded like a moo and a siren mixed together as he flew, easily carrying himself over the horizon within seconds due to his immensity.