Hell Chapter 5; Fall Of Babylon

It was Babylon. Babylon The Great; the city that harbored many cities and every kind of foul thing under the sun. The Demon Lord, Count Bifrons, had his undead army of the millions of demons that Ophiuchus slew prepared to attack him, the beings taking their places around the swampy graveyard city as well as in several other places around Babylon to prevent cluttering up and being easy targets. All the undead were controlled by Count Bifrons, and the odds were stacked against Ophiuchus.

Bifrons: "You cannot kill what is already dead, O King. And you cannot absorb energy from what has none. These corpses have no souls and their bodies are of minimal nutrition because of their being deceased. If you do fight us, you will use up all of your power facing off against the undead and gaining nothing in return."

Bifrons' logic was good, and he knew that Ophiuchus wasn't at full strength. The giant zombie man smiled excitedly at Ophiuchus, showing his missing teeth in his mouth, his big eyes widening with anticipation. "I dare you to try to kill us again. See how well that fares for you." Bifrons was taunting him. He wanted Ophiuchus to attack.

But Valac said, "We shouldn't worry about them, Lord. They are just empty husks. If we get rid of Bifrons, then the undead should return to nothingness, for it is his power that summons them and commands them." Valac was wiser than he looked, but it was mostly because he was already informed about the Seventy-Two due to once being one of them and also being with them during their conception into Demon Lords, as well as their takeover of Hell. Valac knew all of their secrets, and he was willing to help the Angel King in any way he could, since Valac himself could not fight. "My suggestion is to destroy Bifrons and leave the other demons alone."

Ophiuchus was unsurprised and unimpressed by the zombie army, showing no form of being intimidated by their numbers nor any concern about using his power to erase them. "As It Stands, Nothing Has Dealt With Buer Nor Malphas," he said to Valac, "Morax And Botis Would Have Been Locked In An Eternal Stalemate Right Now; Malphas Is Able To Continue To Build And Buer Is Able To Summon The Superiors Of Botis And Morax." Though Ophiuchus wished to trail Buer, he had to deal with Bifrons first and foremost, else he'd have to suffer fighting soulless zombies every time he slew a legion or Demon Lord. "Therefore, Buer, As The Messenger, Goes To The 'Counts' That Rule Over The 'Count-Presidents' Whilst Malphas Continues To Build. Thus, The Next Layer Of The Devil System Is Breached And Higher Authorities Begin Coming Down." The first of them was indeed Bifrons, of the middle class. It was only the middle, but it was higher than the lower class. "The Fact That Buer Is Able To Slip Through The Cracks Is An INCREDIBLY Important Detail, Because It Is Buer That Can And Should Be Followed." That said, as Buer took off, the Ophiuchus commanded Valac, "Go. Follow Buer. I Will Catch Up With You Soon."

After giving Valac his order, Ophiuchus floated over to the giant zombie, Bifrons. "Bifrons Is The First Of The Counts -- Or Earls -- Because Of His Ability To Take Corpses From Where They Died And Place Them Elsewhere, Which Is Used As Inventory." That much was clear enough, as the undead he had were only of the ones who were slain and not anyone else. They were bodies used for his inventory, and also served as stock for Babylon's System. "Bifrons Prevents Others From Being Able To Revive Old Units And Also Uses Those Units As His Own Stock For Revival, Thus Making An Army Of The Dead From The Corpses Of The Slain And Disallowing Those Who Kill Them Or Others To Utilize Those Corpses." Ophiuchus narrowed his eyes. He hated zombies in every form. They were the most annoying undead creatures there were, and they never held much value when consumed, often being detrimental to absorb because of their nature. "Bifrons Is Also Very Similar To The Nordic 'Bifrost,' Which Is A Bridge That Serves A One-Time Purpose To Enter Into A Different Realm -- Similarly TO How Bifrons Acts As A Transitionary Ruler From The Count-Presidents To The Counts." A bit of random information, but still valid in terms of what Bifrons was supposed to be in the System. "Bifrons Also Teaches The Values Of The Earth In Its Many Forms So That Those Who Are Part Of His Own Corpse Army Can Be Taught True Values And Not Fall Into The Ranks Of The Delirious Down In The Lower Levels, Who Do Not Know Nor Understand True Values." It also meant that Bifrons could restore the corpses using the power of the earth, which meant the army itself was practically invincible if he continued to bring them back from the dead after they were destroyed. Ophiuchus, as Valac stated wisely, shouldn't waste any energy on the small fries, no matter their numbers. It was the leader that was the target, as it normally was.

"Bifrons Is Meant To Reset Values To What They Are Supposed To Be By Default And To Remove People That Alter Those Values As Well As To Replace Them If They Should So Attempt Or Be The Ones To Make Such Alterations To The System. He Is Preset, Fixed, And Loyal, And His Major Flaw Is To Reset Something To Default That Was Progressing Instead Of Resetting What Was Destroyed." In terms of a 'Reset', the demons and their Demon Lords were all at their original base value, not at their peaks, nor did they have any of their progression from when they were alive. "Resets Are Like Filling Old Carcasses With New Organs, But Not Resolving The Defects Or Flaws With The Old Vessel -- Such Is The Permanent Defect Of This Official And The System; As Long As The System Is Incorrect, He Will Perpetually Reconstruct And Refuel The -Flaw- And Feed The -Flaws- Of The System -Automatically- By -Protocol- And By -Nature- Mindlessly."

That was Bifrons' greatest weakness, and Ophiuchus just stated that he knew it. It was time now to exploit that. "Bifrons, You Would Waste More Energy Than I If I Were To Destroy Your Ranks, For It Still Costs You Your Energy To Revive Such A Massive Number Of Demons, And I Know That Your Power To Do That Is Not Infinite Unless You Have A Source." So, with this knowledge in play, Ophiuchus was going to wipe out Bifrons immediately and not concern himself with the zombies. They were like the Zero Worlders -- and in fact WERE Zero Worlders -- and had no value at all. Defeating them was a futile effort. At least, while they could be revived. "You Are Nothing Without Your Undead Legions, And Though You Are Undead Yourself, I Sense That You Have Great Power Within You... You Have A Soul, And They Do Not." That made Ophiuchus smirk. "Do You Know What It Means For A Single Soul To Command Legions Of Soulless Beings?" Ophiuchus asked Bifrons, whom he knew had the answer for that, since Bifrons should have been savvy to his own weaknesses. "It Means That Your Power Is Split Up Amongst All Of Those You Control. That Means That You Are Weaker Than You Would Have Been Fighting Me Alone, And By A Lot, Since There Are So Very Many Demons This Time Around." The numbers that were meant to overwhelm Ophiuchus were actually the downfall of Bifrons, and so, the weakened Demon Lord could be slain with a simple 'Absolute Zero' technique, which would disallow Bifrons' revival from the dead, should there be something else that is capable of bringing him back.

"Absolute Zero..." Ophiuchus called, "End Of Days." Holding up his Left hand again, he raised it high into the air and brought it down before Bifrons, taking with it a great deal of energy that would, on contact, bring anything it touched to the very end of its lifespan, even beyond rebirth or reincarnation. The cycles of life and death that were allotted to the target would be brought to their finality, and at that, there would be no more chances to recover or revive. It was literally the power of all endings; 'The End' itself.

First, 'The End Of Days' was brought down upon Bifrons' head, breaking him down bit by bit as the force crushed his decaying body. Then, when it touched the ground and completely consumed Bifrons, it would explode in a grandiose fashion and wipe away all of the millions of demons that were revived in the process. A chunk of Babylon was wiped out then and there, and all of Bifrons' palace and city were brought to an end, never to see another beginning again.

It was as if they never existed, and they never would again.

"That Takes Care Of That," Ophiuchus said triumphantly. "But I Used Up Just About As Much Energy As I Gained From Bifrons... So I Didn't Get The Power Boost I May Need To Face The Next Demon Lord..."

But that was a risk he was willing to take.

"Anyway, I Should Track Valac Now And See If He Has Trailed Buer To The Next Demon Lord." And Ophiuchus did exactly that, following the path that Valac traveled by flight.

Valac had indeed caught up to Buer and saw where the Demon Lord was heading. "Over here, Milord!" Valac cried, still flying around Buer, "He's headed to Halphas. If Halphas and Malphas join their forces, they can weaponize their cities."

But that had already occurred, the late Valac hadn't realized... Until the land of Bifrons was suddenly rebuilt from the ground up and this time was loaded with all sorts of different weaponry.

"What?!" Valac cried, "They're rebuilding Bifrons' palace?" Valac bit a nail. "Well, that means that they're planning on replacing Bifrons with someone or something! Thus must have really needed him."

All the while Valac spoke, Buer was informing Halphas what was going on along with Malphas. Halphas, who was a stork as opposed to Malphas, who was a raven, heeded Buer and took off with him and Malphas in order to prepare the cities for attacks.

Valac saw the three of them trying to take off and said, "I will follow them, Lord!" And so he did.

As he followed Buer, Halphas, and Malphas, Valac would find that they'd consult the next Demon Lord of the Seventy-Two, Count Raum, who was a crow. The all of them caught on to Valac's trailing them and decided to trap him by using Raum's power to see the past, present, and the future. By watching Valac in the future, Raum altered the present by having Buer travel alone to the next Demon Lord whilst Malphas, Halphas, and Raum distracted Valac and Ophiuchus.

Bifrons' palace and city had been weaponized by Halphas, and because of this, Halphas was capable of using the entire city as a means to fight against the two angels. Malphas could keep Ophiuchus from using his techniques, which would leave him as a sitting duck. Raum, however, split up from them and went on his way to another city. Raum was a thief and was capable of stealing things from people who were of royalty... And though he wanted to steal from Ophiuchus, he had to first take something from one of his superiors. Risky as it was, Raum wanted the treasures of Ophiuchus and quickly got sidetracked from what he was doing when he saw a possibility of reaching the top of the mountain to get the King's treasures.

So Raum took weapons from Halphas and gold from the demons that lived in Babylon, but most importantly was... He stole Valac from Ophiuchus. How did he manage this? Well, he lured Valac into following him instead of Buer and then trapped the powerless angel somewhere that was off in a hidden place. This let Buer escape and for Halphas and Malphas to fight Ophiuchus.

The entire palace of Bifrons transformed into an immense demonic energy cannon with the power to destroy cities with a single blast. There were smaller turrets and lasers and such throughout and around the palace, but the main weapon -- the demon cannon -- was fired directly at Ophiuchus.

Now the four Demon Lords were set -- Buer escaped, Malphas was building greater places for Halphas, who was equipping them with better weapons as well as using them on Ophiuchus, and worst of all, Raum had abducted Valac.

Ophiuchus tracked Valac all the way to Halphas, but could see that the crafty demons were starting to catch on that Valac was a 'spy' of sorts, and they began to act differently. When Halphas appeared, the Angel King would speed off toward him whilst Valac tracked Buer still. Ophiuchus would deal with Count Halphas before he caught back up to Valac... Or, so he thought.

Halphas and Malphas had already rebuilt and weaponized Bifrons' palace and city, much to Ophiuchus' ire. "Bifrons Is A Count Demon That Ensures That The Thinning Numbers Of Any Army Are Unable To Be Restored," Ophiuchus said about the dead Demon Lord. "Once Bifrons Has All Of The Dead Weight From The Dead Being Collected, The System Of The Devil Has Taken Such A Heavy Blow From Losing The Entire Lower Layer That It Begins To Use Extra Precautions. They No Longer Use Fake Currency And Begin To Use Their -Actual- Supply Of Resources Instead Of The -Fake- Supply Of Resources That Have Been Given To The Slaves Of The Lower Levels." With no one left on the lower level, it meant that the System was beginning to fail, and the top would fall to the bottom soon enough if enough Demon Lords and their legions were taken out. "Therefore, The Count Of The Storehouse, Halphas, Must Be Contacted By Buer. This Is Who The Corpses And The Weapons To Arm Them With Are Left With To Supply And/Or Repopulate The Lost Army." Without Bifrons, however, Halphas didn't have a zombie army -- he only had his own legions, which were equipped, but nowhere near a threat in their numbers... Not like it would have been if Bifrons was still alive with his undead soldiers.

"Because The Lesser Rulers Have Abused The Units And Recklessly Sacrificed Them, Bifrons Would Normally Take Collection Of The Dead And Send Them To Halphas For Storage." But since Bifrons was no more, the storehouse of the dead was not accessible to Halphas. "Because Malphas Is Still Building And Producing, Halphas Ends Up Being The Supply Cargo For Malphas In Order To Build He And His Army Up Using Those Who Were Slain And Also The Ammunition That Is Gathered And Stored In The Towers." THAT was where they were at right now -- Halphas and Malphas working in tandem to create cities of weapons loaded with ammunition. "Via Bifrons Scavenging For The Dead And Both Storage And Supply With Halphas, Malphas Ends Up Having All Of The Rule Over The Army, Its Weapons And The Towers Because Of The Ability To Build And To Destroy Endlessly." That much was a problem, because Malphas was the one that could dispel Ophiuchus' techniques. Him being leader of the legions of the two of them meant that they might be protected by Malphas' power, as well. "Because Each Of The Lesser Rulers Were Not Tactical In Their Warfare, Halphas Ends Up Taking Command Over The Issuing Out Of Soldiers So That There Are No More Haphazard Sacrifices Or Shortage Of Men, And With Bifrons Continually Collecting Corpses, The Army Is More Regulated And Ready For Strategic Use Rather Than Mindless Bloodshed And Sacrificial Destruction." Or, so it would have been should Bifrons not have died.

"As It Would Have Gone, When Halphas, Malphas, And Bifrons Are Out Building The Army From The Slain And Also Keeping Others From Being Able To Gather The Lost Units Or Their Spoils, A Different Count -- Raum -- Is Sent Out To Weaken The Forces Of Neighboring Cities And Kingdoms By Pillaging Them And Gathering Up Those Spoils To Be Given Unto Halphas Whilst More People Are Slain And Collected By Bifrons." Raum was accomplishing his goal, but again, Bifrons was dead, so his part in all of this was null and void. That made it easier to face Halphas and Malphas, but Raum... He was capable of seeing the past, present, and future, so he could foretell what would occur and ready them for what would happen. "The Reason Why Raum Steals Is To Make Room For Extra Space For The Devil System To Run And Also To Have More Materials For Those Who Are Already Part Of The Devil's System. His Purpose Is To Make Others Weak And Vulnerable On Purpose To Make The Conquest Of Their Lands And Nations That Much Easier."

One thing Ophiuchus knew about Raum was, "Raum Has The Ability To Cause People To Become Friendly With Each Other So That He Can Unsuspectingly Steal From Them Whilst They Are Distracted By Each Other. This Also Functions For Lovers." But it was this next tidbit that made Raum useful for a plan that Ophiuchus was hatching up as the Demon Lords prepared to assault him. "Raum Also Tears Down Men And Cities By Destroying Their Foundations Via The Resources That He Steals And Carries Off Into His Own Kingdom." Raum had the same power as Malphas in terms of destruction, which was probably how they tore down Ophiuchus' System for Hell in the first place, but Raum had another power that made him deadly when it came to recruiting forces. "By Destroying The Dignities Of Men, He Makes Them Weak Enough To Be Taken Advantage Of And Causes Their Wills To Be Easily Crushed So That They Will Allow The Devil System To Overtake Them And To Possibly Be Brought Back As The Replacements For The Ones Who Were Lost Originally Whilst Also Capturing The City And All Its Possessions Simultaneously."

All of that may have been well and true, but there was something off... Valac wasn't responding and Raum wasn't around. The Ophiuchus immediately pieced together what happened and his eyes widened. "Oh No! Valac! I Must--" But, Opiuchus had a blast heading his way from Halphas that needed to be dealt with, meaning Buer, Raum, and Valac had to wait for the moment. "Absolute Zero; Null Prospect!" Quickly calling forth his technique, Ophiuchus raised a hand to the blast and caused its energy to return to the value of Zero. Ophiuchus wouldn't be able to use this to stop the cannon completely because of Malphas' ability to destroy the works of others, but Ophiuchus could indeed defend himself against the blasts using 'Null Prospect' as many times as necessary.

They were at a Stalemate.

"Curse You, Demons," Ophiuchus swore, "You And Your System! How Dare You Abduct Valac! You Have Now Incurred My Wrath!"

Ophiuchus had more power than he did when he initially fought against Malphas, so this time, he'd be able to destroy Malphas and Halphas at the same time...

But he didn't. Valac was more important.

"I Will See You Elsewhere, Demons," Ophiuchus said as he searched for Valac. The Demon Lords could not harm him and he could not destroy them, so he figured he was better off using his energy to save Valac. It wasn't hard to track the angel down, since he had celestial energy within him and there were no other angels -- except perhaps Fallen Angels -- in Hell. So, Ophiuchus quickly discovered Raum's hidden location and also all of the things he stole.

"Hmmmm..." Ophiuchus hummed as a thought came to him, "I Know The Next Demon Lord Is..." Lips curling into a smile, Ophiuchus looked over to the crow, Raum, and said, "Your Days Are Numbered. You Can See What Happens To You If I Do Not Act. You Must Report To Your Superior, Raum, And Doing That Will Be Your Demise." Raum had no other choice, since he was a lesser Count... And the next Count wasn't so compassionate.

"Though It Seems Like Each Of The Counts Are Working In Harmony With Each Other To Expand Territory And Build Their Possessions, There Is A Flaw In The Design That They Are Each Either Stealing Or Pillaging, Which Means That They Are Untrustworthy To Their Superiors In The Higher Ranks And Also Cannot Be Allowed Into The Higher Ranks Because They Will Just End Up Stealing Everything For Themselves." Ophiuchus smirked, continuing to say, "Therefore, There Is A Count -- Named Andromalius -- Who Deals With Thieves And Punishes Them, Which Destroys, IF None Else, Raum And Those He Steals From And Gives To." The very name 'Andomalius' should have struck fear in Raum, who was a thief, since Andromalius was one who punished thieves. "Without Raum, Eventually The Ones That Have Relied On Him Will Fall Apart And Waste Their Resources Through A Cyclical Decay And Compilation Of Useless Resources As Waste Product. Bifrons Becomes More Or Less Useless Without People Dying And Halphas Lives Only To Make Weapons And Serve As A Storehouse." Ophiuchus looked to the captured Valac and said with certainty, "Malphas Is The Only One Who Is Able To Actually Issue Out Any Warfare Or Destruction, And If Malphas Is No Longer Building, Then Eventually The Destruction Piles Up And There Is An Endless Cycle Of War." Raum had no other powers but to steal and see the through time or make people friend or foe, so he wasn't a physical threat at all. He was about to be used as a scapegoat. "Bifrons Is Only Useful If Malphas Is Destroying, And Halphas Is Only Useful To Malphas If He Has Units To Send Out To War To Equip With Artillery. That Is To Say, Without Raum Making The Enemy Weak And Pillaging Resources, Then Bifrons And Halphas Are Collecting Only For Malphas To Destroy, And Nothing Is Actually Being Built Up Nor Being Done -- They Are All Trapped In A Perpetual Cycle." That much should have opened Raum's eyes to the very big flaw that came from his existence... Something that caused the System to fail in the middle.

"Valac!" Ophiuchus said, rescuing the poor, defenseless angel from the large crow, "Worry Not About What Happens Now. The Demons... Will Take Care Of Themselves." Ophiuchus was in the hidden place that Raum took Valac to, so he couldn't be targeted, but the Demon Lords would become restless soon enough, and Raum had to report to his superior Andromalius sooner or later. The sooner, the better, for Ophiuchus was going to have front-row seats to the damnation waiting for Raum and the other Demon Lords at the hand of Count Andromalius.

Raum looked rather disturbed when Ophiuchus said that he wouldn't fight. "Oh please, destroy me!" the giant crow pleaded, "I don't want to have to report to..."

Suddenly, a large serpent great enough to both strangle or eat the crow wrapped around Raum's body, then withdrew in a snap to its master outside. He was a rather proper looking man with fine, regal attire on. The only difference between himself and a normal man was his size, for he was a giant as well. He was seated on a throne the size of a palace, and his serpent extended across the land. Raum gazed up with fear and alarm at the one who commanded the serpent -- Count Andromalius.

Andromalius: "Raum... You do understand the wickedness you have done by stealing from our own people... Correct?"

Raum: "I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking! I just figured that--"

Andromalius: "Figure this: How you shall pay for your wickedness."

Raum turned his head to Ophiuchus, but the serpent forcefully adjusted Raum's head where it would face the angry Andromalius. "Who else was in on it?" Andromalius practically demanded to know, "Your demons?! All of you shall be punished severely for your transgressions!"

Halphas and Malphas, meanwhile, were trying to figure out what to do about Ophiuchus. "He's gone off the map," Halphas said to Malphas, "I don't know where he is."

"He also stopped our most powerful weapon..." Malphas said with sadness in his tone. "There's nothing we can do right now."

Back with Raum and Andromalius, Valac watched with Ophiuchus what Andromalius was going to do to Raum. "For your sins," Andromalius declared, "You shall be my slave for the rest of your days, and you will never steal again. I will work you until your expiration so that you can repay your debt to society." Andromalius sounded dutiful, but he was actually just pretty sadistic. "There is something important that you lesser Demon Lords know nothing about, and if we let just any activity go on within the System, then it will destroy itself." The serpent squeezed Raum, tightening the choke on him.

Raum coughed and hacked out, "Please... Andromalius... You're the one... Destroying the System!"

Andromalius: "Blasphemy!"

At those words, Andromalius had his serpent crush the crow by breaking all of his bones and suffocating him to death. It unraveled from the large crow and let it drop to the ground, dead. "Now then... With Raum out of the picture, I suppose all of those spoils of his belong... To ME!" Andromalius lashed his serpent out with a whip of his arm, the serpent extending back to the hidden place and snatching up all of the possessions that Raum stole and bringing them back to Andromalius. "Hmhmhm, good boy... You're not like those dirty thieves and wicked demons..." Andromalius pet his snake, saying then, "And speaking of, the legions of Raum shall also go to me, combining my thirty-six with his thirty, thus giving me command over sixty-six legions." Andromalius giggled foppishly. "You legions of Raum will be slaves to my legion, and your punishment will be served fighting in battle."

Valac, watching all of that transpire, felt a little bad that Raum was backstabbed by his superior... But that was Valac's kidnapper, so he wasn't all that remorseful. It was just cruel to break all of the bird's bones like that.

Either way it went, Valac was still in the hidden place with Ophiuchus. He knew about Andromalius' power, but he didn't know how they were going to kill him. "Now that Raum is gone, what do we do about Andromalius? Plus, Halphas and Malphas are waiting for us to emerge so they can attack us, and Buer is still on the move." So much seemed to be happening, but that's what it was like when one was fighting against a systemic society geared toward perpetual sin to function.

Through preemptive study, Ophiuchus already knew what Andromalius was like as a demon. He liked to act like he was holy, but in the end, he just wanted the possessions that Raum stole for himself. He was like that with every thief he brought to him. "Andromalius Is A Count That Is Made To Keep Thievery From Flourishing In The Ranks And Also To Prevent Thieves From Achieving Any Higher Ranks In The Devil's System. Andromalius, However, Is Technically A Greater Thief That Only Preys On Other Thieves In Order To Draw Them To Him And Claim All Of The Possessions They Have Stolen Without Having To Rise From His Place." As for Raum, he knew what his fate was when Ophiuchus decided to leave him to Andromalius. "Raum -- The Demon Of Theft -- Ends Up Being A Servant To Andromalius And Either Enslaved Or Killed, Along With Anyone Who Is Stealing Along With Raum." There was something in particular that made Andromalius special after he dealt with the thieves, though... "Technically, Andromalius Is Like The 'Black Market', Since All Things Stolen End Up Where He Is And In His Possession, With Those Who Steal For Him Either Becoming Disposed Of Or Dealt With Harshly Every Time They Bring Him Stolen Goods At All." All of the possessions of the other demons would be under Andromalius' control, but only what was stolen. Likely, he would be sending Raum's legions to go steal for him, then punish them for doing so. "The Serpent He Has Is Representative Of The String Of Thieves And Evildoers That Eventually All Come Back To His Control And Possession."

"Andromalius Is A Greed Demon And Raum Is An Envy Demon. Whatever Raum Steals Ends Up In Andromalius' Possession, And Raum Eventually Either Dies From Abuse Or From Poverty After Adromalius Takes All Of His Possessions From Him Every Time He Steals Them." It made Ophiuchus laugh a bit that the Demon Lords treated each other this way, but he was concerned about what the more powerful ones would be like. They were cutthroat and ruthless, but they each only had limited power. "Andromalius Uses Raum And Any Thief All The Way Up To Their Fullest Extent And Then Discards Them, Thus Taking Bifrons (The Harvester), Halphas (The Supplier), And Malphas (The Builder & Destroyer) For Himself And Uses Up Others As 'Raums'." Andromalius was the superior Count to the others, and so they all reported to him, anyway. "The Only Flaw In This Is That Andromalius Ends Up Hording All Of The Materials In One Place, Which Causes An Eventual Collapse Or Vulnerability From Having -ALL- Of The Resources HORDED In -ONE- Location By The Greed Demon, Andromalius." And, if Ophiuchus had anything to say about it, all of the REAL currency and possessions would be disposed of, dealing a heavy blow to the city without Haagenti. "Thus, He Becomes The Weakness And When Using Up All Of The Thieves, Is Destroyed With No One Left To Thieve." He still had his legions from Raum, so as long as they were taken out, Andromalius would not have anymore thieves to send out. "Thus All The Possessions Are Lost Or Destroyed, Bifrons And Halphas No Longer Have A Purpose, And Malphas Uses Up Whatever Is Left As Well As Bifrons And Halphas To The Most Of Their Utility." That last bit made Ophiuchus reconsider going out in the open, as Malphas and Halphas would soon be having it out. "In The End, Only Malphas Survives."

Ophiuchus said to Valac, "Lay Low Until I Tell You To Emerge. I Will Deal With Andromalius And Halphas. Once I Show Them That No Weapon Formed Against Me Will Prosper, Malphas Will Rid Himself Of Halphas And Be On The Run Again." The problem was that the cunning Malphas still had the power to negate Ophiuchus to a certain degree, but that power issue would be resolved once Ophiuchus consumed Andromalius. "Be Still, Valac," Ophiuchus said as he flew out of the hidden place and back into the city where the giant Andromalius sat.

"Andromalius!" Ophiuchus called out, positioning himself between Andromalius and the palace of Bifrons where Halphas and Malphas were, "Are You Not As Wicked As Those Whom You Destroy? You Have No Power Over Anything That Is Not Wicked, And So You Will Not Be Able To Harm Me. However..." Ophiuchus crossed his arms, smiling. "I Know That Your Superior Will Not Be Pleased With Your Transgressions. So I'll Let You Two Talk."

This time, it didn't seem like Ophiuchus was going to do anything. But the Angel King was doing something just by being present. Though he didn't need to use any of his power for just a little while, giving him time to power up. What he was going to do was charge up an attack that required time to build energy and then unleash it on the NEXT Demon Lord that would appear after Andromalius, since Halphas would be taken care of by Malphas.

"Ultimitia Energia..." Between Ophiuchus' hands was generation and concentration of the three primary energies -- Positive, Negative, and Neutral/Zero -- which created the Ultimate Energy known as ‘Ultimitia Energia'. He charged up looking as if he was about to attack Halphas, but remained in between Andromalius and Bifrons' palace...

Appalled, Count Andromalius trembled with fury at the words of the Angel King, yet he also trembled with fear for what he knew was the truth about his superior. "Why, you...!" Andromalius was tempted to rise from his throne, but he knew he had no power at all unless he was dealing with thieves and the wicked, which Ophiuchus was not. So he sat there, trembling with rage.

Meanwhile, Halphas and Malphas were squawking about getting the demon cannon ready to fire again. "He's a sitting duck with his back turned!" Malphas said to Halphas, "Shoot him down with the cannon!" Again, the demon cannon was prepped and positioned to blast down Ophiuchus, this time hopefully with some effect on him as well. Malphas suddenly jumped in and said, "I'll stop him from defending when we attack by using my power! With our powers combined, we can take him down!" That was a perfect plan for the two of them. "FIRE!" cried Halphas, who blasted the demon cannon immediately at Ophiuchus. This time the blast was several times stronger because it had the chance too charge up, and would likely be able to destroy him.

"Perfect..." Ophiuchus muttered under his breath, suddenly flickering away as the demon cannon was shot at him.

When he disappeared, he reappeared behind Andromalius, and because he was once in between Andromalius and the demon cannon, the blast should have hit Andromalius right square in the head.

Ophiuchus did nothing after that but continue to charge his 'Ultimitia Energia', concentrating hard on the energies between his palms...

Halphas and Malphas were surprised to find that Ophiuchus dodged the attack instead of blocked it, ruining their plans to strike him dead. They were afraid, however, when the blast hit the giant Andromalius -- and in the head, no less.

"AUGH!!!" Andromalius cried out, knocked out of his throne and onto the ground, to his knees, "You... Bumbling... BUFFOONS!!!" He was severely injured from taking the blow to the head, but he was not dead yet. Weakened greatly, the wounded Andromalius tried to crawl back up to his throne. "Buer..." he called out, becoming frantic, "Where is the Buer?!"

Unfortunately for Andromalius, Buer had already been to the next highest Demon Lord and summoned him to the fray after informing him what was going on. This demon -- a winged hart, which is a red deer, looking like an angel -- was known as Furfur, and with his wrath came much destruction, as he was the greatest of all of the Counts. "Buer has told me all about what has gone on, Andromalius," Furfur said as the winged deer flew over the giant man, "And I've come to tell you that the next in line is me. Our superiors have already deemed this so." Furfur flew upright, hovering just above Andromalius' throne, "Which means, there is no more use for you. I've been instructed to kill you so that you do not ruin our economy." That said, Furfur's eyes glowed a deep crimson as winds started to kick up around the both of them. "Say goodbye, Count Andromalius... Count Furfur is your demise." With a flap of his wings, he sent a tempest as powerful as one could imagine out to ravage the giant man and tear his body to pieces.

Halphas and Malphas were stunned petrified by the appearance of Furfur, as they rarely got to see him since he was the highest of the middle class. When he summoned the tempest, it tore through Andromalius with ease, then started coming over to where Bifrons' palace was.

"Yeep!" Malphas cried, starting to flap his wings. "I'm outta here, Halphas! Have fun with Count Furfur! Hahaha!" And so Malphas left Halphas to go join Furfur, the more powerful Demon Lord.

"Wait, noooo!!" cried Halphas, who was manning the demon cannon. The tempest struck the demon cannon first, rupturing the palace and destroying all of the weapons and demons inside, as well as Halphas, whose body was torn apart by the ripping storm.

Malphas was alive, but he did not go to Furfur whilst Furfur was angered. Instead, he hid somewhere and waited for Furfur to take care of Ophiuchus, wherein which Malphas would return to Furfur afterward.

Furfur looked to Ophiuchus with his eyes of rage and said, "Unlike my predecessors, Angel King, I DO have great supernatural power. If you could not handle Malphas, what hope do you have against me?" Furfur laughed as dark clouds rolled in, lightning and thunder filling the skies. "Bael said that I would be King after him, and so I will destroy YOU to ascertain that!" Furfur conjured up another powerful tempest with his wings and drew lightning into it, hurling the electric windstorm at the Angel King whilst he was still charging his technique.

Ophiuchus continued to charge his energy as the tempest was hurled at him, his body flickering violently as the winds passed through his form. "During The Collapse Of The Entire Level Belonging To The Counts All By Their Own Doing, The One Count That Survives, Who Was Not Involved In Their Doings -- Named 'Furfur' -- Watches Over Them And The Destruction Awaiting A Time To Intervene And Take Possession Of Whatever Is Left If Possible." Another thing that Ophiuchus knew about what was going on was that Furfur was a liar. He wasn't next in line for anything, and he was just trying to make Andromalius to submit to him. "Being A Liar, Furfur Will Deceive And Deter Anyone That Should Attempt To Get Any Closer, Unless Gridlocked To A Point Where It Cannot Do So Because Of The Hazard Or Threat Of The Dangerous Situation Of Vulnerability That Comes From The Destruction Of The Counts And This Part Of The System." That meant that Ophiuchus had to create a certain 'Gridlock' in order to bind Furfur and keep him from summoning up tempestuous storms.

"By This Time, The Buer That Is A Messenger Is Ready To Speak On The Events That Have Occurred To A Higher Power, And Furfur Ends Up Killing The Buer To Prevent The Truth Getting Out To The Higher Demons In Rank." Ophiuchus understood what Furfur was like and was well aware of what the highest Count would do to not only keep his position, but potentially snag a better one. "With The Buer No Longer Serving As A Messenger, The Furfur Can Ascend To The Higher Ranks And Lie To The Higher Ups About What Is Going On In Order To Save Its Life, Extend Its Life, Keep Others From Getting Any Further, Gaining Whatever Possessions May Remain, And Also Being Promoted To A Higher Position."

Sadly for Furfur, Ophiuchus was just about done charging.

Ophiuchus: "Ultimitia Energia; Revelation!"

The energy betwixt Ophiuchus' palms blended in with the reality that it was in, merging itself with the reality to give Ophiuchus control over it. He'd been charging the 'Ultimitia Energia; Epiphany' the entire time, and was now capable of using 'Revelation', which merged the energies of Ultimitia Energia with all of the energies of the reality, thus becoming one with reality. This is how he was going to bind Furfur.

The reality quickly closed in on Furfur and isolated him to a mystical circle that represented the 'Gridlock' of all energy in this reality binding him. "Now!" Ophiuchus shouted, "Become My Energy!" With Furfur bound, he would have no escape from his demise...

Unless...!!!

Ophiuchus: "Malphas!!!"

The Angel King was going to have to bind the location that Malphas was in to keep him from intervening. Reality itself formed a barrier around the location of Malphas and would block off his power from getting to Ophiuchus. He could still use his power to break free, but he wouldn't be able to stop Ophiuchus from finishing the 'Ultimitia Energia' technique.

"What's this?" Furfur asked with contemptuous fear, "A binding circle?!" When he was within any form of 'Gridlock', -- be it circular or otherwise -- Furfur was unable to use his powers and also was forced to tell the truth and secrets about anything that anyone wished. He knew many things about the System and also about the Demon Lords, but being a liar, he was not compelled to tell anything...

Until now.

"Malphas!" Furfur cried, "Where are you?!"

Malphas, unfortunately for Furfur, was trapped in his hiding place and unable to hear or respond to the Demon Lord.

"Damn you, Angel King!" Furfur cursed, making a noise like a pained deer as he started to talk. "Alright, I lied! The superiors have told me nothing about any type of promotion! I just wanted Andromalius to bow down before me!" Almost on the verge of cracking in terms of spilling secrets, Furfur continued to say, "I wasn't sent to kill him, I did that of my own volition."

What he wasn't paying attention to was Buer, who heard everything and already was in motion to tell the other higher ups -- the Count-Princes -- about Furfur.

"What?! No! Not Buer!" Furfur shouted with agony. "No... No! I'll be killed at this rate... And I won't get all of Andromalius' treasures!" Desperately, Furur said, "I must... I must...!" He knew what he had to do, and that was to ascend to his true form. "That's it, I've had it!" Furfur cried before he started telling secrets no one asked him about... And before they asked at all, "I'll show you the power of a Count-Prince, Angel King! HWAAAH!!!" The hart made a yelping deer noise and was consumed by what looked like a holy light from on high. Though Furfur was considered angelic, he was actually just a demon that looked angelic and wasn't a real angel, like Valac was. However the pseudo-heavenly light embraced Furfur's form and transformed him into... Count-Prince Ipos. Depicted with the body of an angel with the head of a lion, the tail of a hare, and the feet of a goose, this angelic demon was much more powerful than his false form as Furfur, which was yet another lie, in spite of his humorous appearance.

"GRAH!!!" Furfur -- Now Count-Prince Ipos -- broke free from the circle that bound him with great power, "I am Count-Prince Ipos! True form of Furfur! I know all things, and can--" Before he went on about what he could do, he saw a vision of the future about Buer. That Demon Lord needed to be taken care of immediately, and with his true power as a Count-Prince, Ipos would be able to destroy a lesser demon like Buer with ease. "Be destroyed, Buer! You shall not be telling about what happened here -- nor anything else again!" Retaining Furfur's powers, Count-Prince Ipos had the ability to summon lightning from the sky, which he did to strike Buer dead on the spot as he tried to move.

Ipos knew all things, and could use that to his advantage. "You think your reality tricks will work on me this time?" he asked condescendingly. "Ha! I can easily see the future and alter the present! Reality is nothing to one who can alter its state with just a few minor actions!" Ipos was wise enough to know that he couldn't strike down Ophiuchus, but he could deter him from using his powers any further. "Malphas, be freed! Come to my aid!"

There was a bolt of lightning that struck a particular spot, which then exploded. It was the place where Malphas was trapped in, and when he emerged, he saw the rarely seen Count-Prince Ipos. "My.. My Lord!!" Malphas cried, not knowing that Furfur was Ipos -- as, Ipos rarely took on his true form and usually paraded around as Furfur. "I-I will do whatever you bid me! Just make me great and powerful, like you! I will obey your every command!"

Though Ipos could not grant power, he knew all things, and knew ways for Malphas to achieve greater power in the long-run. "Granted," Ipos declared, "Just stop the Angel King from his next attack!"

Malphas: "Yes, Lord! Here I go!"

As soon as Malphas was about to undo Ophiuchus' technique, Valac zoomed out from where he was and toward Malphas, tackling him and subduing him the best that he could. "My Lord!" Valac struggled to say to Ophiuchus, "I have... Malphas! Quick! Destroy them...!!"

With Furfur having taken on his true form as Count-Prince Ipos, the Angel King was ready to strike him down and take his energy. "Though Furfur Is A Count -- The Most Powerful Count -- Furfur Also Has A Higher Form That It Transforms Into, Because Its Form As Furfur Is Actually A Lie And It Has Been Lying About It The Entire Time." Ophiuchus knew that Malphas could hinder him from using his technique and destroy all of the progress that Ophiuchus made charging it, but Valac was already on the case. What a good angel. "The Only Way To Get Furfur To Transform Into Its Higher Power Is To Corner And Trap It Into Telling The Truth -- Which Can Only Be Done When The Other Counts Have Been Destroyed." Since all of the other Counts had been destroyed, Ipos was the only one who was left, making the plan that Ophiuchus thought up succeed... As long as Malphas remained contained. "Thus, Furfur Becomes The Count-Prince Ipos, Which Is Furfur's True Form And Does Exactly What Furfur Does." That much had already been clarified by Ipos himself, but as that happened, Ophiuchus was forging the alternate reality he'd created into a crucifix sword of Ultimate Energy known as the 'Grand Cross' which harbors the powers of Death, Eternity, Infinity, Oblivion, and the Judgmaster all in one. "Ipos Takes Control Of Malphas And Has Malphas To Start Rebuilding Whilst Ipos Bathes In The Glory, Honor And Majesty Of All Those Who Had Just Been Destroyed And Reigning As A Higher Power. Ipos Then Begins To Boast About The Destruction By Saying It Was His Own Doing And Gains The Worship And Fear Of All Who Are Lesser Than The Counts, Ready To Rebuild By Issuing Out New Counts And Presidents Under His Rule." Ophiuchus smirked, raising the 'Grand Cross' sword. "He Never Mentions Nor Lets On That There Are Superiors Over Him, And His Transformation From Furfur To Ipos Is The Highest And Most Powerful Place." The lesser demons knew nothing of the higher powers, but the Demon Lords of the Seventy-Two did. The point was to keep the lesser demons of their legions out of the loop so that they could be enslaved.

"After All The Lesser Units Except For Malphas Are Gone, And Buer Is No Longer Messenger, Ipos -- Who Was Once Furfur -- Begins To Command As A Dictator And Issue Out Whatever Sort Of Word And Law He Likes Just Because There Is No One Who Will Oppose Him That Is Lesser Than He Is, And No One Who Is A Ruler Or Superior Over Him Knows What Is Going On Because He Has Lied To Them As Furfur." Ipos did indeed take all of the legions of the dead Demon Lords for himself and they were all awestruck and obedient to his power, but Ophiuchus was about to wipe out their 'leader' in one strike. "Ipos Becomes A False Prophet And A False Light That Serves As A Beacon For All The Lesser People And Gathers Them All Together To Obey Him And Whatever He Is Speaking, Though It Is Mostly Lies Or Perverted To Match What He Wishes It To Be." Knowing this, Ophiuchus would not give him time to do such... Even though the Ophiuchus was also going off on a long-winded explanation even in his minimal time to deal with Ipos and Malphas. His explanation was for the lesser demons, who knew nothing of what he was speaking. "Ipos Then Seeks To Overthrow The Superiors That He Serves Because He Has Total And Full Command, Authority, And Dictation Over Whomever Has Survived The Events Or Has Witnessed The Events Of The Downfall Of The Lower Layers Of The Devil System." The final thing he had to say to the demons before he went off to slay Ipos was, "Ipos Takes All The Glory He Can Get For Himself And Then Says Whatever He Likes, But Lies To His Superiors And Says That He Is Still Doing Things For Them, When In Fact He Is Plotting A Rebellion. He Is Bold, Cowardly, Awkward, And Attempting To Be Divine."

When Ophiuchus was finally done explaining things to the demons, he had but a single sliver of a shot to strike down Ipos with before Malphas got free. So, with a flickering speed, the Angel King sliced through Ipos with the 'Grand Cross' blade and immediately killed him, then absorbed all of the power of Ipos into himself. "Ahhhhhh!" Ophiuchus moaned with exasperation, "I Feel Like A New God! But This Is Still Not Enough Power..." He would have gone after Malphas, but he needed to wait until a more opportune moment. Even with Valac holding him down, Ophiuchus needed to use another attack.

"Valac!" Ophiuchus cried, "Keep Holding Off Malphas Until I Am Done With The Demons! I Will Subdue Them And Have Them Destroy Him For Me Before I Eliminate Them And Absorb Them!" Surely, Malphas could not handle all of the legions of demons that belonged to the other Demon Lords that were dead, and now Ipos' demons were added to that list. "If You Don't Want To Die Right Now, Demons..." Ophiuchus said, whipping the blood from his blade onto the ground, "Then Kill Malphas Right Now."

Malphas: "Wait a minute!"

Somehow choking out almost muffled words, Malphas disputed. "Now just..." He tried to adjust himself so that he could speak, but Valac had him completely subdued. "... WAIT A MINUTE!!!" the raven squawked at Valac, voice booming suddenly. The thoughts and intentions of Valac would be broken apart, leaving the angel temporarily discombobulated.

Valac: "Uwah...?"

With that done, the demons now had Malphas to lead them, and they went to him. Malphas, who was not prepared for this, decided to try to attack immediately because of the overwhelming number of demons in their legions. "Go! Get him! I'll stop whatever he tries to use against you!"

???: "WAIT!!!"

An unknown, hoarse voice cried out from the crowd of regular looking demons, this one looking like a regular looking demon, itself. "Everyone! Listen to me!" the small, donkey-like horse neighed, "We should listen to the Angel King, who will spare our lives if we do his bidding. Surely if we do not, he will not hesitate to treat us worse than the Demon Lords." The horse-donkey clip-clopped up to a high area and continued to say, "Under the Demon Lords' power, we are not free to do as we will, as with the Angel King, who let us do as we wished, no matter what it was. Were things not better under the Angel King than the System now?"

With THAT said, the demons were swayed almost immediately to kill Malphas and brutally murdered him. Malphas put up a fight by destroying their thoughts and desires and undoing their works, but there were simply too many of them to continuously be doing that, even for a Demon Lord.

But who was this voice that spoke out for the people; this voice that came out of nowhere?

The other demons looked back to him, having murdered Malphas like the Angel King wanted. "Now what? Who even are you?"

Gamigin: "I am Marquis Gamigin of the Royal Hierarchy."

When he said his name, he transformed from a donkey-horse and into a naked man, who spoke out with a hoarse voice, "You all are the chosen that will be part of a higher class of demon. I, a Marquis, am able to show you the middle-upper class... If you do not serve the Angel King. Instead, serve me, and I will make you legends that earn the titles of Counts and Presidents and anything else your hearts desire." Gamigin gave a wry smirk, bowing to the demon legions.

Now, the demons were tired of being jerked around by people, and they were getting restless without a leader. Gamigin may have served as their new head, but he had just told them to listen to the Angel King. So why then do they suddenly risk their lives again for Gamigin, as they would have with Malphas should they not have killed him?

"I am teaching you to be liberal!" Gamigin said, "See how I spoke out and everyone listened? Well, if everyone follows my example, then everyone will become a leader of the group, just like I am."

Liberal? Some of the demons felt like they could be leaders of the community, and thus legions that were once bound together defected into their own factions with a 'Boss' demon as their leader. This was them being 'liberal'.

Gamigin sighed. "Whatever gets them to listen to me..." he mumbled, looking around at all of the 'Bosses' that were just created to serve under him. "Hey! I think the Angel King is trying to take away your liberal arts! Don't let him get away with that!"

Now some of the demons were stupid, but not THAT stupid... Right?

The demons did whatever they wanted, whether that be attack Ophiuchus, listen to Gamigin, do nothing, not participate, or whatever they liked.

"I Am The More Wise Of The Two Of Us, As You Have Heard," the Ophiuchus said to the demons, "Which Is WHY You Were Helping Me In The First Place. So I Would Tell You More Secrets." Easily dispatching the demons that did come his way, Ophiuchus floated basically uninterrupted toward Gamigin on his high place. "After Furfur Takes On His True Form As Ipos, -- Who Is Both A Rebel Waiting For His Time To Overthrow Higher Powers And A Liar That Pretends To Be An Angel As A False Light Unto The People, Gathering Them Up To Heed His Command -- The Higher Powers Above Ipos Who Are Aware Of His Scheming Nature And Similarity To Botis Send Out The Next Higher Ruler That Is A 'Marquis,' Which Is Greater Than The Counts, Including The Count-Prince, Ipos." The Angel King would continue to feed the demons information; secrets about their superiors that the once-lower-class demons didn't know. "This Next Ruler That Descends To Ipos Takes On The Form Of A Humble Slave Or Servant That Integrates With The Group Of Followers That Ipos Has Gathered Together For Rebellion, Then Begins To Spread And Gather Information From Among Them Whilst Also Listening To What Ipos Is Saying."

The demons should have been furious at hearing this. "Gamigin Is A Spy For The Rulers Above Ipos In Order To Infiltrate His Rebel Ranks And Learn His Secrets." The demons would hear Ophiuchus speak the truths about Gamigin that were his purposes and weaknesses, as he'd done with the weaker and lesser Demon Lords. "Gamigin Appears As A Small Horse, Something Like A Donkey Or Pony, So That None Suspect His True Power And To Blend In More Easily Among The Group Of Those Whom Are Lesser Than Ipos." The intention of the Angel King's words were to cause civil unrest and uprising among the demons, so that they wouldn't fall prey to Gamigin's teachings of liberal arts. "The Reason Why Gamigin Teaches Liberal Arts Is So That Those That Follow Ipos Will Not Blindly Serve Him, And Will Instead Be Incited To Do Rebellious Things Against Them In Order To Maintain Their Own Mentality And Freedom." Now that it was all said, the demons could REALLY exercise their liberal arts and decide for themselves whom they were to serve, if they would serve at all. "Gamigin Also Tells People The Account Of Sinners That Died So That Ipos Does Not Convince Them Of His Own Plans And That He Was The One To Kill Them, So That They Know That Ipos Is Not As Powerful As He Says He Is, Nor That He Is Anything That He Says He Is -- All Then See He Is A Liar And Also Not An Angel, But A False Light And False Prophet." Whether it be Ipos or Gamigin, the demons would be enlightened to the situation thanks to the Angel King's brightness.

The demons were outraged by what Ophiuchus said! One, that he said it. Two, that it was true. And three, it was angering to hear that one would pose as one of them just to gain control over them. The demons immediately rebelled when they found out that they were being controlled -- as, they'd not really understood when they had their Demon Lords -- and ran wild all over Hell, splitting up and some creating moshpits and causing chaos among their groups. The 'Bosses' fell pretty much immediately and the demons were all acting on their own.

Gamigin: "No! Listen to ME! ME!"

But his words fell on deaf ears as all hell ensued at the scene. This was until an enormous cerberus appeared from seemingly out of nowhere -- it had once been a raven -- and intimidated all of the demons into listening. "I am Marquis Naberius. You do not know me, but I can teach you all things. The Angel King is our enemy. There are those greater than I that are higher up. You serve them, just as the Marquis do." At that point, Naberius was basically trying to get the demons back under control, and would fight with them if need be. HIS nineteen legions hadn't been around to hear Ophiuchus' speech about Gamigin, so he had the advantage of having demons to do his bidding.

The demons were swayed by Naberius as he explained that he could teach them all things. They would serve him in order to acquire the knowledge of all things.

But... They did listen to Ophichus before. And Naberius was a demon. So, after the demons calmed down, they listened to the Angel King again, ready to hear what he had to say about Naberius and the situation before they decided to serve him or the Marquis. They were already intrigued in there being higher positions than 'Marquis', but they did not completely express that.

"I See I Have Your Attention," Ophiuchus said chiefly. "In Order To Reclaim Those That Are Rebels And Have Defected From The Devil's Original System By The False Light Of Ipos Attempting To Snatch Away Those That Were Formerly Lesser Rulers And Slaves, -- If Any Survive -- There Is Another Ruler That Comes After Gamigin, Gathers Information, And Also Deals With The Intel Of The Defect Group." Ophiuchus pointed to Naberius with the Grand Cross. "This Marquis -- Naberius -- Is One Who Gives Dignity To Men, So If They Are Following Ipos Because Of His Greatness, Then Naberius Can Give Inspiration To Those Who Have Been Made Weak So That They Can Rejoin Or Remain In The Devil's System By Gamigin And Naberius' Efforts Combined." That was to say, Gamigin and Naberius were already in cahoots about this plan Naberius was explaining. "These Members Of The Rulers Ensure That No One And Nothing Can Rebel Against The Higher Powers, And Ipos -- Even As Furfur -- Is Only An EXAMPLE Of What Happens When Someone Within The Ranks Ever Tries To Rebel."

"Naberius Is The Alias Of The Dog Of Hades -- Cerberus -- As Well As One Of The Names Of The Three Heads." Ophiuchus narrowed his eyes at the cerberus, saying to the demons, "Naberius Has A Very Specific Purpose Of Restoring Power And Honor And Dignity To Others In Order To Raise Them Up Over Other People Or To Their Original Standards So That They May Act As They Originally Did Before Anyone Lowered Them At All." The power of Naberius came from his ability to actually make people greater than what they were. "After Those Who Have Lost Their Place Or Their Power Are Restored, He Makes Them More Cunning Than They Were Originally So That They Can Be More Intelligent Than False Prophets, False Lights, And Rebels Altogether."

Ophiuchus turned to the demons and shouted, "Which Will You Choose? Small-Time Fame And Fortune, Or Lifetime Repentance Before The Lord?" He was still the God-King. He had duties to restore people to what they once were as well, but that could not happen until this Ophiuchus had more control over a larger portion of the reality.

It was true that many of the demons who were once regular sinners did want to go back to a life before being a demon, but... Unfortunately for Ophiuchus, the demons wanted their time to shine in the spotlight more than going back to being boring old sinners with a weight on their ankles.

So they chose to side with Marquis Naberius and Marquis Gamigin.

Though, regardless of the fact that the two of them just got LEGIONS of legions, -- well into the millions of demons -- yet another holy light shined down from on high, this time bearing with it a black adonis on a black horse with glowing eyes and a frame that was illuminated lightly. He was larger than any of the other Demon Lords that had come thus far and strode down on his horse right above Gamigin and Naberius, saying with a Godly voice, "Be Still, Demons. I Am Marquis Kimaris. If You Heed Gamigin And Naberius, As The Wise One Would, I Will Make You Godly, In My Image." Kimaris had no emotion to his tone, but he was very fierce in his appearance.

The demons loved it.

Demons: "WOO, YEAH!!!"

Gamigin looked up to the giant cerberus Naberius, then they both looked toward Kimaris. They'd reclaimed the millions of demons that were loose and also gotten them to once again go against the Angel King without questioning orders. They'd also not lost a single Marquis to Ophiuchus at all, but worked together to eliminate the lower class and destroy their competition. They were all wise enough to know that if they did their jobs correctly and didn't defect, they would certainly get promoted -- they were too close to the top not to be. It was the lower and middle class demons that were getting gypped out of their lifetimes and souls.

But none of that really mattered.

Demons: "All hail Kimaris! All hail Kimaris!"

Kimaris looked to Ophichus and said, "My Power Is Godlike, Though I Am Not A God. They Will See Me As A God If I Destroy You, However." Kimaris readied his steed as Naberius and Gamigin prepared themselves for combat, bathing the demons in a spectral aura that came from himself.

Suddenly, the millions of demons all started to turn into miniature Kimaris, and they would all glow with a Godlike light. They were becoming Godlike demons, which were the equivalent of what Ophiuchus called 'Falshin'.

And there were millions of them.

Though this outcome was a foreseeable possibility and well within Ophiuchus' calculations, it was still a situation that was not pretty. "Falshin!?" he cried out warily, raising his blade, "Why, I Should Have Known!" Kimaris was someone that Ophiuchus wasn't expecting to come down so early, but if he remembered his notes correctly, then Kimaris was right on time... And he could see why.

By this time, Valac had returned to Ophiuchus as not to get caught up with the demons that were becoming exponentially more powerful, and each of them capable of being on par with a God. "When Naberius And Gamigin Successfully Reclaim The Army Of The Devil And Bring Them Back Into The System After Totally Destroying Ipos, -- And His Alter Ego, Furfur -- A Different Ruler Comes Unto The Group As A God-like Entity In Order To Keep Them In Order And Under Control, So That They All Do Not Overthrow Gamigin Nor Naberius, Since They Have Been Given Power And Also Have Numbers." That was exactly what he did, too, and the Angel King could see that the presence of these Marquises was no joke, even for himself. "This Ruler That Tames Them -- Kimaris -- Comes Forward In Order To Awe Them Into Loving Him And His Power, As Well As The Devil's System Again So That They Can Be Trained To Be Like Him And Never Wish To Defect Again." It was a tragedy among lost souls, for as soon as they believed they were Gods, they were lost.

"Kimaris Is Made God-like In Order To Maintain Control," Ophiuchus said to Valac. "Kimaris Also Has Power Over The Other Two Because Of His Rank, And Serves A Similar Purpose As Morax And Ipos Combined In Order To Keep Others From Going Beyond His Own Power And Getting Higher Up Into The System." It was no wonder Kimaris was so large and menacing, even more so than Morax, who was the second largest out of all of the large entities these demons took the forms of. "Kimaris Teaches Others To Be In His Image So That There Are Stronger Warriors That Are Capable Of Fighting Off Whatever Tries To Destroy The Evil System." That much known, Ophiuchus already had his blade at the ready for all of the Falshin. "Kimaris Also Appears Godly So That Others Will Believe That He Is God And Will Follow And Worship Him Without Ever Knowing That He Was Sent Down By Someone More Powerful Than He And He Also Is Working For The Evil Ones In Order To Maintain The Devil's System Simply So That He Does Not Collapse -- Since His Godly Power Comes From The Devil System, Itself."

Ophiuchus needed to use the power of Grand Cross to his advantage. It was made of the power of Death, Eternity, Infinity, Oblivion, and the Judgemaster, so it was quite versatile. "I Will Show You The Power Of A God," Ophiuchus boomed. With a single slash of the Grand Cross, Death was brought upon everything in the wake of the blade's energy beam that came from its tip, stripping them of their souls and destroying any form of 'Immortality' they might have acquired from being Godly.

"Hmph!" Ophiuchus flickered about the battlefield and zipped around faster than light, razing the demons that rose up like freshly cut grass. That took out several millions of them in seconds, and, immediately afterward, he stabbed the Grand Cross into the ground and caused an explosion of pure Oblivion to expel from the blade, causing all of the demons to become ignorant, as they once were, as well as erased them into being forgotten. The only person who would remember would be Ophiuchus. To everyone else, it would be like a great deal of demons were completely wiped out of their minds once Kimaris appeared, and everyone would be oblivious as to what occurred and what was happening.

Only Kimaris' legions were left, for they hadn't revealed themselves... Yet...

Gamigin and Naberius were shocked at the might of the Angel King. They'd seen what happened, but after being washed by the explosion, they totally forgot what was going on.

Naberius: "Hm? What is this?"

Gamigin: "Were we not doing something involving a great deal of people?"

Naberius: "Well, where could they have gone?"

As the two fumbled over themselves dumbfounded, Kimaris -- who was Godlike, and therefore had a greater awareness than the other demons -- would immediately summon his legions, all of which looked like him. The astronomical Godly Demon Lord upon his black horse sent his miniatures riding off into battle, each of them like a Falshin, the same as the ones that were erased.

???: "No, no, no! Stop this at once!"

A very stately looking peacock -- larger than most, but only about the size of a man -- strutted in from a gaudy looking city with a palace that was much flashier than the others. "I've seen the commotion going on ALL the way from my city. When I saw Kimaris appear, I knew it had to be something important." The peacock eyed the angelic man -- the Ophiuchus, Angel King -- and said, "So, it really IS you, O King. But tell me, what has brought you low to the ground with us demons? Surely it cannot be because of the state Hell is in right now."

This peacock -- Marquis Andrealphus -- spoke in a cacophony of noise, and his voice was rather annoying. He continued, "Kimaris! Stop your legions at once! This is no way to treat the King."

Kimaris did as he was told by the higher Marquis, already knowing that if he did not then he would hear about it in discordant unrest from Andrealphus. Even Naberius and Gamigin were not pleased to hear Andrealphus' voice.

Kimaris: "Halt, My Legions. Heed Andrealphus, And I Will Protect You From The Angel King."

The legions of Kimaris who were all in his likeness stopped rushing toward Ophiuchus and instead ran to Andrealphus, who also summoned his legions.

"There now," Andrealphus said, counting up the twenty legions from Kimaris and then adding them to his own thirty legions. "I see that this is all because you all are fighting the King instead of treating him warmly to our System. Perhaps you should try a more amicable approach."

Kimaris: "The Angel God-King Narrates Our Every Action And Reveals All Of Our Secrets. We Cannot Defeat Him. He Is Destroying Our System."

Andrealphus: "Then let him! He is the King, he does as he pleases. Aren't the lives of our demons important, too?"

Kimaris: "You Are Correct. Naberius And Gamigin Have Lost Their Legions. You And I Shall Combine Our Own."

Andrealphus: "Splendid! Now, don't worry about the Angel King, worry about our people. If I divide us up right, then we can reestablish the Lower and Middle class of the System. As you already know, the Angel King is tearing us apart. Why not defy him by reestablishing ourselves when he tries to tear us down? That's a slap in the face!"

Though everyone hated Andrealphus' horrible voice, he did make sense. So, he was allowed to divide the people up into the lower class and middle class again. Naturally, the legions did as he commanded, and as they were doing that, Andrealphus went to Ophiuchus. "You drive a hard bargain, O King. But I must say, you do know that your efforts are fruitless, yes? Kimaris says you know all about us, but you must know that all of us can be replaced at any time. No one is exempt except the very top. All you do is waste your time here." Andrealphus talked up a storm to Ophiuchus, lecturing him on how his approach was incorrect and all of the reasons why he would fail.

Meanwhile, Naberius, Gamigin, and Kimaris watched over the legions, who were acting differently now that they were divided into classes again. Yet they were all managed so long as they had their Demon Lords over them to watch them. But civil unrest was right around the corner.

"Oh, Contraire," Ophiuchus said to Marquis Andrealphus, "I Have Received A Substantial Amount Of Energy From What Has Just Occurred And What Has Happened Since Past." Ophiuchus glared at Andrealphus, pointing his sword at him, "Your Words Have No Meaning To Me, Andrealphus."

The Angel King looked to Valac. "Though It Seems Good For Kimaris To Gain The Warriors And Make Them In His Image, What Ends Up Happening Is That He Hampers His Own Power By Making Everyone Like Himself, Yet Also Establishes A New Lesser Layer Of Power That Begins With Himself And All Those Of His Likeness." After he explained that to Valac, he turned his head to the other Marquises, smirking. "Naberius And Gamigin Are Generally Seen As Weak And Inferior, Then Wiped Out, Yet The Original Kimaris Is No Longer Potent Nor Powerful." When he said that, all of the demons under the Demon Lords should have heard this. "Of Course, A Power Struggle Happens Among All The Kimaris And Then There Is Another Marquis -- Andrealphus -- Sent To The Army Of Kimaris To Gather Attention For Himself By Stirring Up The Army And Giving Them The Power To Measure Their Own Power And Establish Ranks Between Themselves -- Usually So That They Will Feel Inferior To Each Other And Destroy Each Other, Including The Original Kimaris."

As Ophiuchus knew it, it was happening. It was clear that he knew his stuff when it came to the Demon Lords... It was almost like he was prepared for each and every thing that happened in the System. "Andrealphus Is A Noise-making Demon Ruler Who Comes Specifically To Draw Attention To Himself And To Whatever He Is Trying To Get Across At Any Given Time Publicly -- He Is A Public Orator, And An Annoyance In The Group." This was why Andrealphus wanted to talk and not fight. He was a talker, but Ophiuchus knew of his cunning with words. "By Breaking Up The Group Of Kimaris' And Informing Them Of Whatever Noise He Is Making -- Annoying Them To No Ends Until They Pay Attention To Him -- Andrealphus Teaches Them About Alignments And Measurements So That Each Of Them Begins To Compare Themselves To One Another." This is what was happening in the 'Class' system that everyone came to know and love. "By Teaching Them To Compare Themselves And Make Alignments, Andrealphus Splits Up The Group And Forces Them To Create Divisions Amongst Themselves And Against The Original Kimaris, Who Made Them What They Are, So That They Will Destroy Each Other Fighting For Supremacy As 'God' Or 'Godlike' Beings." Unfortunately, Ophiuchus was the one that was most like God, so the Godlike demons seeking to overthrow each other and the highest would naturally gravitate toward him.

But Ophiuchus had final words for the all of them.

"For Those Who Are Not Seeking To Remain As Kimaris, Andrealphus Also Teaches Them How To Rise Above The Others And Become Birds In The Sky -- As He Is, For He Is A Peacock And Vain -- So That They Can Serve Him And Also So That They Can No Longer Be In The Image Of Kimaris. This Is To Salvage Those Who Know What Is Godlike Without Having Them Kill Each Other." These words were Ophiuchus' last because he wanted to see what the Falshin would do with that knowledge before he decided if he wanted to destroy them or not.

He lowered his sword.

For one, Andrealphus was quiet. He looked at Ophiuchus with a blank face, muttering eventually, "Wow, he really is narrating what we do..."

The others seemed to not have noticed because they were too busy being exposed.

But the truth of the Angel King's words rang loud throughout the legions and even in the Demon Lords, who understood now that Andrealphus was trying to split them up for his own ulterior motives rather than for the good of the System. This angered them severely.

But Andrealphus was still more cunning than them all, save Kimaris. He quickly shouted in an unbearable tone, "WAIT!!! Who doesn't want to die?! Anyone who wants to learn how to become a bird and avoid everything going on, I will transform you! You can change back at any time!" Andrealphus then made a wry grin. "For those of you who wish to kill each other in order to see who the most powerful is, go to Kimaris."

"My voice alone has power to allow you to change into birds," Andrealphus continued, "So any of you wishing to flee now may come with me!"

???: "Or, you could come with me."

Andrealphus: "Who's there?!"

It was... Andrealphus. Standing before Andrealphus. With thirty legions behind him.

Andrealphus: "O-Oh... It's you, Decarabia... But... Why have you transformed into me?"

Decarabia: "Because I knew that you would try something sly when you left your city. So I'm here to take your place."

Andrealphus: "But I'm not--"

Suddenly, many Falshin turned into birds, fluttering into the sky and creating a wave that blocked out vision for a moment or so. When the birds lifted, and each of them was in the sky, Andrealphus was found stabbed in his heart by the other Andrealphus, whom he'd called Decarabia.

Andrealphus: "Decarabia... You...!!"

Decarabia: "Do not fret. I will take care of your birds for you."

Suddenly, as the other legions of Falshin ran off to fight Kimaris, Naberius, and Gamigin, the fake Andrealphus transformed into a bright and beautiful pentacle that shone with a light similar to Ophiuchus'. It grabbed the attention of the birds, but not of the warring Falshin. That battle raged on by itself, Kimaris using his massive size to crush many legions under his horse's foot. But the Falshin found ways to get to the weakened Kimaris and take him down, and easily handled Naberius and Gamigin because they did not have Godlike power, as a Falshin did.

Decarabia: "Come, birds! Flee with me to my city! I will protect you!"

The shining pentacle rose high into the air with the birds that had been transformed and shot off toward a city which had a palace like a birdcage. Each of the birds followed the light of the star off to the birdcage palace, and there they entered.

The dead bodies of many Falshin were left in the field, as were Andrealphus, Gamigin, and Naberius when all was said and done. The sole survivor was Kimaris himself, and he was weakened severely by the Falshin.

"Do Not Count This As A Victory, Angel King," Kimaris said to him, his horse kneeling and creating a shockwave as it buckled to its knees, "Trust That This Is Only The Beginning..."

Again, things went as Ophiuchus said regardless. With Kimaris' last words, Ophiuchus aimed to consume him right then and there, as well as everyone and everything else that was dead. "Trust Me, I Know," Ophiuchus responded to Kimaris before raising his sword across himself, preparing to swing. "Goodbye, Falshin," was all that Ophiuchus had to say to Kimaris as he was split in twain by the warpspeed swiftness of the Angel King. There was much blood for a moment, but all such was absorbed into Ophiuchus after it washed over all of the bodies. Ophiuchus consumed whatever was within the lake of blood from Kimaris' death, taking in the other Falshin and Marquises that had fallen.

Wiping blood from his mouth, Ophiuchus motioned for Valac to follow him to Decarabia's city. "After Andrealphus Has Created A Setup And Diversion To Divide Up The Kimaris' And Force Them Into Divisions By His Own Teaching Of Comparing Themselves To Each Other And Measuring Their Power Against One Another, Andrealphus Will Take The Ones Who Submit To Him Or Those That Are The Best For Himself And Turn Them Into Birds -- Whatever Bird They Wish -- To Watch Over The Battle Between The Other Kimaris That Are Trying To Establish Themselves As God, Gods, Or Simply The Most Powerful. This Is To Give Them The Illusion Of Uniqueness And Also To Slyly Gather Up His Own Forces Of Godly Beings To Serve Under Him So That He, Too, Can Inevitably Rebel And Overthrow Higher Powers -- Just As Anyone Who Gains A Powerful Force And Deems Themselves Great." That was what had come to pass, but Ophiuchus needed to explain the entire process to Valac so that he would understand what was to come much better, and hopefully be of some use again as he was with Malphas. "However, There Is Another Greater Marquis, Whose Name Is Decarabia, That Is Able To Transform Into Any And All Birds -- Which Is Different From Changing Others Into Birds -- And Thus Takes The Uniqueness That Andrealphus Is Attempting To Grant His Legion And Proves To Them That He Is Greater Just By Being -ABLE- To Transform Into Both Andrealphus, Himself, And -WHATEVER- Andrealphus Has Transformed The Others Into, Thus Making Andrealphus Completely Obsolete Before He Can Truly Get Off Of The Ground And Transferring The Birds He Has Saved From Kimaris Unto Himself."

In short, there was another setup waiting for the one who made a setup in the first place.

"Decarabia Can Transform Into Any And All Birds -- Including Those That Andrealphus Can Change Others Into, And Also Andrealphus, Himself, Because Andrealphus Is A Bird -- A Peacock." Decarabia could be the Pied Piper of birds with his ability to change into any kind he liked, including Andrealphus, if he needed to. "Because Andrealphus Is A Vain Peacock, Decarabia Is Made Specifically To Nullify The Aspects Of Andrealphus That Cause Him To Be Vain Since Without Those Aspects, Andrealphus Is Literally Both Useless And Unwanted, Especially Because He Is Like Both Botis And Ipos -- A Rebellious Betrayer Waiting To Backstab A Higher Authority Once He Gains Power." And so, that was why Andrealphus had to die in the eyes of the other Demon Lord.

Though being able to transform into any bird, Decarabia's true form was that of a pentacle. "Decarabia Appears As A Pentagram Star To Reveal His Power As A Spirit, A Celestial Body, And As A Powerful Satan Unto Those Who Are Vain, Such As Andrealphus And Anything In His Likeness. Decarabia Is Meant To Humble ALL The Birds In The Sky And Keep Them From Being Vain, That They Submit To Him Because He Can Transform Into Any Of Them -- Including The One That Changed Them Into Birds In The First Place." Decarabia may have had all the birds in the sky and they were Godlike beings, but they were still just Falshin. Ophiuchus could handle weak Falshin in his sleep. "Decarabia Also Teaches Those Who Are Under Him About The Values Of The Earth And Its Minerals So That They Take Care Of It For Him And He Watches Over Them As Their Ruler, Not Having To Do Any Of The Hard Labors That Come With Ruling Over The Earth." So basically, all Decarabia wanted was slaves.

"Okay, Valac. The Time Has Come Where I Am At A Greater Strength; Great Enough To Use My More Powerful Techniques," the Angel King said, awaying the Grand Cross sword. "I Will Take Them All Down In One Blow." Ophiuchus knew that if he let Decarabia live, he would transform into Andrealphus again, or even worse... Malphas. "If Even One Of The Falshin Or Decarabia Himself Turns Into Malphas, We Will Once Again Have A Problem On Our Hands." To eliminate that possibility, Ophiuchus was going to use his ability that burnt away all other possibilities but the one he willed, which did not include a Malphas nor a Decarabia.

"Absolute Zero; Jade Amaterasu." Ophiuchus shot a verdant green beam from his eyeless sockets that streaked across the ground of the city of Decarabia and caused a massive explosion with vicious emerald flames that began burning away at reality, which destroyed possibilities from alternate outcomes. If he was on point, he could erase them all at once and leave the city as a burning pile of nothingness.

Though the Ophiuchus had the power to erase all other possibilities except for his own with a green fire, he was still subject to the power of Malphas, who could undo anything anyone has done. Unfortunately for the Angel King, when Andrealphus turned everyone that didn't fight the war into birds, one of those birds was Malphas, the man-raven.

It didn't take long to undo the Jade Amaterasu, as it hadn't started going yet, and didn't burn away this possibility. The new Malphas would destroy the Jade Amaterasu using his Godlike power as a Falshin and free the other God-birds from the flames.

"Quickly," a soothing, babyish voice cooed, "Come to me!" There, over the birdcage palace, a giant white phoenix arose seemingly from out of nowhere.

The Falshin birds quickly fluttered to the wings of the enormous phoenix for protection, abandoning Decarabia pretty much immediately.

Decarabia: "Marquis Phenex! What have you done? Those are MY freshly caught pigeons!"

Phenex: "These are no mere people to play with and have, Decarabia. I am taking over from here. You have served your purpose in saving our people. Now I will protect them."

Phenex wrapped his wings around the birds and bolted off in a burning light off toward his own city, which was made of a white fire. The flames made solid structures and did not burn, but heal. The palace was like a mantle to harness the flames.

Decarabia, feeling foolish, transformed from his shape as a star and into a man, adorned with several kinds of feathers as clothing. "Curse you, Phenex! Those are MY people! I am the one to rule over them!" Decarabia then transformed into a giant white phoenix just the same as Phenex, basically becoming Phenex the same way that he'd become Andrealphus before. "Now..." Decarabia, as Phenex, said in a baby voice, "Come to me."

Phenex: "Do not listen to the imposter! I am here to help and heal you! He only wishes to rule over you and make you work hard labors. Do not trust him."

The Falshin that had turned into birds stayed with the real Phenex, as he was the one that gave them warmth and care with his protection. They changed back into demons within his palace and joined his twenty legions.

Decarabia, the false Phenex, cried out in a baby voice, "No! That's not how this is supposed to go! They're MINE, Phenex!" He flew toward Phenex and began to peck at him viciously, trying to get him to open his wings.

Valac said to Ophiuchus, "We have to trail them before Marquis Decarabia transforms into... Well, Malphas, really. One of the demons has already become a Malphas, and we'll be in big trouble if they ALL turn into Malphas..."

Strange how such a small-time Demon Lord could be the bane of one's existence from having one simple ability that others did not.

It was right for Valac to be anxious, for the befouling and annoying Malphas was back in the picture. Decarabia had to be destroyed, and so did all of the Falshin that could now turn into birds. "Once Decarabia Usurps Andrealphus Before He Can Get Off Of The Ground With His Rebellion, -- To Prevent Another Botis Or Ipos Incident -- He Is Made Completely Obsolete And Then Slain Or Put In Servitude As A Slave To Prevent His Ability To Control Others By Turning Them Into Birds." Right now, Decarabia had avoided being slain, but... That wouldn't be the case for long. "He Can Be Used For His Voice, But Because Of His Vanity And The Ability Of Decarabia To Transform Even Into Andrealphus, His Existence Becomes Fairly Meaningless -- Hence The Vanity -- And He Is Basically Either Slave Waste Or Food For Slaughter." Andrealphus was made obsolete by Decarabia, and Decarabia was made useless by Phenex. "The Kimaris, Including The Original, Either Die By Killing Themselves Or Through Malphas Sending Them Off Into War. However, Decarabia Becomes A Problem Because He Can Transform Into Any Bird, Including Andrealphus, And Either Disguise Himself As Others Or Control Them In A Similar Fashion As Andrealphus Did Whilst Posing As Andrealphus So That No One Suspects Decarabia Himself." Fortunately, Decarabia was too busy thinking about and transforming into Phenex to transform into a Malphas. "Thus, A Virtuous Bird Is Necessary To Lure Decarabia Out Into The Open. This Is What Phenex Is For -- Specifically To Oppose Decarabia Once Andrealphus Is Taken Care Of And Both Have Served Their Purpose."

Now, though Phenex was a Demon Lord, he was virtuous, as he was once a Phoenix angel. But he had fallen from grace and now served under demons. "Phenex Is A Virtuous Ruler For The Specific Purpose Of Maintaining A Certain Level Of Holiness That Both Decarabia And Andrealphus Cannot Maintain Themselves." The holy bird may not have gone over well with the Falshin, but he was protecting them, so they didn't seem to care right now. But they'd likely turn on him once Decarabia was dealt with, trying to attain their freedom. "Phenex Is A Stopping Block For Decarabia Because Decarabia, Though He Can Transform Into Phenex, Cannot Actually Match The Originality Nor The Virtue Of Phenex -- Which Is To Tell The Truth And Simply Be Beautiful." Ophiuchus went along with Valac to the fiery white palace of Phenex, where Decarabia as a false Phenex was fighting and apprehending him.

"Phenex Has No Purpose Except To Tell The Truth And Be Beautiful To Keep Those Who Attempt To Copy His Form -- Namely Decarabia -- From Being Able To Actually Keep His Form Or To Usurp Him Based On The Originality Of Phenex As A Virtuous Ruler." By now, Ophiuchus was talking to the Falshin more than Valac, so that they could hear what it meant for Phenex to be over them. "Because Phenex Has No Purpose Beyond Being A Stopping Block For Decarabia And Also Telling The Truth Or Luring People With A Sweet Voice, He Still Serves Under Higher Authorities And Is Never Let Out From His Place Because He Tells The Truth And Would Expose Secrets Just By Being Who And What He Is. Therefore, Once Decarabia Is Exposed, Phenex Is No Longer Useful For Anything And Is Left Waiting Forever For Someone To Acknowledge Him." It was sad, but Phenex did indeed lead a life of staying under the thumb of Demon Lords and forcefully being a Demon Lord, himself.

"Phenex," Ophiuchus called out to the distressed bird, "You Will Never Return To Heaven, No Matter Your Virtue. You Submit To People Too Easily, And So The Demons May Use You As Much As They Like. Your Only Freedom Comes From Me When I Destroy The System, If You Are Not Destroyed By Then." It was highly unlikely, since Phenex was a phoenix, and could be reborn from his own ashes. But if there were no ashes, there was no phoenix. "I Will Give You The Rest You Deserve And Also Free You From Your Servitude, As You Have Been A Boon To Me By Taking The Attention Of Decarabia And Gathering The Falshin For Me." Ophiuchus smiled at Phenex, who was still getting pecked by Decarabia. "I Have Only One Request: Rid Yourself Of Malphas, And I Will Rid You Of Everything Else."

Hoping that Phenex would listen, Ophiuchus prepared to send them all to the Zero World for fodder. "Absolute Zero..." he commanded, "Yami." Ophiuchus opened his mouth and released a darker than black beam from it, which expanded exponentially to encompass the entirety of the fiery white palace. Everything and everyone in it would be drawn into the beam of nothingness that causes whatever it touches to cease to exist and become fodder for the Zero World. 'The Darkness' as it was sometimes called would instantly erase from existence what it came in contact with, and the beam was large enough to take down a city or two. Ophiuchus only hoped that Phenex would subdue Malphas before he escaped or undid what Ophiuchus was doing.

The pestered Phenex heard Ophiuchus and knew his words to be true, all to his dismay. "Angel King..." Phenex muttered, still suffering pecks from Decarabia.

"Not this time, Angel King!" Decarabia said, quickly transforming into Malphas, thus making there be two Malphases that were present at the time. "Take this--"

"No, I won't let you!" Though Phenex knew of his demise, he was ready to do what was virtuous and halt Decarabia and the Falshin Malphas from stopping the attack. He stretched out his neck and plucked Decarabia by the wings, then opened his own to release the birds, which flew off somewhere. There were more than thirty legions of Falshin birds that flew away; some back to the cities, others to other Demon Lords, and still others on their own.

But this did not halt the fate of both Phenex and Decarabia.

"I could not let you hurt the people, Angel King..." Phenex said as he and Decarabia were swallowed up by the nothingness. His final words were, "Finally... Peace..." And with that, they were erased from existence and their energy given up to Ophiuchus as fodder.

Valac was overjoyed that two such powerful Marquises were downed. "Yes! Those two were GREAT Marquises, Milord! Defeating them should have given you LOADS of power!" But Valac watched where some of the birds were flocking... And it brought him horror. "No!!" he shouted, flying off immediately, almost without saying a word. "Angel King, this way! Hurry! Or else..."

Again, too late.

The birds had all flocked to the city of the next Demon Lord, where they were changed into... Alternate forms... To make themselves more inconspicuous. The city of this Demon Lord was refined and resembled normal palace cities. By the time Valac and Ophiuchus got there... There would be no one there.