It was a strange sight. What else could you call it? Unusual even. After all, Damon wasn't crazy... at the moment. If not, then why was he seeing a dromedary in the sky?

Hmm. It was a strange sight indeed to see a flying camel.

The creature was massive, easily the size of a wyvern. Its body was covered with fur, and a large golden saddle was strapped to its back. Over the saddle was something like a tent covering, adorned with the finest of magical jewels.

The camel's eyes were dark like any creature's, yet instead of the calm one would expect from a normal dromedary, this beast radiated a fearsome aura.

Maybe it wasn't a well-known fact, but camels were actually ridden into wars, and they had a bad habit of biting people's heads.

This creature would do far more than bite your head. Its aura was vicious.

Damon felt a jolt in his heart when he saw it.

"That's... a demon."

There was a serious expression on the face of Kadelas Moonveil, his hand rising into the air where he pulled out a silver blade.

Damon had not seen such an expression on Kadelas's face before, not even when the elf had been angered by him.

Daphne bit her lips, magic seals appearing across her hands as her power stirred.

But it wasn't just them. Seras, who had been lazily watching the proceedings, was suddenly armed with two long swords. A helm with wings appeared on her head, and her armor glimmered silver, making her look every bit like a Valkyrie.

Everyone who had any power of substantial level was already outside, their auras flaring so high the color of the sky itself seemed to dim, each of them affecting the world in their own unique way.

The world seemed brighter around those of House Brightwater, as though the sun itself had descended into the world.

For House Ravenscroft, it was as if a black hole had opened, absorbing all the mana into its depths.

The entire place grew unbearably heavy. Damon felt it was difficult to breathe.

He sucked in a breath of cold air. It was obvious everyone was enjoying the protection of these powerhouses... well, except Damon. The closest powerhouse to him was Kadelas, and Damon knew very well the elf would never go out of his way to protect him.

'Damn petty.'

He endured it. He had faced horror before, so he had the resistance required. Besides, he wasn't their actual target.

The emperor, Kronos, was surprised as translucent ripples that seemed to distort the flow of time spread out above them. His gaze rose sharply to the sky.

"What brings Paimon, Lord of Knowledge and High Priestess of the Snake Temple? Is this a blatant violation of the peace treaty?"

The crowd, most of whom were ignorant of what the dromedary truly represented, choked as fear began to spread among them like a suffocating fog.

Yet no one tried to escape. Where could they run? This place was supposed to be the safest.

"It... it's a demon lord..." someone stammered in terror.

After all, those who lived in the world of Aetherus knew very well what it meant when one was called a demon lord.

These were disasters, the absolute peak of demonkind, the rulers of the Demon Continent.

Each demon lord was virtually invincible. And when one fell, another would claim their name and title, making it seem as if they had never truly died. For a long time, the public had even believed the demon lords were immortal, able to respawn like monsters in a dungeon.

"Eh... why... why is a demon lord here..." a man muttered, his body trembling.

Sweat poured down his face as it grew pale. Tears welled in the corners of his eyes as memories of devastation came back to him, the day the Grand Duke Brightwater had fought the demon lord Adramelech.

Those who were even within a hundred miles of that battle had been turned to cinders. The world had been perpetually scarred by unhealing, immolating light.

"Goddess protect us..." Another voice broke into prayer.

For many, praying to the goddess was all they could do. They knew the truth, if they fought here, there was no guarantee of survival. Even if Paimon were slain, anyone weaker caught between the clash would perish.

"Don't fear, the Temple is here! They will exorcize this demon!" a woman shouted, though her voice quivered.

Her eyes turned to the flying pavilion of the Temple, where the ultimate representatives of the will of the goddess stood.

How could they not be afraid?

The Grand Duke Brightwater clenched his glowing golden hand, his cape whipping in the wind, his gaze flickering toward his two granddaughters behind him.

"If you have come to die, we are happy to oblige."

From the Temple pavilion, the voice of the High Cardinal, Aurelius Venn, echoed out, carrying with it his draconian aura.

"Is this an act of war, Paimon? What brings the Lord of the Snake Temple here? Know that regardless of the outcome, we will retaliate in kind."

There was still no response from the dromedary above. Its massive form remained suspended in the air, silent and imposing.

Damon narrowed his eyes. He couldn't sense any presence at all. How Paimon had even made it into the capital undetected was a mystery. The capital was filled with wards and barriers.

Daphne bit her lips and whispered toward Kadelas.

"You can fight freely. The Valtheron Empire's barrier will go up in a moment, protecting everyone."

Kadelas's eyes didn't move from the dromedary, but her words made Damon relax slightly. At least his sister would be safe.

From the dromedary in the sky, a figure moved descending like a falling boulder from the heavens.

The figure landed on the ground with a heavy thud, shattering several meters of the arena floor.

Finally, the figure raised her head.

With a soft, gentle bow, she spoke in a calm voice.

"My apologies... I did not mean to be rude. It seems I did not think this through. Truly, I did not mean to offend."

The wings on her back folded and disappeared. Her eyes turned toward the pavilion where Kronos stood.

"For those who do not know me, allow me to formally introduce myself."

"I am Paimon, the demon lord who keeps knowledge, and prays to the Goddess of the Abyss in hopes that I may receive love from my creator goddess."

She curtsied elegantly.

"I am much like you... a faithful of doom."

Father Dantalion raised his hand, his body trembling with rage.

"Blasphemous demon!"

Paimon giggled softly, her voice carrying an eerie sweetness.

"No need to be rude...Father…"

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