“───. ───. ───.”
“───. ───. ───.”
“───. ───. ───.”
“───. ───. ───.”
The sound of incantations filled the air.
It wasn’t just one person chanting spells. It was the voices of thousands of magic users, all casting simultaneously.
I’d heard that between three and four thousand mages had gathered, though the exact number was unknown. But the sheer volume of their chanting was so grand and majestic, words could hardly do it justice.
“We should see the results soon,” Shin Jaeryong whispered quietly beside me. I nodded silently in response.
Before my eyes stood the Steel Mountain Range—the very image I had only ever imagined in my mind until now. I wasn’t here just to observe. Today was the day we would execute the plan to conquer the Flame Domain, announced during the last summons.
Since that call to arms, the central governing body’s official plan had received more enthusiasm than expected. Among the strategies, the Flame Domain assault plan was met with especially fervent support.
I could understand why. The plan itself was simple, yet incredibly practical. More than that, it gave the users a kind of hope—a fantasy, even.
In other words, it promised a way to easily overcome the Steel Mountain Range, which had long been considered impregnable. Who wouldn’t want to take the easy path through such a difficult terrain?
The official Flame Domain assault plan gained momentum at a staggering pace, fueled by the users’ eagerness to see it put into action and witness the results as soon as possible.
Lee Hyoeul wasn’t one to sit idly by amid such enthusiasm. He immediately sent messengers to every region, requesting cooperation. Almost instantly, a massive number of mages eager to participate began to gather. So many, in fact, that some users even suggested trying it out on their own, forcing the central governing body to step in and regulate the influx.
After carefully selecting the elite, we formed a mage legion and, after four weeks of travel, finally arrived at the Steel Mountain Range in the northern continent.
“Stand by. Those ready, please raise your staffs high toward the Steel Mountain Range. Avoid aiming directly at the target.”
Is it about to begin? The amplified voice echoed across the vast plains.
As if confirming my thoughts, an overwhelming flow of magical energy surged between where we stood and the sprawling mountain range ahead.
Suddenly, a dazzling burst of colors ignited my vision. Every staff raised toward the sky blazed with fiery light, illuminating the surroundings.
“1st squad, Flame Domain magic ready.”
“2nd squad, Flame Domain magic ready.”
“3rd squad, Flame Domain magic ready.”
“4th squad, Flame Domain magic ready.”
Each squad leader reported their readiness.
“5th squad, Wind Domain magic ready.”
“6th squad, Water Domain magic ready.”
Even the 5th and 6th squads, prepared for any unforeseen circumstances, confirmed their readiness.
“All units, prepare.”
Finally, the command before launch was given.
I gripped my sword tightly. I didn’t know what might happen—angry monsters could suddenly burst out in a frenzy—so I was ready to step forward and protect the mages if needed.
“…”
“…”
A tense silence settled, thick with anticipation.
But it didn’t last long.
“Fire!”
With Lee Hyoeul’s sharp command, all the mages shouted their activation words in unison.
At that moment, the flames swirling at the tips of their staffs exploded almost simultaneously like fireworks. I calmly covered my ears and lifted my gaze.
…Fireballs? No, streams of fire?
How to describe it? Hundreds—no, thousands—of flame spells soared into the sky all at once. The heat was so intense that even from a distance, I could feel it radiating.
The magic climbed endlessly, reaching the heavens before pausing briefly. But it was only a moment.
At their peak, the spells arced gracefully and then plunged downward, raining precisely onto the Steel Mountain Range. It looked like a torrential downpour of fire.
Yes.
“Everyone, be careful!”
True to the warning, a fiery deluge hammered down on the Steel Mountain Range!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The first collision between the mountain range and the magic erupted. The flames that struck the ground exploded in rapid succession, turning the interior of the Steel Mountains a blinding white. The deafening roar was like cannons firing right beside me, but I didn’t look away. I strained every sense, determined not to miss a single moment.
And then, after a while—
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!
Amid the white flashes scattered through the forest, massive flames began to blaze.
At last, the signal flare marking the first step in the assault on the Steel Mountain Range had been fired.
In a quiet room, shadows slowly rose from the thick darkness. The figure took shape gradually—slim, slightly gaunt.
As the shadow fully formed, the darkness pressed heavily on everyone seated in the room.
“Adversary.”
“The King of All Demons.”
Satan had arrived.
Using the prophecy of the Great Plan as a pretext, he had convened the meeting of the Seven Great Demons, appearing last of all.
“Well, everyone’s here,” he greeted, his tone leisurely but voice icy cold as it addressed the demons seated before him.
“You’re late, host,” came a reply, equally cold and flat, devoid of any inflection that would raise goosebumps. Yet the figure clutching a teddy bear nearly as big as herself was the complete opposite of her voice.
With deep blue eyes fixed on Satan, the demon was a petite girl.
By appearance, she looked barely eight years old. Dressed in a jet-black Gothic Lolita dress that revealed chubby calves, she resembled a delicate doll. This was Baal—the “Cruel Destroyer” and “King of the East.”
“Sorry. Had some preparations to make before the meeting,” Satan replied nonchalantly, settling into his chair. His unnaturally long fingers slipped into his pocket, pulling out a cigarette which he lit.
The small flame briefly illuminated his surroundings, casting light on his horizontally slit eyes and blood-red irises. But as the cigarette burned down, the glow faded, and darkness reclaimed his face.
“Satan? I heard the Great Plan contacted you. Do you really have time to leisurely smoke now…?”
A sticky, somewhat sultry voice interrupted, clearly displeased. The other demons silently watched Satan, seemingly in agreement.
Still, Satan said nothing.
As the silence grew heavy and curiosity mounted, Satan suddenly moved his hand swiftly.
Whoosh!
Thud!
On the armrests of each demon’s chair, a palm-sized piece of paper appeared. Unlike ordinary paper, these were completely blackened.
“I’ve compiled the Great Plan’s message here. You all know how to use it. Eat first, then we talk.”
“Eat first, then talk?” That was strange.
“Tch. Anyone hearing this would think we’re being invited to a banquet,” Astaroth muttered, then bizarrely crumpled the paper and shoved it into her mouth. Lilith sucked the rolled paper between her lips, while Baal carefully tore hers apart and ate it piece by piece. Despite the different methods, the demons were literally eating the paper.
Moments later—
“Huh? A new queen’s emergence? And a prophecy of defeat? No, no. They want us to consider retreat!”
“I don’t understand. What is this all of a sudden?”
Astaroth, who had eaten first, swallowed hard and exclaimed. Baal frowned in confusion and quickly added her voice.
Satan surveyed the flustered demons quietly, then spoke in a slightly lowered voice.
“That’s why I called this meeting—to ask your thoughts.”
“…”
“The time has come for us to choose. Do we continue, or do we withdraw?”
“Withdraw? What nonsense is that! We haven’t even reached the Temple of Promise, let alone Terra… No! Florence, Iris, Ragnarok, Atlanta! None of the outsiders have set foot in these lands yet!”
True to her title as the “Demon of Wrath,” Astaroth’s eyes blazed fiercely as she growled, utterly refusing to accept the idea.
“I agree with the Demon of Wrath. Even if this is a message from the Great Plan… I just can’t understand these orders. King of all demons, do you know why this directive was issued?”
Lucifer’s voice was urgent but polite. It was unusual for the “Fallen Angel,” who always maintained a gentlemanly demeanor, to sound so anxious.
“The Great Plan’s prophecy has never been wrong,” Satan said slowly as he rose. Then he spoke again.
“An attempt to conquer the Steel Mountain Range in the northern continent has been detected.”
“So? This whole directive came down just because of that?”
“It’s not entirely unrelated.”
“Really~? Honestly, I’m speechless. The Grand Scheme’s really past its prime now. Hohoho.”
Lilith scoffed with genuine disbelief, shaking her head as if the whole thing was a joke.
“You all clearly don’t grasp the gravity of the situation.”
But the moment Satan spoke coldly, Lilith’s laughter abruptly died.
Slowly, Satan began to walk forward, drawing every demon’s gaze to the center of the room. Yet even as he moved, his words didn’t stop.
“One king and four queens. The first condition of defeat is met. Let’s cut the nonsense about chasing clouds for now. More importantly, we need to face the fact that defeat is truly upon us. Let’s be realistic.”
“Damn it. It still sounds like chasing clouds to me. What do you mean ‘defeat is upon us’?”
“I told you to think realistically.”
“So, even if—just for argument’s sake—the Steel Mountains fall, you’re saying we’re defeated? Huh? Satan?”
“Then let me ask you this: up until now, what have you—or rather, we—actually accomplished?”
“That’s…!”
Astaroth, who had been about to lash out in anger, suddenly clamped his mouth shut. Furious as he was, when he really thought about it, he couldn’t come up with a single thing to say.
“It’s too early. Way too early. Florence, Iris, Ragnarok, Atlanta—we expected it would take at least three or four more years to open the passage connecting those four cities. We made various arrangements to match that timeline… so, what’s the situation now?”
Satan’s tone wasn’t mocking, but several demons lowered their heads or looked away, avoiding his gaze. They didn’t need to be told—they already knew.
“Alright, then. Thinking realistically, I’ll admit it: yes, it’s a dangerous—more precisely, potentially dangerous—situation. If the Steel Mountains fall, Terra will be next.”
At that moment, a calm yet deep voice interrupted Satan. It was Lilith.
Satan stopped walking, and Lilith took that as silent permission to speak cautiously.
“But that’s all based on the assumption that the Steel Mountains will fall, isn’t it?”
“Otherwise, the Grand Scheme’s prophecy wouldn’t exist.”
“No, I don’t think so. Three years ago, we gathered over the same issue. You voiced your concerns then, too. What was the outcome?”
“Hmm.”
Satan let out a faint sigh. Lilith had a point, and even he didn’t believe the Steel Mountains would fall just yet. Above all, the events from three years ago supported her argument.
Lilith continued.
“And even if it’s a prophecy of defeat, it’s just a change—a first condition. That means it’s still within our power to change it. So I think it’s too soon to talk about retreat.”
“…….”
“So shouldn’t we be focusing our efforts on turning this crisis around? That’s why you called this meeting, isn’t it?”
“Exactly. That’s precisely what I want to say.”
Satan nodded in agreement. Lilith finally smiled, satisfied, then fixed her gaze arrogantly on one side. Astaroth clenched his teeth.
“I don’t like the idea of retreat either, nor do I intend to consider it. But we have to accept reality now. We’re no longer in a favorable position, nor can we afford to be complacent. We must change—completely change our approach from what we’ve done so far.”
Satan resumed walking and finally reached the exact center of the room.
“But rather than just talking at you endlessly, it’s better to show you once. So, I want everyone to focus.”
With that, Satan raised his long, pale hand. Then, as if gently caressing a woman’s breast, he softly traced the air.
A low hum filled the room.
Something strange happened. With just a few movements of his hand, a large magical circle appeared in midair. The circle glowed with a gloomy light, and soon a massive image was projected into the space. The scene showed an unimaginably vast forest stretching out before them.
“The Steel Mountains.”
At Baal’s words, Satan nodded. Turning around, he looked each demon in the eye and spoke quietly.
“As you all know, the Steel Mountains are divided into four regions. First…”
“Is that… the arrangement?”
Just as Satan was about to explain the plan, Baal spoke up again.
It wasn’t just Baal—every demon stared blankly at the image, stunned.
Then it happened.
Crackle, roar, crackle!
Waaaah… waaaah… waaaahhh…
The sound of something burning echoed from the image, mixed with occasional shouts.
Satan, sensing something was off, turned his gaze back to the projection.
The moment he saw it, he blinked in disbelief.
It was a massive inferno.
The once-green forest was engulfed in flames, swept up by a firestorm that seemed intent on devouring the entire woodland. The blaze consumed grass and trees with ravenous speed.
A bizarre sight at first glance. But the demons shook their heads and quickly regained their composure.
Still, it was Satan. The greatest of the Seven Princes of Hell, the King of all demons. Though it looked strange, surely he had some trick up his sleeve.
With hopeful faces, the demons waited eagerly for Satan’s plan.
But—
“?”
Instead of meeting their expectations, a small question mark appeared above Satan’s head.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Apologies. I wasn’t feeling well today, so I lay down to rest for a bit—and ended up falling into a deep sleep. This is why I always tell myself not to lie down no matter how tired I am… The demon of sleep is truly terrifying. ㅜ.ㅠ
I’ve read all your comments carefully. Many of you seem to share similar thoughts to mine. The outcome regarding Jegal Haesol will definitely be included in the story, so please wait a little longer. I’m deeply grateful to everyone who asked questions. Hahaha. :D
P.S. I’ve corrected the subtitle. “King of the East” is Baal’s title, while Satan is the King of all demons. I had a momentary mix-up. (__)