Chapter 0: four years after the Demon God was sealed, two years before the story starts.

Chains rattled and thunder boomed. No one expected this outcome. No one saw the death of their beloved leader coming. She was neither hero nor brave warrior, just a princess who led them. The brave heroes and their companions fought the Demon God bravely while a shackled child cried his eyes out in the midst of the chaotic conflict between the Demon God and the heroes.

The child had Raven black hair and looked to be only ten or so, completely out of place in a place that could only be described as hell. Despite all this the child could not leave as he, along with hundreds of others were chained to the deceased body of a woman, the leader princess.

*    *    *

Ellis happily sat in her adopted father’s lap.

“Daddy because I won the duel pistols [Misuspell] and [Hardfire] can I learn engraving?”

The two parent and child were having a conversation far from the norm as the child had just gotten her hands on two devastating weapons from the founder of their noble house.

“Hmm you won those four years ago so it might be time to teach you engraving and now that the demon problem has subsided we can train you to be the successor of the house in peace.”

Seeing the fourteen year old girl who would already be considered an adult in another year Balos couldn’t help but shake his head at her childishness. She was growing into the appearance of a splendid woman but her mental maturity was on the lower side, this could be seen as she still sat in his lap and called him daddy rather than father.

“Then the first thing we have to do is teach you the history of the heros the reason for their struggle and the birth of the creature the church calls [Chained Abyss].”

With that Bolas began his lesson.

“From the time historians began to take records the human race along with the other races in the world have feuded with the demon race. This all escalated greatly one hundred years ago when the Demon God came down from the heavens to personally lead the demons in their war against the human's.”

“To the human’s delight the Demon God was unable to leave the Demon Continent. With the personal interference of the Demon God the human’s Divine Sword Goddess spent fifty years to summon twelve brave heroes who fought valiantly and eventually sealed the Demon God. But the road to that victory was not easy much less short as the brave heroes spent fifty years to gain it.”

“During these fifty years the only hero to establish a noble house was Enrique Von Ermine.” Because the house was established early I was named was named the second generation heir. With you, Ellis, being the third heir and receiving an inheritance four years ago, when the great conflict ended. But the end of the conflict also brought the birth of the creature the church named [Chained Abyss].”

“Daddy isn’t the [Chained Abyss] just something that was made up to scare children now that parents can’t use the Demon God to scare their kids?” Bolas looked up into the sky almost saddened.

“... No, no, he’s real and I knew him personally, before I could stop him he was created and now I don’t even know whether or not he’s still himself. This is something that no one knows and no one is allowed to know or the church is willing to go to war but [Chained Abyss] is a human whose name is Sans Graham and he had close ties to this family once. And for his actions I will never blame him.”

Graham was not a house name which Ellis recognized but knew her father would not lie to her about something so seemingly important.

“Daddy, um, isn’t [Chained Abyss] a monster who fought the hero’s group after they were down? Why do you understand it?”

Looking at his daughter who was still not ready to hear the complete truth about the conflict with the Demon God Balos sighed.

“Him, not it. He was a good and innocent child but broke under our care and in the end lost himself and destroyed a cathedral of the church devoted to one of the subordinate gods to the Divine Sword Goddess. But you are not ready to know everything. luckily the conflict with the Demon God ended Four years ago and I can teach you everything at a gradual pace.”

Not knowing or minding that he was responsible for his daughter’s immaturity Balos continued to teach the world’s history to his daughter.

“The conflict between the races and the demons had human's at the forefront with little aid from the elves, dwarves, or the various beast men due to humans looking down on them. This was pushed forward by the church and human superiority was taught until the twelve heroes stated that all were equal under the watchful eyes of the Goddess.”

Ellis had no discrimination against the other races but for a long time a radical group of the church spread teaching of human superiority and classified other races as sub-human. “Now that's the jist of it you'll know the full story when you're older but i don’t want you being afraid or having any hateful feelings towards [Chained Abyss] okay?”

Ellis nodded then went on to practice her magic after leaving her father’s lap. “Haaaa” letting out a deep sigh Balos looked at the back of his leaving daughter.

“Sans we wronged you greatly and now you're gone. Although brother never intended for that to happen. He simply went about it the wrong way and forgot the teachings of the heroes. I hope you can forgive us.”

*    *    *

Vesta was born a witch raised by the church. A witch was a female who had a direct link to the spirits and needed very little chanting or mana to cast spells. Four years ago she was taken in by the church, it happened at the same time that the war against the Demon God ended. Today she was fourteen and gained a valuable item from the head priest.

“Vesta today we grant you this weapon [Pallas] this cursed sword was forged in the depths of the Demon Continent, with this we will train you and others like you to stand and fight the new terror of the world [Chained Abyss].”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

When she heard the priest Vesta slightly shivered but took the sword regardless. The sword gave her the feeling of holding the coldest steel and deadliest weapon, sending never ending chills down her spine. But still she owed her life to the late First Imperial princess and the monster known as the [chained Abyss] had killed her along with hundreds of allies who fought alongside her in the final fight against the Demon God.

“Now take this sword and go into secluded training for two years, then we will begin to hunt the monster.”

Seeing the young witch leave the head priest had a disgusting smile on his face.

“Children, they are laughable gullible. Still he appeared at a good time if not for him we would have tried to make the so called heroes into our next enemy… Yes we need an enemy to keep us together… I know we have to bring war to the filthy subhumans… Yes the dirty witch is simply a pawn and she’ll most likely not survive more than the two years of isolation with that heathenous blade.”

*    *    *

A boy stood atop a cliff looking down at the world. His Raven black hair tossing in the wind, his expressionless face staring at nothing.

“Jump, come on do it, let's see if we go splat.”

“Now there is no need to test our mortality that would be idiotic.”

Although he was the only one around the boy could clearly hear two distinct voices. The first was that of a crazed male lunatic, the second was that of a kind female.

Finally feeling slightly irritated the boy spoke.

“You two don’t shut up do you? I was trying to relax for a while before I continue hunting.”

The voices were in his head and would never leave, luckily it was only two now in the past there were hundreds but these two seemingly “ate” the rest and were the only ones remaining. And although the two seemed similar they were made in drastically different ways. The first crazed voice was a combination of half the voices that assaulted the boy previously and the forced merger made it nothing but a crazed being.

The second voice was different it had a distinct personality strong, wise, and seemingly kind. This one took a different route to power it dominated the other voices and took what strength they had becoming the other dominant voice in his head.

“Sans jump!”

Without hesitation Sans jumped backward dodging an incoming spear.

“HA you always ruin the fun I wanted to see if that would kill us.”

“Shut it you know it wouldn’t and in the end just cause trouble.”

No longer wanting to argue with the crazed voice in his head Sans ran in the direction the spear had been thrown. After ten minutes of searching for whoever had thrown the spear he found a camp of church men. sneaking around he slowly drew closer.

“Uuuuu kill them, decapitation, disembowelment, Oh oh and dismemberment the great triple D. Do it now!”

While the lunatic was crazy, Sans had no problem killing these men if the were the one’s after him.

“No they are church men in this forsaken continent. Sans I know what you’ve been through but killing them isn’t the way.”

Just as she was speaking Sans drew close enough to hear what the church men were saying.

“Was that really [Chained Abyss] on the ledge? He seemed to only be a child. He couldn’t have been older than twelve.”

“My son should be about his age. I can't imagine a kid like that being alone in the Demon Continent.”

“Both of you quiet. You saw how he dodged the spear without even looking if our info is right then he’s [Chained Abyss] the appearance is just to fool you. Now we kill him and present the head to his holiness.”

The three spoke quietly but Sans had no problem hearing them.

“Wait isn’t he supposed to be above the advanced rank, he could even be above the master rank. How are we three suppose to kill that thing?”

Two of the church men looked at their leader.

“From the information we gathered the unless you hear chains rattling then he should just be at the intermediate level once you hear the chains run.” Before they could formulate a plan of attack the leader screamed, from his chest a bloodied hand stuck out holding his still beating heart.

“Sans do not kill then that man has a son, you heard him, spare the remaining two and do not continue this. Please, I beg of you.”

“No kill them c'mon. Taste their blood.” 

Ignoring both the voices Sans slowly pulled out his hand still holding the heart. Before either of the two remaining church men could react Sans had already made his move and ripped one arm off the socket of each man.

“Ahhhhhhh”

With the screams of the men echoing through the cliff side Sans smiled “A compromise I can't leave them be but I guess I won’t kill them. Unless they keep chasing me after this…” Looking at the two screaming men Sans walked away.

“You two return to your families and do not disturb me I'm working.”

With that he sped away.

“Aww you should have finished their dismemberment.”

“No what he did was far from right but killing would have been worse. Sans you may have just ruined the lives of two good men and ended the life of another.”

Hearing her say this both the crazed voice and Sans laughed.

“You, do you really feel you have the right to speak of ruining lives. You and your church are the reason why we were born, why we kill.”

With that the only thing left in the vast cliff was the laughter responding in Sans head.