The cold wind once again comes, signaling the long awaited winter throughout of the lands of the Demon Realm.
It’s kind of a trivial thing, but when I finally got used to the life in this castle, I found out that Winter is the beginning of the new year in the Demon Realm’s culture.
According to the calendar, today is the 4th day of the Month of Earth, P.D 1013. In this world, there are only eight months a year, which are Month of Sun, Moon, Fire, Water, Metal, Wood, Earth and Dark respectively, with each season consists of only two months, thirty days per month. That would mean Winter has already came in the Month of Earth. However, the Demon Realm’s new year only begins in the middle of Winter, that is the first day of Month of Dark. That would apply only to the demons, though. Their enemy – the Heaven Realm – marks their new year in the beginning of the Month of Sun, also the start of Spring, and instead of Month of Dark, they changed it into Light instead. Weird, isn’t it. Though I’m more surprised when both sides use the same calendar despite the little differences. Of course, it would be a lot more confusing should both sides use different calendars instead.
From my calculation, it has been over twenty days ever since I chose to stay at this world, almost a month. Time sure flies. Yet for some reason, it doesn’t seem that long to me. Maybe because of the ruckuses that happened once in while to keep me busy? Amadia’s duel, joining the Alchemy Department, then the stuff with Deborah several days ago. I don’t think there was a single period in my old life that things got so eventful like this.
And like a predetermined destiny, it seems like today isn’t an exception from that pattern.
Only two more weeks until the first semester’s final. The laid-back atmosphere of everyday’s life inside the castle has changed into an intense training ground of both mind and body. Of course I can’t just stand aside and laze around when I jumped midway into the course, unless I want to get a fail mark, which I don’t.
And so, as per request of mine, today we are going to hold a group study session in Deborah’s room. The members are me, Deborah as our tutor, Caelan the jolly guy for comedic purposes and our class president Iola as Deborah’s assistant. I wanted to invite some more, like Amadia or Kardia, but during the planning, Deborah shunned my proposal about those two down for unknown reasons. Amadia would probably be a noisy one to have in a study group, I guess that is true. Kardia, however, is totally a legit choice as a tutor, but for some reason Deborah didn’t want her here. I guess it’s also for the best, since Kardia would probably just stay dead silent in a room full of people she doesn’t know, making things pretty awkward.
Long story short, it’s time to hit the books.
After I’m done with my own class, I meet Caelan at the cafeteria, who is waiting for me to meet up with him before we both go to the girl’s dormitory. Iola has some unfinished business, but she’ll join us as soon as she is done with the task. I guess by now Deborah would also had done with her class and is already heading toward our room.
“And so, I got beaten again today!”
Says Caelan like a wimpy dog. The tall, blonde young demon youth keeps twirling his body around in frustration. It seems like today he had another duel with that Orc and lost, again.
“The guy’s just too strong, man.”
“Why don’t you train more until you are able to beat him?”
I answer with the most obvious reply I could think of.
“But fighting him is my training!”
Then don’t complain when you got yourself beaten!
“Geez…You suddenly remind me of that girl.”
And by that girl I mean that fool Amadia. I wonder what she’s been up to lately.
“Speaking of girls, we’re already at the girl’s dorm.”
Caelan points out when we arrive at the heaven that all men with a working libido dreamt about. When we get to the dorm, some girls are in the middle of heading out from the interior. They walk past us, but not without giving a glance at the two strange males standing before their living residence. Of course, a natural reaction. That being said, they let out a small sigh of relief when they see me, though.
“This isn’t good. This is definetely not good.”
“What isn’t good, Akuma?”
Asks a confused Caelan.
“Me living in this dorm. That’s the problem.”
I continue our conversation as we walk toward my room, with Caelan follows suit all while contributing to our chatter.
“Dude, you can legally live in the girls’ dorm. What part of it is the problem when people would kill just to be in your shoes?”
“Well, that certainly would be the case. A man living in the girl’s dormitory sounds nice on paper. But these girls…they have already developed resistance around me! No longer have they fear for every small glimpse of my presence around them. Instead of “What? A man in the girl’s dorm?”, they have went straight to the “Oh, just a man in the girl’s dorm” stage. And that’s the problem, it hurts my pride as man!”
Their reaction makes it look like I’m some kind of a gay friend who was allowed to live here rather than a normal guy with a healthy love for women. That can’t be good.
“Dude, you’re overthinking it. Just relax, man. Nobody would call you a Man-lover just because they feel no threats coming from you.”
“Hmm, seems like you’re still just a boy who hasn’t grow up yet, Caelan. The pride of a man must be uphold no matter what! I need to find of a way to defend my dignity, else I wouldn’t dare to show my face around this place anymore!”
“O…okay...”
I fix my glasses in a cool pose just to show Caelan my determination. The guy can only watch with confusion clearly showing on his face. Well, he will know about a man’s pride soon enough when he grows up in time.
When our conversation ends, we find ourselves standing in front of Deborah room. There’s no point waiting in the middle of the hallway when I’m in front of my home, so of course, I turn the doorknob and open the door.
What lies beyond the door, however, is something unexpected. It’s like the gods themselves have suddenly heard my prayers and decided to give me some good things in my life for once.
In front my eyes, there lies Deborah standing inside the room, she’s in the middle of changing her clothes, with her head and gaze pointed toward the closed window and her back to the door leading outside. She hasn’t notice my presence yet, but that changes within the next few seconds. Of course, only the deaf would not be able to hear the sound of an opened door.
Let’s put the part where she screams like an enraged lion aside, I’m still trying to savour what little my glimpse managed to catch. With her tall figure, of course her bare, long legs would become a feast for the eyes. While her long, crimson red hair has already covered the places that matter, I’m still able to catch a glimpse at her pure white undergarments, perfectly matched on her silky white skin. If only I could get some look at her front aside…
“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!!”
But I know my limit. My mind begins to take back the helm from the control of my libido. It loudly sounds the retreat inside my head. And thus, the cliché screaming and shouting come, with the stuff-throwing part thrown in as a bonus. However, thanks to me closing the door at the right moment, I haven’t get myself any damage, for now.
“You pervert! Idiotic pervert!!”
Deborah shouts like an enraged beast, despite her cute flushing face earlier doesn’t give people the impression of someone capable of shouting like that. It still has some cute qualities inside of that roar, though. But this isn’t the time to to think like that. Calm down, calm down myself, and think.
Well, in other words, things just get pretty awkward. Caelan is still standing there, trying to piece things together.
“Growing up sure is tough...”
I guess he got that right for once...
And thus, I wait by the door in the following moments, looking like a fool until the arrival of my advocator – Iola. Still looking good in her uniform, the twin-braided girl opens the door as I step aside, preparing to face Deborah’s wrath.
But instead of an angry demon, Deborah is just sitting on my bed to sulk by herself instead of being downright angry at me. She still looks pissed, though. The stuff she threw in anger are still lying on the floor, most of those belong to me anyway. When Iola tries to calm down the girl in question, I begin to do my part and clean things up. After I’m done, Caelan helps taking out a wooden coffee table from the closet to be our study desk. But before we get to the point, Iola tells us to sit around the table as the peace negotiation begins, with me sitting in the opposite of Deborah.
“I’m surprised you haven’t punch me at first sight.”
“You’ll die.”
Deborah bluntly answers. Is that just a figure of speech, or does she really mean it literally?
“Come on, you two.”
Iola sternly speaks like a good advocator would.
“Akuma, do you know what you just did is a very bad thing?”
That girl sounds serious, unlike her daily shy girl attitude. Her face looks like that of a class president right now. No more Miss Shy girl.
“Sort of. I’m sorry. It’s just an accident. I should have knocked.”
No points trying to play smart. At much as a pleasure for my eyes it has been, barging into the room with a girl in the middle of changing is still wrong. However…
“Deborah, why didn’t you lock the door?”
I ask.
“I forgot…”
Silently says Deborah. She’s averting her eyes from making eye contact with anyone.
“Then you’re partially responsible, don’t you think?”
I reply.
“…”
Deborah keeps her silence in an attempt to protect her pride. However, what she says next shocks me to no end.
“You’re right. It was partly my fault as well.”
Is a storm gonna come today? It’s like someone just put a voodoo curse on Deborah to make her tamer than normal.
“Now this is strange, you’re rarely this tame.”
Iola seems to have the same train of thought as mine as she speaks the same thing I’m about to say.
“My mind is kind of a mess lately. Just give me some slack.”
Deborah answers. Is something bothering her lately? I hope that something isn’t me.
Iola smiles. She suddenly gazes at me when she’s done with Deborah.
“You know what to do, right?”
I nod. There’s only one thing left to do.
“Deborah, I’m sorry!”
I bow with my head lowered.
“Apology accepted.”
Deborah answers. This has become really weird, it’s like Deborah isn’t herself anymore. For her to be this forgiving, I begin to get worried…
“But that doesn’t mean I have forgiven you yet! I’m expecting some kind of punishment. The crueler the better. Don’t think for a second you can walk away from this unscratched!”
Nope, she’s still herself at the core alright! In desperation, I turn my gaze to Iola, seeking for help. But then I remember Iola is also a member of the opposite sex, more so when she’s Deborah’s friend, which of course, she would naturally take Deborah’s side rather than mine.
“She’s right, you know? Peeking isn’t a crime that could be easily forgiven. Normally we would get you publicly executed for that! All it takes is one word reaching the ears of the Headmaster...”
“Hey hey, please say you’re joking, please?”
I plead for my life, hoping they are just joking to mess with me.
“But since he’s sincerely asking for forgiveness, let’s take it down a notch for a bit, shall we? I still want him to get executed, though.”
If you’re playing the judge, then please be a fair one!
“It was nice knowing you, Akuma.”
Caelan pats my back after getting tired of being a mere spectator. Stop making it looks like I’m gonna die!
As she’s trying to think for a fitting punishment, something suddenly catches Iola’s interest. She stands up and grabs an object lying on my desk. It is a halfly done hand-puppet made from fabric - a purple rabbit - the gift I intend to give Amadia as I promised.
“It’s adorable. You made this, Akuma?”
“Well, yes.”
I’m amazed. She deduced that there’s no way Deborah could make such aesthetic creations like what I made. Iola smiles, as if she has finally found the solution to end this problem.
“I’ve decided. If we can’t kill him physically then let’s kill him socially. Akuma, you need to make a doll like this for every person in this room.”
“What?”
I shout out loud.
“That’s not a cruel punishment!”
Says Deborah. She seems surprised for how things just turn out.
How would making cute hand puppets would kill me socially, though? It takes real courage for a man to embrace the art of handicraft, you know?
“I’m just happen to have a wide array of connection around school, you know? Before long, instead of someone who defeated the notorious Amadia, people will remember you as a cute puppet maker thanks to this network of mine. Prepare to say goodbye to your manly pride, Akuma.”
“Hey, that sounds nice. I want a warg! A big bad warg!
Caelan raises his hand in excitement. Hey, my manly pride is at stake here, stop getting so excited!
“I would prefer an owl.”
Likewise, Iola also voices her wish out.
“You guys, seriously…”
I mumble. Unsurprisingly, Deborah doesn’t seem that sastified with how things turn out.
“Making puppets, seriously? That’s not a very cruel punishment in my dictionary.”
“Well, better than get myself executed. If you don’t want one that much, I’ll just make you a bulky and ugly dog instead.”
“Hey, if you intend do make one then just make it cute like the rest! Don’t make any exception!”
“Thought you didn’t want one?”
I grin, despite knowing my manly dignity is gonna get shattered in near future. Well, I’ll find another way to regain that eventually. Let those girls get their victory laugh for now, because revenge is always best served cold.
“Well, court is dismissed. It’s time to study, people.”
“Since Caelan probably caught a glimpse too, shall we make him do some labor to make up for that?”
Deborah gives out her suggestion. Iola then nods in agreement.
“Caelan, go fetch us some drinks, the ones for study.”
“Aye aye, madam!”
Caelan salutes the two ladies. And thus, he stands up and waltzs out of the room, happily fulfilling his quest. Though I would be more happy if his punishment was more severe, just like mine.
In this short free time, for some reasons, Iola doesn’t seem to want to sit still. She stands up and begins to take a look around the room, mostly our desks. She’s also strange today as well, I can’t see the normal shyness she always has with her.
“You seem happy.”
My curiousity takes over, and I ask my question.
“It’s not everyday I get to visit Deborah’s room, you know?”
“Really?”
I give Deborah a glance. However, she doesn’t seems to be in the mood for a staring contest, and thus avoiding my eyes.
“You don’t seem to have any cosmetics, Deborah?”
“I don’t have the need to use those to begin with.”
Deborah answers Iola’s question. The girl with twinbraids seems surprised.
“That won’t do! How else would you maintain your beauty? A girl’s beauty is also weapon, you know? You have to take care good care of it before every fight. Don’t let yourself go to war unprepared!”
“You’re saying like I need to use my beauty that much.”
Is it just me or does this conversation just turned into a girls’s talk?
As I still sit here holding the purple bunny glove, Iola stops her little venture around the room and walks behind Deborah. Then, using her lean fingers, Iola begins to pinch Deborah’s face.
“It’s a grave sin to have skin this silky! It would be a waste if you don’t maintain it!”
“Oh…stop it.”
Deborah seems embarassed. However, Iola doesn’t stop until five seconds later. She just switches to examining Deborah’s hair instead. And I’m still here, trying to continue the sewing work with a needle and some threads.
“You took good care of your hair. Though it’s a little sad since you always keep the same hair style.”
“S-Shut up! This style is comfortable enough.”
Deborah answers, still flustered from Iola’s barrage of comments. A rare sight indeed. Well, it’s not like everyday I get to witness a private talk between two girls.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
“Your mother didn’t teach how to do different hairstyles?
Iola asks.
“...I forgot…”
Deborah doesn’t seem happy with her own answer.
“Well, isn’t that sad? Then, let me teach you again. Though you have to let me mess with your hair first.”
“Fine…do what you want.”
Deborah gives up. Iola sit behind the giant girl that is Deborah. The shorter girl then skillfully makes some braids out of Deborah’s long hair like a professional hairdresser. Deborah could only sit tight to let the girl behind her do the work, but she doesn’t seems to dislike it that much. Well, it always feels good having someone tending your hair.
In this room right now, with the sight of me making a hand puppet, and Deborah and Iola doing girly things, it’s surprisingly comfy. The cold of Winter can’t even freeze the wramth radiated from this room. Is this what people call the feeling of a family?
However, all good things must come to an end when Caelan barges into the room with four cup of energy drinks on his hands. But by that time, with her skillfull hands, Iola has already done braiding Deborah’s long hair into one big braid. Can’t believe how changing a hairstyle would make a girl looks so different.
“What?”
Deborah sarcastic asks when she has enough of my stare, all while being embarrased. I just put a smile on my face without answering while putting away my unfinished glove. Caelan and Iola also return to their respective seats and begin to prepare the books.
“Let not waste anymore time. Well then, how about we begin with everyone’s favorite subject: History?”
“Fine by me.”
I answer.
“Me me! I want to learn history! The bad marks I got from midterm still haunt me to this day…”
Caelan enthusiastically speaks.
“Well, we need to get you tested first, to see if you have improved from last time. Caelan, what is the name of the capital of the Demon Realm?”
After Iola begins her quiz time, the guy in question shuts his mouth and starts a pose that resembling the famous thinking man statue. It takes thirty seconds just for the guy to be able to answer the previous question.
“Irkalia!”
“Wow, he got it right for once.”
Deborah comments. Is it really that impressive in their point of view? But then again, even I don’t know the name of their capital.
“I’m sure you know the name of our capital too, right?”
That question comes from Deborah, accompanied with a smirk on her face. It’s like she really possesses the ability to read thoughts, but only uses it to mess around with me and only me.
“Well, sure, yeah!. Only a baby would forget such thing! I totally know about it! Really!”
Let’s hope this doesn’t make me look like I’m trying to dig myself deeper.
“With the correct answer, let’s hope it would be possible to improve Caelan’s grades this time, and help Akuma on his test as well.”
Seems like Iola has already taken the helm of this study group. As shy as she is, she isn’t the class president for nothing.
“Let’s begin with some basic lectures. How about we start with the creation of the world?”
“Sounds good.”
I answer. I didn’t know much about this world’s history to begin with, thanks to getting myself so busy lately. This should be a good chance to learn more.
“Let’s read them out loud. It’ll help you guys remember. We will take turn, starting with Caelan, then Akuma, me and Deborah.”
No one seems to object her decision. Well, we’re just a study group, shouldn’t make it too tense that we can’t have any fun for ourselves.
“Well then, I’ll begin!”
Caelan shouts and takes a deep breath as he preparing his own session.
----------------
From the beginning, before there was light and life, darkness shrouded the worlds. The universe was but an empty void, yet planets had already took their first steps in the path of creation. Earthly lands formed themselves within the dark abyss. Worlds and worlds rose from the empty void. But none of them ever became something more than a huge masses of earth and sand. The worlds themselves could not sustain life on their own. When they reached the end of their lifespan, through millenias upon millenias, the worlds crumbled, destroyed, and returned to the void that was the abyss of darkness.
And then, from the depth of the endless void, He came.
There was no mention of His nature, His greatness, His beauty and His merits in the oldest of the oldest records. Yet, He required a name, a name that would let His children praise it out loud to express their gratitude as living beings created by Him.
The name for the Creator was eventually called [Anul] by his creations. But that, is the story of the future.
When Anul graced the universe with his presence, He picked a blank space out of this vast void, and decided to give His mark upon this universe with a world that would eventually be called Airumel.
His right feet stomped on the void, and earth was created. For every stomp he took, mountains upon mountains rose from the ground, and filled the ground with vast, almost endless plains of earth.
He swung His left hand, and began weaving the skies. For every swing He waved, clouds and winds flew across the world. With each strong swing, powerful storms carried along numerous rains were created. With each light swing, air filled with the fragrance of life took their place among the lands and skies.
Yet, for Anul, those alone were not enough.
Anul held out His right hand, and streams and streams of water flowed out like great waterfall. For every swing He waved, a new ocean was made. With this, Anul had made the land, the sky and the sea.
But this world was still a world devoid of life, like numerous others that had already failed their purpose of being a planet. A half empty world.
And thus, lastly, using His right feet, He stomped on his lands yet again.
With His first stomp came the firsts of the Primordial Dragons, created to be the guardians of these lands as His emissaries.
With His second stomp created the numerous Ancient Devils, to fulfill the sole purpose of populating the vast lands that is this world.
With His third stomp, from His dropping blood came the abominations that were the Primordial Vampires.
With His fourth stomp, the rocks that stucked in His feet dropped to the ground, giving life to the savage and crude Orcs.
And then, Anul continued His desire of populating the world. The more stomps he took, the more hideous the creatures became. All the record called the stomps after the Fourth the creation of the various Monsters inhabiting this world.
With this, life filled the void between the land and the sky. But something was still missing.
That was Light. The radiant Light to shine the path for all the creatures that live.
But for all of His omnipotence, Anul could not create the very opposite element he was the embodiment of, for He was the pure God of Darkness. All creations started from the Dark, but the Dark could not create Light. This world has water, air, fertile lands and diversity of living beings, yet, it could not be completed without Light. Still, Anul felt contented, and He let life started on this very world he created.
Little did He know how imperfect his world was.
The oceans were vast, but no living beings were capable of inhabit the depths without inviting certain deaths. The lands were numerous, yet no blades of grass were able to grow. The air were without warmth, and before long, they filled the world with eternal winters. This dark world, while capable of sustaining life, but it was by no mean a hospitable home. Eventually, this world turned itself deep into chaos, with the strong trampled upon the weak for everyday’s survival.
With their overwhelming power, the Ancient Devils rose above all to become the rulers of all things that inhabited this harsh world. Despite being vastly more powerful and nigh-immortal, the Primordial Dragons all followed the will of Anul – who was contented with how the world was - and thus didn’t directly take an active role on fixing this messed up world, and let their cruel inferiors inherited the role of rulers of this world.
The Ancient Devils were anything but unifed. Each individuals had their own peculiar form of flesh, with different powers and personalities. Once they asserted their dominance upon their inferiors, the Ancient Devils turned on themselves and slaughtered their own kind in a fit of lust for food and power. The chaotic world once again fell to the chaos. Yet, Anul still stood firm with his role as a mere observer. The world’s inhabitants’ laments could not reach his ears, and they cursed him for his ignorance of his own world.
And then, came the other God.
From the farthest of the West, a radiant Light shined upon the world. For the first time of their lives, the creatures of Airumel felt what was known as warmth, and how cruel it could be. The lowest of vermins died within few seconds of exposure to this light. For creatures of the Dark, Light could be their salvation and also their ultimatum. The weaklings who could not sustain themselves fell prey to the vast Light that began to fill the world. Only the strongest of creatures remained to feel what they called salvation, and the sight of their eternal enemy when He took his steps on Airumel.
Our enemies called that being [Lielos], the Light God.
His origin was unknown, but no surviving Ancient Devils ever forgot the unknown voice of an unknown language that shook the foundation of this very world.
“And this world shalt hath Light!”
And Light, it had. From the depth of the void, the majestic Sun was created by the purity from Lielos’s voice, and it still exists to this day, until the end of time and all. From the Light of the Sun, the night was given a Moon, with the calm blue light reflected from the majestic Sun Lielos himself created.
Yet, Lielos was not sastified, for he intented to make this world his domain. Like how Anul began the life on this world, Lielos took his own part on giving more life to the lands that were not his.
Lielos swung his right hand, and flocks upon flocks of flying birds were created. For every swung he waved, a new type of flying creatures were created.
And he stomped his left leg to the deep oceans, and filled the sea with fishes. For every stomped he took, a new breed of water creatures were made.
His left hand grabbed the sky, and with it he tore apart the clouds to let his sunlight fill this world, thus creating the three other seasons that was Spring, Summer and Fall.
His right feet stepped on the earth, and came plants upon plants that would cover this world in forests. Along with the trees were animals of the forests, with grace and beauty unmatched by any of Anul’s monsters.
And his last act, which was also the act that would eventually earn him the ire and hatred of all creations that belong to Anul, that was to create the races of Heaven Realm.
Lielos held his breath and blew it out to the sky. From within his mouth came numerous Angels descended to the lands. These angels carried out Lielos’s will to embark his mark on this world by the act of creating new races. All of them flew across the lands, picking the materials needed for the process of making new living beings.
From the best and most beautiful trees that populated various forest created the delicate and beautiful Elves.
From the sturdiest of rocks that made up the mountains came the rude yet passionate Dwarves.
From the playful winds that flew across all the sky appeared the first dances of the mysterious Wisps.
And finally, from the alluvial soils that possessed endless possibilities, the angels made the first men and women of the clever Humans.
With this, Lielos ended his part on interfering with this world. Thus, all these newly created creatures took on their lives in this world.
Strangely, for a race that only knew of terror and killing, the Ancient Devils easily accepted the new inhabitants. This could be because of the revelation that came with the Light. For once, they were aware of the eyes they had but never ever used. For once, they knew of their hideous forms that they took pride on. For once, they felt the life of the sea that could only come from the fishes swimming beneath. For once, they wanted to hold out their arms to the sky to feel the warmth of the wind and sunlight. It was like their nature of evil disappeared for just a second with the appearance of Lielos’s light. And thus, they accepted the new races as a part of Airumel.
It was a mistake they would eventually regret.
Humans were the last of Lielos’s creations, and were also the physically weakest. Yet, they were the first pioneers onto the start of what would eventually become the beginning of civilization. Their cleverness was the humans’ greatest weapon. Using this very weapon, they created Fire through friction to warm themselves through the cold days of Winter, to shine their way in moonless nights, to cook food that were tasty to the tongue, to boil waters for fresh healthy drinks…From their Fire, Humans created tools, and they made use of their fertile motherlands and turned them into fields to grow crops.
The humans’s first harvest became an awakening bell to all of Lielos’s living creations: We can’t live like this forever!
The Elves began to use the woods of the forest to make houses that stand on top of trees, away from the wild and feral beasts of the forest. From silks and animal hides, they created clothes to fight the harshness of the world. They also became the forefather of Music with their creation of musical instruments, and thus were the first ones to started the abstract concept of Art.
Likewise, the Dwarves ventured to the deep of various mountains. Using the ores they found, the Dwarves created armors and weapons to fought the wild monsters that populated the world. They taught themselves the art of building, and became the best architects among the races, building numerous cities from marbles mined in the mountains with their skillfull hands.
All three races began to exchange their cultures within themselves, to help them develop for a better life. This became fundamental for the creation of what would eventually known as the Heaven Realm.
Yet, in the other continents, fights for power were still daily chores for the Ancient Devils. Their conceited ego told them with the power bestowed by Anul, they had no need for neither intellect, culture nor tools. They feared not the progress of creatures of the Light, and arrogantly declared that should the three races ever rebel, the Ancient Devils shall teach them a lesson. By that very declaration, all other creations of Anul gave up their hope for the Ancient Devils, and began their own designs for the future.
Four Orcs brothers ventured out of their own home, and eventually returned with skills they learned across the world. The savage Orcs undergone great changes from the brothers’s teaching, started with the language of fists, and ended with the language of words. With the weapon making skills learned from the Dwarves, the Orc created the first forms of martial arts, perfecting their raw fighting ability with the intellect they obtained. They were also the firsts to created some sort of standard hierachy, with the strongest gained the right to rule over those who were weaker.
The Primordial Vampires also had their own plans. From their thirst and hunger, the formless abominations created from Anul’s blood attacked small human tribes, and feasted upon their flesh and blood. The taste of the human flesh was something this race would not ever forget. Eventually, from eating numerous humans, those abominations evolved from their formless body to something that resembled the very thing they feast upon – the humans, and gained some spark of intelligent obtained from those preys. For every humans they ate, the Vampires’s abilities became stronger and stronger, to the point even if their bodies were cut into piecies, they would still be able to attach themselves back to normal.
And thus, all the race began their journey for progresses, except for the arrogant Ancient Devils and the ignorant Dragons, who resided in their domain at the far North corner of the world.
More time passed, centuries came and centuries gone, until the humans and other races’s culture reached their apex, along with a huge and booming population. They realized they can’t stay at one place forever. With the thirst to explore and conquer, they gone out of their home to find new lands across the world. Yet, nine out of ten place they came were ruled by powerful Ancient Devils. And on those lands, the Ancient Devils made them as their backyard, their arena, used just to indulge in lust and violence. The thirst of exploration eventually turned into the thirst to conquer. For the years that they had lived in peace, the humans gained the ambition to annihilate other races to get their lands for themselves. But to wage a war was easier said than done.
So, the humans created Religion.
Using Lielos’s name as their one and only God, the humans united their own kind across the lands under the banner of Lielos, spreading the thought that Lielos was the only Light of the world, the rightous path, the justice, and creations of Anul were the epitome of evil, of wickedness, of monstrosity that needed to be eliminated. This dogma was a terrifying weapon, flocks of humans gathered under the Light spread by men who called themselves the emissaries of Lielos. With swords and spears in hand, along with the helps of Elven archers and Dwarven warriors, the humans created an alliance of three races called the 「Heaven Realm」 and attacked the domains belong to the Ancient Devils.
This event marked the start of a history full of never-ending bloodshed, and was chosen to be the start of the written history calendar. Dates, months and years were created, and the humans picked this day to be the beginning of their glorious age. The 1st of Month of Sun, I.G.0001. The day that started the war that would be called by modern historians as the 「Founding War」.
All of the Ancient Devils’s territories were attacked by legions upon legions of the Heaven Realm’s armies. For all those years under the Devils’s oppression, the Orcs also took their chance and rebelled. With their superior martial skills, the Orcs contributed a large part into the alliance’s war efforts. During the start of the war, the Ancient Devils were capable of holding their own despite not being under a united front. And even in some part of the fights, they even triumphed over their enemies. This would only helped boost their ego, and turned them into the path of eventual defeat.
When the war dragged out longer, the Ancient Devils realized that their powers were waning away. Little did they know that it was the very Light of Lielos that weakened them. Despite being the same breed of creatures of the Dark, the Orcs and Vampires have already devoloped resistance due to constant fights to evolve, to survive, and to get stronger. While the Devils did fight a whole lot, they fought just for themselves, and didn’t yearn to become better than they already were like their inferiors. When the Devils found out the truth, it’s already too late for them to change their way of living.
One by one, land by land, the human alliance took back the momentum and pushed the Devils to a corner, at the farthest of the continent in the East. Only when they lost everything did the Devils find the resolution to change themselves.
Using their remaining power, they sealed their dark demonic energies into crystals, and created for themselves bodies similar to human’s flesh in order to adapt to Lielos’s sunlight. At this point did the Ancient Devils truly perish, only the Devilmen remained and eventually became the modern Devils. Learning from those who were more developed than them, steps by steps, the Devils gained the ability to create tools, weapons, houses. They learned how to make crops, to tend animals, to build walls and fortresses…Their culture became similar to the very humans that earned their hatred, but they also tried to keep what remained of their Devil origin. But it was not far stretched to say they have already became imperfect copies of the humans.
The time needed for this development was a blessing for the Devils, but it came from the cost paid by a tragedy of the Orcs.
Despite being allies for years, the Orcs were still children of Anul at their roots. The very dogma used to gain the backbone of the humans’s army became a tool for the zealots to eliminate a strong ally. Their war efforts couldn’t defend the Orcs from their nature, as a race that is brutish, savage, with exotic green skin and tusks that were an eyesore to the standard of beauty among the humans and elves. Eventually, a civil war broke out, between the humans, elves and dwarves against their former Orc ally. Overwhelmed, the Orcs were forced to run back to their brothers and sisters of the same father. Realized that they would eventually become the alliance’s next target, the Vampires also united together with the Orcs and Devils to formed an alliance called the Demon Realm.
Yet, this newfound alliance was still consists of a defeated race and a betrayed race. While the Vampires were not numerous, they were still physically stronger than the other two at this point. But even that didn’t raise the percentage to win their war higher than one, for the Heaven Realm alliance was strong and experienced. Foreseeing a future that would end with his children’s extinction, the Dark God Anul was tempted to mobilize his sleeping Dragons to help end the war. That is, until the Devils themselves created their own miracle.
That was the creation of 「Magic」.
When they still had their old form, the Devils were capaple of calling storms, moving mountains, controlling the nature with just the palm of their hand. When they took a new form, those very powers were sealed or weakened, and thus, they were powerless. But it seemed like the human form wasn’t the only thing the Devils imitated from the humans. Their ambition and thirst for power once again fueled their desire to regain their powers of old.
After a time of researching, the Devils found the concept of 「Soul Energy」, that was the spiritual energy that resided within the body and soul of every living being, and even in the air and the earth around the world. Each of the Gods’s influences on this world were embarked with their own type of soul energy. Within the darkness and the ground came the soul energy of Dark God Anul, and within the sunlight came the soul energy of Light God Lielos. The very first theory of magic was to use the Devils’s own soul energy to borrow the power of the God to recreate their own former powers. But theory was just theory, no one knew how to perform such thing during their first step.
That is, until Anul himself helped his children in his own way, through a common Devilman who helped created the first Magic theory. A man with the name [Primus].
In the middle of a moonless night, Primus had a strange dream. He saw Anul himself in his dream, talking with him using a strange language, a language that he knew not even a word. Yet, that language found its way and embarked itself onto the young Devilman’s mind.
The next morning, Primus wrote out everything he heard in his dream, and made out an alphabet of twenty six words. Within his next experiment, using this very language as a catalyst, Primus was able to finally created a spell, a magic, a miracle. He became the first person to ever used Magic.
Primus named the language the God’s Tounge. But in order to differentiate themselves from Light God Lielos, a few generations later, the Devils renamed the language into 「Ancient Tounge」. With this, Primus spread this newfound ability to all the beings of the Demon Realm. Unlike the Ancient Devils’s old power, Magic could be used by any living being, be it Orc or Vampire. The teaching process was long, but the results was beyond their imagination.
In another moonless night, a strange symbol appeared on the right hand of the young Primus.
When the other Devils saw the strange symbol, they think it was a mark of someone chosen to bear the will of Anul. A chosen one. The Devils called that symbol the 「Dark Seal」, and wanted Primus to become their King. With the acceptance of two other races, Primus finally became the first [Demon King] of the Demon Realm.
With the use of Magic, the demon alliance had finally be able to go toe to toe with their enemy. For every battles he took part in, Primus destroyed all of his enemies using his overwhelming power as the creator of Magic. Slowly, the Demon Realm alliance regained their own former lands and territories, and pushed their enemies back to their own home.
Yet, the Devils had not learned from their old lessons. Drunk with power and victories, they desired their old way of living, the path of violence and hedonism. This started the seperation of several legions of Devils to create their own nations, despite Primus and his followers’s plea for a unified Demon Realm in order to combat against foreign threats.
Like a joke of fate, the children of Lielos also had a small window to turn the table thanks to this event, just like how they gave the Devils the chance to fight back when they betrayed the Orcs. Everlasting wars were not something the common man desired. Their grieves and laments pierced through the sky and reached Lielos’s ears. While he also held the same non-intervention policy just like his antithesis Anul, Lielos however wasn’t heartless. He granted a miracle upon the people that praise his name by the form of two newborn childs. A twin, born with a light symbol embarked on their body. The religious fanatics called them the miracle of Lielos, and with the appearance of the Light Seal marked the turn to another page of history.
The twins consisted of a boy and a girl. They grew up as time passed. The boy was named Enas, and the sister was named Dyo. When they reached the mature age, each of the child gained a different ability. Dyo was capable of using Magic just like the inhabitants of the Demon Realm, and she was also able to performed Magics that no powerful mages of the Demon Realm were capable of using. Her descendants would eventually became the progenitors for a race called the [Wizards]. While the girl was gifted with Magic, the boy Enas was able to imbued the strange Soul Energy onto his weapons and performed god-sent fighting techniques. People that were Enas’s pupils became the most renowned knights of the all lands, and their descendants still carry on their legacies even to this day, fouding kingdoms and empires. Eventually, the twin were called [Heroes] by the people of the Heaven Realm.
Knowing full well of his people’s past and expierience, Primus deduced that the day the two Heroes take part in the war would be the day his beloved Demon Realm falls. With no time to deal with his people’s internal wars and conflicts, he gathered his most trusted warriors and mages, and together with the volunteers who shared his dream, they alone formed a lone army to counter the threat the two Heroes posed.
Just like his prediction, when the time came, Enas and Dyo gathered the Heaven Realm’s army under their lead. Primus’s army eventually faced the foreign legions in the land that would eventually separate the two continent. The fighting was fierce, and lasted a total seven days and six nights. Primus’s warriors fought bravely, and they hold the line to the very last man, but their enemies were numerous, and they were eventually defeated. Primus alone faced the two brother and sister, but he also wasn’t able to defeat the two.
The Demon King knew that even if he defeated the two Heroes, the march of the Heaven Realm’s army would not stop. As the last resort, using his own life force, fused with the soul energy remained in corpses of his fallen loyal allies and enemies, Primus performed what would be known as the first strongest destructive spell that was ever made at that time, named 「Apokalypsis」 by the historians.
In the middle of the sky, a black giant meteor fell to the ground and rend apart the two continents, sinking the heavenly army and the two Heroes deep beneath the earth. This spell marked the temporary end of the war, and created a new sunken land, making a new ocean along with it. Due to the effect of the spell, the water in this sea did not drown anything below its surface and created a floating land mass made of sea water, earning it the name of the [Floating Sea]. However, in the Demon Realm, this very ocean was named the Primus Ocean instead, after the man who sacrificed everything he had to protect the land he loved.
The Founding War ended under a ceasefire truce in the 13th of Month of Fire, I.G 0514. But that didn’t mark the end of all wars across Airumel.
The leaders of the Heaven Realm parted their way with their allies in the following years. The time during the war wasn’t enough to created a unified race among the Humans. The Elves and Dwarves returned to their land to rebuild their own forces, while the human leaders traveled across their gained territories to found and build new kingdoms under their own rule. Thus fulfilling the Founding part of the Founding War.
In the next 1000 years, at an unknown time, the Dark God Anul lost hope from what his world had became, and departed from the world. The Dragons were free from his influence at last. Yet, his presence within the soul energy in this world didn’t change even just a bit.
Despite their newfound freedom, the Dragons however also lost their hope in this world. Using their terrifying power, the Dragons created a portal to another dimension called Celestia and moved to settle in that place. Only a few remained in their own continent far to the North to fulfill their duty as overseers of the world, as how they have always been ever since their creation by Anul.