We woke up to start the journey. It was such a beautiful morning. Demons are residents of the underworld. They are not special in any way. Just like any other living being they live, eat, and some even form communities. Just like humans, elves and dwarves bear some resemblance to each other, and so do the different demon bloodlines. Imps are small demons known for their technological advancements and apparent ugliness. They have red skin with an arrow-like tail. The Succubi are beautiful shapeshifters having black wings and an arrow tail. They prey on the dirty desires of others, absorbing their life force and thus killing them in the process. Devils are also human-like and lack a tail. They possess immense magical power and are a big problem when they decide to wage war on us Overwordlers. Though as much a living as anything else that lives, demons in particular are ruled by instinct and desire. Then come the most elite of the demon race and arguably the entire underworld, the demon Lords. They are individuals who have their strength measured by the amount of souls they absorb. The more they have killed, the stronger they are. Demons have been at odds with us humans because of the divine King legend. Long ago, a king whose name is lost to history slated a demon lord who had conquered all the realms. He was a fair administrator and even partially managed to stop being enslaved by his desires. He was, as far as heard, very lustful but not a slave of his desires like others. The divine King ruled the lands of the desert land and slayed him. We humans never tell why or what the reason he was slayed is or why the divine King in particular, those of us who question the legend are mocked and in the worst case labeled demonoids, a class of people having a demon in their family. I think they too have a version of this legend and this culture. This is the oldest reason for the generational hatred between humans and demons.

As we walked out of the inn I heard Klein say, "It is dangerous for the two of you, please go back." To which Mary and Martha both replied a firm "No!" He then explained why, "I and Irene can reach there in a few hours but you two do not know the flash step. You will slow us down." 'Flash step?' I asked myself. Well, I don't know the details but perhaps it is a technique by which one can move at high speeds. "Klein, in how much time will you reach there by this 'flash step' ?" I asked. "Two hours at the longest, I can use stamina-enhancing spells and Irene is also very proficient in it," he added "I want to keep them out of danger but they won't listen. Moreover, they can't flash step so all the more reason." Such a caring leader is he! I heard the two girls say "We will manage" they begged. "I can not pick you up, it will slow us down, and besides you can't handle fast speeds." "How fast are we talking ?" I asked to which he replied "I was hoping to cover three hundred kilometers in an hour. The desert is eastwards and should take about two or so hours." That's it? "I can take here two, I don't have flash step but a form of mine is quite fast. It can also hold them due to his anatomy."

He transformed. A creature with a long tail and spheres in his feet, Klein recognised it shouting "A speedster !" Martha sat on his big tail and he took Mary in his arms. "I don't think it's a good idea, a speedster can go so fast that the world starts working differently for them, and in the worst case the air friction might scrape their body clean of flesh." This frightened the two girls who struggled to get out of his grasp. To ease their fears he said, "I have a mask which protects my face when I go too fast from the air friction you are talking about. If I don't put it on my face will also be peeled off clean. So I will go slow okay ?" This eased their concern. Klein took off with the ever-silent Irene and so did Fleetfoot.

"Lord Klein," Irene called

"Yes ?"

"It seems this individual is a threat. Using the detection spell I created myself which analyzes power by highlighting individuals in varying colors, he is a normal human being but that ring."

"What about it?"

"It was black. And when I tried to inquire through the universe I saw a man drinking tea on a table behind whom light shined. He wore a monocle thus I could see a reflection of light. He said 'Don't go inquiring into a phenomenon for which you are too insignificant.' I knew that had I trespassed I would've been killed on the spot, something my instinct screamed."

"That is funny because I also tried something along these lines. As you know I was directly blessed by the Kotoamatsukami and I can meet with them in my dreams whenever I desire. Lord Primus the king of Gods and the most powerful being in existence tried to explain it to me. 'Oh that ring, it's….' He stopped mid-way in his sentence as if having forgotten what to say. The goddess of fertility stepped in and said 'It's…' and then blue spurted out of the mouth as if her tongue was cut. As I tried to figure out I woke up."

"This is terrible. Who could have the power to harm the Impartial ones? No demon lord or god from any other pantheon has the power to even access the domain in which they reside and as is evident from Lord Klein's words this being whom I presume to be the same as who I met not only altered the minds of them but also landed a blow without them even noticing."

"I think he has sealed information about the ring and its name. Such magic exists but to use it on the god of magic himself and also Lord Primus is impossible."

"Do you think we can win against him?

"'Win' you say? Irene you dragons have fat bellies but peanut-sized brains. I would be lucky if I could even stand against him for an entire second. Speaking of that, you are well aware of my skill 'X-P'. In my fight with that red giant of a man, I was soundly defeated and for some odd reason received five-hundred-thousand experience points."

"Pardon my insolence, Lord Klein but can you please put that into perspective?"

"Roughly the amount gained from slaying a Demon Lord, just. A hundred thousand or so less. And that too from losing to him."

"Look we reached and it seems on the outskirts there is no one here yet."

"Looks like it, I can sense the unease in the air and the surge of power."

"So there you are!" Fleetfoot appeared out of nowhere between them matching their speed. "Where must I drop the two ladies? There is a portal a few minutes away." Shocked, Klein could barely collect himself before blurting out "Here!" In a moment he halted to a still as if he was always there and never moving. He allowed the young girls to disembark. "I don't understand why the only thing I've been seeing is surprises. This man! He might not know it but he is challenging my pride. So what? If he defeated me as if I weren't even adept at combat I still have more experience than him. I feel as if Mary and Martha are distancing themselves from me. Am I not a good man?" Jealous thoughts raged inside of him. Meanwhile, the demons began to emerge from the portal. As Shifton also took off his ring they all began discussing the plan to take down the demons.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Klein suggests that I should be in charge of fighting the soldiers and that seems okay if you ask me but I am beginning to doubt his intentions. Perhaps I hurt the little man's pride, silly me! As we made our way to the other side of the dune behind which the portal stood we saw the very first demons which I presume to be the demon lords. Though I am not adept at the judgment, it seems probable that their power is comparable to demon Lords.

An ash coloured smoke covered his body and from it emerged a figure wafting the same smoke. His flesh would occasionally fall off and upon touching the ground wither way, akin to pollen. Wherever it went it corroded. The sand turned to ash, the cacti died, and only the exoskeleton of the unlucky scorpion, who came in its path, remained. The demons in front were shocked to notice one of their kind standing before them.

"We demons are declaring war! 'Why' you may ask, and the answer to that is just because we feel like it." Said one of the front most attendee. Shifton walked up to him fully aware and questioned him, "But why this unnecessary bloodshed?" To which he didn't receive a reply by word but by sword. The demon sliced his head off like a cucumber. As the severed head withered away, a new one grew in its place.

The sword of the demon who attacked burst, leaving behind a lord ‘pow!’. "Who The hell are you ?" He asked, having been shown the disparity in power. Seeing this a demoness in a red robe lunged at him with a huge battle axe which Shifton instinctively blocked. Just as he was about to follow up a large explosion was heard. In the distance all of them saw an entire horizon worth of demons wiped out and their corpses lying dead. A hooded man approached from the distance. His sight widened the eyes of the Demoness who knew exactly who he was. "Magus Gaius!" Just as she looked at him he flash-stepped in her face about to slice her head off, only to be stopped by shifton. "Can you not see Mage that I am negotiating !"

"Interesting things you say. 'Negotiating' is it? How about I kill all these damned demons and you stay out of it? Is it a good deal?"

"Unfortunately sir, I can not allow you to do so. They might be demons but what you are thinking of is accessing this portal to go to the underworld yourself and go on a rampage. Am I Right?"

"Yeah. That was exactly what I was thinking. So 'deal' then?"

"Klein you Handle him, I'll tend to the others."

Klein nodded. "'Handle me’ you say? I like your funny words, magic man. You seem like a demon but my instincts tell me otherwise."

Thus they began to battle, rather than let Klein go for him, Gaius took on Shifton casting anti-demon magical spells. His body was being obliterated but kept on regenerating. Finally, Shifton reached his limit in a few blows and was just about to take the ring off to transform back when his neck snapped and a black slime revealed itself from the wound. It consumed Shifton changing him. He now had five conjoined skulls each looking in different directions on his right shoulder and a headgear covering his left eye with beads. His aura weighed down so heavily on all those who were present that some collapsed. Gaius lunged at him with his sword enchanted to cut him but he held his sword with his bare hands effectively making Gaius stuck in midair. He wouldn't let go of his hands and neither would Gaius but in the end, his instincts overpowered him and he had to retreat. The shining sword was reduced to dust in front of his very eyes.

"This kid is so weak couldn't even handle a small fry like you. Since it's been quite a while since I have been out I might as well enjoy myself."

The demon turned to the demoness and kissed her on the lips, hugging her. "You've grown quite a bit kid!" He happily said "Grandfather!" She exclaimed. A ruthless battle ensued, Gaius tried every spell he knew but it wouldn't work on him. He in turn wouldn't do anything but dodge and reflect. Finally sensing he could not win Gaius turned away from his opponent to kill demons till he had a chance and then he was impaled from behind with bare hands. He licked his fingers clean off and activated a skill. The 'eye' whereby any demons he wishes to communicate with he can. All the surviving demons felt immense fear as they knelt knowing what was behind him. A pair of eyes! "My demons, go back whence you came!" He began, "Don't indulge in unnecessary conflict which you may not win. Any who disobeys me will be dealt with here and now." Somehow a few thousand demons, who still were alive, near the portal in both realms managed to show disagreement, there and then all of them died.

"Technique which killed more demons than that mage guy would have managed to kill in an instant. What a monster" Before Klein and his party could comprehend anything he came to them saying in a nonchalant, 'chill' voice, "You, the dragon, and you, the reincarnationist-old-ass-young-man. Don't do what you were doing, it gets him acting up badly. He might spare me for leaking this information to you but you won't be spared if you don't follow my instructions."

"What 'he', and why ?"

"Sorry, no can do. But you know what, just know this much that he can do things you can't even imma….." and he vanished leaving behind Shifton. "Impossible! He knows my identity. Just what the hell is this ring? And he knows she's a dragon too." They both looked at each other with fear being the mutual expression. The demons packed up and went back. Crises averted!

In the aftermath, I was to learn that the demons who had attacked called themselves the War Monkeys. The demoness present here was a demon lord and the reason she called me grandfather is because before being sealed into the ring, Freaky Devil was the ruler of all demons. Thinking about it, though I never liked reading that book, 'On Five Rings' as it was titled I think the demon and the divine king from the legend are two of my transformations. The reason Freaky, as he is called, killed his kind is because he is strong and ruthless, 'evil' if I may. I didn't use him much because he could go berserk despite most of his powers being sealed. He is capable of destroying the entire world. I had a golden opportunity to make friends but I couldn't and that is what hurts. No one, I think, can replace those two but having some companionship is nice. If only I too had two girls vying for me. On second thought, maybe not. Those two were a hindrance to him, holding him back. I have covered half of my way having spent nearly nothing of the funds allotted to me. I have one stop remaining. For a long time, I was to not learn of anything of today's incident. Why the demons invaded, why an ancient sorcerer came, and finally the entire truth behind Freaky. I transformed into Fleetfoot again as I knew he wanted to run fast after being brought out.

He started his sprint facing towards the east. The mask he mentioned is actually in his exoskeleton which reveals from his cheeks and temples covering his face. He began gaining speed with each passing moment getting faster and faster. First, he left dust clouds in his wake, then after images, and then he attained the maximum speed permitted to him. It was now impossible to even see him, that is how fast he was going and for him, the world had gotten slow. He reached the Dicathen Peninsula before a full minute could pass. He had to grind to a halt thus his feet sank into the earth up to the knees.