At the same time Luo Shu completed his promotion.
New York, USA.
The young dark-skinned child, Opacho, looked curiously at Hao Asakura, who stood beside her, gazing at the sky.
In Opacho's eyes, though Hao Asakura often gazed at the stars, this time his gaze lasted much longer than usual, and his expression was far more serious.
"Hao-sama, has something happened?"
"Ah, indeed something extraordinary has occurred."
Hao Asakura spoke in a tone that might have been either wistful or melancholy:
"The world has changed again, Opacho."
"The world changed again?"
Opacho couldn't comprehend Hao's thoughts. Having been by his side since she could remember, she often found Hao's words difficult to understand.
"Is the change bad?"
"Perhaps."
Hao's tone was complex, his expression far from relaxed.
Ignoring Opacho's confusion, he murmured to himself:
"In just one month, the world's limits have grown from Demigod to Apostle..."
"Is this the influence of what those grand dukes in Hell fear so much...?"
Hao couldn't discern the truth. Even when he'd immediately used divination after sensing the world's change, he'd obtained no answers, not even vague ones.
But this was to be expected. Something that could make Hell's grand dukes wary would naturally possess the power to interfere with divination.
As Hao sank into contemplation, Opacho said impatiently:
"Hao-sama, those FBI people seem to be surrounding us again..."
"Oh? Is that so?" Hao actually found this amusing. "Pay them no mind. After all, the world's change is absolutely bad news for those behind them."
"Though perhaps somewhat weak, they'll make excellent pathfinders against those beings descending from the Abyss."
Hearing mention of the Abyss, Opacho shivered slightly in fear:
"Are beings from the Abyss coming again?"
"Yes..." Hao sighed quietly. "This is a calamity this planet cannot avoid."
With that, Hao began walking, saying calmly to Opacho:
"We should leave now, Opacho."
Opacho looked puzzled. "Hao-sama, where are we going this time?"
"Where we must go."
Hao's tone carried unusual gravity: "While not a hundred per cent certain, the current world can now accommodate the descent of those demon viscounts."
Unfortunately, in Tokyo, the Hidden Management Department had just offended a demon viscount.
Would it descend?
...
Meanwhile, in the Abyss world adjacent to the present realm.
A zone of intertwined vines formed the vegetal terrain. Seated atop the creepers was a figure with azure eyes, brown-green skin, and a single horn upon its brow, gazing intently into the distance, observing the deeper layers of the world.
Gulo Mardo.
A demon holding the rank of viscount in True Hell—Gulo was its given name, while Mardo represented its lineage as an earthbound demon.
In True Hell, only demons of marquis rank could bestow surnames upon their descendants, asserting dominion over their demonic bloodlines.
A demon marquis, in terms of Class, was equivalent to what Christian scriptures termed angels walking the earth or pagan deities.
Being descended from an Angel Rank entity, Gulo was privy to many secrets of the Abyss world and understood the significance of the present realm it had previously invaded.
"Has the Purgatory World progressed further in its revival?" Gulo's icy eyes bore solemnity.
In True Hell, Earth was called the Purgatory World.
This was not only because it occupied the lowest layer of the Abyss, but also because of its calamitous environment.
It was a forbidden land where contact meant certain death for beings above Demigod rank, and a hellscape even lesser demons avoided.
This lore had circulated in True Hell for ages, said to have originated from a certain grand duke.
Had it not been for discovering unique entities like Spirits in the Purgatory World, Gulo wouldn't have turned its attention to this no-go zone even demons shunned.
But now, the Purgatory World seemed to be undergoing changes unimaginable to demons.
Almost instantly, as ripples emerged in the present realm, Gulo extended its Spiritual Power there.
Unlike previous formidable barriers, this time its influence seeped through effortlessly.
The feedback confirmed it could now fully descend upon the present realm's soil while restraining its power.
Upon realising this, Gulo didn't hesitate—it turned and fled, abandoning even its painstakingly established Abyss layer stronghold without a second thought.
Gulo didn't know what was happening in the Purgatory World, but it understood its place.
As a mere Apostle, it wasn't qualified to investigate anomalies there.
That was a forbidden land even grand dukes feared, not some backyard playground in weaker worlds.
And so Gulo departed...
...
Roughly one present-world hour later.
Vermilion lotus flames abruptly manifested within the Abyss layer's dimensional fissures.
A giant woven of fire traversed spacetime to arrive here, instantly transforming the vine-covered terrain into a sea of blazing lotuses.
The inferno's glow illuminated the Abyss layer, threatening to reshape it into a world of flame, warping all with scorching heat.
Just as the vine terrain crumbled to ash, the fire giant's palm emitted a puzzled murmur:
"Gone?"
The giant, formed of crimson lotus flames, slowly lowered its hands, revealing the wine-haired youth it had been carrying.
Hao Asakura cast a deep glance at the vines that had completely vanished beneath the scarlet fire, wariness flashing in his eyes:
"Failed to intercept it after all..."
His words carried a tinge of regret, for the changes in the mortal world being discovered by the titled demons of True Hell boded ill for the living realm.
Yet with matters having come to this, he had no choice but to accept the outcome.
"So in the end, we must still cultivate the Five Great Warriors..."
Under the glow of crimson flames, Hao Asakura remained silent for a long while before finally turning to leave.
...
At the same time.
Luo Shu, having just completed his promotion, finally returned to familiar territory—the Hidden Management Department's garrison in Akihabara.