The Highest Echelons

"We have arrived.

The Black Castle, so hauntingly beautiful and divine, yet it hides nothing but the opposite of that." Says Axel, as the two stand small against the huge majestic gate.

As previously mentioned, Scholomance is a realm composed of ancient and mythical settings. This includes castles as well! This one right here is an exact but bigger copy of the Mutsue Castle, situated in what was known once as "Japan".

For almost half a century, it withstood wars, fires, earthquakes, and human interventions, though it was made of wood! However, the one thing it couldn't withstand was the Natural revolution. Luckily, Dr. X was able to save such monument in his own way, but only few people will be able to reach such point in the game, let alone withhold and understand its' beauty.

Axel, with a toughened tone tells his servant. "Remain Invisible and find a safe place to hide in, they have sensed you for sure, and I can't guarantee your safety."

Abigor. "Any measures you want me to prepare your majesty?"

Upon hearing this thoughtful request, Axel cunningly grins and manifests his shiny crown from thin air right in his palm, then says.

"I am the measures themselves."

The king puts the crown on top of his head, and before Abigor could depart on his own, the sheer pressure and power emitting from Axel sent him flying away immediately!! The Gate forcefully opened for his highness to enter...

It was dark, as its name suggests, rather it was horrifying, status depicting murder, rape, possession, and even zoophilia, were hanging on the wooden walls from every side. Yet Axel paid it no mind, as if he has seen it all before.

"Hello everybody! You have a guest today." Axel ironically declares. Yet no one welcomed this very expensive guest.

"Very rude, were you not taught the necessary protocols?"

Suddenly!! A terrifying scream came from the other side of the passage!!

Quick footsteps are running towards him! Axel stands his ground, with an unfazed face.

From the darkness, a horrified face running for its life emerged. "AAAHHHH...UUHHH... HE..LAP MEUU!!!" they call out desperately.

As he's looking behind his back, the poor scared man doesn't sense the obvious presence of the King, surprisingly! Axel freezes him in his place using his powers, and turns his face towards him.

"Damn it..." disgust appears on the face of the king.

"...Hahahahahaha! Oh my lord, look who has visited us today!! My one and only love."

Axel gives half a look towards where this tempting lustful voice is coming from. "Lilith..."

"Axel, I have missed you beyond what words can convey." Says the Demon Queen, Lilith Zena.

As she approaches, the darkness quickly faded, her long colored wavy hair reached her waist, the 6 feathery wings on her back made her float in air with ease, her thin dress made of silk highlighted every curve of her lustful body. Truly, no female can compare to this level of illusion! her angelic beauty would make anyone swear that she is their saving grace!

But these two men in front of her clearly think otherwise! The level of terror rose as the guy who tried to escape felt unable to move due to Axel's gravitational powers. Weirdly enough, he hasn't recognized the King yet!

"Can I know what you are doing to my subjects?" Axel asks, firmly.

Lilith holds the back of her hand and puts it on her cheek, looking all feminine and cute, she replies: "Can't we eat just a little, daddy?"

"... You're as hopeless as always." Axel seems visibly pissed for the first time, he gives the man a final deep look and realizes that it is too late to save him.

'He's already undergoing Psychros, not only his name doesn't appear on top of his head, his pupils have turned completely black too, he's losing what's left of his humanity.

They were toying with his life to make his terror and fear increase, now I have an idea what utility they're seeking from doing it this early...' He says in his mind.

Axel throws the young man right at Lilith, who she caught with her wings just like how a spider captures her prey, trapping him in place. "Thank you Honey, I knew you wouldn't want me to stay hungry."

"Cheesy woman, check your meal before you eat it."

"Hum? AAHH NOOOO!! WHY YOU DID THAT!!?

Now it won't even taste good, you're so eviiill." Lilith starts crying like a little baby, her tears are literal blood drops!!

Axel broke the man's neck before throwing it back to her. He is dead!

Axel. "I don't have time for child play, don't think I'm the teenager you once knew and played with.

Where is your father?"

As soon as he asked, the answer came from another member of the family this time!

"Why look for the father, aren't we enough for you?"

"Hmm... Mr. Axel, long time no see!"

"Quite an unexpected arrival, I thought you do not want to see us ever again."

"Hehehehe! Maybe he still does not, he seems a bit angry, unlike what he shows to his so-called subjects."

This time, they surely did not look like angels, these 4 are as demonic as one could imagine. Not that they look ugly and unpleasing, quite the contrary, it is the inhumanely features and their bleak aura that tells your bones, these are the embodiment of danger!

However, Axel smiles, and even starts laughing!

"Hahahahaha! Isn't this lovely? I am once again feeling the warmth of family.

Who said I'm angry, Asmodeus? I'm pretty sure you get annoyed with Lilith as much as I do."

"Well, that I can't deny."

Lilith gets annoyed, and the light she shined upon the whole place turned suddenly into a mixture of pitch black and hellfire redness.

"Oh no!".

Asmodeus. "Hey It wasn't me!"

"Alright calm down Lilith, I was just kidding. We can have a lot of fun, once I finish what I came here for." Says Axel.

And just like that her mood switched back to lovely and cheesy in a second, the light was restored.

Axel. "Astaroth, you're the one I reason with the most. I did not come here to cause trouble, but I must understand your plans, did we not have a deal before?"

The one he's addressing right now seems to be the oldest, most stoic, and physically imposing of the 5. He's built like a Greek god sculpture, and his skin is that of a reptile! This is highlighted further with two immensely thick long cobras coming out of each side of his back!! With his herculean arm, he holds a polearm which has 3 sharp dead ends made of red solid Lava! As for his clothing, they're ragged, but it suits his look very well. He wears a long black cloak reaching down from his wide muscular shoulders to his bare demonic feet, with large white pants and a golden belt on his waist.

"Yes, we did, the deal remains active.

We didn't break it, nowhere we agreed that we wouldn't start in the first day." Astaroth replies, with a sharp look in his eyes.

Axel realizes that what he's saying is correct!

"Hmmm... True, I only assumed it. But that is based on your own best interest, it serves nothing that you turn these players into Psemas this early. They'll be very weak, most of them won't even make it by themselves before being internally destroyed.

And if what you're seeking is food, players of such low level will not satisfy your hunger and thirst, even if you apply the Killing Whale method."

Referring to what Lilith was doing earlier, playing with her prey and amplifying his horror.

"He's right, they taste like shit!" Said Asmodeus, who's hiding his appearance in the dark, alongside the other 2 who spoke very little earlier.

Astaroth. "Correct. But who said this is what we're aiming for?"

"...What do you mean?" Axel did not expect such answer!

"Indeed, Psychros is usually performed to either transform a soul to a Psema, or to make it a delicious meal which us, the Seraphim, can feed on and benefit from its life energy.

However, there is a third possibility which Father did not tell you about it seems..."

"Is that so... Well then It was a good decision that I came here myself.

Care to explain yourself, Lucifer?" Axel asks, as he slowly turns his face to the back.

The king of all demons, headmaster of the Seraphim and ruler of the underworld, has appeared!