[A Week Later]

The Teleportation mage walked through Lepreun town, looking dead. He had deep dark circles under his eyes, pale skin and trembling hands.

People avoided him like he carried plague and he just kept walking anyway.

Each day the red sky had become even redder.

At first it was like a color in the sky, how the sunset looked but now it was a deeper crimson, like old blood.

And in certain areas across the Empire, skeleton monsters dropped from the sky in greater numbers.

He looked around at the townsfolk as he passed. They knew something was wrong, especially after the attack last week.

There was fear in their eyes but he couldn't really care less about this people.

He reached the door of the residence where Azel was staying and knocked.

No answer.

He knocked again, harder this time and the door opened.

Azel came out with a faded smile. Strapped to his back was a pale black-haired boy who looked unconscious.

Rene.

The kid was so thin he looked like he hadn't eaten in weeks and his breathing was shallow too.

"Hey...?" Azel's voice was tired. "I was thinking of getting him to the Royal Hospital. Could you teleport me there?"

"It's shut down."

"Huh?" Azel blinked with genuine surprise.

It seemed the more this red sky stayed up, the worse everything got.

The only things worth smiling for in his house were his women and children, but the sickness that had taken Rene two days ago made it harder to keep that happiness going.

It made it harder to pretend everything was fine.

"It's shut down. Everything is." The Teleportation mage's voice was flat. "The Capital is falling."

Azel's eyes widened. "What do you mean the capital is falling? They have Great Mages. They have the Imperial Knights. They have—"

"The Great Mages are spread over every corner of the Empire," the mage interrupted. "They barely get any time to rest these days. Sleep deprivation is killing more of them than the monsters are."

He took a step forward, his voice rising.

"The sky spits out skeleton monsters. They wreak havoc. They're not only happening here... but everywhere. It's everywhere." His hands shook. "While everyone is fighting for their lives at the front, defending cities, protecting people... you're here enjoying a good time with your family."

Silence.

It took everything Azel had not to punch this guy's face in right then and there.

"What's your point?" His voice came out cold.

The Teleportation mage staggered forward and his eyes grew wild as well. Did he care whether he angered Azel? Not anymore…

"My family is dead! Everyone's dead! Mira is dea—"

CRACK.

Azel's fist connected with his jaw.

The punch carried so much force it created a mini shockwave that sent the mage rolling backward across the dirt. His jaw disconnected completely, hanging at an unnatural angle.

"Don't shout in front of my house." Azel's voice was as cold as ice itself.

He waved his hand and healing magic flowed. The mage's jaw snapped back into place with a wet pop.

"What did you say happened to Mira?"

Tears welled up in the Teleportation Mage's eyes as he looked up from the ground. "Mira is dead."

Azel blinked.

It didn't feel real. He could still remember two weeks ago.

Mira had been saying that it was just a little trip to Aegis and there was a large influx of dungeon gates appearing.

It was nothing she couldn't handle since she was strong. How did she end up dead?

He took a step forward. "Where's your proof?"

"The gates... they swallowed her and the rest of them." The Teleportation mage's voice broke. "They're gone. To goddess knows where. Pulled into the dungeons and the gates sealed behind them. We couldn't... we couldn't get them back."

[Welcome To The Third Major Calamity: The Underworld]

Azel was completely speechless.

His throat suddenly felt very dry like he'd swallowed sand.

The reason why Merek wasn't considered a Calamity was because another Calamity had already been upon them? This whole time?

[The Prince Of Hell is dead. Rene is dying from the backlash of his father's death. Mira and the other Knights assigned to raid dungeons have been swallowed up by the Underworld. Your Goal In this Calamity is to defeat the King Of Hell, Bael'zaroth, and stop him from waging war against the waking world.]

[Failure: The Destruction Of The Waking World.]

'...Why?'

Azel's frustration threatened to pour out in one scream but every muscle in his body tensed.

'Why is this happening?'

Medusa had given birth a week ago. Twins. Beautiful, healthy babies. Anastasia had planned to visit this week and introduce herself properly to the family.

Everything was supposed to be getting better and now this.

When the mage had said that Mira died, it made his heart throb painfully. A sharp, physical ache in his chest.

As much as he wanted to scream "Why me?" he couldn't.

He'd agreed to be brought into this world and he'd also accepted the responsibility that came with the System.

He would face it.

'The fate of the world is on my shoulders.'

The thought made him feel oddly heavier. Like gravity had increased. If he failed, then his children... Edna, Medusa, Veyra, everyone... they would die.

And he would die with them.

It was frustrating.

Azel walked back to the door that was still creaked open. Edna was standing there, about to close it.

She must have heard everything.

"Help me tell them I won't be back for a while," Azel said, looking into her eyes.

She looked very thoughtful and calm despite everything.

"Are you going to get hurt?"

"Yes."

There was no point lying to her.

Edna's expression sobered. She walked forward and adjusted his hair, letting the bangs free. His silver hair flowed downward, framing his face.

"If you're going to get hit around, then you better look pretty while you're taking it."

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his lips with everything she had.

It was deep and very desperate, like she was trying to memorize the taste of him.

When she pulled back, her eyes were wet but she smiled anyway.

"We'll try to hold it down here. Please make sure Rene is alright." Her voice was a bit shaky. "We'll be waiting, hubby."

Azel nodded.

As she turned around to go back inside, he spanked her on the ass.

"Ah!" She yelped, grabbing her rear and giving him a pout. "Meanie~"

He waved at her as the door closed.

Then he turned back to the Teleportation mage, who couldn't stand the smirk on Azel's damn face and with a snap of the guy's fingers, they teleported.

…

Azel stood his ground as the world stopped spinning.

His head wasn't ringing this time. It seemed like half-elves, or most probably elves in general, were very resistant to teleportation sickness.

[Hubby... are you planning to go to the Underworld?] Nyala's voice sounded in his mind.

'Yes, I have to.' Azel thought as he stared at the sky. It was even worse here in the capital.

Deep crimson with black cracks running through it like veins. 'Or else the Earth will be doomed.'

[I understand. Kyone said it seems like that manaless woman managed to kill the Demon Prince. That's why this is happening.]

Kyone's voice came through too and she sounded apologetic.

[I'm very sorry, Esteemed Husband. I gave her mana so she could get revenge, but I didn't think it would happen so quickly. I didn't think Bael'zaroth would take action like this. The scale of his response is... unprecedented.]

Azel was silent for a moment.

'I can't be angry at you,' he finally thought. 'She deserved her revenge. Her son deserved justice. You did the right thing.'

[Once you step into the domain of the Underworld, we will not be able to save you,] Nyala said seriously. [It is the Purgatory Of The Dead for a reason. Our divine authority doesn't reach there. Your connection to us will be cut through completely and you will have to survive on your own magic.]

[Also the air in the Underworld is hard to breathe for mortals] Kyone added. [But you have that destruction element now from Merek, so it should fit your lungs since it's one of the Underworld affinities. You'll adapt.]

Elarielle's voice came through, warm but worried.

[I can fill your divinity reserves before you go. When you're there, you won't be able to get ambient mana from the air to fill your cores, so your magic will be incredibly limited. But if I fill your reserves up completely now, you'll have many tries to use your Reversal ability. Multiple chances.]

'Tha—'

Azel couldn't even finish the thought.

Divinity flooded his body like liquid fire. It poured into every core, every reservoir, filling them to absolute capacity. His skin glowed faintly golden for a moment before settling.

He finally looked around properly.

The capital looked... trashed.

They were on the outskirts, but even here it was completely blown out.

Buildings had collapsed into rubble and streets torn apart by magic and monster attacks. Fires still burning in some districts, black smoke rising into the red sky.

Bodies.

Not many, but enough.

They were knights and civilians who didn't evacuate in time.

The Teleportation mage sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging.

"Let's go. The Emperor awaits."

They walked through the ruined streets.

Every few blocks, they passed groups of exhausted soldiers setting up barricades. Mages maintaining defensive barriers and healers tending to the wounded.

Everyone looked tired with bone-deep exhaustion.

[Hubby, we are currently hiding you and Rene's presence from the detection of the Devil King,] Nyala said. [However, we will release it intentionally so that he will send both of you into the Underworld. Then I'll cut the connection at the last second with the last of my power and redirect you so you'll reunite with that Mira woman. She's probably still alive down there.]

'Wait, you're going to let him detect me on purpose?'

[It's the only way to get you into the Underworld quickly. The normal entrances are sealed. This way, he pulls you in himself, and I redirect the trajectory at the last moment. You'll land where the Knights are.]

'That's... actually pretty smart.'

[I have my moments, hubby.]

"Is he on the field here?" Azel asked the mage.

They walked forward through more destroyed streets.

After a while, they saw movement ahead… there were flashes of light and the sound of steel on bone.

The Emperor was in the middle of a small clearing, pulling a massive sword out of an oversized bone monster's skull. The creature was easily three stories tall, but the Emperor had brought it down alone.

The thing collapsed into dust with its bones scattering across the ground.

"Regardless of the fact that this is the Outskirts!" the Emperor shouted to the soldiers around him. "Defend it with your life, men! Every street matters! Every life matters! We hold the line here!"

The soldiers responded with tired but determined shouts.

Then the Emperor noticed them approaching and his eyes locked onto Azel.

"Azel—"

[Found you.]

The voice was so ancient it made reality itself shiver.

The Emperor's eyes widened in horror.

Before anyone could react, a crimson portal opened directly beneath Azel's feet. The ground turned to blood-red light, liquid and solid at the same time.

"AZEL!" the Emperor shouted, reaching out but it was too late.

Azel fell through.

The portal snapped shut behind him with a sound like breaking glass.

The Emperor stared at the spot where Azel had been standing, his hand still outstretched.

"Damn it," he whispered. "Damn it all."

…

Just as he felt his body being tugged downward by an irresistible force, he felt that divine connection being severed.

It was cut apart like scissors through thread then forcibly redirected.

The sensation was disorienting, like being pulled in two directions at once.

He unhooked Rene from his back as they free-fell through absolute darkness.

It was not just dark but the complete absence of light, like falling through a void that had never known the sun.

The boy was coughing now, actually breathing properly for the first time in day with deep and full breaths.

The Underworld's air was helping him.

[Goodluck, Hubb—]

Nyala's voice immediately cut off mid-word and silence followed.

Complete and total silence except for the rushing wind and Rene's breathing.

Azel had never felt so alone.

He saw ground approaching fast through the darkness and then he twisted his body mid-air and landed hard with his knees bent and arms spread.

The impact sent shockwaves through the stone, kicking up a massive crater as cracks spiderwebbed outward.

He rolled with it, absorbing the force through his legs and core.

Rene landed nearby a moment later, stumbling but staying on his feet. The boy gasped, looking around with wide eyes.

Color was returning to his face. His skin wasn't deathly pale anymore. His eyes, usually dull with sickness, were clearing.

"Where... where are we?" Rene whispered.

Azel looked around properly for the first time.

The Underworld.

Black stone stretched in every direction. No sky above, just darkness that pressed down like an invisible weight and in the distance, rivers of something that glowed blue.

They were souls, maybe or rather… the dead.

The air tasted like ash and iron but Rene was breathing it like pure oxygen and getting stronger by the second.

Then he felt it… there was cold steel at his neck.

The blade was angled perfectly to sever his carotid artery with the slightest pressure and he could feel the experience behind those hands.

A voice that was tired yet cold as ice followed.

"If you move... you die."

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