[Holy Kingdom]
One of the biggest or maybe most powerful kingdom in this world. There is also the rumor of it being the first kingdom created by humans due to it's long history.
With huge majestic pure white wall, with no even a sign of a dirt on it, surrounding the city-like settlement where no matter where you look you will only find building with same pure white and golden color, giving an expression of cleanness.
And strangely every resident here were wearing clothes which were similar to nuns, priests and even the guards were wearing beautiful armors matching with their surrounding, even the children were not exemption.
This was the city whose residents were mostly the believers of the Origin Gods.
And the center of this such beautiful city was a huge citadel-like castle, and as the sunlight fell on it, it looked like as it was glowing as if the Gods themselves had created this building.
And inside it many nuns and priests could be seen moving around.
Among them two young nuns with baskets full of clothes were going somewhere, properly for laundry.
"Hey Sasha, do you think that the Hero would be able to defeat the Demon King right now?"
One of the nun asked the other nun, Sasha, to pass time.
"Yes! I'm completely sure the Hero can defeat that monster because he is chosen by none other than the Goddess of Luck herself."
Sasha replied happily and some excitement could be felt in her voice that even the other nun felt it.
"Ho-ho, looks like our dear Sasha has also been charmed by the Hero, huh."
"S-stop teasing me Maria."
Ever since Arthur and others were summoned here, in just two months they all became very popular, even having there own fan group.
As for Arthur, he was mostly famous among females with his good looks, and power, even the nuns such as Sasha were not exemption.
After being teased by Maria, Sasha face were completely red and try to quicken her steps to run away from Maria.
"Hey Sasha, wait for me too."
As both quicken their steps they reached a long hall where many priest and others nuns could be seen walking around.
'Now just passing through this hall and delivering these clothes, I'll be free for today. Haaa, I wonder when will the dear Hero will return.'
As Sasha was thinking about Arthur while moving through the hall, suddenly she heard a commotion.
"Kyaa! What is happening!?"
"What is this light!?"
As Sasha looked towards the commotion, she saw that other nuns and priests were moving away from a glowing light that suddenly appeared on the ground, startling everyone there.
"Huh? What is that?"
Even Maria stopped after seeing this.
"Isn't that a magic circle….?"
One of the priest who was there recognized the glowing light and after hearing him others also began to recognize the light.
"But why this is here? And for what reason?"
"I don't know but first call the paladins here, they might know what to do."
Soon a priest who looked the most oldest there sent someone to call the [Paladins].
As this was happening, people began to appear inside the magic circle.
"Look! Someone is coming!"
Everyone became alert and some moved further away from the magic circle with fear as don't know who was coming.
Sasha who was also there was the first who recognized the people that came through the magic circle. It was her dear Hero she was wishing for but unfortunately for her she didn't thought to meet her Hero like this.
"Kyaa!"
Few of the nuns there screamed as they also recognize the people.
The people who came from the magic circle were none other than the Hero and his party. But the appearance was complete opposite of when they saw them leaving for the Demon King.
Hero, Arthur, had blood and dirt on his armor completely different from the beautiful armor before and with two clothes wrapped around his both bisected arms and even his face was pale due to blood loss.
Others where also no better,Rem was looking lost as if she had lost something precious, Mia was hugging the unconscious Arthur and crying, and Suzuki was also just sitting their dazed with her hair sticking to her face as if she couldn't understand what was happening.
"Hurry!! Someone call the [Clerics]!"
Only Ram and Ayaka where normal and Ayaka immediately asked for help without wasting any time.
As soon others heard her, they came out from there shock and immediately ran to find [Clerics] and some moved towards them to support them.
"How could this-!? Sasha!"
As Maria was shocked to saw them like this, she saw Sasha falling, causing her to quickly grab her causing both of the laundry basket fell down.
"How….?"
Maria noticed that Sasha was even more shocked than her properly because she didn't expect to meet her Hero like this. At this Maria could only shake her head.
And that day the news of the defeat of the Hero and his party spread like fire everywhere and many rumors also spread.
But the most interesting rumor of them was of a monster who defeated them, smiling even when facing the Hero and played them like a toy.
The [Smiling Shadow].
…..........................................
Meanwhile in the Demon Realm.
"We won!!"
""Yeah!!""
There was a festive atmosphere within the walls of the [Obsidian Castle], the Demon King's castle.
Many soldiers from different races were enjoying beer, cheering each other and some of them even dancing, expressing their happiness in many ways.
Of course their was a reason for such happiness as they were able to defeat the disaster like individual, the Hero and survived.
After spending time in great tension before only now they can rest and even there head, Sebastian, allowed them for this and brought them beer.
"Come on then, whose next?"
Even Igor couldn't be seen among the soldiers, doing arm wrestling.
And Sebastian was seeing all of this through a window in the castle. After watching them for a while, he turned around and headed towards the Throne Room.
Passing through the lonely halls as most of the personals were send away before the Hero came and the remaining were also outside joining the soldiers.
As he reached the Giant gates, the gates opened their own as if waiting for him and beyond those gates, Diablo was still sitting on the throne.
After Sebastian entered the room and kneeled, It was Diablo who first spoke.
[I'm glad that you let them rest like this.]
Diablo as kind-heart he was, was worried about the soldiers. Even If they didn't fight against the Hero, they still were in great tension and some of them were tired due to being continuously alert against any surprise attack.
"Well they should be in full condition before they work again after all."
Sebastian answered while adjusting his glasses and when Diablo heard this, he could only feel pity for them as Sebastian was quite serious during work and there would be lot of things that they had to do now because of Hero.
Shaking his head, Diablo asked.
[So, what was the purpose for coming here?]
Sebastian that Diablo knew was someone that If there was no reason he would spent most of his time in his Library but now he came to meet him that means that there was something important.
"Your Highness, I thing we should prepare ourselves."
As Diablo saw that Sebastian had become serious, even he began to listen him seriously causing the atmosphere in the Throne Room to change.
"As you know after the battle between Kia and the Hero, things will not remain the same. Even the forces who remained hidden would not remain silent."
As Diablo heard this, he grumbled because he understood what Sebastian was talking about.
In this world, Gods are able to interact with mortals physically because of the scar left on this world due to the [Great War] causing the restrictions on the Gods to lessen.
But It only lessen not completely gone, so they could not take a major action like destroying a kingdom or an army but they could form a army of their own to fight according to their commands.
And they also choose special individuals to whom they give their [Blessings] and make them their [Champion] who represent them and fight for them.
And beside the Gods of Origin and the ones that are with Diablo, there are many other Gods who want to increase their influence in this world.
But they kept silent because if they act first, It would be like showing your cards first. So that's why everyone was in a stand-still until now.
As the Origin Gods had send the Hero towards the Diablo, It was like arrogantly showing to others that this is their [Champion] and do whatever they can.
And thus to counter Diablo also had to shown his card which was Kia.
And in this way two major forces showed their cards to those who were hidden. They would either now began to enforce their forces more quickly and openly to counter them.
Or they would make counter measures to defeat them.
This is a great problem that the enemy now knows their cards but they don't.
"I'm completely sure that they would not be silent after this and would definitely try to do something. So that's why we should be prepared. It could be possible that nothing happens but…"
As Sebastian was saying this he lifted his head and looked directly into Diablo two dot like white eyes.
"...If not than there would be another [Great War]."