A massive pillar of light illuminated the walking castle, sweeping everything around it with its radiance.
The castle trembled as though it were under attack, but The Ruler of Pandemonium knew better—what was happening was far worse than an attack. That light was the sign of a teleportation.
"Ariane," she said.
"No need to say it. I understand."
By then, the strange baby had vanished without a trace. Indeed, it was better for it to be gone for what was about to come.
"We've been searching for you everywhere, my lord!"
From within the light, a female voice echoed, addressing the walking castle. Slowly, an unusual young woman with golden hair and dark brown skin emerged, her swaying hips rhythmically jingling the golden chains that adorned her body.
The Ruler of Pandemonium couldn't mistake her. This was the incarnation of chaos, Archduchess Leviathan—one of the high-ranking members of Pandemonium.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"No, how did you get here?"
Of course, until now, The Ruler of Pandemonium had never left Ariane's castle. But they could communicate with uninvited guests, as though the very environment conveyed their words.
"You mean 'we'?"
The Ruler of Pandemonium frowned. Indeed, the light hadn't yet disappeared.
Another figure emerged from it. A tall man—no, a towering amalgamation of mechanical parts and screens draped in a cloak. It was another Archduke of Pandemonium, Astaroth—Diabolus ex Machina, who had sacrificed his entire body in the pursuit of knowledge. From the core of Theosophy, he was no stranger to Ariane.
"Forgive me, my lord," he said in a childlike voice.
"Disturbing you was not my intention, but we need your help."
"Oh, so it was him who found my castle," thought Ariane.
The ancient technology of these Yggdrasil dungeons could quickly become a problem if she didn't develop countermeasures soon. Fortunately, this was one of the many subjects she was passionate about.
Even if she was cursed to never leave the walking castle, she had absolute control over it, which ironically turned her curse into one of her strengths.
The light finally faded, revealing a knight of unimposing stature. He moved slowly, releasing a strange black, viscous liquid from the gaps in his full armor. This was Human, the slime who had discovered the essence of humanity through swordsmanship, and the last general of Pandemonium, Archduke Belphegor.
These three archdukes were considered the Demon King's closest allies, individuals worthy of the title of generals in the demon army.
"So, you're all here, I see."
The Ruler of Pandemonium let out a sigh. This situation was definitely becoming complicated. There was no other choice but to confront it—this time, escape wasn't an option.
The Ruler of Pandemonium knew that even if it wasn't the walking castle, no matter where she went, they would find her in no time. Now she regretted her decision. If Ariane hadn't stopped the castle, even though the archdukes knew where she was, they wouldn't have been able to locate her.
What's done is done, she thought.
"You're not going to leave, are you?" asked Astaroth cautiously.
He had been the most insistent on tracking down the Ruler of Pandemonium. It would be foolish for the sovereign they had turned the world upside down to find to flee—or rather, slip away.
Leviathan, on the other hand, had only joined in because it amused her. As for Belphegor, he hadn't even wanted to leave his domain. To him, nothing could happen to the Ruler of Pandemonium, so searching for them was pointless. As for the implications of their disappearance? He couldn't care less.
"Ah, I'm sleepy," yawned Belphegor.
"My king, you must not leave your domain for too long without informing your subjects. Just as the title of king loses its meaning without a kingdom and subjects, our roles as your servants are meaningless without our lord."
Before Astaroth could finish, Leviathan interrupted him.
"More importantly, this time it was hard to find you. Who would have thought that every time you disappeared and were impossible to locate, you were actually hiding in the walking castle?"
"Oh, and how did you find me so quickly?"
Leviathan instantly closed the distance between herself and the Ruler of Pandemonium—a distance that could have been 500 steps—and cast a scrutinizing gaze.
"You're hiding something, aren't you?"
The golden chains on Leviathan's body and her form were so close to the Ruler of Pandemonium that they could touch. Yet the Ruler's face remained unmoved, even in the face of the sadistic grin of a child who thought she had found a new toy.
"Oh," was all that escaped the Ruler of Pandemonium's lips.
Belphegor remained calm, knowing that Astaroth would intervene.
"Don't be rude, Leviathan! But it's true—though it wasn't the primary reason for our visit, I'm curious about what has drawn our king's attention. And let's not forget about that woman spying on us!"
"Huh? What are you talking about?" asked Leviathan.
The walking castle vibrated, seemingly reacting to the strong emotions of its occupant.
"Hey, how am I spying on you? This is my home! You're the rude ones barging in like this! Get out!"
"As far as I know, your domain is limited to your castle. Since your castle moves constantly, it's currently on public grounds. So technically, we're not in your home."
Ariane was at her breaking point. Technically, Astaroth was right—if she didn't own the land where her house currently stood, the exterior was public property. Her claim was invalid.
"You—! I'll..." As she bit her lip in frustration, unable to leave the walking castle, the Ruler of Pandemonium spoke.
"Don't bother her too much, or things might get boring."
The archdukes momentarily forgot their purpose, and everything began to spiral out of control.
"You can't fool us for long. Tell us what you're hiding," Leviathan demanded calmly.
"And if I refuse?" asked the Ruler of Pandemonium.
Belphegor walked away from everyone, found a perfect corner, conjured a bed from nowhere, and lay down, mimicking human sleep.
To the Ruler of Pandemonium's question, Leviathan replied, "Then you leave me no choice!"
"They're ignoring me!" Ariane's fury peaked, and iron golems of her own creation emerged from the castle.
"In the end, this has become tedious," sighed the Ruler of Pandemonium.
The situation had escalated to the point where a battle was inevitable.
Driven by curiosity, the archdukes couldn't stop provoking the Ruler of Pandemonium, and Ariane, feeling ignored, took it personally. As Leviathan prepared for battle, the iron golems charged at them.