Opening my eyes, I'm greeted by a foggy space and a round table.
Seven other people sit around it.
With small horns on their heads, all except one appear human.
The exception, a rainbow-haired boy, the same angelic figure from the ad banner, catches my attention. He's the only one who looks different, not just in appearance.
The others are confused, scurrying their eyes across the space.
This boy, however, overflows with confidence. His hands are clasped before him as he smilingly sweeps his relaxed gaze across each individual.
Finally, his sunny eyes fall on me, his lips curving further downward.
"Attention, everyone!" he calls with authority. "You seven have been chosen to become Archdemons."
All seven pairs of eyes fall on him.
"No!" he bellows, raising his brows. "You chose to become Archdemons of your own volition. You lot are the most evil scum among the millions."
"The lowest of the low."
Silence befalls. Some listen attentively, uncaring about the insult. Some hold to their confusion. Some even laugh.
What's happening?
I remember completing a survey and then an immense pain taking over me.
What happened after? Wait…
What happened before?
"My memories! Only fragments of who I was remain!" I shout at the rainbowhead, pointing a finger at him.
"Who are you?! What have you done to us?!"
I try to stand, yet I can't. I'm stuck to the grand obsidian throne.
I strike my fist against the gargantuan ebony table, the sounds drumming through the space like thunder.
"You motherfuc—"
"Patience, lowly demon." The very moment he raises his finger, my voice dies down. "Such a raw temperament. Lacking common sense, I see. Well, you wouldn't be a demon otherwise, you mongrel."
I open my mouth. No words come.
Did he just seal my voice or something?
Infuriating. How dare he?!
Bloodlust courses through my veins.
If I were to be released, I fear I'd pop his head before getting an answer…
My thoughts are disrupted when I hear the blonde sitting to my right giggling.
I gaze at her piercingly, yet she only waves at me cheerfully.
"Anyhow," the rainbowhead says, clapping his hands. "Let's get started with the Inauguration Ceremony, shall we?"
At the center above the table, cracks start to form in the space.
Bluish colors swamp from the fractures, and a transparent orb emerges from the opening fissure.
The Fragment of The Great Dao
Words form in my head, identifying the object before me.
That's not what I should pay attention to.
I turn my head to the rainbowhead, observing every expression he makes with utmost attention. For hints and such. This bastard is a prime suspect in being responsible for everything, after all.
On his face, I see reverence and respect directed toward the orb.
That orb moves toward a pale man in a black robe with a golden cross on his chest.
A member of the clergy? How familiar…
Pride Sin Songdra
The words form inside the orb, identifying the middle-aged man.
Its colors repeatedly change as it circles him, his raven hair waving as the orb speeds.
The man stares ahead with his skyly eyes, expressionless and unreadable.
At last, the orb halts, shaking.
Then, in the spur of a moment, a smaller blue orb splinters off The Great Dao.
The Fragment of the Time Pathway
It whisks and closes in on the man, puncturing through his right eye.
A lazuli clockwork tattoo forms in and around his eye, with gears coalescing around the iris and metallike lines scoring outward.
His face ages. His horns grow tall and straight, starting as blue and whitening the farther they rise to the top.
The strands of his hair turn darker, his eyes brighter, ocean-clear.
Two sapphire wings sprout from his back.
The Archdemon of Time,
The Lord of Dragons,
Pride Sin Songdra
Finally, he stops glowing.
On the table before him forms a staff half his size, with an hourglass spinning on its head.
Throughout the process, I didn't take my attention off the rainbowhead even for a moment. When the time pathway fragment was separated from the orb, he drew his brows together in annoyance.
It appears to me the time pathway is strong, given that it soured the rainbowhead's mood.
After all, he clearly views us as enemies…
The blonde to my right gasps without a care for our predicament.
"So cool!" Her dark eyes sparkle.
"Time Pathway! Isn't that a cheat?! Imagine your enemy draws their sword only for you to stop the time and shove it up their ass!"
She receives weird glances from the others. I want to voice my agreement, but I can't speak.
"But say, what happens if you foresee the future? To give an example, what if you'd eat a cake and sit on a cock the following morning, but after having a look at the future, you gobble a cock and sit on a cake instead. Wouldn't that create a time paradox—" Her voice breaks.
She gapes, yet not a single peep comes out of her mouth.
"How vulgar," the rainbowhead sneers, frowning. "Don't show your filthy nature before me, mongrel. In the presence of The Great Dao, at that."
Fuck The Great Dao.
I see that the blonde and I think alike. She points a middle finger at the orb and raises her other hand with a finger aimed at the rainbowhead. Not a single flying fuck given.
Yeah. Him too. Fuck him too. Sincerely.
The Great Dao moves to the seat opposite, floating above a dark man.
His stature gives the impression of a bodybuilder, yet his stern demeanor and clothes speak of a soldier.
Envy Sin Goliath
This time, a smaller fragment parts from the orb, purple.
The Fragment of the Mind Pathway
It paves toward the man's forehead, hazy on its way.
There, an amethyst marking of an eye forms, malicious, double the size of his determined eyes.
He grows in size also, his clothes stretching, then tearing apart.
The horns grow as well, sideways, akin to a bull's. Brutish, with purple and yellow tints.
The Archdemon of Mind,
The Lord of Giants,
Envy Sin Goliath
Gauntlets materialize, one violet and the other pearly yellow, with golden spikes and paddings predominant on each.
Throughout this, the rainbowhead didn't frown.
He's still annoyed, clearly. Yet not as much as he was with the dragon guy.
It's settled, then. More likely than not, the larger the orb in size, the stronger it is.
I'd love to discuss it with others, but my mouth is shut. Though, that's me.
What about them? Why don't they talk?
Are they wary of each other or the rainbowhead?
Boring fuckers.
The orb continues in its path, moving toward an excited young man.
His lab coat crinkly and wet, he extends his gloved hand toward The Great Dao.
"This is not a dream…" he whispers under his breath, hesitant.
"In this life…"
Greed Sin Deviod
"In this life, I'll reach immortality! Hahaha!" he declares, laughing like a maniac. His arms outstretch to the sides.
"No matter what!"
Nice. Another crackhead.
His eyes shine as the bright, utterly white sphere departs from the orb. Small in size in comparison to the mind and time pathway fragments.
Yet, the very next moment, a second sphere departs. Devoid of shine, black like starless skies.
They revolve around each other, like yin and yang.
They then fuse.
The Fragment of the Death Pathway
Turning gray, the new orb fully converges on the man's nose.
Below his left eye forms an image of a white cicada flying toward the black lotus under his right eye. Gray embers mark his nose, spreading as they reach the black lotus, amidst which stands a candle.
His skin pales further, his eyes darkening. Most strands of his hair turn ashen.
Curvy horns form from his temples, almost quarter-circular. One on the right grows white, bone-like, while the other appears darker than charcoal.
The Archdemon of Death,
The Lord of Ghosts,
Greed Sin Deviod
He seizes the deathly sharp scythe twice his size, his cloudy eyes abnormally wide and manic.
Great! The rainbowhead is clearly pissed. Good job, young man! I'll cheer for your success! Kill as many of these fuckers as you can on your way to immortality!
I start clapping, and the blonde, my spiritual ally, joins me. She attempts to whistle, yet to no avail. Instead, she intensifies her claps.
Yeah! Me too! The enemy of our enemy is our friend!
The Archdemon of Death, as one would assume from his name, ignores our applause. Truly an epitome of edginess. Impudent youngster.
The blonde starts to boo at his dismissal, shaking her head disapprovingly.
Yeah! Fuck him too! Fuck everyone except us two!