Harbingers of Change

Chapter 6

"Ugh, we stopped, again! What the hell is going on out there?" Kirara complained, keeping up the appearance of a spoiled brat.

She and Kyoya had decided to run at an opportune moment, but until then both had to fake bloodlust, excitement, or in some cases, harsh indifference to the upcoming battle.

As high-value fighters with high demands, they had their own mastercraft carriage, custom-made to drive over any terrain. The luxurious transportation was built with suitable amenities, soft cushions, and sound isolation, promising a pleasant trip even to nobles such as them. There were even sections for drinks and snacks, something she and her lover were more than happy to utilize.

She and Kyoya constantly sat together, engaging in light flirting, much to Shogo's annoyance. Single man problems, or so he claimed.

The berserker sat opposite to them, legs crossed as he stared out the lightly curtained window, sick of the lovey-dovey couple's antics. Ever since they had been beaten down by Hinata, the two had been practically attached to the hip, leaving him as the third wheel in their relationship.

"Who knows? Probably killing some fodder. If anything worthy of note had shown up, we would've had a chance for action since the old man would drag us out to fight for him." Shogo retorted through gritted teeth, fingers twitching for violence.

Once a significant battle started, not only would he be sent out to gladly bash some horrendous monster's skull in, but perhaps even get a chance to stab Hinata in the back and kill her unawares. In a chaotic melee, anything could happen, and he would finally have his vengeance for the humiliation she had disgraced him with weeks ago. Plus, killing that many monsters would help rack up his kill count, something he had been keeping track of, without telling the others, of course, since Kirara would lower his perception of him if he did, for he had been summoned.

"You'll get your chance to kill something. Who knows, maybe a stray sword will catch Razen's back." Kyoya stretched with a yawn, leaning away from his girlfriend for a moment, before returning with a light peck on the cheek.

"That's an idea. If that sort of accident happens, I wouldn't complain." Shogo turned to flash Kyoya a grin, knowing the latter had excellent swordsmanship abilities.

"The old bastard is crafty, be careful," Kirara remarked, leaning into Kyoya as she grabbed his arm and pulled it around her waist.

"We'll get plenty of chances to break free. The question is, what should we do after that? Work for that bastard King?" Shogo asked, more to himself than to the pair.

"Screw that. We're becoming adventurers and traveling the world! If we're stuck here for good, we might as well explore it." Kyoya announced his and Kirara's plans, squeezing the latter's hand.

Old wizard Razen's lie of promising to devise a spell which would send them home was shattered when one of the Ten Saints told them some days back that otherworlders couldn't return home, since there were no known methods despite extensive experimentation by the church in the past, and that it was better to get used to their new lives. Some otherworlders had left their names in the annals of history through non-violent occupations, like Kaoru Yoshida in Engrassia who was famed across the Western Nations for his baked goods, but ultimately the allure of violence from their old days still remained.

Despite the trio's flashy, noisy, and oftentimes arrogant behavior, many of the crusaders were sympathetic to their situation, knowing what the pain was like in being ripped away from family and friends, and even offered to pull some strings to allow them entry into the church as free people, maybe even as crusaders-in-training. But the trio had refused, viewing the proposals not as gaining freedom, but merely changing one owner for another.

Adventurers, on the other hand, held the freedom to travel as they pleased, and particularly powerful ones gained international recognition for their efforts. Given their ranks as Otherworlders, the duo would have no issues in quickly raising their statuses, allowing them to try new foods, make more money, and possibly even settle down and start a family.

"Adventurers? Heh, Kirara, you turning your man into a hero or something?" Shogo teased.

"It pays well if you can handle stronger monsters, and you don't have to serve some old decrepit bastard. You can go on a world conquest or whatever on your own. What's not to like about being free and working whenever, wherever and however you want?." Kirara stuck her tongue at him and leaned into Kyoya even more, snuggling into his shoulder.

"Deal. Once I conquer the world, I'll give you both some backwater dump to rule over." He laughed in response, returning to staring out the window.

Kyoya chuckled alongside Shogo for appearance's sake. His friend was still holding onto delusions of grandeur, unable to accept that there were people stronger than him in this world. Yet another reason to quickly leave the crusading army besides possible volunteering for the church's forces.

The conversation quickly died down afterward, and for a few more minutes they continued to travel in peace. The main annoyances of the day were the horses acting up instead of pulling the carriage, frequently stopping and jerking forward as their neighs filled the skies.

The ground was also bumpier, bumpy enough that even their noble carriage couldn't nullify all of the jolts and jiggles. Shogo complained of improper bearings, unlike their cars on Earth, but nobody responded.

Then suddenly, the carriage was violently thrown to one side, toppling over with its inhabitants. Explosions erupted, horses reared, and soldiers screamed out in terror. Kyoya caught Kirara in the nick of time, knowing his body could take the brunt as he covered her curled-up stature. Shogo, naturally, smashed into the carriage window.

"Some moron is paying for this!" Shogo roared in anger and smashed the carriage door off the hinges, leaping out of the felled vehicle.

The other two quickly climbed out shortly after, only to find themselves shocked with Shogo as constant explosions thundered nearby. Whatever fight was happening at the front lines was progressing quickly, and in multitudes at that.

"What is going on!?" Shogo shrieked at the carriage driver.

"H-Horses got spooked, sir, and toppled the carriage. The darn animals couldn't take those bangs anymore." The older man replied to the otherworlder, scratching the back of his head and staring at the tipped-over carriage.

"What are these blasts?" Kyoya asked, trying to peer over the sea of soldiers with little success.

The question earned him a grimace. "They appear to be from some strange contraptions, ones hidden in the ground, sir. It looks like when someone steps on them, they get their legs blown clean off and are launched into the air. These fields are full of them." The driver glanced up and addressed him, prodding at a wheel.

"The monsters are using landmines!?" He couldn't hide his shock. Everyone expected to fight against enemies wielding swords and magic, not advanced magitech weaponry, and certainly not weapons inspired by their homeworld.

"Cowardly bastards! I won't get into a fight like this any time soon." Shogo spat on the ground.

There was little they could do about this. Now the trio had to walk just like everyone else, as the wheels of their carriage were bent out of shape, the frame was crooked, and there was nobody around who could repair such an exquisite craft.

Over the next few hours, Kirara played up her complaining to a ten as she hopefully glanced at the treeline in the distance. Once they had entered the forest, she and Kyoya would plunge into its depths, away from the chaotic clashes. Once out of sight of the fighting armies, they would flee straight for Blumund, a neutral human nation relatively close by, and begin their adventurer lives there.

As for the soul magic Razen had cast, the Free Guild was an international organization even Falmuth couldn't afford to piss off. They'd be shielded from his magical and political shenanigans once they registered in Blumund.

It would take hours, if not days, for Razen to notice they were missing. The old mage would be busy dealing with whatever nasty surprises the monsters had prepared for their invading army, such as these mines and perhaps even other nasty otherworldly surprises like bomber planes.

Kyoya, complementing Kirara's lovey-girlfriend roleplaying with his concerned-boyfriend role, ran a double job of subtly riling up and irritating Shogo before any prospective battle, whether it be "forgetting" small body cues from the third wheel or obnoxiously flirting with Kirara. This would hopefully push Shogo's already emotional berserker state into causing even more rampages, creating a better distraction to cover against Razen, or at least causing him to create more trouble during peacetime.

The plan worked, partially. Shogo proved to be more level-headed than expected, walking beside them as he mumbled his mumbles of breaking Hinata's sorry ass over his knee or capturing a pretty-looking monster girl to break in as his pet. Their opportunity couldn't come soon enough.

Without warning, the entire army's advancement halted completely, and it only took a few moments for the news of crucified priests to reach their ears, the knowledge spreading like wildfire. Great disorder became apparent as the already gutted morale of soldiers and mages plummeted even further, with groups of men and women deserting before their very eyes when the commanders hastily attempted to control the scene.

With the legions thrown into uproar and management seemingly nowhere, including their owner Razen, the duo took their chances, slipping away in the chaos and sprinting as fast as their legs could carry them. They weren't the only deserters, so Razen would be hard-pressed to convince the others to dedicate resources to scout them down when even the crusaders and church knights were on the brink of outright mutiny.

There was a chance of mindless monsters roaming around, but so long as they didn't wander too far into the monster nation and turned back to Blumund, they would probably be fine. They could handle most mindless monsters with relative ease, and it was only just a matter of time before one showed up anyway.

For three hours, though it felt like an eternity, the duo just ran and ran, swerving around centuries-old trees and through fresh undergrowth. Kirara, true to her desire for freedom, had trained her body to keep up with her lover for at least this much, perhaps longer. Her skill was, in theory, more potent than his, but it also didn't provide much in terms of physical boosts compared to his. Her Otherworldly constitution kept her going, even as her muscles shrieked and burned.

Once her stamina had completely drained, she carelessly slumped onto a tree trunk, with Kyoya pausing beside her and sitting down himself.

"L-Looks like we made it," Kirara stated with a smile as she panted in exhaustion.

"Hopefully. Luckily no monsters were roaming around. We might've got noticed if I had killed something." Kyoya pulled his girlfriend closer and let her rest her head down on his lap.

"Let's not stay for long then. Give me five minutes and we can move on." She mumbled, sleepy from exhaustion.

"I'm afraid Lord Demiurge insists that you stay and be our guests." An unfamiliar yet elegant voice abruptly greeted them from behind and above.

Kirara jolted up, entering a brawling stance as Kyoya created a sword in his hand.

A finely dressed man in a butler's suit emerged from the shadowed trees, bowing with a barely concealed sadistic smirk on his face. "My name is Diablo, a faithful servant to the greatest of rulers, Lord Momonga. Please allow me to guide you both to the Great Tomb of Nazarick."

'Shit, that guy gives me the creeps. Could he be one of those greater demons? Sure looks like one with those strange golden-black eyes.' Kyoya thought, raising his preferred blade towards the demon while pushing Kirara behind himself. During his training, he had only fought lesser demons, and even those packed a punch. While he could kill them alone, regular knights tackled them in teams of six and seven, armed with enchanted weapons and supported by a mage. Greater demons, however, were considered something even he would struggle with, and they were rumored to be strong enough to give even knight templars difficulty.

"Look, we don't want to fight you. Just let us leave and we won't cause any problems. We fled from the Falmuth-Ruberios army, and we won't ever intrude on your territory or attack your citizens."

"I'm afraid I must deny your request. So much entertainment is prepared just for your kind, so please, after me. It's rude to make someone wait, you know." Diablo waved for them to follow, shadows swirling behind him.

"Run, I will hold him back. I will find you afterward! Go!" Kyoya gently pushed Kirara and took a step towards the demon, activating Thought Acceleration to its max.

"Like hell I will! You there, let us leave!" She poured everything she had into the mental command.

"An admirable attempt. Your skill will be a fine addition to my master's collection." Diablo smiled, eyes glowing.

A split second later, the demon was in front of Kyoya, executing an impossibly fast punch. The boy tried to avoid it, but it proved fruitless, as he went hurtling into a nearby tree, immediately becoming unconscious from the excruciating pain.

Kirara entered a completely defensive stance, internally swearing to go out with a fight. If Kyoya had gone down, she stood no chance, but she would make the demon pay. Only weeks ago would she have run without thinking of the boys, but now she refused to leave Kyoya's side, even if she had to pay the ultimate price.

The demon completely ignored her pathetic - in his eyes at least - attempt at a protective swing as he casually tossed her over his shoulder. Her punches, kicks, and screams did little as he seized Kyoya moments later, passing through a dark void.

The scenery immediately changed to a scorching hellscape filled with fields of lava and blackened rock, and nightmare-inducing creatures roaming around as far as the eye could see.

Kirara teared up, understanding that it wasn't death that awaited them, but something far worse. Her fighting spirit fizzled out, replaced by utter despair.

"Good job, Diablo. Put them on the ground. I will hold them in my skill until reeducation experiments can begin." Another demon, dressed in a striped red suit and spiked tail, greeted their captor.

"W-wait. We will work for you. We don't care about humans. Those bastards enslaved us. W-We are useful." Kirara frantically pleaded through sobs, limbs kickstarting once more as she attempted a clasped hand position.

"That, young lady, is the plan. After I'm done with you two, you'll be turned into proper, loyal servants of Nazarick and carry out Lord Momonga's will." The demon smirked as she was unceremoniously tossed to the ground, quickly followed by her boyfriend.

The scene once again shifted and she found herself sitting in a windowless, soft, cubical room, alone and with no visible escape.

The oppressive silence and blinding light messed with her, as time slowly ticked by, robbing her of her senses. Her physical strength did nothing when she attempted to escape, only getting her to fall back upon the cushions in hopelessness. Had it been an hour? Two? She couldn't even hear her thoughts, let alone keep track of time.

It wasn't long before she began to see and hear things, things that clearly shouldn't have been there, for she was alone. She saw her friends from school, her parents from Earth, her former boyfriend, and even Kyoya, all fading in and out one by one as they denigrated her for being useless. The persistent visions of monsters cackling, snarling, and laughing as they gloated about tasting human flesh shattered her, and the insults from her loved ones broke her even more.

The two groups alternated, blaming her for their capture, blaming her for being incompetent despite years of living in this world, and blaming her for being a terrible loved one. Her boyfriends accused her of betraying them to the monsters, leaving them for dead. While she rested in a relatively comfy room, they were being tortured and hung in chains. Her mother disowned her, proclaiming her to be useless even after she had gained powers.

Kirara tried to defy the visions, but no sound ever escaped her lips, nor did her fists ever reach any person.

All she could do was curl up and listen to this endless assault. Blocking her ears didn't work. Trying to cause herself pain didn't work. Sleep never came, with the room being far too bright. The torment was endless.

But the absolute worst thing in this situation was the fact that she was utterly and completely alone.

In truth, just a short distance away, Kyoya and Garde were going through the same agony as her. All three were drained of their magicules and spiritrons, as they endured nightmare after nightmare.

X

Demiurge displayed the re-education experiment to his interested audience, in live action through a trio of remote viewing mirrors attuned to reveal continuous images from within his Nightmare Realm.

Diablo, as the one who had brought two of the three prisoners, was obviously present, and once Hinata was far enough away from the bulk of the army, he would be picking up more test subjects with Unique skills for further experimentation. The more Unique skills under Lord Momonga's control, the better.

The other two present were Shalltear and Shion, binging on snacks and drinks. Shalltear, as primarily a close combat fighter, wasn't permitted to join the fight with Hinata, much to her vexation. But in return, her assignment was just as important. If Hinata was dealt with by the main unit, she would assist Demiurge, but if the prime defenders failed to stop their biggest threat, she would join Aureole in the evacuation operation.

Shion, eager to participate, was given the task of assisting Shalltear. To her credit, when not distracted by internal disputes, she was an excellent secretary and had prepared a detailed plan to follow for both scenarios.

"Why are you not torturing them? They're just sitting in those boxes." Shalltear yawned in boredom.

"But I am. The torture is psychological in nature. I found a wonderful compilation of documents in the library suggesting various methods for creating absolute obedience in subjects. And best of all, said methods were dedicated to human test subjects. You see physical suffering alone isn't enough to properly break the minds of humans. A carefully administered mental torture will tear down a test subject's psyche to the base level, allowing me to rebuild in whatever ways I deem necessary. Physical torture would be reserved for secondary reinforcement." Demiurge enthusiastically explained, fixing his glasses.

The said documents were instantly removed from public access upon discovery, though a floor guardian, he could still review them through private archives and draw inspiration for his own machinations. The fact that such research was done by humans on humans was an interesting revelation, proving once again that humans could be just as monstrous as heteromorphs when given the opportunity and sufficient motivation.

"So you're messing with their heads? And it's working?" Shion leaned forward, curious.

"Yes, Miss Shion. The test subjects are experiencing time dilation on a much more accelerated scale. To put it simply, each minute of normal time they physically experience is seven hours spent in solitude, deprived of most stimuli. In about fifteen minutes, from our perspective, they will be begging for any physical stimuli, preferring pain over no sensation. On top of that, a negative self-perception is simultaneously being built. In such a state, they are highly malleable and eager to repent for their perceived sins." Demiurge continued his explanations. Although Shion was not a Nazarick native, the mere fact that Lord Momonga had chosen her as one of his consorts placed the kijin woman in a respectable status to even the 7th floor guardian.

"Cool. Serves them right." Shion smirked, at least partly understanding what the demon was explaining. "You better break them in good, so Lord Momonga could be proud of your accomplishments."

"Lord Momonga always tells us that it is important to find useful servants for Nazarick." Shalltear nodded in agreement.

Lately, the True Vampire had gotten along with Shion quite well, both preferring straightforward approaches to things, unlike Albedo with her elaborate and often unnecessarily complex ways of operating. If they wanted chocolate, they asked for chocolate. They didn't ask servants for tea, then send them back with paperwork, only then to request snacks that were suitable for a break anyway.

Demiurge gave both a sincere smile. "Indeed. I hope the process is successful and that this method can be used on all noteworthy individuals collected among the enemy forces."

"Alas, I'll have to wait for my chance to increase the ranks of loyal servants before doing so." Diablo lamented his situation.

"I think it's only going to take a few months at worst until the first deathmen can be created. You'll get your chance soon enough." Demiurge consoled his peer. As someone who understood the need to be useful to his master, he could empathize with Diablo.

"More demons? Are you sure they will be loyal? I mean, I get that your subordinates will be, but those of other colors might cause trouble. You wouldn't want to give Lord Momonga extra problems by making him deal with unworthy filth, right?" Shalltear cautioned the demon, leaning forward threateningly.

She personally liked Diablo and how thoughtful of a butler he was, nearly rivalling Sebas himself, but at the same time she thought he was a tiny bit over-eager to prove himself. Surely even the kerai couldn't come close to his zealousness when it came to serving food or helping her choose dresses. On top of that, he was courteous enough to never catch any of Lord Momonga's consorts in a state of undress, always utilizing the maids in such cases.

"I understand your worries Lady Shalltear, and I admit my fellow colors would need some convincing, but could you blame me for wishing to give Lord Momonga more capable servants? The more of them there are, the more time he could spend in the company of his lovely companions and not concern himself with trivial things." Diablo replied with a short bow.

Being on the good side of the three strong-willed women was paramount in keeping the position he had, and if he could make them happy by providing Lord Momonga more free time, then his efforts surely would be noticed and appreciated.

He was well aware that the three unclaimed primordials wouldn't go down without a fight, but their might paled compared to that of his master's.

Yellow, Violet, and White would serve Lord Momonga one way or the other, and with them, the rest of the unclaimed demons would too, bolstering their labor resources.

But for now, he had to be patient and wait for Kagali to create enough suitable bodies for the summoning. She wasn't anything special, even with her former Demon Lord status and even more so as a second-in-command to a human, and throughout the millennia, she had resided below his notice. Now, however, with her particular abilities, she was in a rightful place and served the world's rightful ruler.

It was also only a matter of time before both heaven and hell realized that and joined the ranks of dutiful servants to the Supreme Beings of Nazarick and Tempest. Diablo was certain that was the case.

Edited by aidan_lo

Proofread by Cakeeight, Sluethen, FantasyTroll, Malguis, aidan_lo, and Zprotu.

AN: Thank you for reading the story, and if you have caught up to the latest chapter, you can check out my other work or join my discord server (https://discord.gg/WmGKVU3XG2) where additional chapters are available or if you are interested in becoming a beta reader (gives access to chapters months ahead of regular readers).