PENTAGON
A pentagram-shaped building housed the Ministry of Defense.
It was supposed to be a pentagon. Unfortunately, eighty years ago, Solo had been busy with wedding planning and forgot to clarify the difference. The architect built a massive magic star instead.
The demons loved it.
Inside, Solo, Lilith, Levi, Stan, and Mo stood before a large projected aerial map.
"So," Solo began, hands behind his back, "what do we know about our neighbors?"
In the old days, the Demon Kingdom never bothered learning about its surroundings. The only thing they knew about neighboring nations was how they tasted.
"With the help of our spy planes, we've finished mapping roughly seven thousand miles around our territory," an Air Force lieutenant reported. "We're located on the southernmost continent, Malvorath."
He pointed with a laser.
"Malvorath is surrounded by ocean on all sides except the north. There, Ravendawn and Vandoria occupy approximately one hundred ninety-eight thousand square miles."
The lieutenant moved the pointer again. "There's another continent further north called Meridinia, connected by a land bridge here."
Solo squinted at the projection.
The landmass looked suspiciously like Mexico and Panama flipped upside-down.
Levi stepped in. "From what our diplomats gathered, Ravendawn used to be the only human kingdom here. That changed when the Vandorians—who live across the ocean—annexed most of their land."
He gestured calmly.
"They left Ravendawn only the parts they didn't want, including the territory bordering us, and forced them into vassalage."
"So they're basically a cushion," Solo said. "When did they lose the war with Vandoria?"
"No war ever happened," Levi corrected. "Ravendawn lost their territory twenty years ago through politics. The Vandorians blackmailed them using old debts and fabricated justifications."
"That's boring," Stan said flatly.
"No," Levi replied, pleased. "That's beautiful."
Solo nodded. "Good. So there's bad blood."
"And fresh blood too," Mo added with a grin.
The lieutenant cleared his throat. "Unfortunately, our planes can't proceed further than Vandoria. There are no airfields beyond our border for refueling."
"Then we'll have to wait for Bub's satellite," Solo said. "Mo, have you started planting assets?"
"Yes, sir. Eight in Ravendawn. Two in Vandoria."
Solo raised an eyebrow. "Why so few in Vandoria?"
"Well…" Mo scratched his cheek. "The only way to insert quickly without triggering their air patrols is a HALO jump. And, honestly, not many succubi or vampires in my bureau can pull that off."
Solo frowned. "One has wings, and the other can turn into a bat. They can fly."
"With all due respect, sir," Mo said carefully, "falling from thirty thousand feet is very different from sneaking into a second-story window because someone forgot their keys."
"…Fair enough," Solo conceded.
---
Dawn Province, Dawn Castle
The beautiful Dawn Castle stands proudly atop a hill overlooking the coastal city of Dawn below. It originally belonged to the Ravendawn Kingdom — until the Vandorians came and took it over.
Inside the war room, Duke Pierre meets with Vandoria's top brass.
Archbishop Antonio of the Celes Church
· Admiral Lorenzo of the Vandoria Royal Navy
· Archmage Durac of the Vandoria Royal Mage
On top of the meeting table lay numerous hand-drawn pictures and sketches of Murican soldiers, vehicles, and weapons.
"Are you sure about this, Your Grace?" Admiral Lorenzo asks.
"Yes," Antonio says. "The holy records describe demons as eight-foot titans wielding terrifying magic. But these new demon soldiers aren't any bigger than us."
"That's right, and all of them are wielding black staffs as their weapons," Pierre notes. "It strongly resembles the dwarven muskets."
Durac picks up a sketch of Murican rifles. "Muskets are weak and easily blocked by magic shields. Why would demons abandon magic entirely?"
"The Church's current theory is that the Goddess prevented the Demon Invasion 130 years ago by sealing a vast portion of demon mana," Antonio explains, "resulting in the current generation of demons being smaller and weaker."
"That explains why they can't fight or fly without tools," Lorenzo muses. "It makes sense. But what about the demon elephants and hell dragonflies?"
"Those are simply transportation vehicles," Pierre confirms. "No detectable mana signatures."
"…Should we request aid from the Hero or the major kingdoms?" Lorenzo asks.
"Why should we?" Pierre replies. "We already prepared for the Demon Invasion. Our military strategists calculated that we could hold them off, even if it would be a bloody war. Our coffers alone are more than enough to employ mercenaries and adventurers to cover half of Meridinia." He points to the land bridge on the map. "And if things truly go south, our Royal Mages are powerful enough to sever the land bridge between Markevath and Meridinia, halting any demon march."
Duke Pierre takes a deep breath before continuing his speech.
"Gentlemen, we are far more advanced than we were millennia ago. I believe the major kingdoms feel the same — that is why they remain calm despite the demon invasion threat."
Durac adds, "And also, we are blessed with an enemy weaker than what we predicted."
"That's right," Pierre says. "So why do we need to call other kingdoms for help and share the spoils?"
"What spoils?" Lorenzo asks. "Do we even know what resources exist in the Demon Territory?"
"No, we don't," Pierre replies. "But the demons have shown us their most lucrative asset." His voice drops a notch, reverent with ambition. "The demons themselves."
The room falls silent.
"Think about it," Pierre continues. "The craftsmanship of their machines. Their efficiency. If we enslave their artisans, Vandoria will leap ahead by decades." He grins wider, sharp and unapologetic. "And their female demonfolk will fetch a high price. Their diplomats are beauties that rival the elven slaves in our capital."
Archmage Durac chuckles. "Ah, Duke Pierre. Sometimes I forget you were a merchant long before you became a general."
"So let's be honest," Pierre says. "No matter how terrifying demons were in the past, we now have a continent of potential slaves before us. We are fortunate to be the first kingdom to realize they've grown weaker. If we don't act now, another kingdom will seize the opportunity instead." He glances at Antonio. "I believe our Archbishop agrees."
"The Goddess always favors the bold," Antonio says with a solemn nod.
Lorenzo frowns. "And the Demon Dukes? We still know nothing about whether they've weakened too."
"Even if the dukes remain as strong as before, there are only seven of them," Pierre counters. "They can't be everywhere at once. And as for the Demon King? It's common knowledge that he never leaves his castle."
Antonio adds, "The Church possesses complete records of each Demon Duke's strengths and weaknesses, documented in past Hero journals. I will request a copy."
"Much appreciated, Your Eminence," Pierre says smoothly. "Once our kingdom rises with the wealth earned from demon enslavement, we will become a new major power. And I assure you, even afterward, we will still have enough gold to support your ascension to cardinal."
"Ohoho," Antonio laughs, masking greed with holy theater. "I am but a humble servant of the Goddess, tasked with aiding the righteous in eradicating evil. Yet who am I to deny a follower's generous goodwill?"
"And regarding Leviathan, the Demon Duke guarding the Great Demon Gate?" Pierre taps the map. "That's exactly why Ravendawn still exists. It's time they earn their keep." He smiles coldly. "Let the vassals do their job."
---
Murica, CDC Green Quarantine Zone
Solo and Lilith stood behind a safety line, watching CDC staff methodically inspect rows of livestock.
"Our test results show no harmful agents from either the animals or the plants imported from Ravendawn," a CDC officer reported. "We can give them clearance."
"Oh, perfect! Wonderful!" Solo said brightly.
The CDC officer blinked. He could not, for the life of him, understand why his Prime Minister looked so thrilled.
"Sir, if I may ask," the officer said carefully, "we're not facing any food shortages. Why do we need to import this much?"
"Oh, you'll understand later," Solo replied cheerfully. "Farm animals are very different from their demonic beast counterparts. The tenderness. The juiciness. Oooh—once you eat real pork bacon, you'll never go back to war pig."
"Stop your cannibal talk," Lilith said flatly. "Where's Lich? Isn't he supposed to be the one explaining all this?"
"I'm afraid the Director is in the Red Zone," the officer replied. "Well… you know how he is. This kind of thing doesn't really excite him."
---
CDC Red Quarantine Zone
Inside a lab that looked more like a low-budget sci-fi movie set, a massive, furious demon was chained behind a reinforced observation window.
On the other side stood a skeleton wearing a white lab coat, frantically scribbling notes while barking instructions at his assistants.
"Ah, Solo! Look at this!" Lich exclaimed. "Isn't it remarkable?"
Solo stared at the restrained creature. "Is that… a raging demon? You're researching a live one?"
"Yes! Exactly!"
When the Divine Barrier disintegrated, random Murican citizens across the nation had transformed into massive, hostile demons. Their bodies doubled in size. Their magic surged. Their intelligence, however, disappeared entirely.
The result had been nationwide chaos.
Fortunately, Murican law enforcement—long famous for being extremely trigger-happy—resolved the situation in every city and town with impressive efficiency.
The captured raging demon slammed its fists against the same section of the wall, occasionally hurling fireballs that left deep scorch marks. Somehow, the opposite side of the wall remained spotless.
"Is it trying to go somewhere?" Solo asked.
"Splendid observation!" Lich said. "This subject—and every other rage case—keeps moving in the same direction. North!"
"The Great Demon Gate?" Solo guessed.
"Definitely! And now—observe this."
Lich switched screens. A magnified image of a virus appeared, its structure crowned with spiky protrusions.
"The Goddess Virus," Lilith said.
Forty years ago, after neuroscience and virology had advanced far enough, Lich discovered a virus present in nearly every demon. It remained dormant until the host reached nineteen years of age, then slowly attacked the brain's nerve cells—somehow making demons even more stupid than they already were.
Solo had promptly named it Goddess Virus Disease-19, also known as Govid-19, and enforced nationwide vaccination.
"Yes," Lich said proudly. "The Goddess Virus is all over this subject. But the truly fascinating part is this."
He pulled up an X-ray.
A crystal was forming in the demon's chest.
"All viral activity is migrating toward the mid-torso and crystallizing."
"Why?" Solo asked.
"I don't know yet," Lich admitted. "But it is clearly responsible for the dramatic increase in magical output. According to reports, this man could barely produce enough fire magic to light a cigarette. And now—look at him! He's been launching catastrophic fireballs all day long!"
"So that's what triggered past Demon Invasions…" Solo murmured.
"Yes! Exactly! Hahahahaha!"
Lilith frowned. "Why do you sound so happy about this?"
"Because there has never been a medical record of this kind of outbreak!" Lich roared. "And now I'll be the first to publish it! MUAHAHAHAHA! EAT SHIT, YOU DAMNED MEDICAL COMMITTEE!"
He launched into a prolonged, villainous laugh.
Solo and Lilith quietly ignored him.
"But why do these people turn into raging demons at random?" Solo asked. "Did we find any links between the victims?"
"Yes," Lilith said. She hesitated slightly. "Our investigation found one common detail."
"And that is?"
"They were all… anti-vaxxers."
"Ah," Solo said slowly. "So that's why they were always so angry."
---
The Black House
Night settled over the Black House.
Solo lay in bed, awake, eyes unfocused, fingers swiping through empty air as he browsed the Earth internet with his special ability. Screens only he could see floated invisibly above him—smartphones, drones, tech schematics, things with too many acronyms and not enough warnings.
Lilith slid into bed beside him, watching his finger glide, tap, pinch, and scroll through nothing.
"Please tell me you're not watching porn while pretending to work again."
"Baby!"
She scooted closer, resting her head on his arm, eyes still following the ghostly movements.
"Teehee, I'm joking." She yawned. "So what are you looking for?"
"I need to give Bub some new tech that can properly use the satellites," Solo said.
Lilith kissed his cheek, slow and warm. "…Baby, you already worked hard today. The Goddess can wait."
"I'll sleep soon," Solo said. "Just a little more."
The phone rang.
Lilith groaned and picked up the phone.
"This is the chief of staff… Yes… Mm-hm… I see."
A pause.
"…Understood. Thank you."
She hung up, then smiled. Slowly.
"Guess what… Mo's agents in Vandoria just sent a message," Lilith said.
She leaned closer.
"It says: 'THEY FOUND THEIR PROFITS.'"
Solo stopped scrolling.
A wide, slow grin crept across his face.
Lilith climbed on top of him. "Pre-celebration?"
"Oh, baby," Solo said, hands finally leaving the invisible screens, "you know me."
Outside the room, the Secret Service guard froze as Lilith's moans filtered through the door.
He cleared his throat, straightened his posture, and discreetly walked away.
Then—
SLAP.
"O U C H!" Solo yelp echoed.