It was understandable for Godou Kusanagi to yearn for normalcy, but upon returning home, he received a forced summons to Italy - a written command demanding he demonstrate his power to the Italian magic society.
Then they unilaterally entrusted him with guarding the Gorgon Stone. Except for Liliana of the Bronze Black Cross, everyone treated him like a summoned dog, ordering him about at will.
The official compilation committee in Japan devised every possible scheme to control Godou Kusanagi.
As a Campione, Godou Kusanagi truly lived like a dog.
As Phoenix's words faded, the entire conference hall plunged into a terrifying silence. An oppressive and ominous atmosphere, imperceptibly, began to envelop the minds of everyone present.
This was no psychological sensation, but a visceral reality. Their breathing grew labored, as if knights and mages alike were trapped in a sealed chamber, gradually suffocating.
Clear vision dissolved into countless specks of static, human consciousness dulled, thoughts fragmenting into disconnected fragments.
When sight returned, they found themselves no longer in the conference hall, but in a place that resembled hell itself.
The sky hung dark crimson, the air thick with black miasma, and blood-like rain fell, sending shivers through all present.
"Where are we?"
Surrounded by this eerie, terrifying landscape, even mages and knights - far more powerful than ordinary humans - found themselves overwhelmed.
"To dare demand proof of the King's Campione power is a profound insult to His very identity!"
"Yes! What do we do now? We've thoroughly enraged the King."
At that moment, everyone began to regret...
"..."
Erica stood beside her uncle, fearfully glancing around. For the first time, she gained a rudimentary understanding of the Campione's terrifying nature.
"It might not be as bad as imagined!"
Just as the group began to wallow in regret, Diana—the commander of the Bronze Black Cross—suppressed the bone-chilling sensation. Trembling lips parted to utter the words.
Hearing Diana's voice, the others simultaneously turned toward her.
"The words have undoubtedly angered the New King. Yet her failure to execute us immediately proves we still cling to a thread of survival."
This declaration kindled flickering hope in many hearts. Though they were Italy's most esteemed mages, insulting a Campione carried an irrevocable death sentence.
Had the New King been Marquis Voban or Luo Hao instead, their breath would have left their bodies the instant those words escaped. Even if news later spread, outsiders would mock their folly rather than question the Campione's right to kill.
"Up ahead... what is that?" Erica, standing beside Paul, pointed forward with a fearful tone in her voice.
"What?"
Everyone hearing Erica's words immediately turned to look in the direction she was pointing.
Then they saw it - a great demon identical to those in mythology, leading countless evil spirits as they approached.
These spirits came in all manner of grotesque forms, but without exception, they were all terrifying entities.
"Demons, evil spirits... This place... is hell..."
"Wasn't the New King's power supposed to come from Archangel Michael? Why are we in hell? Does Michael also control the power of hell?"
As they watched the approaching army of demons and evil spirits, the mages and knights were filled with both panic and confusion.
After all, according to the records about Michael, his power should have been related to flames and sacred light. How could this possibly be hell?
"Don't forget, the New King also possesses the power of another god. Could that god be the Demon God of hell?"
"That's highly likely!"
As the demon and evil spirit legions closed in, completely surrounding the mages, the mages found themselves utterly devoid of courage to resist.
Before them stood great demons, each equivalent to a divine beast.
These were beings on par with the Heretic God's divine beasts—beyond what mortals could possibly withstand.
Yet even under coercion, several mages and great knights mustered the courage to charge at the demons with their weapons.
Their attacks, however, proved completely ineffective against the great demons, leaving them utterly dumbfounded.
"You mortals! Your attacks aren't even a tickle to me!" The leading great demon swatted aside the charging great knight with a dismissive slap, his voice dripping with mockery.
None dared respond to the great demon's taunts. Only silence hung in the air...
A fiery whip materialized in the great demon's hand as he casually lashed it toward the mages.
"How dare such weaklings challenge the great King of Hell? If not for the King's command forbidding my slaughter of you, I'd feed every last one of you to the evil spirits right now."
"King of Hell..."
"Could it be... Satan?"
"Does the New King possess Satan's power? Is the Heretic God who fought Michael in Israel actually Satan?"
Hearing the great demon's words, all mages and knights present immediately turned to look at it.
Satan... That was a figure even more formidable than Michael. He was a Fallen Angel who had rebelled against God Yahweh. Once an angel before the throne of God, he later became proud and arrogant, attempting to make himself equal to God. He led one-third of the angels in rebellion against God, was cast out of Heaven, and became the ruler of Hell.
"Satan? No! It's just an outsider to Hell..."
The great demon was about to respond when its expression suddenly changed. It led all the evil spirits in a respectful bow.
"King!"
As the great demons and evil spirits bowed, a rift opened above Hell, and Phoenix, bearing blazing wings, walked in.
"Everyone, what is the scenery like in Hell?"
-
Beelzebub, as the supreme god of Canaan, was the sun god, god of thunderstorms and fertility. In Semitic languages, Baal (Beelzebub) means "Lord."
At the same time, it was Baal, the first-ranked Demon God among King Solomon's 72 Demon Gods. As the King of Hell, it commanded 66 legions of evil spirits and ruled the eastern part of Hell.
This was the first power Phoenix obtained after slaying Beelzebub: [Exile to Hell].
It directly exiled enemies to a world akin to the mythological Hell. While similar to [Seventh Heaven], it was fundamentally different - here, Phoenix could not receive divine protection.
However, wielding the authority of the King of Hell, Phoenix could command all demons and evil spirits under Baal's dominion within the underworld.