Bael now appeared in his more refined form. He chose not to reveal his true three-headed Demon King form, knowing that anyone who laid eyes on it would instantly be overwhelmed by fear and crushed by the sheer pressure it emitted.
Out of a rare sense of consideration, Bael decided to conceal his true nature and instead took on a more human-like appearance. His face resembled that of Zeus—a middle-aged man with a black beard, piercing dark eyes with slit pupils, and a large, muscular build. A crown sat atop his head, and he wore armor that, while regal, radiated menace and aggression—fitting for a Demon King.
No matter how much Bael tried to suppress his true form and aura, he couldn’t fully conceal it. Even Zeus, his servants standing at a distance, and the few soldiers present could feel the tension in the air. They watched Bael with unease, as if expecting the Demon King to strike at any moment.
Just as Zeus had warned, beings like Bael were unpredictable.
Zeus maintained a calm and composed demeanor, doing his best to hide any reaction to Bael’s intimidating presence. It took a significant effort to keep his expression steady.
"Please, have a seat," Zeus said, his voice deep yet steady.
Bael gave a small nod and sat silently in the chair prepared for him. Zeus took the seat across from him.
Bael glanced around, taking in the garden. The grass was lush, and the flowers were vibrant. Yet beneath the surface, he could still feel something familiar—something he sensed in every Demon King’s domain. A lingering presence of corruption, an undercurrent of unknown power, and the weight of looming doom.
"How do you find my domain? I must apologize—this isn’t its finest hour," Zeus said.
"It’s fine," Bael replied. His voice was deep and rough.
This was the first time Zeus had ever heard the voice of the oldest Demon King—he had always avoided direct contact with their kind.
Masking his surprise, Zeus gave a polite smile. "Before we get into serious matters, I want to thank you for agreeing to meet."
Bael nodded, his expression stern as ever. "We all understand how important unity is now. We must put aside our differences for this."
"You’re right," Zeus said, pleased they were already on the same page. "The creature... I faced it and its ally directly. Their power is unnatural. Terrifying."
Bael let out a long, heavy sigh. He clenched his teeth—something Zeus didn’t fail to notice. This Demon King hated that creature too.
"I’ve seen the recordings. It’s unbelievable how powerful it has become. That anomaly fought Gabriel and Hades on equal ground..." Bael growled. "But that was only possible because it launched a surprise attack. With enough preparation, I believe we can destroy them."
"Yes. But we don’t know where they are or what they’re planning—or where they’ll strike next," Zeus said.
Bael let out another sigh. He stared ahead, where dark clouds loomed on the horizon. At this point, every place with a visible sky was shrouded in overcast gloom.
The Hell Realm didn’t have a sky, but he and the other Demon Kings could still sense the oppressive darkness clinging to the air.
"I assume we still don’t know how he’s entering and leaving the domains?" Bael asked.
"No. We still haven’t figured that out," Zeus replied, shaking his head.
"What about the Black Wall? Have you heard anything from that side?"
"No. Ever since the corruption began spreading, there’s been no activity there," Zeus said. "I’m honestly lost on this. Their movements are impossible to predict, and there are too many realms for us to coordinate effectively. If they choose to attack a single domain, they’ll succeed—because they can strike when it’s isolated. We got lucky last time. He attacked Gabriel’s domain while we happened to be gathered there."
There were countless domains in the higher realms, each inhabited by Celestials, Angels, and Demons. For eons, nothing had ever unified them. The only time they had gathered in large numbers was during times of war.
Trust and the willingness to meet face-to-face were rare commodities. That used to be manageable—but now, it had become their greatest weakness. Especially with an enemy powerful enough to face them one-on-one.
Bael went quiet for a few seconds before speaking again—his words freezing Zeus in place.
"Do you think there’s a traitor within the higher realms?"
Zeus turned to him, a frown forming on his face. This time, he couldn’t hide his shock.
"How... how can you say that? Do you have any reason to believe so?" Zeus asked.
"I’m just considering the possibility," Bael replied. "That man can open portals to seemingly any domain. Maybe the reason he can do that... is because someone from the inside is helping him. But it’s just a theory."
Bael stared at Zeus for a moment with his fierce eyes. Zeus understood the meaning behind that look—Bael was suspicious of him.
And Zeus couldn’t blame him. He sighed, wondering why he hadn’t considered that possibility himself.
"If there really is a traitor, I’m sure it’s not you," Bael said. "I can see it in your eyes—your shock was genuine."
Hearing that, Zeus let out a small smile. "Thanks for trusting me."
Bael gave a curt nod.
"For now, we can’t rule out the possibility," Bael continued.
"I’d like to suggest our next move," Bael said.
Zeus looked at him closely. From his tone, he could tell the Demon King was about to say something serious.
"Let’s go to the other domains. The sooner we unite, the better."
Zeus immediately felt a sense of agreement. He was slightly surprised—he hadn’t expected a Demon King to propose such a diplomatic approach.
But Bael wasn’t finished.
"If they’re unwilling to cooperate, then we threaten them. One way or another, we need them to join our army."
Zeus blinked. In the end, he was still a Demon King—and violence was in their nature. But truthfully, Zeus agreed with the sentiment, so he nodded.
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