"TIME has flown by," Caius remarked to himself as he surveyed the underworld landscape. Nights turned into days, and days into months, until a year had passed since the war began. Another year followed before the conflict was finally quelled, and peace settled over the land again.

Throughout this time, Caius had been engrossed in the battles, dedicating himself fully to the cause without concern for the passage of time. It was only upon his return home that he realized just how long he had been away.

Rath's surprise at Caius's return was evident in his voice. "My lord, you've returned."

Caius noticed the hesitation and fear in Rath's tone, prompting him to inquire further. "What has happened?"

Reluctantly, Rath responded, "The child has entered a state of prolonged slumber."

With a sense of urgency, Caius rushed to the child's room, his heart pounding with worry. As he approached, he sensed an unusual aura surrounding the child. It was both calming and peaceful, yet cold as snow.

"Call Gayin," Caius commanded, his voice firm with determination.

Gayin, having joined the war effort a year later, was unaware of Asha's condition. The last time he had seen her, she had been lively and full of energy. Now, she lay in bed, seemingly in a coma-like state.

Unable to determine any immediate symptoms, Gayin furrowed his brow in concern. He began to assess Asha's condition further as his mind racing through possible explanations. Closing his eyes, he focused his magical abilities to conduct a thorough diagnosis.

The magic flowed over the child, probing gently for any hidden afflictions, Gayin's expression grew increasingly grim. Despite his best efforts, he could sense a powerful magic at work, one that eluded his attempts to identify its source.

"It's not natural," Gayin murmured, his voice tinged with worry as he withdrew from his examination. "There's something... sinister at play here."

Caius didn't find Gayin's answer satisfactory. "How did the child get sick?" he asked, puzzled. As far as he remembered, when he left, the child was energetic and lively. So, how did her condition deteriorate so quickly?

"She was her usual self, just as energetic as ever," Rath explained. "She would sometimes ask about when you would come home, and just before Sir Gayin left for the war, he suggested writing a letter to you. It made her happy. But not even a day had passed when she suddenly lost consciousness in the middle of writing."

"Have you checked everything that might be the cause?"

"Yes, my lord," Rath replied.

Caius was examining all possible scenarios in his mind, trying to pinpoint what might have caused the child to fall ill. Just as he was lost in thought, a bright light appeared and hovered above Asha. It was then that Caius realized what it was. He had seen it countless times in the human world when the reaper came to collect from dead human bodies and even more in the underworld when Ra released them, casting lights into the dark skies.

"My lord..." Rath's voice broke through Caius's reverie.

Caius could hardly believe his eyes. He was now witnessing the child's soul floating outside her body. It was a surreal sight, one that sent a chill down his spine and stirred unsettling emotions within him as a demon.

Gayin's shock was evident on his face, his emotions thrown into disarray by the inexplicable event unfolding before him. He had taken great care to protect the child. He had ensured Asha was shielded by a powerful charm that prevented demons from corrupting her pure soul. Regardless, He knows Asha is protected like a treasure. She resides within the demon lord's castle, guarded by loyal servants, which was meant to provide an extra layer of security. But despite these precautions, the unthinkable had occurred, leaving Gayin bewildered and fearful for the child's safety.

"How could this have happened?" Gayin's voice trembled with uncertainty as he grappled with the situation's implications. The prospect of losing the child was a nightmare he had never dared to entertain until now.

The unexpected death of a creature, especially humans, was uncommon in the underworld. However, there were usually telltale signs preceding death: a shadowy halo looming around their head, a harbinger of the impending demise, and the appearance of death reapers waiting to collect the departing soul. In cases where these signs were absent, death did not occur. Even in near-death experiences, the soul remained within the individual's body, tethered to life by a fragile thread. The inexplicable departure of Asha's soul defied all known conventions, plunging those involved into a realm of uncertainty and fear.

Caius thought hard and careful. "If it doesn't follow the rule of the underworld, then there's only one reason for it." Caius mention making the others gasp.

"The gods..."

Between the realms of life and death, there exists a hierarchy of beings, each with their own domain and purpose. At the forefront of this cosmic order stands an entity of unparalleled power and authority, transcending even the angels who guide and watch over humanity and the demons who feed on the malice of mortals and oversee the cleansing of souls. This supreme authority is vested in the gods.

The gods reign supreme over the cosmos, presiding over the intricate balance between life and death, creation and destruction. They are the architects of existence, weaving the fabric of reality with threads of divine will and cosmic design. Their influence extends far beyond mortal comprehension, shaping the very foundations of the universe with their divine wisdom and unfathomable might.

Though their presence may be elusive and their motives inscrutable, the gods stand as guardians of cosmic order, ensuring that the delicate equilibrium of the universe is maintained. Their will is absolute, their power incomprehensible, and their influence pervasive throughout all realms of existence.

Gayin pondered aloud, his voice tinged with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. "If it's the will of the gods, then which among them?" His question delved into the complex hierarchy of divine beings that held sway over the world. Much like the underworld, where 13 kings ascended to the status of gods, each governing their own realm and enforcing their own set of rules, the world of the gods was similarly divided into territories and domains.

In this pantheon of divine entities, each god wielded immense power and influence, presiding over specific aspects of existence and commanding legions of devoted followers. From the god of war to the goddess of wisdom, from the deity of love to the lord of death, each god held sway over their own domain, shaping the course of mortal lives with their divine will.

If indeed the death of the child was ordained by the gods, then it begged the question: which deity had foreseen this tragic fate? Was it the god of fate, weaving the threads of destiny with meticulous precision? Or perhaps the god of death, ushering souls into the afterlife with solemn reverence? Or could it be a deity yet unknown, whose motives and intentions remained shrouded in mystery?

As Gayin contemplated these possibilities, a sense of unease settled over him, for the will of the gods was a force beyond mortal comprehension, and their motives often veiled in enigma and ambiguity. Yet, if the gods had decreed the child's demise, then it was a fate that even the most powerful of beings could not hope to defy.

"There's only one way to go," Caius's declaration hung heavy in the air, stirring a sense of apprehension among those present.

"What are you planning, my lord?" Rath inquired, their instincts warning them that whatever course of action Caius had in mind was likely to be fraught with peril.

"I will have to go and ask the gods themselves," Caius replied, his voice resolute despite the gravity of his words.

"Are you planning to enter Valhalla?" Gayin asked, his tone laced with concern. The realm of the gods was a sacred and forbidden domain, accessible only to those who had received a formal invitation. Even the most powerful beings dared not venture into this divine realm uninvited, for the gates of Janus remained steadfastly closed to all unwelcome visitors.

As Caius contemplated the gravity of his decision to breach the barriers into Valhalla, a tumultuous whirlwind of emotions stirred within him. He grappled with conflicting thoughts and feelings, uncertain of what had spurred this sudden resolve to embark on such a perilous journey. For as long as he could remember, Caius had been driven by a singular focus on his own pursuits, guided by the pursuit of knowledge and power that defined his existence as a demon lord.

Yet, in the face of the child's plight, something shifted within him. It was a sensation he struggled to define, a stirring of empathy and compassion that defied his understanding of himself as a demon. He couldn't pinpoint the exact moment when the child had become more than just another fleeting presence in his domain, but her innocence and vulnerability had ignited a sense of duty within him that transcended his own self-interest.

Despite the inherent risks and the daunting challenges that awaited him in Valhalla, Caius found himself propelled forward by an unwavering determination to save the child at any cost. It was a decision that defied logic and reason, driven solely by an inexplicable bond that had formed between himself and the human child.

"If I need to become a monster and defy the will of god to save the child, then I'll do so."