A Wizards Misadventures

~~Level Twenty Two~~

"No!" Kuroka protested.

"How is this our problem?"

"Uh… it's urgent. Also, Abyss likes helping people."

"Only when they're-" I was cut off with the phone connecting.

"Hey, Abyss, NOT a good time right now!" Serafall said, sounding strained. I heard a boom in the background. "Ignore that."

"So the Underworld's being-"

"YES! There's a small war happening in Lilith! The Old Satan faction is striking out, trying to kill-" another boom happened and I couldn't hear what Serafall said. "-attacking the treasury, garrison, and a bunch of other places! Look, I gotta NGH!" The sound of ice fracturing was followed by a loud hiss, a steam explosion. "-Gotta go! RIAS LOOK OU-" The call ended and I stared at the screen.

"I thought I took out most of their operations." I frowned. "They're a tenth of the size they were before if that. What are they doing with just… wanton destruction? What's their aim?"

"To make themselves remembered. Show that the old devils didn't go quietly." Esdeath suggested.

"I'm more concerned with how they even pulled this off," Kuroka wondered out loud. Both of us looked at her, leading her to go on. "They were terrorists before. All they did were strikes to make sure people knew they were there. How did they even pull this off? I mean, the old families had a lot of power, but this much? If this is a suicide attack, a last-ditch thing, then it's a really, really good one. The Old Satan faction had a few powerful devil families and a handful of war hawks, all powerful pure devils. They didn't have an army. So where'd the army to take on a city come from?" That made me think.

"A third party?" I asked. Kuroka nodded.

"The Khaos Brigade fell apart so maybe Cao-Cao's Hero faction could have helped but they aren't really the type… maybe Nilrem?"

"Who?" I asked. I had never heard of the guys.

"The magicians. Hexennacht, Grauzauberer, Rosenkreuzer-"

"Are all magicians german or something?" I asked, mystified.

"There's a LOT of famous german mages. It's like the.. The New York of the magical world. It's the magical capital of the world. The only non-german mages I can think of are the Golden Dawn, Americans, who don't have the foundations to really make a dent in the world. They've got cutting edge spell research, though. They tend to get robbed for their work a lot."

"I should probably look into them," I said to myself. "At any rate between going to Hell and helping out or staying… I guess I'll go. I have unfinished business with the Old Satan faction anyways."

"I'll come with you. I don't care about anyone but the Red Dragon Emperor and my sister but I'll save some people if I can."

"I'm busy enough. Bring back some groceries. The kitchen is getting empty." I nodded at Esdeath and made a portal to the underworld, effortlessly breaching the adjacent dimension.

"After you." Kuroka checked a dagger under her kimono and tightened the top before stepping through. "I'll be back in a few hours."

"Of course you will," Esdeath said, not worried at all. "And take care of Kuroka. Don't tell her I said that." I snorted. "I'm serious." She glared at me. I smiled and nodded in acquiescence at that before disappearing myself. Kuroka was already slitting the throat of a devil dressed in some archaic armor with a ram's head on him.