The material world.
Humans, beastmen, dwarves, elves, and countless other forms of life lived there—the center of the dimensional plane also known as the middle world.
At the edge of that middle world, the living hell laid to rest there—the continent of frozen earth—began stirring for the first time in centuries.
"...Oh? So it really is an irregular?"
A red-haired man seated alone upon the throne of the White Ice Palace, ruler of the frozen continent, murmured in a low voice.
His name was Guy Crimson.
Known as the first and strongest Demon Lord, he was observing his old homeland of hell for the first time in a long while.
"Hmm. I thought [Noir] had finally started moving... but it isn't him. This has become rather interesting."
Before he was a Demon Lord, he had been one of the seven rulers of hell as one of the [Primordial Demons]. By instinct alone, he sensed that something was being born in hell.
At that moment, a blue gate opened beside him.
"Guy, did something happen? Misery and Rain seem especially busy today."
The one who stepped out of the gate was a beautiful woman with snow-white hair like falling frost and clear, radiant blue eyes.
Despite looking to be in her late teens, she carried a mature, composed air. She was Guy's longtime partner, one of the dragon race.
"Haha, it's nothing you need to worry about, Velzard. I was just thinking of taking a trip to hell for the first time in a while."
Guy's partner of several thousand years, the White Ice Dragon Velzard.
She was one of only four dragon race beings in the entire world, and the ruler of white ice, also known as the Empress of Ice.
"Hell? ...Don't tell me one of the [Primordial Demons] has obtained a body?"
"No, it's nothing that serious. It seems an irregular has appeared."
Velzard asked with a slightly more serious expression, and Guy answered with a smile.
"An irregular... If it's one born in hell, then yes, it could become troublesome later."
Demons and angels possessed potential so great that, aside from the dragon race, they could easily be called the strongest species in existence.
Guy Crimson himself was an extreme example, but just looking at him made it impossible to guess how powerful a demon could ultimately become.
So it was hardly strange that even Velzard, a member of the dragon race, would call it troublesome.
"Right. That's why I'm going myself. I was already planning to check on the movements of those [Phantoms] anyway."
No being knew hell better than Guy among the [Primordial Demons], so he was the perfect person for the job.
Velzard, who ordinarily would have told him to send Misery or Rain instead, knew that as well, so she offered no objection.
"...All right. But you need to come back as quickly as possible. You haven't forgotten that Milim and Ramiris are coming to visit in a few months, have you?"
"I know, so don't worry. Well then, I'm off."
Rising from his throne, Guy created a gate linking the middle world and hell with a single wave of his hand.
That gate was a narrow passage connected to the underworld gate he had once guarded among the [Netherworld Gates] watched over by each of the [Primordial Demons].
"Yes. Have a safe trip."
Velzard, thoroughly used to a sight that would have made an ordinary mage faint on the spot, waved to Guy as he stepped toward the gate.
Rumble...
In the next moment, the gate expanded until it was just large enough for one person to pass through. Guy immediately leaped inside.
'Now then, what kind of creature is this irregular going to be?'
Having found new prey, Guy bared a savage smile as he listened to his heart begin pounding hotly once more.
'...What the hell is going on...?'
Morning in hell, with its trademark murky sky and foul air.
I had been stretching, planning to spend another perfectly ordinary day like always, when—
Boooom!!!
I got dragged into a fight that suddenly broke out in the front yard of my house.
"......"
It happened so suddenly. Seriously, absurdly suddenly.
Boom! Crash!!
"Tch...! You classless yellow bastard!!!"
"Hah? You're only a baron-class, so don't get cocky with me when I'm a viscount-class!"
I'd lived here for a hundred years, but I had almost never gotten caught up in something like this...
If I kept watching much longer, the house I'd worked so hard to build was going to collapse.
Two demons had shown up out of nowhere and were turning someone else's front yard into a wasteland. My mind nearly checked out on the spot, but concern for my house barely pulled me back together, and I asked [Answerer],
"......[Answerer]. Give me information on those two."
[Understood. Accessing the targets' information in conjunction with [Seeker of Learning].]
After about five seconds, [Answerer]'s voice sounded again.
[Report. Of the two demons, the male is a baron-class [Arch Demon] of the violet lineage. The female on the opposite side is a viscount-class [Arch Demon] of the yellow lineage.]
'...They're both [Arch Demon]s?'
And if they'd obtained ranks like viscount and baron, that meant they were direct subordinate class under one of the [Primordial Demons].
'......A faction war?'
Of the seven [Primordial Demons], red, blue, and green had already obtained physical bodies, while black had no interest in either the middle world or hell. That meant hell was currently locked in a three-way struggle between the remaining three demon lords: violet, yellow, and white.
I was born far from the battlefield, so I'd never seen that three-way war in person. I never expected I'd end up witnessing it like this.
'I should avoid this, right?'
It was a shame to abandon the house I'd layered with [Protection Magic] and [Camouflage Magic], but there was no way I wanted to get involved in the brutal faction war of demon lords.
After all, I had reincarnated as a demon with no assigned color lineage.
I was pretty sure the setting said that among demons, Greater Demons and [Arch Demon]s had their lineages assigned by the [Primordial Demons]. But for some reason, I had no set color.
Usually, a demon's lineage could be identified by hair color, but unfortunately, my hair was ash-gray—none of the seven lineages.
Still, not having a lineage hadn't caused me any inconvenience. If anything, it had given me freedom.
I had no reason to obey the orders of a [Primordial Demon] or any high-ranking demon, and I'd never even had to see what they looked like.
At least, not until today.
Craaash!!
Even while I was lost in thought, the demons' battle only grew fiercer.
Every time the spells they fired wildly skimmed near my house, my nerves screamed.
'...At this rate, they might notice me.'
Thankfully, those two demons still hadn't detected the [Camouflage Magic] on my house.
'If I'm getting out, now's my only chance.'
My thoughts were quick, and my actions were even quicker.
"...[Arc Vanishing]."
I still couldn't use no-chant magic, so I gave the spell a short incantation and ran for the back door I'd made long ago for situations exactly like this.
Whoosh!
The moment I got outside, I took in the sight of the demons' fierce battle and immediately spread my wings, rising into the sky.
Boom! KABOOOM!
Behind me came the sound of countless spells exploding where I had just passed.
'...I put a lot of effort into that place too... what a waste.'
Still, no matter how regrettable it was, I couldn't stay here.
This was what hell was like to begin with. An ominous abyss where fighting never ceased.
'......I've spent a hundred years here. Maybe it's about time I got used to things like this...'
With a helpless sigh, I turned my head away and flew farther from the battlefield.
As far away as possible, so I wouldn't get caught up in the war.
High above the battlefield where the two [Arch Demon]s clashed.
In that sky, where nothing should have remained but murky air, a female demon's voice rang out softly.
"Hehe. It was the right choice to lure him here after all."
The beautiful crimson eyes of the female demon gleamed as they followed the ash-gray demon fleeing the battlefield.
"Just wait a little longer. You... I'm coming to take you."
That female demon with pure white hair streaming behind her—[Blanc]—curved her lips into a chilling smile as she watched the ash-gray demon fly away.
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