I Was Summoned to Die, so I’m Climbing the Pantheon for Revenge!

Location: Kingdom of Sunderland - Vileblood Family Mansion, Private Parlor

The early morning light struggled to pierce the thick, yellowish smog pressing against the Vileblood Mansion’s towering stained-glass windows. Inside the private parlor, the atmosphere was far heavier than the polluted air outside.

Cain leaned back in a plush velvet armchair, a cup of dark tea resting untouched on his knee. He stared across the low mahogany table at Sofia. The Demon Lord was gazing out the window, her expression unreadable.

"I have been wondering something since this morning," Cain said, breaking the silence. "How is it possible that Scarlet and Zephyra remained so flawlessly loyal to you? You vanished. Your Demon Lord Aura was completely absorbed by me, locked away on Floor 100 of the Outland Dungeon. By all logic, the Demon Realm should have fractured into a civil war over the power vacuum. Yet, they found you, and they still bow."

Sofia slowly turned her head. She did not smile. The motherly, gentle aura she usually carried had evaporated, replaced by the freezing, absolute zero presence of the supreme ruler of the Abyssal Realm.

"It is because of the [Absolute Loyalty] system," Sofia stated, her voice devoid of any warmth. "It is not a spell I cast, nor a manipulation I actively enforce. It is an ancient, autonomous system bound to the very concept of the Demon Lord."

Cain frowned, sitting up slightly. "A system?"

"Yes," Sofia nodded, her crimson eyes staring through him. "All demonic beings possess a choice when a new Demon Lord ascends. They decide, through their own free will, whether they wish to swear fealty or not. For reasons I still do not fully comprehend, the vast majority of the Abyssal Realm chose to follow me, Sofia Vileblood. However, once that choice is made, it is etched into their souls. If a demon ever attempts to break that absolute loyalty... they face the ultimate punishment."

"By you?"

"By the System," Sofia corrected coldly. "Their mana cores detonate. Their existence is erased from reality. I do not have to lift a finger. The contract of betrayal is autonomous."

Cain swallowed hard, absorbing the terrifying mechanics of the Demon Realm. "So... what about the ones who chose not to follow you from the start?"

Sofia finally blinked, looking down at her hands. "There were some. High-ranking arch-demons who refused to bow to a new ruler. I intended to leave them be, so long as they did not interfere."

"What happened to them?"

"Crimson Scarlet happened to them," Sofia replied, a shadow crossing her beautiful face. "Without a single order from me. Without my knowledge."

Cain froze. An intrusive, terrifying image flashed through his mind: the petite, childish gothic lolita, swinging a massive scythe through the halls of the underworld, her face split into a wide, psychotic grin while bathed in demon blood.

“Of course!” Scarlet had once told Sofia, her voice sickeningly sweet. “I will destroy absolutely everything that tries to prevent my Sofia-sama from ruling in peace!” Cain shivered slightly. "Remind me never to get on that brat's bad side."

The heavy parlor doors clicked open, and Sebastian glided into the room with his usual flawless grace.

"Pardon the interruption, My Lord," the demonic butler bowed smoothly. "Lady Scarlet is insisting on wandering the human market today. She claims she wishes to observe the 'pathetic little trinkets' of humanity before we depart for the Easternmost region."

Sofia sighed, the terrifying Demon Lord persona melting away back into the exhausted noblewoman. "Let her go. But ensure Zephyra watches her. We cannot have a massacre in the capital."

"Understood," Sebastian nodded. "Furthermore, my intelligence network has picked up an interesting rumor. Whispers in the Adventurers Guild suggest that the Summoned Heroes of the Frontierra Nation have arrived in Vanguard City."

Cain’s eyes widened. Frontierra Heroes? That would mean Shiori, Shota, and the others are here. Right in the capital.

"I shall investigate personally to confirm the validity of these rumors," Sebastian offered, his eyes glinting with a hidden, predatory interest.

"Do it," Sofia agreed. "Do not engage them. Just observe."

As Sebastian vanished into the shadows, Cain stood up. He rolled his shoulders, preparing for the inevitable. "I suppose I should play my part as well. The maids will ask questions if Lady Ashford stays locked in her room all day."

Cain closed his eyes and triggered his transformation. Unlike typical shapeshifting magic that involved the agonizing breaking and rearranging of bones, Cain had developed a unique, painless method. He temporarily converted his entire physical cellular structure into a dense, sentient slime. His body dissolved into a fluid, shifting mass of dark matter for a split second, emitting no sound and causing zero pain.

When the slime solidified a moment later, the dark-haired, violet-eyed young man was gone. In his place stood the breathtakingly beautiful, aristocratic Lady Ashford, adorned in her elegant, dark gothic dress, her long, silken hair cascading down her back.

Ashford opened her eyes, adjusting the corset slightly. Just a few more days, Cain reminded himself internally. Just a few more days of acting as the Vileblood noble, and then we leave for the East. I can drop this disguise permanently.

Location: Vanguard City - Central Grand Market

The Central Grand Market of Vanguard City was a chaotic, deafening symphony of the industrial revolution. Massive gears ground against each other in the background, steam vents hissed from the brass piping lining the cobblestone streets, and merchants shouted over the din, selling everything from alchemical potions to rudimentary magi-tech firearms.

Ashford walked gracefully through the crowded streets, carrying a woven wicker basket over her arm. Despite the suffocating smog and the overwhelming noise, the nobles and commoners alike parted ways for her, captivated by the cold, unearthly beauty of the Vileblood daughter.

As she stopped by a fruit vendor to inspect some magically preserved apples, a voice called out from behind her.

"Lady Ashford? Is... is that truly you?"

Ashford turned, her dress rustling softly. Standing a few paces away was a handsome young man dressed in the crisp, highly decorated uniform of the Sunderland Military Academy.

It was Lord Julian Vance.

Julian’s eyes were wide with pure, unadulterated shock, which quickly melted into genuine, profound relief. Unlike the predatory, lust-filled gazes of the other noblemen Ashford frequently encountered, Julian’s eyes held a pure, honest admiration.

"Lord Julian," Ashford replied, her voice maintaining the perfect, polite octave of a high-society lady. "It is a surprise to see you here in Vanguard City. Our last meeting was at the ill-fated party in Port Triton."

Julian rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly looking incredibly nervous. A faint blush crept up his neck. "Y-Yes. I... I must admit, I believe our meeting again is a stroke of absolute fortune. I had feared for your safety after the incident with Lord Sterling."

Ashford titled her head slightly. "Why are you in the capital, My Lord?"

"My father," Julian explained, stepping a bit closer so he wouldn't have to shout over the hissing steam valves. "Commander Vance. He was summoned back to the capital to finalize the investigation into Lord Sterling’s admitted crimes in Triton. I am acting as his adjutant, assisting with the military tribunals."

Julian paused, fidgeting with the brass buttons on his uniform. He looked at Ashford, his mouth opening and closing as if he were trying to swallow a large stone. He was sweating, despite the chill in the air.

Before Ashford could politely excuse herself, Julian blurted out, "Lady Ashford... could you... would you do me the honor of accompanying me on a date? Today? Right now?"

Ashford blinked. Right now? Julian quickly held up his hands, his face burning bright red. "I know! I know it is incredibly sudden, and frankly, it's nonsense for a man of my station to ask so abruptly without going through your family's treasurer. But... I don't have much time."

Ashford’s eyes narrowed slightly, analyzing the desperation in his tone. "Time?"

Julian looked down at the cobblestone, his pure demeanor fracturing under the weight of a heavy, political sorrow. "My father and the King of Sunderland have finalized an arrangement. Next week, I am to be officially affianced to the daughter of Duke Hasting. A woman I do not know, and from the rumors, someone I will not like. It is a political union to secure the military's budget."

Julian looked back up, his eyes shining with a tragic resignation. "I cannot reject it. If I do, my father’s career is ruined, and my family falls. My life is essentially over. So... before I am bound in chains... I just wanted one memory of my own choosing."

Ashford stared at him, murmuring softly under her breath. Political marriages. The ultimate cage for the wealthy. "If you can't, I completely understand," Julian laughed nervously, taking a step back. "I apologize for being so forward..."

Ashford slowly nodded. "I accept."

Julian froze. "Truly?"

"I also will not have much time in the coming days," Ashford said softly, acknowledging her own impending departure to the Eastern region. "And... I owe you my thanks. You were the only one who genuinely worried for my safety during Lord Sterling's party."

Julian’s face lit up as if someone had just handed him the world. "I promise I won't take up too much of your day. There is just one place I want to show you. It has a beautiful view."

Location: The Old Vanguard Gazebo - City Outskirts

Julian led Ashford away from the deafening noise of the market, guiding her up a steep, winding cobblestone path toward the highest elevation of Vanguard City.

As they walked, Ashford's internal instincts were on high alert. Underneath the delicate lace of her sleeve, Cain was silently channeling mana, preparing a lethal shadow-blade. If he tries anything funny, if this is a trap set by the military, I will eliminate him instantly and vanish into the smog, Cain thought coldly.

But as they crested the hill, Ashford’s lethal preparations faded into genuine surprise.

It wasn't a trap. It was just an old, forgotten white marble gazebo overlooking the capital. Despite being abandoned by the nobility, the stone was surprisingly clean—likely swept by Julian himself in anticipation of this exact, desperate fantasy.

"We made it just in time," Julian breathed, stepping into the gazebo and gesturing for Ashford to join him.

They stood together at the railing. Because they were so high up, they were completely above the thick, yellowish industrial smog that choked the streets below. For the first time since arriving in Sunderland, Ashford saw a clear sky.

The sun was setting. It was a massive, bleeding-red orb sinking behind the jagged silhouettes of the factory smokestacks. The dying light caught the brass and iron of the city, turning Vanguard into a glowing ocean of fire and gold. It was a breathtaking, melancholic masterpiece.

Julian didn't look at the sunset. He leaned against the marble pillar, his eyes entirely fixed on Ashford. The golden light illuminated her pale skin and her striking, dark hair, framing her like a tragic painting.

"I am incredibly lucky to have met you, Lady Ashford," Julian said softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Thank you. Thank you for complying with my weird, desperate request."

Ashford looked away from the sunset, meeting Julian’s earnest, gentle gaze. Cain felt a strange, unfamiliar pang in his chest—a quiet grief for the human he was tricking, and the human he used to be.

"The view is beautiful, Lord Julian," Ashford replied softly, giving him a small, rare, and completely genuine smile. "I will remember it."

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