Harbingers of Change

Violet was the most elusive amongst the three unclaimed primordials, unbothered by such silly things as the pure chase for power or playing politics unless she gained personal amusement out of it. By all means, the purple primordial was the closest to him when it came to personalities, and despite that, Diablo simply could not locate her.

It took weeks until he finally found a trace to follow and found the whimsical primordial watching a gladiatorial fight between a few fire and water elementals enslaved by her. Violet, who looked like a human teenage girl with purple hair and purple eyes, was lying on a throne sideways, dangling her feet as she watched the brutal fight with mild interest. Besides her were a few of her archdemon servants, all of whom tensed up upon sensing his approach.

The throne floated above a piece of rock that was used as an arena for the gladiatorial fights, decorated with the finest materials her demons had gathered over the millennia.

It was a custom that weaker demons did not get in the way when primordials interacted, and using them as a shield was considered an act of cowardice and generally poor taste. Thus, even the fight that had been occurring slowed down as the demonic retainers retreated into the background.

"Noir? Finally crawled out of whatever pit you were hiding?" Violet chuckled.

"I wasn't hiding. In fact, I have been rather busy performing my duties," Diablo replied as he hovered in front of the throne, annoyingly blocking her view of the battle.

"Duties?" Violet let out a bellowing laughter, "That's hysterical. You have duties?"

"Indeed. I have a master now. You will serve him as well. And I have a name, so address me as Diablo."

Violet straightened out, her smile fading and replaced with genuine confusion. Diablo, the one who cared about nothing and did the most insane acts of self-discovery like plunging into the void itself, had been tamed by someone, and named at that, cementing his subordinacy status.

"Diablo, huh." Violet swung her fingers in a wavy manner as a thick spider web engulfed the black primordial and attempted to destroy his core with vampiric energies, testing his power.

To her annoyance, the spiderweb burned away instantly, not leaving a scratch on her old friend. "Hmm, you are a lot stronger."

"I am named, given a strong body, and a demon lord evolution. That is quite a boost if I might say so myself. My master is generous to those loyal to him. But let's not dwell on pleasantries. Now that I know where you, Blanc, and Jaune are located, I can summon you three into the physical realm and present you to my master.

"All three of us? You know what, count me in. I want to see how it'll play out." Her annoyance was replaced by amusement again. One primordial was a big deal, but three of them was unheard of since Guy had been summoned to the material realm. Whoever had tamed Diablo must be plain suicidal and the moment this mysterious master lost control over Noir, the consequences would be a show to behold, with untold terror reigning across the mortals not seen in over twenty thousand years.

With that, Diablo only needed to find Jaune who was, as usual, using a Hellgate to harass Leon. He had paid little attention to past events, but even Diablo knew that Jaune hated the former hero for destroying a kingdom she ruled around the Hellgate before the man became a demon lord himself, using it as the final cementing achievement that had earned him his title.

Diablo teleported right to the last primordial's location, finding her sending a nuclear blast toward El Dorado's shield.

"Noir? Up for some one-on-one? I could use a good workout." The yellow primordial stretched her form. She was dressed similarly to how a schoolgirl outfit young otherworlders were often summoned in, going for a high school delinquent look, perfectly fitting with her personality.

"I must warn you that I am named and have a body now, so the fight might be a lot more one-sided," Diablo smoothly replied.

"Someone was stupid enough to name you!" Jaune cackled. "Congratulations! If only I could find a sucker to give me a name."

"I don't take kindly to anyone insulting my master, but time is of the essence. I will summon you before my master in a suitable body and you will serve him." Diablo's face for a moment betrayed anger, much to the other primordial's amusement.

"Sounds good. Can't wait." Jaune grinned from ear to ear, finishing her blast.

'So you'll be the volunteer to be made an example of.' Diablo mused. He held no illusion that the trio would need some convincing to submit to Lord Momonga's righteous rule; the yellow primordial would likely be the one to be used as an example of what happens to those who defy the God of Death.

With Diablo finally giving a notification that he was returning and ready to summon the three unclaimed primordials, Momonga had taken all the necessary precautions. He and the rest of the High Lords sat on their thrones in the Great Tomb's throne room, the high executors and a sizable strike force positioned by the columns with his three consorts among them, ready to attack at a moment's notice. Above him hovered Rubedo, armed as usual. Diablo was standing in front of the thrones with his head lowered, three deadmen bodies on the floor given to him for summoning purposes.

{ Come on, if you plan to use death lighting, you have to quote Palpatine! } Veldora whined in the group chat shared between all the guild members.

{ For fuck sake, can't you be serious for once?! } Buku groaned in response as she shifted around in her throne.

{ But it would be so epic. Just a line or two. You know 'Unlimited power!' would sound so badass. } Veldora refused to give in, mentally prodding at Pero.

{ I mean, it's not like we hadn't role-played before in serious events. Just imagine if they found out that you were essentially just playing around while frying their asses! It only adds to how little you think of them. } Pero joined in, glancing at the dragon who could barely sit on his throne, too excited about the possibility of Momonga reenacting Star Wars.

{ Yeah, dad. It would be so badass! Just one line, please. } Milim, who only watched the film series recently and was thrilled to join in the conversations and reenactments, pleaded.

{ Fine. One line. } Momonga gave in, once again catching himself giving in. Then again, he was also a roleplayer at heart and he too immensely enjoyed Star Wars.

Meanwhile, Diablo was already summoning the three primordials as the three deadmen bodies rose to their feet and reshaped themselves before their very eyes. The first was an elegant white-haired woman, looking to be in her mid-twenties. She glanced around with a faint smile, landing on the guild members before her. Momonga could instantly draw parallels between his head consort and this demon both sharing the ability to radiate effortless elegance.

The next to take form was a very young-looking demon girl, perhaps appearing to be in her mid-teens at best, clad in a long flowing purple robe with purple eyes and hair. She locked eyes with Momonga and flashed a toothy smile, her mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth that oozed power. The last was a girl in her late teens dressed in an archaic Japanese schoolgirl uniform, her yellow eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Nice show. Trying to impress us?" The blonde demoness was the first to speak.

"Indeed. A royal reception. Quite telling of the intentions of Diablo's mysterious master." The white-haired demoness agreed.

"Let's see where this goes. I think we'll have quite a fun time. The provided body is perfect. I have no need to restrict myself at all." The purple-haired demoness commented as she lifted her arms and inspected her hands curiously, magic already cackling between them.

"Have some manners," Diablo hissed.

"Right, so how about we skip all the farce and you name us before we lose patience." Jaune produced a black hole in her hand and smirked towards Momonga.

"I am not yet convinced I should grace you with names before you have proved yourselves. Diablo didn't get his name right away either." Momonga spoke with casual indifference, his gaze open to the blonde demon.

"Oh, you got it all wrong. You already made a mistake by giving us bodies. It takes a rare type of fool to summon not one but three primordials, and with a fourth one already present. I wonder what will happen if we break Noir's chains and you'll realize the terrible mistake you have made." Jaune let out a cruel laugh.

Momonga slowly rose from the throne, his stride towards the demoness lazy but calculated, his arms bent at the elbows and hanging at a ninety-degree angle. "Oh, no, my young demon. You will find that it is you who are mistaken. About a great many things." He partly mimicked Palpatine's mannerisms as he leaned in, but he chose to speak in his natural speaking voice.

Blanc and Violet took cautious steps aside as Momonga towered over Jaune, his skeletal visage unnerving even them. The confidence this being exuded showed he knew exactly what he was dealing with, finding Jaune's threats amusing, displaying no fear.

A faint shield appeared around the blonde demon and then the black hole detonated momentarily, sucking out all light of the transparent bubble the demoness was in. A mere moment later the dazed Jaune came back into view, half of her head and her right arm missing as she stared back in confusion while her body regenerated.

"Your lack of fear comes from your perceived immortality. Let me show how erroneous your assumptions are." Black lighting that killed the very light in its path shot out of Momonga's extended fingers and encircled the blonde demon, who let out a howl of pain that came from her very spiritual core, ripping it to shreds, and tearing through all of her innate defenses.

Just as Veldora was about to stand up and take his place beside Momonga taking the role of Darth Vader, Rubedo landed beside her master and crossed her arms with a smug expression. Veldora slumped back on his throne, sulking and staring away from the scene, upset that the void creature had stolen his thunder.

"I wonder what will happen when a primordial is completely removed from existence. Will a new one pop up? Perhaps the entire yellow line will cease to be? Or maybe one of the younger demons will take your place?" Momonga spoke casually, as if discussing the weather, while Jaune convulsed on the floor howling in seemingly unimaginable agony as the void-laced lighting ate away at her very essence, which faded away by the second.

Both Blanc and Violet felt a new emotion for the first time: fear. The undead wasn't just killing Jaune, he was wiping away her very existence. There would be no respawning in hell after this being had eradicated the yellow primordial.

Blanc was first to kneel as she uttered, "Master, you have made it clear where we stand. I pledge my servitude and loyalty. I am yours to command."

Violet glanced at her peer writhing and howling on the floor and followed white's example, quickly kneeling as well. "I am ready to serve. Let me repay you for the body I have been gifted."

"Good. You two are reasonable, unlike this child," Momonga stated as the lighting shooting out from his fingertips only grew more intense.

"Please! I! Please! Serve!" Jaune screamed, aura already mostly gone.

"Serve. What use could I possibly have from a servant who does not know her place? Three primordials in my service is enough." Momonga shot her down.

"Please! DO! DO! Everything! Don't Kill meee!" Jaune grew hysterical, her face twisted into an ugly lump of terror and agony, morphing into near-unspeakable figures in her fear.

"Diablo, what do you think? Is it worth keeping this one?" Momonga asked without a hurry as Jaune's existence gradually burned away.

"I believe she understands where she stands and will behave. Master, I will kill her myself if she ever acts up," Diablo replied.

Momonga stopped tormenting the yellow primordial, leaning forward even more. "You will get one chance. Should you fail, your true death won't be as quick as the one I offered you now, it will last as long as Diablo sees fit."

Jauna scampered to her knees and then slammed herself into the floor, prostrating as she shrieked, "I will serve! I will serve!" Her voice was shaky as she choked on her words.

"Good. Rubedo, test them." Momonga stepped back and let the void lord do her assessment as the shield around Jaune extended to encompass him, Rubedo, and all three primordials. With only the best of the Nazarick present in the room, there was no need to block the sight, they had already been briefed and slightly exposed as a form of vaccination, in case Ker tried to do something similar.

And it was only then that the three primordials truly understood what they were dealing with and why Diablo had been so unimaginably smug. Their new master not only used the powers of the void but had a shackled void beast as a pet. The indescribable horror that dwelled where almost no demon dared to go had been brought to the physical world and allowed to exist, stronger than anything they could toss at it.

White gulped as the angelic-looking being cracked open and dark tendrils shot out of the swirling madness, pierced her chest alongside her two peers, coldness like no other dousing and spreading throughout her core.

"They fear you master. Through this fear, they will not betray you. They fear you will give them to me should they disobey," The void beast spoke.

"That will do for now." Momonga nodded. As always he already knew how to call each of them. He pointed to the white-haired demoness, "Testarossa," feeling the slight drain of energy that always came when naming notably powerful entities, although thankfully it wasn't any more than had been when naming Diablo.

The next to receive a name was the purple primordial, "Ultima."

He hesitated before the last one. Jaune had shown to be the most hot-headed and likely to try to act up again once the fear faded, but he decided if all three were to become assistants of his consorts, they needed to be given the same treatment, and thus the last primordial received a name as well. "Carrera."

And Guy shuddered on his throne, although for why, he couldn't tell, only that something had gone terribly, terribly wrong.

Editing by aidan_lo.

Proofreading by mdkz_rocker, clagan, fvvck, Omnax, Sluethen, IAMTHEPLOKOKIOPO, Alassandro, and aidan_lo.

Link my discord server (https://discord.gg/WmGKVU3XG2)