The Silent Deity: Saiki Kusuo in Tensura

The shadows of fate had begun to stir. Somewhere in the deepest reaches of the sky, veiled by cosmic silence, Apollyon watched with delight. The moment had come. He could feel it—the paranoia in Rudra, the flickers of confusion in his court, and the slow unraveling of stability. A grin twisted in the void of Apollyon's formless presence as he coiled his influence tighter around the Emperor's mind.

"Call them, Rudra," the whisper hissed in Rudra's skull, sounding like a storm brushing across broken glass. "Call the angels. Use your Ultimate Skill. They will rain judgment upon the Storm Kingdom. Millions will fall. You will stand above all. You will be Emperor Eternal once again."

The crimson tapestries lining the throne room swayed unnaturally, though there was no wind. Rudra sat still at first, hands folded under his chin, eyes closed—but something was wrong. A subtle tremor passed through his fingers. Then his mouth curved. Not with warmth. Not with pride. But with something darker.

A maniacal smirk stretched across his face.

His generals, gathered to report the status of their territories, paused mid-sentence. A quiet unease crept through them like a slow leak of poison.

"Your Majesty?" one of the senior commanders asked, his voice uncertain.

Rudra opened his eyes—bright, unblinking, and strangely hollow. He stood up slowly, taking one regal step forward, his long cape trailing behind him like black fire.

"I have decided," he said, his voice sharp and commanding. "We will attack the Storm Kingdom."

Gasps filled the room. Another general, clutching his helmet tightly, stepped forward.

"You mean… your majesty… a full-scale war?"

"Not just war," Rudra said, his grin widening, "The Tenma War."

The entire court froze.

"The Tenma War…?" someone whispered. "That would mean… summoning the—"

"Yes," Rudra interrupted, his tone absolute. "Millions of angels. They will descend upon the Storm Kingdom like divine wrath. They will burn it clean. Then, our army shall march forward and finish what the heavens start."

Some generals looked at one another in disbelief. Others looked disturbed.

One, however, narrowed her eyes in quiet fury.

She wasn't a general.

She was Testarossa—demon and supreme tactician—currently disguised with flawless magic. Her long silver hair was hidden under a spell, her usual crimson eyes now a dull brown. But inside, her mind was racing.

"He's lost it," she thought. "He's not even aware of what he's saying. It's like… something is inside his head."

Without breaking her disguise, she stepped back into the line of commanders and quietly sent a telepathic message to the one she served.

Testarossa: "My lord Veldora. The Emperor has declared the Tenma War. He plans to summon the angelic legions to destroy the Storm Kingdom. He believes they'll burn it to ash before sending in his army. It's happening now. We must act."

Far away, Saiki sat on a floating rock high in the realm beyond time, sipping milk tea and watching everything unfold like pieces on a cosmic board. His eyes were closed, but his vision pierced through all.

"As expected," he whispered. "Apollyon's hand moves boldly now."

He raised his hand.

A glimmer of invisible light streaked across the horizon, flowing down and reinforcing the magical barrier that had already surrounded the Storm Kingdom. He had created it weeks ago, sensing this possibility. But now he layered it with divine resistance—nothing short of true celestial force would breach it.

"This should buy enough time," Saiki murmured. "Now, let's call back our pieces."

In the towering halls of the Storm Palace, Veldora stood at the heart of a glowing crystal chamber. The skies outside were dark with strange omens, the air prickled with pressure. A moment ago, he'd received Testarossa's urgent message. And now…

Veldora: "All spies, return to me. Now."

His voice wasn't loud—but it rippled through space, finding every agent tied to him by blood, loyalty, or ancient bond.

—Diablo—

Far in the Rosso Family Estate, Diablo, wearing the mask of a loyal assistant to Lord Bartello Rosso, was in the middle of a black-market negotiation with nobles who wore gold rings and fake smiles.

Suddenly, his red eyes blinked.

"The King calls," he whispered.

With a charming smile, Diablo rose from his seat and excused himself.

"You'll have to pardon me," he said with a polite bow. "Something urgent has come up… oh, and by the way—those wine shipments you've been hiding? I know where they come from."

Then he vanished in a whirl of black flames, leaving the nobles pale and stuttering.

—Ultima—

Ultima, dressed like a street dancer in the capital city, had been shadowing trade caravans connected to Rosso underworld dealings. Her violet eyes shimmered as she sensed Veldora's call.

"Ooooh… Daddy needs us. Time to go~"

She dropped her drink, giggled, and leapt off the rooftop. Her body dissolved into pink smoke, vanishing into the wind.

—Carrera—

Carrera stood silently atop a watchtower near a desert city-state that recently allied itself with the Storm Kingdom. She had been listening in on political meetings, disguised as a foreign diplomat.

When the call came, she didn't hesitate.

"Well… this meeting's adjourned," she said, standing abruptly.

Before the startled guards could even blink, she was gone in a streak of red lightning.

Within minutes, the four demons—Diablo, Testarossa, Ultima, and Carrera—appeared before Veldora, kneeling in perfect sync.

Veldora: "You've all done well. The Empire moves with madness now. Rudra is preparing to summon the Tenma. A full-scale angelic invasion."

Diablo's eyes sharpened. "He dares to play with divine fire."

Ultima pouted, "That's not even fair! Those angels come in legions!"

Carrera cracked her knuckles. "Let them come. I've been itching for some celestial blood."

Testarossa looked more serious. "There's something off, my lord. Rudra isn't… himself. I suspect something is controlling him. An outside force."

Veldora nodded.

"You're correct. His mind isn't his own. Someone is pulling the strings. Apollyon."

All four demons paused.

Diablo's smile faded. "Apollyon… I never heard that name."

Veldora: "indeed, from what i have gathered he is one of the first beings created by my brother Veldanava."

They all shared a grim look.

Veldora clenched his fist. "We must prepare.

"Souei. Shion. Hakuro. Geld. Rigurd. Gobta. All of you—assemble at once," he commanded, his deep voice echoing like thunder. His aura made the ground tremble slightly beneath his feet. The communication crystals lit up instantly as his message reached them all across the kingdom.

One by one, they appeared through teleportation portals—Souei from the shadows of the northern watchtower, Shion from the royal barracks, Hakuro from the training dojo, Geld from the western wall fortification, Rigurd from the civilian quarters, and Gobta… from the kitchen, still chewing on grilled meat skewers.

"Mmff?! What's happening?!" Gobta asked, mouth full and panicked, as he stumbled out of the portal.

Shion frowned at him. "You better not be late because of snacks again."

"I WAS CARB-LOADING FOR WAR!!" he declared dramatically.

Everyone sweatdropped.

Veldora cleared his throat, and immediately the room went dead silent.

"There is no time to waste. A war is upon us." His eyes narrowed with grave seriousness. "Rudra… has decided to commence the Tenma War. The angels will descend upon us… not in weeks, not in days—but very soon. It will be sudden. It will be merciless. They will come from the sky, and they will aim to wipe out everything."

The room was silent except for the faint hum of magic around them.

Veldora turned, pacing slowly in front of them. "Your first priority is the safety of our people. I want every underground shelter opened and ready. Every civilian must be evacuated underground within the next 24 hours. That includes children, the elderly, and the wounded. Anyone who cannot fight must be moved out of harm's way."

Hakuro bowed. "It shall be done. I will oversee the mobilization myself."

"Good." Veldora nodded, then turned to Geld. "You'll handle the infrastructure. I want reinforcements in place, water supplies checked, air purification runes activated, and medical stations equipped in every shelter. Spare no effort."

"Yes, my lord!" Geld thumped his chest proudly.

"Rigurd," Veldora continued, "you and your team will coordinate with every merchant, traveler, adventurer, or foreigner currently residing in the kingdom. I want them returned to their homelands immediately. Send word to the borders. Get them out safely. We will not have innocents caught in this fire."

Rigurd adjusted his spectacles, already pulling out a scroll of names. "I will have them catalogued and escorted within the hour."

"And Gobta…"

"Y-Yessir?!"

Veldora walked up to him, towering over the small goblin knight. "Make sure not a single civilian sneaks out during evacuation because they 'forgot their lunch' or 'want to see the angel fight'."

Gobta straightened. "R-Right! No peeking outside during apocalyptic battles. Got it!"

Shion crossed her arms. "I'll oversee the elite guard units during evacuation. If anyone even tries to be a hero without permission, they'll have to deal with me."

Everyone gulped.

Veldora raised a hand to the sky. Magic glowed around him as he summoned a screen made of shimmering wind and light. "Now... I must inform our allies. They must know of what's coming."

He closed his eyes and focused. Magic runes swirled in the air, forming a circular connection portal. Multiple shimmering panels appeared, each connected to the thrones or private chambers of the allied rulers:

King Gazel Dwargo of Dwargon, in his war room surrounded by armored dwarves.

—King Elric of Falmuth, drinking tea beside a golden lion statue.

—The Raja King, a youthful man with a flute in hand and fire in his eyes.

—The King of Blumund, adjusting his monocle while writing diplomatic notes.

—And others who shared bonds with the Storm Kingdom.

Each of them appeared startled as their rooms suddenly linked to Veldora's presence.

King Gazel narrowed his eyes. "Veldora. What is the meaning of this sudden intrusion?"

The other kings leaned in, alert and tense.

Veldora's voice was calm but sharp. "My friends. I contact you with great urgency. The celestial empire—Rudra—has decided to initiate the Tenma War. Millions of angels will descend. Their target… is us."

Elric leaned forward. "Angels? You're serious?"

"Deadly serious," Veldora replied. "Their numbers will be unlike anything we've faced. This will not be a skirmish. This will be a massacre if we are not prepared. I urge you all—retrieve your citizens from our lands. My gates will remain open until the last one is returned safely."

The Raja King gritted his teeth. "So the heavens have finally moved...

Veldora nodded slowly. "We suspect as much."

The King of Blumund, sweating, asked nervously, "Then… what is our role?"

"Fortify your own kingdoms. Do not send soldiers. Keep your borders safe and your citizens calm. I will handle the angels."

The room was filled with awe-struck silence. Then Gazel slowly grinned.

"I always believed you were reckless," he said, "but this time... I see the truth. You're no longer just a wild dragon. You're a ruler now."

Veldora smirked under his hood. "It took me long enough to learn."

The connections ended, one by one, as the kings gave their final words of trust and began preparations of their own.