July 7th 1999.
A pillars descended from the sky. It's not coming from outer space as NASA's observation. These things came from the sky itself, out of nowhere.
It falls into eight different locations across the world. Each correspond to different tectonic plates.
Many died in the event of these pillars appearance. But that was nothing compared to what about to come.
Hell.
Hell poured into the world a week after pillars marked itself onto the world. Demons came out. The land scorched, the ocean boiled and the population cried.
The pillars too had pulls all the tectonic together, forming one massive super continent. This, unfortunately, allowed for easier massacre of the living.
A day felt like a week, a week felt like a month, and a month felt like a year. This event last only for a month, less than a billion of humanity had left.
However, on August 8th, just as many had believes they were abandoned by God himself, came down the Holy Angels of the Heaven Above.
They gift a selected few the Power of the Divinity, and guide humanity to a fight against the wicked demons.
Four months after, they drove away the demons and temporarily halt their invasion.
The Holy Angels of the Heaven Above lingers on the mortal worlds to aid the recovery of human civilization.
Their first act was to established the Holy Families of the Divine as the ruler of this broken world. The Families came from the selected few who give Power of Divinity to fought against the demons.
Then, they sprinkled the flow of leylines, which harbor the concentrated lesser power of the divinity, known as Mana. This allowed for those without the Power of Divinity.
With that, the Holy Angels of the Heaven Above flew away, leaving the fate and the future of humanity in our own hands.
"And now, January 1st, 714 of the Post-Tribulation Calendar. We shall pray for the Holy Angels and The Almighty God that help us against those demons."
The man in his mid-thirty finished his lesson of history with tears in his eyes. His junior beside him stares at him, with confusing look.
"Sir, why you keep calling the Angels as...that? Doesn't it get tedious?"
"Jiho, you idiot!" He yell at his junior, all the while loosely holding his glass of beer. "As servant of God, we are obligated to pray to him for our survival!"
"I don't want to hear that from drunkard!"
Sigh. Jiho lean against his chair in tiredness. It's already 3 in the morning, but he still stuck, accompanying his useless superior.
Both of them, alongside multiple body sleeping on the floor, just had new year party inside a restaurant. The restaurant owner was an former member of their squad, so they got special permission to party until morning.
But the only one still conscience is Jio himself and his superior, Mr Latex.
"Hm? What's wrong, Jiho? Aren't you usually the eccentric one here?"
"Um... Oh, it's nothing."
"Well, suit yourself, kid!" He said so as he take another unhealthy sip of beer.
Staring at his superior, Jiho can't help but to voice his question. "Actually, sir. I do have a question."
"Aag? Aaah gaag gaaa!" He speak meanwhile chugging his beer.
"About this demon...what actually is it?"
The superior hit the table with now empty glass of beer. "Aahh! That's hit the spot... About demon, you see...they are enemy, of course! And don't try to act like you can reason with them!"
"Of course. It's not that I want to empathize with them. I just wonder what kind of creature they actually are. On biological standpoint."
"Ah, that's what you worrying about." The superior slowly sober up. "If we want to talk about their biology...then we're better off drink hundred more glass of beer."
Jojo grow increasingly confuse and curious. "What do you mean..?"
"These demon varied extremely in shapes and sizes, it almost like majority of them aren't even the same species. Some eerily resemble a human, some resemble an animal, some doesn't even looks like anything we have ever seen!"
"Maybe because they're not related at all?" Jiho suggest. "Many people assume panda and red panda are the same when in reality, they are two different species. They just have the same name."
"Hm, that's sounded logic, as expected of you, Jiho." Mr Latex makes sure he praises his favorite junior. "But unfortunately, all these creature are indeed the same species—no. They are the same thing."
Jiho eyes widen, but he remain silent to let his superior explain to him. "The demons aren't actually a living creatures. Rather, they are perfect imitation of living creatures."
His jaw drop. "Wait...seriously?"
"Yeah." The superior push his glass aside. "This is somewhat of an open secret for those whose line of work closer to the frontline. These demons are originally came from one primordial being."
"Primordial being."
"Not much was revealed to me back when I was on the frontline but, I heard multiple rumors that his age span from the creation of our sun to the Big Bang."
"That... sounds too dumb to be believable." Jiho states.
"Well, it is a rumor after all. Though its existence is without a doubt. This being is nicknamed 'The Demon King'."
"So the demon are just the puppet of the Demon King?" Jiho asked. "That can't be right. We are still fighting them for 700 years!"
"Like I said, albeit a puppet, they are the perfect imitation of living creatures. More specifically, they have the perfect imitation of us, saves the appearance."
"But why, though? Why go through all that just to imitate us when he could just come and kill us instantly?"
"Please don't say stuff like that, Jiho..." The superior horrified at Jiho's bold words. "Who knows what the Demon King is thinking. Maybe he just want to have some company?"
Now the conversation end, Jiho goes back to leaning against the chair and staring at the ceiling.
Mr Latex look at him, suddenly remember something. Not an open secret, but an actual secret that he's supposed to keep. Looking around, everyone sleeps like a log. Only him and Jiho is wide awake
"Jiho."
The junior drag his head back to face his superior. "What if I tell you that the Demon King had already died."
"....?" Once again, curiosity got to him, as they discuss until the sun rises.