Episode 398
After leaving Alicia in charge of the scene, Zeke dragged Icarus along, following the key to the hidden tomb of Caligula.
Though Icarus appeared frail, he was a high-ranking demon, not to be underestimated. If he managed to escape, he could hypnotize the knights of Himonas and incite a civil war. To prevent such a disaster, Zeke decided to take Icarus with him.
Bound by Solomon’s chains, Icarus had no chance of escaping Zeke’s grasp.
“To think that I, a proud high-ranking incubus, would be reduced to this, captured by a mere human,” Icarus thought, desperately searching for a chance to flee. But Zeke didn’t even sleep as they traveled, leaving Icarus in shock.
“Is this guy really human?” he wondered.
Thanks to their relentless pace, Zeke soon arrived at the location indicated by the key. It was a desolate place, surrounded by what was known as eternal ice, harder than steel, where no living creature could survive.
Icarus, being a demon, was unaffected by the cold, and Zeke, with Jerome’s cloak and the power of the immortal body, could withstand the chill. He set up camp near the ruins and awaited Carmilla and her group.
He had informed Nikki of their location and signaled for Carmilla and Bacchus, who were on standby in Himonas, to join them.
Once settled, Zeke summoned Richmond and Vane.
“You called, Master?”
“We came at your summons.”
Icarus was startled by the sudden appearance of the two archliches.
“A human commanding two archliches? What on earth is he?”
Zeke glanced at the bound Icarus and asked Richmond, “Richmond, would it be useful to turn him into an undead?”
Icarus was horrified at the thought of becoming undead. “W-wait! Undead? I am a proud member of the incubus clan! I’m not like those lowly undead!”
Richmond examined Icarus and shook his head. “He’s a succubus, so it’s tricky. We could make him undead, but he’d lose his powers of seduction.”
“Hmm, I see. Then what should we do with him? Should I just kill him and absorb his power?”
Icarus trembled as he watched Zeke contemplate his fate. “If I’m not careful, I might really die.”
Incubi like Icarus weren’t known for their combat prowess. They relied on mental manipulation and cunning to defeat their foes. But against someone with Zeke’s mental fortitude, their tricks were useless.
Desperate, Icarus approached Zeke, kneeling and pleading. “Please, spare me! My incubus clan can be of use to you. I beg you, spare my life!”
In this dire situation, Icarus cast aside his pride. Zeke watched him grovel but remained undecided.
Moments later, Bacchus, Carmilla, and Nikki entered the cave.
“What’s going on here?” Bacchus asked, puzzled by the sight of Icarus begging for his life.
Nikki squinted at the scene. “Is this some secret hobby of the Knight of Salvation?”
Zeke clicked his tongue at Nikki’s comment and gestured for them to enter. “Stop with the nonsense and come in.”
Thanks to the vampires’ arrival, Icarus’s life was temporarily spared.
Zeke looked curiously at Carmilla, who stood beside Bacchus. She had appeared to be under ten years old before, but now she seemed about fifteen.
Sensing Zeke’s gaze, Carmilla spoke. “I’ve grown somewhat, but I might be stuck like this for a while. It could take years to reach full maturity.”
This meant she hadn’t fully regained her strength yet.
Bacchus turned to Zeke. “Is Caligula’s tomb really here?”
“Yes, it’s nearby. But there’s something I need to confirm.”
Zeke paused before continuing. “Are you sure Carmilla can control Caligula’s power?”
Bacchus’s expression hardened. “What do you mean by that?”
“As I searched for Caligula’s tomb, I learned that his power was so dangerous that the Elder Dragon sealed it beneath this eternal ice. There’s no guarantee that even a progenitor vampire can control it.”
Before Bacchus could respond, Carmilla spoke up. “Zeke Draker, you’re right.”
Zeke turned to her. “Are you saying you can’t control it?”
Carmilla hesitated before answering. “Though I’m a progenitor, my power doesn’t compare to the true royal vampires of the demon realm. Even a royal vampire might find it impossible to control Caligula’s power.”
“You must understand how dangerous uncontrollable power is. Why seek the tomb? It seems too risky just to evade Arthur Draker.”
As the Vampire Queen, Carmilla could have found other ways to avoid Arthur Draker’s pursuit. Her insistence on finding Caligula’s power was puzzling.
She looked at Zeke and explained, “It’s because of a dream I had.”
“What kind of dream?”
Carmilla hesitated before continuing. “I dreamt that Caligula’s power fell into the hands of another.”
Zeke’s expression grew tense at her words. “Carmilla’s dream is connected to my past life. Could it be that Caligula’s power was taken by someone else in my previous life?”
He asked calmly, “Who took Caligula’s power?”
Carmilla met his gaze and spoke slowly. “It was someone named Cain.”
Zeke was taken aback. “Cain? In my past life, he never revealed his name. Did he really seize Caligula’s power?”
Carmilla shivered as she continued. “Cain, with Caligula’s power, was truly terrifying. Even Arthur Draker couldn’t have stopped him.”
Had Zeke not killed him, Cain would have grown stronger as Siemens’s secret weapon, eventually receiving the sacrament and gaining even more power.
Zeke recalled the power Abel had gained from the sacrament. “Since Cain died, Abel received the sacrament and the cursed dragon’s heart. If Cain had received it instead, he might have awakened as an even stronger being.”
It seemed likely that Ramon Siemens had planned to excavate Caligula’s tomb to give its power to Cain. Finding the tomb through Icarus might have been part of a plan to bestow that power upon the resurrected Abel.
“Whatever their scheme, I must seize Caligula’s power before Ramon Siemens can.”
Zeke nodded at Carmilla’s explanation. “So, it’s more about preventing the enemy from obtaining it than using it ourselves.”
Carmilla nodded. “Yes, it was too dangerous to let it fall into enemy hands.”
Zeke agreed, understanding the gravity of the situation. He nodded and slowly rose. “Let’s head to the ruins. We need to see what power lies hidden there and make our judgment.”
In a dimly lit room, a figure in a robe sat at a long table. Wisps of shadow began to gather in the empty seats, forming into figures also clad in black robes.
Once all twelve seats were filled, the figure at the head of the table spoke. “It seems everyone is here.”
The one who had summoned the twelve apostles was the priest, the one who held all authority and made decisions in the abyss.
The apostles bowed their heads in respect to the priest.
The priest addressed them. “The gate at the northern continent’s outpost has been destroyed.”
The apostles looked up in shock at the priest’s words.
“Could it be Zeke Draker again?”
From the Joins’ ghetto to the Barodka Holy Kingdom, the Dortha Republic, and now the northern continent, their long-laid plans were being shattered by Zeke Draker.
The priest nodded. “Yes. After defeating the Gohai Palace knights in Barkal, he joined forces with the northern duke and launched a surprise attack on the Ice Valley.”
The apostles were incredulous. “But wasn’t that place guarded by not only a high-ranking incubus but also one of the Four Fiends, Dochul? How could an ordinary human knight handle a Fiend…?”
Bang!
The priest slammed the table, his eyes glowing red beneath his robe.
“Do you still think he’s just an ordinary knight?” The priest’s chilling words sent a shiver through the apostles, who shook their heads in unison.
“No, we don’t. It’s just that…”
“There seems to be something we’re missing.”
“We must capture him as soon as possible.”
It was only after the priest’s stern command that the apostles voiced their agreement to capture Zeke Draker.
At that moment, one of the apostles stood up. “I have something to report to you, Priest.”
The speaker was none other than Lopocale, disguised as an apostle. The apostle who had attempted a summoning ritual to harness the power of the ‘Squelching Abyss’ had instead been overpowered by Lopocale, who seized his body.
Feigning the apostle’s mannerisms, Lopocale sought to carry out his master’s orders using the abyss. He presented the information given by his master, the ‘Squelching Abyss.’
“The ‘Squelching Abyss’ has already recognized the threat posed by Zeke Draker and has provided a prophecy regarding him.”
The priest studied him for a moment before nodding. “What is this prophecy?”
“We must lure Zeke Draker to Rom to capture him.”
The other apostles murmured among themselves.
“To Rom? How do we lure him there?”
The priest raised a hand to silence them. “Continue.”
“The ‘Squelching Abyss’ has revealed that Zeke Draker possesses the power of immortality. He is unlike ordinary knights and requires a special trap.”
The priest paused, absorbing the revelation of Zeke Draker’s immortal power, before speaking slowly. “Did the celestial being truly say that Zeke Draker possesses the power of immortality?”
Lopocale nodded. “Indeed, that is what was said.”
While the other apostles failed to grasp the gravity of immortality, the priest understood all too well. His eyes were filled with a mix of astonishment, joy, and excitement.
“At last, someone with true immortal power has appeared!”
He finally understood why all his previous plans had gone awry. “If he possesses the power of immortality, it makes sense. He alone could have the power to destroy a god.”
Rising from his seat, the priest addressed Lopocale. “What did the celestial being instruct us to do once we capture Zeke Draker?”
“There were no specific instructions regarding that. However, it was said that capturing Zeke Draker is essential to reclaim our king.”
At the mention of the king, the apostles bowed their heads and chanted praises to the demon king.
The priest turned to Lopocale. “I grant you full authority. Lure Zeke Draker to Rom and capture him to fulfill the celestial’s command.”
Lopocale bowed deeply. “I will carry out the order.”
With that, the priest concluded the meeting and dismissed the apostles. Alone in the dim room, he slowly removed his robe. One side of his face was that of a young man, while the other was grotesquely deformed, with an eye sewn shut.
He traced the stitches of his closed eye with a sinister smile. “An immortal. At long last, I can seize the power I’ve awaited for so many years.”