Episode 429

“Aaaaargh!”

With a crazed scream, Abel charged towards the cage where Zeke was held, swinging his fist with wild abandon.

Crash!

The sturdy cage crumpled under a single blow.

“Zeke, Zeke Draker…”

Abel, eyes gleaming with madness, drooled as he glared at Zeke inside the cage.

Zeke, bound in chains, remained motionless, his head bowed despite Abel’s frenzy.

As Abel tried to force his way into the cage to grab Zeke, Rofocale intervened.

“Now, now, Your Majesty. Please hold on for a moment. There will be plenty of time to torture Zeke Draker.”

Rofocale managed to pull Abel away from the cage and signaled to Azmoon.

Azmoon pulled a lever attached to the cage, causing the iron bars to lift and the prison to open.

He tugged on the chains connected to the cage, and as if on cue, Zeke slowly rose to stand before Abel.

Abel’s eyes shone with a manic light as he looked at Zeke, clearly itching to pounce, but Rofocale’s restraint kept him in check.

Then, Zeke, still bound in chains, slowly lifted his head.

In an instant, a sword appeared in Zeke’s hand.

Without hesitation, Zeke drove the sword into Abel’s heart, locking eyes with him.

Squelch!

Thick blue blood oozed from the wound.

Zeke glanced at Azmoon and spoke in a low voice.

”…This isn’t Abel.”

Simultaneously, Azmoon shouted.

“Now, Regent!”

Rofocale activated a magic circle inscribed on the floor of the hall.

Wooooom!

The demonic language etched into the pillars began to glow ominously.

Eeeeeee—

As the demonic barrier Rofocale had set up came to life, Zeke felt as if his entire body was being weighed down by iron.

Rumble!

Despite the immense pressure, Zeke stood his ground, prompting Rofocale to shake his head in disbelief.

‘What a stubborn one. Even a high-ranking demon would be immobilized by this.’

Clicking his tongue inwardly, Rofocale raised his staff to amplify the barrier’s power.

The pressure on Zeke’s body intensified.

Azmoon, observing from the side, cautioned Rofocale.

“Don’t underestimate him! Remember, he rendered Frets’ barrier useless!”

Rumble!

The pressure on Zeke increased further.

Rofocale poured all his strength into the barrier, determined to completely restrain Zeke.

But then—

Sssshhh—

Zeke’s kneeling form dissolved into shadows and scattered.

While Rofocale and Azmoon were caught off guard, Zeke reappeared behind them, holding Bahamut.

“For a trap set by a cunning schemer and the abyss, this is rather pathetic.”

At that moment, Azmoon snapped his fingers.

“Now!”

Clang!

Suddenly, black chains shot out from the ceiling and floor, wrapping around Zeke.

Seeing Zeke completely ensnared, Rofocale grinned.

“Zeke Draker, we knew you’d catch on to our trap. We expected you’d escape at least once.”

Zeke assessed the situation, realizing the nature of the chains binding him.

‘Sealing chains?’

They were the same Eastern black chains he had used to seal Nebilos.

Clang!

Zeke tried to break free, but the chains, capable of binding even the soul, wouldn’t easily yield.

Crackle!

Zeke unleashed a surge of electricity, but the attack dispersed along the chains.

Azmoon, watching cautiously, remarked on the chains binding Zeke.

“So it’s true these chains can restrain Zeke Draker.”

Zeke tugged at the chains, glaring at Rofocale.

“You filthy dark sorcerer. Release me at once!”

Rofocale chuckled at Zeke’s roar.

“Heh, as if I’d do that. These are precious items from the Eastern continent. They’re made by successors who, on the brink of death, offer their souls to dragons, creating unbreakable links passed down to their heirs. The longer the legacy, the longer the chain. How long do you think the chain binding you is?”

Zeke hadn’t known the Eastern chains were made that way.

Rofocale, seeing Zeke’s momentary confusion, smiled with satisfaction.

“Capturing the Savior Knight means we’ve achieved our goal. Well done, Commander Azmoon.”

Azmoon turned to Rofocale.

“Thank you, Regent. I’ll take Zeke Draker for transport.”

Rofocale shook his head, blocking Azmoon’s path.

“Hold on, Commander. I set up this barrier and captured Zeke Draker. Naturally, the rights to him are mine.”

Azmoon shook his head.

“Zeke Draker will be the cornerstone for the new revival of the Rom Empire. Please assist in the empire’s peace and prosperity.”

As Azmoon moved towards Zeke, Rofocale raised his hand.

The imperial guards behind him drew their swords, blocking Azmoon.

Azmoon’s eyes narrowed.

“If you insist on this, I have no choice, Regent.”

Aura began to emanate from Azmoon’s body.

In response, the Magal Palace knights stepped forward, standing right behind Azmoon.

A dispute erupted between Azmoon and Rofocale over the captured Zeke Draker.

Rofocale smirked.

“Humans, always so desperate.”

Rofocale had intended to deal with Azmoon as well. Though they had joined forces to capture Zeke Draker, he couldn’t trust the schemer not to betray him.

Rofocale ordered the imperial guards.

“Kill Azmoon Barrios!”

The guards charged at Azmoon.

Azmoon drew the sword from his back.

Wooooom—

A dark, thick blade emanated an ominous energy.

Rofocale was taken aback by the sight of Azmoon’s sword.

‘This energy…?’

Azmoon’s eyes glowed red, exuding a sinister aura.

He advanced, swinging his sword.

Crash!

With a single swing, the approaching guards were swept away.

It was as if a giant had wielded a massive sword, clearing the path.

Boom!

Seeing the guards embedded in the hall’s walls, Rofocale was visibly shocked.

‘What is this…?’

Though it didn’t seem like the power of a celestial, the strength in Azmoon’s sword was comparable.

Azmoon approached Rofocale, sword in hand.

“Regent… no, there’s no need to pretend anymore. You filthy demon. The game ends here.”

Azmoon had known all along that Rofocale wasn’t human.

Rofocale retreated, addressing Azmoon.

“Cunning human. So you knew my true nature.”

Rofocale shed his disguise, revealing his true form.

With jet-black eyes, violet hair, and blue skin, a demon stood before them.

Azmoon raised his sword at the sight of Rofocale.

“I won’t let a demon like you defile the great Rom Empire’s royal family any longer.”

“Hahaha! You knew I was a demon and still allied with me, and now you spout nonsense!”

Rofocale snapped his fingers, and the fallen guards staggered to their feet.

The fake Abel, pierced by Zeke’s sword, also rose, staggering like a beast, standing behind Rofocale.

He eyed Azmoon’s sword.

“That doesn’t look like an ordinary sword… Did Ramon Jimenez give it to you?”

Rofocale waved his staff, and black energy rose from the barrier, seeping into the guards and the fake Abel.

Rumble!

The guards’ eyes turned beast-like as they absorbed the dark energy.

Growl—

The mindless guards and fake Abel charged at Azmoon.

Whoosh!

Azmoon retreated, and the Magal Palace knights rushed forward, drawing their swords against the guards.

Clang!

The shield-bearing knights blocked the guards, thrusting their swords through the gaps.

The knights’ swords weren’t ordinary either, piercing the guards’ armor with ease.

Squelch!

Blue blood spurted from the guards’ bodies as they were struck.

At first, it seemed like the knights of Magal Palace were gaining the upper hand against the royal guards ensnared by dark magic. But soon, an unsettling realization dawned upon them.

No matter how many times they pierced the guards with their swords, the guards refused to fall.

A low, guttural growl filled the air.

Even as blue blood oozed from their wounds, the bewitched guards relentlessly pushed back against the knights of Magal Palace.

Azmun, who had been observing the situation, shouted out a command.

“Bring out the maces and crush their skulls!”

As a strategist, Azmun quickly discerned the enemy’s weakness and issued orders to the knights.

The knights, holding their shields firm, sheathed their swords and drew the maces strapped to their backs.

With a powerful swing, one knight, closest to the guards, brought his spiked mace crashing down on a guard’s head.

A sickening thud echoed as the guard crumpled to the ground.

Seeing this, the other knights followed suit, swinging their maces to fend off the guards.

Just as they began to feel a sense of relief, the fallen guards started to twitch and rise again.

“Rrrrgh!”

The sight of the guards, spewing blue froth and rising once more, left the knights of Magal Palace in shock.

“Commander! They won’t stay down!”

Azmun frowned as he watched the scene unfold.

Meanwhile, Rofocale observed with a satisfied grin.

He had implanted the eggs of parasitic creatures, summoned from the demon realm, into the bodies of the royal guards.

Once the eggs fully infested their hosts, the guards felt no pain, and their damaged bodies could regenerate almost instantly.

Rofocale, not of the Tuma tribe, had mastered the art of using these parasites to command warriors who would protect him.

He noticed Azmun hesitating to use his powerful sword and smirked.

“So, there are limits to using that sword, after all.”

The stronger the weapon, the more restrictions it carried.

Azmun’s sword, imbued with celestial power, seemed to have a limit on its usage or a price to pay.

Rofocale, still grinning, pushed the transformed fake Abel forward.

“Go, tear his throat out!”

The fake Abel had morphed into a monstrous creature with compound eyes like a fly, sharp fangs, claws, and elongated limbs.

It was an experimental subject, a lower demon revived from its icy prison during the first demon invasion, now enhanced with drugs and dark magic to wield power surpassing that of a red knight.

With a horrific screech, the creature lunged at Azmun and the knights of Magal Palace.

Its claws slashed through the air, slicing through the knights and their shields with ease.

Screams filled the battlefield as the bodies and blood of the Magal Palace knights were strewn everywhere.

“Commander!”

The knights reached out to Azmun for help, but he remained stoic, merely observing the chaos.

As Rofocale had guessed, Azmun’s sword could only be used for a limited time each day.

He had to reserve its power for the right moment.

‘Not yet.’

While Azmun bided his time, gripping his sword, the knights of Magal Palace fell one by one to the creature’s claws.

Rofocale watched with a sinister smile, slowly approaching Azmun.

“Azmun Barrios, today is the day you die.”

But then, Azmun drove his sword into the ground.

A strange sound filled the air as the sword began to greedily absorb the blood pooled around it.

Rofocale recoiled in shock at the bizarre sight.

‘What on earth is that…?’

As Rofocale watched, tense and wary, Azmun’s sword, now saturated with blood, began to transform.

The blade’s surface twisted with grotesque patterns, and its edge sharpened into jagged teeth.

Rofocale’s eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of the transformed sword.

“That sword… could it be…?”

He blinked in astonishment, then shouted at Azmun.

“The Flesh-Eating Emperor, Azitahaka! Could it be that Ramon Jimenez has tampered with Azitahaka’s power?”