Episode 575
The angel stared at the message before him, utterly bewildered.
How could an unauthorized user have accessed his main system? It was beyond comprehension. Throughout countless apocalyptic scenarios, nothing like this had ever happened.
“[Sentinel 3 is attempting to block the unauthorized user from accessing the main system.]”
“[Block attempt denied.]”
“[Sentinel 3 is attempting to block the unauthorized user from accessing the main system.]”
“[Block attempt denied.]”
The warnings kept flashing, indicating his attempts to block the mysterious intruder were being rejected.
The angel was at a loss, unsure how to handle this unprecedented situation.
Then, another message appeared.
“[The unauthorized user is inputting commands into the main system.]”
“[Releasing captured resources.]”
With the message, the mass of tentacles writhing within the angel’s body split open. From within, Alicia, unconscious, slipped out.
Clutching her sword tightly, Alicia fell away from the angel, plummeting toward the ground.
Rumble—
At that moment, Bucephalus swooped in from the sky, catching the falling Alicia on its back.
Safely cradled on Bucephalus, Alicia descended to the ground unharmed.
The angel, having been forced to release Alicia, was losing control of his main system in real-time.
Crack!
He struggled to break free from the situation, but with control already seized, he couldn’t move at will.
Just then, the space before him shimmered, and someone appeared.
Ssssh—
It was Zeke, dragging another angel bound by Solomon’s chains.
Zeke looked at the immobilized angel with a satisfied smile.
“I was right. Two bodies, but only one controlling system.”
Using the wisdom of the dragon and the Akashic code, Zeke had accessed the main system of the angel bound by Solomon’s chains. He had bypassed the security, forcibly seized control, and terminated the angel’s annihilation program, rendering it powerless.
The angel glared at Zeke, desperately trying to regain control.
Zeke responded by unleashing a bolt of electricity at the angel.
Crackle—
The powerful shock enveloped the angel’s body.
Screeeech!
The angel screamed in agony as the pain coursed through him, unable to shield himself due to Zeke’s deactivation of his defenses.
Sizzle—
Unlike before, the angel’s surface was now charred black, with white steam rising from it.
“Resist again, and next time I’ll fry you from the inside out.”
Whether it was Zeke’s threat or the angel’s realization of his helplessness, he ceased his resistance.
Soon, Solomon’s chains emerged, binding the other pair of angels tightly together, just as they had been when they first appeared.
With the angels securely bound, Zeke descended to the ground.
Rumble!
As Zeke landed, Helen and Duke rushed over to him.
“Zeke!”
Helen approached cautiously, eyeing the bound angels warily.
“What on earth is going on? What are those creatures, and why is the Red King helping us…?”
“I’ll explain everything slowly. First, we need to secure the battlefield and stabilize Jupiter Castle.”
Helen snapped back to focus at Zeke’s words. She nodded and turned to Duke.
“Sir Duke, lead the troops and inspect the castle. There may still be remnants of the enemy.”
“Understood. I’ll signal if all is clear.”
Duke led the Black Sword Knights into Jupiter Castle.
Helen began organizing the allied forces, preparing to enter the castle.
As Zeke was about to move again, Bucephalus approached with Alicia on its back.
Seeing Alicia unconscious, Zeke placed a hand on her shoulder, invoking the power of complete restoration.
A warm energy flowed into Alicia, healing all her wounds.
Her eyes snapped open, and she sprang to her feet.
“Ha! You monster! You think this is enough to…! Huh?”
Realizing she was on horseback, Alicia looked around, spotting Zeke watching her.
“Zeke Draker!”
Her surprise quickly turned to joy as she leaped off Bucephalus, patting her armored chest.
“So, did you see the Grand Duke in action?”
Zeke smiled at her bravado.
“Yes, thanks to you buying us time, we managed to capture it.”
Alicia looked at the bound angels with newfound admiration.
“Wow, calling this a monster doesn’t do it justice. Zeke Draker, what exactly is this thing?”
“An angel.”
Alicia’s expression turned incredulous.
“An angel? Like the ones from the scriptures?”
Zeke nodded quietly, and Alicia, momentarily dumbfounded, approached the bound angels, inspecting them closely.
“Seriously? First, we had demons, and now angels? What’s next, the constellations?”
“Probably.”
“What?”
Just as Alicia was about to question Zeke further, someone approached from behind.
“Zeke Draker.”
The Red King, clad in Hershion, dismounted from his steed.
As the Red King approached, Alicia quickly shifted to a defensive stance, raising her sword.
Zeke raised a hand to calm her.
“It’s alright, no need to be on guard.”
“You’re telling me not to be wary of the infamous Red King? You’re too soft, Zeke Draker.”
Zeke shook his head at Alicia’s words.
“You have a point, but this isn’t the Red King.”
Alicia frowned in confusion.
“What do you mean, not the Red King?”
Batori removed Hershion’s helmet, revealing a woman with flowing red hair. Alicia’s eyes widened in surprise.
“What is this now?”
Zeke explained to Alicia.
“Batori Basarab. She’s the successor of Count Vlad, the Red King. She’s agreed to join us.”
Alicia, both impressed and skeptical, eyed Batori warily.
Batori addressed Alicia, her voice calm yet firm.
“The Wolf of the North, your response to my challenge was impressive.”
Referring to the thorny spear Alicia had returned to her.
Alicia scoffed, replying with a smirk.
“It would’ve been more impressive if it had pierced your chest.”
Batori’s red eyes gleamed as she retorted sharply.
“A wolf’s head would look better on the end of that spear.”
“Ha? Let’s see if you can still talk like that after I twist your head off.”
As the tension between Alicia and Batori escalated, Zeke intervened, creating a shadow to separate them.
He shook his head, speaking firmly.
“Now’s not the time for us to fight each other. There may still be enemies left, and we need to prepare for that.”
Alicia, still fuming, glared at Batori.
Zeke turned to Batori.
“We’ll need to use the stronghold in the gorge. There’s information we need to extract from this one.”
Batori nodded silently.
Standing beside the bound angel, Zeke addressed both Batori and Alicia.
“Having a competitive spirit is fine, but remember, we’re on the same side. No fighting.”
Ssssh—
With those words, Zeke vanished with the bound angel.
Left alone, Batori and Alicia glared at each other before turning away, heading back to their respective camps. After a few steps, they both spun around, fists clenched, ready to charge at each other.
“Haah!”
“I’ll kill you!”
Their clash was only halted when Helen returned, having organized the allied forces.
The prideful battle between the dragon and the wolf ended in a draw.
Ssssh—
A portal opened, and Zeke appeared with the bound angel.
The angel struggled against Zeke’s restraints, trying to break free.
But with the main system under Zeke’s control, all efforts to escape were futile.
Through the main system, Zeke discovered the true name of the angel’s master.
‘Azrael.’
The angel of death, said to blow the trumpet at the end of days, and the ruler of the storm, the master of the bound angel.
Zeke repeated the name, then used the system to forcibly activate the angel’s power.
Vroooom!
He triggered Azrael’s unique domain.
As the surroundings transformed, a message appeared before Zeke.
“[You have witnessed the forgotten city ‘Sky City Laputa.’]”
“[Fragments of forgotten time related to this civilization connect with the Akashic code.]”
“[A large amount of karma data is being updated.]”
“[You have acquired information about ‘Sky City Laputa.’]”
“[System restriction codes related to this information have been lifted.]”
[You can now access the list of skills and items related to ‘Laputa, the Castle in the Sky.’]
As Zeke had anticipated, witnessing the angel’s unique domain updated the data.
“Laputa, the Castle in the Sky.”
Zeke, accompanied by the twin-winged angel, ascended into the air to survey the transformed surroundings.
A city with an astonishing civilization had been built on a floating island suspended in the sky.
Looking at Laputa, Zeke recalled something.
“The Sky People.”
Back when he acquired the guardian Tot in the Join Tribe’s ghetto district, he had discovered ancient ruins of the Sky People.
The ruins he had seen then and the city of Laputa were crafted in a similar style.
“Perhaps the ancient Sky People inherited the civilization of Laputa. And that civilization has somehow connected to the Join Tribe today.”
Zeke pondered whether fragments of forgotten time had reshaped themselves, leaving traces in the present world.
As he was lost in thought, a shimmer appeared before him, revealing a figure.
“Zeke Draker.”
It was none other than the arrogant savior, Satan.
Zeke, unfazed by Satan’s sudden appearance, spoke casually.
“I figured you’d show up here.”
Satan nodded in agreement.
“It seems the merging of the Dragon’s Tomb and the unique domain allowed me to bypass the constraints of causality. In any case, it’s good to see you again.”
Satan smiled at Zeke, but Zeke remained indifferent, prompting Satan to continue.
“Why have you summoned me again?”
Zeke hesitated before responding.
“Let’s get straight to the point. What is the truth you spoke of, and what preparations have you made for me?”
Satan smiled beautifully at Zeke’s words.
“It seems the Knight of Salvation is finally interested in my proposal.”
Zeke glared at Satan, then gestured to the restrained twin-winged angel.
“I just thought if more of these creatures appear, I’d need to be prepared.”
This time, Zeke had managed to infiltrate the main system and minimize damage before the angel fully awakened, ending the battle swiftly.
But if two or more angels fully awakened and launched simultaneous attacks across the continent, even Zeke would struggle to stop them.
Thus, Zeke realized he needed to grow stronger through the truth and power Satan offered.
“More importantly, I need to be prepared for whatever Arthur Draker is planning.”
Arthur Draker was an enigma, and Zeke was certain that whatever his intentions, they weren’t good. He needed to be thoroughly prepared.
Satan nodded slowly at Zeke’s words and then spoke.
“The truth I mentioned is better heard from Mephistopheles than from me. He’s the one preparing the final act, not I.”
Simultaneously, Satan’s eyes glowed a deep red.
He spoke to Zeke in a slightly subdued voice.
“Moreover, the preparation I’ve made… Zeke Draker, are you ready to accept it?”
Zeke nodded at Satan’s question.
“Yeah, whatever it is, just give it to me already.”
Satan seemed pleased with Zeke’s straightforwardness and smiled.
He extended his hand.
Wooooong!
In an instant, a radiant red orb appeared, shimmering in Satan’s hand.
He spoke to Zeke.
“Zeke Draker, this is my unique domain, ‘Purgatory.’”