Episode 581
Sssss―
Smoke coiled around Zeke, trying to consume him.
Before he knew it, the maids had crept up behind him, grabbing his shoulders and arms to restrain him.
Rumble―
These weren’t just simple automatons; their strength rivaled that of giants.
Mephistopheles watched Zeke being engulfed by the smoke with eyes as dark as night.
“Hand over the soul of the arrogant savior to me, Zeke Draker.”
Mephistopheles called out to him, his voice dripping with temptation.
Zeke, held by the maids and wrapped in smoke, showed no reaction.
But then, a voice cut through the haze.
“Is this why you brought me here? For this nonsense?”
Zeke’s voice came from behind.
Startled, Mephistopheles turned around, only to find Zeke sitting calmly across from him.
The Zeke held by the maids shimmered like a mirage, and shadows began to rise from within.
Sssss―
Zeke’s duplicate transformed into shadows, infiltrating the maids and forcibly accessing their systems.
The maids tried to resist the invading shadows, but it was futile.
Zeke’s power, which had once subdued even the angels of the apocalypse, was not something mere automatons could defy.
Whirrr!
In an instant, the system rebooted under Zeke’s control, and the eyes of the automatons changed.
The dozen or so maids, now with eyes like Zeke’s golden dragon gaze, turned towards their former master, Mephistopheles, and raised their hands, conjuring attack spells.
Snap!
Mephistopheles found himself surrounded—automatons in front, Zeke behind.
He took a leisurely drag from his hookah, exhaled a plume of smoke, and snapped his fingers.
Sssss―
The hookah, along with the threatening maids, vanished as if erased.
With another snap, the entire study shifted, and Zeke and Mephistopheles were once again facing each other.
Mephistopheles clapped, a grin spreading across his face as he looked at Zeke.
“Excellent! Truly excellent!”
He laughed heartily, but Zeke’s expression remained cold and unyielding.
And he came to a conclusion.
‘He’s mad.’
The fallen constellations, including Mephistopheles, had been trapped within this unstable dimension for millennia.
When the arrogant savior disappeared and Babel crumbled, splitting the demon realm, the archdukes had no choice but to confine themselves to maintain balance.
If any of them decided to abandon and destroy the demon realm, this unstable world would vanish instantly.
Thus, the fallen constellations sought to escape their long, tedious exile by dominating and manipulating the demon realm’s inhabitants to gather karma in the material world.
‘But the fallen constellations are all broken in some way.’
Even the archdukes were no exception.
Mephistopheles wiped the smile from his face, adopting a serious expression as he looked at Zeke.
“Sit.”
The sudden shift in Mephistopheles’ demeanor gave Zeke a glimpse into the nature of demons.
‘They’re as unstable as this demon realm.’
As Zeke sat down again, Mephistopheles conjured a glass of wine as red as blood.
Holding the glass with an elegant air, he spoke to Zeke.
“I’ve confirmed that you’ve inherited the soul of the arrogant savior.”
Zeke glared at Mephistopheles and replied.
“You could have figured that out just by looking.”
Mephistopheles swirled the wine, savoring its aroma, and responded leisurely.
“Pointless tricks and wasting time are the virtues of demons, don’t you think, Zeke Draker?”
Zeke frowned at Mephistopheles’ words.
“I have no time to waste on your word games.”
He spoke clearly.
“I have two demands. First, convene a meeting of the archdukes. Second, reveal to me the hidden truth the arrogant savior spoke of.”
Mephistopheles smiled at Zeke’s words.
“You’re impatient, Zeke Draker. An archduke should have the leisure and dignity befitting their status.”
“Can you afford to be leisurely when the celestial constellations are trying to bring about the apocalypse?”
At the mention of the celestial constellations, Mephistopheles frowned, looking at Zeke. Zeke shook his head and continued.
“The guardians of the apocalypse have awakened. It wasn’t through normal means, but it can be seen as a sign that the end is near.”
If all the angels of the thirteen constellations created by the primordial light were to awaken, civilization would reset, and the current time would become mere fragments of forgotten history.
Mephistopheles dispelled the wine glass and looked at Zeke.
“What did the arrogant savior tell you, Zeke Draker?”
Zeke hesitated before speaking.
“He told me to absorb the power of the demon king and break the wheel of fate.”
Mephistopheles’ eyes widened at his words.
“Absorb the power of the demon king?”
The arrogant savior had proposed a different path, not the descent or revival of the demon king that others had pursued.
Zeke watched Mephistopheles’ reaction closely, ready to strike if he made any unexpected moves.
‘This place is practically his domain. But if I unleash the purgatory I received from Satan and draw him in…’
As he pondered his strategy, Mephistopheles suddenly began to clap.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Rising from his seat with a satisfied expression, he spoke to Zeke.
“As expected of the arrogant savior. It’s a brilliant plan.”
Despite Mephistopheles’ positive words, Zeke remained cautious, watching his every move.
But there was no sign of an impending attack.
Mephistopheles addressed the wary Zeke.
“Zeke Draker, you know, the other archdukes won’t be as fond of the arrogant savior’s plan as I am.”
Zeke nodded at his words.
“I know. If anyone opposes, I’ll crush them. I’ve heard the demon realm follows the strong.”
Mephistopheles looked incredulous at Zeke’s confidence.
“Ha! Zeke Draker, do you really think you can overpower the other archdukes?”
“Why not?”
Their words, not exactly friendly, hung in the air as they stared each other down.
Rumble!
A powerful aura clashed between them, sending ripples through the surroundings.
As the tension mounted, Zeke prepared to draw his sword at a moment’s notice.
But then, Mephistopheles withdrew his aura, scratching his neck and shivering slightly.
“Ah, I can’t help it. I get excited without realizing it.”
He calmed himself, then smiled warmly at Zeke.
“Zeke Draker, I’ll convene the archduke meeting as you wish. There, we’ll proclaim you the new lord of the demon realm and declare the material world as your domain.”
With Zeke as the lord of the demon realm, declaring the material world as his domain would prevent other demon lords’ subordinates from entering it freely.
Zeke looked at Mephistopheles, surprised by the unexpected offer.
“And what do you want in return?”
Mephistopheles grinned.
“Pandemonium wants exclusive rights to trade with the material world.”
“Exclusive trade rights? If you think I’ll trade human souls…”
Mephistopheles shook his head.
“The demon realm is a barren place. Besides human souls, goods from the material world are of great help to us.”
Currently, free exchange between the material world and the demon realm was impossible.
But if Zeke, as a lord, declared the material world his domain, it would facilitate smoother exchanges than before.
Zeke considered Mephistopheles’ proposal and nodded.
“That condition is acceptable.”
“Good, then we have a deal.”
He smiled.
“It’ll take some time to contact the archdukes. I’ll arrange a room for you to rest in the meantime.”
With a wave of Mephistopheles’ hand, the study transformed back into the pool area where Zeke had first arrived.
Beside him stood the delicate-looking maid who had initially guided him.
“I’ll escort you to your room, honored guest.”
As Zeke prepared to follow the maid out of the pool area, he heard a loud laugh behind him and turned.
[Hahaha! So, as I was saying, I led the knights…]
Arataso was at the bar, sipping a cocktail and regaling the automatons with tales of valor.
Zeke watched Arataso for a moment, then snapped his fingers.
Sssss―
Arataso reverted to his sword form.
With Zeke’s power now unleashed, the sword had transformed from a green blade to the Dawn Blade, glowing with a reddish-gold hue.
‘What is this all of a sudden?’
Zeke responded to Arataso’s indignant voice in his mind.
‘You seemed to be having quite the time.’
‘Hmph, what do you mean?’
‘You were about to switch sides entirely.’
With that, Zeke tightened his grip on the sword.
‘Ow! Stop! Stop!’
Zeke guided the distressed Arataso to their room, following the maid’s lead.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
Mephistopheles stood in a dimly lit room, a wine glass in hand. Surrounding him were four mirrors, each reflecting a different angle of his presence. As the mirrors shimmered, dark figures began to emerge from within.
Gazing at the entities within the mirrors, Mephistopheles spoke, “I trust you’ve all been well.”
The figures revealed themselves to be none other than the archdukes, the rulers of the demon realm.
In the east lay the Abyss, where the
Mephistopheles himself was the master of Pandemonium, the largest and most prosperous domain in the demon realm.
The archdukes in the mirrors sneered at him.
[Mephistopheles, still as insufferable as ever.]
[I’d crush you if I could.]
[Why have you summoned us?]
With a sly grin, Mephistopheles raised his wine glass. “A human who has inherited the soul of the Arrogant Savior wishes to attend the archdukes’ council.”
The shadows of the other archdukes flickered at his words.
[The Arrogant Savior! A human has inherited the soul of that cursed tyrant?]
[Impossible!]
The
As Mephistopheles remained unfazed, the
Mephistopheles shrugged. “Plotting? You’re mistaken.”
The
Then, the
His words incited the
[Nonsense! It’s mine! I’ll twist that feeble human’s neck and devour the soul!]
[Fool! If you swallow that soul, I’ll consume both it and yours!]
[Try if you dare!]
As the two archdukes raised their voices, Mephistopheles’s eyes glowed a deep violet, his power resonating through the mirrors.
The archdukes fell silent, subdued by the overwhelming strength of Mephistopheles, the most powerful demon lord among them.
Once the commotion subsided, he spoke slowly, his voice icy. “You’re all spouting nonsense.”
Mephistopheles continued, his tone cold and calculating. “I intend to use the Arrogant Savior’s successor to resurrect Babel.”