Episode 681
Crack!
The virtual space that held memories of the past shattered, and Zeke opened his eyes.
“Where… am I?”
Zeke realized he was standing alone in a massive cavern made of fairy stones.
The Bahamut that had been glaring at him was nowhere to be seen.
“Where did it go?”
Zeke focused his senses, trying to trace the remnants of Bahamut that had been bound by chains, but he felt nothing.
It had vanished, leaving him with only confusion after showing him memories of the past.
“If Mephistopheles took Bahamut’s body, missing its fangs and heart… there might have been some deal with Terracan Draker to revive Bahamut.”
The mere presence of Bahamut’s incomplete body here was clear evidence of some transaction between the two.
Then, a thought flashed through Zeke’s mind.
“If that’s the case, Terracan Draker might have left traces of himself somewhere on this abandoned continent.”
Terracan Draker, who would do anything to revive Bahamut, had disappeared after moving to this forsaken land. It was likely he died here, unable to return to the central continent.
If his guess was correct, Terracan’s final resting place might still be here.
Having explored the abandoned continent ahead of others, Zeke hoped to find useful information or assistance.
“I need to open a gate and find Terracan’s tomb first.”
Zeke surveyed the cavern where Bahamut had been, confirming once more that there was no sign of life, and began searching for a way out.
Looking around, he lifted his head to the ceiling and felt a faint breeze from above.
It meant the exit was connected upwards.
Without hesitation, Zeke pushed off the ground and soared towards the top of the cavern.
Finding the passage, he exited the cavern, leaving it empty. Shadows that had been lurking without a trace began to stir.
Soon, the shadows moved as if being sucked away somewhere.
The cavern was now completely empty, devoid of even shadows.
Meanwhile, outside the canyon, a group of people was bustling about.
Atop a tower summoned by Yekaterina, Anastasia was sweating as she meticulously drew a magic circle.
“Why… why am I doing this?”
As soon as she regained consciousness, she had to prepare to summon the Erosion Fortress.
The problem was that the abandoned continent had unstable magic, unlike the normal world, requiring her to draw a complex magic circle to summon the fortress.
Normally, Anastasia, who disliked tedious tasks and preferred doing only what she enjoyed, would never have quietly worked on such a boring task. But the situation left her no choice.
Asmodeus, one of the demon lords, was watching her closely from behind, ensuring she did it properly.
Even the notoriously reckless Anastasia, known as the wild princess of the demon realm, wasn’t bold enough to defy Asmodeus, the ruler of Gehenna.
Suppressing her displeasure, Anastasia diligently drew the magic circle, while Elizabeta and Yekaterina watched with amusement.
“To think I’d see our youngest working hard on a magic circle. I’m proud as your sister.”
At Elizabeta’s words, Yekaterina nodded in agreement.
“She looks quite fitting, crouched over drawing that circle. Perhaps she should consider joining our unit as a mage.”
Anastasia gritted her teeth at their teasing.
“Ugh, get lost while I’m still being nice.”
Elizabeta grinned at her threat.
“Oh, really? Even though I’m kindly checking your magic circle? It’s wrong there, by the way.”
Anastasia’s forehead throbbed with a vein at Elizabeta’s comment.
“Damn it.”
Though anger boiled within her, she couldn’t ignore the words of Elizabeta, one of the greatest mages in the demon realm, so she grudgingly checked the spot again.
Just then, Asmodeus, who had been standing with arms crossed, spoke up.
“Is it done yet?”
Startled, Anastasia quickly replied.
“J-just a little more. I’m sorry, my lord.”
Knowing Asmodeus’s reputation for cruelty, Anastasia couldn’t help but be tense.
After all, it was Asmodeus’s power that had healed and awakened her, making him someone she couldn’t easily defy.
Moreover, when he forcibly pulled her soul from the abyss to regain consciousness, Anastasia had experienced excruciating pain as if her soul was being torn apart.
Fearing that defying Asmodeus might lead to such agony again, Anastasia obediently followed his orders.
In truth, Asmodeus himself was deeply conflicted as he watched Anastasia draw the magic circle.
“Why am I doing this here…?”
Bound to Zeke and brought here to assist in summoning the Erosion Fortress, Asmodeus still struggled to relinquish his dignity as a grand demon lord.
Being in a position where he had to mingle with demons in this place was quite unsettling for him.
“Zeke Draker. Once the contract with the demon lord ends… I’ll repay this humiliation.”
But for now, he had no choice but to follow Zeke’s orders.
Asmodeus steeled his resolve, watching Anastasia draw the magic circle with sharp eyes.
Under Asmodeus’s watchful gaze, Anastasia managed to complete the magic circle, sweating profusely.
“It’s… it’s done.”
Having drawn the large magic circle all by herself, Anastasia reported with an exhausted and haggard face.
Seeing this, Asmodeus spoke to her in a dry tone.
“Then summon the Erosion Fortress.”
Startled, Anastasia asked, “R-right now?”
Having just finished the magic circle and drained of energy, being told to immediately summon the fortress, which required a significant amount of magic, left her flustered.
But the demon lord wasn’t one to consider such circumstances.
“Is there a problem?”
His tone suggested that if there was a problem, he would ensure there wasn’t one.
If she claimed she couldn’t do it due to exhaustion, Asmodeus would likely use his power to forcibly inject energy, restoring her strength.
While effective, it would undoubtedly come with great pain, so Anastasia rolled her eyes and shook her head.
“No, of course not. I’ll start the summoning right away.”
Anastasia moved to the center of the magic circle.
Taking a deep breath, she began channeling magic into the circle.
Woooom!
The magic circle reacted to Anastasia’s power, glowing brightly.
Though the magic circle stabilized the magic, the abandoned continent’s unique nature caused the magic to surge and backflow.
“Ugh!”
Already drained from drawing the magic circle, the backflow of magic made Anastasia feel faint, as if she might lose consciousness.
Just as she was about to collapse, she felt a heavy flow of magic entering her from behind.
“What is this?”
Glancing back, she saw Yekaterina channeling her magic to Anastasia.
Elizabeta was using her magic to stabilize the magic circle’s power.
Feeling her mind clear, Anastasia saw the two who had been teasing her now helping, and she muttered under her breath.
“Tch, not like them to be so…”
Though she grumbled inwardly, with Yekaterina and Elizabeta’s help, she could proceed with the summoning more stably.
Rumble!
The concentrated magic in the circle shot upwards, striking the lower part of Elizabeta’s floating fortress.
A magic amplifier installed there absorbed the magic, splitting into six beams that descended into the canyon below.
Boom!
With the descending beams, changes began from the canyon’s depths.
The spot where the tower stood rose, and ordinary rocks began to transform.
Crack!
The entire rocky mountain of the canyon was turning into Anastasia’s Erosion Fortress.
Jagged peaks became towers, and solid rocks turned into walls.
At the center of the rising fortress stood Yekaterina’s tower, and a pillar descended from the lower part of Elizabeta’s floating fortress, connecting with the upper part of the tower.
Rumble!
With the three princesses’ fortresses combined, a city emerged in an instant.
Boom!
Having completed the summoning of the Erosion Fortress, Anastasia collapsed on the spot, utterly spent.
“Ugh, I can’t move even if you kill me now.”
Asmodeus, satisfied with the completed fortress city, nodded and spoke to Elizabeta.
“The fortress summoning is complete. So, you’re setting up the gate here to bring in the human army?”
Asmodeus spoke, and Elizabeta nodded in agreement.
“Yes, my lord. Once the
Her voice trailed off as she turned her gaze elsewhere, sensing something unusual approaching.
Looking down, she saw a swarm of dark beasts converging on the fortress.
Yekaterina gritted her teeth and raised her sword.
“Those damn beasts are charging again.”
Just as she was about to lead the Tuma tribe into battle, Asmodeus raised a hand to stop her.
“Wait.”
His eyes, serious and focused, detected a different presence approaching, not just the beast horde.
He raised his hand toward the sky in front of the fortress.
A strange sound filled the air, and a shimmering mirage appeared.
Suddenly, as if a veil had been lifted, countless warships materialized in the sky.
The sails of these ships bore the emblem of a sword and sun.
Asmodeus and the princesses’ expressions darkened at the sight.
“The Apollyon Knights…”
They had been briefed on the current state of the world, including the identity of the Apollyon Knights.
And now, those very knights were leading the beast horde to destroy their fortress.
Asmodeus clenched his jaw and turned to Elizabeta.
“Activate the fortress’s defense barrier immediately. Alert the guardians placed by the
Before he could finish, explosions erupted from the warships above.
A barrage of magical projectiles rained down on the fortress.
Elizabeta quickly raised her staff.
A deep hum resonated as the fortress’s defensive shield activated in response to her signal.
The incoming projectiles exploded against the barrier, scattering in mid-air.
Despite the shield, the impact was so intense that the entire canyon shook.
Yekaterina glared fiercely at the warships.
“Those bastards dare…”
She raised her sword and shouted.
“Prepare the main cannon and blast those bastards out of the sky!”
In response to her command, a massive magical eye emerged from the tower’s center.
A powerful surge of magic gathered, and a concentrated magic cannon fired at the warships.
The moment the cannon was unleashed, the warships in the sky began to fade, as if turning into ghosts.
The magic cannon passed through them harmlessly, as if they weren’t there at all.
Once the cannon had passed, the warships returned to their solid form.
Yekaterina erupted in frustration.
“Damn it! I’ll lead the troops myself and wipe them out…”
A loud crash interrupted her from below the fortress.
The beasts were hurling themselves against the barrier, trying to break through.