Chapter 359
[How dare you! If you pull a stunt like that, do you think our Four Kings’ Castle will just stand by and do nothing?]
“You never intended to stay quiet in the first place, did you? Even if I kept my head down, you were planning to kill me anyway.”
Exactly.
Chris was acting recklessly because he knew the Four Kings’ Castle would never leave him alone. He was striking first, taking the initiative.
‘I have to set the stage in my favor.’
That was why he was doing all this.
He had to control every situation from start to finish.
Only then could he bring down the Four Kings’ Castle.
“And don’t worry. If I kill all of you, there won’t be any evidence left. Everyone will just assume you were taken out by some unknown assailant.”
[Ha. That’s laughable. No matter how good you think you are, you’re no match for all of us combined.]
There were two 7-star Liches here, along with a considerable number of high-ranking 5- and 6-star demons.
An overwhelming force, no doubt.
But—
“You still don’t get it, do you? I’m not the same Mahwi as before.”
A gray aura suddenly spread around him.
It was a smoky, ash-colored magic, mimicking dark magic.
[!!]
The Liches hesitated at the ominous energy, and Chris declared coldly:
“Go ahead and get a head start on hell. I’ll be sending plenty of friends your way soon.”
The fight didn’t last long.
Just as he said, this was no longer the Chris they knew.
No one but an 8-star could stand against him now.
Though they won overwhelmingly, the group’s expressions were grim.
They had gone too far this time.
Even if they could overlook the secret ambush on the Four Kings’ Castle’s forces until now, this crossed a line—no, it shattered it.
Alos barely said a word, and Marisa and Kashmir looked pale.
“…Are you out of your mind?”
“I’m fine.”
“Fine? After what you just did? There’s no way you’re fine!”
“That’s right, Your Highness. Given the circumstances, shouldn’t we return to the Dark Alliance? If the Four Kings’ Castle chases us, I’ll gladly give my life to hold them off!”
“No! I don’t want to die like this!”
As everyone panicked, suddenly, unexpected applause echoed.
“As expected of my closest friend! So bold and spirited! Well done! You’ve truly relieved my mind.”
Turning around, they saw a breathtakingly beautiful girl with blood-red hair.
It was Idryne!
“…The Grand Princess of the Blood Sword Clan? What do you mean by that?”
“Weren’t they all enemies anyway? So it’s only natural to kill them all when the chance arises. The war has already begun, after all. It’s their fault for letting their guard down.”
Unlike the foolish friend she used to be, Idryne spoke with cold clarity.
She was one of the absolute demons reigning over the hell of the Four Kings’ Castle.
“But you did act a bit hastily. The Curse Clan and the Commander Clan were already trying to keep you in check, but now they’ll come at you even more openly.”
“That’s exactly what I wanted.”
“Hmm?”
Idryne tilted her head, then her eyes widened.
“Don’t tell me… you’re trying to anger the Curse and Commander Clans on purpose?”
Chris nodded as if confirming it.
“Yes. That way, an even bigger bait will be caught.”
He went on to explain.
“They’re underestimating me right now. I plan to inflict the greatest possible damage on them.”
Right.
The Four Kings’ Castle was complacent.
They were only thinking about crushing Chris, not considering that they might be the ones who’d get hurt.
‘But that won’t last long.’
Before that, he intended to provoke them and deal a fatal blow.
Chris revealed his specific goal.
“The Four Kings’ Castle will no longer be able to use the titles of the Four Kings and the Three Abysses.”
He was declaring the death of the highest-ranking 8-star demons of the Four Kings’ Castle.
Whether the Four Kings’ Castle deliberately pulled back their forces or not, they arrived without further incident.
The massive, desolate gates of the Death Castle opened, and inside, a heavy silence greeted them.
“Why is no one here?”
Kashmir frowned.
Regardless of their personal feelings, they had come as representatives of the Dark Alliance, carrying the Demon King’s orders—but no one had come to greet them.
Only cold, hostile stares lingered from the streets.
“Well, I guess they don’t want to welcome us. Doesn’t matter.”
It felt like a warning.
That they were soon to meet death.
As they walked through the castle, a suffocating aura of hostility pressed down on them.
The entire fortress seemed to oppose their presence.
Alos, Kashmir, and Marisa’s faces hardened.
Only Christian and Idryne remained calm.
“It’s alright. Don’t worry too much. If anything happens, I’ll protect you with my life! Friends risk their lives for each other. For friendship, life is nothing!”
“…Enough with the elementary school academy talk. Let’s head to the base assigned to us first.”
Whether Dark Alliance or Four Kings’ Castle, they had agreed to establish separate bases within certain territories.
Their base was deep inside the Four Kings’ Castle.
‘Right in the heart. No chance of escape.’
It didn’t matter.
Once you set foot in the Four Kings’ Castle, you had only two choices: die or bring it down.
‘At least they prepared a decent mansion. Not bad.’
Chris smiled slyly.
“Idryne, can I ask you a favor?”
“Anything! I’m ready for whatever it is!”
“…No need to overdo it. Could you just bring some drinks?”
Everyone’s eyes went wide.
Chris grinned.
“We’ve come all this way; we should rest a bit. Everyone’s worked hard. Let’s have a proper drinking party for old times’ sake.”
And so, the real operation to trap the Four Kings’ Castle began.
Meanwhile, at the heart of the Four Kings’ Castle, in the Tower of the Four Kings.
Drenne, the Deputy Lord of the Commander Clan, listened with narrowed eyes.
“What is that bastard doing now?”
“…Throwing a drinking party.”
“…That damn bastard.”
Anger radiated from Drenne like a chilling death aura.
‘There’s a limit to how much you can mock our Four Kings’ Castle.’
They couldn’t attack while he was at the base—it would be a direct violation of the Demon King’s orders.
He knew that, which was why he was acting so brazenly.
‘There’s a limit to how much you can insult me.’
The current lord of the Four Kings’ Castle and the head of the Curse Clan were still recovering from injuries sustained in the recent war with the Dark Alliance, so they were in seclusion.
Thus, Drenne was in charge now, and every time Chris insulted them, it felt like a personal disgrace.
‘There will be plenty of chances to strike him later. I won’t let him die peacefully.’
“Keep him under strict surveillance. Report immediately if he leaves the base.”
“Yes, my lord!”
Then, suddenly, an urgent voice came through.
[Deputy Lord, we have a serious problem.]
Drenne looked puzzled.
The messenger was Rockefeller, an 8-star Arch Lich.
One of the Four Kings.
[A sudden crack has appeared in the underground seal!]
“What?”
Drenne’s expression stiffened.
It was the seal that bound the Silver Snow Demon Lord.
‘Why?’
Chris Christian was not the problem here.
If the Silver Snow Demon Lord were to be released, a catastrophic disaster would follow.
Rushing to the seal site, Drenne frowned.
“Why is the seal damaged?”
It was strange.
The crack wasn’t natural.
Someone had tampered with it.
‘But who?’
Since Chris had ransacked the seal site recently, the Four Kings had been taking turns guarding it thoroughly.
‘Could it be…?’
Drenne asked.
“Did Chris Christian enter here by any chance?”
[Absolutely not. I was watching with my own eyes. Not even a rat got in.]
Drenne fell silent.
No matter who he was, it was impossible to evade the watchful eyes of an 8-star Arch Lich and pull off such a trick.
Besides, wasn’t he throwing a drinking party right now?
‘Then why these cracks?’
With no answer, Drenne returned to the Tower of the Four Kings.
“Increase surveillance on him!”
“Yes, my lord!”
The demons of the Four Kings’ Castle swarmed around the base.
Not a single insect could slip through.
But Chris paid no mind and continued his drinking party.
“Still throwing a party today?”
“…More like he takes one sip and passes out. He’s terribly weak to alcohol. I don’t understand why he even bothers.”
Drenne scowled.
She had no idea what he was thinking.
Then, another urgent message came.
[…Another crack has appeared in the seal.]
“Again?”
Drenne’s face hardened like stone.
She rushed to the seal site and found a new crack.
‘This one’s worse than before.’
The seal itself was still intact.
But if this happened again, no one could guarantee what would happen.
“Are you sure no one entered? Are you really watching properly?”
The Arch Lich Rockefeller answered with displeasure.
[Absolutely. Do you doubt my eyes?]
Drenne frowned deeply.
No matter that she was the Fourth Seat of the Four Kings and the deputy lord of the Death Spirit Maga, she couldn’t afford to treat the Archlich lightly.
“Damn it. What the hell is going on?”
At that moment—
The sealed chamber, where Eunsul’s Demon King was trapped inside a transparent coffin, showed a faint movement.
His eyes opened, and he fixed his gaze steadily on Drenne.
“!!”
Drenne swallowed hard.
‘Why is he moving all of a sudden?’
Eunsul’s Demon King had been in a catatonic state for quite some time, and now, unexpectedly, his eyes opened.
But that wasn’t all.
A faint, chilling smile curved on the Demon King’s lips as he looked at Drenne.
Drenne swallowed again.
A cold shiver ran down his spine.
‘…A deathly smile.’
It was the kind of smile the Demon King reserved for his enemies.
No one who had ever seen that smile had lived to tell the tale.
As if it had been a lie that his eyes had opened, they slowly closed again, and he slipped back into his catatonia.
But Drenne couldn’t calm his trembling hands.
—You will meet death.
It was as if the Demon King had spoken those words directly.
‘Damn it. I can’t just stand by any longer.’
A sense of foreboding settled over him.
There was still time before the Four Kings and the Wraith returned.
But something terrible felt like it was about to happen before then.
Back at the Four Kings’ Tower, Drenne barked orders in a rough voice.
“We’re heading to the Dark Alliance’s stronghold.”
“Are you going yourself?”
“Yes. I’m going personally.”
Ignoring the startled looks of his subordinates, Drenne set off with heavy steps.
‘I can’t just watch this unfold.’
The stronghold was right next to the Four Kings’ Tower.
Drenne arrived at the base where Christian was stationed.