Chapter 429
Chapter 429
Chapter 429
"ARGHHHHHH!"
Abel let out a maddened scream and lunged toward the cage where Zeke was imprisoned, swinging his fist.
CRASH!
The sturdy cage completely crumpled from a single punch.
"Zeke, Zeke Draker..."
Abel glared at Zeke inside the cage with gleaming eyes, drooling viscously.
Zeke, bound in chains, kept his head down without moving despite Abel's outburst.
As Abel tried to enter the distorted cage to grab Zeke, Ropocale approached and stopped him.
"Now, now, Your Majesty. Please be patient. There will be plenty of time to torture Zeke Draker."
After barely pulling Abel away from the cage, Ropocale gave a signal with his eyes toward Azmund.
When Azmund pulled on the device attached to the cage, the iron bars rose up and the prison opened.
He pulled on the chains connected to the cage, and as if that was a signal, Zeke slowly stood up and faced Abel.
Abel's eyes flashed with madness as he looked at Zeke.
Though he seemed like he wanted to pounce immediately, he appeared to barely hold back at Ropocale's restraint.
That's when Zeke, bound in chains, slowly raised his head.
In that instant, a sword sprang from Zeke's hand.
Immediately after stabbing Abel's heart with the sword, Zeke met Abel's eyes.
SQUELCH!
Sticky blue blood flowed from where Zeke had stabbed with his sword.
Seeing this, Zeke looked at Azmund beside him and said in a low voice:
"...So you're not Abel."
At the same time, Azmund shouted.
"Ropocale! Now!"
Upon receiving the signal, Ropocale activated the magic circle installed on the throne room floor.
WHOOSH!
The demonic language inscribed along the pillars of the throne room began emitting an eerie light.
WHIIII!
When Ropocale's demonic barrier activated, Zeke felt as if his entire body was weighed down by iron.
RUMBLE!
Despite receiving enormous pressure, Zeke forcibly endured and remained standing, causing Ropocale to shake his head upon seeing this.
'Such a tenacious bastard. This level of pressure would immobilize even an upper-rank demon warrior.'
Clicking his tongue internally, he raised his staff to strengthen the barrier's power.
The pressure crushing Zeke's body grew even stronger.
Watching this from the side, Azmund spoke to Ropocale:
"Don't let your guard down! Remember that this guy rendered even the barrier Fritz had prepared useless!"
RUMBLE!
The pressure crushing Zeke's entire body grew even stronger.
Ropocale was pouring all his available power into the barrier to completely restrain Zeke.
But then.
HISS!
Zeke's kneeling body transformed into shadows and scattered.
While Ropocale and Azmund were caught off guard, Zeke was already standing behind them holding Bahamut.
"For a trap set by a devious schemer and a fallen one working together, this is quite petty."
At that moment, Azmund snapped his fingers.
"Now!"
CLANK!
Suddenly, black chains shot out from the ceiling and floor and began wrapping around Zeke's body.
Seeing Zeke completely bound by the chains, Ropocale smiled and said:
"Zeke Draker, we already knew you would notice our trap. We expected you would escape somehow at least once."
Zeke assessed the current situation while listening to Azmund's meaningful words. Soon he realized the true nature of the chains binding his body.
'Sealing chains?'
They were the same as the eastern black chains he had used to seal Nebilos.
TING!
When Zeke tried to break free from the chains, these chains that could bind even souls did not break so easily.
CRACKLE!
Zeke generated lightning, but the attacks all dispersed along the chains.
Azmund carefully observed Zeke bound by the chains.
"So it was true that these chains could restrain Zeke Draker."
Zeke glared at Ropocale while pulling at the chains binding his body.
"You filthy dark Mage. Release this at once!"
Ropocale smiled at Zeke's roar and replied:
"HEHEHE, as if I would. This is a very precious item imported from the Eastern Continent. These are chains created when successors on the brink of death offer their souls to dragons to create an unbreakable link passed down to their heirs. The chains grow longer with each passing generation. Can you guess how long the chains binding you are?"
Even Zeke didn't know that the chains from the Eastern Continent were made in such a way.
Seeing Zeke bound by the chains looking bewildered, Ropocale smiled with satisfaction.
"Now that we've captured the Knight of Salvation, our primary objective has been achieved. Well done, Corps Commander Azmund."
At those words, Azmund looked at Ropocale and said:
"Thank you for your hard work, Ropocale. Then I shall transfer Zeke Draker."
Ropocale shook his head and blocked the way in response to Azmund's words.
"Look here, Corps Commander. I set up this barrier and caught Zeke Draker. Naturally, the ownership rights belong to me."
Azmund shook his head at Ropocale's words.
"Zeke Draker will be the cornerstone for the Rom Empire's new revival. Ropocale, please help ensure the empire's peace and prosperity."
As Azmund spoke and tried to approach Zeke, Ropocale raised his hand.
The Imperial Palace Guard Knights standing behind him drew their swords and blocked Azmund.
Seeing this, Azmund's eyes narrowed.
"If you're going to be like this, I have no choice, Ropocale."
Aura slowly began rising from his body.
In response to Azmund's reaction, the Crab Palace knights who were waiting behind also stepped forward and stood right behind Azmund.
A conflict had broken out between Azmund and Ropocale over the captured Zeke Draker.
Seeing this, Ropocale smiled wickedly.
"A mere human dares to face me?"
From the beginning, Ropocale had planned to deal with Azmund during this opportunity as well.
Although he had no choice but to work together this time to catch Zeke Draker, he couldn't predict what kind of scheme this cunning strategist might use to stab him in the back.
Ropocale gave orders to the Imperial Palace Guard Knights.
"Kill Azmund Varios!"
The Imperial Palace Guard Knights who heard his order quickly rushed at Azmund.
That's when Azmund drew the sword from his back.
WHOOM!
An ominous energy flowed from his sword with its pitch-black, thick blade.
Even Ropocale was startled upon seeing the sword Azmund held.
'This energy is...?'
A sinister energy surged as red light flickered in Azmund's eyes as he held the sword.
In that state, he stepped forward and swung the sword in his hand.
CRASH!
With just one swing of the sword, all the approaching Imperial Palace Guard Knights were swept away.
It was like watching a giant sweeping away with a greatsword.
BOOM!
Seeing the Imperial Palace Guard Knights embedded in the throne room wall from Azmund's single strike, Ropocale showed a bewildered expression.
'What is that...?'
Though it didn't seem like the power of a constellation, a power comparable to it resided within Azmund's sword.
Azmund slowly approached Ropocale while holding the sword.
"Ropocale... no, there's no need to keep up the act anymore. You filthy demon. The game ends here."
Azmund already knew that he wasn't human but a demon.
Ropocale stepped back and said to Azmund:
"You cunning human. So you already knew my true identity."
Ropocale, who had been disguised as a human, removed his disguise and revealed his true form.
A demon with pitch-black eyes, purple hair, and blue skin appeared.
Azmund raised his sword at Ropocale.
"I can no longer watch demons like you defile the great Rom Empire's royal family."
"HAHAHA! You knew I was a demon yet worked with me, and now you spout such nonsense!"
Laughing, Ropocale snapped his fingers.
The fallen Imperial Palace Guard Knights staggered to their feet.
At the same time, the fake Abel who had been stabbed by Zeke's sword also rose staggering.
GROWL!
The fake Abel, leaking blue blood with partially melting skin, stood behind Ropocale making beast-like sounds.
He looked at Azmund's sword and said:
"That seems to be no ordinary sword... did Ramon Jimenes give it to you?"
When Ropocale waved his staff, black energy rose from the barrier installed in the throne room.
That energy seeped into the bodies of the Imperial Palace Guard Knights and the fake Abel.
RUMBLE!
The knights' eyes changed to become like those of beasts after absorbing the black energy.
GROWL!
The knights who had lost their reason and the fake Abel rushed at Azmund.
WHOOSH!
As Azmund stepped back, the Crab Palace knights who had rushed forward drew their swords and charged at the Imperial Guard Knights.
CRASH!
The Crab Palace knights blocked the Imperial Guard Knights with their shields and thrust their swords through the gaps.
The swords possessed by the Crab Palace knights must not have been ordinary either, as they pierced through the Imperial Guard Knights' armor without difficulty.
SQUELCH!
Blue blood spurted from the bodies of the Guard Knights pierced by the swords.
At first, the Crab Palace knights seemed to be pushing back the Guard Knights affected by dark magic. But soon something strange began to happen.
No matter how many times they were stabbed, the Guard Knights wouldn't fall.
GROWL!
Even while bleeding blue blood, the Guard Knights under dark magic didn't retreat and forcibly pushed against the Crab Palace knights.
Observing the situation, Azmund shouted:
"Take out your maces and crush their heads!"
Being a strategist, Azmund quickly figured out how to deal with the enemy and ordered his knights.
The knights held their shields while putting away their swords and drawing the maces from their backs.
WHOOSH!
One of the knights closest to a Guard Knight swung his steel-reinforced mace hard at the Guard Knights' heads.
CRUNCH!
The Guard Knights hit by the mace fell to the ground with a loud noise.
Seeing this, the other knights also swung their maces to fend off the Guard Knights.
Just as they were feeling relieved thinking they had dealt with them, the fallen Guard Knights began to twitch and try to rise again.
"GRRRR!"
The Crab Palace knights couldn't help but be horrified at the sight of the Guard Knights getting up again while spewing blue foam.
"Commander! They won't stay down!"
Azmund furrowed his brow as he watched this.
Watching the situation, Ropocale smiled with satisfaction.
He had already implanted parasitic eggs summoned directly from the demon realm into the Palace Guard Knights' bodies.
Once the parasitic eggs completely spread through the host's body, they couldn't feel pain like this, and damaged flesh could be immediately restored.
Ropocale, not being of the warrior demon tribe, had the talent of controlling warriors to protect him using these parasites.
Ropocale smiled, pulling at the corners of his mouth as he noticed Azmund's reluctance to freely use his powerful sword.
"As expected, there must be some limitation to using that sword."
The more powerful a weapon was, the more restrictions it tended to have.
Azmund's sword, which held power comparable to a constellation, seemed to either have a limit on how many times it could be used per day or required some price to be paid.
Ropocale smiled as he pushed the back of the fake Abel, whose appearance had completely changed, and said.
"Go and tear off his neck!"
The fake Abel had transformed into a monster with compound eyes like a fly, sharp teeth and nails, and elongated limbs.
It was an experimental subject created by reviving lower demons that had been sealed in ice during the First Demon King Army's invasion and implanting them with parasites as well.
Though it had the body of a lower demon, it had been strengthened with drugs and black magic to exert power beyond that of a Red Knight.
SCREECH!
The experimental subject rushed toward Azmund and the Crab Palace knights with a terrible cry.
SLASH!
When the lower demon swung its claws in the air, the Crab Palace knights were cut down along with their shields.
"ARGH!"
The bodies and blood of Crab Palace knights scattered everywhere.
"Co-Commander!"
The knights reached out to Azmund for help, but he only watched with a cold expression.
As Ropocale had said, the sword he possessed had a time limit on how long it could be used per day.
Therefore, he had to use the sword only when absolutely necessary.
'Not yet.'
While Azmund gripped his sword looking for an opportunity, the Crab Palace knights all became corpses lying around from the experimental subject's claws.
Watching this, Ropocale approached Azmund slowly with a sinister smile.
"Azmund Varios. You die here today."
But then.
Azmund thrust the sword he was holding into the ground.
HISS!
His sword began greedily absorbing the knights' blood that had pooled on the floor.
Ropocale startled and stepped back at the grotesque sight.
'What in the world is that…?'
While Ropocale tensely kept his guard up, Azmund's sword, now full of blood, began to change shape.
CRACK!
Bizarre patterns appeared on the blade's surface, and the edge transformed into sharp teeth.
Seeing Azmund's transformed sword, Ropocale was shocked.
"That sword... could it be...?"
Blinking in disbelief, he shouted at Azmund:
"The Flesh Emperor Ajitahaka! Don't tell me Ramon Jimenes has meddled with Ajitahaka's power!"