Chapter 474
Chapter 474
Chapter 474
There is a common misconception that demons, being a race bound by contracts, cannot lie.
However, this was an incorrect assumption.
Demons do keep their contracts.
The problem is that one must keep in mind that the contract itself could have been flawed from the beginning.
This was exactly such a case.
Seeing Zeke's expression harden, Anastasia smiled.
"Hmm? Why that expression? I haven't said anything incorrect."
"I'm not interested in wordplay. If you're truly the Demon Realm Princess, keep your promise."
At those words, Anastasia clutched her stomach and laughed again.
"HAAAH! Zeke, I must have been too kind to you. That's why a lowly human like you dares to speak to me this way."
In that moment, Anastasia's eyes blazed red.
KUGUUGUGUGU!
The arena where Zeke stood began to crack from the force she emitted, and the entire Invasion Fortress started to shake.
The demons in the spectator seats panicked and screamed.
"Lady Anastasia is upset!"
"We need to run away quickly!"
Because of her capricious personality that could change dozens of times even on normal days, one had to be mindful of her mood to properly preserve their life.
However, Zeke stood proudly in place, his posture completely unfazed by Anastasia's pressure.
Seeing this, Anastasia burst into maniacal laughter again and said:
"You lowly human knight. I really don't understand what makes you act so bold."
As she spoke sharply and raised her hand, the entire arena rose upward until it was level with Anastasia on the stage.
Shaking her head while looking at Zeke with his sharp gaze, Anastasia said:
"From the moment you entered this domain, resistance against me became impossible. I am an absolute being within this Invasion Fortress's domain."
KWADEUDEUDEUK!
Dozens of chess golems surrounded Zeke, including Knights on horseback, Rooks wielding massive shields, and Bishops holding long spears.
This was a powerful golem knight order created by combining the power of the Invasion Fortress with Anastasia's puppetry ability.
Anastasia grinned at Zeke.
"If you kneel now and offer your soul to me, I'll cherish you for a long, long time along with Nigel."
Hearing those words, Zeke drew his holy sword Ascalon as if no more words were needed.
WOOOONG!
Seeing Ascalon containing the power of brilliant light, Anastasia furrowed her brow.
"Even though you know it's futile, you still struggle... If you want to bring punishment upon yourself, so be it."
When she snapped her fingers, the chess golems charged at Zeke.
KWAKWAKWAKWA!
The Knights, Bishops, and Rooks rushed in from all directions, swinging their weapons at Zeke.
Even as the attacks approached right next to him, Zeke stood still holding his sword, and it seemed like his body would be crushed by the chess golems at any moment.
However, the charging chess golems suddenly stopped in place as if their bodies had frozen.
Anastasia, who had been controlling the chess golems with her puppetry ability, could only be bewildered when her commands suddenly stopped working.
'W-What is this?'
Anastasia quickly tried to activate her ability again, but no matter how much she tried to move the golems, it didn't work.
But then Zeke raised his hand.
CHAK!
The golems began to move in perfect unison following his gesture.
Seeing this, Anastasia's jaw dropped.
"N-No... How is this possible?"
Zeke extended his hand and commanded the golems to attack Anastasia.
The chess golems began charging toward the stage where Anastasia, their creator, stood.
KWAKWAKWAKWAKWA!
Anastasia's eyes wavered for a moment seeing this, but she soon gestured toward the golems.
SHHHHHHH!
The chess golems turned to dust and scattered at her gesture.
Anastasia glared at Zeke through the remnants of the disappearing golems.
"You mere human..."
Just now, Zeke had used the Authority of Control that he had absorbed from Taotie, one of the Four Fiends, to move Anastasia's golems.
Zeke pointed Ascalon at Anastasia and said:
"Hand over my master. Otherwise, you will deeply regret it."
To those words, Anastasia looked down at Zeke and said:
"Oh, will I really?"
She snapped her fingers again with a sharp sound.
The barrier separating the spectator seats and the arena disappeared.
The demons who had been watching from the spectator seats until just moments ago leaped down toward the arena while letting out horrifying screams.
GEOOOOOOH!
KWAAAAAAH!
Hundreds of demons screaming war cries gathered around Zeke.
Anastasia looked at Zeke and said:
"I'll make you special - instead of killing you, I'll preserve you alive by my side and cherish you."
Watching the demons charging toward him, Zeke slowly raised Ascalon.
KWAAAAH!
Just as the demons were about to pounce on Zeke to tear him apart.
PAJIJIJIK!
Zeke fully raised the holy sword Ascalon above his head and released radiant light upward.
Seeing this, the demons thought light lightning would strike them and momentarily stopped to back away, but nothing happened.
Anastasia shouted at the demons:
"He's just buying time! Charge in and tear his limbs apart right now!"
GEUREUREURU!
At Anastasia's command, the demons surged toward Zeke again.
Then Zeke opened his mouth to address the demons.
"Well then, come at me!"
HUUUNG!
This time Zeke swung Ascalon toward the demons for real.
KWAKWAKWAKWA!
Radiant waves of light energy spread out from the holy sword, and the demons' bodies caught fire where it touched them.
"KYAAAARGH!"
The demons wailed from pain beyond imagination.
Right after the first attack, Zeke raised Ascalon and spread his Will of Light.
WOOOONG!
A massive curtain of light spread out, and demons who entered its domain trembled in agony.
"KEOHEOEOEOEK!"
For beings possessing demon energy, mere exposure to the domain of the Will of Light was sufficiently lethal.
The subordinates who received power directly from constellations rather than demon energy could relatively escape the destructive power of the Will of Light.
They endured the pain and raised their sharp claws as they charged at Zeke.
KAAAAK!
Powerful claws imbued with fighting spirit struck down forcefully as if to tear Zeke's body to shreds.
But before they could touch his body, Zeke's shadow rippled and black blades shot out to pierce through the demons' bodies.
SHUSHUSHUSHUSHUK!
The charging demons' bodies were instantly dismembered and fell to the ground.
Seeing this, Anastasia ground her teeth and shouted:
"Damn it! Catch that lowly human bastard! Kill him right now!"
Then black crow demons spread their wings in the sky and flew down toward the arena.
KAAAAAAK!
Along with the ominous cries of the murder of crows, spears imbued with demon energy rained down from the sky.
SHWIIIIK!
Zeke crouched and raised his Shadow Armor to block the spears pouring down from above.
Then he raised the holy sword Ascalon and shot brilliant light up toward the sky again.
PAJIJIJIK!
As lightning of light spread in all directions, the crow demons in the sky fell to the ground half-burned.
PUEOEK!
KUNG!
Watching Zeke not getting pushed back at all despite being surrounded by numerous enemies, Anastasia ground her teeth.
'That damned bastard...'
From what she could see, even if hundreds of mid and low-rank demons rushed in, they wouldn't be able to stop Zeke alone.
Anastasia reluctantly decided to call in her subordinates stationed at the front.
But then unexpected news came from her subordinates.
[A vampire legion suddenly appeared here! KUUUK! The leader commanding the legion is a Royal Vampire!]
[It's the Beast Tribe! The Beast Tribe suddenly came down from the west and is attacking from behind!]
Receiving the situation from her subordinates through telepathy, Anastasia wore an expression of disbelief.
'Vampires and Beast Tribe suddenly attacking from the rear? That...'
Then something crossed her mind.
Anastasia shouted while looking at Zeke who was still facing numerous demons:
"Don't tell me you...! To buy time!"
Zeke grinned seeing Anastasia's reaction.
'Seems she figured it out.'
He never thought Anastasia would properly follow through with the bet's results from the beginning.
From his experience facing demons multiple times, he knew that those who used mental abilities were incredibly cunning and could change their words at any time.
Knowing this well, Zeke coming here alone to face off against Anastasia had a separate purpose.
It was to buy time for Red Eye and the Western Alliance forces to arrive.
Realizing she had been backstabbed by Zeke, Anastasia could not contain her fury.
Her expression changed completely.
The previous madness and rage disappeared, replaced by a calm expression.
As her expression changed, Anastasia's eyes changed as well.
The whites of her eyes disappeared completely as her entire eyeballs turned black.
She looked down at Zeke and said:
"Zeke. I admit that I underestimated you."
CHEUCHEUCHEUCHEU!
Her attire began to change as well.
In the end, instead of her elaborate, flowing dress, she changed into form-fitting leather clothing, and her entire aura was completely different from before.
Anastasia raised her finger and pointed at Zeke.
Then she slowly opened her mouth.
【Kneel.】
Language made of 'will' rather than sound flowed from Anastasia's mouth.
Even though he couldn't understand its meaning, Zeke's body moved on its own.
KUNG!
Zeke dropped to one knee.
He tried to raise his body somehow but it was futile.
'Is this the Demon Lord's Authority. Seems like a Psychic type Authority...'
Authority could only be countered with Authority.
Zeke tried to break free from Anastasia's ability using the Authorities he possessed.
But he couldn't easily escape.
Seeing signs of resistance, Anastasia pointed at him again and opened her mouth.
【Stop breathing.】
With those words, Zeke could no longer breathe.
'Damn it...'
As his breathing was prohibited, Zeke's breath grew increasingly labored.
He needed to find a way out of this situation somehow but no clear alternatives came to mind.
He had to find a way to break through this before his breath completely ran out.
Many thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.
'An Authority that makes you follow commands. If this is a type of word command... Wait, if it's word command, then the actual words of instruction are important.'
Suddenly Zeke's shadow rippled and wrapped around his body.
CHUCHEUCHEUCHEU!
Seeing the Shadow Armor enveloping Zeke, Anastasia shook her head.
"It's a big mistake to think you can escape my curse with just that. That curse will stick to you until you die."
Anastasia calmly waited for Zeke's breath to end.
She wanted to preserve him alive and torment him, but given the situation, killing him seemed better.
'Can't be helped. I'll have to be satisfied with just Nigel as my doll...'
As she continued her thoughts, Anastasia turned around with a start.
Nigel, who had been sitting there until just now, was nowhere to be seen.
'W-Where?'
Anastasia looked around in confusion searching for Nigel.
WOOOONG!
Then sensing an ominous energy, she raised her head.
Nigel in her dress was aiming a handmade spear at Anastasia.
Anastasia raised her finger toward her in surprise.
But it was already too late. Soul technique energy burst forth from Nigel's hand.
Soul technique
Solo Spell
Will of Destruction
KWAKWAKWAKWAKWANG!
The Soul technique that Nigel unleashed completely devastated the stage where Anastasia stood.
KUGUGUGUGUGU!
Anastasia rose from the ruins of the collapsed stage, grinding her teeth.
She wore an expression of disbelief as she looked at Nigel standing before her awake.
"How did you break the 'sleep' curse?"
Nigel clicked her tongue and said:
"My foolish disciple woke me up."
"What? What do you mean…?"
CHEUCHEUCHEUCHEU!
Zeke, who had been wrapped in Shadow Armor behind her, revealed himself again.
Surprisingly, he had turned his Shadow Armor into a respirator and was forcibly breathing into his body through a tube in his mouth.
He realized that since she only commanded him to stop breathing, breathing was possible if air was blown in from outside.
Right after that, while hiding his situation with shadows, Zeke used the Authority of the Third Eye to delve into Nigel's mind behind him.
And when Anastasia's power weakened from using Authority on Zeke, he seized that opportunity to wake Nigel.
Nigel and Zeke stood side by side pressuring Anastasia.
Facing the two of them, Anastasia ground her teeth and shouted:
"Even so, you rats who entered this domain will never escape from here! Mice trapped in a poison..."
JJEOJEOJEOJEOJEOK!
Before Anastasia could finish speaking, cracks appeared in the Invasion Fortress's barrier and the sky was revealed.
URURURURURURU!
Simultaneously, a mysterious divine beast emanating brilliant five-colored light appeared.