558
Chapter 558
The fundamental reason why the demon king's advent is not prevented by the Celestial Realm.
Zeke glared at Ramiel and asked.
Ramiel hesitated to speak in response to his question.
Seeing this, Zeke's eyes narrowed.
"I see you haven't come to your senses yet."
Zeke gripped Solomon's Chain and infused it with the power of Chaos.
This time, he channeled the power of Corruption instead of the power of Burning.
TSS! TSS! TSS!
The power of Corruption, which decays everything and makes forms wither away, combined with Chaos and flowed into Ramiel's soul.
[HNNNGH!]
Ramiel trembled in shock at the power of Corruption that Zeke unleashed.
To the Eternal Constellations who existed without physical bodies, the concept of corruption itself was incomprehensible.
However, the power manifested the essence rather than the phenomenon.
As the concept of 'corruption' flowed into Ramiel's soul, he felt as if his main body in the Celestial Realm was melting into mush.
[AAARRRGH!]
Unbearable humiliation and vivid pain enveloped his soul - torments difficult for a noble Constellation to endure.
While maintaining the power of Corruption, Zeke spoke to Ramiel.
"A Constellation's soul won't be extinguished easily. I'll keep you in this state for a very, very long time."
In some ways, eternity could be the greater cause of suffering.
Ramiel was already aware that Zeke was capable of carrying out what he said.
Struggling through humiliation and pain, he slowly began to speak.
[T-treaty.]
When Ramiel opened his mouth, Zeke temporarily halted his power.
"Explain which treaty specifically."
Ramiel, having surrendered to Zeke's power, spoke the divine language in a humiliated voice.
[...There is a treaty that prevents Celestial intervention. Unless events in the physical world exceed the constraints of Karma, we cannot directly interfere.]
Hearing Ramiel's words, Zeke replied with a puzzled expression.
"Weren't the Karma constraints created by the Celestial Constellations? Why would you create such restrictions for yourselves?"
Faced with Zeke's new question, Ramiel remained silent until Zeke gripped the chain again, then slowly spoke.
[We didn't create it. It's... an absolute law established by the Primordial Light, so it's beyond our control.]
Zeke couldn't help but be surprised by Ramiel's words.
'A treaty made by the already-extinct Primordial Light still influences the Constellations.'
As his surprise subsided, Zeke organized his thoughts on newly emerging questions and asked again.
"Even if the Primordial Light placed such a treaty, beings like you would have found ways to intervene. Demons from the Demon Realm are ascending to the physical world beyond Karma's constraints, yet you claim you cannot?"
To his question, Ramiel replied to Zeke in a contemptuous voice.
[Insignificant mortal. I've given you the answer, yet you still don't understand why we leave them be.]
Zeke had a sudden realization after hearing Ramiel's words.
'Could it be?'
Looking at Ramiel, he said:
"Are you saying that leaving the demons and demon race unchecked is your method of intervention?"
Ramiel gave no answer to Zeke's words.
In that moment, everything aligned in Zeke's mind.
'When the Demon Realm invades the physical world and resurrects the demon king, problems arise in Karma's constraints. That could create gaps in the absolute treaty established by the Primordial Light.'
Looking at Ramiel, Zeke said.
"You deliberately want the demon king to resurrect. So you can reconstruct the physical world according to your playful needs."
Constructing and destroying civilizations in the physical world was both an amusement the Constellations had repeated for ages and a method of exploiting the Karma they needed.
Ramiel spoke in an arrogant voice.
[To borrow a human expression, 'settled liquor needs stirring.' If left too long, the liquor might spoil, or unnecessary things might emerge.]
Zeke furrowed his brow upon hearing Ramiel's words.
It was clear that the Constellations regarded the physical world and all beings within it merely as their playthings or resources.
Gripping tightly the chain binding Ramiel, Zeke said.
"So you deliberately leave the Demon Realm unchecked for major Celestial intervention. Waiting for them to disrupt Karma's constraints."
[Correct. Those filthy fallen ones think they can face us, but they're sorely mistaken. To us, the creatures of the physical world and those dirty losers are all the same.]
Ramiel maintained his infinitely arrogant attitude despite being in Zeke's grasp.
Looking at the serious-faced Zeke, he spoke mockingly.
[Foolish and blasphemous creature. Now you may feel a vulgar sense of superiority for capturing and humiliating a god, but ultimately your end will be the same as Solomon's.]
Zeke instead chuckled at those words and said.
"Overly confident, aren't you? Despite barely surviving by using Solomon's beloved people as shields because you feared his power."
Ramiel was startled by Zeke's words.
It was history erased long ago, and no created being remembered it.
For the gods, it was their most humiliating memory, and Ramiel felt unbearable shame when Zeke brought it up.
He shouted at Zeke.
[Divine punishment will fall upon you! Divine punishment without any mercy...!]
With his thoughts now organized, Zeke ignored Ramiel and took out Solomon's Ring from his inventory.
Seeing the ring, Ramiel stopped his angry shouting in confusion.
[T-that is...?]
At the appearance of the god-slaying divine object that could seal even a Constellation's soul, he could no longer maintain his previous arrogant attitude.
Looking at Ramiel, Zeke said:
"Seems you know well what this is."
Ramiel continued in a dismayed voice.
[How can that still exist...? We surely erased all traces...]
Zeke had obtained Solomon's Ring from a random box received in the Inverted Tower.
The Inverted Tower was a training ground for dragons and dragon kin created by the Elder Dragon, and since it contained fragments of time erased by the Constellations, data for the vanished Solomon's Ring remained.
And the Kabbalah System had prioritized Solomon's Ring - the most lethal artifact against Constellations - among those it could create from grade-free random boxes.
Showing Solomon's Ring, Zeke said to Ramiel.
"I haven't fully absorbed the Arrogant Savior's soul yet, so absorbing your soul too might give me indigestion. Besides, your entire main body hasn't descended here anyway."
He slowly moved his hand wearing the ring toward Ramiel.
Ramiel panicked and struggled to move back.
[What are you trying to do?!]
Extending Solomon's Ring, Zeke unleashed the power of Sealing in dragon language toward Ramiel.
"Ramiel, master of the Lion Constellation. Let your soul be contained within this ring."
KUGUGUGUGUGU!
Ramiel's soul, which had descended into the angel's body, began to be sucked into Solomon's Ring while emitting brilliant light.
[AAARRRGH!]
With no time to worry about his dignity as a Constellation, Ramiel screamed and tried desperately to resist his soul being absorbed.
But the Sealing power contained in Solomon's Ring couldn't be resisted even by a Constellation.
Although his main body existed in the Celestial Realm, his essential soul was sucked directly into Solomon's Ring.
TSSTSSTSSTSS!
A shimmering light seeped into Solomon's Ring, and a mark representing the Lion Constellation appeared on its surface.
The soul of Ramiel, one of the masters of the Thirteen Zodiacs, had been sealed inside the ring.
GRRRR!
As Ramiel's soul was extracted, the thirteenth guardian angel awakened again.
GWOOOOO!
It roared and tried to break free from the chains wrapped around its body.
Zeke spread his shadow toward the angel and muttered.
"I have enough capacity to absorb something like you."
The shadow enveloped the angel and gradually eroded it.
GWOOOOOO!
Shortly after, the angel was absorbed into Zeke's shadow.
With Ramiel sealed and the angel that had originally created this unique realm absorbed into Zeke's shadow, the world began to collapse.
KUGUGUGUGUGU!
The holy city of Laocoon shattered like glass.
Zeke manifested his spiritual form power and entered the dimensional rift, keeping Raven close as a guide to avoid getting lost.
KUGUGUGUGUGU!
A massive roar echoed across the dimensional rift.
Like a dream, an entire city completely collapsed and scattered into white ashes.
TSSTSSTSSTSSTSS!
After the unique realm completely disappeared, Zeke, who had taken refuge in the dimensional rift, returned to his original position in the physical world.
Zeke and Raven reappeared in the cavity located at the lowest level of Jiemens' underground labyrinth.
CHIIIIIK!
White vapor-like mist rose from Zeke's body as he emerged from the dimensional rift, and numerous messages that had been invisible before appeared before his eyes.
Having absorbed the Arrogant Savior's soul, sealed one of the Thirteen Zodiacs' souls, and absorbed the thirteenth guardian angel, system messages filled his vision.
But Zeke had more important concerns.
'I can check the messages later. First, what's important is...'
As soon as he emerged from the dimensional rift, Zeke opened his senses.
His highest priority was capturing Harvey West, who might have returned to the physical world through the dimensional rift with him.
Though Harvey West had lost the Arrogant Savior's soul to Zeke, he was still a being created by the Great Sage.
Moreover, while not an Irregular, he was a being who had diverged from the world's laws in a different way, making it impossible to detect him through conventional methods.
But Zeke's heightened divine senses could feel subtle changes.
Gripping Leviathan, Zeke swung a sword strike toward one location.
SWOOSH!
Amazingly, the space where he swung his sword rippled, and the hiding Harvey West revealed himself.
WOOOONG!
As he raised his hand to summon magical power, Zeke's sword strike scattered like mist.
Harvey West looked at Zeke and said:
"...Zeke Draker, what exactly is your true identity?"
He had to acknowledge that Zeke possessed something beyond what he had anticipated.
He had always believed that only he was qualified to advance to the final chapter, but now he wondered if Zeke, whom he had considered an off-stage character, might be the true protagonist.
Zeke looked at Harvey West and said:
"I am simply myself."
Harvey West shook his head at his answer.
"...No, you too, Zeke Draker, are just one of the tragic characters struggling while caught in the terrible web of fate."
"How amusing that you keep spouting lines like a cheap theater actor. I'll kill you and put an end to this cursed connection with the Abyss today."
Zeke raised his sword and charged toward Harvey West.
But at that moment.
KABOOM!
The bombs that Boris had placed exploded all at once, causing the underground labyrinth to collapse.
RUMBLE!
With a massive roar, rocks fell from the ceiling of the underground labyrinth.
In that split second, Harvey West stepped back and opened a gate.
Seeing this, Zeke immediately raised his sword.
He swung his soul-blade toward Harvey West.
SWOOSH!
Just as Zeke's sword strike was about to cut down Harvey West entering the gate.
CRACK!
Suddenly, something shot out of the gate and blocked Zeke's sword strike with its body, preventing the attack from completely cutting down Harvey West.
RUMBLE!
In an instant, falling rocks showered the place where Zeke stood, and Jiemens' underground labyrinth disappeared without a trace.
* * *
WOOOONG!
Zeke appeared from coordinates he opened on the surface near Jiemens' underground labyrinth.
With furrowed brows, Zeke walked out unharmed, holding something in his hand.
The one who had thrown himself to block Zeke's attack at the last moment.
Zeke threw him on the ground and checked his hidden face.
Then he clenched his teeth.
'...Master Kaisir's homunculus.'
Beyond the homunculus consumed by the angel's fragment, others had existed.
Zeke reached toward the deactivated homunculus.
Using dragon wisdom, he accessed the Akashic code and read the information that remained inside.
Most of the information had been erased, but with his elevated divine status, Zeke could access deeper regions than before.
CRACKLE!
Through powerful noise, Zeke was able to discover something.
Simultaneously, his eyes flew open.
The image hidden and remaining in Kaisir's homunculus.
It was the face of someone Zeke knew well.
'...Arthur Draker.'
Overlord Arthur Draker—he was the person imprinted in the homunculus.