581
Chapter 581
TSTSTSTS!
The smoke tried to corrode Zeke's body as it wrapped around him.
The maids who were nearby suddenly approached behind Zeke and tried to restrain his shoulders and arms.
THUDDDDD!
Their individual strength was no less than that of giants, making them more than simple automatons.
Mephistopheles watched Zeke being consumed by smoke with darkened eyes.
[Hand over the soul of the Arrogant Savior to me, Zeke Draker.]
Mephistopheles spoke with a seductive voice while calling Zeke's name.
Zeke, held by the maids, showed no reaction while wrapped in smoke.
But then.
"Did you call me here just to do something like this?"
Zeke's voice was heard from behind.
Mephistopheles turned around startled, then looked back at Zeke sitting across from him.
The body of Zeke being held by the maids rippled like a mirage, and shadows began to surge from within.
TSTSTSTS!
Zeke's doppelganger transformed into shadows and seeped into the maids restraining him, forcibly accessing their systems.
The maids tried to resist the shadows attempting to corrode them, but it was futile.
There was no way mere automatons could reject Zeke's power that had subjugated even the Guardian Angel created by the Primordial Light.
WOOOONG!
The eyes of the automatons whose systems were instantly rebooted by Zeke changed.
The dozen or so maids, whose eyes had changed to golden dragon eyes like his, raised their hands and displayed attack magic circles toward their former master Mephistopheles.
SWOOSH!
The automatons stood in front of Mephistopheles, with Zeke behind him.
Seeing this, Mephistopheles took another puff of his Hookah pipe, exhaled the smoke, and snapped his fingers.
TSTSTSTS!
The Hookah pipe and the threatening maids vanished as if erased.
When he snapped his fingers again, the entire study's direction suddenly changed, returning to Zeke and Mephistopheles facing each other.
Looking at Zeke glaring at him, Mephistopheles smiled and applauded.
"Good! Very good!"
Though he laughed with satisfaction, Zeke maintained his cold expression.
And he came to one conclusion.
'He's insane.'
The fallen constellations including Mephistopheles had all been trapped within this unstable dimensional boundary for over tens of thousands of years.
Moreover, when the Arrogant Savior disappeared and Babel collapsed, splitting the demon realm, the Demon lords had to confine themselves to their respective territories to maintain balance.
If any of them decided to abandon and destroy the demon realm, this unstable world would immediately disappear.
Therefore, the fallen constellations tried to gather karma by controlling and manipulating the demon realm races to intervene in the physical realm, attempting to escape their long and tedious exile.
'But the fallen constellations are already broken somewhere.'
This was no exception even for a Demon lord.
Mephistopheles quickly erased his smile and looked at Zeke with a serious expression again.
"Sit."
Watching Mephistopheles's sudden mood change, Zeke felt he could somewhat understand what kind of beings demons were.
'They're as unstable as this demon realm.'
When Zeke sat down again, Mephistopheles created wine as red as blood.
Holding the wine glass and assuming an elegant posture, he spoke to Zeke.
"I've confirmed that you inherited the soul of the Arrogant Savior."
At those words, Zeke glared at Mephistopheles and said.
"You could have known that just by looking?."
Mephistopheles leisurely replied while swirling his wine glass and savoring its aroma.
"Pointless tricks and wasting time are the virtues of demons. Don't you think so, Zeke Draker?"
Zeke furrowed his brows at Mephistopheles's words.
"I don't want to waste time with your wordplay."
He continued in a clear voice.
"I demand two things. First, convene a meeting of the Demon lords. Second, reveal to me what hidden truth the Arrogant Savior spoke of."
Mephistopheles smiled at Zeke's words and said.
"You're impatient, Zeke Draker. A Grand Duke needs appropriate leisure and dignity."
"Can you afford leisure when the celestial constellations are trying to lead the physical realm to its end?"
Mephistopheles frowned at the mention of celestial constellations while looking at Zeke. Seeing his reaction, Zeke shook his head and spoke again.
"The Angels have awakened. Though not through normal means, it can be taken as a revelation that the end is approaching."
When all thirteen zodiac angels created by the Primordial Light awaken, civilization will return to its starting point, and the current time will become 'fragments of forgotten time' remaining only as records.
Mephistopheles made his wine glass disappear and looked at Zeke.
"What did the Arrogant Savior tell you, Zeke Draker?"
Zeke opened his mouth after some contemplation.
"He told me to absorb the Demon King's power and break the wheel of fate."
Mephistopheles's eyes widened at his words.
"Absorb the Demon King's power?"
The Arrogant Savior had suggested a different direction from the advent or resurrection of the Demon King that other beings had pursued until now.
Zeke carefully observed Mephistopheles's reaction.
He was ready to attack immediately if there was any unexpected movement.
'This place is essentially his unique domain. But if I deploy the unique domain Purgatory I received from Satan here and draw him in...'
While contemplating how to attack, Mephistopheles suddenly started clapping.
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!
He stood up with a satisfied expression and said to Zeke.
"Indeed, worthy of the Arrogant Savior. An excellent plan."
Zeke remained vigilant of Mephistopheles's movements despite his positive words.
However, he showed no signs of attacking.
Mephistopheles spoke while looking at the cautious Zeke.
"Zeke Draker, as you probably know, the other Demon lords won't like the Arrogant Savior's plan as much as I do."
Zeke nodded at those words.
"I know. If anyone opposes, I'll suppress them. I heard the demon realm follows the words of the strong."
For a moment, Mephistopheles showed an incredulous expression at his words.
"My! Zeke Draker, did you think you could overpower the other Demon lords?"
"Is there any reason I couldn't?"
Zeke and Mephistopheles glared at each other with unfriendly tones.
RUMBLEEEE!
Powerful auras clashed between the two, sending shockwaves through the surroundings.
As the tension grew between them, Zeke prepared to draw his sword at any moment.
But then Mephistopheles withdrew his energy first, scratching around his neck while shivering and saying.
"Ah, no good, no good. I keep getting excited without meaning to."
Mephistopheles took a deep breath as if trying to calm his excitement and smiled gently at Zeke again.
"Zeke Draker, I'll convene the Demon lord meeting as you wish. There, we'll recommend you as the new lord of the demon realm and declare the physical realm as your domain."
If Zeke, bearing the title of demon realm lord, declared the physical realm as his domain, demons under other lords couldn't enter that territory carelessly.
Zeke spoke while looking at Mephistopheles who had proposed an unexpected condition.
"What's the price for that?"
Mephistopheles grinned and said.
"Giving Pandemonium exclusive rights to trade with the physical realm."
"Exclusive trading rights. If you think I'll trade human souls..."
Mephistopheles shook his head at those words.
"The demon realm's land is utterly barren. Besides human souls, items from the physical realm are very helpful to us."
Currently, free trade between the physical realm and demon realm was impossible.
However, if Zeke declared the physical realm as his domain as a lord, smoother exchanges would become possible than before.
Zeke thought about Mephistopheles's words for a moment before nodding.
"Such conditions are acceptable."
"Good, then we have a deal."
He said with a smile.
"It'll take some time to contact the Demon lords. I'll provide you a room, so rest comfortably."
As Mephistopheles waved his hand with those words, Zeke's location suddenly changed from the study to the pool he first saw.
The delicate-looking maid who first guided him stood beside Zeke.
"I'll escort the honored guest to his room."
As Zeke was about to leave the pool following the maid's words, he turned his head when he heard loud laughter from behind.
[Hahaha! So you see, when I led the knights then...]
Arataso was telling tales of his exploits to the automatons while drinking cocktails at the bar.
Zeke stared at Arataso for a moment before snapping his fingers.
TSTSTSTS!
Arataso's form changed back into a sword.
Perhaps because his power was unleashed, the sword's name changed from Green Sword to Dawn Sword, and its color now shone with a reddish-golden light.
[No. What was that suddenly?]
Zeke responded to Arataso's indignant voice echoing in his mind.
'You seemed to be having fun.'
[Hmph, what do you mean?]
'You looked ready to switch sides if you stayed a bit longer?'
Zeke squeezed the sword in his hand with those words.
[AAAGH! Stop! Stop!]
Zeke followed the maid to his room with the suffering Arataso.
* * *
RUMBLEEEE!
Mephistopheles stood in a dark room holding a wine glass.
Four mirrors surrounded him.
Soon the mirrors rippled and black figures began to appear within them.
Mephistopheles spoke to the beings in the mirrors.
"How have you all been?"
Those who appeared in the mirrors were none other than the Demon lords, called the rulers of the demon realm.
Abyss located in the eastern demon realm.
The ‘Ruthless Ruler’ And "Unwavering Strict ruler" were constantly fighting over that territory.
Meanwhile, the ‘Administrator of the Depths’ ruled Abaddon in the south, and the ‘Master of Unrelenting Passion’ governed Gehenna in the north without significant conflict.
And Mephistopheles was the master of Pandemonium, the largest and most prosperous of all demon realm territories.
The demon lords in the mirrors spoke to him.
[Mephistopheles, still that annoying face.]
[I want to crush you right now.]
[Why have you called us?]
Mephistopheles grinned while holding his wine glass at their various reactions.
"A human who inherited the Arrogant Savior's soul wishes to attend the Demon lord’s meeting."
The shadows of the other Demon lords rippled at his words.
[The Arrogant Savior?! A human inherited that cursed tyrant's soul!]
[That's impossible!]
The ‘Ruthless Ruler’ and the ‘Unwavering Strict ruler" reacted most violently.
While Mephistopheles showed no particular reaction, the ‘Master of Unrelenting Passion,’ ruler of Gehenna, calmly spoke.
[A human suddenly inheriting the Arrogant Savior's soul. Mephistopheles, what are you plotting?]
Mephistopheles shrugged at those words.
"Plotting? You speak as if to cause misunderstanding."
The ‘Master of Unrelenting Passion’ never trusted Mephistopheles, so he maintained an unsatisfied expression at that answer.
Then the silent ‘Administrator of the Depths’ spoke.
[The Arrogant Savior's soul... how tempting. I'll take it.]
The ‘Ruthless Ruler’ and ‘Unwavering Strict Ruler’ shouted excitedly at his words.
[Nonsense! It's mine! I'll twist that weak human's neck and devour his soul!]
[Fool! If you devour that soul, I'll swallow both it and your soul together!]
[Try it if you can!]
As the two lords raised their voices noisily, Mephistopheles's eyes holding the wine glass turned purple.
WOOOONG!
His powerful force was transmitted to the demon lords through the mirrors.
As Mephistopheles was the strongest demon lord among all Demon lords, the others had no choice but to fall silent before his power.
As the commotion subsided, he slowly spoke.
"You're all spouting foolish words."
Mephistopheles continued in a cold voice.
"I will use the Arrogant Savior's successor to resurrect Babel again."