The continent's strongest, known as the Overlord.
The man who had been conversing with the high priest was Arthur Draker, disguised as Baron.
"Hmm..."
He stroked his chin thoughtfully before turning his head to the side.
"Baron."
At his call, Baron suddenly appeared from empty space.
Arthur looked at Baron and said,
"What do you think of Harvey West's words?"
Baron considered Arthur's question before he replied.
"Are you referring to his remarks about the constellations of the Celestial Realm?" Arthur shook his head.
"No, I'm curious why he's so obsessed with Zeke."
"It must be to prepare another spare vessel in place of Abel Draker's body. Using the family head's body would be ideal, but since dealing with the Draker family carries risks, it seems he's preparing a contingency." Arthur nodded at Baron's words.
"Yeah, that must be the reason. But for some reason, it keeps nagging at me."
"If necessary, I can dig into the internal affairs of Narak." At those words, Arthur waved his hand dismissively.
"No, no. It's not that important, so let's leave it be for now. Doctor West is quite sensitive despite appearances, so poking at him unnecessarily might just stir up trouble. Instead..."
Arthur continued with a charming smile.
"You'll have to stick close to Zeke for a while."
Baron showed a surprised expression at Arthur's words.
"To Zeke Draker?"
"Yeah. It feels like there's something about that guy that I don't know." Arthur stroked his chin again as he continued.
"At first, I thought it was just the power he obtained from Terakan Draker's ruins that he stumbled upon by chance, but as time passes, it seems like there's more to it."
Baron bowed his head toward Arthur and said,
"I shall uncover the secret that Zeke Draker is hiding, as per the family head's command."
"Good. I'll be expecting results."
Crackle—
At that moment, sparks flew from Arthur's body, and his form suddenly blurred.
Baron tensed and moved toward Arthur.
But Arthur raised a hand to stop him, looked at his fading body, and muttered,
"Hmm, so it can hold out to this extent for now."
He looked up at Baron and said,
"I can't do anything until I fully absorb the Black Star."
"You will awaken completely soon."
"Yeah, it's a shame I can't watch things unfold directly when they're getting so interesting."
He smiled and said,
"Next time, I'm looking forward to seeing how much more Zeke can satisfy me."
As soon as he finished speaking, a strong spark erupted from Arthur's body, and his form slowly vanished.
Baron glanced at the spot where Arthur Draker had completely disappeared before turning away.
As he stepped outside, Baron fixed his gaze on the knights and said,
"Go out and wrap things up first."
At his single command, all the Draker knights bowed their heads and moved out in perfect unison.
Thud!
Corpses littered the roadside.
They were none other than knights and soldiers from the Valdek family.
The factories in Kanus, the Valdek family's territory, blazed, and the entire city filled with screams.
As Baron emerged from the building and indifferently surveyed the devastation, Draker knights dragged someone over.
"Ugh!"
The man, who spat foam from his mouth and knelt before Baron, was none other than Wolfgang Valdek, the family head of the Valdek family.
Baron had personally struck at the Valdek family, the Draker family's greatest blood oath ally after the Siemens family.
Baron looked down at the kneeling Wolfgang and said,
"Wolfgang Valdek. Do you admit to colluding with the Siemens family to support Howard
Draker and plotting rebellion against the Draker family?"
Wolfgang spat out the saliva that had pooled in his mouth and let out a mad laugh at Baron.
"Kuhahaha! As expected of Arthur's mongrel—you sure know how to spout nonsense." He lifted his head and spat the rising blood in his mouth toward Baron.
Splash!
The Draker knights beside him moved in an instant, blocking the spray of blood with their coats.
Baron gazed down at Wolfgang with cold eyes.
"So you refuse to admit to the act of rebellion."
At those words, Wolfgang glared at Baron and said,
"Do you think the Draker family will get away with treating the Valdek like this? The council won't let you off! Baron! I'll tear you to—"
Slash—
Wolfgang's head fell to the ground and rolled.
Baron glanced at Wolfgang's corpse and gestured to the knights.
"Confiscate all assets of the traitorous Valdek family and track down everyone involved in the rebellion. Escort them to the Four Seasons Star."
At Baron's command, the Draker knights bowed their heads and headed toward the Valdek family castle, their eyes filled with killing intent.
Baron, who had been watching the knights' movements, gestured to Souma beside him.
"You take charge of the site."
"Are you returning to the Four Seasons Star, Captain?"
Souma asked after nodding, and Baron shook his head.
"I'm heading to Mycenae."
Souma flinched at the mention of Mycenae.
But he did not ask further and bowed his head.
"Understood, Captain."
Baron thus left the Draker knights at the site and led only the Black Stage operatives toward Mycenae.
Though he thought everything proceeded according to plan, Baron was unaware.
Of the group that hid in the shadows of Kanus, watching them.
The vampires who had been hiding and observing everything reported the details to their queen, Carmilla.
The balance of power on the continent shifted rapidly.
*
Splash—
Arzidum headed toward Elizaveta's camp, bound by the Chains of Solomon.
Surprisingly, the first princess's base was in the sky.
Not far from the gate Zeke had destroyed, there was a barrier, and as Arzidum approached, the entrance opened.
Inside, a floating fortress summoned from the Demon Realm hovered in the air.
Zeke looked at the floating fortress in admiration.
'It's smaller in scale than Anastasia's, but since it can float in the air, it might have greater strategic value.'
After his assessment, he tugged on the chains and said to Arzidum,
"Your master is inside that fortress, right?"
For Arzidum, a proud noble of the Demon Realm, the humiliation he endured from a mere human like Zeke was mortifying enough to make him wish for death.
Yet, despite that, he had brought Zeke here for a reason.
'Human scum. The moment you step into that fortress, you're as good as dead.' Elizaveta's floating fortress had not originally been airborne.
Like the third princess Anastasia's invasion fortress inherited from the archdemon, it had started as a ground-based structure.
But Elizaveta had deliberately chosen the smallest among the invasion fortresses and modified it into a floating one herself.
Her deep knowledge of magical theory, enough to grasp the Demon Realm's magical systems, had made it possible to convert the invasion fortress into a floating one.
As such, the interior was filled with numerous magical traps she had personally designed, along with handpicked warriors from the Demon Realm.
Arzidum planned to lure Zeke inside, trap him, capture him, and deliver him directly to Elizaveta.
'Once I catch him, I'll soon learn the third princess's location too.'
Hiding his intentions, Arzidum said to Zeke,
"This way. Follow me."
Bound by the Chains of Solomon, he led Zeke to the lower area supporting the floating fortress.
It was a secret passage known only to executives, so there were no Demon Realm warriors guarding it, but even intruders would have found it hard to enter the interior.
Thud!
Zeke followed Arzidum to the support area made of solid rock.
Arzidum pointed to one side.
"Release the chains. I have to touch it directly."
At his words, Zeke loosened the chains enough for Arzidum to move his hands.
As Arzidum reached out, one part of the rock rippled, creating a hole to enter.
He looked at Zeke and said, "Here it is."
It looked suspicious no matter who saw it, but Zeke said nothing and led Arzidum inside.
As befitting a secret passage for high-ranking demons, it was a vertical shaft with no ladders or handholds to climb.
Zeke spread his dragon wings and led Arzidum up the vertical passage.
Whoosh!
After passing the vertical shaft, a corridor inside the floating fortress appeared.
If one set aside prejudices about Demon Realm architecture, it felt like the corridor of a stately palace, elegantly decorated.
"Guide me to where the princess is."
Arzidum swallowed hard and nodded.
"This way."
Bound by the chains, Arzidum walked ahead down the corridor.
After walking for a while, a door appeared in front.
Arzidum said to Zeke,
"Release the chains. I have to touch this one directly too." Zeke released the chains without suspicion.
Arzidum reached out and touched the wall beside the door.
Humm—
A strange magic circle floated up from the wall.
Arzidum knew this was a security device, but he thought a human like Zeke would not recognize it.
Creak—
Soon after, vibrations emanated from the magic circle where Arzidum's hand rested.
At the same time, over a dozen magic circles overlapped on the corridor floor and ceiling where Zeke stood.
Arzidum smirked at the sight.
"Stupid human! You've fallen for it!"
Discarding his noble dignity, he grinned wickedly, mocking Zeke.
Crackle!
Vibrant currents of electricity began flowing from the magic circles etched into the floor and ceiling.
Crackle-crackle!
The powerful lightning magic swept through the entire corridor.
Arzidum was certain Zeke could not escape the trap.
But then.
Kiiing—
Zeke activated the Mana Reversal Technique, and strange noises started emanating from the magic circles in the trap.
The mana currents went haywire, flying not only toward Zeke but also toward Arzidum, who had placed his hand on the circle.
Crackle!
"Ugh!"
Arzidum panicked as the mana currents missed Zeke and instead backlashed toward him.
'H-How is this...?'
He could not believe that a trap personally set by his master Elizaveta had been dismantled by a mere human.
Zeke, who had watched the situation briefly, gripped the Chains of Solomon and said,
"You're pulling some pretty lame tricks."
He flung the chains into the nearby mana currents.
The wildly scattering currents gathered along the chains and surged toward Arzidum.
Arzidum, startled, fumbled to loosen the chains binding him.
But the soul-binding chains would not yield.
"N-No!"
Crackle-crackle—
The concentrated mana currents poured into Arzidum.
"Ughhhh!"
Struck by the electricity, Arzidum felt his muscles contracting, clenching his jaw so hard his teeth might shatter.
Zeke slowly approached the paralyzed Arzidum.
Crackle-crackle!
With the Mana Reversal Technique disrupting the magic circles themselves, all the currents dissipated.
Zeke looked down at Arzidum, steam rising from his body.
"Ughhh—"
To Arzidum, still unable to regain his senses, Zeke spoke deliberately.
"Demon scum. I advise you not to test my patience any further." But at that moment.
Rumble—
The firmly shut door slid open to both sides.
Zeke looked ahead.
In the vast hall, hundreds of demons glared at him.
Their general appearance resembled humans, but some had multiple arms or eyes, and they sported hair and skin colors humans lacked.
Zeke could sense that each of the gathered demons was at least a mid-rank demonkind.
'With the power of the invasion fortress, they can summon them into the Phenomenal World here without karma sanctions.'
In Anastasia's case, she had filled it with lower-grade demons to increase numbers rather than high-rank ones.
Yet, even if the invasion fortress allowed summoning high-rank demons, Elizaveta's camp seemed to have an unusually large number of them.
It was undoubtedly possible because she herself was an exceptional mage.
At that moment, Arzidum, trembling, raised his hand toward somewhere.
"M-My lady. I have lured and brought Zeke Draker before you." Zeke raised his head toward where Arzidum pointed.
A woman sat on a jade throne atop a high dais, wearing a golden mask.
The first princess Elizaveta—she had revealed herself.