"The war in the Demon Realm."
In fact, Zeke had anticipated this situation to some extent, having heard about the Demon Realm from Arataso.
On the surface, the six Archdemons, including the Demon Archlord, ruled over the entire Demon Realm, but fierce territorial disputes erupted daily among their Vassals—the demonkind—without fail.
What was surprising was that these territorial struggles didn't just occur between Vassals of different Archdemons; even those who worshipped the same demon engaged in them.
It was so intense that the Demon Archlord had created a proxy war called Demon Realm Chess, based on the Constellationsʼ games, just to preserve their forces. This showed that the conflicts in the Demon Realm were far more brutal than any human wars.
Anastasia continued, looking at Zeke.
[The Demon Realm is currently divided into four major regions. Abaddon in the south, Gehenna in the north, the Abyss in the east, and in the west, Pandemonium, where my father, the Demon Archduke, resides.]
Zeke had never heard the details of the Demon Realm's territories before, so he listened closely to Anastasia's words.
"So, the demons who rule those territories are fighting each other."
[Yes. They pretend not to on the surface, but they're engaged in fierce battles to extend their influence further into the Phenomenal World.]
Hearing Anastasia's words, Zeke recalled something.
"Hmm? If that's the case, then as the Demon Archduke, he might not be able to pay much attention to you being captured in the Phenomenal World. He'd have to keep the other demons in check, after all."
Anastasia flinched slightly at Zeke's words.
In truth, that was exactly what she worried about.
Zeke looked at Anastasia and said,
"What do you think, Princess of the Demon Realm? Do you believe the Demon Archduke will come to the Phenomenal World for you?"
Anastasia couldn't answer Zeke's question easily.
Even among the Fallen Constellations, the Demon Archlord's main body, which possessed the greatest power, couldn't come directly to the Phenomenal World.
The extent of intervention possible was sending an Avatar and lending Authority, but given Zeke's exploits so far, there was a risk that the main body in the Demon Realm could suffer a backlash if things went wrong. It wasn't a decision to be made lightly.
As Anastasia failed to give a proper answer, Zeke's gaze grew colder.
"This makes the contract meaningless."
Zeke had planned to use Anastasia as bait to draw out the Demon Archlord.
But if she held no value as a hostage, there was no need to keep her around.
At Zeke's words, Anastasia panicked and waved her front paws.
[My father may not come himself, but he'll send my sisters to rescue me!]
Zeke gave Anastasia a look of disbelief.
"From what I heard from other demonkind, your sisters aren't particularly close. If anything, aren't they rivals competing to curry favor with the Demon Archduke? The Demon Archduke might care for you, but your other sisters coming? I doubt it." Anastasia ground her teeth at Zeke's words.
[Grrrr. That's true. But those bitches will definitely come—not to save me, but to mock me and seize my territory.]
It wasn't out of sisterly love, but for some reason or another, they would come.
Zeke pondered Anastasia's words for a moment.
Seeing this, Anastasia, in her cat form, flailed her front paws in a fluster.
[The contract is already in place, so you can't back out! My sisters will surely come! And if you capture them like you did me, even my father will have no choice but to show himself eventually!]
To save her own skin, Anastasia was willing to sell out not only her sisters but even her father, the Demon Archduke.
It was truly a demonkind way of thinking.
At that moment, a chilling voice came from behind.
"I hope that's the case."
Anastasia's fur stood on end at the voice laced with killing intent, and she leaped onto Zeke in fright.
Clang!
Suddenly clinging to Zeke's shoulder, Anastasia trembled in fear and glared back at the source.
Thud!
Nigel, who had just set down the head of a massive magical beast on the ground, glared at the cat-form Anastasia and said,
"Tell your father and sisters this: Beg them to come to the Phenomenal World." Grrrr!
Nigel ground her teeth.
"I'll chew them all up the moment they arrive." She spat the warning with thick killing intent.
Though she hadn't said it outright, it seemed her anger over Anastasia dressing her while she slept still burned fiercely.
Anastasia, feeling the full brunt of the High Table's fury, shivered and burrowed into Zeke's embrace.
[She's trying to kill me!]
Zeke shook his head at her words.
"No, since you're bound by a contract with me, she won't kill you. She might skin you alive and dry you in the sun, though."
Anastasia's face paled at Zeke's words.
Nigel glared at Anastasia in Zeke's arms with a dissatisfied expression.
Then she approached Zeke, grabbed Anastasia by the scruff of the neck, and flung her to the ground.
Anastasia landed on the floor and momentarily forgot her fear, shouting at Nigel.
[What are you doing?!]
"Stay out of my sight if you don't want to be skinned right now."
With an irritated look, Nigel glared at Anastasia, who finally felt fear again and slunk away.
Sighing, Nigel beckoned Zeke over.
"Come inside. I have something to say." Zeke followed Nigel into the wooden house.
Inside, Nabu dozed in an armchair.
Seeing this, Nigel kicked the chair with her foot.
"What, what's that?"
Nigel looked at the flustered Nabu with a pathetic expression.
She gestured for him to come out, and Nabu grumbled but got up from the chair.
Taking the armchair, Nigel looked at Zeke and said,
"I talked with Nabu and the Custodian."
"What about?"
At Zeke's question, Nigel nodded toward Nabu.
It was a gesture telling him to explain.
Grumbling again, Nabu opened his mouth.
"About what to do with the Black Star."
Zeke furrowed his brow at those words.
"Indeed, if it's an Elder Dragon's heart, the demonkind will keep targeting it. We should strengthen the seal and defenses here..."
Nabu shook his head at Zeke's words.
"No, that's not it. I spoke with the Custodian too... and I think there's a limit to keeping the Black Star here."
Zeke asked in surprise at Nabu's words.
"Then, are you saying we should move the Black Star somewhere else?" At Zeke's words, Nigel, who had been sitting in the armchair, suddenly stood up.
She approached Zeke closely, stared up at his face, and then clicked her tongue.
"I don't know what the Custodian is thinking, but she said to hand the Black Star over to you."
Zeke's face filled with confusion at Nigel's words.
"To me?"
Nabu stroked his chin and nodded.
"Yes, if the Custodian said so, there must be a reason." Zeke pondered their words before speaking.
"If I take the Black Star, what will happen to this forest?" Nigel answered Zeke's question.
"No one knows. The forest has absorbed the Black Star's influence for so long that it's become a place of unpredictable mystery in itself..." Nigel continued slowly.
"We can worry about the forest later. The important thing is protecting the Black Star. Since you've fully absorbed Bahamut's heart, you should be able to bear the Black Star as well."
Zeke was startled by Nigel's words.
"The Black Star—no, absorb a piece of the Elder Dragon's heart?"
"Yes. In the current situation, that's judged to be the safest way to protect the Black Star." Zeke thought deeply about Nigel's words.
Then something flashed through his mind.
'The Black Star, bearing the power of the Elder Dragon. If I absorb it, I might surpass the wall and reach the next realm.ʼ
When facing the Narak Faction or demonkind wielding demonic Authority, having the power of the Elder Dragon would undoubtedly make battles easier.
Zeke nodded and said,
"I understand. I'll accept the Black Star."
"Good. Now that it's decided, no time to waste."
Nigel immediately reached out and placed her palm on Zeke's Middle Dantian.
"What are you doing, Master?"
"What does it look like? I'm handing over the Black Star."
"Right now?" Woooong!
A massive vibration emanated from Nigel's body.
Zeke involuntarily furrowed his brow at the vibration transmitted from Nigel's hand to his Middle Dantian.
'Ugh...ʼ
It felt similar to when he first opened his Middle Dantian.
The sensation of his entire body's muscles twisting and tingling returned after so long.
After using the vibration to check Zeke's Middle Dantian state, Nigel extended her other hand.
Tss tss tss—
A Magic Circle appeared above her palm.
Then, a fragment of black ore emerged above the Magic Circle.
Woooong!
Zeke could feel that the black ore emerging through the Magic Circle was a piece of the Elder Dragon's shattered heart.
The aura of the Elder Dragon he had felt in Carcosa emanated from the black ore.
'Itʼs just a fragment, yet it holds this much power.ʼ
Bahamut's heart had been beyond human imagination, but the Elder Dragon's heart was on another level entirely.
Holding the black ore, Nigel looked at Zeke and said,
"Putting an Elder Dragon's heart into a human... Even I think it's utterly mad." Nabu shook his head at her words.
"Zeke here has already surpassed ordinary human limits. He's probably stronger than dragons."
Nigel didn't deny Nabu's words.
If there was anyone in the Phenomenal World who could absorb the Black Star, it was Zeke.
She decided to trust in Zeke's strong will and uniqueness.
"Bite down hard." Woooong!
The vibrational power sweeping through Zeke's body intensified.
Zeke endured the pain as if his body were turning to dust and tried to accept Nigel's energy.
Then, a complex pattern lit up and floated above Zeke's chest.
Woooong!
Nigel brought the black ore in her hand toward Zeke's chest.
Crackle crackle—
As the Black Star touched the emblem on Zeke's chest, it emitted black currents.
Ignoring the black currents scattering in all directions, Nigel forced the Black Star into the emblem.
"Urgh!"
The intensifying black currents wrapped around Zeke's body.
He clenched his teeth so hard they might shatter.
Even with his Healing Factor active, unimaginable pain tore through his entire body.
Sweat beaded on Nigel's forehead as she pushed the Black Star in.
It looked forceful from the outside, but she meticulously calculated and finely adjusted her power to stably embed the Black Star in Zeke's Middle Dantian.
Woooooong—
It was when more than half of the Black Star had entered the emblem.
A message appeared before Zeke's eyes.
[An unrecognized unidentified seal stone has been detected.]
[The unidentified seal stone reacts to the title One Blessed by the Ancient Dragon.]
[The powerful power of the ancient dragon slumbering within the seal stone awakens the administrator's potential.]
[Accepting this seal stone will exceed the body's mana capacity limit.]
[Continuing absorption may cause significant damage to the administrator's soul.] Zeke focused on the word 'potentialʼ in the message window.
'Iʼll endure it and definitely surpass the wall.ʼ
Zeke endured the pain and accepted the Black Star.
Tss tss tss—
Nigel continued carefully pushing the Black Star into Zeke's Middle Dantian with all her might.
Rumble rumble—
The Black Star, which had been entering slowly, was suddenly fully absorbed into Zeke's body.
Nigel stepped back, sweating profusely. Now it was up to Zeke.
She clenched her teeth and watched him.
But Zeke showed no reaction.
"Zeke, are you alri—"
Then, something unexpected happened.
"Gah!"
Before Nigel could finish, Zeke spewed black blood from his mouth and collapsed.
Twisting on the ground in agony, he writhed.
"Ugh!"
Black veins bulging from his chest spread throughout his body.
"Kraaaah!"
Zeke let out a final scream, then his head lolled to the side. He lay still.
The startled Nigel rushed to Zeke and pressed on his chest.
But Zeke's breathing did not return.
With a pale, rigid face, Nigel shook Zeke and shouted,
"Zeke... Get up. I said get up!"
Zeke, collapsed and bleeding black blood, did not rise—his breath had stopped.
Thus, Zeke Draker met an unforeseen death.