Zeke glared at Ramiel and posed his question.
At his question, Ramiel hesitated to respond.
Seeing this, Zeke's eyes narrowed.
"It seems you still haven't come to your senses."
Zeke gripped the Chains of Solomon and infused them with the power of the Chaos Field.
This time, instead of the Authority of Flame, he channeled the Authority of Decay.
Tzzzzz—
The Authority of Decay—which corrupted everything and withered all forms—merged with the Chaos Field and surged into Ramiel's soul.
[Huhuhuhuuup!]
Ramiel's soul shuddered in panic at the Authority of Decay that Zeke had invoked.
For an eternal Constellation without a physical form, the concept of decay simply did not exist.
But an Authority was a power that embodied essence, not mere phenomena.
As the concept of "decay" seeped into Ramiel's soul, he felt as if his true body in the Celestial Realm melted away like sludge.
[Kwaaaaaah!]
A humiliating, vivid pain—even one a noble Constellation could scarcely endure— engulfed his soul.
Zeke maintained the Authority of Decay and spoke to Ramiel.
"A Constellation's soul won't dissipate easily. I'll make sure this state lasts a very, very long time."
In some ways, eternity could prove an even greater source of suffering.
Ramiel had already realized that Zeke was fully capable of carrying out what he had uttered.
Enduring the humiliation and pain as best he could, he slowly opened his mouth.
[I-it's a treaty.]
As Ramiel spoke, Zeke paused the Authority for a moment.
"Tell me specifically what kind of treaty it is."
Subdued by Zeke's power, Ramiel spoke in the Divine Tongue, his voice laced with humiliation.
[...There is a treaty that prevents intervention from the Celestial Realm. As long as what happens in the Phenomenal World does not exceed the constraints of Karma, we cannot interfere directly.]
Zeke frowned in confusion at Ramiel's words.
"Didn't the Constellations of the Celestial Realm create the constraints of Karma? Why would you impose such restrictions on yourselves?"
As Zeke tightened his grip on the chains again, the silent Ramiel finally spoke.
[We did not create it. That is...an absolute law established by the Primordial Light, so there is nothing we can do about it.]
Zeke could not help but be surprised by Ramiel's words.
'The treaty created by the Primordial Light, which has already vanished, is still affecting the Constellations.'
As his surprise faded, Zeke gathered his thoughts around the new question that occurred to him and asked again.
"Even if the Primordial Light imposed such a treaty, beings like you would have found a way to intervene somehow. The demons and demonkind of the Demon Realm are ascending to the Phenomenal World by bypassing the constraints of Karma, so why can't you?"
Ramiel replied scornfully.
[You pathetic mortal. Even after I've given you the answer, you still don't understand? Why we leave them be.]
Hearing Ramiel's words, Zeke suddenly realized something.
'No way?'
He looked at Ramiel and said.
"You're saying that leaving the demons and demonkind of the Demon Realm unchecked is your method of intervention."
Ramiel did not respond to Zeke's words.
In that instant, everything fell into place in Zeke's mind.
'When the Demon Realm invades the Phenomenal World and revives the Demon King, it creates a problem with the constraints of Karma. Then, a loophole can form in the absolute treaty established by the Primordial Light.'
Zeke looked at Ramiel and said.
"You're deliberately hoping for the Demon King to revive. That way, you can reshape the
Phenomenal World in the manner needed for your games."
Structuring and dismantling the civilizations of the Phenomenal World was a game the Constellations had repeated for a long time, and a method to exploit the Karma they required.
Ramiel spoke in an arrogant voice.
[Borrowing the words of humans, it's like 'stirring a settled drink.' If left too long, the drink can spoil, or unnecessary things can arise.]
Hearing Ramiel's words, Zeke furrowed his brow.
He could clearly sense how the Constellations regarded the Phenomenal World and its inhabitants as mere playthings or resources.
Zeke gripped the chains binding Ramiel tightly and said.
"So you're deliberately neglecting the Demon Realm to enable large-scale intervention from the Celestial Realm. Waiting for them to disrupt the constraints of Karma."
[That's right. Those filthy fallen ones think they can oppose us, but they are gravely mistaken. To us, the creations of the Phenomenal World and those filthy losers are one and the same.]
Even while captured in Zeke's hand, Ramiel maintained an utterly arrogant attitude.
He looked at Zeke's serious face and sneered.
[Foolish and irreverent creation. Right now, you must feel a vulgar sense of superiority for capturing and mocking a god, but in the end, your fate will be the same as Solomon's.] At those words, Zeke chuckled instead.
"You're overly confident. You barely survived by pushing forward the people he cherished, out of fear of Solomon's power."
Ramiel flinched in surprise at Zeke's words.
It was a history erased long ago, with no creations left to remember it.
For the gods, it was their most humiliating memory, and Zeke dredging it up filled Ramiel with unbearable shame.
He shouted at Zeke.
[Divine punishment will befall you! A divine punishment without any mercy...!]
With his mind now clear, Zeke ignored Ramiel and pulled the Ring of Solomon from his inventory.
Seeing the ring, Ramiel stopped his panicked shrieking.
[Th-that is...?]
As the sacred relic capable of sealing even a Constellation's soul appeared, he could no longer maintain his previous arrogance.
Zeke looked at Ramiel and said.
"You seem to know well what this is."
Ramiel continued in a bewildered voice.
[How could that still remain...? Surely all traces were erased...]
Zeke had obtained the Ring of Solomon from a random box received in the Inverted Tower.
The Inverted Tower, a training ground crafted by an Elder Dragon for dragons and dragonkin, gathered fragments of time that the Constellations had erased, so the data of the vanished Ring of Solomon remained.
And the Kabbalah System had prioritized summoning the Ring of Solomon—the most lethal artifact to the Constellations—among those that could be produced from extragrade random boxes.
Zeke held up the Ring of Solomon and said to Ramiel.
"I haven't even fully absorbed the soul of the Arrogant Savior yet, so adding yours might make me sick. Besides, your true body hasn't fully descended here anyway." He slowly extended the hand wearing the ring toward Ramiel.
Then Ramiel panicked and struggled to retreat.
[What are you trying to do!]
Zeke extended the Ring of Solomon toward Ramiel and invoked the Authority of Sealing with the Draconic Tongue.
"Ramiel, master of the Sagyeon Palace. Let that soul be contained within this ring." Kugugugugu!
The soul of Ramiel, descended into the angel's body, began emitting a brilliant light and being sucked into the Ring of Solomon.
[Kwaaaaaah!]
Forgetting all dignity as a Constellation, Ramiel let out a monstrous scream, trying to block his soul from being drawn in and holding on as best he could.
But the Authority of Sealing within the Ring of Solomon was something even a Constellation could not resist.
Though his true body remained in the Celestial Realm, the essence-bearing soul body was completely drawn into the Ring of Solomon.
Tzzzzz—
A brilliant light seeped into the Ring of Solomon, and on its surface, a mark representing the Sagyeon Palace appeared.
The soul of Ramiel, one of the masters of the Thirteen Palaces, had been sealed within the ring.
Grrrruk!
As Ramiel's soul was extracted, the angel, the thirteenth Sentinel, awoke once more.
Hoooooo!
He let out a roar and struggled to escape the chains wrapping his body.
Zeke spread his shadows toward the angel and muttered.
"I have room to absorb something like you."
The shadows enveloped the angel and slowly eroded him.
Hoooooo!
Moments later, the angel was absorbed into Zeke's shadow.
With Ramiel sealed and even the angel who had created this Unique Domain absorbed into Zeke's shadow, the world began to collapse gradually.
Kugugugu!
The holy city of Laocon shattered like glass fragments.
Zeke invoked the Authority of Spiritualization, entered the dimensional rift, and kept Raven close as a guide to avoid getting lost.
Kugugugu!
Crossing the dimensional rift, a massive roar echoed.
Like a dream, the entire city crumbled completely, scattering as white ash.
Tzzzzz—
After the Unique Domain had fully vanished, Zeke, who had taken refuge in the dimensional rift, returned to his original position in the Phenomenal World.
In the cavern at the lowest level of the Siemens Underground Labyrinth, Zeke and Raven reappeared.
Chiiiiik—
As Zeke emerged from the dimensional rift, a white, steam-like haze rose from his body, and numerous messages—previously invisible—now floated before his eyes.
Having absorbed the soul of the Arrogant Savior, sealed the soul of one of the Thirteen Palaces, and absorbed the thirteenth Sentinel angel, it was no wonder the system messages filled his vision.
But what mattered to Zeke was not that.
'I can check the messages later. The priority now is...'
As soon as he emerged from the dimensional rift, Zeke opened his senses.
Since Harvey West had entered the dimensional rift with him and returned to the Phenomenal World, capturing him was the top priority.
Though he had lost the soul of the Arrogant Savior to Zeke, Harvey West was a being created by the Great Sage.
Moreover, though not an Irregular, he was a being deviated from the world's laws in another way, making it impossible to detect him with ordinary methods.
But Zeke's heightened divinity allowed him to sense subtle changes.
Zeke gripped Laevatein and swung a sword strike toward one spot.
Shwaaaaak!
Surprisingly, the space where he struck rippled, revealing the hidden Harvey West.
Woooong!
Harvey West raised his hand, channeling mana, and Zeke's sword strike dissipated like mist.
Harvey West looked at Zeke and said.
"...Zeke Draker, what exactly is your true nature?"
He had no choice but to acknowledge that Zeke possessed something far beyond what he had anticipated.
He had always thought he alone was qualified to advance to the finale, but Zeke, whom he had considered an outsider to the stage, might be the true protagonist.
Zeke looked at Harvey West and said.
"I am just me."
At his response, Harvey West shook his head.
"...No, Zeke Draker, you are merely one of the tragic characters struggling within the intricate web of fate."
"It's amusing how you always spout lines like a cheap stage actor. I'll end you now and put a close to my grudge with Narak."
Zeke raised his sword and charged at Harvey West.
But at that moment— Kwaaaaak!
—the bomb that Boris had planted detonated all at once, collapsing the underground labyrinth.
Kurururung!
With a massive roar, rocks poured from the ceiling of the underground labyrinth.
In that split second, Harvey West retreated and opened a gate.
Seeing this, Zeke immediately raised his sword.
Then he swung the Heart-Sword toward Harvey West.
Shwaaaaak!
Just as Zeke's sword strike was about to cleave Harvey West as he entered the gate— Kwadududuk!
—something shot out from the gate and blocked Zeke's sword strike with its body, preventing the attack from fully striking Harvey West.
Kurururung!
In an instant, rocks poured down on the spot where Zeke stood, and the Siemens Underground Labyrinth vanished without a trace.
*
Woooong!
Zeke emerged onto the surface near the Siemens Underground Labyrinth by opening spatial coordinates.
He walked out unscathed, brow furrowed, holding something in his hand.
It was the one who had thrown itself in front of his attack at the last moment.
Zeke flung him to the ground and checked the obscured face.
Then he gritted his teeth.
'...Master Kaisir's homunculus.'
In addition to the one consumed by the angel's fragment, others existed.
Zeke extended his hand toward the deactivated homunculus.
Then, using Dragonʼs Wisdom, he accessed the Akashic Code and read the information remaining inside.
Most of the information was erased, but with his elevated divinity, Zeke could access deeper layers than before.
Pajijijijik—
Amid the intense noise, Zeke discovered something.
At the same time, his eyes widened.
An image concealed within Kaisir's homunculus.
It was the face of someone Zeke knew well.
'...Arthur Draker.'
The Overlord Arthur Draker was the identity of the trace imprinted in the homunculus.