Chapter 79: The Secret of the Soul

The procession of shame did not stop in Abaddon’s main square.

As soon as the horses passed through the inner gates, new orders came from the highest level of the palace.

“Take him to the Throne Hall.”

The procession immediately changed direction.

The horses advanced along the immense stone road leading toward the heart of Abaddon, while towering black walls rose on either side like endless mountains.

The mysterious man was still bound by black chains.

Every step was heavy upon his body.

The long battle had exhausted him, followed by the days he had spent on the road, being dragged behind the horses of the Council beneath the eyes of the entire world.

And yet…

He did not bow.

Not even now.

The soldiers of the Council surrounded him from every direction, while the Heavenly General walked ahead in silence.

Minutes later, enormous doors appeared before them.

The doors of the Throne Hall.

They rose dozens of meters into the air and were engraved with strange symbols depicting creatures and shapes the mysterious man had never seen before.

The horses stopped.

Then the doors slowly began to open.

The creaking sound alone caused the ground to tremble.

The soldiers entered.

Then the Heavenly General.

And finally…

The mysterious man was led inside.

The moment his feet touched the floor of the hall…

He stopped.

For the first time since his capture, a clear change appeared on his face.

It was not because of the chains.

Nor the soldiers.

Not even because of the Heavenly General.

It was because of what stood before him.

The Throne Hall was enormous beyond description.

Towering black pillars stretched toward a ceiling whose end could not be seen, while violet flames burned inside enormous braziers on both sides of the hall.

The floor was made of polished black stone that reflected the images of everyone present.

But none of that was what caused the man to freeze.

At the end of the hall…

There was a throne.

A throne higher than all the others.

Larger than them.

And far more imposing.

Azrael Netherval sat upon it.

He sat in absolute calm, one hand resting upon the arm of the throne, his violet eyes watching the approaching man without any discernible emotion.

But Azrael was not alone.

On either side of his supreme throne…

There were thirteen platforms.

Thirteen thrones lower than his, yet each one possessed an overwhelming majesty that made merely looking at them feel oppressive.

And seated upon them…

Were thirteen beings.

Yet none of them could be seen clearly.

There were no visible faces.

No bodies whose forms could be identified.

The thirteen thrones were completely surrounded by dense shadows, black mist, and strange colors that concealed their occupants entirely.

Upon one throne, only a pair of faint eyes could be seen within the darkness.

Upon another, an eerie golden glow could be seen, though its source remained unknown.

Above some of the thrones, there was nothing more than indistinct shadows, as though the being sitting there did not possess a form that the human mind could comprehend.

Even their voices, whenever they spoke, seemed to come from the depths of the hall itself.

Thirteen Kings.

Thirteen mysterious existences.

The Kings of the Council.

As for the soldiers…

Not a single one dared to raise his head.

Even the Heavenly General, who had personally defeated the mysterious man, stood to the side and bowed respectfully.

Silence descended upon the hall.

Then Azrael spoke.

“Approach.”

The soldiers moved.

The man was pushed forward.

He reached the center of the hall.

Then stopped.

Azrael stared at him for a long moment.

“You stopped an entire army.”

The man did not answer.

“You resisted one of my strongest generals.”

He remained silent.

“Then you endured a journey that lasted for days while chained and dragged behind horses.”

The man raised his eyes toward him.

But he said nothing.

Azrael gave a faint smile.

Then asked:

“Who are you?”

Silence.

Several seconds passed.

The man did not answer.

“Your name.”

Still, the man remained silent.

“Which kingdom did you come from?”

No answer.

“Which clan?”

Nothing.

“And who sent you?”

The man remained silent.

Silence once again filled the hall.

Then a mysterious voice emerged from one of the thrones.

“My Lord…”

The voice was low and deep.

Azrael raised his eyes toward the throne.

The voice continued:

“Grant me permission.”

Silence followed.

Then the being sitting within the darkness spoke.

“This man is hiding something.”

Azrael said:

“I know.”

“He clearly has no intention of speaking.”

A faint smile appeared on Azrael’s face.

“That is why I asked.”

Another voice came from one of the thrones:

“He is trying to hide his fear.”

A third voice said:

“He is hiding more than fear.”

One of the Kings gazed toward the man.

“His soul is disturbed.”

Azrael said nothing.

But the mysterious man began to feel that something far worse than battle was approaching.

Then one of the thirteen thrones moved.

The darkness surrounding it was denser than that of the others.

From within it came a cold voice that seemed to freeze the very air.

“My Lord Azrael…”

The voice paused.

Then continued:

“There is no need for him to answer.”

Azrael raised his eyes toward him.

“Croxx.”

That being was Croxx.

King of Death and the Undead.

One of the thirteen Kings.

Croxx spoke with unmistakable reverence:

“If you permit me, my Lord, I shall uncover the truth myself.”

Azrael asked:

“How?”

Croxx replied:

“I possess a technique that allows me to search the soul.”

Then he added calmly:

“Once I enter my consciousness into his soul, I will be able to see his memories.”

He paused briefly.

“All of them.”

The mysterious man’s expression changed.

Croxx continued:

“His childhood.”

The man’s face began to pale.

“His origins.”

His hand trembled.

“Who trained him.”

His breathing became unsteady.

“Every battle he has fought.”

The man took a step backward.

“And even…”

Croxx paused for a moment.

“Who sent him to this world.”

The man’s eyes widened.

“No…”

One of the Kings spoke calmly:

“Apparently, he understands what that means.”

Another said:

“Perhaps he truly does have something to hide.”

As for Azrael, he remained completely calm.

“Croxx.”

The mysterious shadow bowed slightly.

“Yes, my Lord.”

Azrael said:

“Discover the truth.”

“As you command.”

At that very moment…

The mysterious man suddenly moved.

He violently raised his head and attempted to bite through his own tongue.

The Heavenly General realized what he was attempting.

“Seize him!”

But it was too late.

Croxx disappeared.

In the next instant, he appeared before the man.

No one saw how he moved.

Even the Heavenly General could not follow his movement.

Croxx’s mysterious form resembled a specter that had emerged from the depths of death.

Only vague outlines could be seen beneath his black cloak, while his face remained completely swallowed by darkness.

He raised his hand.

His fingers were long and thin, surrounded by dense black mist.

Then he placed his palm upon the man’s head.

Croxx said calmly:

“You are too late.”

The man’s eyes widened.

Then the soul-searching technique began.

Everything stopped for him.

The hall disappeared.

The soldiers disappeared.

Azrael disappeared.

The thirteen Kings disappeared.

Nothing remained except his consciousness.

Then something else appeared.

A vast consciousness.

Dark.

Cold.

Endless.

It was Croxx’s consciousness.

The consciousness of the King of Death entered the man’s soul.

At first…

Scattered memories appeared before him.

Childhood.

Cities.

Battles.

Training.

People.

Unknown places.

But suddenly…

Croxx stopped.

His aura changed.

“Hmm…”

He went deeper.

And in the deepest part of the man’s soul…

He found something.

A seal.

But it was no ordinary seal.

It was the trace of an immense power possessing a nature completely different from anything Croxx knew.

A supreme power.

Divine power.

Croxx’s consciousness paused for a moment.

Then he said:

“This…”

The moment he attempted to advance…

The resistance erupted.

BOOOOOOM!

The man’s entire soul trembled.

In the outside world, his body violently convulsed.

One of the Kings raised his head.

“What is happening?”

No one answered.

Croxx was facing something he had not expected.

It was not a defensive technique.

Nor was it merely a powerful soul.

It was a divine will implanted deep within the man’s soul.

Croxx said:

“Divine resistance…”

Inside the man’s soul…

Croxx’s consciousness surged forward once again.

But this time, the resistance was even more violent.

The immense consciousness of the King of Death collided with the divine barrier.

And in a single instant…

The man’s soul shattered.

His eyes widened.

Blood flowed from his mouth and nose.

Then his body collapsed onto the floor of the hall.

One of the soldiers shouted:

“My Lord!”

But Azrael raised his hand.

“Do not move.”

The soldiers immediately stopped.

Azrael was looking at Croxx.

Croxx slowly withdrew his hand.

He remained silent for several seconds.

Then he said:

“My Lord…”

His voice was more serious this time.

“His soul has shattered.”

Silence filled the hall.

Azrael asked:

“Did you discover anything?”

Croxx answered reverently:

“Yes, my Lord.”

He paused.

“I discovered enough.”

Azrael said:

“Speak.”

Croxx looked at the collapsed man.

“This man does not belong to a kingdom.”

Silence.

“Nor to a clan.”

He then raised his head toward Azrael.

“He is a messenger.”

Azrael’s eyes narrowed.

“A messenger from whom?”

Silence.

Then Croxx said:

“From one of the gods, my Lord.”

At that very moment…

Absolute silence descended upon the Throne Hall.

Even the auras of the thirteen Kings seemed to shift for a brief moment.

One of the mysterious voices said:

“A god?”

Croxx answered:

“Yes.”

Then he added:

“There was divine power protecting his memories.”

Another voice asked:

“Were you able to identify him?”

Croxx replied:

“No, my Lord.”

Then he added:

“The divine resistance shattered beneath my consciousness, but in return, it destroyed the man’s soul before I could completely penetrate the seal.”

A brief silence followed.

One of the Kings said:

“So even Croxx could not discover the god’s name.”

Another voice emerged from the darkness:

“That means the god behind him is cautious.”

But Croxx did not respond.

He was looking at the mysterious man.

Azrael asked:

“From the Divine World?”

Croxx bowed slightly.

“Yes, my Lord.”

Then he said:

“I am certain.”

Azrael slowly straightened on his throne.

For the first time since the man had entered…

Azrael’s smile completely disappeared.

He looked at the collapsed man on the floor.

Then said:

“So the gods have begun to move.”

No one answered.

Azrael continued:

“I wondered when they would notice what is happening in the Mortal World.”

One of the Kings asked:

“My Lord, do you believe this man is the only one?”

Silence.

Then Azrael looked toward the darkness surrounding the thrones.

“No.”

His answer was calm.

“If one god has sent a messenger…”

His words paused for a moment.

Then he continued:

“Then it would be foolish to assume the other gods will simply remain spectators.”

Croxx spoke respectfully:

“What are your orders, my Lord?”

Azrael looked at the mysterious man.

Then said:

“Keep him alive.”

Croxx raised his head.

“As you command.”

Azrael said:

“And do not allow anyone to approach him.”

Then he added:

“Even if he awakens.”

“Your command shall be carried out.”

Azrael leaned back against his throne.

But before the matter ended, he spoke again.

“Croxx.”

The King of Death bowed.

“Yes, my Lord.”

“Can you repair his soul?”

Croxx remained silent for a moment.

Then answered:

“I can try, my Lord.”

“Try.”

“As you command.”

Croxx then added:

“But if the divine power has left a deeper mark than I can perceive…”

He paused.

“There may be consequences.”

Azrael replied:

“Do what you can.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

Silence returned to the Throne Hall.

Thirteen thrones.

Thirteen beings hidden within the darkness.

And above them all…

Azrael sat upon his supreme throne.

As for the mysterious man, who only days ago had stood alone before the Council’s army and challenged the entire world…

He now lay unconscious before the throne of the entity he had defied.

But the truth Croxx had uncovered had made the situation far greater than anyone expected.

The man was not the true enemy.

He was merely a messenger.

And behind him…

There was a god watching.

Perhaps that god was not alone.

Azrael raised his eyes toward the dark ceiling of the Throne Hall.

Then he smiled calmly.

“It seems the Divine World wants to play.”

No one answered.

But deep within the hall…

One of the thirteen shadows shifted slightly.

As though one of the Kings had realized that the war which had begun in the Mortal World…

Might soon become a war that would transcend the boundaries between worlds.