Raon wore a chilling smirk as he observed Priest Srude, whose sapphire eyes were wide with unmistakable agitation.
'He certainly lacks the finesse of the man he’s mimicking.'
Had the true Derus Robert been standing there, he would have maintained a mask of perfect serenity, as if every deviation was part of the plan. His talent for playing the virtuous saint was so refined that his villainy remained hidden until the very moment of his exposure.
In contrast, the Priest Srude currently before him was failing to suppress his volatile emotions. His gaze was rigid and his mouth pulled into a tight, strained line, betrayed by this unforeseen turn of events.
'That one is no different.'
Vayph, the guide who had escorted him to this Heaven, was visibly shuddering. His shoulders heaved and his jaw hung slack in disbelief at the defeat of his angelic comrade. His eyes flickered frantically from side to side, clearly preoccupied with the fallout of this disaster.
'This is unfolding perfectly.'
Under normal circumstances, a mere mortal defeating an Angel—an entity of supposed impossibility—would trigger immediate alarm. Yet, gauging the panicked states of Priest Srude and Vayph, Raon felt confident he could manipulate them further if he stuck to his script.
"Well? Do you intend to answer?"
Raon directed a sharp scowl at Srude.
"You aren't going to start stuttering excuses now, are you?"
He provocatively beckoned with a finger, demanding the priest uphold the oath he had uttered. Despite his arrogance, Raon made sure to heave heavy, labored breaths, appearing physically drained from the brutal struggle.
"Ah..."
Priest Srude let out a soft gasp, seemingly jolted back to reality by Raon’s prodding.
"Naturally."
He smoothed over his discomfort, replacing it with his customary, hollow grin.
"As previously stated, Lord Zilfen, the sheer magnitude of the ambition you have gathered will indeed allow you to pierce the firmament."
Priest Srude made a dismissive gesture, signaling that there was no cause for concern.
"However, given the colossal scale of this energy, converting it into a physical spire will require a period of preparation."
He offered a shallow bow, explaining that because both Zilfen and his rival had staked such immense quantities of desire, the construction of the tower would be a time-consuming endeavor.
"That is acceptable. Considering the Tower of Babel is practically finished, an immediate construction isn't strictly necessary."
Raon stroked his chin, feigning a cooperative attitude toward Priest Srude.
"I appreciate your patience..."
"Nonetheless."
Raon cut him off, raising a finger just as the priest began to bow in relief.
"It seems they have a different opinion, don't they?"
Raon gestured toward the massive crowd that had gathered to witness his duel against Kurk.
"Can you not sense their hunger? They want the tower built this instant."
The collective will of a mob is a formidable force in any realm. In a place like Heaven, which was constructed entirely upon the foundation of human conviction, that influence was magnified tenfold.
"He's right!"
"That's our Zilfen! He speaks for us!"
"Show us the Archangel this minute!"
"To hell with that, bring us God himself!"
"I don't care about the divine! I just want to see that spire shatter the sky!"
"We've lived on nothing but myths for generations. Hardly anyone has seen an Archangel with their own eyes!"
"Today is the day! Bring forth the Archangel!"
The denizens of Heaven erupted, demanding the immediate summoning of the celestial being. They thrust their fists toward the heavens as if trying to punch through the clouds. It was the inevitable byproduct of the Angels' own propaganda; they had used the Archangel—the supposed granter of all whims—as the ultimate lure to harvest human desire.
'Hmph!'
Raon allowed a small smile to curl his lips as he watched the crowd’s fervor exceed even his own projections.
'The momentum is perfect.'
He had anticipated from the start that Priest Srude would attempt to stall. They would likely try to swap him out for a different Angel or attempt to overwrite his mind with brainwashing techniques.
'I had several contingencies for that.'
He had considered surrounding himself with witnesses to prevent an abduction or even launching a mental counter-strike if they tried to invade his psyche. Ultimately, however, his current strategy was the most effective.
'Weaponizing the masses.'
This Heaven was essentially a high-end slaughterhouse where Derus Robert and the Angels fattened up humans to feast on their psychic energy. If the illusions of hope sustaining these "livestock" were to shatter, the entire foundation of Heaven would crack. They couldn't afford to suppress the very people they were farming.
-Ugh...
Wrath pressed a hand to his forehead, looking physically pained.
-I truly cannot fathom the depth of your schemes. I would honestly prefer a direct confrontation with the other two demon kings over dealing with your deviousness!
The entity sighed heavily, making it clear he had zero interest in a battle of intellect against Raon.
"Build the tower! Build the tower!"
"Call the Archangel! Call the Archangel!"
"Zilfen! Zilfen! Zilfen! Zilfen!"
"Do it now or we'll tear this place down! Open the heavens!"
The residents were unified, their roars shaking the air as they demanded the spire's completion. Even those who had initially harbored envy were won over by Zilfen’s spectacular martial display. They chanted his name with a fervor that suggested they were living vicariously through his success.
"Hmm..."
Priest Srude let out a muffled groan, rubbing his temples in frustration.
"I hear you. I will facilitate this with the utmost speed."
He exhaled sharply and nodded, looking as though he were receiving mental orders from a higher power.
"I ask for your brief indulgence while we prepare."
Priest Srude requested a moment of patience, though his eyes remained fixed on Raon with a predatory intensity. It appeared he was receiving a scathing reprimand from his master, Derus Robert.
"He says to wait, so stay focused, everyone!"
Raon turned to the assembly, throwing his arms wide in a grand theatrical gesture.
"Bear witness as I ascend to become a Transcendent!"
He boldly proclaimed his ambition and joined the crowd in thrusting a fist toward the false sky.
"Wooooooo!"
"Zilfen! Lead the way! We're right behind you!"
"It’s not even my dream, so why am I this excited?"
"We've followed this man's journey since the moment he set foot in Heaven."
"Exactly! We've seen his struggle, we can't help but root for him!"
"He never stopped pushing. Someone like that deserves to win; it gives the rest of us a path to follow!"
The onlookers had been completely transformed into Raon's devotees, shouting his alias and applauding with genuine passion.
-You possess a terrifying knack for turning strangers into fanatics regardless of the realm.
Wrath let out a dry, incredulous chuckle.
-As I have noted before, your talents are wasted in this place.
Despite the sarcasm, the small, round-handed being looked at him with uncharacteristic gravity.
-Come with me to the Devildom! The charisma to naturally command the masses is a gift reserved for true sovereigns!
Wrath revisited his long-standing offer of kingship with a solemn nod.
'The Devildom...'
Raon narrowed his gaze, staring up at the artificial horizon of Heaven.
'Since it's your home, I might visit one day. But not today.'
He felt a surge of raw ambition flooding his spirit, and a predatory glint flickered in his cold eyes.
'Because today is the day Derus Robert dies.'
"How did we lose control of the situation to this degree?"
Derus Robert sat with his long legs crossed, casting a frigid, piercing stare downward.
"I... I am deeply sorry."
A man who was the spitting image of Derus knelt before him, his frame racked with tremors. It was Priest Srude, who should have been presiding over Heaven. Only his ethereal form was present, his translucent body shimmering in the dim light of the study.
"I believed the angel could crush that mortal without effort, but he must have been overconfident..."
Priest Srude bit his lip, his voice trembling as he blamed the angel’s arrogance for the defeat.
"......"
Kubara stood silently by the bookshelves, her fingers interlaced and her gaze lowered, offering no comment.
"The... the inhabitants of Heaven are all watching. It appears we have no alternative but to fulfill the human's request in some capacity..."
Priest Srude gripped his head, lamenting the lack of options.
"Tsk."
Derus Robert clicked his tongue, his right wrist rotating in a rhythmic, habitual motion. He looked down, lost in calculation.
"Ugh..."
Priest Srude was a portrait of terror, bowing his head to the floor at Derus's feet and letting out faint, pathetic whimpers.
"You say his desire is to reach Transcendence?"
Derus finally looked up, his eyes boring into the kneeling priest.
"Y-yes! He claims a life of being crushed by the powerful has left him obsessed with reaching the pinnacle to exact his revenge!"
Priest Srude babbled about Zilfen’s fabricated history, nodding frantically even though he hadn't been asked for the details.
"And a common human overcame an Angel using nothing but desire? You are absolutely certain of his background?"
Derus’s eyes narrowed, skepticism coloring his tone.
"Indeed! His essence was scrutinized multiple times through the Archangels' Barrier. His identity is beyond reproach!"
Priest Srude’s shoulders shook with fear as he answered, clearly terrified of Derus’s icy scrutiny.
"A Transcendent..."
Derus ran a finger along his perfectly smooth chin.
"If that is what he seeks, it is a request we can accommodate."
He gave a slow, deliberate nod, as if manufacturing a Transcendent was a simple task.
"Truly? You will grant it?"
Priest Srude blinked, stunned by Derus’s sudden compliance.
"Injecting divine essence to temporarily elevate a human to the state of a Transcendent is trivial. The difficulty lies in the stability of such a form..."
Derus Robert’s lips twisted into a smirk as he mentioned the volatility of the process.
"Stability... Ah!"
The realization struck Priest Srude, and his eyes widened.
"You mean to grant him the appearance of Transcendence and then discard him once he is outside!"
He nodded eagerly, seeing the logic.
"Whatever happens to him in the outside world is of no concern to the cattle in Heaven."
Derus Robert shrugged, as if the solution were elementary.
"In fact, this is an opportunity. The energy yield from Heaven has spiked recently. If we manage this correctly, we could harvest double the anticipated power before the conflict begins."
His smirk widened; he was already turning the disaster into a windfall.
"......"
Kubara remained silent, but her eyes flickered upward, reflecting a quiet surprise at how quickly Derus had recalculated his path to victory.
"Yes! I will begin the preparations immediately!"
Relieved by the brilliance of the plan, Priest Srude bowed low.
"Which Archangel shall be the one to bestow the gift?"
He licked his lips, curious about which celestial figure would descend through the rift.
"Raphael."
Derus Robert named the Archangel of Healing with a sharp nod.
"The others are currently occupied elsewhere, so Raphael is the only choice. Besides, she is the most suited for this specific charade."
He spoke with calm certainty; Raphael’s presence would lend the necessary credibility to the event.
"Understood! I shall return and oversee it!"
Priest Srude bowed one final time, preparing to project his soul back into the realm of Heaven.
"Hold."
Derus Robert stopped nodding and began to stare intently at his leather-clad hands.
"I will handle this personally."
He frowned slightly, his intuition demanding a change in plans.
"What? Then..."
"Surrender your vessel to me."
As Derus extended his hand as if reclaiming a borrowed tool, Srude’s soul was violently compressed, looking as though it were being flattened by an invisible mallet.
"Kueoeoeoeoek!"
Derus surged into the shattered remains of Srude’s essence and vanished, leaving his own physical shell sitting motionless in the shadows of the study.
"......"
Kubara raised her head, her gaze fixed on the hollow, soulless body of Derus Robert. A very subtle shift in emotion passed through her eyes.
"And so, by the weight of Lord Zilfen’s ambition, the spire shall rise."
Priest Srude nodded, as if the necessary energy had finally been synthesized, and thrust both arms toward the firmament. A deafening roar erupted. The ground beneath Raon’s tower, which already dominated the skyline, split open as new levels surged upward with relentless force.
Raon watched the tower erupt like a geyser of stone and light, racing toward the clouds in a heartbeat.
"Incredible! Look at it go!"
Charlie gripped Raon’s shoulder, screaming with pure, unadulterated joy.
"Lord Zilfen’s tower is reaching for the stars!"
He danced in place, convinced that their salvation was at hand.
"Priest Srude is a man of his word!"
"Priest Srude...?"
Raon wasn't watching the tower. He was staring at the back of the priest’s head, his teeth sinking into his lower lip until the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth.
'That isn't that useless priest anymore...'
That is Derus Robert.
