Chapter 98 — The King Beneath the Crown
The crack in the sky widened.
Blackness spilled through it.
The battlefield stopped.
Even the Abominations went still.
The massive prisoner beneath Shinokuni-01 stared upward.
Its chains dragged across the broken streets.
Then it whispered:
"No…"
Brook looked at Elias.
"You knew this would happen."
Elias didn't answer.
Brook raised his sword.
"Who is coming?"
Elias looked at the sky.
"The beginning of the end."
A voice echoed through the clouds.
Not loud.
Not angry.
Calm.
"Elias."
Elias's expression changed.
The black crack stopped widening.
Nothing emerged.
The voice continued.
"You opened the door."
Elias lowered his head.
"Yes."
Brook's eyes narrowed.
"Who are you?"
Silence.
Then the voice answered:
"Not yet."
The crack vanished.
The sky returned to normal.
The battlefield erupted again.
A Hell Knight charged Brook.
Brook barely turned before the sword came down.
He blocked.
The impact drove him to one knee.
The Knight swung again.
Brook caught the blade between both hands.
His boots dug into the stone.
Lucifer laughed.
"Push harder."
Brook gritted his teeth.
"Shut up."
The Knight kicked him in the chest.
Brook flew backward.
He landed on one hand.
The Knight charged.
Brook waited.
At the last second, he stepped aside.
He grabbed the Knight's wrist.
Instead of teleporting, Brook twisted his body and used the Knight's momentum.
The armored warrior flew over his shoulder.
Brook caught the sword as it fell.
He tossed it aside.
Then drove his fist into the Knight's helmet.
The armor cracked.
The Knight staggered.
Brook followed with a knee.
Then a short white blast from his palm.
The Knight crashed through a stone wall.
Brook exhaled.
Lucifer was laughing.
"Better."
Brook wiped blood from his mouth.
"I don't need your approval."
"You will."
Across the battlefield, Henry and Sera were holding the southern road.
A wave of Abominations came through the smoke.
Henry raised his weapon.
"Three."
Sera looked behind them.
"Twenty."
Henry smiled.
"Then we better work faster."
The first creature lunged.
Henry stepped forward.
Sera blasted the ground beneath it.
The creature jumped.
Henry caught it in midair.
He slammed it into another.
Both crashed down.
A third came from behind.
Sera turned.
Her energy formed a shield.
Claws struck it.
Henry drove his weapon through the creature's chest.
They moved together without speaking.
Brook saw them from across the street.
For a moment, he understood.
Xcution wasn't just surviving.
They were adapting.
Then the ground exploded.
The enormous prisoner rose higher.
Its chains snapped apart.
The creature looked down at the battlefield.
Its gaze stopped on Brook.
"B-01."
Brook raised his sword.
"I'm not B-01."
The creature tilted its head.
"Then tell me your name."
"Brook."
The creature stared.
Then:
"Brook."
Something about the way it said his name made the entire battlefield feel colder.
"Remember it."
Brook frowned.
"Why?"
The creature looked toward the sky.
"Because he will try to erase it."
Brook's grip tightened.
"Who?"
The creature answered:
"The Maker."
The name spread through the battlefield.
Elias smiled.
The Queen of the Ninth Gate looked toward the sky.
Crowley went completely still.
Brook noticed.
"Crowley."
Crowley didn't answer.
Brook stepped toward him.
"You know something."
Crowley looked at him.
"I know enough."
"Then tell me."
Crowley looked toward the burning city.
"Not here."
Brook shook his head.
"Everyone keeps saying that."
Crowley finally looked directly at him.
"Because if I tell you here, everyone dies."
Brook stopped.
Crowley's expression was completely serious.
Then he looked toward the central tower.
"We need to get there."
They moved through the city.
Brook fought through the chaos.
Not with one repeated technique.
He adapted.
A creature attacked from above.
He rolled.
A soldier swung at him.
Brook parried.
A Hell Knight fired a black blast.
Brook redirected it with a burst of white energy.
The explosion threw both fighters apart.
Brook landed.
Another enemy rushed him.
He caught the man's wrist.
Pulled.
Elbow.
Knee.
Then a short teleport put Brook behind him.
One strike.
Down.
Brook kept moving.
Lucifer was becoming louder.
"More."
Brook breathed heavily.
"Enough."
"You're surrounded."
"I know."
"Then stop pretending you're afraid of me."
Brook's eyes darkened.
"I am afraid of you."
Lucifer smiled.
"Good."
The Hell Source surged.
Brook felt his instincts sharpen.
His fingers twitched.
He wanted to fight.
Not because he had to.
Because he wanted to.
He smiled.
Michael immediately appeared.
"Brook."
Brook closed his eyes.
One breath.
Two.
The darkness receded.
He opened his eyes.
"Not yet."
Lucifer laughed.
"One day."
They reached the central tower.
The doors were destroyed.
Inside was a circular chamber.
At the center stood a massive throne.
Empty.
Crowley stopped.
Brook looked at him.
"What?"
Crowley stared at the throne.
His face had gone pale.
Henry noticed.
"You've seen this."
Crowley nodded.
Brook stepped closer.
"Where?"
Crowley didn't answer.
The Queen of the Ninth Gate entered behind them.
She looked at Crowley.
"Still hiding."
Crowley turned.
His expression changed.
"Leave."
The Queen smiled.
"You know I can't."
She looked at Brook.
"Your friend has spent years pretending he was only a guardian."
Brook turned toward Crowley.
"What is she talking about?"
Crowley remained silent.
The Queen laughed.
"Ask him about Hell."
Brook stared.
"What's your connection to Hell?"
Crowley finally answered.
"I ruled it."
Silence.
Henry's face went blank.
Sera stared.
Brook didn't move.
The Queen smiled.
"Tell them the rest."
Crowley looked toward the throne.
"I was once a King of Hell."
Brook's eyes widened.
"But you're human."
Crowley shook his head.
"Not originally."
The Queen stepped forward.
"His name was spoken in Hell long before any of you were born."
Brook looked at Crowley.
"King Aldric knew?"
Crowley nodded.
"He did."
Brook frowned.
"Then why did he hide you?"
Crowley looked toward him.
"Because Aldric wasn't protecting me."
He paused.
"He was protecting Shinokuni-01 from me."
The chamber shook.
The throne cracked.
A black flame erupted around it.
Crowley stepped backward.
The Queen smiled.
"The old king is waking."
Brook raised his weapon.
"Who?"
Crowley looked at the throne.
"Not a who."
His expression hardened.
"A title."
The black flame rose.
A crown appeared within it.
Brook felt Lucifer suddenly go silent.
Then Lucifer whispered:
"Oh."
Brook looked inside his mind.
"What?"
Lucifer stared at the crown.
"I know that crown."
Michael appeared beside him.
"From Hell?"
Lucifer nodded.
"From before Hell had kings."
Brook's eyes widened.
"Then what is it?"
Lucifer looked at Brook.
For once, he wasn't joking.
"The first throne."
Crowley stepped forward.
The black crown floated toward him.
Brook moved.
"Crowley!"
Crowley raised his hand.
"Don't."
The crown stopped inches from his head.
Crowley's eyes changed.
For a moment, Brook saw something ancient behind them.
Something that didn't belong to the man he'd known.
Crowley whispered:
"I buried this."
The Queen laughed.
"You buried nothing."
The crown touched Crowley's forehead.
A shockwave exploded through the chamber.
Brook was thrown backward.
Henry crashed into the wall.
Sera fell to one knee.
The Queen remained standing.
Crowley screamed.
Not in pain.
In rage.
Black energy erupted from his body.
His clothes tore.
Dark markings spread across his arms.
Two enormous horns formed from the energy above his head.
His eyes became crimson.
Brook stared.
Lucifer smiled.
"Now that's a King."
Michael looked at him.
"Do not encourage this."
Lucifer laughed.
"I didn't have to."
Crowley lifted his head.
The entire chamber went silent.
The Queen lowered herself to one knee.
"Your Majesty."
Crowley looked at her.
His voice was no longer entirely human.
"Rise."
She obeyed.
Brook stared at Crowley.
"You're really a King of Hell."
Crowley looked at him.
"Yes."
Brook tightened his grip.
"Then why did you protect us?"
Crowley looked toward him.
"Because I know what Hell does to people."
He looked at the broken city beyond the windows.
"And I refused to let it have you."
Brook lowered his weapon slightly.
Crowley turned toward the Queen.
"Why are you here?"
She smiled.
"Because Hell has chosen a side."
Crowley's expression hardened.
"Whose?"
The Queen looked toward Brook.
"The Maker's."
Crowley froze.
Brook's eyes narrowed.
"And Elias?"
The Queen smiled.
"He thinks he's serving himself."
A pause.
"He isn't."
The battlefield outside suddenly went silent.
Every Hell Knight lowered their weapons.
Every Abomination stopped moving.
The massive prisoner looked toward the central tower.
Then it whispered:
"The King has returned."
Crowley stepped toward the window.
Black energy surrounded him.
Brook stood beside him.
"What happens now?"
Crowley looked at the burning city.
"Now?"
He raised his weapon.
"We end this."
Far beyond the Wall, Elias watched the tower.
He saw Crowley's transformation.
He saw the Hell army.
He saw Brook standing beside the King.
Elias smiled.
"Perfect."
The mysterious voice spoke behind him.
"You wanted war."
Elias turned.
"Yes."
"Then you have it."
Elias looked toward Shinokuni-01.
"Not yet."
The voice paused.
Elias continued:
"I need Brook to survive."
"Why?"
Elias smiled.
"Because the Maker doesn't want him dead."
He looked at the sky.
"And neither do I."
The voice became quiet.
Then:
"Be careful, Elias."
Elias's smile disappeared.
"You are beginning to believe this war belongs to you."
Elias stared into the distance.
"I know."
He turned away.
"That's why I'm going to win it."
End of Chapter 98