Chapter 116 — A King Who Fell
The forest was quieter now.
Too quiet.
The rain had stopped.
Water still fell from the leaves in slow drops, tapping against the ground as Elias walked through the trees.
Azael followed behind him.
Neither spoke.
For several minutes.
Then Elias stopped.
Azael continued walking.
Elias didn't turn.
"We're being followed."
Azael stopped.
"I know."
Elias looked over his shoulder.
"Of course you do."
Azael smiled.
The forest ahead of them darkened.
A man stepped onto the path.
Crowley.
Elias's expression didn't change.
But Azael stopped smiling.
Crowley stood alone.
His coat was wet.
His hand rested at his side.
No weapon raised.
No magic.
Nothing.
He simply stood there.
Elias studied him.
"Crowley."
Crowley looked at Elias.
"Elias."
Then his eyes moved.
Azael.
The beast smiled again.
Crowley stared at him for several seconds.
Then spoke.
"So."
Azael tilted his head.
"So?"
Crowley's eyes hardened.
"You're the one."
Elias sighed.
Azael smiled.
"I hope so."
Crowley walked closer.
Elias didn't move.
Azael didn't either.
The three men stood between the trees.
Crowley looked at Elias.
"Where is she?"
Elias raised an eyebrow.
"You came all this way for Sera?"
Crowley's voice remained calm.
"Where is she?"
Elias looked toward Remus.
"Alive."
Crowley's jaw tightened.
"What did you do?"
Elias didn't answer.
Crowley stepped closer.
Azael moved.
Crowley immediately stopped.
The two looked at each other.
Azael smiled.
Crowley didn't.
"You smell familiar."
Crowley's expression changed slightly.
"That's unfortunate."
Azael laughed.
Crowley looked at Elias.
"You brought him here."
Elias answered quietly.
"No."
Crowley looked back at Azael.
The beast was still smiling.
Crowley understood.
"You came with him."
Azael's smile widened.
"Closer."
Elias stepped to the side.
"This doesn't concern you, Crowley."
Crowley looked at him.
"You nearly killed one of ours."
Elias smiled faintly.
"One of yours?"
Crowley said nothing.
Elias continued.
"That's what we're calling her now?"
Crowley's eyes narrowed.
"You don't get to decide what happens to people."
Elias laughed.
Crowley stepped forward.
"Especially not because they refuse you."
The smile disappeared.
For the first time—
Elias looked genuinely irritated.
Crowley noticed.
"She said no."
Elias's eyes hardened.
"And?"
"And you couldn't accept it."
Azael laughed.
Elias looked toward him.
"Don't."
Azael continued smiling.
Crowley looked at the beast.
"You find this funny?"
Azael's eyes returned to him.
"Yes."
Crowley nodded slowly.
"Good."
Azael's smile widened.
"Are you going to entertain me?"
Crowley's hand moved toward his weapon.
Elias sighed.
"Don't do this."
Crowley looked at him.
"Move."
Azael stepped forward.
Crowley didn't move.
The two stood several metres apart.
Elias watched them.
Azael looked Crowley up and down.
Then shook his head.
"I expected more."
Crowley's expression remained neutral.
"You should lower your expectations."
Azael laughed.
"I've heard stories."
"Then you've heard too much."
Azael took another step.
Crowley watched him carefully.
"You were a king."
Crowley's eyes hardened.
Elias glanced toward Azael.
The beast continued.
"Not a human king."
Crowley remained silent.
"A King of Hell."
The forest became still.
Elias's expression changed.
Only slightly.
But Crowley noticed.
Azael smiled.
"Your former King has gotten weak."
Crowley's eyes narrowed.
Elias looked at Azael.
"Former?"
Azael ignored him.
Crowley spoke quietly.
"You don't know anything about Hell."
Azael smiled.
"I know enough."
"You weren't there."
"I didn't need to be."
Crowley stepped forward.
Azael's smile disappeared.
Crowley looked directly into his eyes.
"If you're going to talk about my kingdom—"
His voice became lower.
"—at least have the courage to say it properly."
Azael stared at him.
Crowley continued.
"I didn't lose my throne."
The air changed.
Elias watched.
Crowley's presence wasn't magical.
Not visibly.
But something old moved beneath his words.
"I left it."
Azael laughed.
Crowley smiled.
"And that is exactly why you'll never understand me."
Azael's fist moved.
Crowley turned his head.
The fist missed.
Crowley grabbed Azael's wrist.
For one moment—
Azael's smile disappeared.
Crowley drove his knee into Azael's ribs.
Azael barely moved.
Crowley twisted his wrist.
Azael broke free.
He swung again.
Crowley ducked.
The punch hit a tree.
The trunk exploded.
Crowley moved behind him.
His weapon appeared.
A blade.
Azael turned.
Crowley cut across his shoulder.
Blood fell.
Azael looked down.
Then smiled.
Crowley jumped backward.
Elias raised his voice.
"Enough."
Neither listened.
Azael touched his wound.
Then looked at Crowley.
"There."
Crowley held his stance.
"What?"
Azael smiled.
"That."
The forest shook.
"That's the man I was told about."
Crowley's grip tightened.
Azael stepped forward.
"Maybe you haven't gotten weak."
Crowley looked at him.
"I have."
Azael stopped.
Crowley continued.
"But you haven't seen what that means yet."
Elias's eyes narrowed.
"You're wasting time."
Crowley looked at him.
"No."
Elias stared.
Crowley pointed toward Azael.
"I'm buying it."
Elias's expression changed.
Crowley turned toward him.
"You came here for Sera."
Elias didn't answer.
"You wanted her Source."
Still nothing.
Crowley continued.
"She refused."
Elias's eyes became cold.
Crowley smiled faintly.
"So you left her to die."
Azael tilted his head.
Crowley looked toward him.
"You follow orders?"
Azael smiled.
"Sometimes."
"Then you should listen to this."
Crowley lowered his blade.
"You're not fighting Brook."
Azael's smile widened.
Crowley continued.
"You're not fighting me."
His eyes moved toward Elias.
"You're fighting people you don't understand."
Elias laughed quietly.
Crowley looked at him.
"That's why you'll lose."
The laughter stopped.
Azael moved.
This time—
Crowley was ready.
The beast threw a straight punch.
Crowley stepped inside it.
His blade moved upward.
Azael caught his arm.
Crowley drove his forehead into Azael's face.
The beast staggered.
Crowley pulled free.
He cut.
Azael blocked with his forearm.
The blade bit deep.
Crowley stepped forward again.
Azael punched him in the stomach.
Crowley coughed.
But didn't fall.
Azael grabbed his collar.
Crowley stabbed him through the shoulder.
Azael froze.
Crowley leaned close.
Blood ran from Azael's wound.
Crowley's voice was quiet.
"You talk too much."
Azael smiled.
"You too."
He threw Crowley.
Crowley crashed through the trees.
Elias finally moved.
"Stop."
Azael turned.
Elias stood between them.
Crowley pushed himself up.
Blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
Elias looked toward him.
"This is pointless."
Crowley wiped his mouth.
"Then leave."
Elias stared.
Crowley continued.
"You wanted Sera."
Elias's eyes narrowed.
"You didn't get her."
Crowley smiled.
"So now you're leaving."
Elias didn't answer.
Crowley looked at Azael.
"And you're going to follow him."
Azael smiled.
"For now."
Crowley nodded.
"Good."
Azael looked at him.
"Why?"
Crowley raised his blade.
"Because next time—"
Elias stepped backward.
Crowley finished:
"—I won't be weak."
The forest went silent.
Azael smiled.
"Former King."
Crowley stared.
Azael's smile became wider.
"Your former King has gotten weak."
Crowley didn't react.
Then he smiled.
Azael stopped.
Crowley looked at him.
"Maybe."
He lowered his blade.
"But Hell isn't gone."
Elias's expression shifted.
Crowley turned.
"Neither is its king."
Azael watched him carefully.
Crowley walked away.
Elias spoke behind him.
"Crowley."
Crowley stopped.
Elias's voice was calm.
"You should be careful."
Crowley looked over his shoulder.
"Of what?"
Elias smiled.
"Remembering who you used to be."
Crowley stared at him.
Then looked forward.
"No."
His voice was quiet.
"I should be careful becoming him again."
And he disappeared between the trees.
Azael watched the place where Crowley had vanished.
Then looked at Elias.
"He's interesting."
Elias began walking.
"He's a problem."
Azael smiled.
"Good."
Elias didn't answer.
Behind them—
the forest slowly became silent again.
But Crowley had left with something.
Not information.
Not victory.
A warning.
The people serving the Maker had entered Remus.
They had nearly killed Sera.
They had begun moving openly.
The next time they met—
Crowley knew there would be no conversation.
And somewhere inside him—
something old had begun to wake.
Not a Source.
Not magic.
Something far worse.
A king remembering his throne.
End of Chapter 116