I’ve mentioned before that the Undying King, like the vampire, stands at the pinnacle of undead monsters.

Unlike vampires, who share common traits as a species, those who step into a certain domain as undying monsters are called the Undying King.

I’ve encountered two Undying Kings in the past. Sharamon, whom I fought in the Titis Forest, and Lascaris, who appeared in the Catalan Desert.

If the pope truly is the Undying King, this would be my third encounter. And if he’s affiliated with the Night Assembly like the other two, then to him, I am the enemy of his comrade Sharamon.

While on alert, I checked around, and the pope, placing her hand thoughtfully on her chin, tilted her head and said,

“Sharamon? I don’t recall that name. What exactly is this Night Assembly?”

I was at a loss for words, faced with her serious question. I don’t know what the Night Assembly aims to achieve.

Sharamon was after Pope Noah’s life, but that seemed more like Sharamon’s personal agenda rather than the goal of the Night Assembly.

For now, I decided to share what I knew.

“I’ve heard it’s a gathering of Undying Kings presided over by Lascaris.”

“Lascaris.”

This time, there was a response.

The pope narrowed her eyes slightly at the name, then, peering into my eyes, continued,

“I am unaware of Sharamon and the Night Assembly, but I do know of Lascaris. That ancient specter still wanders this world.”

“Specter?”

“Yes. There once was a Golden Empire, Imperium, destroyed by the gods for its tyranny and debauchery. He was its last king. A fool who sold his soul to demons in defiance of divine judgment, gaining eternity as his price.”

The pope spoke calmly about Lascaris.

Though her tone was gentle, the depth in her voice when she called Lascaris a fool was chilling, and it didn’t seem like a lie.

—Well, it’s hard to believe that a being who has lived for three hundred years could be deceived by my level of insight. It’s not impossible that the pope is secretly in league with Lascaris. However, if she were to lie, she probably wouldn’t visit my room alone, reveal her true face, and admit to being an Undying King.

The fact that the Pope of the Light God Faith is an Undying King is a secret that could turn the demon realm upside down. It’s not information to be shared lightly with others. Indeed, the Pope covering her face with a veil is likely to prevent her followers from discovering her true identity.

Yet, despite this, the Pope revealed her secret to me. It’s easy to discern that there is deep thought behind this action.

By informing me that she is an Undying King – or in other words, by revealing that she knows the truth from three hundred years ago – the Pope has something she wants to convey to me.

“Once you pass through the demon gate, whether you wish it or not, you will face the three hundred years of resentment that swirls in that land.”

The words of Emperor Amadeus II, heard in the imperial capital, flash through my mind.

I instinctively knew that now was that very moment.

◆◆

The monotonous tapping of footsteps echoed through the hall.

I was being led by the Pope, who had something to show me, deeper and deeper into the grand temple. We had been walking for quite some time, but the Pope in front of me showed no sign of stopping.

Where exactly was she taking me? And where did this passageway lead? I wondered silently.

Looking back, the path we had walked was shrouded in darkness. The corridor stretched endlessly straight, with no windows to glimpse the outside world. Apart from the occasional candlestick, there was no furniture, making it utterly stark and barren.

By my reckoning, we should have been well outside the city by now, yet the passageway continued. When I looked down at the main shrine from the western hill, I hadn’t seen any such passage extending beyond the city walls. That meant this corridor must be heading in a direction hidden from view from the west – likely east.

In other words, I had entered inside those light walls. This meant that what awaited us ahead was likely the serpent sealed at the far east.

For a moment, the Pope’s figure ahead of me seemed like a zealot intent on sacrificing me to the gods, sending a shiver down my spine – though, considering her true identity as an Undying King was already revealed, this was hardly a new concern.

I recalled feeling something similar when Emperor Amadeus II led me to the dragon’s lair and chuckled to myself.

Only the Pope and I were making footsteps in the corridor. Claira, having learned the Pope’s identity, wanted to come along, but I stopped her.

The Pope clearly had her attention focused on me, and while I doubted she would set a trap for me, I couldn’t be sure if that extended to Claira, a third party.

Moreover, bringing Claira along might make the Pope more reticent, pushing the truth further away. Considering all this, I had instructed Claira to wait.

Lately, Claira had been looking up to me as her master – her way of addressing me had even changed to “Lord Sora” – and she didn’t object to my decision. However, she did say that if I didn’t return within a quarter of an hour, she would follow me.

Her gaze, full of serious intent, implicitly communicated, “I will not hesitate to use force if necessary,” and all I could do was nod earnestly in response.

At that moment, the Pope, without turning back, opened her mouth to speak.

“Three hundred years ago, this world was overrun with a number of Mythical Creatures beyond comparison to today. Many nations perished, countless lives were lost, and yet the strife amongst humans never ceased. Reason was discarded, human decency cast aside, and the continent was in chaos… The term ‘end times’ must have been coined to describe such a state.”

Saying this, the Pope turned back to look into my eyes.

“Green wood Island was no exception. In fact, it faced even graver dangers. Because, you see, Green wood Island housed a dragon’s lair. Although it was sealed by the Fangxiang clan, the seal was fragile enough to be broken at any moment. In fact, the Fangxiang clan allowed the appearance of Mythical Creatures and sacrificed much in their subjugation efforts. This included the head of the Mitsurugi family at the time.”

The information she shared matched my own memories of the past.

However, there were parts I didn’t recall, and I asked about them.

“Was there really a dragon’s lair on Green wood Island?”

“Yes, that’s right. And three hundred years ago, the final battle also took place on Green wood Island. To defeat the king of the Mythical Creatures that emerged from the dragon’s lair on the island, people united to fight.”

“I see. So that’s the serpent you sealed in this land.”

My response was for confirmation. I needed to ascertain who exactly the person before me was.

It might be late to consider this, but the Pope had only affirmed her identity as an Undying King; she had never actually stated her name. My memory led me to surmise that she might be Sofia Azurite.

I remembered what Doga once said:

“The king of the Mythical Creatures our ancestor fought with his life at stake. That serpent still seeks to purify the world, coiling in the east. I may not favor humans, but I respect the Holy Maiden of the Light God Faith who sealed the serpent three hundred years ago.”

The one who sealed the serpent was Sofia Azurite.

If the Pope nodded to my question, it would confirm that the person before me was the Holy Maiden from three hundred years ago.

I intended it to be a simple verification, hardly a trap. However, the Pope’s response was unexpectedly sharp.

“Please refrain from using that term. The Kijin were imprisoned for three hundred years in hell due to their ignorance. I will not repeat such a mistake.”

“What?”

Her unexpected reply left me momentarily at a loss for words.

I understood she was referring to the serpent. And the “three hundred years of hell” likely referred to the Kijin being sealed within the demon gate, forced to live in harsh conditions.

What I couldn’t grasp was the meaning behind the Pope mentioning it.

It seemed as though she was siding with the Mythical Creatures – this reflexive thought was immediately followed by a recollection of Emperor Amadeus II’s words in the imperial capital.

After all, weren’t the followers of the Light God Faith originally said to stand with the Mythical Creatures?

Having witnessed the Kijin living alongside the Light God Faith in the demon realm, I had unconsciously stopped considering this contradiction. But the Pope’s words now affirmed the initial information.

As I was about to further ponder its implications, the Pope’s voice interrupted my thoughts.

“People refer to the primal force that runs through the earth as the dragon veins and the place where this force erupts as the dragon’s lair. Then, what should we call the embodiment of this primal force?”

As the words ended, light broke into my field of vision, as if waiting for the perfect moment. It seemed we had finally reached the end of the passageway.

The moment I stepped out of the corridor, I was outside. The familiar, desolate landscape of the demon realm stretched before me.

Looking up, the sun faintly glowed, offering none of the comfort of basking in its rays.

Yet, this light was sufficient to reveal “it” in my view.

A huge hole gouged in the reddish earth and a massive figure rising from it, as if piercing the sky.

With wings on its back, arms on its sides, and a face on a serpent’s body, it continually emitted a dreadful miasma. This was no ordinary Mythical Creature – not even a king of Mythical Creatures could be like this.

It was something else entirely, a being far superior to Mythical Creatures. Not me, but the Soul Eater within me, asserted this.

Affirming this thought, the Pope solemnly declared:

“This being before us is beyond human comprehension, a venerable entity. The embodiment of primal force. The spirit of a fallen star. The executor of the great vow of purifying the world. In short, it is a dragon.”