Chapter 99 — The War They Wanted
The city was silent.
Not peaceful.
Waiting.
From the highest tower of Shinokuni-01, Brook looked across the burning streets.
Hell Knights stood among the ruins.
Abominations waited beyond the broken Wall.
And at the center of it all stood Crowley.
The crown of Hell hovered above him.
Black energy moved around his body like smoke.
Henry stared at him.
"I still can't believe this."
Crowley glanced at him.
"You should."
Henry shook his head.
"You've been hiding this the entire time?"
Crowley looked toward the burning city.
"I had reasons."
Brook stepped beside him.
"And now?"
Crowley looked at Brook.
"Now there is no point hiding."
Brook looked toward the southern Wall.
"So you're really a King of Hell."
Crowley nodded.
"Once."
Brook frowned.
"Once?"
Crowley's expression darkened.
"I abandoned the throne."
The Queen of the Ninth Gate stepped forward.
"You abandoned nothing."
Crowley turned toward her.
"I walked away."
"You were exiled."
Crowley's eyes narrowed.
"I left."
The Queen smiled.
"You ran."
The air around Crowley changed.
Brook immediately stepped between them.
"Enough."
The Queen looked at him.
"You don't understand what you're standing beside."
Brook looked at Crowley.
"Maybe not."
Then he turned back toward the battlefield.
"But he's standing beside us."
Crowley looked at him.
Brook continued:
"That's enough for me."
The Queen's smile disappeared.
"That loyalty will kill you."
Brook raised his sword.
"Then they'll have to try."
A horn sounded outside.
The Hell Knights began moving.
Crowley looked down.
"They're withdrawing."
Brook frowned.
"Why?"
The Queen answered.
"Because their objective has been achieved."
Brook looked toward the broken Wall.
"What objective?"
She pointed toward the center of Shinokuni-01.
"The seal."
Brook's eyes widened.
The black symbols covering the city began glowing.
One after another.
The ground trembled.
Michael appeared inside Brook's mind.
Brook.
"I see it."
Lucifer looked toward the symbols.
His smile returned.
They're opening something.
Brook frowned.
"Can you tell what?"
Lucifer's expression changed.
No.
Michael looked at him.
That's concerning.
Lucifer shrugged.
Very.
Death appeared behind them.
His eyes moved across the city.
The lifelines are changing.
Brook looked at him.
"How?"
Some are being connected.
Brook stared.
"Connected to what?"
Death pointed toward the central tower.
The seal.
Brook's expression hardened.
"We have to stop it."
Crowley nodded.
"Yes."
They descended into the tower.
The Queen followed.
Henry noticed.
"Why are you coming?"
"Because I want to see what happens."
Henry frowned.
"That's not reassuring."
"It wasn't meant to be."
Brook almost smiled.
"At least she's honest."
They reached the underground chamber.
The throne remained in the center.
But the black flame had changed.
It was spreading through the floor.
Brook stepped closer.
"What is this?"
Crowley shook his head.
"The seal."
"What's it sealing?"
Crowley looked at him.
"Something beneath the city."
Brook stared.
"The prisoner?"
"No."
Crowley's voice became quiet.
"Something much older."
Henry swallowed.
"So the prisoner was guarding it?"
Crowley nodded.
"Perhaps."
Sera looked at the markings.
"Then why did Elias release the prisoner?"
Crowley answered:
"Because he needed the seal weakened."
Brook's eyes narrowed.
"To open what's beneath it."
Crowley nodded.
"Exactly."
Brook looked toward the Queen.
"You knew."
She smiled.
"Of course."
"Then tell me what Elias is trying to release."
The Queen's expression became serious.
"I don't know."
Brook frowned.
"You just said—"
"I know what he wants."
She pointed toward the floor.
"But I don't know what answers when the door opens."
A slow clap echoed through the chamber.
Brook spun around.
Elias stood on the stairs.
Brook's expression hardened immediately.
"Elias."
Elias looked at Crowley.
"So."
His eyes moved to the crown.
"The King finally remembers himself."
Crowley raised his weapon.
"You've gone too far."
Elias smiled.
"I passed that point a long time ago."
Brook stepped forward.
"Why are you doing this?"
Elias looked at him.
"Because the world you're protecting is already broken."
Brook's jaw tightened.
"Then fix it."
"I tried."
"You murdered Kael."
Elias's expression didn't change.
"I made a decision."
"You call that a decision?"
"I call it necessary."
Brook's sword lowered slightly.
"You're not even pretending to care anymore."
Elias shook his head.
"No."
A pause.
"I'm not."
That answer was colder than any excuse.
Brook's eyes hardened.
"Good."
Elias frowned.
Brook continued:
"Because now I know exactly what I'm fighting."
Elias smiled.
"Then fight me."
He raised his hand.
The chamber changed.
The floor split.
Black energy erupted between them.
Brook jumped backward.
Henry and Sera were thrown against the wall.
Crowley raised a barrier.
The Queen remained untouched.
Brook landed.
Elias stood across the chamber.
The black emblem on his hand glowed.
Brook raised his sword.
"Elias."
"Brook."
They moved.
Elias attacked first.
His fist came straight toward Brook's face.
Brook slipped to the side.
Elias twisted.
Elbow.
Brook blocked.
Elias drove his knee forward.
Brook caught it.
He twisted Elias's leg and slammed him into the floor.
Elias rolled before Brook could strike.
He came up with a black blade in his hand.
Brook blocked.
Their weapons collided.
Elias pushed.
Brook stepped backward.
Elias swung again.
Brook ducked.
The blade carved through a pillar.
Brook stepped inside the opening.
Punch.
Elias blocked.
Brook's elbow caught his jaw.
Elias staggered.
Brook fired a short white blast directly into his chest.
Elias flew backward.
He landed on one knee.
Brook advanced.
Elias smiled.
"You're getting better."
Brook raised his sword.
"I've been fighting because of you."
Elias disappeared.
Brook's eyes widened.
A fist slammed into his ribs.
Brook flew across the chamber.
He caught himself against the wall.
Elias appeared above him.
Brook raised his sword.
Steel met black energy.
The impact shattered the wall behind Brook.
Brook fell.
Elias reached for him.
Brook grabbed his arm.
Twisted.
Then slammed his forehead into Elias's face.
Elias staggered.
Brook grabbed his coat.
"You're not the only one who's changed."
He drove Elias into the ground.
The floor cracked.
Lucifer laughed.
"Yes."
Brook's breathing became heavier.
His eyes darkened.
Elias noticed.
"There he is."
Brook looked at him.
"Who?"
"The devil."
Lucifer smiled inside Brook's mind.
He sees me.
Brook's fists tightened.
The Hell Source surged.
His muscles tensed.
His instincts screamed at him to keep attacking.
Elias stood.
"Let him take over."
Brook's eyes narrowed.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I decide."
Lucifer laughed.
Do you?
Brook ignored him.
Elias charged.
Brook met him.
This time there was no sword.
Only fists.
Elias punched.
Brook blocked.
Brook countered.
Elias ducked.
Brook's knee connected.
Elias grabbed his shoulder.
Brook twisted free.
A punch.
A counter.
A sweep.
Elias fell.
Brook didn't stop.
He grabbed Elias and threw him across the chamber.
Elias crashed into the throne.
The black flame exploded.
Brook froze.
The entire chamber went silent.
The throne cracked.
Something beneath it moved.
Elias slowly stood.
He looked at the broken throne.
Then smiled.
"Finally."
Brook's expression changed.
"You wanted that."
Elias nodded.
"The throne wasn't a throne."
Crowley looked at him.
"What did you do?"
Elias answered:
"I opened the first lock."
The chamber began collapsing.
The Queen stepped backward.
"Everyone out."
Crowley grabbed Henry.
Sera grabbed Brook.
Brook looked at Elias.
"Come with us."
Elias stared at him.
Brook's voice hardened.
"You're going to die."
Elias smiled.
"No."
He looked toward the darkness beneath the throne.
"I'm exactly where I need to be."
Brook shook his head.
"You're insane."
Elias looked at him.
"Maybe."
Then the darkness swallowed him.
Brook reached forward.
"Elias!"
Too late.
He was gone.
The chamber collapsed.
They escaped into the streets.
The entire central tower began sinking.
Brook turned.
"What did he release?"
Crowley looked at the ground.
"I don't know."
The Queen answered:
"I do."
Brook looked at her.
She pointed toward the sky.
"Look."
Brook raised his head.
The clouds had begun turning black.
Not from smoke.
From something else.
A massive circular formation appeared above Shinokuni-01.
Brook felt Michael react.
Lucifer stopped smiling.
Death stared upward.
Brook whispered:
"What is that?"
The Queen answered:
"A door."
Crowley looked at Brook.
"And Elias just opened it."
Far away from the city…
Elias stood in darkness.
He wasn't alone.
A figure stood before him.
Not Veyr.
Not the Queen.
Not a Hell Knight.
The figure wore no armor.
No crown.
No symbols.
Just a simple dark robe.
Elias lowered his head.
"You came."
The figure said nothing.
Elias looked up.
"Was this enough?"
The figure finally spoke.
"No."
Elias frowned.
"What?"
"You have opened the door."
The figure stepped closer.
"But you still haven't proven that you're worthy of walking through it."
Elias's expression hardened.
"What do you want?"
The figure smiled.
"Everything."
Elias stared.
Then the figure raised a hand.
The black emblem on Elias's arm burned.
Elias dropped to one knee.
He gritted his teeth.
"Who are you?"
The figure leaned closer.
And whispered:
"You already know."
Elias's eyes widened.
The figure disappeared.
Elias remained on the ground.
The mysterious voice returned.
"One chapter remains."
Elias slowly stood.
He looked toward Shinokuni-01.
"Then let's finish it."
Brook stood on the ruined street.
The sky continued to darken.
He looked at Crowley.
"Can we stop it?"
Crowley looked at the growing door.
"I don't know."
Brook tightened his grip.
"Then we'll find out."
Michael appeared beside him.
"You're ready."
Lucifer smiled.
"Not yet."
Brook glanced toward him.
"What?"
Lucifer looked toward the door.
His smile became almost predatory.
"Something on the other side is hungry."
Death looked upward.
"And it has no lifeline."
Brook raised his sword.
"Then whatever comes through…"
He looked at the burning city.
"…we stop it."
The enormous door above Shinokuni-01 began to open.
And from the darkness beyond it—
something looked down.
End of Chapter 99