Before Zack and the others’ unease could settle and they had a chance to regain their calm, a somewhat unfamiliar yet familiar aloof voice suddenly called out from ahead.
"You are finally here."
Everyone instinctively turned toward the source of the voice, only for their breaths to catch. Standing before them was a woman with a pair of horns and blood-red eyes. Her dark hair cascaded over her slender figure, which was draped in an exquisite robe. The ends of her hair were wreathed in dancing flames that burned without harming her.
But it wasn’t her bewitching appearance that left those behind Skyler frozen. After all, they had already seen her before.
It was the sight behind her. An army of floating demons, their figures scattered across the horizon, hovered in the dark sky. The demons’ powerful dark aura alone was enough to make everyone’s hearts tremble.
The horned woman curled her lips into a smile, her crimson gaze fixed on Skyler.
"Do you like my welcome? I sensed you the moment you stepped into my territory."
Zack swallowed hard as he stared at the familiar woman who had tied them up on the 16th level and wanted to snatch Skyler away to imprison him in her territory.
"Red eyes..."
He muttered in realization.
His sudden exclamation went unheard because everyone was too busy trying to process the scene unfolding before them.
Skyler’s gaze softened as he looked at the familiar woman standing opposite him.
"Sorry for making you wait so long."
The Demon Queen’s smile widened. Her blood-red gaze swept over the white snake resting on his left shoulder before drifting to the gem hanging from the chain around his wrist, but she didn’t seem to care much.
Skyler blinked, and she vanished from her spot, reappearing directly before him. She smiled as she gazed into his eyes while a dark aura tinged with red flowed from her fingertips, enveloping the two of them.
"Now that you’re here... don’t even think about running away. Hmm?"
He tilted his head, returning her smile.
Although the aura slowly surrounding the two of them was dark and gloomy, there wasn’t a trace of malice in the blood-red eyes locked onto his. Instead, they held a faint hint of longing and deep affection.
Skyler’s voice was firm.
"Why would I? But I can’t stay on this level forever, you know. So, if there’s a way, would you be willing to leave this place with me?"
She blinked, surprise flashing across her eyes. For this human, who had grown so much in such a short time, to ask such a question so casually could only mean one thing—he really possessed the means to free her, an incomplete being bound by the rules of the Battle Royal, from this prison.
It was something that not even the Higher Beings had been able to accomplish. But...
A complicated glint flickered through her eyes. The smile on her face faded ever so slightly, replaced by a trace of bitterness.
She reached out, her fingers brushing his cheek as she whispered in a sweet voice. Yet every word she spoke was merciless.
"Dear... what you’re doing is futile."
Her gaze shifted to the white snake on his shoulder, which was staring straight at her, before drifting to the bracelet on his wrist.
"You’ve managed to gather quite a few fragments. But some beings are never meant to live long in this world. So, don’t exhaust yourself chasing the impossible. Instead... spend what little time we have left together. Wouldn’t that be better than desperately trying to stop the inevitable, only to be left with nothing but regret?"
Skyler’s heartbeat quickened at her words, which carried an unsettling, eerie sense of certainty. A sharp pain stirred deep within his heart—one he couldn’t quite describe—but every instinct told him he didn’t like it.
His voice came out far quieter than he had expected.
"You know something?"
The Demon Queen hummed softly.
"I haven’t lived long, but unlike the other fragments, I know many, many things. I’ve come across countless scattered bits and pieces of information whispered among those beings who sit high above."
With that, she took hold of his free arm.
"But I can’t tell you. It’s against the rules."
Waving her hand, she silently ordered the demons scattered across the sky to seize those standing frozen behind Skyler. Then, leaning close, she whispered into his ear.
"Come. I will show you my castle. As long as I don’t disturb the Immortals, I can do whatever I want here. I’m sure you’ll like it."
Skyler glanced at the beautiful, bewitching woman clinging to his arm, his expression a complicated mix of emotions as she led him away, humming. For the first time, he found himself wanting to know what had happened in a past that no longer existed.
But something deep inside him told him that if he uncovered the truth, everything he had built so far would disappear. Perhaps even the crimson eyes gazing at him now.
As the demons and the group of humans left the area, the Demon Queen suddenly looked back with a hint of confusion. Her crimson eyes met those of a small white rabbit that had jumped out from the same place Skyler and the others had come from.
Yet, instead of following them, the small creature just watched their fading figures before vanishing in the opposite direction.
505, which had been watching the Demon Queen, also detected the rabbit’s presence and immediately began bombarding Skyler with the same message over and over.
("Host, look back!")
("Host, look back!")
But by the time Skyler turned around, the rabbit had long since vanished. He wanted to search for it, but the grip on his arm was too firm for him to pull away. In the end, he sighed and asked 505 to keep watch and let him know if the rabbit appeared again.
Not long afterward, they finally arrived at the massive dark-red castle hidden in the darkest corner of the 52nd level of Battle Royal. Tall like a monument to despair, the fortress was carved from crimson-black stone, its jagged spires piercing the dark sky as an eerie silence lingered around it.
At that moment, the mermaid, who had entered the pocket space to sleep while they were climbing the massive tree, also emerged. She blinked in surprise, but upon seeing Skyler, she didn’t think much of the countless demons surrounding them.
Meanwhile, Isaac, Austin, Zack, Charles, and Yuris, who were bound with ropes and being dragged along behind the Demon Queen, were drenched in cold sweat. The feeling was worse than being chased by countless monsters. But when they saw Skyler casually walking into the demons’ castle as though he owned the place, they no longer knew whether they should try to escape secretly or just accept their fate.
However, contrary to their expectations, they were neither harmed nor thrown into some underground prison. Instead, they were led into a lavishly decorated hall.
A long square table stretched across the hall, overflowing with exquisite dishes and fine wine. Elegant chandeliers bathed the vast crimson chamber in an almost surreal glow, making it feel less like the heart of a demon castle and more like a grand palace prepared to welcome honored guests.
Once they entered the grand hall, only two demons followed them. The other demons dispersed throughout the castle. Ultimately, the ropes binding them were removed.