System's POV

Chapter 1445: A Meeting In The Order Of The Apocalypse

“Finally. It’s done,” Thirteen said, sighing in exhaustion.

Tiona gently took the Beast Core from his hand and ordered one of her demon subordinates to add it to the formation, finally completing it.

Truly drained with not an ounce of energy to spare, Thirteen’s body swayed sideways, eventually falling on his back.

“Careful now!” Stella immediately grabbed hold of Zion, preventing his skull from smashing the ground.

“Thank you… Stella,” Thirteen said. “I’ll skip dinner tonight. I just want to sleep.”

Without even waiting for her reply, the teenage boy’s eyes shut as he fainted to sleep. He was truly tired. If not for his strong willpower and concentration, he would’ve collapsed earlier.

“Please take him back to the bedroom,” Tiona lightly patted Thirteen’s head before glancing at where her subordinate was headed with the Beast Core. “I still have work to do.”

She wanted to ensure that everything was in order, not wanting her lover’s efforts to be wasted over a preventable mishap.

Thirteen had pushed himself to the limit, and the least she could do was keep everything in order.

Stella nodded and carried the unconscious teenager in a princess carry.

“You’re lighter than you look,” Stella muttered as she adjusted her grip. “Are you secretly made of feathers or something?”

Thirteen didn’t respond. He was already completely out cold.

Tiona watched them leave before turning her attention toward the horizon.

Far out at sea, faint pillars of light shimmered one after another.

The formation had begun to synchronize.

Deep under the sea, thousands of inscribed Beast Cores and crystalline pillars resonated with one another. Runes lit up in sequence, spreading like veins of light across the ocean floor.

If one were to look from above, it would look like a giant spiderweb of colors, ready to trap any insect that would be unlucky enough to come close.

The Sea Monsters and Sea Kings, whom Forneus had forced to come, were surprised at the sudden changes in their environment.

The Immortal Fiend narrowed his eyes, sensing the pillars of light give off a powerful pressure that made even him feel anxious.

“That brat surpassed my expectations,” Forneus muttered. “I’m glad we’re on the same side.”

Suddenly, a voice filled with excitement and wonder reached his ears.

“Wow! It’s finally ready?!” Dantanian chose that moment to arrive, seeing the grand formation that his idol had worked very hard for. “This is amazing. The formation Zaphiel used to trap me is nothing compared to this!”

Dantanian couldn’t help but shudder from both excitement and fear after the magical formation completed three revolutions.

The lights then died down, and everything returned to normal.

“I think we have a chance of winning,” Dantanian said in a serious tone. “What do you think?”

“Who knows?” Forneus shrugged. “We’ll know once those bastards come knocking on our doors.”

Forneus didn’t want to admit that he was very impressed with the final outcome of Zion’s magical formation.

What he could admit, though, was his eagerness to test it for real. But he understood that he would have to wait for the fatigued teenage boy to wake up from his slumber.

Zion was the heart of the formation, and only he could take control of it as if it was a part of his body.

———

Domain of the Apocalypse…

Everyone, excluding Zion, had gathered at the round table. This was usually where the twelve members of the Order of the Apocalypse held meetings.

But today was a little special.

Today, they had to declare their choice.

“We can no longer remain bystanders,” Camazotz said in a serious tone. “I understand many of you fear facing the Celestials and the Fiends. But my gut is telling me that anyone who misses this opportunity will regret it for life.”

Kamrusepa, Paimon, and Zapar nodded in agreement. After their group had a serious talk, they all decided to fight alongside Zion.

Of course, they wouldn’t directly fight against the Celestials and the Fiends. They weren’t suicidal. Their targets were Zaphiel’s army.

As for what prompted this gathering, it was the mission Metatron had pinned on their bulletin board. The huge amount of merit points made it too tempting to ignore, for it could unlock a few layers of the Treasury in one go.

Frankly, the offer was as risky as it was tempting.

The mission was to help Zion fight against Zaphiel and the Celestial Army.

The Order of the Apocalypse had four factions.

One was led by Zion, the others were led by Beelzebub, Baal, and Zagan.

Thirteen’s faction was currently the biggest, now with five members. Back then, each faction only had about three members each.

But the status quo changed after Paimon and Zapar switched sides, flipping the power dynamics within the Order.

“It’s enticing… but fighting off against Zaphiel and his army is a bit… dangerous,” Beelzebub commented.

He was one of the oldest members of the Order of the Apocalypse and held considerable influence because of it.

“Well, you know what they say,” Camazotz grinned. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

The Death Bat was like a salesman using his expertise to land a commission. The members of the Order knew what he was aiming for, but that didn’t mean they weren’t considering it seriously.

Metatron was also present to observe the conference.

Before the conference even started, he already disclaimed that those who wished to stay out of it wouldn’t receive a penalty. After all, fighting against Celestials and Fiends came with danger that not many were willing to risk.

If they didn’t want to participate, that’s fine.

If they wanted to participate then good.

Baal tapped his fingers against the table. “So let me get this straight—we won’t be fighting the Celestials directly. Our only role is to intercept Zaphiel’s army. In simpler terms, we only fight the small fries.”

“Yes,” Kamrusepa replied. “We’re not insane. Zion can handle the big ones.”

Zapar let out a short chuckle. “That’s strangely reassuring.”

Beelzebub exhaled slowly. “You all make it sound simple. But Zaphiel isn’t some minor character we can brush off. He’s ambitious. Ruthless. His army won’t be composed of fodders.”

“Even better,” Camazotz said with a grin. “More merit points.”

A few members rolled their eyes. The Death Bat was really putting all his guns to make this sale work. And the funny thing was that… it was actually working.

Paimon leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. “You’re all missing something important. This isn’t just about merit.”

Everyone looked at her, wanting for her to elaborate.

“If Zion wins this war,” Paimon explained. “The balance between the Celestials and Fiends will shift. And when the balance shifts… the Order’s influence increases.”

That made the members of the other factions narrow their eyes thoughtfully.

Zagan, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke.

“And if he loses?”

Kamrusepa didn’t hesitate.

“Then we’ll be dealing with a far more dangerous Zaphiel in the future. One who has removed all opposition. A Celestial will settle past grudges and eliminate those who opposed him.”

That statement settled heavily in the air. Metatron closed his eyes briefly, but he didn’t refute it.

Because it was true.

Beelzebub clicked his tongue. “You’re all betting on Zion.”

“Yes,” Camazotz replied without shame. “And you’re not?”

Beelzebub remained silent.

Everyone in the order had seen the teenage boy’s journey. He used to be the weakest member of their order. Someone that they could kill with a single flick of their finger.

Yet at that level, Thirteen still fought battles that even they didn’t dare to take.

It was no longer a question of whether Thirteen was capable or not. He had done one impossible thing after the other.

However, this time around, the stakes were simply too high.

They were in a world where the Celestials and Fiends ruled with no contenders.

Yet they were trying to break that mold. It would be a lie to say that they weren’t scared.

They could just sit this one out and congratulate Zion if he won. Rub shoulders with him a bit, and promise to collaborate in the future.

But they also understood one important thing.

Helping people when they needed it the most would be more impactful than offering assistance once everything was over.

The magnitude wasn’t the same. They knew that if they didn’t support Zion now in any way, the teenage boy would not entertain them in the future.

A brief silence fell inside the conference room. Even Camazotz understood that his colleagues were weighing the pros and cons of this dangerous venture.

Still, the Death Bat knew that once this conference ended, they would soon have to contact Zion and ask him what they should be doing next.