The branch manager guided Siegfried and Metatron to the VIP-exclusive Demonic Power Extraction Chamber. Inside, there was a single black capsule that resembled a coffin and was connected to countless metallic hoses. It seemed that the demonic power extracted from the Soul Coins would be fed into the capsule through the hoses and ultimately absorbed by Metatron. “Do you see this, Sir Siegfried?” the branch manager asked, pointing to a small slot located beside the capsule. “This is where you insert the Soul Coins. Once inserted, it will automatically extract the demonic power from it.” “Really? Okay, give me a second.” Following the branch manager’s instructions, Siegfried approached the slot and opened his inventory. Then, he began dumping in every single Soul Coin he had. Over eight hundred million Soul Coins were dumped into the slot that sucked them up a few dozen at a time like a black hole. [Alert: You have exchanged Soul Coin for Demonic Power!] [Alert: You have exchanged Soul Coin for Demonic Power!] [Alert: You have exchanged Soul Coin for Demonic Power!] [Alert: You have exchanged Soul Coin for Demonic Power!] Since Siegfried possessed an absurd amount of Soul Coins, simply inserting them took a considerable amount of time. ‘Damn it... they must be struggling outside,’ Siegfried bit his lower lip, concerned about his comrades. It was obvious what was unfolding at the Demon Bank’s entrance. His comrades and Baroque’s subordinates were surely locked in an intense battle with one side trying to defend the entrance while the other trying to push their way in. Unfortunately, the extraction speed was directly related to the number of Soul Coins, so there was no way to make it any faster. Finally, after ten long minutes, the final Soul Coin was inserted. “You may enter now, Lord Metatron.” Following the branch manager’s instructions, Metatron lay down inside the capsule that was charged with demonic power worth more than eight hundred forty-five million Soul Coins. The immense reservoir of energy would start getting pumped into Metatron once the capsule’s lid was closed. “How do you feel? Nervous?” Siegfried asked. “Not at all. Right now, the only thing on my mind is getting stronger, sire,” Metatron replied. “Good. Keep that mindset, okay? I’ll see you when you’re back stronger,” Siegfried said with a grin. “Yes, Your Majesty,” Metatron replied with a nod. “Have a good time then.” With that, Siegfried personally closed the capsule’s lid. Chapters first released on n̷o̷v̷e̷l̷f̷i̷r̷e̷.net Then, he turned to the branch manager and said, “Start it up.” The branch manager pulled a black lever beside the capsule. The energy stored surged through the metallic hoses and into the capsule. “Now we just have to wait?” Siegfried asked. “Yes, sir,” the manager nodded in response. “Got it. I’ll leave it to you, then.” Without wasting another second, Siegfried hurriedly sprinted out of the Demonic Power Extraction Chamber. Baroque barely managed to suppress the rampaging power within him that was triggered by his outburst. He stood in front of a mirror and tidied his clothes before making his way to the throne room. Just then, one of his royal guards rushed in and reported. “We have finally captured the traitors!” “What? You captured the traitors?” Baroque muttered, raising a brow. “Well, not completely yet, but they are as good as caught!” “What do you mean by that? Report in detail.” “The traitors are currently barricaded inside the Demon Bank. Our forces, led by Supreme Commander Hyungseokius, have surrounded the bank. They are like rats trapped in a jar, Your Majesty!” Baroque was delighted upon hearing the report from his royal guard. How long could Metatron and his lackeys hold out in the Demon Bank? In the end, it would turn into a war of attrition, and they were no different than captured at this point. “So, you’re finally living up to my expectations, Hyungseokius. I knew you wouldn’t fail. Hahaha!” Baroque laughed heartily as he thought about Chae Hyung-Seok, who was leading the operation. With a triumphant smile, Baroque immediately set off. “Summon the royal guards. We are heading to the Demon Bank.” “Huh? Your Majesty will go in person?” “Of course. This is a historic moment when we will capture the traitors. And besides, this is also the perfect opportunity to secure the Avenger. It is only right that I, Baroque, am present to witness it firsthand.” “As you command, Your Majesty. I will make preparations at once. Thus, Baroque personally set out to hunt Metatron and the others who were holed up in the Demon Bank. Meanwhile, a complete carnage was unfolding at the entrance of the Demon Bank. The demon soldiers led by Chae Hyung-Seok were nothing more than insects against Balag. He one-sidedly massacred the demon soldiers, and their bodies piled up to a hill at the entrance of the Demon Bank, blocking Chae Hyung-Seok and his soldiers from entering. “I won’t permit anyone to take a single step through these doors!” Balag roared. Like a warrior out of the legendary novel, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Balag stood firm like an impregnable wall that guarded the entrance to the Demon Bank. Michael, too, was just as dazzling. Although he had yet to recover all of his wings and couldn’t exert his full powers, he was still formidable. As the former Chief Archangel, his battle experience and skills made him a very efficient warrior in battle. Michael and Balag fought back-to-back, relentlessly slaughtering the endless waves of enemies charging at them. “Hey, Chief Archangel. Did you ever think a day would come?” Balag asked with a chuckle. “Not at all,” Michael responded with a laugh. “Me, neither. Who would have thought that I’d be fighting side by side with you? Being on the same side as an archangel feels like a dream.” “I wouldn’t have dared to stand anywhere near you in the past, but fighting as comrades with you is a great honor.” No matter how strong Balag had been in his prime, he was nothing more than an ordinary demon when compared to Michael when the latter was the Chief Archangel. Just as the demon had admitted earlier, he was nothing more than a lowly warrior who wouldn't dare to stand in Michael’s presence. “I never imagined a day would come either... a day when I would have allies from the Demon Realm...” Michael said with a wry smile, looking as if he found the situation a bit too unreal. The moment of camaraderie shared by the former Chief Archangel and the most powerful demon warrior of the Seventh Domain was cut short by a shrill, deranged cry. ”Are you seriously struggling against those two?! Keep attacking until they get tired! I will grant you infinite strength!” Chae Hyung-Seok screamed in anger before channeling his mana. The buffs he cast amplified the combat prowess of the demon soldiers fivefold. ”They’re coming,” Michael warned and raised his spear. The demons were converging on them once more. ”It doesn’t look will be easy,” Balag grumbled while tightly gripping his Slaughterer’s Whip. The demon soldiers buffed by Chae Hyung-Seok were far stronger than they were a while ago. Their newfound strength made them a threat even to the former Chief Archangel and the most powerful warrior of the Seventh Domain. While the demon soldiers were charging toward the Demon Bank... ”Stay strong! I will help you!” Siegfried exclaimed. Upon his return, he immediately cast Eternal Flames and Embrace of Despair. The debuffs cast by Siegfried were far more powerful than Chae Hyung-Seok’s buffs. Siegfried was suffering penalties upon crossing over to the Demon Realm, but his debuffs were not affected by the penalty. In other words, he was still the natural predator of Chae Hyung-Seok. There was no way Chae Hyung-Seok could win against Siegfried, and this hadn't changed even after becoming a demon. Siegfried cast debuffs to reduce the stats of the demon soldiers. ’If I can’t fight properly, then I’ll do my best to support them.’ This was the real reason the Lord of Despair was scarily powerful. In situations where the Lord of Despair couldn't participate in battle, he could still support his allies with his debuffs. And the result of that was... The demon soldiers debuffed by Siegfried were slaughtered by Balag and Michael with ease. ’Good.’ Siegfried smiled after seeing that the demon soldiers couldn’t get past Balag and Michael. The combined strength of Balag, Michael, and Siegfried was simply insurmountable for the demon soldiers, and the only thing their reckless charge achieved was to increase the battlefield’s death toll. At this rate, they would undoubtedly hold out until Metatron had completely absorbed all of the demonic power. ‘H-Huh? What are those demons?’ Siegfried grimaced after seeing a group of old demons that looked far stronger than the demon soldiers. ’Are they enemies? It will be bad if they were—‘ ”What’s all this in your twilight years?” ”You’re still as active as ever!” ”Long time no see! It truly has been a while!” Fortunately, they did not seem to be enemies. The old demons that suddenly appeared were not Chae Hyung-Seok’s underlings but Balag’s old comrades who had fought alongside him on the battlefield in the distant past. They were the elders of the Seventh Domain. “W-Why are you guys here?!” Balag was surprised to find that the high-ranking demons who had fought alongside him in the distant past had all gathered together. ”What? Were you planning to have all this fun by yourself?” ”I was starting to get restless these days. This is perfect timing! Kekeke!” ”The fact that someone unqualified killed his own father and took over the throne didn’t sit well with me...” The reason the elders had gathered here was simple. Baroque failed to gain their support after he killed Vernas in a coup and seized the throne. Patricide was common in the Demon Realm, but this case was different. Baroque was not only unqualified to be the demon lord, but he did not even have the Avenger in his possession. Despite that, he killed Vernas and seized the throne without the support of the populace. Thus, the demons of the Seventh Domain, along with the elders, refused to support him. In the midst of the turmoil, news of Balag being branded a traitor after helping Metatron spread throughout the domain, and the incident made the rest of the elders rise up in support. The elders didn't believe that Metatron was qualified to be the demon lord, but they still staged this coup, as they believed that Metatron would still be a demon lord than Baroque. ”You pathetic fools!” Chae Hyung-Seok roared in fury. The situation had taken a turn for the worse now that the elders of the Seventh Domain had joined the fray and started slaughtering the demon soldiers. Each of the elders could be considered top-tier demons, and they were hardened veterans who had fought in countless wars. The demon soldiers were nothing more than insects against these battle-hardened warriors. On top of that, Siegfried’s debuffs not only nullified Chae Hyung-Seok’s buffs but also weakened the demon soldiers. At this rate, forget about capturing Metatron; Chae Hyung-Seok’s forces were on the verge of getting wiped out. “N-No...! I can’t afford to fail... not this time...!” Chae Hyung-Seok stammered in despair. “The Ruler of the Seventh Domain, His Majesty, Demon Lord Baroque, has arrived!” Accompanied by five hundred royal guards, Baroque appeared before the Demon Bank. ”Y-Your Majesty!” Chae Hyung-Seok hurriedly knelt on one knee and bowed. ”Yes, Your Majesty...” ”It looks mission will be a bit difficult for you.” ”Worry not, Hyungseokius,” Baroque said. Then, he made his way toward the Demon Bank, where the elders were standing. ”Those damned senile old fools... I guess this is for the better. They have been a sight for sore eyes, but I’ll get to kill them for treason this time.” A massive army appeared in the distance and marched toward the Demon Bank. However, there was something strange about their affiliation. They were neither armies of the Seventh Domain nor Baroque’s private army. The insignia on the banner raised in the sky was not that of the Demon Lord of Vengeance, but rather, the Demon Lord of Deception. In other words, the demon lord infamous for being a snake across the Demon Realm, Demon Lord Dantalion, had sent his army to the Seventh Domain.