When Zack learned of the Demon King's news, he was preparing to dismiss the meeting for lunch.

Zack, who was in a routine meeting in the Watchers Tower, suddenly received an international call from a Watcher. "Bright has fallen in battle! The Demon King is dead! A new Demon King is suppressing other countries' powerful Transcendents! We lack high-end combat power and urgently need the Captain's support—"

Then he heard a scream, and the call was cut off.

Bright has fallen in battle!?

Zack's mind raced with thoughts. Although he disliked that handsome and wealthy young man, he couldn't deny Bright's astonishing combat power, and he was sure that Bright still had countless aces up his sleeve. Had he really been lost trying to track down the Demon King?

Zack had handed the Demon King operation to Bright because he trusted Bright's capabilities, while he himself stayed at the Federation's headquarters. After all, the matter of the Demon King wasn't necessarily a major one. It was significant because the Demon King's abilities were astonishing, yet minor because the Demon King's actual strength was weak—like a toddler with a cleaver; sending a few adults to grab her would suffice.

However, the Demon King, the new Demon King... The power of the Demon King can indeed be transferred. Was the new Demon King the man who loudly declared his love at the Federation yesterday?

The call wasn't quiet, and all the other Watchers heard its contents, each showing expressions of disbelief.

"You're, you're kidding...?"

"Bright...dead?"

"How could such a thing happen!?"

Sorrow struck the meeting room in an instant. Some were in disbelief, while others covered their mouths and began to tear up. Zack glanced at them and said, "I will go and capture the new Demon King immediately. There's my mark on Bright."

"Please avenge Bright!" someone said, their voice trembling.

"Wait, Captain!" Prophet Fina suddenly said, "Have Purkins cast a spell on you before you go!"

The teary-eyed Black Purkins was startled and asked, "Why do we need to...now?"

"Bright is dead; we need a new symbol," Fina stated earnestly. "We want to record the video of the Captain capturing the Demon King and shape the Captain into the most dazzling hero of the Federation!"

A Female Watcher exclaimed, "Bright has just died, Fina, how can you..."

"Just yesterday, New York was attacked by a deep-sea leviathan. If Ren Han from the Fairy Palace hadn't appeared, who knows how much damage and how many casualties the creature would have caused by the time the Captain returned," Fina's tone was very calm and cold. "Right now, the Federal people are panicked. They need a pillar of support—not the Fairy Palace, not the World Tree, but a pillar that belongs to the Federation."

"Bright can die, but the pillar of support must be replaced. Now is the best opportunity... The call said the new Demon King is suppressing other countries' powerful Transcendents? This means Sakura Kyoko, You Jiu, Dai Ze, Ursa, and Kadell—these five world-famous Transcendents—couldn't subdue him. Now is the time for the Captain to save the world with an undefeated stance!"

"Captain, there's no time left. Please make a decision."

Zack immediately agreed to Fina's suggestion. After Purkins cast a spell on him, he spread his Angel's Wings, transformed into a streak of light, and left the Watchers Tower, disappearing into the sky.

Simultaneously, Purkins moved his hands, and a water curtain appeared in the meeting room.

His supernatural power, 'Copy Target,' allowed him to create a water curtain to view the marked person's situation in 4K quality. He could even zoom in, zoom out, and rotate the image.

In the center of the screen was Zack, transformed into a streak of light. The bright sky in the background gradually turned dusky, eventually merging into the night as he moved at an unimaginable speed!

Although the Federation lacked a Space Movement Spell, when Angel Zack transformed into the 'Holy Light' state, his flying speed could reach nearly Mach 23 (approximately 7.8 kilometers per second). It only took a few minutes to get from New York to Flourishing Sakura.

But in this state, Zack couldn't sense his surroundings; even his thoughts were suspended. He needed landmarks as destinations to be able to stop. Moreover, he could only create one mark. If there were multiple landmarks, he, with his thoughts suspended at such speed, could easily get lost.

This landmark, for safety's sake, Zack had given to Bright.

While watching the Captain move from day to night, a Female Watcher suddenly said, "Should we do a live broadcast?"

The masked Fina slightly shook her head, "Not advisable, it's too dangerous—"

"What's the danger? Can't Captain Zack defeat the Demon King?" the Female Watcher countered. "If the new Demon King is suppressing other countries' Transcendents, the Captain's arrival could perfectly save the world! By showcasing the weakness of other countries' Transcendents, we can display the Captain's strength and let everyone know the Watchers' prestige!"

"We can record the video and upload..."

"Mysterious Country, the European Union, and Flourishing Sakura will definitely intervene diplomatically. They won't allow us to expose the disgrace of their Transcendents! Even spreading it on the internet won't be allowed, especially by Mysterious Country. We physically disconnected our network in important areas of the Watchers Tower because their network Transcendents are too terrifying!"

The Female Watcher clenched her fists, wiped her tears, and sniffled as she said, "We just need to create a fait accompli first, to let the entire Federation know that the strongest Watcher on Earth is silently protecting them!"

"We cannot... we cannot let Bright die tainted with the stigma of 'weakness.' We must show everyone the strength of the Demon King, the strength of our Captain, and the weakness of other countries' Transcendents, to prove that Bright did not die from weakness but made a heroic sacrifice in the line of duty!"

Hearing this, everyone understood the Female Watcher's true intention: promoting the Captain's fame was secondary; her main goal was to shape an image of Bright's heroic sacrifice.

Even if an obituary later proclaimed that Bright died battling the Demon King, few might grasp the significance—perhaps thinking of the Demon King as just the main boss from an RPG?

The Demon King was not an army, not a country, not a natural disaster. Dying at the hands of the Demon King would hardly convince anyone of a 'heroic sacrifice.'

But broadcasting it live would change everything. Right now, the Demon King was suppressing other countries' Transcendents. These Transcendents were popular and powerful figures on the internet. The Demon King suppressing them would naturally be seen as evil and powerful. Soon, Captain Zack would arrive to subdue this Demon King, appearing righteous and powerful himself, making Bright's sacrifice supremely significant!

"But the Demon King's power grows by harvesting Fear..." Fina continued, trying to persuade them.

"How could the citizens feel Fear when the Captain goes to slay the Demon King? They will only take pride in the Federation!" the Female Watcher said, her eyes red. "As long as we don't say the Demon King created the Source of Disaster, how could the citizens possibly be afraid?"

"Bright surely hoped that we Watchers would surpass other nations and that the Federal people would truly embrace us Watchers!"

Although Fina was still objecting, with both Zack and Bright absent and the Watchers in a temporary democratic state, most, immersed in their grief over Bright's death, agreed to hold this grand farewell ceremony for Bright.

The collective will of the Watchers could not be stopped.

When every TV station in New York urgently switched to the Watchers' live broadcast, Zack, who had been flying for several minutes, journeying from New York noon to Flourishing Sakura midnight, reached the coordinates and exited the 'Holy Light' state.

Zack, hovering in the sky, looked down. Aided by the bright Moonlight, he noticed that a lush green forest, like a balding middle-aged man's head, suddenly featured a patch of bare ground.

Although unaware he was live, Zack presumed his actions might be recorded and shared, so as he descended, he solemnly declared, "Watcher Zack, upholding humanity's will, has come to apprehend the Demon King—charged with crimes against humanity—"

When Zack saw the details on the ground clearly, his gaze sharpened immediately.

Severely injured Transcendents lay on the ground screaming in agony, while uninjured ones knelt, shivering.

He saw Bright's body; Seres was sprawled weeping over it, her bloody tears flowing like rivers.

Martial Soul Hall Transcendent 'Gun Supreme' Sakura Kyoko lay on the ground, her life hanging in the balance. Her Transcendent Weapon, 'Dragonfly Cut,' was broken in half and embedded in the earth.

Winter Castle Transcendent 'Thunder Bear' Ursa knelt before Sakura Kyoko, his back covered in burns and wounds, only a few strands of hair remaining. His high-tech weapon, 'Thor's Claws,' was shattered, indicating he had shielded Sakura Kyoko with his own body.

Iron Sun Transcendent 'Shadow' Dai Ze was impaled to the ground by radiant, Moonlight-like spikes. His palms, shoulders, torso, thighs, and calves—dozens of spikes had turned him into a pincushion. His clothing was relatively intact, but his bloodied face and occasionally twitching body indicated he too was on the brink of death.

Finally, there was the Transcendent 'Taoist' You Jiu, whom even Zack slightly dreaded. A man was stepping on him, one foot on his kneecap and the other on his mouth. The Muddy Water Thunder expanding beneath him was sealed by Cold Ice, and his white Flying Sword, capable of killing from a thousand miles away, was being melted by white flames.

The gunman's gun was broken, the claw-user's claws shattered, the shadow-wielder lost their shadows, and the one who fought with words had his mouth ruined.

"This is more than just 'suppression'..." Zack whispered to himself, immediately entering his Angel State. His scarred, fearsome bald head donned a brilliantly shining Angel Battle Helmet, his body was adorned with pure white, radiant Battle Armor, and wings woven from light obscured the sky. His hands clutched two Cross Lightsabers.

At this moment, the Watchers watching the live broadcast breathed a sigh of relief. They were experts and naturally knew that a Demon King who could defeat four C-tier Transcendents, leaving them on the brink of death, possessed strength far beyond their expectations.

But Zack, in his Angel State, still looked very dashing, enough to sweep away everyone's fears. Besides, as a B-tier Watcher, apart from the Fairy Palace and the World Tree, nobody on Earth could contend with Captain Zack!

Zack thought so too, but while observing the man, he noticed that the man's Energy Level was strange. Not only did it fail to reach B-tier (Fifth Tier) standard, it barely qualified as C-tier (Fourth Tier). How did he suppress everyone?

At that moment, the man turned his head, looked at him with a smile, and said, "You're here?"

Six pillars of white flames erupted continuously towards the sky. Zack spread his wings to dodge swiftly. In this interval, he saw the man walking toward the Ice Coffin that held the frozen Demon King's body.

Ren Suo raised Qiao Muyi from the Ice Tomb in the smallest possible Ice Coffin, carried it on his back, and whispered softly, "From now on, no parting in life, no separation in death."

He had not struck a killing blow because he aimed to collect sufficient negative energy—through the torment and intimidation of these hundred or more Transcendents—to activate the Demon King's third Skill!

*Derived Skill #3 - Dread Demon King: Burns a vast amount of negative emotions to transform into the Dread Demon King form. Wherever he goes, all creation trembles; his spoken words ensnare souls; his actions compel all beings to submission. In this state, the Demon King's Physical Condition reaches its theoretical limit. The 'Destructive Shadow' Damage effect is increased tenfold, 'Mastering Fear' activates automatically, and he additionally gains the 'Control Source of Disaster' Skill.*

Black Flame ignited from Ren Suo's heart, enveloping him and transforming into dark, fierce, spiked demon armor. Encased in the Black Flame, the Ice Coffin turned into a Black Coffin. It pressed heavily on Ren Suo's back, making it impossible for him to squat, lie down, or sit; he could only stand in the proudest posture on Earth, arrogantly defying the whole world!

Zack crossed his twin swords, the blades igniting with orange-red Sacred Fire. His body transformed into light and vanished.

Ren Suo also turned into a wisp of black smoke and dissipated. Suddenly, a boundless Ice Cascade burst forth from where he stood, a terrifying river of ice instantly sweeping across the land!

Dozens of trails of fire rose from beneath the ice, shattering the ice river completely. Zack flew out from within, only to face five spirals of death composed of pungent Black Flame!

The light seemed to burn at that instant. Zack yelled out loud, a dazzling radiance bursting from his body, annihilating the death spirals!

"No one can suppress me anymore!" he declared loudly. "Only I can suppress others!"

The radiance from Zack's body turned the night sky into daylight, like a divine messenger descending to punish the sinners of the world!

"Really?"

Accompanied by Ren Suo's voice, hundreds of dark moonbeams pierced through the daytime shell created by Zack, pulling down the night curtain once more!

Dozens of death spirals surged again. Zack danced with his swords, transforming the scorching Sacred Fire into a massive blade to slay demons, and suddenly struck viciously at Ren Suo, who had appeared behind him!

"Justice will prevail!" Zack proclaimed loudly, as if executing a sentence.

"Is that all?" Ren Suo calmly assessed.

The instant the dark Shadow Hand touched the Flame Holy Sword, it was like a torrent striking a sandpile, effortlessly destroying the Light Saber and the Fiery Flame!

BOOM!

Zack, struck hundreds of meters away, broke several towering trees before crashing to the ground. His throat let out a roar, and his armor and Holy Sword immediately recovered.

There was no pain on his face, only shock and disbelief.

"How is that possible..."

Hearing the strange sound in the wind, Zack spread his wings and soared into the sky. Wielding his twin swords, he slashed a fierce cross towards the earth!

The death spirals easily tore through the Justice Cross, hitting Zack like a train and blasting him far away again!

He... he can shatter my attacks!? With D-level energy, he smashed my B-level attacks!? Zack finally realized what had just happened.

Initially, the Demon King couldn't do that, but after fighting for a while, his attacks suddenly became bizarre spells that could counter Zack!

Naturally, Zack was unaware that when 'Insight into the Mortal World,' with its ability to see all details, and 'A Thousand Miles in a Day,' with its extreme predictive capability, worked together, they could not only copy all Spells but also decrypt them!

As long as his opponent couldn't instantly kill Ren Suo, and as long as Ren Suo could break his defense, the gap between the Fifth Tier and the third tier was virtually non-existent!

But Zack's judgment of the Demon King was quite correct: the Demon King would evolve continuously during battle!

Therefore, Zack immediately switched tactics, using other Spells to intercept the Demon King, trying to find his weakness.

But after more than ten attempts, Zack, having had his cells replaced three or four times from the damage, had to admit something: he probably couldn't beat the Demon King.

Once again embedded in the ground, Zack immediately flew up, adjusting his jaw, letting his mouth—which had just taken a punch—heal quickly. Looking at the distant Black Coffin Demon King, he coldly said, "You are strong, but how long can you keep fighting? Does your energy allow you to maintain such intense combat?"

The Demon King isn't even a C-level Transcendent. How much energy could he have? Even though he can harvest negative emotions to strengthen himself, after fighting so fiercely, he must be nearly depleted, right?

Even if I can't beat you, I'll wear you out!

Speaking of which, I've been receiving a continuous and extremely large inflow of negative emotions, all under English names. I wonder where they're coming from? Ren Suo mused.

But even without these extra negative emotions, Ren Suo had already prepared his next plan.

Seeing the Black Coffin Demon King point behind him, Zack slightly turned his head, using the corner of his eye to glance back—

Factories... streetlights... residential areas... thousands of household lights.

Unknowingly, Zack had been driven by the Demon King from the Missile Mountain Range all the way to Tokyo's 23 wards.

「Minutes later.」

All citizens of Tokyo were abruptly awakened from their sleep by terrifying, thunderous roars from outside: "Angel Zack, how many more times can you die?"

At the 450m second observation deck of the Tokyo Skytree, Zack, who had crashed into the elevator shaft, spread his wings, tightly gripping his Cross Lightsabers, his eyes showing no fear.

He saw the Black Coffin Demon King walking into the observation deck through the high winds, saw the Demon King's gaze linger for a few seconds at the Nine-Tailed Fox photography spot, and then coldly snorted and asked, "Have you been here before?"

"I've been here with her."

"Are you and she lovers?"

"Yes."

"Are you willing to become an enemy of the entire world for revenge?" Zack asked. "Do you realize what you are doing right now? It's not just about the Source of Disaster; your actions, your abilities... no country can tolerate you. Do you think the person you carry on your back would want to see you become this?"

"I don't know, but I will see her again soon, if I'm not mistaken." The Black Coffin Demon King's hands once again brimmed with darkness, his voice like a Fishhook, stirring countless fears with the gentle breeze. "The night is still long, Angel Zack. Let's continue."

Negotiations failed. Zack didn't waste more words. He crossed his swords into a vertical cross and asked, "Do you actually love her, or do you love everything you've sacrificed for her?"

With a loud bang, all the glass in the Skytree shattered.

「Later.」

Standing at the top of the Skytree, Ren Suo, having exited his Dread Demon King state, saw the eastern sky gradually lighting up. Today should be a sunny day, he thought.

Unlike at the Missile Mountain Range, the snow in Tokyo arrives very late, he mused.

With the aid of 'Insight into the Mortal World,' he scanned with his eyes, taking in the entirety of Tokyo: Shibuya, with three of its streets reduced to ruins; the Ikebukuro Planetarium, its ceiling pierced; Meiji Shrine, almost half its area encased in ice... and of course, Angel Zack, who had crashed through the Thunder Gate of Sensoji Temple, now struggling to regenerate in the resulting crater.

The city was in chaos, with panicking crowds trying to find ways to leave. Aside from the furthest few districts, everyone in Tokyo was now aware that a terrifying Demon King, one who had effortlessly defeated both Zack and You Jiu, had descended upon the Tokyo Metropolis.

The Fear of over forty million people flowed into Ren Suo from all directions. Police officers and Martial Soul Hall Warriors recoiled in hesitation. The self-defense forces seemed to be approaching, and the silhouettes of fighter jets appeared in the distant sky.

However, Ren Suo was also ready to leave.

He had gathered enough negative emotions.

He took out his cell phone from his pocket—only 2% battery remaining. Aside from the Ice Coffin on his back, this phone was the item he had most carefully protected throughout the night's battle, because all the photos were on it.

Ren Suo checked the time and muttered, "Seven o'clock… she should be awake by now? Ah, I almost forgot, Flourishing Sakura is one hour ahead of home. It's already six o'clock in Lotus River... Little Jiu should also be getting up for school, right?"

Ren Suo suddenly laughed. Listening to the surging anger and Fear in the city, I feel such an absurd sense of detachment, as if I'm in another world, he thought.

He touched the amethyst necklace around his neck, activating the Spirit Energy Coordinates inside.

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