The Heavenly Demon of Terror-Chapter 296: Entering Ebonfall Keep

Samuel's POV

The gates loomed like the jaws of a dead god—twisted iron, blackened by war and laced with runes that pulsed with faint, hateful light. Ebonfall Keep wasn't just a ruin. It was a tomb with a pulse.

The closer I got, the heavier the air became. My every step echoed in the silence like a death knell. The wind no longer moved here—it bowed.

[Oblivion Warning: Entering S-class Danger Zone – "Ebonfall Keep"]

[Recommended Level: 250+]

[Warning: Mental stability required]

Tch.

I pushed the gate open with one hand. It shrieked as it moved. Appropriate.

As soon as I crossed the threshold, everything changed. The world dimmed. My mana surged, restless. The keep didn't want me here.

Perfect.

"I'm not here for permission."

Inside, the stone walls bled mist. Shadows moved on their own. The ceiling stretched too far, like the keep distorted itself to disorient intruders.

Statues lined the hall. Knights with broken swords. One was missing its head entirely, crumbled near a faded plaque. I brushed the dust aside.

> "He was our pride. Our sin. May he never awaken again."

Too late. I smirked. He's awake. And I'm here to put him down for good.

Further in, the silence fractured. I heard it—a single, slow heartbeat. Not mine. Not the keep's.

His.

Suddenly—

CLANG.

A sword struck the stone floor ahead. I stopped. Mist split. A silhouette stood across the bridge leading to the throne chamber.

Tall. Broad. Cloaked in black metal. And wings. Not feathered. Bladed.

Crimson eyes flared beneath a cracked helmet.

Nelo Angelo.

He spoke, voice like iron dragged across bone.

"Another scavenger seeking glory."

"I've come for your head." I answered. "And whatever's left of your honor."

He stepped forward, dragging his cursed blade, the ground splitting under its weight.

"Then come."

"Let Oblivion decide."

My aura flared. Chains of Oblivion snapped into existence behind me. My coat billowed, eyes glowing red beneath my hood.

"Let's tear this place apart."

[BOSS FIGHT: Nelo Angelo, Fallen Sword of the Queen – BEGIN]

________________________________________

The moment he charged, the air shattered. His blade carved the mist in two—a black crescent roaring straight for me. I didn't dodge.

CLANG!

I blocked it—with my fists.

The Abyss Gauntlets ignited the moment of impact—void-forged steel roaring with raw energy, covered in runes that pulsed with crimson light. My feet slid back a few inches, cracking the stone beneath.

"Damn..." I muttered, grinning. "You hit harder than you look."

Nelo Angelo didn't respond. He charged again, wings spread, blade spinning in a deadly arc. I met him head-on.

Oblivion Chain!

Shadow chains burst from the ground, wrapping around his legs. He ripped through them—but that was enough time.

Demon's Grasp!

I vanished—and reappeared above him. My gauntlet, glowing red-hot, crashed down on his helm with a shockwave that sent debris flying.

He stumbled, but didn't fall.

Instead—

CLANG—CLANG—SLASH!

His blade came alive, dancing like a storm. I blocked, countered, ducked, struck. Fists against steel. Every strike shook the bridge. Stone splintered. Gargoyles crumbled.

Crimson Cataclysm!

I slammed both fists into the ground, and a vortex of blood-red energy erupted, sending spikes through the air. He raised a barrier with his wings, absorbing most of it—but I saw it. A crack in his armor.

"Got you."

Voidstep.

I blinked behind him, slamming a gauntlet into his exposed back. He roared—an unholy metallic sound.

Then—

Apocalypse Roar.

The battlefield turned black. His wings trembled. For the first time, he backed off.

"You're not a knight," he rasped. "You're a demon."

I chuckled darkly. "I never claimed to be a hero."

He charged again—faster. Smarter. His sword caught my side—but the Blood Oath rune on my gauntlet lit up, regenerating the wound instantly.

My turn.

Last Rites.

I grabbed his face, powered by every drop of wrath in me—and slammed him into the ground so hard the entire throne hall cracked. A pulse of red light detonated from the point of impact.

He didn't rise.

The mist faded.

[Boss Defeated: Nelo Angelo – Fallen Knight of the Queen]

[Level Up! 200 → 210]

[Loot Acquired: Abyss-Wrapped Soul, Fractured Honor Sigil, Nelo's Memory Core]

I stood over his broken form, gauntlets steaming, blood on my coat.

"Rest now," I whispered. "Your sins are paid in full."

Then I looked toward the doors of the throne room.

Next stop... Queen's Right Wing.