Chapter 130: Phoenix

The massive tower quickly reacted to the intruders within its walls. 

Like white blood cells rushing to eliminate a virus, it deployed traps and unleashed monsters to block Ian and his party.

But it wasn’t easy.

“Is it because the space is narrow? They’re all creature-type monsters,” someone observed.

One of the monsters, still alive and breathing, was poisoned by Syrah’s Black Mamba. Ifrit attacked another, melting it with a powerful uppercut—one so strong, even the creature’s hardened shell couldn’t resist.

However, Ifrit’s attacks proved ineffective against monsters with high magical resistance. Instead, Anna and Theresia crushed golem-like constructs made of solid stone through sheer physical force.

No matter how durable the golems were, they were no match for raw power. The duo shattered them as if they were empty cans.

Woohoo—!

Smashing through floors at a relentless pace, Anna and Theresia climbed higher, each level falling in less than a minute. Still, with the tower’s vast size, it was clear that destroying the entire structure would take over an hour.

And the longer they remained inside, the more the tower responded. When it sensed the intruders hadn’t been stopped, it began to shift.

Guoo…

Thunk… Thunk…

Completely ignoring the barrage of attacks, the tower itself began to move. 

From a window, Noah spotted the movement, retrieved her summon, and summoned it back inside.

“Hmm… this one is stronger than I expected.”

“I’m not surprised. It’s one of the Four Heavenly Kings,” someone replied.

This wasn’t something built to win alone—it was a decisive weapon, forged for humanity’s final battles, imbued with the power of a demon king. Had it not been for the existence of summons, the tower alone could have wiped out humanity. But summons changed everything.

That’s why it had been left to wander in the Demon Continent.

‘Don’t pity it.’

Ian resolved to finally put this tower—whose operations had likely spanned ages—to rest.

Once Phoenix joined, the pace of their ascent and destruction more than doubled. Having already cleared a substantial portion of the structure, Ian and his party finally reached the tower’s powerhouse.

Woo…

“Here we are…”

“What is that?”

The girls whispered in awe as they gazed at the complex network of machinery and computers. It was a clear sign of a civilization that had developed advanced mechanical technology.

Ian had once learned that this other world had originated from Earth—and that demons were the descendants of humanity’s long-lost past. The use of such machines wasn’t just for flair; it offered a logical foundation, even when collaborations brought in unrelated elements—like a game featuring a gun-wielding girl.

‘How strange…’

There was no horrific backstory here, no tragic twist—just the practicality of a world designed for profit. As a result, the mechanical structures lacked essential components: no wires, no circuits. They weren’t even true machines.

These constructs operated on mana. They could function even when partially destroyed. But once the power source was fully eliminated, everything came to a halt.

‘So this is the tower’s core facility… and there must have been an AI managing it.’

But no AI was in sight.

On high alert, Ian gave the command to destroy everything.

Empress, Phoenix, and Ifrit launched their attacks. The power source stood no chance against the direct hits from 4-star summons, each capable of outputting more destructive power than a strategic bomber.

Weeing—!

Alarms flared in bright red across the tower, and a deafening emergency siren echoed through the halls.

Woo woo woo!

“What the—!?”

As the alarms continued to blare, the tower abruptly collapsed. Inside the power room, Ian and his party were thrown in all directions, rolling across the floor.

If not for Empress’s swift intervention, someone might have gotten hurt.

After a few tense moments, the movement stopped. 

Ian slowly rose, pushing aside the bodies of the girls around him.

“…Did it stop?”

“Maybe.”

The girls stood up, brushing dust from their clothes, and cautiously checked the view outside. With its energy cut off, the tower—no longer able to remain aloft—now lay flat along the road.

Empress was the first to notice the protective barrier had vanished.

“Summoner, I believe we can reach the top floor now.”

“Alright. Let’s go.”

At her master’s order, Empress gathered the party and led them to the very top of the tower—the nucleus, where the control center was located.

There, they came face-to-face with a demon bearing horns on its head.

‘…That one.’

Ominous.

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Anna and Theresia abruptly stopped in front of the group.

The demon, who had suddenly drawn his sword, curled his lips into a smirk as he looked at the two of them.

“—Oh? Are you trying to block me?”

“No… Why is he here?” Anna muttered.

“—Do you know me?”

When Ian realized the identity of the demon, the latter narrowed his eyes and slowly raised his sword.

“—Then you must know what to do.”

Watching the sword radiate with magic, Ian uttered the name under his breath.

He was the last of the Four Heavenly Kings.

Heavenly Demon Sword, Richard.

A monster said to possess power comparable to that of the Demon King, and all with a single blade.

***

A gathering of two or more of the Four Heavenly Kings in one place was extremely rare. As beings of immense strength, most were preoccupied with gathering magic power within their own territories.

Even more unusually, unlike other demons who blindly obeyed the Demon King’s orders, Richard was a king in his own right—one who sometimes defied those very commands.

‘Why is he here?’

He shouldn’t be.

Even in the game, he was a boss monster you only encountered just before facing the final boss—the Demon King.

A powerful enemy you were meant to face only after fully preparing everything.

‘Cooldown… How much time is left?’

Ian quickly calculated the Blue Bird’s skill cooldown in his mind. He had just used it to check the Heavenly Steed Tower and couldn’t use it again right away.

In the game, the skill could only be used once per battle. But in real life, it didn’t follow those same mechanics…

“…Master, we need to act.”

“Master, if we don’t think quickly, we’ll die.”

Anna and Theresia stepped forward, bracing themselves against Richard. But the two of them alone weren’t enough.

Moments later, summons like Phoenix, Ifrit, Black Mamba, Pink, and Sylphy joined in to support them.

Still, Ian wasn’t sure how this would unfold. He tried reasoning.

“…What if we just talk this out?”

“—Are you trying to negotiate, human?”

Richard’s grin widened in amusement. For a moment, Ian thought it might work.

But that hope was crushed in an instant.

A harsh screech rang out.

The source? Simple.

Richard’s sword sliced cleanly through Anna’s shield—and her chest.

For someone whose role as a paladin meant exceptionally high defense among summons, it was shocking.

“Anna!”

The barrier had been shattered instantly. Ian’s heart dropped.

No matter how powerful the Four Heavenly Kings were, could they really take down a fully-leveled 3-star summon in one strike?

Looking around in panic, he quickly realized the cause.

‘Sh!t…’

His eyes landed on the fallen AI spirit of the tower in the distance.

So that’s why—if the power source had already been compromised, then of course they were vulnerable.

Richard, having absorbed the core of another Four Heavenly King—the Heavenly Steed Tower—pointed his sword once more and spoke.

“—This is fun. Let’s see how far you can go.”

The meaning was clear. If Ian opened his mouth again, another summon would die.

Of course, summons could be revived. But if they dropped an heirloom upon death, and the essence couldn’t be recovered—then they were lost forever.

“Master… I’m okay.”

“…You’re the tank. Don’t say that after being the first to go down.”

They couldn’t afford to lose Anna. She was the only tank in the party. Without her, even powerful summons would be at risk.

They had to run. But how?

“Host.”

Just then, Theresia smiled as she looked at Ian.

Their eyes met. In that moment, he understood what she intended.

Theresia then met Empress’s gaze. The two nodded to each other silently.

“Thank you for everything, Master.”

“…Wait, you—”

“I am Theresia Erhard, commander of the Order of the Phoenix Knights.”

With that declaration, Theresia activated her special skill—one that recreated the battlefield of her last stand, temporarily amplifying all her abilities.

“I summon my final battlefield here!”

Whooosh—!

The area was instantly engulfed in flames. Just before the field was fully established, Theresia turned to Ian and said:

“To protect my lord, I will burn this body—until I draw my last breath!”

A territorial proclamation was made.

At the same time, Empress teleported the rest of the party away.

Richard, watching silently, offered Theresia a twisted smile.

“—Any last words?”

“The Order of the Phoenix Knights does not die. Neither will I.”

“—Good.”

And with that, Richard faced the glorious knight—and ended her stand.