Chapter 63: Citadel (3)
When life was created, a realm for the dead and a gate, its sole passage, were formed beyond the world.
Simultaneously, a guardian was born—Hel.
Hel shaped the empty void to his liking.
Mimicking the living world, he created a blue sea, and atop it, he built his fortress, the Citadel.
Thus, the Coast of the Dead was born.
Hel then created Nidra and the Reapers
to punish disorderly souls and those unfit to exist in the world.
Over countless ages, punished souls sank into the sea, and at some point, it turned pitch black, or so it’s said.
For so long, Hel guarded the realm of souls, and none dared defy him.
Perhaps because of this, Hel grew bored.
Endless life made him question his own purpose.
Suffering profound lethargy, he hid within the colossal statue.
Then, suddenly, a strange island appeared, along with a nine-headed serpent, a non-human vampire, and living humans and monsters.
Hel took great interest in the hydra, the strongest among them, observing it closely.
But the human he paid least attention to turned out to be the most peculiar.
‘Deflecting the chains?’
The chains weren’t irresistible.
Most were simply overwhelmed by his presence and captured.
So, he hadn’t expected such defiance.
Hel found it merely intriguing, while the Reapers were flustered.
Nidra, outraged, charged to tear Evan apart.
“How dare you!”
In an instant, he moved behind Evan, aiming to cleave him with a hand strike.
Hel intervened.
“Stop.”
With that word, Nidra halted and knelt.
“My apologies.”
Evan flinched, seeing Nidra appear behind him without leaving an afterimage.
‘What speed. Magic? Or just too fast for me to see?’
Evan had anticipated the Reapers’ movements while deflecting the chains, watching them closely.
Yet, he missed Nidra’s.
Amazed by Nidra’s extraordinary speed, distinct from other Reapers, he realized an even greater being stood before him, commanding with a single word.
“Defying me, are you?”
Hel spoke with a constant smile, exuding an oppressive presence without overt menace.
‘Subduing the hydra with a gesture—if that’s his level, I have no answer.’
Evan, who fought only battles he wouldn’t lose, owed that to his ability to gauge the gap between himself and his opponent.
His conclusion about Hel was simple:
Flee with all his might.
Facing Hel was akin to suicide.
But ahead was a god, and behind, Nidra glared murderously, surrounded by other Reapers.
‘No escape. With Gaiard bound, there’s even less hope.’
Further resistance was futile.
Evan sheathed his sword and raised his hands, signaling surrender.
“I surrender.”
“Why?”
“Fighting further is pointless.”
“Really?”
Hel approached.
“Then why did you deflect the chains?”
“Instinct. And to buy time. Time to gauge the gap between us.”
“Your conclusion?”
“No chance.”
“Pfft, haha!”
Hel burst into laughter.
“That’s refreshing. You had to experience it.”
“You could say that.”
“Amusing. The fact you even tried to measure the gap is funny. Did you really think you could do something?”
“In my world, maybe I’d have tried. But not here.”
Did he truly intend to defeat a god?
Hel, unfazed by the audacious human, kept smiling.
“Really entertaining. It’s been a while since I met someone this interesting.”
Nidra, believing the god was insulted, earnestly voiced his opinion.
“I can’t tolerate this blasphemy further. Please order their immediate execution!”
Nidra’s rage felt like a blade stabbing from behind.
‘He’s out for blood. Sheesh.’
Hel calmed him.
“Enough.”
With that, Nidra and all Reapers folded their wings and knelt.
But Nidra pleaded once more.
“O Hel! Permit me to execute these sinners!”
“No, Nidra. Not until I interrogate them first.”
“…Understood.”
Hel leaped off the bridge, descending as if on invisible stairs.
“It’s chaotic here. Bring them to my space.”
“Yes!”
Hel walked slowly toward the colossal statue.
Gaiard, being apprehended, glared at Evan.
“Didn’t I say it wouldn’t work?”
“What’s done is done. What’s worse than dying?”
Nidra interrupted.
“I’ll make death feel merciful. I’ll tear your bodies apart, torment your souls until they’re ruined, and cast them into the black sea.”
Nidra seemed determined to personally punish them.
But Evan had a hunch he wouldn’t.
‘The look in his eyes when he first saw us held curiosity and expectation. Like he had something to say.’
Whether that curiosity would save them was uncertain, but even if not, Evan intended to act on it.
***
At the Citadel’s colossal statue, a small door at the back of its head opened, revealing a passage inside.
Entering, a space overlooking the Citadel appeared.
Hel, gazing out the window, greeted them without turning.
“O God, I’ve brought the sinners.”
At Nidra’s words, Hel turned his gaze to them.
“Do you know why I’m still sparing you?”
Evan answered instantly.
“I don’t know.”
Hel smirked and got to the point.
“It’s because I have a request.”
Nidra reacted subtly to this.
“A request? What could a god need from lowly creatures like us?”
“Simple. Find and capture another human like you.”
Nidra immediately objected.
“O God! What does that…”
“Silence.”
Hel’s word weighed the air, and Nidra bowed.
Evan, reading the room, accepted promptly.
“Yes! Of course!”
Bowing decisively was Evan’s way of survival.
Gaiard hesitated but followed suit.
“Who do we need to capture?”
“Ernst Romarn.”
Hearing the name, Gaiard reacted before Evan.
“He’s still here?!”
“Yes.”
Hel clapped, and an image appeared in the air—a miniature Citadel, like a blueprint.
“Exactly 296 years and 20 days ago, Ernst Romarn appeared on the Coast of the Dead.”
Hel waved, and the Citadel vanished, replaced by a warship with a human aboard.
“But not through the gate. He entered this realm on his own, like you.”
“Spatial teleportation?”
It wasn’t surprising.
A human capable of island-scale teleportation could surely move a single ship.
The question was why he came here.
“Yes. Naturally, I sent Reapers to capture him for entering unauthorized. It failed, of course.”
“He resisted? But the Reapers aren’t weak.”
Even a great mage would need full effort against Reapers.
With a god who subdued the hydra with a gesture, Ernst should’ve been caught.
Something was amiss.
“With you here, how could any human, no matter how great, evade capture…”
“I can’t leave this place for a reason. If I stray too far, the gate stops functioning.”
“Then send your subordinates.”
Mentioning Nidra, he responded.
“Fool. My duty is to guard this place. My existence is tied to the Citadel.”
Nidra, leader of the Reapers, was bound to the Citadel, unable to roam freely for reasons different from Hel’s.
That wasn’t the only issue.
“Plus, Ernst has been evading my sight, hiding across the vast sea.”
“Is that possible? This is your domain… Could he have died naturally or gone to another dimension?”
“Neither. Death doesn’t exist here. Another dimension? I’d have sensed it.”
Dimensional travel causes rifts in the world.
If Ernst had done it again, the god of this realm would’ve known.
Nidra added.
“How dare you doubt the god’s power? Such blasphemy…”
He spoke with disdain.
Evan clarified.
“Not doubting. How can a mere human hide from a god?”
“That’s what I want to know.”
This was why Hel sought Ernst.
“He hasn’t caused major trouble, but his existence is irritating. He’s an impressive human, honestly.”
Praise from a god.
Ernst would’ve been thrilled.
“Catching the mage is to punish him directly?”
“I have questions first. That’s why I want him captured, not killed.”
“What do we get if we bring him?”
“Already expecting a reward without doing the job?”
“I’m someone who fulfills assigned tasks no matter what.”
Evan exuded confidence.
But Hel cautioned against it.
“It won’t be easy. He’s been hiding for centuries. Even I gave up.”
This only fueled Evan’s competitive spirit.
“If I bring him before you, will you let us pass the gate safely?”
“Of course. That’s easy. Your presence is already disorder here. But not that one.”
Hel pointed to the bound hydra outside.
“I want to raise that one.”
“I don’t want it either.”
“Then it’s settled. Purpose and reward are clear, right?”
A deal with a god.
Evan had no reason or option to refuse.
“I’ll capture that Ernst guy.”
“I’m counting on it.”
Hel turned back to the window, signaling their dismissal.
Nidra roughly dragged them out.
“Ernst is alive…”
Gaiard couldn’t believe it.
“A god wouldn’t lie. Great. Let’s catch him and get out.”
“Yes. If I can face that guy.”
As Evan and Gaiard exited the passage, a sudden killing intent surged from behind.
“You’re both mistaken.”
Nidra’s spear pierced them simultaneously.
“Guh!”
“What’s this! Don’t you know I made a deal with your god?”
“I know.”
Nidra lifted them, still impaled, and flew.
“And Hel knows too.”
He swung the spear, flinging them out of the Citadel.
―Splash!
They sank into the black sea, drawn under.
“Pwah!”
“Ugh!”
Watching, Nidra spoke.
“You must first pay for nearly causing chaos in the Citadel. The deal begins only if you emerge from there.”
Nidra stared at their sinking spot.
‘But that won’t happen. No one has ever emerged sane from there.’