Via stared intently at Bill III.
He could no longer tell whether the king before him—his own brother—was still human.
Had he, like the Queen, been corrupted by a demon? Or had a demon replaced him outright?
But the thought lasted only a moment. As king of the Asgar Kingdom, Bill III held a special position.
Via knew of several safeguards against demonic influence, and there were surely other protections he knew nothing about.
It was almost impossible for a demon to control Bill III.
That did not rule out cooperation, however.
Lately, Via had found Bill III increasingly unpredictable. He had even begun to wonder whether his brother had gone mad.
The change seemed to have begun after the failed war against the Lorenzo Kingdom.
Before that, Bill III and the Asgar Kingdom had seemed perfectly normal, at least on the surface.
As though he sensed Via's gaze, Bill III looked back at him with cold, brooding eyes.
Their eyes met. Then Bill III gave him a knowing smile. "What is it, my brother? Do you suspect me?"
Via did not deny it. He said nothing, merely nodded.
Bill III sighed and pulled up his left sleeve, exposing his entire arm.
His forearm looked normal, but his upper arm was covered in dense Magic Runes, along with thickened dead skin and tumors that resembled burns.
As king of the Asgar Kingdom, Bill III himself was the Seal barring the entrance to the Abyss.
And now that Seal was weakening.
Via was stunned. Disbelief flashed through his eyes. "What happened?"
Bill III smiled bitterly. "Don't you understand? The next Divine War is about to begin. The Seal holding back the Abyssal Demons will soon open, and with it, the mission our family and the Asgar Kingdom have upheld for thousands