Watching the Storyteller's indignant act, Gabriel almost laughed out of sheer anger.
In truth, after their failure to intercept King Arthur the day before, they had immediately decided to silence the Demon Lord Alliance.
The one thing the Church did not lack was the resolve to make sacrifices.
And to them, the Demon Lord Alliance was just a pack of dogs they had raised, hardly a limb they were attached to.
But who would have thought that the Storyteller, as if sensing their intent, would offer them a piece of information that made them stay their hand, even though he had no way to escape?
"I've already contacted that Su Mo and King Arthur. Just wait a bit. You might be able to set a trap and wipe them all out in one fell swoop!"
The idea had been tempting.
If Su Mo and King Arthur truly came, and they managed to deal with them...
Not only would they no longer have to worry about the Queen Halloween's questions, but they also wouldn't have to eliminate this pack of wild dogs.
Although she looked down on them, three-digit Demon Lords and such an excellent Poet were hard to come by. Good lackeys were a rare commodity.
At that moment, Michael had agreed with her assessment.
And so, the Demon Lord Alliance, which should have been purged, was allowed to live until now.
However, after a night of waiting, their reinforcements had yet to arrive.
"Did you truly betray us and leak the address?" Gabriel asked, her eyes filled with suspicion.
Even someone with the Storyteller's twisted personality couldn't help but feel a little frustrated under that gaze.
He threw up his hands in a helpless gesture.
"Do I look like someone who would swear loyalty to a pantheon?"
"No," Gabriel said, shaking her head.
How could these faithless wild dogs possibly understand the concept of loyalty?
"But the person you spoke of did not come!" she said, her voice heavy. The thorny chains wrapped around the Storyteller tightened, drawing blood.
Despite the pain, the Storyteller's face remained pale, but otherwise impassive.
He sighed, meeting Gabriel's questioning gaze.
"How would I know if they'd come or not?!"
"I did give them the address, but I also told them you'd be lying in wait. If they don't have the confidence to beat you archangels, they're probably not going to come rescue a bunch of trash like us!"
The Storyteller, at least, had a clear understanding of his own situation.
"What?"
Gabriel's expression changed drastically.
"You told them about us?"
She had assumed the Storyteller was just being clever, using the Demon Lord Alliance as bait to lure in Su Mo and the others.
As long as Su Mo and King Arthur were dealt with, the Demon Lord Alliance would have a chance to survive.
But if he truly intended to deceive Su Mo, he shouldn't have revealed the ambush.
Logically, no one would knowingly walk into a trap.
"What are you trying to do? If you're just trying to anger me, then you've succeeded!"
Gabriel's eyes turned cold, a longsword of water materializing in her palm. She thrust it through the Storyteller's abdomen as punishment.
Simultaneously, the thorny chains slowly tightened around the Storyteller's neck. If he didn't provide a satisfactory answer, this would be his end.
Feeling the sharp pain and the slow suffocation, the Storyteller coughed up blood, yet a scornful smile played on his lips.
"Hide the ambush, trick that young hero here for you to deal with, and in return, get a chance to keep being your dogs?"
"Gabriel, ah, Gabriel! I often wonder, are you pantheon types just unbelievably stupid? Do you really think everyone is like you house pets, considering it an honor to be the Son of God's dog?"
"Insolence!"
Michael shot the Storyteller a furious glare but did not act.
The Storyteller glanced at him, then continued, his teeth stained with blood.
"We Demon Lords are inhuman, shameless, ungrateful mongrels. Only the strongest Demon Lord can be my master. You Church lot are not worthy!"
"And so? Is that your reason for seeking death?" Gabriel asked, her anger subsiding into an icy calm. She was clearly ready to kill.
"No. You won't dare to kill me," the Storyteller said with certainty, his gaze steady and slightly provocative.
"Because you're not sure if that Lord Su Mo, with his unknown spiritual essence, will truly come or not. But if we, the evidence of your crimes, are dead, then he definitely won't."
"..."
Gabriel's arm stiffened, her movements halting.
The Storyteller had hit the nail on the head.
Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, she was willing to wait.
After all, waiting a day or two could potentially fix their previous mistake and mend the conflict with the Queen Halloween. It was a worthwhile gamble.
The Storyteller knew this, which was why he was untouchable.
Seeing this, Michael suddenly asked, "So, why did you tell him the truth? A selfish Demon Lord like you would never care for the safety of others, nor would you be willing to risk your own life out of hatred for the Church."
Michael was actually a little annoyed by the Storyteller's actions.
He had thought this guy would pass on false information, and then he, Michael, could pass the real information to Lord Su Mo, thus proving his worth as a double agent.
Who knew this guy would be so honest for once?
Damn it! A mere Demon Lord... you think you're worthy of being Lord Su Mo's dog?
Faced with Michael's question, the Storyteller glanced at him again and replied.
"First, because such a clumsy deception would never fool that lord. Though I've never met him, judging by the meticulous test he conducted, this hero possesses the three most important qualities of a game strategist: intelligence, martial prowess, and courage. Trying to fool him with simple bait is almost impossible!"
Hearing this, Michael nodded slightly, agreeing internally. Of course. My master is all-knowing and all-powerful. How could he be fooled by such a trick?
The Storyteller then paused, his voice filled with delight.
"As for the second, and most important reason... because it's interesting!"
"Interesting?" Michael blinked.
"That's right!" the Storyteller grinned, a twisted smile spreading across his face.
"A plan the Church has been working on for millennia, shattered by a hero of unknown origin who fell from the sky, creating an irreconcilable conflict between them. This top-tier power in Little Garden is finally repeating the tragedy of the Dystopia Demon Lord, creating waves that will affect the entire Little Garden and even the infinite multiverse... Isn't a plot like that interesting enough?"
His fervent attitude was truly befitting of the author of Grimm's Fairy Tales.
He seemed to hold a bizarre fascination for the suddenly-appeared Su Mo.
The values of most Demon Lords were twisted; the angels were used to that.
But when Gabriel heard the name "Dystopia Demon Lord," her expression changed, as if a taboo had been touched.
"Silence!" she snapped, then raised her hand, causing the thorny chains to bind the Storyteller even tighter. "Our patience is limited. If Su Mo doesn't appear within a day, all of you will disappear completely."
"Tsk, tsk. Such a scary tone!" the Storyteller said with a mocking shrug. "I thought you'd dare to do it right now!"
"!"
Gabriel took a deep breath, giving him one last, long look.
"You'd better pray that Su Mo really does come. Otherwise, I will cast you into the deepest pits of hell to atone for your sins."
"Then let's wait!" the Storyteller said casually, thoroughly enjoying the rage on Gabriel's face. "I don't really know that hero's style. Maybe he won't—"
His idle chatter was cut short.
Gabriel didn't know what was happening, only that the Poet's eyes had gone wide, showing a level of surprise he hadn't displayed even when being tortured.
The Storyteller murmured, "Why?"
Gabriel was momentarily confused. Just then, a force of unstoppable power kicked her, sending her flying through the cathedral wall.
What happened? Was that Michael? Why?
As a dazed Gabriel climbed out of the rubble and rushed back inside, Michael's voice finally reached her.
"Careful! Enemy attack!"
Hearing this, Gabriel flapped her wings and flew back into the cathedral.
A figure with black hair and black eyes had appeared in the center of the church, standing before the Storyteller, right behind where Gabriel had been moments before.
Knowing full well there was an ambush, Su Mo had actually come!
The thought that Su Mo had managed to appear silently behind her sent a chill down Gabriel's spine.
She immediately flew to Michael's side and whispered, "My thanks!"
If Michael hadn't kicked her away, Su Mo might have ambushed her.
Hearing this, Michael gave her a slightly odd look, then waved his hand. "It was nothing. I had to."
The two archangels stood side by side. Outside, the angelic legions that had been lying in wait surrounded the cathedral.
Several streaks of light shot in from the distance, each one radiating a three-digit-level aura.
In an instant, the seven angels who stood before the throne had all descended, leading the five remaining Legions of Light to encircle the small St. Peter's Basilica.
Seeing this, even the Storyteller was shaken.
He had expected the Church to lay an inescapable trap, but he hadn't expected them to go this far, to mobilize almost their entire force.
With two Legions of Light already destroyed, the remaining five were essentially all the Church had left.
To deal with a single person, they had staked the entire pantheon, deploying over two million troops and almost all of their high-end combat power.
This lineup was grand enough to subjugate a Last Embryo, perhaps even grander.
And yet, under the threat of such a force, Su Mo, standing at the center of it all, showed no sign of surprise or fear.
Instead, he looked at the Storyteller with keen interest.
"Where's the stuff?" he asked, as if giving a secret code.