Episode 437
“What? Sir Zeke Draker and Duke Crevan are meeting? Why?”
The aide, sweating nervously, replied to Carlito’s question. “I’m not entirely sure about the reason…”
Carlito waved him off, signaling that he understood. Once the aide left, Karus, with a knowing look, turned to Carlito and Leo. “I told you, didn’t I? Even Duke Crevan is being cautious.”
Neither Leo nor Carlito could find words to respond to Karus’s remark. After a long silence, Leo finally spoke in a serious tone. “Regardless of the reason, it seems wise for us to meet with Duke Crevan as well.”
Carlito’s face tensed at Leo’s suggestion. “What if they’re using Zeke Draker as an excuse to trap me or the regent?”
Karus clicked his tongue dismissively. “Do you really think Duke Crevan would openly attack the regent’s heart? Stop worrying and let’s go.”
Despite Karus’s reassurances, Carlito couldn’t shake his unease. ‘Of all people, why Duke Crevan? If only I’d tried to build a rapport with him earlier.’
During the reign of the mad emperor, Carlito, then the deputy commander of the Celestial Knights, had tried to win favor with many influential figures. But Duke Crevan’s stern and unyielding nature had always intimidated him, keeping him at a distance. Now, he regretted not having made an effort back then.
‘Damn it, whatever happens, I’ll have to face it head-on.’
With that resolve, Carlito rose from his seat and followed Leo and Karus out of the office to meet Duke Crevan.
Daria Calvi, standing beside Duke Crevan, felt awkward enough to die from the tension. Upon arriving at the palace, Duke Crevan had announced that his visit was to challenge Zeke Draker. This revelation had gathered the elite of the Black Sword Knights—Andrei, Aul, Clone, and Farrell—in the reception room, all eyeing Duke Crevan with tense expressions.
While Daria and the knights watched him nervously, Duke Crevan calmly sipped his tea, seemingly unfazed by the situation.
“Hmm.” Duke Crevan set down his teacup and looked up. “Where are these tea leaves from?”
Caught off guard, Daria’s eyes darted around. “Uh, well…”
Not knowing much about tea, Daria turned to the Black Sword Knights for help. But they were just as clueless. Felix, standing behind, whispered to Clone, “Should I go find out where it’s from?”
Clone elbowed Felix sharply, signaling him to keep quiet. Just then, the door opened, and someone answered Crevan’s question.
“The tea leaves are from the main palace of Ishtar.”
It was none other than Zeke Draker who had entered the room. He took a seat opposite Duke Crevan and spoke. “Do you like the tea?”
Duke Crevan nodded slowly at Zeke’s question. “The aroma is intriguing. It’s refined yet subtle, but its presence is undeniable.”
Duke Crevan studied the young knight sitting across from him. ‘I understand now why Daria spoke so highly of him.’
Initially, Duke Crevan had suspected that the Draker family had exaggerated Zeke’s abilities to boost his reputation as the “Knight of Salvation.” But as he continued to hear more about Zeke, he became convinced of his initial doubts. However, meeting Zeke in person today forced him to admit he was wrong.
‘He’s strong.’
Not just strong, but so formidable that his true depth was unfathomable. It had been so long since Duke Crevan, one of the continent’s mightiest, had hesitated to judge an opponent.
Duke Crevan silently observed Zeke, while Daria and the Black Sword Knights anxiously awaited his reaction. It was Zeke who broke the silence first.
“Would you like another cup of tea?”
Duke Crevan nodded again, and Zeke retrieved tea and a teapot from his inventory, brewing the tea with practiced ease. Duke Crevan watched silently as Zeke prepared the tea and placed it before him. The duke savored the aroma before taking a sip, and Zeke joined him, pouring himself a cup.
For a while, the two men focused solely on their tea, exchanging no words. Once their cups were empty, Duke Crevan rose from his seat, and Zeke followed suit. Without a word, they headed towards the central garden of the palace.
Daria and the Black Sword Knights, who had been watching, were left bewildered. Felix was the first to speak. “Should we follow them?”
As if prompted by his words, Daria and the knights snapped out of their daze and headed towards the central garden where Zeke and Crevan had gone.
In the garden, Zeke and Crevan stood facing each other, empty-handed, yet still silent. Leo, Karus, and Carlito, who had arrived late, watched the two with tense expressions.
Carlito approached Daria and asked, “Commander, what’s happening?”
Prince Leo, standing nearby, shook his head gravely. “Regent, it’s best to stay quiet. It seems… a duel only black knights can understand is unfolding.”
At Prince Leo’s words, Carlito fell silent. Though Zeke and Crevan neither moved nor spoke, an intense battle was indeed taking place between them. Both had reached the level of black knights and were on the verge of becoming grandmasters. For them, direct attacks were not the focus.
‘The dominion of territory.’
What mattered was who could first claim the space to assert their will.
Crack!
A single leaf drifted between Zeke and Crevan’s territories, only to disintegrate into dust—a testament to the fierce, invisible struggle for dominance.
At that moment, someone appeared among the Black Sword Knights. “The King of the Underworld himself. It’s astonishing that such a figure would come in person.”
It was none other than Duke Draker. After regaining his sealed memories with Zeke’s help, he had recovered and traveled from Helly to the Rom Imperial Palace. As expected by Zeke, Duke Draker was gradually overcoming his trauma and reclaiming his strength as a black knight.
Duke Draker addressed Aul and Andrei. “Open your senses wide and feel it with your whole being. One day, you too must reach this place.”
Following Duke Draker’s advice, Aul and Andrei heightened their senses, focusing on Zeke and Duke Crevan. Then, a rift began to form between Zeke and Crevan.
Rumble—
The marble tiles of the garden floor, unable to withstand the pressure from the two, began to crack and shatter.
Crash!
The shattered marble turned to dust, swirling into a stone-laden windstorm around Zeke and Crevan.
“Ugh!”
Those watching were forced to retreat from the sudden gust.
Boom!
A massive cloud of dust enveloped Zeke and Crevan, obscuring them from view.
Rumble—
Inside the dust cloud, Zeke and Crevan had assumed stances. Zeke held his hand blade before his chest, while Duke Crevan extended his right index finger, pointing at Zeke.
Duke Crevan spoke, “You’ve surprised me multiple times today.”
It was astonishing enough that Zeke was a true black knight, but to be at a level comparable to his own was beyond imagination.
‘The last opponent of this caliber was Sword King Bernas.’
Sword King Bernas, aside from the so-called Conqueror Arthur Draker, was the strongest swordsman known. Facing Zeke, Duke Crevan recalled his youthful encounters with Sword King Bernas, a time when they dueled purely as knights, beyond the affiliations of the Rom Empire and the Draker family.
Facing Zeke, Duke Crevan felt as if he had returned to that era.
Zeke, with his hand blade poised, slowly advanced towards Duke Crevan. His domain moved with him, sharp and predatory, like a beast ready to strike at any opening in Crevan’s defenses.
Thud!
Duke Crevan stepped forward, his finger still pointed, and Zeke saw him as an unyielding fortress. With each step, Crevan’s finger followed, targeting Zeke.
Before long, Crevan’s finger transformed into a spear, its sharp tip poised to pierce Zeke’s heart at any moment.
In their standoff, it was Zeke who first broke the balance.
Swish!
Zeke unleashed a gust technique, surging towards Duke Crevan.
As he soared through the air, Zeke aimed the edge of his hand, imbued with the power of the Astral Sword, at the duke’s crown.
Duke Crevan watched Zeke’s descending strike, feeling as if a massive blade was about to pierce him.
Rooted to the ground, Crevan twisted his waist and extended a finger skyward.
Rumble—
From his outstretched finger, a sharp spear materialized, shooting forth.
The ethereal sword and spear clashed in midair.
Crash!
Despite their intangible nature, the collision resounded like metal striking metal.
The astral constructs canceled each other out, sending shockwaves rippling outward.
Whoosh!
The gusts generated by the shockwaves swept fiercely around them, threatening to overturn the entire central garden of the imperial palace.
Yet neither of them had the luxury to worry about such things.
Riding the wave of energy, Zeke charged at Duke Crevan once more, this time with both hands brimming with power.
The Infinite Chain Technique, the core of the Infinite Sword Style, unfolded from Zeke’s hands.
As the spinning strikes of the Infinite Chain Technique rained down, the Astral Sword flew at Duke Crevan from all directions.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Facing the onslaught like a raging storm, Duke Crevan opened his palm, transforming his entire arm into a spear.
With a sweeping motion, he deflected the spinning strikes to the side, using the momentum like the water element of the Elemental Sword to divert Zeke’s attack.
Whoosh!
After deflecting the strikes, Crevan reversed the flow of energy, sending the attack back at Zeke with even greater force.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The attack that had been aimed at Crevan now hurtled back toward Zeke with increased power.
Seeing the powerful strike coming his way, Zeke charged forward instead of retreating.
“Haah!”
He extended his arm, slicing through the incoming attack with the edge of his hand.
Crack!
Zeke’s strike didn’t just cut through the attack; it sliced through the very space the attack occupied.
By inserting his sword into the rift, he severed the space itself—a higher-dimensional attack once demonstrated by the Sword King Bernas.
But Zeke’s cut went beyond the space of the attack. It reached into the space where Duke Crevan stood.
Crack—
The space around Crevan split under Zeke’s hand, and with it, Crevan himself was cleaved apart.
But then—
Shhh—
The image of Crevan, split along with the space, vanished like a mirage.
In the next instant, the duke reappeared right in front of Zeke.
His movement was swift enough to outpace even Zeke’s space-slicing attack.
Standing before Zeke, Duke Crevan gathered his energy into a solid spear and took another step forward.
From his arm, a spear of pure essence exploded forth.
Mingwang Spear: True
Final Act
Inevitable Flash