Episode 603
Zeke was taken aback by the Great Sage’s request.
“You want me to turn you into a Shadow Guardian… Are you serious, Sage?”
Zeke had already transformed the Blood King Caligula, the Angel of Twin Suns, and the demon Lilith into Shadow Guardians, but he had never considered doing the same to the Great Sage.
Seeing Zeke’s bewilderment, the Great Sage gestured toward the broken homunculus.
“The soul summoned through the Key of Chronos won’t last long. I’ll infuse the remaining power into this homunculus. Please absorb it and make it your Shadow Guardian.”
Zeke looked at the Great Sage with a grave expression.
“Do you understand what that means? Even if it’s just a part of your soul, it would be bound to me forever.”
The Great Sage nodded.
“I am aware.”
He placed a hand over his heart and spoke to Zeke with a respectful demeanor.
“Most of my soul is currently sealed with the Demon King in the Book of the Dead. The part of my soul that lingered in the Elysium was a contingency my true self had prepared.”
Zeke was stunned by the revelation.
“So, your soul is sealed with the Demon King’s?”
The Great Sage’s spirit nodded.
“That’s correct. When the Demon King descended a second time, Siemens Apollyon was the perfect vessel. My soul’s power was needed to separate his body from the Demon King’s soul.”
Zeke realized that the Great Sage’s sacrifice was not born of arrogance but of a noble will.
The Great Sage had willingly sacrificed his soul to keep the Demon King’s soul contained—a feat no one else could achieve.
Crackle—
Suddenly, a ripple of causality emanated from the Great Sage’s spirit.
He approached the broken homunculus, staff in hand, and touched its core with the staff’s tip.
A resonant hum filled the air as the soul’s energy flowed from the staff into the core.
The homunculus, which had been motionless, began to stir.
Its eyes glowed with a golden light.
As the light from the staff ceased, the spirit of the Great Sage grew even fainter.
Zeke could feel the spirit’s energy waning, on the verge of disappearing.
The Great Sage’s spirit addressed Zeke.
“Due to the constraints of causality, there is a limit to what I can tell you.”
The now translucent spirit continued with a hint of regret.
“When the Demon King last appeared in the material world, find out who… Bahamut… when the Demon King descended…”
The Great Sage’s spirit couldn’t finish his sentence and dissolved into a scattering of light.
Zeke pondered the Great Sage’s final words.
“Who brought the Demon King to Bahamut? Is that the answer to my question?”
Until now, Zeke had assumed that the ones who resurrected the Demon King during the Liberation War were followers of Siemens Apollyon and the original forces of the Abyss.
But upon reflection, their true identities were shrouded in mystery.
“Who orchestrated the third resurrection of the Demon King?”
Zeke sensed there was a hidden secret to uncover.
Creak!
It was only when he heard the strange noise that he realized the broken homunculus was crawling across the floor.
“Noble will… follow. Break the wheel of fate. Harmonize, harmonize the world.”
The homunculus, still driven by its fundamental purpose, was trying to fulfill its original intent.
Watching this, Zeke extended his shadow toward the crawling homunculus.
Ssshhh—
The broken homunculus began to sink into Zeke’s shadow.
“Harmonize, harmonize the world.”
Even as it was absorbed, the homunculus repeated the same words.
Once the homunculus was fully absorbed, a message appeared.
“You have absorbed the ‘Blind Duplicate of the Great Sage,’ imbued with a fragment of the Great Sage’s soul.”
“The ‘Blind Duplicate of the Great Sage’ submits to the unique authority of the
“The ‘Blind Duplicate of the Great Sage’ has been reconstituted as a Shadow Avatar through the power of recreation.”
“The reconstituted Shadow Avatar is registered as your Guardian.”
Rumble!
From Zeke’s shadow emerged an avatar clad in a black robe.
Thud!
The Shadow Avatar, wearing a black mask, held a black staff.
Being recreated from the homunculus imbued with the Great Sage’s soul, it took on the form of a mage.
“Would you like to name this Guardian?”
Seeing the message, Zeke pondered the name for his new Shadow Avatar.
After a moment, he spoke slowly.
“Innocentia.”
He bestowed the ancient word for purity as the Guardian’s name.
As Zeke named it, the eyes behind Innocentia’s black mask glowed brightly.
With the Great Sage’s soul as its core, the Shadow Avatar was bound to wield formidable power.
Zeke rose and addressed Innocentia.
“Innocentia, guide me to where the Book of the Dead and the Black Star are hidden.”
In response, Innocentia raised its staff.
A resonant hum filled the air, and a portal of white light opened before them.
It seemed to lead to the location of the Book of the Dead.
“Master, hold on just a little longer.”
Zeke steadied his breath and leaped into the portal.
Rumble!
Nigel, Nabu, and Mana stood in a triangular formation, bracing against the storm of power surging toward them.
“Ugh!”
Nabu, supporting the barrier with an open book, groaned in distress.
“Mana! Do something!”
At Nabu’s cry, Mana clasped her hands together, chanting to strengthen the barrier.
But as the storm of power intensified, maintaining focus became increasingly difficult.
Rumble!
At the forefront, Nigel gritted her teeth, holding her sword against the onslaught.
She managed to speak through clenched teeth.
“I’ll hold it off. Mana, complete the absolute barrier.”
Nabu was startled by Nigel’s words.
“How do you plan to stop that alone, old woman?”
Ignoring Nabu’s concern, Nigel stepped forward, channeling all her strength into her sword.
Seeing this, Nabu steadied his breath and moved in front of Mana.
He opened his book and recited the incantation to summon a protective wall.
Rumble!
A virtual wall materialized before Nabu, creating a shield for Mana to concentrate.
Nabu shouted to Nigel.
“It’s ready, old woman!”
With that, Nigel lunged forward, her sword slicing through the storm of power.
Ultimate Technique
Double Spell
Will of Reflection
The storm of power collided with Nigel’s Ultimate Technique, the Double Spell, and began to reverse.
Rumble!
As the storm reversed, the hidden presence was revealed.
Rumble!
To their surprise, at the storm’s center stood Ivan of the High Table.
Nigel shouted at Ivan.
“Ivan! Get out of there now!”
But Ivan remained unmoved by Nigel’s warning.
He had activated the defensive magic circle to prevent Nigel and her companions from reaching the Book of the Dead.
“Why won’t he listen?”
Realizing Ivan wouldn’t relent, Nigel reluctantly raised her sword again.
A resonant hum filled the air as Nigel’s sword, imbued with her Ultimate Technique, flew toward Ivan.
Boom!
Seeing Nigel’s attack, Ivan raised both hands, drawing a magic circle in the air.
Ancient runes appeared, activating the spell.
From the runes emerged two dark figures.
One took the form of a reaper wielding a massive scythe, the other a jackal-headed creature with a hook.
The reaper and the jackal-headed creature swung their weapons at Nigel’s attack.
Boom!
The clash of forces sent shockwaves in all directions.
Simultaneously, Mana’s absolute barrier expanded, enveloping the entire chamber.
Ssshhh—
The powerful storm that threatened to engulf Nigel’s group was neutralized by Mana’s barrier, restoring calm.
“Phew! I thought I was done for.”
Nabu collapsed to the ground, exhaling in relief.
But Nigel remained steadfast, sword in hand, glaring at Ivan and his summoned creatures.
She addressed Ivan once more.
“Step aside, Ivan.”
Despite Nigel’s warning, Ivan remained unmoved.
Behind him stood a firmly closed door.
Beyond that door lay the Book of the Dead and the Black Star, sealed together.
Nigel spoke to Ivan again.
“We must destroy the Book of the Dead and the Black Star before they get here. If they fall into the wrong hands…”
At that moment, Ivan spoke in a detached tone.
“The Book of the Lion is not something to be trifled with. If you’re not careful, the seal could break, and the power of the Demon King trapped inside might seep out.”
At this, Nabu, who was sitting behind, shouted at Ivan.
“But the Demon King can’t manifest without a vessel, right? So what if a little power leaks out?”
Ivan shook his head.
“That’s not the case. The power of the Demon King is dangerous on its own. Even the slightest trickle from the sealed power has created countless monsters. Imagine what would happen if the seal broke and the power flowed out directly.”
Nabu’s mouth fell open, a look of unease crossing his face.
“Uh, I hadn’t thought of that.”
Nigel, frowning, spoke to Ivan.
“Stop dodging the issue, Ivan. You’re planning to overlay that power onto Zeke Draker incompletely, according to the leader’s plan, to completely eradicate the Demon King’s power, aren’t you? That would leave only half of the Book of the Lion, preventing the Demon King’s full resurrection.”
Ivan responded slowly to Nigel’s accusation.
“Sometimes, sacrifices are necessary for a noble cause.”
Nigel clenched his teeth at Ivan’s words.
“Damn you. Why are you forcing that sacrifice on my student?”
Crackling energy surged around Nigel as she drew on her true power, a storm of causality swirling around her due to the constraints of karma. Her fury was palpable.
She took a step toward Ivan.
“Step aside. If you try to stop me, I won’t hesitate to cut you down, even if we’re both part of the High Table.”
Just then, a series of dark crimson portals opened around the stone chamber, and soldiers in Draker uniforms marched out in formation. At their center stood a man with a strong presence, wearing black gloves and lacking eyebrows and hair—Baron Draker, the commander of the Draker’s Black Guard.
“What the hell are they?” Nabu exclaimed, startled by the sudden appearance of the Black Guard.
Nigel, still wary of Ivan, turned her attention to Baron and the Black Guard. Even Ivan, usually expressionless, showed a hint of surprise.
A woman with an eyepatch, standing next to Baron, stepped forward. She was Ingel, the left-wing commander of the Black Guard, responsible for handling all intelligence entering the Draker family.
Ingel shouted at the members of the High Table.
“A new era for the great Draker is about to begin! Old ghosts of the past, stop struggling and embrace the tide of change!”
Her remaining eye burned with a fanatical loyalty to Draker.
Nabu gaped in disbelief at her words.
Nigel scowled and turned to Ivan.
“Are you really going to let those people take the Book of the Lion?”
Ivan didn’t respond to Nigel, instead scanning the Black Guard.
At that moment, Baron Draker stepped forward and pointed to the door behind Ivan.
“Drakers, break through and retrieve the Book of the Lion.”
At Baron’s command, the Black Guard’s eyes filled with a fanatic gleam. His voice echoed in their ears.
“Our god desires it.”