Episode 691
Rumble!
Dark matter surged powerfully from the blade of Rivaine’s sword as it pierced the Sentinel.
“Ugh!”
Zahhak’s sword, having penetrated the Sentinel, jutted out from its chest.
With a forceful push, Rivaine drove the sword deeper, sending both himself and the Sentinel crashing onto the deck of the flagship.
Boom!
The two landed with a thunderous crash, the Sentinel’s attack, which had been aimed at the flagship, gradually losing its momentum.
Rivaine pressed Zahhak further into the Sentinel’s back. The creature’s bandaged body twisted, its head and limbs rotating until it faced Rivaine directly, swinging a bandage-formed sword at him.
Swish!
Rivaine swiftly withdrew his sword and stepped back. From the wound where Zahhak had been, a dark aura began to seep out.
The Sentinel clutched its unhealed chest, its eyes glowing fiercely. But soon, it released its grip, conjuring swords in both hands, and charged at Rivaine with a dragon-slaying technique.
Crash!
The fierce attack flew towards Rivaine, but he too unleashed a dragon-slaying technique, defending himself with relative ease.
Clang!
Their swords clashed, creating a massive shockwave. With each collision, the dark aura from the Sentinel’s chest grew thicker.
The reason the Sentinel had been able to guard the final tower for a millennium was that an Elder Dragon had bound its soul to the tower using the power of the God of Chaos. But Rivaine’s twisted strike had damaged that power.
If things continued this way, Terrakan’s soul would no longer be able to remain in the physical realm and would vanish.
The Sentinel, aware of this, realized its time was running out. It combined its two bandage swords into a massive bastard sword.
Hum!
Raising the sword above its head, the Sentinel gathered all its strength, the energy radiating from its body vibrating the very air.
Rivaine, holding Zahhak aloft, addressed the Sentinel. “Guardian of the tower, cease your futile resistance and lead me to the Demon King’s soul. The false world will crumble, and the true world will rise.”
The Sentinel, ignoring Rivaine’s words, took a step forward.
Hum!
Its sword emitted a powerful wave, imbued with the will to obliterate everything, and flew towards Rivaine.
Rivaine watched the Sentinel with an impassive gaze.
Rumble!
The Sentinel’s sword, exuding a force that seemed to tear the air apart, descended upon Rivaine.
In that moment, the elemental sword within Rivaine’s weapon activated.
Hum!
A gravitational field unfolded, pushing back against the Sentinel’s sword. But the sword, imbued with the power of annihilation, cut through the gravity, aiming to slice Rivaine in one swift motion.
Crack!
The force of the annihilation sword caused cracks to appear in Zahhak, Rivaine’s black armor, and even his body. The wave affected the very essence, leading to destruction, something Rivaine’s power couldn’t stop.
Rivaine, gripping Zahhak, furrowed his brow, resisting the annihilation force. But the elemental sword he had stolen from Zeke wasn’t enough to fend off the Sentinel’s sword.
Crack!
The annihilation sword pressed harder, on the verge of shattering Rivaine completely.
Suddenly, a change occurred in Rivaine’s dull gray eyes.
Sizzle—
His eyes transformed into a strange, draconic hue, and the aura emanating from his body shifted entirely.
Now wearing a relaxed expression, Rivaine looked at the Sentinel and gave a faint smile.
“Terrakan Draker, Guardian of the Final Tower.”
Murmuring the Sentinel’s identity, Rivaine’s smile widened into a grin.
“My name is Arthur Draker. Heir to the Draker lineage, and the one who seeks to end it.”
As Arthur Draker’s presence took over Rivaine’s body, the cracks in Zahhak and the armor healed, and his body began to recover.
Hum!
The Sentinel’s attack, which had been pushing Rivaine back, started to recede.
Arthur Draker, his eyes gleaming with interest, remarked, “Ah, the annihilation sword of the hero Terrakan. So this is how the legendary secret technique works.”
Astonishingly, the same wave of annihilation began to emanate from Zahhak, mirroring the Sentinel’s sword.
Rumble!
As the waves from both swords collided, the surrounding air screamed in protest, creating a deafening roar.
The Sentinel, witnessing Arthur Draker effortlessly replicate its annihilation sword, felt a moment of dismay.
Moreover, the dark aura from the Sentinel’s chest grew even thicker.
Arthur Draker, holding Zahhak in one hand, clicked his tongue at the sight.
“Terrakan Draker, the legendary dragon slayer, is this all you amount to? How disappointing.”
With those words, he snapped his fingers, and something emerged from the void.
Clang!
Chains burst forth from all directions, quickly wrapping around the Sentinel.
“Ugh!”
The balance between the Sentinel and Arthur Draker shifted, the Sentinel being pushed back as the annihilation wave engulfed it.
Boom!
Caught in the wave, the Sentinel could no longer maintain its stance. Its coat was shredded, and the bandages failed to hold their form, mostly disintegrating.
As the storm of waves subsided, the Sentinel, now bound in chains and tattered, was revealed.
“Cough!”
The annihilation force had stripped away the bandages, revealing a faint spiritual form beneath.
As the tower’s guardian, it had abandoned its physical body, existing as a spirit for a thousand years.
Arthur Draker, possessing Rivaine’s body, approached the bound Sentinel.
“A legendary dragon slayer who endured a thousand years. Fascinating.”
As Arthur Draker extended his hand, the dark aura from the Sentinel’s chest was drawn into his palm.
Sizzle—
The Sentinel could feel not only its spiritual form but also the power of the Elder Dragon and the God of Chaos being siphoned away.
Glaring at Arthur Draker, it shouted, “Stop! No one should touch the Demon King’s power!”
Despite the Sentinel’s cries, Arthur Draker continued to absorb its power.
As the Sentinel’s strength waned, its glowing eyes began to dim.
”…This cannot be. The Demon King must never be disturbed….”
Sizzle—
Ignoring the warning, Arthur Draker continued to drain its power, interrogating the Sentinel.
“Terrakan Draker, tell me how to enter the Final Tower. In return, I will grant you a new body, sparing your spirit from complete annihilation.”
Even with the offer, the Sentinel remained silent, its lips sealed.
Arthur Draker shook his head at the sight.
“Foolish. Your power and authority will all be mine. Discovering the way to the Final Tower is only a matter of time.”
Despite losing strength, the Sentinel slowly spoke.
”…Only curses await those who covet the Demon King’s power.”
Arthur Draker, wearing a smug expression, shook his head.
“That’s a tale for the weak. Such curses hold no meaning before the true master of the new world who will subjugate the Demon King’s power.”
With those words, Arthur Draker’s draconic eyes gleamed ominously.
He then plunged his hand into the Sentinel’s cracked chest.
Thud!
With direct contact, the absorption of power accelerated.
Arthur Draker, satisfied, looked at the Sentinel and spoke.
“Fragments of broken time, patched together by the Elder Dragon to create a maze. Had I entered, I would have been lost forever. The tower itself was a trap.”
The Elder Dragon had used all its power to construct the Final Tower, turning it into a trap to prevent anyone from reaching the Demon King’s soul.
Rumble!
As the Sentinel’s power flowed into Arthur Draker, the secrets of the Final Tower were gradually unveiled.
Arthur Draker’s eyes gleamed with understanding as he unraveled the secrets before him.
“Ah, so you were the key to the tower.”
The black tower within the barrier was merely an illusion, not the true final tower. To reach the real final tower, where the Demon King’s soul was sealed, one had to cross the boundary of an isolated dimension. The Guardian was the key to crossing that boundary.
Without hesitation, Arthur Draker harnessed the power of the Guardian he had absorbed, forcibly opening a path to the isolated dimension.
Crack!
The space where the tower stood tore open, revealing a rift. Through it, the ruins of a shattered city came into view.
Beyond that rift lay the true final tower, the one that held the Demon King’s soul.
Arthur Draker smiled at the sight. “There it is.”
He commanded the angels, who had been holding Bahamut at bay, to completely destroy the tower’s protective barrier.
Following his orders, the angels flew toward the barrier, already weakened by a spiral drill. As they reached out, dark matter coalesced into black spears.
In unison, the angels hurled the spears at the barrier’s cracks.
Boom!
The black spears struck the barrier, accelerating the fractures.
Dragons, which had been attacking the warships, turned their attention back to the angels. But Apollyon’s dragon slayers, wielding chains, intercepted them.
Roar!
The dragons howled, but the soul-binding chains were not easily broken.
The black spears continued to erode the barrier, and soon, with a shudder, it shattered from the top down.
Whoosh!
With the barrier gone, the path to the true final tower lay exposed.
Arthur Draker issued his command. “The Demon King’s soul is there! All forces, advance through the breach!”
Apollyon’s warships began to move toward the rift. The dragons tried to stop them, but the dragon slayers kept them at bay.
Just as Apollyon’s ships were nearing the breach, something rained down from the sky.
Boom!
Hundreds of magical projectiles descended.
Crash!
Apollyon’s ships attempted to shield themselves, but the sheer number of projectiles was overwhelming. Some ships were hit and plummeted to the ground.
Arthur Draker’s expression shifted as he watched from the flagship.
”…You’ve come, Sieg.”
Emerging from the clouds was none other than the Ark, followed by hundreds of ships trailing black banners.
Arthur Draker glared at the sight and commanded his subordinates, “Destroy their ships!”
In response, Apollyon’s warships fired their magical cannons.
Boom!
Amazingly, the Ark and its fleet formed a massive defensive barrier, interlocking in a triangular formation.
Whoosh!
The shield absorbed all of Apollyon’s magical projectiles. Then, the Ark’s prow opened, revealing its main cannon.
Whoosh!
A colossal surge of magic gathered, and the Ark unleashed a powerful beam toward Apollyon’s fleet.