Episode 692
BOOM!
A blinding flash lit up the sky as more than half of Apollyon’s fleet was obliterated without a trace. Arthur Draker watched the destruction unfold, a chilling smile spreading across his face as he shouted.
“Ha ha ha! This is entertaining, Sieg Draker! You’re keeping me amused until the very end!”
At that moment, the body of Revain, which Arthur Draker inhabited, began to levitate. Behind him, the air split open, revealing a growing black void. From within, something massive emerged—a colossal hand that had once enveloped Arthur Draker and vanished into another dimension.
The hand gripped the edges of the void, prying it open wider as it attempted to break free. A sinister, ominous wail echoed from the depths of the void. Soon, a head emerged, adorned with two towering horns, eight eyes, and a grotesquely wide mouth.
Arthur Draker’s eyes gleamed as he spoke. “Azitahaka, the Dread God.”
The Dread God Azitahaka, whom Ramon Jimenez had once tried to summon, had now descended upon the forsaken continent, brought forth by Arthur Draker.
RUMBLE!
Previously, Azitahaka had been sealed away, only a fragment of his form remaining due to Sieg’s efforts. But now, he tore through the dimensional barrier, revealing his full form. With six arms, thick legs, and a gaping maw on his abdomen, Azitahaka exuded an aura of pure malevolence.
As the monstrous deity manifested in the physical realm, a backlash of karma followed, igniting plasma in the air.
CRACKLE!
Yet, Arthur Draker merely extended his hand toward the plasma, a dark mist emanating from his fingers, neutralizing the energy and twisting the laws of causality to allow Azitahaka’s presence to remain.
With Arthur Draker’s aid, the Dread God fully emerged from the void, stabilized, and turned his attention to the fleet led by the Ark, unleashing a deafening roar.
ROAR!
The sound waves from Azitahaka’s bellow surged toward the fleet, pushing the entire armada backward. The Ark, holding its ground, began to charge its main cannon once more.
HUM!
A powerful beam of magical energy shot toward Azitahaka. In response, the Dread God formed seals with his six hands, summoning a massive gate inscribed with ancient runes.
BOOM!
The gate easily absorbed the magical blast. But it didn’t stop there; the gate, having blocked the Ark’s attack, slowly began to open.
CREAK!
From within the gate, a horde of abyssal creatures, driven by nothing but the instincts of slaughter and gluttony, poured forth. These creatures, once devoured by Azitahaka and transformed into his minions, surged toward the Ark and the fleet.
The abyssal creatures swarmed, emitting a cacophony of eerie sounds as they descended upon the ships. Despite being pushed back by Azitahaka, the fleet did not remain idle. They fired their magical cannons, reducing the approaching creatures to ash.
Simultaneously, the Three-Eyed Clan aboard the ships stepped forward, amplifying their power through mandalas.
HUM!
As the power of the Three-Eyed Clan spread, the leading abyssal creatures fell under their control, turning on their brethren in a frenzy of cannibalism.
CRUNCH!
The controlled creatures and those still under Azitahaka’s command tore into each other, creating a chaotic battlefield. Meanwhile, figures soared into the sky from the ships.
These were the Skyborne, wearing enhanced Herseons, members of the Avian Tribe. They flew with agility, hurling spears at the oncoming creatures.
WHOOSH!
The spears, propelled by the Avian Tribe’s strength, struck true, detonating the magical bombs within upon impact.
BOOM!
The explosions swept away the surrounding creatures, preventing them from nearing the fleet. Observing from the flagship, Arthur Draker shook his head and issued a command to Azitahaka.
“Dread God, devour them all.”
At Arthur Draker’s command, Azitahaka, who had summoned the abyssal creatures, moved directly. The mere movement of the colossal deity caused the air to tremble.
But then, a massive fireball descended upon Azitahaka.
FLARE!
It was the Flames of the Abyss, engulfing Azitahaka the moment they touched him. Before the Dread God stood Hela, the divine beast spewing the abyssal flames, alongside Lilith, riding the First Beast of the Apocalypse, and the Blood King Caligula.
Azitahaka bared his jagged teeth and tentacle-like tongue, ready to tear them apart. Yet, instead of attacking, he formed seals once more, causing the abyssal flames around him to transform into ancient runes that floated into the air.
He hurled the runes at the guardians.
BOOM!
The runes morphed mid-flight into a fiery Garuda, more akin to a demonic beast than a divine one, charging at the guardians.
Caligula stepped forward, unfurling his robe and summoning wraiths from within.
RUMBLE!
The wraiths intercepted the fiery Garuda, devouring the flames. Meanwhile, Lilith, seated atop the Beast of the Apocalypse, sang a song of seduction aimed at Azitahaka.
SCREECH!
Lilith’s song, a mental assault, sought to seize Azitahaka’s consciousness. As the Dread God’s eyes glazed over, Hela lunged, unleashing the Flames of the Abyss once more.
BOOM!
The flames formed a spear, targeting Azitahaka’s heart. Though the spear struck true, Azitahaka remained unmoved. Regaining his senses from Lilith’s song, he grasped the fiery spear embedded in his heart.
CRACK!
The flames in his grip turned violet, transforming into a whip. Azitahaka lashed the fiery whip at the guardians.
BOOM!
The whip’s fiery rain fell upon the guardians and the fleet behind them. Though protected by a barrier, the violet flames began to crack it.
Azitahaka swung the whip again, unleashing another torrent of flames.
CRASH!
The deafening sound shook the air, forcing even the guardians to step back. But then, Azitahaka felt a sharp pain at the nape of his neck.
SCREECH!
His neck elongated as he turned to see Sieg, clad in the Herseon of the goddess Theia, driving Ascalon into him.
Sieg, gripping Ascalon, spoke to Azitahaka. “This time, I’ll end you for good.”
Through Ascalon, the power of the Sacred Union surged into Azitahaka’s body.
CRACKLE!
As the light surged within him, Azitahaka spread his six arms wide, his abdominal maw stretching open as he let out a scream of agony.
ROAR!
Azitahaka’s scream reverberated through the air. His abdominal maw tore wider, and something began to crawl out.
These were Nephilim, corrupted into demons, their bodies inscribed with ancient runes like tattoos.
SCREECH!
The Nephilim, once devoured by Azitahaka, now emerged as demons. They climbed up Azitahaka’s body, rushing toward Sieg, who had driven the sword into him.
SCREECH!
As the demons charged at Sieg, a shadowy figure emerged from beneath his feet.
SLASH!
Blades formed from the shadow pierced the demons. The shadow then morphed into a massive mouth, swallowing the impaled demons whole.
CRUNCH!
The demons vanished into Sieg’s shadow, dissolving into karma points and evaporating without a trace.
Meanwhile, Zeke relentlessly channeled bolts of light into Azitahaka’s body.
“Kaaargh!”
Azitahaka writhed in agony, unable to withstand the searing energy coursing through him. Finally, he began to transform, his body shifting and changing.
With a thunderous crack, six arms detached from his torso, and his body split into separate parts. The dismembered pieces morphed, shrinking into smaller versions of Azitahaka.
These newly formed Azitahakas surrounded Zeke, who was still clinging to the main body, and began to weave a sinister spell with their hands.
A deep rumble echoed as ancient symbols appeared on the body of Azitahaka that Zeke was attached to, triggering another transformation.
Mouths emerged all over Azitahaka’s body, and tentacle-like tongues lashed out, attempting to ensnare Zeke.
Zeke, wielding Ascalon, unleashed Levatein against the oncoming tentacles.
With a series of explosive strikes, Levatein sliced through the tentacles, scattering them.
But then, the mouths themselves lunged forward, trying to swallow Zeke whole.
In response, Zeke drew Ascalon and retrieved a new sword from his inventory.
The Sun Sword Gram, forged from two shadow blades, gleamed in his hand.
He plunged Gram into Azitahaka’s body, and shadows spread in all directions.
Sensing something amiss, the surrounding Azitahakas intensified their spellcasting.
A low hum filled the air as massive ancient runes appeared, aiming to shatter Zeke’s mind.
It was a malevolent spell, one that even divine beasts and celestial beings couldn’t escape.
Yet, Zeke, with his powers of complete recovery and immutability, was unaffected by Azitahaka’s magic.
While Azitahaka reeled in confusion at Zeke’s immunity, shadows from Gram continued to consume his body.
Simultaneously, Zeke began to compress Azitahaka’s form through Gram.
The blackened body of Azitahaka shrank, unable to resist, until only his head remained, transformed into a mystical orb.
Holding the black orb, Zeke turned as shadows flickered behind him, revealing the Blood King Caligula.
Zeke handed the orb, imbued with Azitahaka’s power, to Caligula.
Caligula accepted it cautiously, and immediately, a transformation began.
The combined might of the malevolent god and the Blood King amplified the spell’s power, overwhelming the fragmented Azitahakas.
With the orb, the Eye of Destruction, and the Crown of Demon Bones, Caligula’s power surpassed that of a guardian spirit, reaching the level of a guardian deity.
The Azitahaka fragments, sensing the threat, shrieked and charged at Caligula.
With a flash of his eyes, Caligula raised the orb towards the oncoming fragments.
A resonant hum emanated from Azitahaka’s head attached to the orb, halting the fragments in their tracks.
The fragments attempted to counter with their own spells, but the battle was far from easy.
As the tense standoff continued, Arthur Draker, watching from the command ship, frowned slightly.
“This is getting tedious…”
He hadn’t expected the malevolent god Azitahaka to be bested by mere summons of Zeke, and it irked him.
Just then, a voice broke through his thoughts.
“If it’s a boring fight, let’s end it quickly.”
Turning, Arthur saw Zeke standing on the deck of the command ship.
In his hand was Gram, while Ascalon and Levatein hovered protectively around him.
Zeke fixed his gaze on Arthur Draker, who was possessed by Rebein, and declared, “Before we reach the final tower, I’ll deal with you first, Arthur Draker.”