Episode 696
Zeke looked up at Arthur Draker, who sat upon the black throne.
Arthur Draker, now appearing in his true form rather than possessing Rivaine, seemed older and more worn than before.
Zeke quickly scanned his face, then focused on the black stone embedded in the center of Arthur Draker’s chest.
“The Black Star.”
It was a fragment of an Elder Dragon’s soul, deeply lodged within him.
But Arthur Draker’s body, with the Black Star embedded, was far from normal.
Black veins spread from the stone, and patches of necrotic skin had peeled away, leaving his flesh exposed.
Arthur Draker noticed Zeke’s scrutiny and spoke.
“Surprised by my appearance?”
Zeke raised his sword, Gram, and replied calmly.
“I think I understand why you chose to appear through Rivaine’s body all this time.”
Vroooom!
With those words, Zeke activated Overclock, unleashing his divine power.
Unlike Arthur, whose body was crumbling under the weight of the Black Star, Zeke had absorbed the heart of Bahamut and the power of the Elder Dragon, achieving a divine state.
Effortlessly, Zeke’s body lifted into the air.
Now eye-level with Arthur Draker on the throne, the swords Ascalon and Revatain gleamed menacingly behind him.
“Arthur Draker, this is the end for you.”
Arthur Draker shook his head with a wry smile.
“You’re too quick to judge.”
He leaned on Caliburn and slowly rose from the throne.
Once fully upright, he looked at Zeke and said,
“My body’s collapse doesn’t signify my end.”
Zeke furrowed his brow at Arthur Draker’s words, then realized something.
“He’s stalling for time.”
Realizing this, Zeke immediately launched Ascalon and Revatain at Arthur Draker.
Boom!
The swords, glowing with divine energy, arced toward Arthur Draker.
Arthur Draker, holding Caliburn with both hands, brought it to his chest, where the Black Star was embedded.
A strange energy emanated from the stone, wrapping around Caliburn with a twisted aura.
Rumble!
Divine power surged from Arthur Draker’s body.
Not only Zeke but Arthur Draker, too, had surpassed his limits, achieving the status of a celestial being.
As Arthur Draker revealed his divine power, a darkened sun rose behind him, its light radiating outward in concentric circles.
With a black halo behind him, Arthur Draker swung Caliburn at the incoming Ascalon and Revatain.
From his sword erupted a dark, electrified force.
Crackle!
The storm of dark energy blocked the path of the two swords, forcing them to veer off and return to Zeke.
Vroooom!
Suspended in the air, Arthur Draker, under the protection of the black sun, was no longer just an avatar but a celestial being in his own right.
The dark light from the black sun spread quietly, reaching Zeke’s position.
Zeke countered with the power of the Great Purification, emitting a golden aura to oppose Arthur Draker’s might.
The black sun and the radiant light clashed, their primordial forces canceling each other out.
Vroooom!
The divine powers of Zeke and Arthur Draker collided, sending ripples through the entire temple.
As they stood in a tense standoff, Arthur Draker spoke to Zeke.
“No matter how you struggle, you cannot defeat me. It was destined from the moment I gave a name to you, the cursed bastard.”
With a snap of his fingers, a massive mouth opened in the air, releasing the bound Watcher and Rivaine.
Arthur Draker approached the restrained Watcher, placing a hand on his shoulder as he continued.
“No matter how many locks you place on a door, if one wishes to open it, it will eventually open.”
The Watcher, bound in chains, hung limp and unconscious.
Zeke glared at Arthur Draker, his aura fierce.
“What have you done?”
Arthur Draker smiled slyly.
“Zeke, you’re already too late.”
Zeke was taken aback by Arthur Draker’s words.
“Could it be?”
With a deafening roar, an overwhelming dark energy surged from Rivaine.
Rumble!
The black armor and Zahhak on Rivaine began to pulse with a fierce, demonic energy.
Zeke was forced to retreat from the violent storm of dark energy emanating from Rivaine.
“Ugh.”
Zeke summoned a radiant light to fend off the storm.
Amidst the debris scattered by the storm, whispers echoed and dissolved.
【Come to me.】
【If you desire power, I shall grant it.】
【Nothing will stand in your way.】
The whispers of the Demon King, capable of consuming souls, lingered in the air, reaching Zeke’s ears.
“This dark energy is overwhelming. I could be consumed if I’m not careful.”
As a transcendent being, Zeke used his authority to repel the Demon King’s whispers, protecting his soul.
But Rivaine was in a different situation.
With the Demon King’s soul directly within him, his body was already consumed.
“Aaaaargh!”
Unable to withstand the whispers, Rivaine, veins bulging on his forehead, let out a scream that was almost a roar.
Enveloped in dark energy, Rivaine lost his reason to the destructive instinct and charged at Zeke, whom he perceived as an enemy.
“Kill! Kill! Zeke Draker!”
Boom!
With a sound like an explosion, Rivaine launched himself at Zeke like a living cannonball.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
He swung Zahhak, imbued with powerful dark energy, with the intent to tear Zeke apart.
The force of his strike distorted the space around them, creating shockwaves.
Zeke raised Gram to counter the oncoming wave.
In that instant, Rivaine’s attack collided with Zeke’s raised Gram, deflecting the blow.
Boom!
The clash of swords echoed like thunder, the shockwave reverberating through the temple.
Rumble!
The temple shook as if it would collapse under the strain of the power unleashed by Zeke and Rivaine.
The shockwave forced Zeke and Rivaine apart, creating distance between them.
This time, Zeke sent Ascalon and Revatain flying toward Rivaine.
The swords, glowing with divine light, streaked toward him.
But the dark energy emanating from Rivaine condensed, forming a shield that blocked the attack.
Crash!
The swords were repelled by the dark shield, unable to reach Rivaine.
Though he had effectively blocked the attack, Rivaine was breathing heavily.
With each breath, an incredible amount of dark energy poured from him.
Seeing the red glow in Rivaine’s eyes, Zeke understood the meaning behind Arthur Draker’s words.
“The Demon King’s soul has descended into Rivaine, but the seal itself hasn’t been broken yet.”
Vroooom!
The dark energy flowing from Rivaine was strong enough to warp dimensions.
But there was a problem.
Drip, drip.
Black blood trickled from Rivaine’s eyes and nose.
Even the body of an Apollyon Knight, with its unique singularity, was insufficient to fully contain the Demon King’s soul.
Though the seal wasn’t fully broken, the mere presence of the Demon King’s soul was causing Rivaine’s body to collapse.
Zeke, observing Rivaine’s condition, spoke to Arthur Draker.
“Your plan has failed. You intended to use Rivaine’s body to summon the Demon King, but it seems you’ve tampered with a power too great to handle.”
Arthur Draker responded with a confident smile.
“Indeed, Rivaine’s body is too weak to contain the Demon King’s power. But…”
His eyes gleamed.
“What if the power of the Malicious God were to join forces?”
Suddenly, the space behind Rivaine split open again, and the Flesh Emperor Azitahaka emerged.
Thin tendrils extended from Azitahaka’s body, burrowing into Rivaine’s nose, ears, and mouth.
Sssssss—
Azitahaka merged with Rivaine’s collapsing body, triggering a transformation.
Rumble!
The energy emanating from Rivaine, now enveloped in dark power, pressed down on the temple, causing it to crumble.
Rumble!
The temple’s ceiling collapsed, revealing the desolate, twisted landscape outside.
Zeke, amidst the storm of dark energy, radiated a brilliant light, resisting its force.
Soon, Rivaine emerged from the storm, transformed.
And Zeke was shocked by the change in Rivaine’s face.
“What is that…?”
His face was identical to none other than the statue of Draker’s sword god.
He knew that the statue represented Adam, the progenitor of Draker, the first Nephilim, and the avatar of the sun god Apollyon.
As he watched Rivaine suddenly transform into the likeness of Adam, Arthur Draker nodded in satisfaction.
“Ancestral Reversion. Sieg, behold the true source of power that slumbers in our blood.”
Ancestral Reversion referred to a phenomenon where descendants inherited their bloodline abilities with exceptional strength or displayed pronounced racial traits.
Nerissa, a member of the merfolk, had inherited the traits of her deep-sea ancestors through this very phenomenon.
However, in Rivaine’s case, it wasn’t a natural Ancestral Reversion like Nerissa’s; he had forcibly drawn upon Adam’s power.
Sieg glared at Rivaine, now transformed into the avatar of Adam, and aimed his Gram.
Vroooom!
A powerful hum emanated from his sword.
In an instant, Sieg’s body became a streak of light, piercing through the storm of dark energy as he flew toward Adam.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The storm of dark energy was torn apart by Sieg’s sword.
In response, the dark energy flowing from Adam’s armor condensed into a massive claw-like form.
The claw lunged at Sieg, but shadowy blades erupted from Gram in an instant.
The massive claw, made of dark energy, was shredded by the shadowy blades.
Sieg unleashed a strike imbued with the power of the Heart Sword directly at Adam.
Infinite Sword Technique: Final Form
Heart Sword Technique
One Sword
Sieg’s Heart Sword aimed to cleave through the physical manifestation of Adam, born from Ancestral Reversion, and the demon king’s soul within.
But Adam was not one to be easily defeated.
He stepped forward, wielding Zahhak, and swung his sword to counter Sieg’s Heart Sword Technique.
Vroooom!
Amazingly, the sword he wielded was the Annihilation Sword of Terracan Draker.
The Annihilation Sword, understood by Arthur Draker, had been renewed and unleashed through Rivaine.
Rumble!
The Annihilation Sword, which could obliterate everything, clashed with the Heart Sword, which could cut through anything, causing a massive collision.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As the transcendent strikes that invaded the very essence collided, even the isolated dimension began to crack.
Crackle!
The dimension twisted, plasma scattering in all directions, creating a storm centered around the two.
Sieg pierced through the storm, raising the shadowy sword imbued in Gram toward Adam.
The shadowy swords, merged with Gram, unleashed their power.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Countless shadowy blades surged forth, tearing through the dimensional storm, aiming to engulf Adam.
At that moment, Zahhak, held by Adam, began to transform.
The surface of the sword rippled, and shadows surged from within.
Sieg’s eyes wavered at the sight.
“Zahhak was another shadow sword?”
Zahhak’s true nature was revealed as another shadow sword, distinct from the two shadow swords, Caladbolg and Caledfwlch, within Gram, and Caliburn held by Arthur Draker.
The shadow tendrils extending from Zahhak entwined with Gram’s shadowy blades, beginning to merge into one.
Soon, a message appeared before Sieg’s eyes.
[The Sword of Victory ‘Caliburnus’ connects with the Solid Shadow Sword ‘Caladbolg’ and the Fractured Sword ‘Caledfwlch.’]
[The shadow swords, facets of the ‘Promised Sword of Liberation,’ are connecting.]
[Gram approaches the original form of the ‘Promised Sword of Liberation.’]
At that moment, the dimensional rift widened, and a plasma storm engulfed Sieg.
As the dimensional rift swallowed Sieg, the twisted world instantly transformed into a different landscape.
“This place is…”
The graveyard of swords, where the swords of past Draker patriarchs were laid to rest, unfolded before his eyes.