546
Chapter 546
BOOM!
The spear flew with a thunderous roar, about to pierce through Zeke.
But at that moment…..
RUMBLE!
A black shadow erupted from the ground.
The shadow wrapped around Zeke holding Leviathan, caught the incoming adamantium spear, and pinned it to the ground.
WHOOSH!
The chaos energy that had closed off the space was released and powers returned.
Surrounded by shadow power, Zeke barely regained his senses.
HISS!
After slowly removing the embedded adamantium spear, Zeke coughed up black blood.
"KUHAK!"
After spitting out the black blood, Zeke felt better than before.
With his innate powers returning, the immortal body ability once again took root in his flesh.
CRACK!
The embedded adamantium fragments emerged on their own.
However, being god-slaying stone wounds, they didn't heal easily.
After quickly checking his body, Zeke opened his inventory to take out the Divine Dragon's Orb and Chronos's Clock.
'System, execute Time rewind .'
Having already unlocked the orb's power using elixir, Zeke intended to erase the god-slaying stone wounds through Time Rewind.
He had previously used this method to heal dragon gods wounded by god-slaying stone.
[Time 'Rewind' activates.]
Zeke felt relief seeing the system message.
As the message appeared, Chronos's clock hands turned and the wounds on Zeke's body gradually disappeared.
Shortly after, another message appeared.
[Time 'Rewind' activated without penalty using 'Divine Dragon's Orb' power.]
['Divine Dragon's Orb' power will be resealed.]
Zeke checked his perfectly recovered body after time rewound to before the god-slaying stone wounds.
HISS!
Emerging from the shadows, Zeke looked at the priest's group fighting Caligula.
He raised Leviathan and unleashed Elemental Sword's fire field.
WHOOSH!
The purest blue flames flowed from Zeke's sword.
The blue flames flew toward the bottomless pit monsters.
BOOM!
The storm-like blue flames instantly engulfed the monsters, reducing them to ashes, as Zeke slowly descended to the ground.
After dismissing the weakened Caligula's summon, Zeke raised his head to look at the priest.
The priest's red eyes flashed under his robe as he looked at Zeke.
"...Zeke Draker."
Zeke furrowed his brow at the priest.
"I didn't expect you to attack with god-slaying stone. Thanks to that, I had some trouble. But your trap failed. Die without struggling so pathetically."
The priest shook his head.
"No, no. You are not the protagonist of the Final Chapter."
At that moment, a power different from the outer beings' surged from the priest's body.
WHOOSH!
Then Arataso's voice came from within the inventory.
[This is the Arrogant Savior's power!]
Zeke instinctively charged at the priest in shock at Arataso's words.
Then a blue-green mixed gate opened above the priest's head.
RUMBLE!
A demon army corps emerged from the gate.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
The demon warriors , lined up in formation wearing solid bone armor, felt different from other demon warriors seen before.
Among the hundreds of demon warriors that fully emerged from the gate, one demon wearing dark blue bone armor and a skull helmet sat atop a massive tiger-like demon beast.
[Goodness.]
Arataso's voice echoed in Zeke's mind.
[Morningstar second Battalion... how can they appear again?]
'Morningstar, as in the Arrogant Savior's knights?'
[Yes, the second Battalion known to be strongest along with the 1st Battalion I led.]
Zeke frowned at Arataso's words and said:
'Did the priest summon the 2nd Battalion from the demon realm?'
Arataso quickly replied:
[That's impossible. Morningstar second Battalion was annihilated long ago.]
'An annihilated corps appears again?'
Zeke realized the priest had used the Arrogant Savior's power to recall the long-destroyed Morningstar 2nd Battalion.
'Just what is the Arrogant Savior's power to make this possible?'
Zeke raised his sword, watching the ominous Morningstar 2nd Battalion.
Arataso also spoke in a tense voice:
[That one in the back is Asmodius, Morningstar 2nd Battalion commander. Unlike me with sealed power, he's in his prime form.]
'Was he your comrade?'
[...2nd Battalion remained loyal to the Arrogant Savior until the end, fighting against other constellations until they were annihilated. In his eyes, we must be traitors.]
While listening to Arataso's somewhat bitter voice, Zeke glared at the priest who had summoned the 2nd Battalion.
The homunculus, with half its upper body blown away and burned by fire, appeared to have stopped functioning.
After summoning the 2nd Battalion, the priest continued emanating the energy of the Arrogant Savior, injecting power into them.
'It seems he must remain here to maintain the summoning of the 2nd Battalion.'
Zeke decided to attack the priest while keeping the 2nd Battalion occupied.
'Arataso, draw the attention of the 2nd Battalion while I attack the priest.'
[What? You're using me as bait again...?]
Ignoring Arataso's words, Zeke immediately took out the green sword and eastern sword from his inventory and summoned him and Nebilos.
WOOOONG!
The spirit body of Arataso in the form of a beast-man and Nebilos, resembling a lich, appeared.
"W-what's happening?"
Nebilos, who had been quietly sealed away, was suddenly pulled out.
After a moment of confusion, Nebilos looked around to assess the situation and was startled when he saw the Morningstar 2nd Battalion.
"Isn't that the Skeleton Corps?"
The Morningstar 2nd Battalion, known as the Skeleton Corps, was an object of fear even to beings from other demon realms.
Zeke addressed the summoned Arataso and Nebilos.
"Keep them busy while I look for an opening to strike the priest."
As he gave the order, Zeke's figure faded away.
Suddenly finding himself face-to-face with the Skeleton Corps, Arataso appeared somewhat tense, while Nebilos looked completely bewildered.
He asked Arataso:
"What's going on? How did the Skeleton Corps, which perished in the war, suddenly reappear?"
Arataso replied with a bitter voice:
"Well, it's a long story. I don't know the exact details either. For now... cover me, Nebilos."
Arataso, in his beast-man form, slowly approached the Skeleton Corps.
The other knights of the Skeleton Corps remained in formation, showing no reaction to Arataso's presence.
Arataso addressed Asmodius, who stood behind them.
"It's been a while, Asmodius."
As Arataso spoke, a red light flickered in Asmodius's eyes.
Soon, the skull helmet covering his face was removed, revealing his face.
Asmodius's eyes, completely red like rubies, turned toward Arataso.
"Arataso."
Asmodius looked at him with cold eyes and spoke in a frosty voice.
"To meet a traitor here. Surely this is our lord's guidance."
Gripping the bone blade hanging at his beast's side, he said:
"I will personally annihilate you."
In response, Arataso replied:
"I never betrayed anyone. The Arrogant Savior betrayed us first."
THUD!
As if answering Arataso's words, Asmodius dismounted from his beast, causing the entire chamber to shake.
With ruby-like eyes glaring at Arataso, he said:
"The purpose of Morningstar's existence is to protect our lord and obey his will."
Taking a step forward, Arataso shook his head at Asmodius's words.
"That's your ideal. Morningstar is just Morningstar. The Arrogant Savior is nothing but a deserter who abandoned us and selfishly ascended to the physical realm."
At his words, an ominous energy began to boil up from Asmodius's body.
"You've abandoned your honor and now spout shameless words without knowing your disgrace."
Shaking his head, Arataso replied:
"Asmodius, you're too caught up in the arrogance of the Arrogant Savior. Don't you realize that your stubbornness ultimately sacrificed all the warriors of the 2nd Battalion?"
Loyal to the Arrogant Savior until the end, Asmodius had guarded Babel alone until he and all members of the 2nd Battalion were annihilated.
Some might call it a glorious death, but to Arataso, it was a meaningless end.
From the moment the Arrogant Savior left Morningstar and went to the physical realm on his own, loyalty to him had lost all meaning.
For a while, Arataso had also waited for the Arrogant Savior to return, but he never did. The Clear Green wish chose to protect his subordinates, even at the cost of weakening his own power.
Having witnessed all this, Arataso came to believe the Arrogant Savior was not worthy of devoted loyalty.
"Even after being annihilated and becoming a specter, you still can't escape from that futile delusion. Foolish one."
At Arataso's words, Asmodius raised his bone blade.
Pointing the massive bone blade at Arataso, Asmodius said:
"Silence! Your wretched soul. I will personally annihilate you to comfort our lord's spirit!"
Asmodius launched his massive body toward Arataso.
WHOOOOSH!
The enormous bone blade plunged downward, threatening to crush Arataso's body in one strike.
In response, Arataso stretched out his hand, causing tree trunks to sprout and form a solid green sword and shield in his hands.
CLANG!
Arataso raised his shield to block Asmodius's spear.
Then he swung his sword at Asmodius.
CRACKK!
Asmodius turned his body, blocking Arataso's sword with his sturdy skull-shaped shoulder armor.
Arataso shouted to Nebilos behind him.
"Nebilos! Help me!"
Nebilos, though reluctant, began gathering magical power.
As he summoned his power, abyssal holes formed in the air.
Soon, insects dripping with poison leaped out, while skeletons with glowing red eyes rose from the ground.
Nebilos commanded them.
"Attack him!"
The insects swarmed toward Asmodius as he charged at Arataso.
Asmodius roared, swinging his bone blade in all directions.
"You dare think such vermin can stand against me, the most valiant and loyal in all of Morningstar?!"
The wind pressure from his bone blade scattered the abyssal insects in all directions.
Simultaneously, Arataso gripped his sword and summoned his demon energy.
[Most valiant? You've never defeated me even once!]
WOOOOOOM!
Intense green energy enveloped Arataso's sword.
Arataso unleashed a powerful sword strike toward Asmodius.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Asmodius swung his bone blade to block Arataso's attack.
But Arataso's assault wasn't over.
As Arataso instantly split into multiple forms attacking from all directions, Asmodius raised his bone blade with force.
"HAAAA!"
With a battle cry, sharp bone fragments scattered in all directions from his blade.
The fragments dispelled Arataso's duplicates, leaving only his main body charging forward behind his shield.
At the same time, Arataso's sword transformed into a lance.
WOOOONG!
Green energy flickered around the lance as he thrust it toward Asmodius.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Everything turned green as Arataso's lance strike hit Asmodius's armor directly.
CRACK!
Asmodius's bone armor cracked and shattered upon impact from Arataso's attack.
"URGH!"
Asmodius staggered backward from the powerful blow.
A thin stream of blood trickled from his mouth.
Asmodius looked at Arataso with disbelief.
"How can a traitor like you use the power of Morningstar?!"
To his words, Arataso pointed his lance and replied:
"Talking about 'Morningstar's power' shows you still haven't come to your senses. I was always strong. Well, I happened to get involved with someone even more tenacious than the Arrogant Savior, which helped me recover some strength."
Asmodius gritted his teeth at Arataso's words.
"Filthy one. In the end, you betrayed our lord and accepted a new master."
Arataso clicked his tongue in response.
"I'm tired of your constant talk about masters. Besides, Asmodius, there's one thing you don't know."
He paused briefly, then continued in a lower voice.
"The Arrogant Savior's soul has not yet perished."