662
Chapter 662
Zeke spoke while looking at Mephistopheles.
"Are you saying the Demon King will resurrect soon?"
Mephistopheles grinned at Zeke's words and waved his hand in the air.
WHOOSH
A giant mirror appeared and projected an image.
In the image, massive white ships were lined up advancing into the sea.
Countless demons followed behind them, and the monsters that emerged from the depths couldn't even approach the ships as they were being chased by the demons.
A familiar emblem was painted on the white ships protected by the demons.
The emblem of the sun and sword.
It was none other than Apollion's symbol.
Zeke realized these ships were being led by Arthur Draker and Apollion's knights.
He asked Mephistopheles.
"Where is Arthur Draker heading?"
Mephistopheles, who possessed Anastasia, frowned and replied.
"There's only one place he would go to resurrect the Demon King."
At those words, Zeke realized which sea the ships in the image were traversing.
'The Dark Sea.'
Arthur Draker was crossing the Dark Sea, where no one else could go, heading to the abandoned continent where the Demon King's soul was sealed.
The Elder Dragon and other dragons had sealed the Demon King's soul in the final tower built on this abandoned continent.
Arthur Draker was going there to awaken the Demon King.
Zeke spoke to Mephistopheles.
"Half of the Demon King's split soul is with me. They can't resurrect the Demon King just by claiming the soul there, right?"
Mephistopheles shook his head.
"He is the Sun God's avatar. You're underestimating his abilities too much."
"Are you saying there's a way to resurrect even with just half the soul?"
"It's not simply having half. Though incomplete, what's sealed beyond the Dark Sea is closer to the essence."
As Zeke's expression hardened at this unknown fact, he continued slowly.
"Arthur Draker is the Sun God's avatar and possesses the Elder Dragon's heart. Moreover, part of the Evil God Ajitahaka's soul dwells in that heart. Using mysterious powers that can distort causality, it might be possible to resurrect the Demon King's incomplete soul by filling in the missing parts with the Evil God's soul."
Zeke furrowed his brow at Mephistopheles's words.
'Using the Evil God's soul to complete the Demon King's soul?'
Ramon Jiemens had tried to summon Ajitahaka, the Evil God who could devour and absorb everything, but was killed by Abel instead.
And Abel, who contained the Evil God's power, had his heart stolen by Arthur Draker and died.
Ultimately, the Evil God's power had gone to Arthur Draker.
Arthur Draker was planning to use that very power to resurrect the Demon King with an incomplete soul.
'There's only one reason he wants to resurrect the Demon King.'
Ragnarok.
He was trying to use the Demon King's power to bring about the end of the world.
Then he intended to release his ideal new humanity upon the destroyed world and become a god himself.
But in the end, this was merely the will of the Sun God controlling him.
Apollion was repeatedly initializing the physical world and establishing new stages to destroy the absolute laws created by the primordial light.
Zeke recalled the post-Ragnarok world shown by the Final Sage.
A world erased and restarted by absolute law.
The physical world was enduring emptiness, trapped in a cruel wheel of fate spinning like a hamster wheel.
Mephistopheles spoke to Zeke.
"Zeke Draker, if you don't absorb the Demon King's power, Arthur Draker will claim it. Then the physical world will perish. Most miserably."
Zeke couldn't help but suspect Mephistopheles's ulterior motives for deliberately manifesting in the physical world to warn him directly.
Seeming to read Zeke's thoughts, Mephistopheles smiled seductively and said.
"Still so suspicious, Zeke Draker."
Mephistopheles slowly levitated into the air.
"Don't be too suspicious. I simply don't like how that Sun God bastard sits his lazy ass in heaven, manipulating the Demon King's soul and treating the physical world like his playground to destroy and rebuild as he pleases."
At his words, Zeke maintained his suspicious expression and said.
"You expect me to believe that nonsense?"
At Zeke's sharp voice, Mephistopheles grinned and shrugged.
"Whether you believe it or not, that's your choice. But one thing is certain . If Arthur Draker isn't stopped, the Demon King will soon awaken."
As soon as the words ended, Anastasia's body, possessed by Mephistopheles, became enveloped in purple smoke and disappeared.
WHOOSH
Zeke was about to reach out towards the purple smoke remaining where Mephistopheles vanished.
As a Transcendent who had absorbed part of the primordial light's soul, Zeke was fully capable of tracking and capturing the vanished Mephistopheles.
However, he soon withdrew his hand.
'Mephistopheles, he wants only one thing. To become master of the physical world - neither the Sun God nor the Demon King.'
He knew Arthur Draker was the Sun God's avatar. Yet after keeping this fact hidden from Zeke all this time, now he appears to warn that Arthur Draker is trying to steal the Demon King's soul.
As the Demon Lord, he too would want to avoid directly clashing with the Sun God, leader of the celestial constellations.
'He plans to make me the Demon king of the demon realm and have me absorb the Demon King's soul, then pit me against Arthur Draker, the Sun God's avatar. When both the Demon King and Sun God are weakened from their clash, he'll seize everything for himself.'
This was exactly the kind of scheme the contract demon Mephistopheles would devise.
Although Zeke saw through Mephistopheles's plan, he let him go without capturing him for now.
'You demon realm Demon Lordss... things won't go as you wish.'
FLASH!
Zeke's eyes glinted with an eerie light.
After organizing his thoughts briefly, he turned to look where battles with demons were taking place.
WHOOSH!
Leviathan, gripped in his hand, rang out with sword energy.
Zeke kicked off the ground, leaped into the air, and his form quickly dove into the swarm of incoming demons.
* * *
"What are you doing?! Bring more harpoons!"
The Fishermen on the ship threw harpoons with all their might at the demons surging from the sea.
WHOOSH
When the harpoons, propelled by the Fishermen's strong muscles, pierced the demons' bodies, the inscribed magic activated.
BOOM
Energy waves flowed from the harpoons and the demons sank into the sea with a thunderous roar.
After the attack of Outer beings demon beasts, the Southern Islands desperately researched to develop effective weapons against them.
Finally, they succeeded in mass-producing anti-demon weapons based on prototypes from Hades, Feinan, and Gelion.
The Fishermen could hold the defense line with small numbers by attacking demons with these enhanced harpoons.
But even this had its limits.
'There are too many enemies.'
Nerissa, maintaining ancient spirit magic aboard the flagship Triangle, ground her teeth watching the pitch-black swarm of demon beasts still approaching.
While Arina and the academy mages and dwarves were somehow blocking the airborne demon beasts, the sea demons were on a completely different scale numerically.
As the defense line gradually pushed back, the number of demon beasts breaking through to the island shores increased everywhere.
While Nerissa contemplated countermeasures, her deputy Bill shouted urgently.
"Sis! The left side's broken!"
When Nerissa turned her head, she saw the left defense line collapsing with demon beasts pouring through.
Nerissa hurriedly summoned spirits to the left defense line.
RUMBLE!
Water spirits in serpent form rose to attack the demon beasts, but it wasn't enough to rebuild the crumbling defense line.
Nerissa shouted urgently to Bill.
"Damn it, Bill, you take over here! I'll go crush those bastards!"
Bill shook his head in surprise.
"No, you're the captain, where are you going?! Everything will collapse!"
If the ancient spirits Nerissa controlled became unstable, the entire defense line would inevitably collapse.
At Bill's words, Nerissa realized her judgment had been hasty as she was about to move.
Realizing that holding position was the best option for now, she struck the helm in frustration.
But then.
RUMBLE!
Suddenly, vibrations began on the Triangle.
Nerissa stepped back in surprise.
"Huh? What's happening?"
Simultaneously, the vibrations from the Triangle transformed into waves, creating swells in the surrounding sea.
CRASH
A massive tsunami created by the Triangle swallowed the demon beasts trying to break through the defense line.
BOOM
The demon beasts engulfed by the huge wave couldn't even reach the shore, sinking into the sea and vanishing without a trace.
Seeing this, Nerissa and Bill wore dumbfounded expressions.
"Does the Triangle have this ability ?"
"Gasp, sis. Try it again."
Nerissa tilted her head and was about to strike the helm again.
But before she could, the Triangle created another vibration.
RUMBLE!
The wave from the ship created another tsunami, advancing toward the approaching demon beasts.
The massive wave rose as if to swallow thousands of demon beasts in one gulp.
CRASH
With an explosive sound, the wave plunged down on the demon beasts, creating a whirlpool.
ROAR
Soon after, all the demon beasts approaching to break the defense line were swept into the whirlpool and vanished into the depths.
SCREECH
Then, one demon beast somehow escaped the whirlpool and charged toward the Triangle.
SPLASH
A Kraken-form spirit emerged from the sea and grabbed the demon beast.
But the beast was formidable. It attacked the summoned spirit with its spiked tentacles while thrashing violently.
SLASH
The attacked spirit couldn't maintain its form and dispersed back into the sea as water droplets.
"UGH!"
Nerissa staggered with a painful groan as her spirit took direct damage.
"Sis!"
As Bill tried to support Nerissa, the demon beast had already reached right in front of the Triangle and tried to extend its tentacles onto the ship.
The Triangle tilted forward from the beast's weight, and the merfolk quickly threw harpoons at it.
THUD
Despite dozens of harpoons piercing its body, the beast continued trying to wrap its tentacles around the ship.
In this urgent situation, Nerissa tried to regain her focus to summon another spirit.
As she gathered herself, a firm hand gripped her shoulder from behind.
"Nerissa, you've done well."
Nerissa turned in surprise to find Zeke standing there.
WHOOSH
Brilliant light flowed from Zeke's hand, restoring Nerissa's exhausted body.
The light wave spread from Nerissa throughout the entire Triangle.
BOOM
As the brilliant light wave seeped in, the Fishermen experienced a miracle, not only were their injuries healed, but their stamina was restored.
"My goodness..."
"A miracle, it's a miracle!"
After healing all the ship's Fishermen, Zeke slowly rose into the air.
He looked at the demon beasts still swarming from across the sea and raised his sword toward them.
Soon, brilliant sword light rose from Leviathan.
Zeke swung his sword at the demon beasts.
Infinite Sword Technique Final Form
Heart Sword Technique
Ten Thousand Swords
Countless sword lights shot from Zeke's blade, becoming meteors that fell upon the sea.