687
Chapter 687
'Avatar of the Sun God?'
Zeke frowned at the Guardian's words.
The Guardian seemed to be mistaking Zeke for the Sun God's avatar.
The real avatar of the Sun God was Arthur Draker, and he couldn't understand why the Guardian thought this of him.
Just as Zeke was about to say something to clear up the misunderstanding, the Guardian flew towards him with dark sword light.
KWANG!
Zeke also drew out Ascalon from his inventory and raised both Dark Soul Energy and Holy Spirit Energy.
CRACKLE!
The radiant light of Holy Spirit Energy created lightning all around, and the gray energy of Dark Soul Energy spread like fog, devouring the distorted causality flowing from the Guardian's sword light.
RUMBLE!
The Guardian tried to attack from an unexpected direction by distorting space again.
But Zeke wouldn't fall for the same attack multiple times.
He drew upon the power of Soul Energy.
Soul technique
Double Spell
Will of Distortion
As he unleashed the Will of Distortion with Double Spell, countless ripples appeared around Zeke's body creating distortions.
SWOOSH!
The Guardian thrust his sword attack through distorted space like before, but due to Zeke's counter distortion, the sword strike went off course.
[This power is...?]
The Guardian withdrew his sword, bewildered by the Soul technique energy Zeke had unleashed.
Zeke didn't miss this opening and rushed toward the Guardian.
Without hesitation, he unleashed brilliant lightning imbued with Holy Spirit Energy wrapped around Ascalon toward the Guardian.
CRACKLE! CRACKLE! CRACKLE!
The powerful lightning struck the Guardian's body directly.
[KUUUGH!]
The Guardian groaned in pain within the lightning of light.
Zeke pressed his advantage and aimed Leviathan to unleash Dark Soul Energy.
The gray fog began wrapping around the Guardian who couldn't move due to the lightning, starting to absorb the power of distorted causality.
[KAAAGH!]
As the distorted causality was sucked into the Dark Soul Energy, the Guardian had to fully endure the lightning of light.
The lightning unleashed by Zeke, the Guide of Fair Pain, was strong enough that even constellations couldn't endure it.
So Zeke thought the Guardian would also succumb to this pain.
But Terakan Draker, the protagonist of the Dragon Slayer legend from a thousand years ago, his will exceeded Zeke's expectations.
[KAAAAAAH!]
Instead of submitting, he let out a battle cry and tried to forcibly break free from the lightning of light.
Seeing this, Zeke drew out Solomon's Chain from his left hand to completely control the Guardian's movements.
RATTLE! RATTLE! RATTLE!
Solomon's Chain tried to wrap around the Guardian's body as he attempted to escape the lightning.
But then something completely unexpected happened.
CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!
An identical chain of light shot out from the Guardian's wrist.
CRASH!
Then Zeke and the Guardian's chains interlocked and merged into one chain.
Since Zeke had received Solomon's Chain as Terakan Draker's legacy, he wasn't particularly surprised by this phenomenon.
Rather, it was the Guardian who was greatly shocked by this.
[How do you have this?]
Zeke spoke while looking at the Guardian connected by Solomon's Chain.
"Terakan Draker, I am the inheritor of the legacy you left behind. My name is Zeke Draker. I am your descendant who shares your blood."
The Guardian showed an even more confused reaction upon hearing Zeke's words.
[Zeke Draker? A descendant of Draker... The Sun God's avatar inherited my legacy... And this power is Claudia's...]
CRACKLE! CRACKLE! CRACKLE!
From within the strongly fluctuating lightning, the Guardian spoke while looking at Zeke connected by Solomon's Chain.
[Zeke Draker, if you inherited my legacy... Did you also inherit Bahamut's heart?]
Zeke nodded at the Guardian's words.
"Yes, Bahamut's heart is within me."
At those words, the Guardian's body trembled.
Seeing this reaction, Zeke thought some other attack would begin and intensified the lightning further.
CRACKLE! CRACKLE! CRACKLE!
However, even in the intense lightning, the Guardian showed no reaction while keeping his head down.
After a moment, he raised his head.
Unlike before, his eyes were now glowing golden.
[...You must not be here. Absolutely not.]
With those words, the Guardian grabbed the connected Solomon's Chain.
WOONG! WOONG! WOONG!
The chain shook violently and energy was transmitted toward Zeke.
Zeke realized the Guardian had unleashed the same power he used earlier to distort space.
'Is he trying to escape from here?'
Zeke started expanding his unique domain to counter the Guardian's space distortion while holding Solomon's Chain.
WOONG’ WOONG! WOONG!
The dimension that had been disconnected from the outside began transforming into Zeke's unique domain due to their clash.
CRACKLE!
At some point, when Zeke's unique domain collided with the Guardian's power, it caused an anomalous reaction.
WOONG! WOONG! WOONG!
Suddenly, the magic circle engraved on Zeke's chest rose and forcibly changed his eyes into dragon eyes.
It seemed to have occurred due to their energies interfering with each other through Solomon's Chain.
'What is this…?'
WOONG! WOONG! WOONG!
Space began changing with intense vibrations.
Soon, a massive light swallowed both Zeke and the Guardian.
* * *
WAAAH! WAAAH! WAAAH!
Zeke came to his senses at the sound of a baby crying.
'This is?'
He remembered seeing a similar scene within Bahamut's mental world.
'This is when Claudia gave birth.'
While looking around to assess the situation, Zeke realized he was dwelling within Terakan Draker's body, unlike when he was in Claudia's body.
Since Claudia wasn't visible, it seemed he had been told to wait outside.
Then along with one baby's loud crying, another baby's cry overlapped.
WAAAH! WAAAH! WAAAH!
Hearing this, Terakan anxiously went right in front of the room door.
WOONG! WOONG! WOONG!
Though there was no invitation to enter, a serious-looking magician appeared before Terakan who was about to enter the room out of anxiety.
Zeke knew this person too.
'Grand Mage Hoshgar Nirvana.'
Terakan stopped and spoke to Hoshgar.
"Hoshgar? How are you here?"
Hoshgar replied with a grave expression.
"That's not important right now."
She frowned and said.
"The situation inside is serious."
Terakan shouted roughly at Hoshgar's words.
"Hoshgar, what are you saying?!"
"Terakan. Listen carefully. Something completely unexpected has happened."
She began with a serious expression.
"As you heard, the child Claudia conceived isn't just Geo."
Terakan nodded as if he had guessed this, pressing his lips together.
Hoshgar continued her explanation.
"The other male child who isn't Geo... He is... continuously absorbing Claudia's, no, Bahamut's power."
Terakan was startled at her words.
"A newborn is absorbing the Shadow Dragon's power? How... How is that possible?"
Hoshgar shook her head and answered.
"This is my first time seeing such a case too, so it's hard to say. The problem is that this phenomenon is accelerating even after the birth. I'm blocking it with a barrier but... at this rate, all of Bahamut's power will flow into the child."
Terakan finally realized what Hoshgar's words meant.
If the child continued absorbing Bahamut's power, both Claudia and the child could be in danger.
Hoshgar summarized the situation to Terakan in one sentence.
"Claudia and that child. You must choose one of them."
Terakan felt his breath catch at Hoshgar's words.
He had never felt such despair even when attacked by mighty enemies.
Terakan clutched his head, trembling before the tragic choice.
Hoshgar spoke while watching him.
"Terakan, get a grip. You'll lose both the child and Claudia at this rate. That's not what you want."
She grabbed Terakan's shoulders and spoke firmly.
"Claudia said she chooses the child instead of herself. As it's her decision, we should respect her wishes but... Terakan, I think we should hear your opinion too."
Terakan trembled, his eyes darting around.
Zeke, dwelling within him, could feel all of Terakan's emotions.
The great fear and sorrow of potentially losing his partner Claudia, and the despair of losing the child he had waited for by his own decision came through clearly.
Countless thoughts, hundreds of thousands or millions, flashed through his mind instantly.
After suffering like this, Terakan eventually clenched his teeth and slowly spoke to Hoshgar.
"...Hoshgar, save Claudia."
After intense deliberation, he finally chose Claudia over the child.
Hoshgar nodded gravely at his choice.
"Alright. Wait here quietly. Claudia might get more agitated if you come in."
She calmed Terakan before going back into the room.
Terakan slumped down in front of the room.
Though it was to save Claudia, he had effectively given up on the child, so he felt great frustration and despair.
'To think the Holy King had another twin brother.'
In the history that Zeke knew, Claudia's only child was the Holy King Geo Lubern.
Claudia was resurrected but became possessed by the Demon King's soul, ultimately dying at the hands of her companion Terakan Draker.
There had never been any mention anywhere of Holy King Geo Lubern having siblings.
'So that child died right after being born.'
While observing the situation from within Terakan's body, Zeke clicked his tongue internally and harbored a doubt.
He couldn't understand why he kept seeing this situation through Bahamut and Terakan's memories.
That's when it happened.
WOOOONG!
A powerful wave erupted inside the room.
Sensing an ominous energy, Terakan jumped up from his seat and approached the room.
Just as he tried to open the door and enter, a strong magical force from inside pushed him back.
"UGH!"
Terakan resisted the pushing magical force by raising his aura and entered through the door.
"Claudia!"
Upon entering, Terakan witnessed an unexpected sight.
WOOOONG!
While the magic circles placed by the Grand mage Hoshgar emitted a dazzling light, Hoshgar's contract familiar Temeter was holding two children in his arms.
The children were crying vigorously, seemingly unaware of everything.
Terakan turned his head to look at Claudia on the bed.
But Claudia's condition was strange.
Rather than human form, she was in a half-dragon state, a mixture of dragon and human form.
It was definitely not normal for Claudia, who should maintain human form after making a contract, to be even partially in dragon form.
Terakan shouted at Hoshgar.
"Hoshgar! What on earth is happening?!"
Hoshgar, who was emitting strong magical power with both hands raised, shouted while sweating profusely.
"Damn it, Claudia! She broke the taboo to save the child!"
Hearing Hoshgar's words, Terakan's face hardened.
Breaking the taboo meant that a contracted dragon had used dragon powers beyond karma's restrictions.
The great power of dragons begins with the 'Dragon Speech'.
And since Dragon Speech was the power to fully handle karma's force, it fundamentally couldn't exceed karma's restrictions.
Being so subordinate to karma, dragons value contracts and promises above all else.
If Bahamut, the shadow dragon possessing strong powers, had broken that taboo, the reactive force returning as karma's restriction would undoubtedly be unimaginably strong.
CRACKLE!
Even as Terakan was left speechless, Claudia increasingly tried to transform from human to dragon form, and Hoshgar was desperately trying to stabilize her.
That's when it happened.
TZTZTZTZT!
The eyes of Claudia in half-dragon form gradually turned black.
Then an eerie voice flowed from her mouth.
【Child of chaos, shadow dragon with the strongest power. You dare stand in my way again?.】
Terakan knew who owned the voice.
"Demon King...!"
The Demon King had penetrated through the cracks of Claudia's soul.