Chapter 315: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 315: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (3)
The Nether King had only one reason for descending personally rather than dispatching the Nether army.
The Nether army would have been annihilated before they could even lay a finger on Isaac.
Thus, the Nether King descended to personally deliver judgment upon him.
Kuuuuuuuu!
A colossal iron gate spanning the horizon swung open, venting the biting chill of absolute zero.
Simultaneously, six magic circles unfurled around Isaac, each sprouting wings of frost. These three pairs of wings manifested the authority of the Ice Sovereign.
Countless magic circles continued to expand in his wake, while one overarching circle traced a path to encompass them all. Grasping the Frostscythe and reaching toward the heavens, Isaac unleashed his ice mana at its absolute limit.
Whoooooooo!!!
A pale blue orb formed, swirling and condensing into a dense, radiating chill.
It was the 9-star ice spell, [Cocytus].
His opponent was the Nether King. From the start, Isaac judged that his only hope of matching him lay in a joint attack between [Cocytus] and Daikan.
Kwoong!
A pitch-black arm gripped the edge of the open iron gate. Within the darkness of the gateway, several red, glowing eyes flashed. Soon, a transcendent ice magic beast revealed itself to the world.
[Kraaaaaa!!]
A black monster. The roar of the Primordial Beast of Ice resounded throughout the area.
Whooooosh.
Countless magic circles etched themselves into the sky, extending chains to ensnare Isaac and Daikan.
“The Nether’s Law…”
Those innumerable chains served to suppress transcendent power, maintaining the balance and order of the Nether.
“That won’t be enough to restrain us.”
Isaac released an intense surge of cold.
Hwaaaaah!!
Crash!
The chains lunging for Isaac and Daikan froze instantly before shattering into a million pieces. The Nether’s Law had been rendered impotent. It was impossible to stop Isaac with the powers of Law and Truth alone.
Whoooooooo!
Daikan gathered a tremendous amount of ice mana in his maw, while Isaac prepared to unleash his cold sun.
[So… is that it?]
The Nether King, Hades, looked down at Isaac with an expressionless gaze.
[Is this all?]
“…What?”
With a dismissive gesture, the Nether King extended his right arm toward Daikan. A gargantuan golden arm materialized in the air, seizing Daikan firmly by the throat.
[Kraaaaaaah!!]
The enormous arm radiated a mysterious mana as it attempted to snap Daikan’s neck. The cold Daikan had been gathering dispersed, replaced by a piercing scream that echoed through the void.
“…!”
The absolute zero radiating from Daikan proved useless. The Nether King possessed the strength to effortlessly crush that mass of cold.
Sensing the danger, Isaac triple-casted [Cocytus]. The size and density of the mana were incomparable to when he had fought Thanatos the Ruination. He swung his right arm fiercely, launching the three cold suns toward the Nether King.
The Nether King silently extended his remaining arm toward the incoming spells.
Kwaaaaaaang!!!!!
A storm of cold mana surged with a brilliant flash. It was a cataclysmic spell that turned the area into an icy hell; no one had ever survived such an attack unscathed.
However.
I can still feel his mana.
Isaac couldn’t afford a moment of relief. The presence of the Nether King hadn’t vanished. It was only natural—there was no way an attack of this level could defeat a god who ruled an entire world.
Isaac urgently extended the wings of the [Ice Sovereign] and flew toward the elevator.
Kuuuuuuuu!!
“…!!”
A massive wall of radiant golden mana surged toward Isaac at incredible speed.
9-star domain magic, [Wall of Order].
It was a barrier that surrounded the entire area. There was nowhere to run. It violently pushed aside the cold and light, aiming to engulf Isaac entirely.
I’m going to die.
The realization hit Isaac with instinctive certainty. The moment he collided with that wall, his life would end. It was a fleeting moment, too brief to even be considered a thought.
He quickly concentrated ice mana in his right hand and cast [Frost Explosion] toward the ground.
Kwaaah!!
A fierce shockwave struck the earth, carving out a wide, deep crater. Isaac deployed a protective ice barrier and crouched within the indentation.
Kugugugu!!
The wall of mana roared over him.
When it passed, Isaac stood up. He had no time to feel relieved about surviving. He quickly scanned his surroundings. The aftermath of [Cocytus] had been erased as if it never existed, and Daikan was still suffering in the Nether King’s massive grip.
But… the Nether King was nowhere to be seen.
Where did he go…?
“…!!”
Before he could react, the Nether King was standing right beside him. In an instant, an astronomical amount of mana condensed fiercely in the King's hand.
Isaac hastily drew his dark iron sword. [Eclipse] activated, drastically increasing his physical defense. Sensing the danger, even the Cloak of the Radiant Wolf deployed a powerful ice shield.
Fwoosh!
Maintaining his defensive stance, Isaac pushed off the ground and retreated. The golden mana gathered in the Nether King’s lightly extended hand erupted in a dazzling display.
Kwoooooom!!!!
“Kaaah!!”
A massive explosion emanated from the Nether King, sweeping through the entire area. An eardrum-shattering roar followed, and Isaac's vision was filled with golden light.
Horrific pain surged through his entire body. The dark iron sword cracked, and Isaac’s body was tossed into the air before crashing down and rolling helplessly across the ground.
Whoooooooo.
The swirling aftermath of the explosion converged back into the Nether King. In an instant, the line of sight cleared.
“Ah…”
It felt as if his consciousness might snap. Isaac’s body trembled uncontrollably as he barely managed to hold onto his slipping mind. His internals felt shattered. He gritted his teeth, enduring the agony.
He placed his hand on the icy ground, attempting to stand. But he soon collapsed again.
“Huh?”
Isaac realized he had lost both of his legs.
From the stumps where his legs had been, a torrent of blood poured out, soaking the floor. But there was no time to succumb to the pain.
I’m okay… he reassured himself.
As long as he didn’t die, he would be fine. He had the Blood of the Evanescent, which could fully restore his body. It was his last resort. As long as he survived and reached the elevator, that would suffice.
Isaac’s eyes turned back toward the Nether King.
Hwaaah!!
Isaac took flight on his wings of chill while preparing a summoning spell. Ordinary familiars or minions would likely die a dog’s death before the Nether King, but he had no choice.
“Hilde.”
[Kaaahhh!!]
Isaac once again constructed the world-ending magic, [Cocytus].
[The human Stella spoke of. The Ice King…]
The Nether King looked impassively at Isaac, who was radiating a pale blue light from afar. Despite losing his legs, his will to fight remained; he flew with chill wings, ready to battle. It was truly commendable.
It was undeniably clear that Isaac was weaker than the Nether King.
[I am indifferent to whether you defeat Nephid or not.]
“…!”
The Nether King’s voice rang clearly in Isaac’s mind, though his mouth remained still.
[If Nephid comes to rule your world, that too would merely be part of nature’s course. But you must not pass through here.]
“Is it because of the order?”
[Under no circumstances should a living being such as yourself interfere with the underworld. Those who violate order deserve judgment.]
Upholding the order of the underworld was of utmost importance to the Nether King. But that wasn’t the only reason.
[Ice King. I rejected Stella’s proposal to help you.]
Stella. Hearing that name, Isaac narrowed his eyes.
Isaac was, after all, merely a living human. There had to be a clear limit to how strong he could become. But… if a being of his stature were to reach “that being” in the Icy Lake, an uncontrollable event was bound to happen. It was inevitable.
[I will completely eliminate the risk of disrupting the order of all things.]
Uphold the order. Protect the Nether. Preserve providence. The Nether King, too, had things he must protect. Therefore, he could not allow the Ice King to reach the Icy Lake.
“…Is that so,” Isaac responded coldly. “I’m in a similar position. I can’t back down either.”
He, too, had things he couldn’t give up.
[…I see. Understood.]
The Nether King extended his arm toward Isaac. He slowly clenched his hand into a fist.
[Magic is forbidden.]
“…!”
[Cocytus] and [Hell of the Crimson Lotus] began to flicker and fade. The magic circles reversed and shattered completely as they were dispelled. Isaac’s eyes widened in shock.
[Ice King, did you truly believe you could oppose me?]
The Nether. It was the absolute domain of the Nether King. Allowing Isaac’s magic to function at all was an act of the Nether King’s authority.
“This is bullshit…” Isaac let out a scoff, finding the situation absurd.
But he couldn’t give up. He gripped the Frostscythe in both hands and charged.
Magic is forbidden? Then, before his opponent could even speak, he would unleash a rapid barrage of instant-cast attacks.
He swung the Frostscythe, casting [Absolute Zero]. The cold slash, unhindered by spatial limits, aimed to cleave the Nether King.
Whoosh!
The Nether King swung the edge of his hand, sending out an invisible slash that tore through [Absolute Zero] and warped the surrounding space. The attack struck Isaac, slicing through his left arm.
The Frostscythe fell, and Isaac’s eyes shook violently.
But without giving up, Isaac flew forward. He immediately converted the Frostscythe back into mana and retrieved it. He concentrated ice mana in his sole remaining right hand. With a 5-star [Frost Explosion], he should have been able to cast it instantly.
Then, the Nether King raised his arm, and a majestic limb appeared in midair. The almighty hand of the divine that had subdued even the Primordial Beast of Ice: [Heaven’s Hand].
A mysterious mana surrounded the arm.
Booooom!!
[Heaven’s Hand] swung toward Isaac. He stopped his charge and tried to veer off to escape, but the all-consuming [Wall of Order] appeared, closing in from above and both sides, trapping him completely.
Isaac came to a halt in midair. There was nowhere to escape. No matter where he went, he would die. Standing still meant death as well.
He had to find a way to survive. He had to survive somehow.
It will be fine. Things have worked out so far.
Reassuring himself, he racked his brain for a solution. But… he could come up with nothing. In that brief instant, with death looming before him, Isaac’s nerves were razor-sharp.
Ah…
The feeling of unease he had sensed earlier.
This feeling…
A murderous mana, hidden behind the Nether King’s presence. The mana of a monster that had sensed and reacted to Isaac’s power before he had even crossed the rift. Now, in the Nether, as he focused his awareness, he could easily identify the owner of that mana.
Isaac asked calmly, “What’s your business here, Om?”
Suddenly, a dark purple shield appeared around Isaac.
Kwaaaaa!!!!!
[What?]
A wave of dark purple mana burst forth like a flash, pushing back the [Wall of Order] and [Heaven’s Hand], forcing the Nether King to retreat.
The mana of the eternal. The shield surrounding Isaac nullified all attacks, protecting him.
The Nether King rose into the air as if weightless, sending shockwaves flying. The sky, pierced with holes, was stained like the night sky. In an instant, a prison of void spread around them, and a dense darkness descended.
Countless massive heads linked by pillars rose from the distance, connecting the endless sky to the depths of the abyss. It was impossible to gauge its size.
[Kahahahaha!!!]
The pillar of human heads laughed loudly.
Then, a transcendent being wrapped in dark purple rings—a jet-black giant—appeared, radiating terrifying mana. Even the Nether King’s domain became meaningless here. The Nether’s Law couldn’t even interfere within this prison of darkness.
[Eternal… Do you dare defy me?]
The Abyss, Om the Eternal.
After being defeated by Isaac and coming to the Nether, he had mercilessly swept through powerful enemies, grasping the status of transcendence.
[Ice King, Isaac! Thanks to you, I have received the ultimate feast!]
Om let out a hearty laugh, his voice deep and resonant.
[And you as well. Survive and become a feast for me!]
Om’s blazing determination and greed were fully directed at the Nether King.
[This fight with the Nether King is mine!]
Isaac, already battered and broken, gazed weakly at Om with open, unfocused eyes. Om extended his arms to either side, releasing an eerie mana.
[Hear me, Nether King. My name is Om. I will devour you and become the new ruler of the Nether!]
“…”
Isaac gave no response. He simply closed his eyes. His body was engulfed in darkness as he was banished from the prison of eternity.
The Nether King narrowed his eyes and glared at Om.
[…Why, Eternal? You chose to abandon the pilgrimage of reincarnation to remain here. Here, you can find eternal satisfaction, endlessly battling formidable foes to your heart’s content. Why would you forsake that eternity?]
[Though I am one who was defeated by the Ice King, it was because of that defeat that I could truly understand.]
Om’s voice resounded through the void.
[Nether King, nothing is truly eternal!]
There is no immortality.
Om cast aside his title of “Eternal” and challenged the Nether King. The corners of the Nether King’s mouth lifted slightly.
[Excellent. I respect your wishes.]
As the Nether King drew upon his mana, dozens of [Heaven’s Hand] extended from the golden rings that followed him. An exalted divinity. This was the full power of the Nether King.
The mana released by both beings distorted the very fabric of space.
And then, they clashed.