Cawwww!
Zeke smiled as if it were just what he'd been hoping for. He faced the outsider-species magical beasts that bared their sharp fangs and let out grotesque screams.
"I was waiting for you to come out anyway."
To him, the horde charging toward him looked like nothing more than massive clumps of karma points.
He extended his hand and unfurled shadow blades.
Shraaa-la-la-lak!
The shadow blades spun around his body and sliced through the outsider-species magical beasts in an instant.
Shwaaaa!
The severed remains of the outsider-species magical beasts from the shadow blades were immediately absorbed into the shadows spread across the floor.
Seeing the influx of karma points as expected, Zeke flashed a satisfied smile.
"Come on, bring more!"
He pulled Ascalon from his inventory and activated the Star-Soul Technique.
Pajijijijijik!
White lightning infused with the power of the Star-Soul Technique shot out in all directions.
Puk-puk-puk!
The outsider-species magical beasts
exploded on contact with the hundreds of lightning bolts raining down.
Tsk-tsk-tsk—
The corpses of the slain beasts were devoured without a trace by the mouths emerging from Zeke's shadows.
Woooong!
The sword floating in the air vibrated even more intensely, and outsider-species magical beasts began to pour endlessly out from the floor and walls.
Cawwww!
Zeke gripped Ascalon and invoked the newly acquired authority.
"Authority: Flame of the Abyss."
At that moment, black flames erupted from his body and formed a massive ring of fire above his head.
Roooar!
Whips of flame lashed out from the black fire ring and ensnared the charging outsiderspecies magical beasts.
Cawww!
The beasts caught in the Flame of the Abyss didn't even have time to scream before they crumbled to ash.
Quite a few magical beasts vanished in that attack, but their numbers still filled the vast cavern, with more continuously spawning.
Cawwww!
The overwhelming horde of outsider-species magical beasts barreled toward Zeke with bared fangs and exuded a soul-crushing pressure in itself.
But Zeke only laughed at the sight.
He reached out toward the black fire ring.
"Hela, come forth."
From the depths of the abyss, the sacred beast of the abyss and the second beast of the apocalypse, Hela, was summoned.
Roooaaar!
Responding to Zeke's call, Hela burst out from within the black fire ring.
The flame beast with four lion heads spewed fire toward the outsider-species magical beasts charging at Zeke.
Roooar!
The black flames of the abyss incinerated the outsider-species magical beasts in a flash.
After unleashing a barrage, Hela soared into the air and slashed at the beasts with its sharp claws.
Its claws, wreathed in flames, tore through the beasts' bodies in an instant.
Even a mere graze ignited the Flame of the Abyss and set their entire forms ablaze.
Cawwww!
The outsider-species magical beasts screamed as the flames spread from Hela's claws.
Thousands of beasts lunging toward the altar were swept up in the inferno and reduced to ash.
Yet the number surging toward Zeke remained vast, and the black fire ring hovering above him continued to lash out with flame whips to strike down the beasts.
Zeke didn't stop there. He also summoned the Eye of the God of Destruction.
Kugugugu!
Wherever the summoned Eye of the God of Destruction gazed, unquenchable flames of destruction erupted.
The combined blaze of the Flame of the Abyss and the flames of destruction brought merciless annihilation to the outsider-species magical beasts.
Soon, flames raged everywhere and turned the expansive cavern into a veritable purgatory.
Leaving the outsider-species magical beasts to Hela, Zeke slowly approached the sword floating in the air.
The sword that had summoned the outsider-species magical beasts cried out in sword resonance toward Zeke as he drew near.
—Bloodkin of Adam. This is futile resistance. You cannot escape fate.
The same voice as before echoed in Zeke's ears.
Strange energy coalesced around the sword again and tried to block his approach.
In response, a golden aura rippled out from Zeke's body like waves.
Tsk-tsk-tsk—
The bizarre energy clashed with the golden aura and was neutralized, leaving the sword fully exposed once more.
Zeke extended his hand toward the revealed sword.
"I don't know what you really are, but I'm not going to be played like Arthur was." At that instant, a powerful wave emanated from the sword.
Kiiiiing—
As if in a final desperate struggle, the sword rang out with unprecedented intensity.
Then, something astonishing happened.
Kudududuk!
Cracks began to form on the surface of the Sword God Statue behind it.
Kurururu!
The fissures spreading across the Sword God Statue's surface caused it to crumble, and something began to crawl out from within.
Kwadududuk!
What emerged from the Sword God Statue was something akin to the tentacles of an outsider-species magical beast.
But Zeke sensed immediately that it was different from ordinary outsider-species magical beasts.
'What is that...?'
After observing it for a moment, Zeke realized where he'd felt this energy before.
It was the exact same aura he'd sensed from the outsider-species magical beast sealed within the statue of the holy maiden at the Temple of the Goddess Theia.
At that moment, a message appeared before Zeke's eyes.
[Title 'One Blessed by the Ancient Dragon' detects traces of 'The Ineffable Gloom.']
['The Ineffable Gloom's' traces trigger automatic defense protocols.]
[System overclock forcibly activates.]
[Divinity of the Constellation is revealed.]
[Constellation Title 'He Who Surpassed the Wall' opposes the traces of 'The Ineffable Gloom.']
[Constellation Title 'Guide of Fair Suffering' opposes the traces of 'The Ineffable Gloom.']
Woooong!
Zeke's body automatically overclocked, and his divinity extended out to counter the power of the outsider-species magical beast known as The Ineffable Gloom.
Kiaaaaa!
The sword floating in the air wailed and continued to fracture the Sword God Statue.
Zeke tried to analyze The Ineffable Gloom through the Akashic Code, but he couldn't retrieve any clear information on what it was.
Yet instinctively, he knew he had to prevent it from emerging.
'I need to seal the cracks in the Sword God Statue.'
Just as he'd sealed the holy maiden statue at the Temple of the Goddess Theia before, he had to seal the Sword God Statue now to stop this ominous entity from breaking free.
Recalling that memory, Zeke gripped Ascalon and invoked the power of the StarSoul Technique.
At the same time, he unleashed the Elemental Sword: Chamber of Firepower.
Infused with the Star-Soul Technique's power into the purest flame, it created a truly sacred fire.
Zeke immediately swung Ascalon and spewed sacred flame toward the fracturing Sword God Statue.
Roooar!
The pure, blindingly white sacred flames enveloped the Sword God Statue.
Kiaaaak!
The shadow sword wailed even more fiercely and desperately tried to drag The Ineffable Gloom out from within the Sword God Statue.
Zeke unleashed a surge of sacred flame to halt the entity's attempt to escape.
He then turned and gestured toward Laevatein, which had fully absorbed the dark matter.
Kwa-kwa-kwa!
Laevatein, infused with the Dark-Soul Technique, hurtled toward the shadow sword.
Pajijijijik!
As Laevatein approached, the shadow sword conjured a barrier of material similar to dark matter, but it too was inevitably absorbed by Laevatein.
Pajijijijik!
As Laevatein pressed inward, the shadow sword began to weaken.
Seizing the opening, Zeke summoned his shadows.
Shwaaaa!
The shadows Zeke conjured formed a massive hand that wrapped around the shadow sword.
Shwaaaa!
Assailed from the front by Laevatein and from behind by the shadowy hand, the shadow sword could no longer hold out.
The shadows Zeke created ensnared the shadow sword and attempted to control its power.
Pajijijijik!
Plasma sparked around the sword.
Zeke slowly approached the captured sword.
The sword violently rejected him, but Zeke ignored it and reached out.
—Vessel of fate. Do not forget your place.
To the whisper, Zeke replied.
"Shut up. I don't know who you are, but I'll smash that arrogant face of yours myself."
With that, Zeke grasped the hilt of the shadow sword.
Kiiiiing!
An intense wave emanated from the shadow sword now in Zeke's hand.
Cawwww!
Strange power rippled from the sword, and the black energy dwelling within dispersed like smoke.
At the same time, Zeke sensed the trace of the whispering voice vanish from him.
Woooong—
As the sword vibrated, a message appeared.
[Unique Authority Absolute Dominion awakens the sword's power.]
[The sword's hidden 'True Name' is revealed.]
[A facet of the Promised Sword of Liberation, the Crackblade 'Caledfwlch,' unlocks its power along with its True Name.]
As the sword's True Name unlocked, the shadow sword began to link with Zeke's Shadow Armor, just like Caladbolg had before.
['Caledfwlch,' sharing the same origin of power, connects to the Shadow Armor.]
['Caledfwlch' fuses with the Shadow Armor.]
'Caledfwlch?'
It was similar to the name of the other shadow sword, Caladbolg, that had been sealed away, but the designation differed.
While Caladbolg was titled the "Sword of Hardened Shadow," Caledfwlch was named the "Crackblade."
Though their appearances were identical, leading to different titles, they shared a common thread: both were facets of the Promised Sword of Liberation.
'As I thought, these swords are all shadows reflecting a single blade.'
Tsk-tsk-tsk—
As Zeke organized his thoughts, the awakened Caledfwlch completed its connection to the Shadow Armor.
Melting into the shadows like Caladbolg, Caledfwlch naturally obeyed Zeke's will.
Zeke tried to probe the identity of the strange power and voice that had dwelled within Caledfwlch, but no traces remained in the sword.
'What the hell was that?'
Pondering the enigmatic voice, Zeke looked up at the shattered Sword God Statue.
Jjeojeojeok—
Even suppressed by divinity-infused flames, the once-fractured Sword God Statue continued to develop new cracks.
Zeke slowly approached the Sword God Statue.
The outsider-species magical beast writhing to emerge from the cracks seemed to gaze at him and squirmed in his direction.
『Bearer of my traces...』
He sensed the intent the outsider-species magical beast directed at him.
It was the same invasive transmission method as the one that had burrowed into his mind from the holy maiden statue before.
The Ineffable Gloom. Was this its will?
Though Zeke had encountered quite a few of these bizarre outsider-species magical beasts, he still didn't know their origins.
Given that Arthur Draker, who could be called the avatar of the Sun God Apollyon, wielded their power, Zeke could only speculate a connection.
One puzzling aspect was that the power emanating from the outsider-species magical beasts felt entirely different from that of the Constellations.
It seemed almost opposed to the Constellations' power.
Yet Zeke couldn't quite comprehend how the Sun God, who reigned supreme over all Celestial Constellations, would wield such a force.
'Is there something I don't know?'
Zeke decided to seal the cracks in the Sword God Statue first, then investigate further.
He levitated toward the right shoulder of the Sword God Statue, where the fissures were deepest.
In the past, without divinity, he'd used the sacred relic of the forest god Hermes and the elixir to mend the cracks, but now, with the power of a mighty Constellation, that was unnecessary.
Zeke extended his hand toward the fissure.
"Authority: Re-Creation."
Activating the Arrogant Savior's authority, the cracks in the Sword God Statue began to reconstruct rapidly.
Tsk-tsk-tsk—
The shattered sections rejoined as if time were reversing and filled the fractures.
『Come... do not reject me. Child of chaos.』
The Ineffable Gloom persistently conveyed its will toward Zeke as he sealed the fissure with his authority.
But Zeke remained unshaken by the voice attempting to erode his mind. He steadily invoked his divinity to mend the cracks through the authority.
It was when the Sword God Statue had nearly returned to its original form.
A single tentacle peeked out from a crevice.
An irresistible voice burrowed into Zeke's consciousness through the tentacle.
『One who crossed the timeline... child of chaos. We are... not so different...』
The outsider-species magical beast uttered cryptic words, then its tentacle split open with a crack and expelled something.
Plop!
Zeke doubted his eyes at what the outsider-species magical beast's tentacle had spat out.
'What is that...?'
What emerged from the tentacle was a single sword.
A claymore engraved with a coiled serpent along its blade.
"The Sun Sword Gram?"
It was none other than the very sword Zeke had wielded in his previous life, forged by the soulful blacksmith Gelion.