'No, that's not Master Kaisir.'
Zeke peered into the essence of the being that had taken Kaisir's form and now stared at him.
With the rank of a Transcendent, Zeke could pierce through the soul's core even without using his Authority.
The entity resembling Kaisir shared some similarities, but it carried a foreign dissonance unlike the essence Zeke had felt when he previously encountered the Heroic Spirit.
'It's not my master... but it definitely used Elemental Sword.'
Elemental Sword was the ultimate technique that only Kaisir, the half-fairy, half-Great Sage, could wield.
Zeke was the sole successor who had inherited that ultimate technique.
He had never heard of anyone besides Zeke being able to use Elemental Sword. Kaisir himself had said as much.
It was then.
Ssssh—
From the sword of the enemy entity facing Zeke, which mimicked Kaisir's form, a white mist sprayed out.
Soon, the blade created waves and unleashed the Chamber of Water Power toward Zeke.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
The gentle force of the waves gradually formed a current, then poured down on Zeke like a massive waterfall.
Ku-gu-gu-gu!
As the ferocious waterfall-like sword strike cascaded from above, Zeke raised his own sword.
Woooong!
In response to the Chamber of Water Power, Zeke unleashed the Chamber of Wind Power.
Fwooooosh!
A massive storm erupted around Zeke as he held his sword aloft.
The fierce gale enveloped Kaisir's waterfall.
The downward cascade reversed course and surged upward.
Ku-gu-gu-gu-gu!
Soon, the upward-rushing waterfall scattered into droplets, and rain began to fall inside the chamber.
With the space distorted by the Chaos Field, the condensing raindrops projected a rainbow of colors in all directions.
A fantastical scene, unseen in the Phenomenal World, unfolded within the underground labyrinth.
As Zeke and the Kaisir-like entity faced off, the High Priest of Narak standing behind it spoke up.
"Zeke Draker, I never imagined you possessed the power of the Hero King as well."
Zeke was the being who wielded not only the power of the dragon and immortality, but also the might of the legendary Hero King.
The High Priest of Narak stepped forward in front of the Kaisir-like entity and continued. "I thought I'd grasped all your powers, but I was still short. I admit I underestimated you." Zeke looked at the High Priest and replied.
"Only I, who inherited his legacy, can wield the Hero King's Elemental Sword. If there's one being that can manifest it nonetheless, there's only one possibility."
Having pondered that entity throughout, Zeke reached a conclusion and continued. His gaze sharpened.
"The homunculus of the Hero King, said to have battled the Demon King."
The war machine that had made the Dark Elves tremble in the Inverted Tower, the homunculus that had fought the final battle against the Demon King in place of the Hero King who had departed the Phenomenal World.
That very existence had crossed the ages to appear here now.
The High Priest nodded at Zeke's words.
"It could be called the greatest weapon left by the Great Sage. Zeke Draker, you're far closer to the 'final arc' than I thought."
Zeke furrowed his brow at those words and asked.
"Is the 'final arc' you speak of referring to the descent of the Demon King?" The High Priest shook his head at Zeke's question.
"Zeke Draker, you may be close to the final arc, but that doesn't mean you're permitted to participate. Step down from this stage now."
With a gesture from the High Priest, the Kaisir homunculus began to move again.
Zeke gripped his sword and faced off against the Kaisir homunculus.
'If I can activate the system, I might connect to the homunculus's spirit body and restrict its actions.'
But dissolving the Chaos Field could allow the High Priest to escape or unleash another Authority.
Thus, Zeke needed to subdue the Kaisir homunculus with his own power and capture the High Priest.
Only then could he absorb the soul of the Arrogant Savior within him and elevate his divinity.
'The longer this drags on, the worse it gets for me.'
Zeke suspected the High Priest was plotting something.
He had to overpower the homunculus before whatever trap he had prepared activated.
He quickly pulled a restorative potion from his Subspace Bag, swallowed it, and immediately donned his Hercion.
Theiaʼs Hercion had been fully unlocked and modified by Hades to operate on its own embedded mana, independent of Zeke's own power.
In the Chaos Field, where Authorities were restricted, he couldn't use Shadow Armor or even the system, so he'd had Hades make the adjustments.
Chala-la-la-rak!
As the Hercion enveloped his body, Zeke activated its embedded magic to generate plasma.
Pajijijijik!
The blue plasma coiling around Zeke's form shot toward the homunculus.
The homunculus retreated, adopting a different stance from before.
Woooong!
Soon, the Chamber of Metal Power unfolded from the homunculus's sword, releasing gravitational waves.
The gravitational waves emanating from it collided with Zeke's plasma, neutralizing them.
Pajijijijijik!
The plasma and gravitational waves intertwined, creating violent ripples.
Zeke took the brunt head-on with his Hercion and lunged forward.
He then extended his hand toward the homunculus.
Chala-la-la-la-rak—
Chains of Solomon burst from Zeke's hand.
The homunculus, caught off guard by the sudden chains, was ensnared without resistance.
Clank! Clank!
From his sword hand to his shoulder, it was completely wrapped, rendering it immobile.
Zeke didn't stop there; he charged straight in and swung his sword at the homunculus.
Woooong!
The sword strike infused with Heart-Sword descended toward the homunculus's head.
Infinite Sword Art — Special Transmission Form
First Linked Form
Sun-and-Moon Severing Strike
The slash that cleaved both sun and moon rent the homunculus's body.
Cha-a-a-a-ak!
In its final moment, the homunculus twisted, so instead of the neck Zeke aimed for, its right shoulder was severed.
Kiri-rik—
A grotesque sound emanated from the homunculus as its body split under Zeke's sword.
But then—
As the homunculus's body fully cleaved, something erupted from within.
Pababababa-bak!
From the severed cross-section, tiny fragments exploded outward, embedding themselves into Zeke.
'Ugh!'
Zeke panicked at the sudden barrage of fragments overwhelming him.
And his shock deepened when he realized what they were.
'Adamantium?'
The Godslayer Stone known as adamantium.
Countless shards of that metal pierced through the Orichalcum Hercion and lodged into Zeke's body.
Zeke felt the fragments burrowing deeper into him.
"Urk!"
He hadn't anticipated the homunculus harboring adamantium shards inside, so Zeke retreated in alarm.
Even with his divinity, Zeke couldn't escape the effects of the Godslayer Stone.
Drained by the embedded shards, he could no longer maintain the Hercion.
Chala-la-la-rak!
As the Hercion disengaged, Zeke's bare body was exposed.
His form was riddled with wounds from the adamantium fragments, blood flowing ceaselessly from them.
In that instant, the High Priest behind the homunculus moved.
"Immortal Dragon Slayer. With this, your immortality ends." He raised his hand, summoning an adamantium spear.
Black tentacles emerged from the High Priest, gripped the airborne spear, and hurled it toward Zeke's heart.
Cha-a-a-a-ak—
The adamantium spear sliced through the air, its tip burrowing into Zeke's flesh toward his heart.
At the moment the spearhead touched his chest, Zeke twisted his body to redirect it.
Puk!
With a sickening thud, the spear pierced straight through Zeke's chest center.
"Kuhuk!"
It had missed his heart, fortunately, but the tip protruded from his back.
Zeke staggered, black blood spilling from his mouth.
Seeing this, the High Priest extended his hand.
Tchut-chut-chut—
Black shadows rippled on the ground, and abyssal monstrosities resembling Outsider Species emerged.
The High Priest commanded the beasts.
"Kill him. Then drag him to the far side of the Bottomless Pit."
If dragged into the dimensional grave of the Bottomless Pit with the Godslayer Stone spear in his chest, even Zeke couldn't avoid annihilation.
Zeke tried to pull out the embedded spear, but the adamantium fragments throughout his body disrupted his focus.
'If it comes to this... I have no choice but to dispel the Chaos Field.'
Dissolving the Chaos Field would restore his Unique Authority, giving a chance to heal.
With his decision made, Zeke reached for Laevatein embedded in the floor.
But then, the one-armed homunculus charged at him.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
It unleashed the Chamber of Metal Power, crushing Zeke with gravity.
Zeke couldn't reach Laevatein and was slammed into the ground.
"Ugh!"
At that moment, the Bottomless Pit beasts summoned by the High Priest approached Zeke.
Krrr—
The grotesque monsters closed in, as if ready to devour him and leap into the Bottomless Pit.
Zeke strained to grasp Laevatein, but the Godslayer Stone fragments prevented him from mustering more strength.
Tchut-chut-chut-chut—
Finally, the beasts seized Zeke, and the entrance to the Bottomless Pit yawned open beneath them.
Like sinking into a swamp, Zeke and his captors began to be pulled in.
The High Priest, floating in the air, looked down at Zeke and declared.
"Your power is a pity, but with the final arc approaching, I can't allow further interference. Perish in the eternal abyss, Zeke Draker."
Just as the Bottomless Pit's darkness enveloped Zeke, poised to consume him completely— Ku-gu-gu-gu-gu!
A rift tore through the Chaos Field-shrouded space, and something burst in from outside.
The High Priest turned toward the rift.
'What is that...?'
To his astonishment, what emerged was Caligula, Zeke's summon.
Dudududu—
Caligula spread his four arms wide and levitated fist-sized Prayer Beads into the air.
The black beads spun rapidly, then flew toward the beasts holding Zeke.
Pububububuk!
Caligula's Prayer Beads pierced through the beasts' bodies.
Seeing this, the High Priest shouted urgently.
"Homunculus! Stop that thing!"
The one-armed homunculus whirled around and charged at Caligula.
Ku-gu-gu-gu!
As it closed in, it unleashed the Chamber of Metal Power.
Immense pressure bore down on Caligula.
Refusing to yield, Caligula gripped his robe and opened his chest, releasing black shadows from within.
His wraith vassals moved freely against the gravity, swarming the homunculus.
Kiiiiiiik—
The Banshee Wails of the wraiths echoed everywhere, causing the homunculus's eyes to flicker.
Kikikik!
The homunculus halted abruptly, its body stiffening.
The wraiths' cries seemed to disrupt its actions.
The High Priest extended his hand, creating another black hole.
More abyssal beasts emerged, lunging toward Caligula.
Grrrrrr!
Caligula then unleashed his full power, breaking free from the homunculus's gravitational field.
The strength derived from the Blood King's soul made Caligula incomparable to ordinary summons; the weakened Chamber of Metal Power couldn't hold him.
Ku-gu-gu-gu!
Caligula soared into the air, conjuring more Prayer Beads and firing them downward.
The fist-sized beads split into tiny orbs, raining down like hail.
Pubububububuk!
The solid beads shredded the abyssal beasts into chunks.
Realizing the Bottomless Pit beasts were insufficient against Caligula, the High Priest turned his attention back.
'First, I need to deal with Zeke Draker.' He glanced at where Zeke had been.
He expected him to have sunk into the Bottomless Pit's depths, but Zeke was gone.
'Has he already sunk?'
For a fleeting hopeful moment, he shook his head. If so, the summon link would sever, and Caligula couldn't maintain form.
It was then.
The entire space began to tremble.
Ku-gu-gu-gu-gu!
Zeke had reappeared near Laevatein, where the Chaos Field originated.
He gripped Laevatein with both hands, drawing in the chaotic power. Tchut-chut-chut—
The distorting chaos gradually lifted.
Gritting his teeth, the High Priest raised his hand.
"Not like this!"
To annihilate the immortal Zeke, the attack had to occur within the Chaos Field that nullified Authorities.
Thus, the High Priest had stalled from behind to lure Zeke into maintaining it.
Before the Chaos Field fully dissipated, the High Priest thrust his hand toward Zeke.
A longer, sharper adamantium spear materialized.
With a wide swing of his arm, the spear spun fiercely toward Zeke.