With Zeke's words, a brilliant light surged upward from his sword with tremendous force.
Hwaaaaaak!
The entire stone chamber was enveloped in the radiant glow of holy spirit qi.
At that moment, something emerged from within the light.
The lights that leaped and soared from Zeke's sword coalesced into a hazy form.
Baron involuntarily stepped back, overwhelmed by the immense presence that emanated from the figure.
'What is this...?'
It was a type of pressure unlike that of demons or constellations.
It was a light spirit summoned from pure light energy that responded to Zeke's call.
Woooooong!
The spirit, formed of light, hovered in the air and vibrated faintly, as if thousands of bees buzzed their wings.
Baron, along with the transcendent members of the high table, stared in awe at this entity, which possessed a presence utterly distinct from ordinary spirits.
The first to regain his composure was none other than Nabu.
Nabu pointed at the light form and finally managed to speak.
"Th-that... no way... could it be...?"
Before he could finish, a will emanated from the light form and resounded in everyone's minds.
[Who is the one who has called me?]
It was not in ordinary language but a higher-dimensional word magic that conveyed its intent clearly.
Nabu cried out in shock when he heard it.
"N-No way... that's... that's the light elemental king!"
The other high table members, upon hearing this, looked at Zeke in his elven form with expressions of astonishment.
Summoning a spirit king—one that appeared only in legends, and one of light, which virtually no one could command—was something utterly impossible for a human like Zeke.
Yet Zeke addressed the light elemental king with a perfectly calm expression.
"Light elemental king Enka. I am the one who summoned you."
He spoke to the light elemental king without the slightest hesitation, as if it were the most natural thing.
Zeke pointed to Baron and the black angel.
"There are beings disrupting the phenomenal world with profane power. I seek to correct this with your strength."
Woooooong!
The light elemental king Enka turned to gaze at Baron and the black angel in response to Zeke's words.
Then, his form flickered like a blinking light.
His will flowed into everyone's minds once more.
[It is astonishing that a being of the phenomenal world has summoned me. But even so, I cannot intervene recklessly. It might disrupt the balance instead.] Zeke continued speaking to the light elemental king.
"Even if they are using the power of the watchers of the apocalypse to destroy the phenomenal world, you would still say that?"
Enka looked at the black angel again upon hearing Zeke's words.
His form flickered once more.
Then, a brilliant light flashed from his body.
[You have bloomed the seed of the apocalypse with the power of twisted causality.] Zeke nodded at Enka's words.
"As the elemental king responsible for harmonizing dimensions including the phenomenal world, you have a duty to stop this. I will bear the necessary causality, so aid me."
Nabu was appalled to see Zeke addressing the elemental king so imperiously, essentially commanding his assistance.
Spirits were the first beings created when the primordial light first shaped this world.
The elemental kings at the pinnacle of those spirits could be seen as the most ancient and noble existences born from the primordial light.
Especially light and darkness, as the first forms manifested by the primordial light, made the light elemental king the oldest and most revered of all.
'This madman... even speaking to an elemental king like that without restraint.'
In Nabu's view, the elemental king would be justified in punishing Zeke rather than the black angel.
At that moment, the light elemental king's will was conveyed again.
[O caller of the purest light. I shall accept your will.] Woooooong!
An even more brilliant light rippled from the light elemental king's body.
The hazy light form stepped forward and pointed at the black angel.
[O being that should not exist. Cease disrupting the balance any longer and return to nothingness.]
As he spoke, the area around the black angel was engulfed in light.
Hwaaaaaak!
The black angel, wrapped in the burning white flame of light, spread his wings and tried to soar into the sky to shake it off.
But that was not enough to escape Enka's light.
The light flames clung to the black angel's body and began to incinerate the black energy.
Ssssss—
The spirit light infused with Enka's power burned away the profane energy of the black angel, completely annihilating it.
Baron grimaced as he watched the black angel, enveloped in white light, gradually fade away.
"Zeke Draker! You dare!"
Black mist flowed once more from his ungloved hand.
This time, the mist spread widely throughout the entire stone chamber.
Zeke shouted to the light elemental king.
"Enka! That mist is the source of the profane power!"
The light elemental king extended his hand again at Zeke's words.
White halos scattered in all directions like snowflakes, clashing with and annihilating the black mist Baron had unleashed.
Woooooong!
Suddenly, Enka's body began to flicker rapidly, unlike before.
[O summoner. It seems this is as far as I can assist.]
As an elemental king, even if Zeke bore the causality, there were limits to intervening in the phenomenal world.
Soon, his form stopped flickering and scattered brilliant light in all directions before it vanished.
Tssstssst—
The dispersed radiant light did not simply disappear; it lingered, incinerating and purifying the profane black energy that emanated from Baron and the black angel.
In that state, Zeke then summoned Ignis, the high fire elemental.
Fwooooosh!
With a massive burst of flames, Ignis appeared in the form of a cause.
"Ignis, take care of that black one."
After the appearance of the light elemental king, summoning a high fire elemental was no longer a surprise.
But even so, as the high table members marveled at Zeke's seemingly endless abilities, Ignis, as if accustomed to Zeke's demeanor, immediately levitated into the air. He flew toward the black angel, who was engulfed in light flames, and spewed forth his own pure flames.
Fwooooosh!
The pure flames of Ignis joined the light flames that already tormented the black angel, burning his body.
Ordinary fire might not have inflicted significant damage on the black angel, but the pure flames of an ancient spirit could counteract the power of the outsider species that constituted the profane black energy.
The black angel, engulfed in light and flames, writhed in agony.
At the same time, something writhed beneath his smooth body, and round pustules formed all over him.
Grrrrumble!
With the sound of flesh splitting, the pustules burst open, revealing sharptoothed tentacles.
Kiiiiiaaaak!
The tentacles that sprouted from the black angel's body screeched and thrashed in pain.
The flames from Ignis clung even to the newly formed tentacles, and as they spread through the sticky acidic blood, the combustion accelerated even faster.
Thud thud thud!
The tentacles turned to ash and scattered, and light and flames burrowed into the wounds, causing the black angel to gradually lose his original form.
Grrrrumble!
Finally, the black angel's body twisted and reverted to the initial mass of black flesh.
Seeing this, Zeke released his polymorph and returned to human form, then raised his shadow.
Rumble rumble rumble!
A massive shadow surged from the floor, as if a whale breached the surface.
As soon as it rose, the shadow's bifurcated maw swallowed the burning black flesh whole.
Ssssss—
The mass of flesh filled with profane power was absorbed into Zeke's shadow.
Infused with the power of outsider species, angels, and magical beasts, it was more than enough to replenish the enormous karma Zeke had expended.
Baron glared at Zeke, who had absorbed the black flesh into his shadow, and spoke calmly.
"The Lord said that the greatest obstacle to ushering in a new era would be none other than you, Zeke Draker."
His eyes grew fiercer than before.
"In one corner of my heart, I thought the Lord's concern was excessive. It was irreverent. I repent and reflect."
Baron raised his blackened hand and took a step forward.
"The Lord's words never miss the mark, as always. Zeke Draker, I will exclude your existence with all my power."
With those words, Baron's hand transformed.
Crunch!
The black energy morphed into daggers like those made of bone.
Baron gripped the black daggers in both hands in a reverse grip.
He raised his left hand upward and lowered his right hand downward.
Zeke furrowed his brow at Baron's stance.
'Not dragon slaying technique. An unfamiliar posture...'
At that instant, Baron's figure vanished.
Zeke was startled and extended his qi sense, raising Ascalon while emitting holy spirit qi, anticipating that Baron would emerge from a blind spot.
And then, something registered in Zeke's qi sense.
But Baron's target was not Zeke.
Tssstssst!
Baron lunged at the fallen Nigel and Manna, who was protecting her, from a blind spot.
Whoosh!
From the blind spot in Manna's barrier, Baron swung his black dagger.
Slash!
Manna's barrier was sliced apart as if it were nothing.
Baron did not stop there and swung his dagger toward the unconscious Nigel.
Whoosh!
Manna, in her joined-palms stance, exhaled toward Baron and unleashed a double palm strike.
Craaaaaack!
The energy that extended from Manna's double palms struck Baron's body, producing a sound like shattering metal.
Boom boom boom!
Baron was sent flying by the palm force and crashed into the wall.
Manna returned to her joined-palms stance, guarding the unconscious Nigel.
Thud!
Baron rose amid the crumbling stones, gripping his daggers and resuming his stance.
At that moment, a massive bolt of lightning struck down from above Baron's head.
Boom boom boom crash!
A thunderbolt infused with holy spirit qi engulfed Baron.
Simultaneously, Zeke's sword strikes poured down upon him.
Infinite sword art special transmission form
Holy spirit qi
Light-breaking slash
A massive blade of light descended with the force to cleave Baron in two.
Boom boom boom crash!
Baron raised his daggers to block Zeke's light-wreathed sword strike.
Crunch crunch crunch!
But the power within was beyond what Baron could have imagined.
The sturdy stone floor shattered instantly, and Baron's feet sank into it.
Baron gritted his teeth, crossing his daggers to block Zeke's sword.
Crackle crackle crackle!
As Zeke's sword clashed with Baron's daggers, lightning arced in all directions.
Zeke's sword, infused with radiant light power, began to pierce Baron's daggers slowly.
Crack crackle!
A fine crack appeared in Baron's daggers, and upon seeing it, Zeke let out a shout, pouring more power into his sword.
"Haaaaah!"
With the shout, holy spirit qi erupted from Zeke's entire body like an explosion.
At the same time, the daggers that blocked Zeke's sword shattered into pieces. Slash—
As the daggers broke, Zeke's sword cleaved through Baron's body in an instant.
Baron, struck squarely by the sword strike, trembled and staggered back.
Crunch!
With a strange sound, a line etched from the crown of Baron's head, and soon his body split in half, collapsing to either side.
Thud!
Even seeing Baron's bisected corpse, Zeke did not lower his guard.
Those who had received Arthur's unidentified consecration were akin to unknown entities beyond common sense.
Zeke extended his hand toward Baron's motionless corpse and invoked the authority of decay.
Tssstssst—
As the authority of decay unfolded, Baron's body began to rot rapidly.
Soon, only a sticky black organic residue, like mud, remained where Baron had fallen.
Only after confirming that Baron's body had completely vanished did Nabu, behind him, sigh in relief and slump to the floor.
"Ugh! Finally over. Those guys were tough."
Unlike Nabu, Zeke remained vigilant, scanning the surroundings.
'They wouldn't die this easily.'
He spread his shadow across the entire stone chamber to detect any other movements.
But then.
Rumble rumble rumble!
Surprisingly, the firmly sealed stone chamber door began to open.
Nabu turned to Ivan in shock.
"W-What? Ivan, did you open it?"
But Ivan, too, stared at the self-opening door with a pale face.
Zeke raised his sword, aiming at the opening door.
As the door slowly creaked open, something rippled into view from beyond.
Zeke furrowed his brow upon seeing him.
"Harvey Draker."
Incredibly, Harvey Draker, who had fled during the fight with Zeke, had returned here.
With his red eyes gleaming, he spoke to Zeke.
"I have won. Zeke Draker."