Zeke glared at Harvey Draker, who stood in front of the door, and charged forward.
Whoooosh!
A black wind suddenly swirled in front of Harvey Draker.
Whooooom!
The black wind blocked the path between Zeke and Harvey Draker.
As Zeke unleashed a sword strike toward the black wind, the image of Baron wielding a dagger suddenly emerged.
Clang!
Baron swung his dagger to block Zeke's sword strike.
Zeke wasn't surprised to see Baron, whose body had been bisected and killed by his own sword, reappear.
'He was buying time for Harvey Draker to open the door while facing me.'
While Baron stepped forward to engage Zeke, Harvey Draker had been hiding and continuously operating the barrier circuit to open the door.
Zeke could see Harvey Draker leisurely entering through the door behind Baron.
Zeke launched a sword strike toward Harvey Draker.
"Haaah!"
A sword strike infused with the power of the Heart-Sword flew toward Harvey Draker.
At that moment, Baron, who had dispersed into black mist, vanished instantly and reappeared in front of Zeke's sword strike.
The black energy emanating from his body blocked and neutralized Zeke's Heart-Sword.
Ssssss—
Zeke realized that Baron had once again used Twisted Causality to erase his sword strike.
'Twisted Causality was a power that reversed reality. It couldn't be used indefinitely.
Moreover, after expending enough power to nullify the Authority of Decay...' He raised his sword again and focused his mind.
Whoooong!
An Astral Sword rose from Zeke's blade, expanding his domain of consciousness.
Even Baron, in his mist form, couldn't escape Zeke's domain of consciousness.
Zeke swung the Heart-Sword toward Baron once more.
Whoooosh—
The Heart-Sword, which cleaved not just space but the essence of existence, flew toward Baron.
Unlike before, Baron couldn't erase the Heart-Sword with Twisted Causality.
Rumble rumble rumble!
Instead, the black energy flowing from Baron tried to block Zeke's Heart-Sword.
But the Heart-Sword sliced through even that black energy and headed toward Baron's essence.
Shiiiing—
However, the moment the Heart-Sword touched Baron's mist-essence, Twisted Causality activated again.
Ssssss—
The Heart-Sword flying toward Baron vanished as if it had never existed.
But as Zeke had anticipated, it seemed to be an ability that had reached its limit and couldn't be used easily. Baron, who had been in mist form, rematerialized and panted heavily.
"Huff. Huff."
Seeing Baron sweating profusely, Zeke immediately raised his sword and charged forward.
Whoooosh!
Zeke's sword exploited Baron's opening.
However, Baron, empowered by Arthur and originally skilled enough to serve as the captain of the Black Stage, didn't leave himself open to Zeke so easily.
He swung the dagger held in his reverse grip to block the sword and countered by raising his leg high toward Zeke's head.
Whoosh!
Zeke leaned back to dodge the kick, and Baron immediately retreated to create distance.
He then leaped into the air and threw his dagger at Zeke.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Zeke deployed the Dragon Slaying Technique to block Baron's sword.
But Baron's thrown dagger pierced Zeke's defenses at a much faster speed than expected, grazing his arm.
Slick!
Zeke realized that the grazed wound healed more slowly than a typical injury from an attack.
Even though it wasn't caused by Twisted Causality, his Immortal Body's recovery was delayed. Examining the dagger Baron had thrown, Zeke thought.
'This is...?'
The crystallized black dagger was made of none other than Godslayer Stone Adamantium.
It was certainly a lethal weapon against Zeke, who had achieved divinity.
Srrrrk—
The Adamantium dagger Zeke held turned to black ash and vanished quickly.
Seeing this, Zeke furrowed his brow.
'No way... that black energy formed the Adamantium...?'
While Zeke speculated about the Adamantium, Baron in the air threw another dagger at him.
Shiiiing!
Dozens of daggers made of Adamantium rained down on Zeke.
Zeke summoned Shadow Armor to block the Adamantium daggers.
Thud thud thud!
But Shadow Armor, formed from his authority, couldn't block the Godslayer Stone.
The daggers pierced the shadows and flew toward Zeke.
Realizing this, Zeke immediately activated Hercion.
Ting!
The Orichalcum Hercion of the Goddess Theia deflected Baron's Adamantium daggers.
Splat—
The deflected daggers turned to black ash and scattered.
Seeing this, Zeke realized something.
'It's not complete Adamantium.'
If it were real Adamantium, it wouldn't disappear like this, and it would have left more lethal wounds on Zeke.
Upon seeing Zeke donning Hercion, Baron caught his breath and dissolved into mist again, slipping into the door like smoke.
Zeke immediately tried to follow Baron and Harvey Draker inside.
But as Zeke moved to enter, the door began closing rapidly.
Seeing this, Nabu cried out in despair.
"Nooo!"
With a bang, the door fully closed.
Zeke rushed toward the closing door but was one step too late.
Looking at the sealed door, Nabu shouted at Ivan beside him.
"Damn it! Ivan, what are you doing? Open the door now!" Ivan shook his head with a troubled expression.
"I can't open it."
At Ivan's words, Nabu yelled.
"No, you bastard! Even in this situation, you're saying that? If those guys inside get the Book of the Lion first...!"
Ivan quietly replied to Nabu's outburst.
"That's not it. I don't know how to open this door either."
He swallowed dryly and continued, staring at the firmly shut door.
"The authority granted to me by the Leader was only to control the security devices here. Even that was ruined by Manna's barrier... Only the Leader can open this door." At Ivan's words, Nabu tore at his hair.
"Only the Leader? What do you mean? Didn't you see those bastards open it and go in!" Zeke spoke to the frantic Nabu.
"Harvey Draker probably opened it with his power." The High Table members turned toward Zeke.
Zeke placed his hand on the door and continued.
"The Leader was the homunculus of the Great Sage, and he created Harvey Draker by cultivating the first Draker to make a new savior." Nabu shouted in confusion at Zeke's revelation.
"What, what? The Leader is the Great Sage's homunculus? And he created Harvey Draker?"
Nabu stared at Zeke, bewildered by the sudden new information.
But Ivan, beside him, showed no surprise at Zeke's words.
Seeing Ivan like that, Nabu frowned.
"You knew about this, didn't you, Ivan?"
Ivan slowly nodded.
"...I thought it was about inheriting the sublime will. It was the plan of the Great Sage himself. I didn't know his true nature was a homunculus, though."
Nabu collapsed to the ground, his face vacant as if his soul had fled.
"My god... The one overseeing our sacred mission of harmony for centuries was a soulless doll."
Zeke looked at the despondent Nabu and said.
"Regardless, since the Leader possessed the Great Sage's heroic spirit, it's hard to see him as a mere doll. But it's true that he acted in a distorted way due to blindly carrying out his mission." He continued.
"Since Harvey Draker was created here, he must know how the Leader manipulated Rʼlyeh."
Zeke's eyes sharpened suddenly.
"That means if we know the method, we can open this door too." Zeke stepped back from the door and summoned his shadow.
"Guardian Innocent, come forth."
At his command, Innocent emerged from the shadow.
Rumble rumble rumble!
Nabu and even Ivan were startled by the appearance of Innocent in his black mask.
Ivan, a mage specialized in dark magic and summoning, quickly discerned Innocent's true nature.
"No way... this Guardian... is the Leader?"
Nabu, who had been dazed, snapped to attention at Ivan's words and stared at Innocent, then at Zeke alternately.
"Z-Zeke! No matter how angry you were... you didn't destroy the Leader and turn him into your familiar, did you?"
Zeke shook his head at the question.
"It's complicated to explain, but it was a direct request from the heroic spirit of the Great Sage."
As the topic of the Great Sage's heroic spirit suddenly arose, Nabu tore at his hair again, unable to follow the conversation.
But Ivan nodded as if he understood Zeke's words.
"It seems he summoned the heroic spirit of the Great Sage, transferred its power to the homunculus, and absorbed it to create a Guardian."
As expected of an expert, Ivan had immediately grasped Innocent's essence.
Then, as if realizing something, he suddenly looked up. "If this Guardian is the Leader, then he can open the door." Zeke nodded at Ivan's words and said to Innocent.
"Innocent, transfer the control authority over Rʼlyeh that you possess to me."
Upon receiving the command, Innocent transferred the Rʼlyeh system control authority he held as the Leader to Zeke.
A message appeared before Zeke's eyes.
[Guardian Innocent transfers authority over the deep-sea city 'Rʼlyeh.']
[Control authority over the deep-sea city 'Rʼlyeh' acquired.]
With the control authority acquired, Zeke accessed Rʼlyeh through the system and could open the door.
As he prepared to do so, a new message appeared before Zeke's eyes.
[There is a message left by the Constellation 'Master of the Great Dream' for the new user.]
[Would you like to view the message?]
'A message?'
Zeke couldn't help but be surprised that a constellation presumed to be the former master of Rʼlyeh had left a message.
Thinking this might also be part of the Great Sage's arrangement, Zeke decided to check it immediately.
'System, display the message.'
At Zeke's decision, a screen window appeared before him, showing someone's face.
Zeke was startled upon seeing the face.
It was someone he already knew.
'Chronos.'
The dragon of the clock tower who possessed the authority to manipulate time.
Chronos was the Constellation 'Master of the Great Dream,' and she had left the message for him.
—Zeke.
Chronos, who had left the message hundreds of years ago, was calling Zeke's name.
As Zeke flinched, Chronos on the screen continued.
—I no longer have the power to cross timelines. I don't know if this message will reach you... but even if it's a one-in-billions chance that you'll see this, I'll leave these words, believing in that possibility.
Zeke looked at Chronos on the screen.
Having a constellation title meant she had become a divine dragon and attained divinity.
Yet, Chronos showed no trace of being a constellation.
'Not even the power of a dragon was felt. She looked like an ordinary human... What happened?'
While Zeke speculated about what had befallen Chronos, she spoke urgently.
—Zeke, if you've come here and are viewing my message, it's surely because of the 'Book of the Lion.' More precisely, for the soul of the Demon King contained within it.
It seemed Chronos knew of the Book of the Lion's existence here.
With a dark expression, she continued.
—Until now, we've been mistaken about the soul of the Demon King.
Zeke felt doubt at Chronos suddenly speaking of the soul of the Demon King.
'What do you mean we've been mistaken?'
Chronos continued rapidly with a grave face.
—I tried to find out where the soul of the Demon King originated. If I could uncover that, I could find a way to annihilate it. And I finally did. The soul of the Demon King is...
It was then, as Chronos tried to say something.
The screen suddenly flickered, her words cut off, and the following words couldn't be heard properly.
Zeke panicked as the screen and sound suddenly failed.
'System, what's this? Replay the message.'
Then a system message appeared.
[The message left by the Constellation 'Master of the Great Dream' has been damaged by unidentified interference.]
'The message is damaged? Then restore it so I can confirm it again.'
[Restoring the message.]
At Zeke's words, the system restored and replayed the message.
However, even in the restored message, the previous content didn't play properly.
Zzzzt—
Then the screen changed, and instead of Chronos, something else appeared.
A being enveloped in black shadow.
The being spoke toward Zeke.
[Come. To me.]
An irresistible seductive voice echoed in Zeke's ears.
[New king. Come to me quickly.]