Episode 967 Divine Power – 11
[iced coffee……!]
Hadras paid his respects as the commander who led one of the five legions of the Archdemons in the Battle of Destiny.I could not forget his appearance—with his pure ash scales and a form larger than the Great Dragons of the Four Great Elder Dragons, standing on the side of the Resistors and overwhelming ‘your’ faction.
[It has been a long time since I last saw you… … O Progenitor of all dragons.]
The atmosphere changed with the appearance of the gray dragon, which should have been imprisoned in the stragglers’ prison. The demons of the gap, who had never experienced a battle of destiny, gaped and looked up at the massive dragon they were seeing for the first time in their lives.
Verden narrowed his eyes, clutching his neck which had been crushed by the pressure. He restored the outer layer of his soul. And he saw the gray dragon.
It is not the main body.
Its presence is relatively weak. There is no sense of intimidation that transcends the surface will of ‘you’. Furthermore, it was not covered in wounds as it had been in prison.The dragon, looking down at the First King while enveloping Verden with its two legs and wings, seemed less like a specific being and more like an aggregation of power.
───[I noticed quite a few flaws in that robe Oldarc crafted from dragon material. It is likely a failure. I have included it as a gift, so you will naturally obtain it in the future once you meet the minimum qualifications. Therefore, focus on your duties.]
[Einber], an evolved artifact personally crafted by the first Demon King to recreate the power of a dragon, but which remained a failure.Inside, a gray dragon pulled a trick.
That is the only strong clue.
Is this the gift?
‘[That’s half the answer.]’
Amidst the accelerating flow of thought, the voice of the primordial dragon echoed.
‘[I am a thought entity originating from the main body. I am a byproduct of the temporary power the main body bestowed upon your robe. In a sense, I am a kind of guide.]’
‘strength?’
‘[Now that your level meets the minimum requirements and you are able to wield the power I granted you, the shortcomings of the failure have been filled.]’
The gray dragon bared its fangs.
‘[The robe is finished.]’
Gray mist began to flow around Verden’s body. Arthur immediately reacted to the sudden change, but he could not move rashly.
The primordial dragon…….
An existence that shares the beginning and end of the world,a catastrophe that brought about the downfall of humanity’s golden age.
It felt as if the gray breath that had destroyed Arthur’s unified nation was whizzing past my eyes.
“What is your connection to the Destroyer of Fate? How could you… when you were supposed to be helpless in a defeated soldier’s prison…! How on earth were you able to extract your power to the outside!”
The gray dragon twitched its nose. Traces of the past were conveyed to him.
[True to someone who sealed their memories because the price of betrayal was too unbearable, you are slow to realize reality.]
The dragon’s claws, dozens of times larger than Verden’s body, gently brushed against Verden’s vivid gray hair.
[Gray. Here stands the one who single-handedly shattered fate to claim my concept. It is a simple matter to grant power to a being akin to a ‘child’ who shares the same essence.]
“You said, ‘son’?”
[It is a metaphorical expression. That doesn’t change the meaning, though.]
A heavy sound of mockery echoed in the shadows.
[If you wanted to kill Verden, you shouldn’t have come to the Rift of Worlds in the first place, fanatic.]
The world left behind remnants upon its birth, and from the embers remaining in those ‘gray’ remnants, an immortal being was born who eternally repeats the cycle of resurrection and evolution.Verden, having executed the Circle of Reversal, unintentionally came to possess a part of that concept. In other words, the trait of not perishing was also partially inherited.
That means.
A thought flashed through Verden’s mind.
In the prison of the defeated soldiers, a gray dragon once said this.
───[Your consciousness was complete the moment you chose transcendence while harboring a part of the concept of Gray. Unless by a truly select few methods, that consciousness cannot be harmed. So why would you isolate the consciousness and do something to the summoned being? Don’t even dream of such false summoning magic.]
When Verden attempted a summoning spell using Theodor’s consciousness separation, the consciousness ultimately failed to be isolated despite his extraordinary concentration.Why was that?The Gray Dragon explained that the reason was that the consciousness was complete and therefore could not be harmed.
Consciousness is the mind.The mind is the soul.
The soul of Verden does not perish.
“It wasn’t that you protected it…… but the very fact that the soul did not perish was the power of the Destroyer of Fate?”
Arthur’s sword tip trembled at a truth more cruel than what he had just discerned.He immediately denied it.
“That cannot be! Unless it is you, it would be impossible for that mere inexperienced being to withstand this sword imbued with ‘your’ power—me, the Apostle!”
[It was because it was you, because you had that sword, that you were able to wound Verden’s soul. It might have been different if you had sealed Verden the moment you met him, but it was already too late.]
The gray dragon asserted.
[The current Verden cannot be sealed. Unless ‘you’ come in person.]
Arthur’s expression contorts.The eyes in his gray face trace an arc.
[To make one reborn as a greater being by forcing them to face trials—was this the philosophy of the Ark? As the founder of the Ark, you must be very pleased. Verden, a member of the Ark, has been reborn as an even greater being through the trial that is you.]
“…….”
It is prosperity for future generations. As a predecessor, why not smile with a little pride?
Arthur’s position, which had defined Verden as a trial, was reversed.Conversely, Arthur became the trial.
I was used.
The Destroyer of Fate had to be killed in reality. To be precise, his physical body in reality had to be destroyed. That was the only way to annihilate the Destroyer of Fate.
Arthur’s intense murderous intent was directed outward.
Hiante.
A conceptual being that observes the past, present, and future… that which is virtually the cause of the war of destiny must have glimpsed the current possibilities.
One is not finished yet.
The Destroyer of Fate is still before our eyes. The Gray Dragon is nothing but a remnant of power. The demons, with the exception of Hadras, are practically useless.
It can be reversed.
Bang.
Arthur summoned the Sword of Destiny and gripped it looser than usual. Ragged rags fluttered. Light entangled in the Sword of Destiny, pulled to the side.
I will prove my faith.
The stench of fanaticism is overwhelming.
A massive sky-blue sword energy cut through the shadow of the gap and traced a horizon.
Pow!
The Light of Destiny targeted not only Verden but also the demons. It was at that moment, as Verden braved the damage and stepped forward against a wide-ranging blow, that the light of destiny struck.
‘[Send your right leg back, twist your waist, and push your left shoulder forward.]’
‘… … !’
At the gray dragon’s whisper, Verden reflexively acted as he had been told. The gray light shimmering around his body flickered faintly.
Just as [Interis] did, the robe of the first Demon King manifested in the rift of the world.
This is… … .
Awakening from a white robe into a pitch-black robe, and simultaneously gaining divinity upon ascending to the 8th rank, the form of the robe changed.Furthermore, the pitch-black gloves crafted by Dahit Wesroel solely for the magic of the Fallen Flower, and the artificial artifact [Trouble of the Enlightened], fused into the robe.
Overall, the interior of the robe was transformed into a dark gray close to pitch black, and the exterior of the robe surrounding it was transformed into a vivid gray.Gray greaves and gauntlets, a partial gray shoulder guard covering the left shoulder, and finally, gray metalwork decorating the exterior of [Einber] were newly created.
Eon’s Robe───Divine Artifact, [Einber].
The first Demon King’s failed creation evolved alongside Verden’s realm, and as the power bestowed by the Gray Dragon awakened, it was completed as a divine artifact.Now, it was no longer the robe of the first Demon King, but the complete robe of Verden.
Kwaaaaaaaang!
The moment it collided with the sky-blue sword energy, tremendous pressure was felt, but the shockwave could not penetrate Verden’s camp.An ash-colored curtain centered on the shoulder armor of [Einber], which was pointing straight ahead, protected the area.
The surface of the curtain was rough.Like scales.
[Dragon scales are the most resistant of all pure biological tissues.]
Verden recreated the dragon’s abilities.
* * *
Amidst unpredictable changes, Verden understood the current situation.And himself, too.
It was the influence of the Rebellion of Heaven that allowed my soul to endure, barely holding on even as it felt like it would shatter. Because it harbored the concept of gray while reconstructing its body…
As the Gray Dragon is the master of concepts, he must have seen through Verden’s soul from the very beginning. If so, who else could have known that fact?
I couldn’t see how the Gray Dragon and Verden met or what words they exchanged. The prison where he is confined is beyond my perception. Nevertheless, it is thanks to [Einber] that I was able to guess the meeting between the Gray Dragon and Verden.
Hiante perceived the presence of the gray dragon imbued in the robe. She could exist in Verden’s inner world as time. Shewould naturally have known what characteristics Verden’s soul possessed.
As I began meditating in my inner world, I opened my eyes in a rift between worlds. While I may have been drawn to the devil by my faith, was it ultimately Hiante’s intention?
‘[No ill intent.]’
The gray dragon whispered in my head.
‘[That is Hiante’s problem. After all, that is how time is.]’
Although Hiante said she was on Verden’s side, she remains an unknown entity. That is why I intended to keep her close by, just as I have until now. Becausesomeday, the day will come when I will find out what Hiante’s true intentions are… Above all, Aisha, in whom Hiante resides, is a child whom Verden cares for.
anyway.
The second apostle is the top priority right now.
Arthur moved violently and stomped down on the darkness with his forepaw. Verden reacted before the creature could move at an imperceptible speed. Hefelt dizzy for a moment, but not enough to lose his balance.
‘[Now that you have become a divine being, manifesting the dragon’s abilities consumes a massive amount of divine power. It is a considerable burden for you, who have just become a god. You will regret it if you abuse it.]
Will I lose my divinity?
‘[You will lose consciousness and be captured by the Apostle. If you want to be imprisoned alongside the main body, do so.]
Verden imagined spending an eternity with his entire body pierced by chains. He could say with certainty that the ending would be more terrible than living his entire life as an unofficial test subject of the Bohemian Magic Tower.
Verden spun repeatedly as if sliding, wrapping himself in dark gray magic.
BANG!
The resonance of [Kaeltarion] and [Interis] traveled through the hands. Dozens of pillars of light continued to fall from the Gray Nebula, blocking the opponent’s sword path in advance.Verden, who practically dominated the surrounding area, engaged in battle with his full strength.
───! ─! ──! ───!
Whenever the shadow of the gap stirred, Verden felt a pain he could not get used to, but the new [Einber] supported his spirit.
furthermore.
The power of the second apostle has weakened.
In fact, the power to kill Verden several times is gradually diminishing. As Hadras mentioned, the power of the Second Apostle has finally reached its limit.
The cloud sword hung down in the wall.
[hmm……!]
Hadras stabbed [Latir] and swung it to assist Verden. Only after receiving the divine power was he barely able to reach the Cloud Sword.Their respective divine powers crossed several times. Arthur’s power was clearly weakening, but the perfection of his technique had not faded in the slightest.
Crunch!
Arthur, who had crushed Hadras and Verden with sword pressure, flashed a light in his eyes.
“If I cannot kill you here, I will wipe out everything else.”
Return to Fate
“Exterminate the heretics.”
The forces of humanity gathered by Arthur marched toward the demons. The demons, on the contrary, showed their fighting spirit and let out a roar.
A gray dragon, which was merely a mental form and therefore could hardly directly interfere with reality, spread its large wings and cheered for the devil.
It brings back old memories.
In exchange for manifesting his power, Arthur’s limited strength decreased quite significantly.
Verden, having forcefully pushed Ungeom away with
───We cannot kill the second apostle here.
Hadras conveyed his intentions to [Latir].
───[If we stall for time like this… … we can banish him from the shadows… … our god… … has opened the only way out.]
No, that isn’t enough.
Verden shared his plan for the victory he envisioned. While maintaining his composure on the outside, Hadras was inwardly astonished.
───[Are you… serious?]
───Yeah.
Verden asserted.
I will unleash the divine power and split the world.
It completely severs the connection between the rifts of the world and the shadows of the rifts.With the divine power specialized in destruction.
