The moment Abel realized Zeke was a black knight, his demeanor shifted in an instant.
Black knights were superhumans numbering no more than twenty across the entire continent. Each one was a strategic weapon capable of wiping out an entire kingdom, which made their presence far weightier than that of ordinary knights.
It was for this reason that the continent had erupted in chaos when Abel became a black knight. No matter how exceptional his talent, it was considered nearly impossible for someone of Abel's age to reach that level.
Abel himself knew full well that without the power of the rite of consecration, he never would have attained the realm of a black knight.
But now, learning that Zeke—who was even younger than him—had achieved the same without the rite of consecration sent a chill down his spine.
Abel quickly recognized the source of this lowly emotion stirring within him.
'Jealousy? Am I jealous of that brat?'
Just a few years ago, Zeke had been nothing more than a worthless insect to him— someone so weak that even acknowledging his existence felt like a waste of time.
Yet now, this insect had climbed right up to his throat, sword at the ready.
It felt to Abel like a repulsive bug was crawling through every crevice of his body—a horrifying sensation.
He glared at Zeke with feral intensity.
'I have to kill him. I must end him here and now.'
If he let him escape this place, who knew how far Zeke would grow before appearing before him again?
Abel extended his hand toward the sky.
The space rippled, and a single sword materialized.
Longer and thicker than a standard blade, its blood-crimson edge gleamed with an ominous light.
Abel pointed the sword at Zeke and declared,
"You're going to die here today. Without fail." Zeke countered by raising Bahamut.
"You're saying what should be my line."
Zeke knew he had to settle this here as well.
The problem was the Hercion Abel wore.
Even after taking a direct hit from the Astral Sword, Abel didn't seem particularly fazed.
'Less the power of a dragonkin and more the power of that Hercion.' The Astral Sword struck at the essence of existence itself.
A Hercion capable of blocking even that was no ordinary artifact.
'Even so, it can't have taken no damage at all. I'll aim for that opening.'
Zeke locked eyes with Abel, who wielded the sinister sword, then unleashed Illusion Step to close the distance swiftly before activating Sacred Radiance Technique.
A Mace of Light came crashing down toward Abel.
Boom!
A massive halo of light battered Abel's body.
But as Abel swung his grotesquely shaped sword, the Mace of Light shattered spectacularly, dispersing into a scattering of light.
"To think I'd have to draw even Zahhak."
Zeke sensed an unsettling aura from the sword Abel held and retreated for the moment.
'Zahhak? Is that the sword's name?'
It was a name he'd never heard before, but he could guess it possessed power surpassing even the Red Dragon Sword.
Soon, black flames erupted from Zahhak.
As Abel swung it, the black flame stretched like a serpent, lunging toward Zeke.
Swoosh!
Zeke leaped into the air to evade the black flame.
But the advancing black flame suddenly spread sideways, splitting into dozens of fire arrows that enveloped him.
Whoosh!
The Hercion was still active, yet the black flame clinging to Zeke refused to extinguish, burning even fiercer.
'This...'
It was a blaze born of an authority far beyond what the Red Dragon Sword could produce.
Zeke summoned his elemental power to suppress the flames, but it was futile.
Sizzle—
The intense heat of the black flame seeped through even into the Hercion.
'I need to extinguish it.'
Zeke possessed the authority of Freezing, absorbed from the Snow Queen earlier.
He directed it toward the burning spots.
Tssst—
As the authority of Freezing took hold, frost formed on the Hercion, clashing fiercely with the unquenchable black flame and its chill.
"Haaah!"
With the flames not fully extinguished, Zeke charged at Abel.
Whoooong!
Bahamut let out a resounding sword resonance.
Zeke gripped it and invoked the Astral Sword, thrusting toward Abel's heart.
Infinite Sword Art Dragon Slaying Technique Form
Chapter 6 Verse 2
Dragon Heart Thrust
The Astral Sword coiling around the blade spun ferociously, driving forcefully toward Abel's Hercion.
Crunch!
The Dragon Slaying Technique struck true.
Yet astonishingly, even with the Astral Sword's power, Bahamut failed to pierce Abel's Hercion.
Sweat beaded on Zeke's brow as he pushed the sword harder.
But Abel's Hercion didn't budge an inch.
"Futile efforts."
Abel reached out and clamped down on the blade of Zeke's thrust.
Then, with his other hand, he raised Zahhak high.
Black flame coiled around the blade, blazing wildly.
"Now it's over!"
Abel swung the black flame sword toward Zeke.
Swoosh!
In that instant, Zeke activated the Spiritualization skill etched into his scabbard.
His body slipped into the boundary of dimensions, vanishing from Abel's sight.
As Zeke disappeared abruptly, Abel faltered for a moment and shouted,
"Where are you? Don't run—show yourself, Zeke!"
Even Zeke's Dragon Eye couldn't locate him in the dimensional rift.
From beyond the dimensional wall, Zeke pondered how to strike Abel through the Hercion.
'Physical attacks won't harm him.'
He recalled the techniques he possessed that could target the soul directly.
'What if I combine the Astral Sword with Full Power Technique?' The duration of Spiritualization was nearly up.
Tssst—
As Zeke focused his intent on the sword, time itself began to slow.
He could feel every strand of energy coursing through his body.
In that moment, Zeke sensed the unity of self and sword in Sword and Mind as One.
The Astral Sword arose, enveloping his blade.
The sensation differed from before.
From within the dimensional rift, Zeke intuitively grasped what the Astral Sword truly was—a force that touched the origin.
Whoooong!
Zeke stepped forward calmly in the slowed time, sword in hand.
Rumble—
Abel sensed Zeke breaking through the dimensional rift.
He slowly turned, raising Zahhak wreathed in black flame.
The black flame swelled enormously, forming a demonic silhouette.
Abel thrust the black flame sword toward Zeke.
The black flame, poised to devour all, surged toward him.
Rumble—
Like a waterfall cascading, a storm of black flame engulfed Zeke.
Emerging from the dimensional wall, Zeke held Bahamut in a serene stance.
He infused the blade, charged with the Astral Sword's power, with the will of Full Power Technique.
Exhaling, Zeke took another step and swung.
Full Power Technique
Double Spell
Will of Destruction
Whoooong!
Zeke's sword, imbued with the Will of Destruction, met Abel's Hercion.
Screeech—
As before, Zeke's blade was halted by the unknown power of Abel's Hercion.
But with the Astral Sword's origin-severing might combined with the Will of Destruction, it transcended that power, slicing directly into Abel himself within the armor.
Boom!
The Will of Destruction Zeke unleashed struck Abel squarely.
Abel was flung back by the sword strike that pierced his Hercion.
Boom!
"Urk!"
Slammed into the wall, Abel vomited black blood, his mind reeling from the chestsplitting agony.
As he struggled to rise, Zeke was already upon him, sword at his throat. "Let's end this."
Zeke's blade descended toward Abel's neck.
Clang!
In that instant, the helmet reformed over Abel's face, blocking Zeke's strike.
Simultaneously, red eye-glow emanated from Abel's helmet.
Crunch!
Blood-crimson energy poured from the armor, seizing Zeke's sword and flinging it aside.
Swoosh!
An intangible force lifted Zeke lightly, hurling him toward the wall.
Zeke twisted mid-air with Dragonʼs Wings, then unleashed Sacred Radiance Technique to hurl a Mace of Light.
Boom!
The blood-crimson energy, struck by the Mace of Light, subsided and retreated into the armor.
Zeke caught his breath briefly, then scowled at the Hercion that had attacked him.
'To think the Hercion is moving on its own.'
With Abel gravely wounded from the Will of Destruction, the Hercion itself was acting in his stead.
No matter how advanced the Empire's technology, a Hercion autonomously attacking foes was unheard of.
It was undoubtedly a relic as extraordinary as the Hercion of Theia that Zeke had obtained from Cain.
Abel's Hercion, still glowing with blood-crimson eye-light, glared at Zeke and leveled Zahhak.
Crunch!
Something stirred within the Hercion. From Abel's faint groan, it seemed to be healing his wounds.
'An incredible artifact.'
Zeke, too, had expended much mana from Full Power Technique and Astral Sword.
'I need to replenish my strength.'
That's when Zeke spotted the shattered Red Dragon Sword Abel had discarded earlier.
As a unique artifact forged from a dragon's fang, absorbing it would surely restore his power.
Zeke extended his shadow toward the Red Dragon Sword while keeping his blade trained on Abel's Hercion, drawing it in.
Tssst—
As he absorbed the Red Dragon Sword, a message appeared.
[Absorbed the unique item Red Dragon Sword imbued with the power of a red dragon.]
[Depleted stamina, mental strength, and mana are replenishing.]
[Absorbing the item's abilities grants the authority Flame.]
[Active skill Solar Grenade combines with authority Flame.]
[Bahamut absorbs the Red Dragon Sword, partially releasing its seal. (Current seal level: 55%)]
Absorbing another dragon-species item had indeed loosened Bahamut's seal as well.
'Lucky. To absorb such an artifact—and gain the authority of Flame on top of it.'
With his strength restored from the Red Dragon Sword, Zeke gripped his blade anew and charged at the fallen Abel.
Then, from the Hercion enveloping Abel, a red radiance erupted.
Tssst—
Everything the radiance touched melted away.
Zeke reshaped Bahamut into a Colossal Cleaver to block the outpouring light.
Moments later, the Hercion slowly rose.
Zeke gritted his teeth at the sight.
'I don't know the mechanism, but physical strikes are useless against that Hercion...' At that moment, the helmet of Abel's armor began to change.
It morphed into a demonic visage, mouth gaping wide as it unleashed a roar toward Zeke.
Raaargh!
The roar itself carried immense power, like a dragon's bellow.
From the Hercion's back, where it had been scattering radiance, something sprouted.
Crunch!
Astonishingly, a pair of wings emerged from the armor.
The Hercion flapped its wings and ascended into the air.
Raaargh!
As Abel's Hercion gradually transformed into a full demonic form, it roared at Zeke once more before fleeing skyward.
Zeke took to the skies in pursuit.
'It's becoming more incomprehensible by the second. A demonic form—connected to a Fallen Constellation, perhaps.'
Zeke hurled Sacred Radiance Technique at the fleeing Hercion.
Rumble!
A massive bolt of light struck the Hercion.
But whether due to the Hercion's effect, the light magic had no impact whatsoever.
Zeke clenched his jaw.
'It's not demonic energy, nor aura or mana—what the hell is it?'
Then, one possibility occurred to Zeke.
'Could it be spiritual power? Is the Hercion powered by spiritual power?'
Zeke himself drew on spiritual power for his dragon race skills and Full Power Technique, but he hadn't fully grasped its nature.
He only vaguely understood it as the power of the soul.
'Since Full Power Technique worked earlier, an attack using spiritual power might get through.'
Zeke focused his power in his middle dantian.
Whoooong!
Light emanated from the emblem on his chest, projecting the same pattern above the Hercion.
As Zeke activated Dragonʼs Breath, a mana cannon blasted from the emblem.
Boom!
A colossal beam of light surged toward Abel's Hercion, which soared into the sky on spread wings.
The Dragonʼs Breath struck Abel's Hercion squarely.
Boom!
A fierce explosion erupted in mid-air, sending flashes of light scattering in all directions.