Rumble rumble rumble—
With a powerful vibration, something burst forth.
Boom boom boom boom!
The firmly sealed door shattered, revealing writhing masses of flesh that forced their way out from within.
Grooooar!
The grotesque masses emitted eerie sounds as they swelled endlessly, parts stretching like rubber bands to snatch the knights up front.
"Gaaah!"
The knights who were pulled into the masses screamed in agony.
They were snatched so quickly that evasion was impossible.
The surviving knights behind raised their aura blades and swung at the emerging masses.
Slash—
But the struck areas merely split momentarily before fusing back together, returning to their original form.
The knights cried out in despair.
"Wizards, you bastards! Gaaah! Call those sons of bitches!"
Yet despite the knights' screams, no wizards appeared.
In the end, all the knights there were soon devoured by the masses.
Grumble grumble grumble!
The masses let out grotesque noises and began writhing about, seeking other prey.
Boris's group watched the entire scene from behind their hiding spot.
Shadia looked at Boris and said,
"Captain, isn't it risky to awaken something that dangerous?"
Boris gestured toward the opposite direction from where the masses had gone and replied,
"All the buried bombs will go off, burying that thing too. If not... the boss will handle it." Boris showed infinite trust that Zeke would take care of anything they couldn't handle.
At his words, Shadia nodded in agreement.
"Well, if it's the lord..."
Zeke had already earned absolute trust from his subordinates.
Boris left the Narak experimental subject loose in the labyrinth and moved elsewhere to continue the work.
On the opposite side from where Boris had gone, screams and roars echoed without end. *
Rumble rumble rumble!
A golden aura swept through the entire space.
"Urgh!"
Asmodi gritted his teeth against the powerful purifying force of the aura wave and charged toward the high priest.
But at that moment, a bolt of light struck down at Asmodi.
Crackle crackle crackle!
Asmodi hastily raised his bone spear to block the lightning.
"Get out of the way!"
Boom boom boom boom!
Though blocked in haste, fortunately for Asmodi, the powerful demonic aura that surged from the bone spear neutralized the lightning.
Rumble rumble!
As the wave of light receded, the hidden dais came into view.
Zeke, holding Ascalon, and the high priest floating in the air glared at each other.
Zeke glared at the high priest with fierce eyes.
"There was definitely a cutting sensation."
While Asmodi and Arataso clashed, Zeke had hidden his form using the authority of spiritualization, waiting for an opening to strike the high priest.
And at the decisive moment, he revealed himself and landed a blow on the high priest.
Though he couldn't fully grasp the nature of all the high priest's power, he thought the purifying force would neutralize the demonic energy and the power of the Outsider Species, dealing a significant blow.
And his calculated strike had indeed struck true. Yet the high priest showed no sign of damage.
The high priest, floating in the air, looked at Zeke and said,
"Foolish, Zeke Draker. The more you struggle in this place that is not your stage, the deeper your suffering will become."
Zeke raised his sword and retorted,
"I'll judge that for myself."
At that, the high priest's eyes, hidden beneath his hood, flashed with red light.
"Zeke Draker, I already know you seek the soul of the Arrogant Savior."
With those words, an aura infused with the power of the constellation emanated from his body.
"Likely deceived by the Demon Archlord's temptation. Did you not know that the Master of the Irresistible Contract has the most dangerous tongue even in the Demon Realm?"
"The demons' tongues are all dangerous. You're no different, trying to devour the Phenomenal World through contracts with demonkind. It's laughable hearing that from you, Harvey West."
At Zeke's words, the high priest offered no reply and simply gathered his energy.
Rumble rumble rumble!
In response to the aura that surged from the high priest's body, Asmodi's demonic aura grew even stronger.
Red light gleamed from Asmodi's ruby eyes.
"The lord's blessing descends upon me! I shall offer the glory of victory to the lord!"
As his power strengthened, the waiting Bone Corps also began moving properly, their eyes glowing.
Seeing this, Zeke said to Asmodi,
"Asmodi, captain of Morning Star's 2nd Battalion. The soul of the lord you serve is held captive by that dark mage. Can you still call yourself a loyal knight?"
But Asmodi's ears, enthralled by the constellation's power, were deaf to Zeke's words.
In his frenzy, he shouted with a mad voice,
"I shall sever the enemy's head! And offer their heart to the lord!" With his cry, the Bone Corps knights also raised a shout.
They advanced, holding bone swords and shields.
Seeing this, Zeke activated offense mode and summoned the Golem Knight Order.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
The golem knights appeared before Arataso and Nebilos, shields and swords at the ready.
Zeke said to Arataso and Nebilos,
"Hold them back so they can't come this way."
At his command, Arataso gripped his lance again, and Nebilos gathered mana.
The aggressive Bone Corps charged first at the golem knights.
Boom boom boom boom!
The Bone Corps, swinging their bone swords with powerful momentum, fully demonstrated Morning Star's prowess.
But the Golem Knight Order were summons that boasted tremendous defensive power.
The golem knights held firm against Morning Star, raising their shields to block the attacks. "Hyah!"
Arataso, having recovered some strength, swung his lance to attack the Bone Corps.
From behind, Nebilos unleashed a barrage of spells and resummoned undead.
Seeing the Bone Corps clash with Zeke's summons, Asmodi grew even more furious and gathered his energy.
He raised his bone spear at Zeke before him and shouted,
"Insolent human! You have committed an unforgivable sin by opposing the great Morning
Star. This sin cannot be atoned even by the annihilation of your soul!"
Zeke retorted while raising Ascalon,
"For a demonkind, you've got a long tongue. Did the Arrogant Savior teach you that?" Provoked by Zeke, Asmodi advanced with his bone spear raised.
"Arrogant human. I shall sever your limbs and annihilate your soul in one go!" With those words, he swung the bone spear overhead and charged.
Whoosh!
The bone spear pierced the air with ferocious momentum, aiming to tear Zeke apart in an instant.
Zeke calmly unleashed the Chamber of Metal Power toward the charging spear and swung Ascalon.
Boom!
Asmodi felt the tremendous power in Zeke's sword through his bone spear.
Stunned by the force that shook his entire body, Asmodi staggered back momentarily.
'How can a human possess such power?ʼ
Asmodi, who could tear apart giant magical beasts of the Demon Realm barehanded, was no pushover.
He couldn't believe a human had so effortlessly parried his attack infused with his own power.
But he couldn't yield just because of unexpected strength. Asmodi focused his power again and swung the spear.
"Die!"
Boom!
The spear fell toward Zeke's head with a sound like an exploding bomb.
Zeke once more unleashed the Chamber of Metal Power, infusing his sword with gravity to deflect it upward.
Crack!
The sound of bones grinding rang out.
Asmodi had been pushed back in the direct clash. He nearly dropped the spear from the sudden heavy impact.
'Urgh!ʼ
Zeke didn't miss the opening.
He immediately charged forward, unleashing the Dragon Slaying Technique toward Asmodi.
Rumble rumble rumble!
The concise yet powerful sword strike of the Dragon Slaying Technique pierced straight into Asmodi's side.
Crack!
Asmodi's bone armor shattered in one blow.
"Gaaah!"
Asmodi let out a roar, turning sideways from the massive shock that penetrated his body.
"Huff, huff!"
Asmodi readjusted his grip on the spear and caught his breath.
His body overflowed with the power of the constellation.
Despite wielding the strength of his prime, when he had knelt demonkind powerhouses and instilled fear in the Bone Corps, he couldn't land a proper blow on Zeke.
Proving this, Zeke stood firm in his stance, sword raised, breathing unchanged.
Seeing Zeke unmoved, Asmodi felt confusion.
'Is that guy really human?ʼ
Countless doubts flickered and vanished in his mind.
At that moment, the high priest behind him spoke to Asmodi.
"Asmodi, do not doubt the power dwelling within you. The great Arrogant Savior's power is with you."
At the high priest's words, Asmodi's eyes glazed over momentarily before returning to normal.
He gripped the bone spear again and murmured,
"Glory to the lord. Victory to the lord."
Seeing Asmodi's state, Zeke realized the high priest had worked some trick on him.
'Brainwashing? How on a demonkind... No, summoning a vanished being in the first place is already strange.ʼ
The high priest had strengthened Asmodi with the Arrogant Savior's authority.
If Zeke defeated Asmodi and shattered the authority's manifestation, the high priest would suffer a backlash.
Zeke planned to seize and kill the high priest in that gap.
'First, take him down.ʼ
As soon as Zeke finalized his plan, he moved with the Gale Technique, sword raised. The distance between them closed in an instant.
Approaching closely, Zeke immediately swung his sword from below upward.
Whoosh!
Asmodi, murmuring, instinctively swung his spear to block Zeke's sword.
Crack!
But Zeke's sword, committed to the plan, was powerful. The bone spear shattered to pieces in one strike.
Even as his spear, harder than any metal in the Demon Realm, broke, Asmodi showed no great reaction and extended his hand to reform the bone spear.
"Victory to the lord. Victory."
Still not in his right mind, Asmodi gripped the bone spear and instinctively assumed the rider form.
Facing the formidable foe Zeke, Asmodi's body automatically recalled the spearmanship he had mastered long ago.
Unlike before, he took a highly defensive stance, cautiously holding the spear.
Then, suddenly channeling his full power, he thrust toward Zeke.
Boom!
The spear pierced the air with an explosive sound, charging at Zeke.
Zeke watched Asmodi's much stronger strike to the end and defended calmly.
Clang!
As sword and spear clashed, shockwaves burst outward.
Zeke blocked the spear and immediately counterattacked.
Whoosh!
Then Asmodi's bone armor grew rapidly, forming a bone shield.
He raised the newly formed shield to block Zeke's sword, but it shattered under the force.
"Urgh!"
He blocked the sword with the shield, but the shockwave permeated his body.
Zeke pressed on without pause, attacking Asmodi relentlessly.
Asmodi's movements slowed as he failed to regain the counterattack flow.
Crack!
Pushed back by Zeke's assault, Asmodi, exhausted, momentarily lowered his spear.
His red eyes glared at Zeke. "Victory to the lord, to the lord..." It was then.
The high priest's voice burrowed into the weary Asmodi's mind.
[Asmodi.]
But to Asmodi, the high priest's voice overlapped with that of the Arrogant Savior.
With glazed eyes, he cried out,
"Lord! My lord!"
The high priest's voice echoed in Asmodi's mind. [If you desire to offer me victory, accept the new power.] At the high priest's words, Asmodi's eyes wavered.
"New power... bestowed by the lord?"
[Yes. My most loyal knight. I grant you new power—bring me victory without fail.]
Asmodi nodded at the high priest's words and said,
"I accept! And thus, I shall surely bring victory!"
The moment he declared acceptance, a different energy rose from Asmodi's body than before.
Rumble rumble rumble!
Zeke frowned at the energy emanating from Asmodi.
'That power...ʼ
The power the high priest had bestowed was none other than the power of the Outsider Species.