"Hmm."
Zeke let out a short sigh as he looked at the swollen mass of flesh that had collapsed in front of him. "Grrr..."
Souma's body no longer seemed able to withstand the pain Zeke had inflicted.
And Zeke had already extracted most of the information he could from Souma.
Zeke snapped his fingers while watching Souma groan.
Whoosh!
The Authority of Flame engulfed the mass of flesh that had once been Souma.
He vanished completely into ashes without even managing a proper scream.
Zeke then scattered the power of purification over the charred remains, thoroughly crushing the power of the Outsider Species to ensure it could not regenerate.
Only after dealing with him completely did Zeke review the information he had pulled from Souma and organize it.
"Arthur Draker's goal."
That was ultimately what Zeke had sought to uncover through interrogating Souma.
During the interrogation, when a gap had opened in Souma's mind, Zeke had also peered into his karma data using Dragonʼs Wisdom.
But just like the demonoids he had encountered before, Souma had no other karma data left—it was a blank slate.
As if the power of the Outsider Species left no karma data at all.
"Not deliberately erased, but no data remains in the first place?"
The power of the Outsider Species was an unknown realm, so even Zeke had limits to what he could discern.
Zeke let out a sigh and murmured Arthur Draker's goal, which he had learned from Souma.
"Complete control over the world."
From what he had gleaned through Souma, Arthur Draker was not trying to summon the Demon King to destroy the world.
He intended to use that overwhelming power to unite the Phenomenal World as one.
Just as Terakan Draker had defeated the Evil Dragon Bahamut and unified the Phenomenal World.
Arthur Draker planned to summon the Demon King, partially destroy the Phenomenal World, and then step forward to save it once humanity was united in the face of that crisis.
Through this, Arthur Draker aimed to create a new myth and legend like that of the Dragon Slayer, forging a world under his perfect control.
Of course, this conclusion was based on the information Souma had spat out, so how much of it could be trusted was uncertain. But it was certainly something Arthur Draker was capable of thinking up.
"Arthur Draker is an extreme narcissist. He'd be just the type to pull off something insane like summoning the Demon King to make himself the protagonist of a new Dragon Slayer legend."
Zeke turned his head and gazed at the island where Storm Castle stood.
If the Book of the Lion was sealed there, he had to prevent it from falling into Arthur Draker's hands at all costs.
Zeke said to Richmond and Bane,
"The remnants of the Black Stage might swarm this place again, so block them from entering the island no matter what happens."
Richmond and Bane bowed deeply and replied loyally.
"Understood, Master."
"Don't worry!"
Leaving the rear to Richmond and Bane, Zeke summoned Bucephalus.
He immediately mounted Bucephalus and soared into the sky, approaching the domain of Storm Island.
Woooong!
As he neared the island, a translucent defensive barrier blocked outsiders from entering.
Zeke extended his hand toward the barrier.
Crackle!
Just as before, the barrier repelled him, refusing entry to an outsider.
But Zeke ignored it and pushed through the barrier into Storm Island.
Crackle!
His eyes sharpened amid the scattering backlash of mana.
"Arthur Draker, your plans will never come to pass."
Soon, his figure vanished into the barrier.
*
"Damn it!"
Nabu shouted as he opened his book toward the swarming magical beasts.
"Blow forth, winds! And you, sturdy iron spears!"
As he uttered the word magic, over a dozen spears materialized and flew toward the magical beasts, carried by a fierce gale.
Thud thud thud!
The spears embedded themselves in the magical beasts' bodies.
Seeing this, Nabu raised his voice again.
"The arrow you shot into my heart has become thorns, bringing indescribable pain and agony!"
At Nabu's words, thorns sprouted from the spears lodged in the magical beasts' chests.
Crunch!
The massive thorns pierced the beasts from within, tearing their bodies apart.
Nigel, watching from the side, gave Nabu a strange look.
"...That's not what that passage means, is it?"
"Ugh! Who cares in a pinch like this! Ivan! Curse!" At Nabu's command, Ivan raised the crossbow in his hand.
He then fired a volley at the approaching magical beasts.
Pew pew pew!
The arrows did not hit the beasts but struck the ground where they were charging.
Soon, light shimmered from the arrows, activating the curse inscribed within.
Sizzle...
A dark purple energy rose from the pierced earth and seeped into the magical beasts' bodies.
Their movements slowed, and they lost their bearings, beginning to attack one another.
Nabu summoned more spears and hurled them at the disoriented beasts.
With Nabu and Ivan thus protected, Nigel turned around once a brief opening appeared.
There, Manna was maintaining a barrier, holding back the influx of magical beasts.
She said to Manna,
"Manna, step aside."
As Manna slightly moved to the side, Nigel thrust her sword forward at the beasts trapped in the barrier.
Boom!
The power of the Full Power Technique in Nigel's sword turned the beasts to mincemeat in a single strike.
After coordinating with Ivan to finish off the magical beasts, Nabu wiped the sweat from his forehead and caught his breath.
"Ugh, there sure are a lot of these bastards."
He clicked his tongue at the scattered corpses of the magical beasts.
But then, some of the corpses began to twitch as if attempting to regenerate.
Nabu immediately opened his book upon seeing this.
"Let holy light shine upon this place and purge the unclean energy!"
Woooong!
Light surged forth, illuminating the corpses of the Outsider Species magical beasts, which instantly crumbled into black ash and scattered.
Exhausted, Nabu collapsed to the floor.
"Damn, holy light takes way too much karma to use. How does Zeke just spam stuff like this?"
After a short rest and judging that the swarm had thinned out, Nabu said to Ivan,
"The Leader says he'll guard the Book of the Lion alone, but is it really okay to just leave it to him?"
Ivan, his expression unchanged, loaded an arrow and infused it with a curse as he replied.
"The Book of the Lion is hidden somewhere in this castle. The Leader probably judged that it's better if even we don't know its location." Nabu frowned at his words.
"Argh, even in a situation like this, he won't let us help with anything!"
As Nabu grumbled, Nigel said,
"Quit complaining and get up. The barrier around Storm Castle has been breached, so they'll keep infiltrating. These things divide and regenerate endlessly—if we leave them, their numbers will just keep growing." Nabu groaned but stood up.
"Sigh, what a life. I should've just ascended and lived peacefully away from the
Phenomenal World and all its nonsense. What glory was I chasing...?"
But at that moment, all the High Table members flinched and turned toward the end of the corridor.
Someone was approaching from the dark hallway.
Step, step!
A robed figure slowly revealed himself.
The High Table members sensed an ominous aura from him and went on guard.
Nigel stepped forward, pointing her sword as she demanded,
"Who are you?"
The robed figure removed the hood covering his face.
White hair, red eyes, and a youthful face appeared.
He looked at the High Table members and said,
"My name is Harvey Draker. I was once the high priest who led Narak." Nabu, behind him, looked shocked upon hearing the name.
"Wait, Harvey Draker? Wasn't the high priest of Narak Harvey West?" At Nabu's words, Harvey Draker slowly opened his mouth.
"Narak has fallen, and I have gained a new name and life. Reborn as a Draker, as New Humanity in a new world."
Nigel furrowed her brow at Harvey Draker's words.
"You're really beating around the bush just to say you've become Arthur Draker's lackey."
At her words, Harvey Draker fell silent for a moment.
Then, glaring at the High Table members, he said,
"I'll keep this short. Tell me where the Book of the Lion is. Then I'll show mercy and kill you without pain."
At his words, Nigel raised her sword, gathering her energy.
Rumble!
The power of the Full Power Technique concentrated in her sword.
The sheer pressure she exuded warped the air around her.
"Quite the original nonsense. I'll show some mercy too and try to kill you quickly." Whoosh!
Nigel's body shot forward like an arrow.
Her sword sliced through Harvey Draker's body.
Sizzle...
The part of Harvey Draker cut by Nigel's sword dispersed like mist, then reformed behind her.
He looked at Nigel and said,
"High Table... Transcendents with limited power. You can't handle my strength without even properly manifesting your transcendent rank."
Annoyed by Harvey Draker's words, Nigel swung her sword dismissively. "Every loudmouth like you is all talk and no substance. Shut up and come at me." She lunged forward again the moment she finished speaking.
Nigel's sword severed Harvey Draker's neck.
But it was the same again.
Sizzle...
The mist-like Harvey Draker reformed behind her.
He said to Nigel,
"Foolish beings. Feel the gap in power."
Suddenly, Harvey Draker's eyes transformed into Dragon Eyes.
Rumble!
An immense pressure emanated from his body.
But Nigel ignored it and charged at him again, sword in hand.
Woooong!
The power of the Full Power Technique hummed in her sword with enough force to cleave him in two.
Harvey Draker extended his hand toward her and murmured,
"Fall."
In an instant, Nigel, who had been mid-air, plummeted downward.
Boom!
The spot where she landed cratered deeply with a tremendous crash.
"Urk!"
Resisting the crushing force, Nigel barely pushed herself up.
Seeing this, Nabu gaped and shouted,
"What the— that's Draconic Tongue, isn't it?"
Draconic Tongue was the authority a dragon gained upon becoming an elder after spending over a millennium.
There were legends of dragonkin contracted with dragons who could use it in the past, but in this era where dragons had nearly gone extinct, no human remained who could wield it.
Of course, it was hard to call Harvey Draker a mere person of this age, but it was still astonishing.
Moreover, the word magic Nabu used resembled Draconic Tongue superficially, but its mechanism and structure were entirely different.
The most terrifying aspect of Draconic Tongue was its speed.
The ability to manifest physical changes instantly through brief words was an immense authority in itself.
With his Dragon Eyes gleaming, Harvey Draker looked at Nigel and the High Table members.
"Do you feel the gap in power? Stop this pointless resistance and tell me where the Book of the Lion is."
At his words, Nigel rose to her feet with a sneer.
"Pulling out all sorts of parlor tricks, huh."
She steadied her breathing and raised her sword.
Then, she said to Harvey Draker,
"Kid, how many dragons possessed by demons I killed a thousand years ago do you think? It's laughable seeing you strut around with just one bit of Draconic Tongue." She was the guardian of the Forest of the Forgotten.
During the War of Liberation, the Demon King's forces had surely targeted that forbidden zone as well.
Dragons possessed by demons had swarmed the Forest of the Forgotten, but they ultimately failed to achieve their goal.
For one simple reason.
Because the Hermit of the Forest, Nigel, was there.
Sizzle...
The energy of the Full Power Technique rippled from her sword, and the power of the Body of Strength settled into her form.
Woooong!
Nigel glared at Harvey Draker and took a step forward.
"Dragon or whatever... I'll cut you all down."