Boom boom boom boom!
Harvey Draker charged at the Custodian, his body covered in dragon scales with sharp claws extended.
Each of his ten claws was infused with an aura blade-like energy.
He swung his claws down toward the Custodian.
Slash!
In response to the attack, the Custodian raised his staff to create a protective barrier.
In an instant, a quadruple protective barrier formed, blocking Harvey Draker's assault.
But the attack didn't end there.
Harvey Draker's form left an afterimage as it vanished, reappearing beyond the protective barrier the Custodian had conjured, and he uttered a draconic tongue command.
"Fall!"
A massive force pressed down on the Custodian with brutal intensity.
However, as the Custodian thrust his staff upward and unleashed his own energy, the power of the draconic tongue command astonishingly dissipated entirely.
Seeing the Custodian neutralize his draconic tongue, Harvey Draker gritted his teeth.
"He won't go down easily, huh."
In that moment, his body split into multiple copies, all charging at the Custodian from every direction.
The four Harvey Drakers all seemed real, brandishing their claws sharply and radiating powerful demonic aura.
But once again, the Custodian showed no sign of panic, casually lowering his staff and tapping the floor.
Then, iridescent crystals rose from the ground, enveloping the Custodian's body like a cocoon.
The reflections of Harvey Draker's clones in the crystals revealed their true forms, dissolving into black shadows and scattering.
Aiming at the remaining true body of Harvey Draker, the Custodian pointed his staff and concentrated his mana.
Crackle crackle crackle!
Plasma shock burst from his staff, coiling around Harvey Draker's body.
Crackle crackle crackle!
Even as the plasma shock wracked his entire form, Harvey Draker didn't stop, barreling toward the Custodian.
He shattered the crystals blocking his path with his claws.
Rumble rumble rumble!
As the Custodian tried to retreat amid the shards of broken crystals, Harvey Draker's movements were faster.
Dragon scales rose from his body, launching toward the Custodian like throwing weapons.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!
From close range, hundreds of scales infused with demonic aura rained down.
The Custodian swiftly raised his staff to form a protective barrier, but it was futile.
The dragon scales pierced through the barrier and impaled the Custodian's body.
Thud thud thud thud!
His robe shredded in an instant from the countless penetrating scales.
Undeterred, Harvey Draker activated another draconic tongue command.
"Explode!"
At his command, the embedded dragon scales detonated.
Boom boom boom boom bang!
The explosions triggered a chain reaction among the surrounding crystal shards, sending multicolored plasma flames erupting in all directions.
Harvey Draker watched the flames surge toward the ceiling of the stone chamber with flickering eyes.
Then, the Custodian slowly emerged from within the blaze.
Sizzle sizzle sizzle—
The plasma flames clinging to his body hissed into steam and faded away.
However, with his robe burned away by the flames, the Custodian's face was revealed.
Seeing it, Harvey Draker furrowed his brow.
"That's..."
Surprisingly, the revealed form of the Custodian was not human.
Click click click—
It was an automaton composed of spherical gears and magic circuits.
Though its face was modeled after the Great Sage of old, in essence, it could not be considered the Great Sage.
Harvey Draker regarded the automaton's revealed form with an expression as if he had somewhat anticipated it.
"A homunculus modeled after the Great Sage himself."
The Great Sage, anticipating his own sacrifice to seal the Demon King's soul in the Book of the Lion, had left traces of himself in the phenomenal world.
Just as he had created the Hero King's homunculus, he fashioned an automaton in his own image, imbuing it with fragments of his memories and soul, along with the mission to protect the phenomenal world.
With the Great Sage's sacrifice, the Demon King was sealed in the Book of the Lion, and peace returned to the continent.
But foreseeing the Demon King's potential revival, the Great Sage had prepared this homunculus, which continued to uphold its will to safeguard the phenomenal world.
Gazing at the Great Sage's homunculus, Harvey Draker said,
"The arrogance of believing only he could protect the phenomenal world birthed a dogmatic specter like you."
The Great Sage's homunculus raised its staff, aiming at Harvey Draker.
"Before the sublime mission, nothing takes precedence." Harvey Draker sneered at his words.
"A sublime mission, you say. I wonder if your deeds truly hold such noble value."
Rustle—
A new robe materialized, covering the homunculus's body.
It struck the floor with its staff and addressed Harvey Draker.
"I shall shatter the wheel of fate in accordance with the sublime will and save the phenomenal world." Whoooong!
A magic circle centered on the spot where the homunculus struck with its staff glowed and rose from the stone chamber floor.
From the magic circle, ancient knights of Chronos were summoned.
Clad in Hercion engraved with magic, the knights of Chronos exuded a valiant aura as they pointed their swords at Harvey Draker.
Seeing this, Harvey Draker's dragon eyes flashed.
"You think I'll fear these long-vanished specters of Chronos?" Rumble rumble rumble!
A colossal energy exploded from his body.
At the same time, Harvey Draker's form began to change.
Crunch crunch crunch—
His body grew larger, covered in tough dragon scales.
Wings sprouted from his back, and his face transformed into that of a dragon.
Taking on the legendary form of a dragonkin while retaining human shape, Harvey Draker rose into the air.
He opened his maw wide toward the summoned knights of Chronos.
Whoooosh!
Unlike the earlier mana cannon aimed at the Custodian, an incomparably massive amount of mana compressed in his mouth.
As the compressed mana coalesced into a spherical form, Harvey Draker roared toward the Custodian and the knights of Chronos.
Boom boom boom boom boom!
A powerful vibration shook the entire stone chamber as the mana cannon fired.
The Custodian raised his staff toward the oncoming dragon's roar.
A hexagonal protective barrier formed, blocking the dragon's roar.
Ziiiiiing—
A bizarre sound echoed as the protective barrier clashed with the mana cannon.
While the Custodian held back the mana cannon, the knights of Chronos charged at Harvey Draker.
Thud thud thud thud!
The knights surged toward the airborne Harvey Draker, unleashing a barrage of magic with swords drawn.
Boom boom boom boom bang!
Attack spells inscribed on their armor and swords flew at Harvey Draker from all sides.
As he fired the mana cannon, Harvey Draker seemed defenseless against their magical onslaught.
But then, the space around him rippled, and a black hole appeared.
Roooaaar!
Outsider-species magical beasts poured out from the hole.
The outsider-species magical beasts absorbed the knights' magical barrage with their bodies, plummeting from the air.
Boom boom boom boom bang!
Over a dozen outsider-species magical beasts crashed into the area where the knights clustered.
Instinctively, the knights charged at the magical beasts.
The beasts extended tentacles, ensnaring the knights of Chronos whole.
Rustle rustle rustle!
Trapped in the tentacles, the knights dissolved into clusters of light without escaping.
As their spirit bodies shattered and scattered, the outsider-species magical beasts absorbed the light clusters with their tentacles.
Grrrr rumble!
Having devoured the knights' spirit bodies, the outsider-species magical beasts grew larger or split to increase their numbers.
As the knights dwindled, the outsider-species magical beasts grew stronger, extending tentacles in all directions to attack and absorb the knights' power.
Rumble rumble rumble!
Realizing the summoned knights were rapidly diminishing, the Custodian who had been blocking the dragon's roar with his barrier began to be pushed back, fine cracks forming in the barrier.
Gazing at him, Harvey Draker shouted,
"Fool! It's pointless! Your power can't handle me!"
The dragon's roar he unleashed pressed the Custodian even harder.
A larger crack appeared in the hexagonal protective barrier.
Crackle crackle crackle—
As the crack widened, the Custodian's hand gripping the staff began to tremble.
Crunch crunch crunch—
In that instant, with a deafening noise, the mana cannon Harvey Draker fired seeped through the barrier's gap.
"It's over!"
With Harvey Draker's roar, the protective barrier finally shattered.
Shatter!
The dragon's roar pulverized the barrier into fragments and engulfed the Custodian completely.
Boom boom boom boom boom bang!
A massive explosion erupted where the Custodian stood, devastating the surroundings.
Rumble rumble rumble!
The vibration was so intense it threatened to collapse the stone chamber.
As the dust cloud cleared, the fallen Custodian appeared in the deep crater.
Drip, drip!
His robe torn, body twisted unnaturally, with one arm and leg missing, he lay embedded in the crater.
He tried to rise, but with his limbs intact only partially, he couldn't.
Hovering in the air, Harvey Draker approached the crater and looked down at the broken Custodian.
"What a sight."
The Custodian's damaged body jerked awkwardly, making his appearance even more pathetic.
Addressing him, Harvey Draker said,
"I already knew the Book of the Lion wasn't here." At Harvey Draker's words, the Custodian's eyes changed.
Crunch!
His twisted body realigned, allowing him to steady himself somewhat.
Seeing this, Harvey Draker's gaze turned cold.
"You've only cloaked yourself in the guise of a sublime will, but your actions are no different from common thugs."
In response, the Custodian looked up at him and said,
"You tied me down here while searching for the Book of the Lion and the Black Star elsewhere."
"Exactly. The Book of the Lion and the Black Star have already been secured. My role is to keep you pinned here."
The Custodian had thought he was stalling Harvey Draker to buy time, but in reality, it was the opposite.
Radiance flared in the Custodian's eyes as his broken hand gripped the staff again, attempting to rise.
At that moment, Harvey Draker pointed a finger, firing a thin mana cannon.
Whoosh!
The mana cannon utterly demolished the Custodian's jerking arm, sending it crashing to the floor still clutching the staff.
Staring at his shattered arm, the Custodian's expressionless face showed no reaction, his body merely twitching helplessly.
Furrowing his brow at the sight, Harvey Draker said,
"The phenomenal world has no need for outdated specters like you anymore. Soon, a new world for the new humanity will unfold." He raised his hand toward the Custodian.
Rumble rumble rumble rumble!
Vast mana gathered in his hand once more.
Unable to move freely, the Custodian was defenseless against the attack.
Soon, a powerfully compressed mana sphere formed before Harvey Draker's hand.
Gazing at the Custodian, he intoned,
"Vanish without a trace."
With those words, the mana sphere launched from his hand toward the Custodian with ferocious speed.
Boom boom boom boom boom!
The mana sphere hurtled down, poised to crush the Custodian utterly.
As it drew him in, his body began to crumple and shatter.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
But suddenly, shadows surged from the floor, wrapping around the Custodian's body.
At the same time, a powerful sword strike cleaved the mana sphere in half, flying straight toward Harvey Draker behind it.
Swooooosh!
Harvey Draker hastily tried to block the sword strike, but he was a beat too slow.
Slash!
A long gash extended from his shoulder to his side.
"Urk!"
His tough dragon scales split, blue blood flowing from within.
Harvey Draker retreated in the air, looking down at where the Custodian was.
Furrowing his brow, he glared at the one who had launched the sword strike at him.
"Zeke Draker."
Zeke stood before the shadow-wrapped Custodian, raising Laevatein and addressing Harvey Draker.
"Good to see you again, High Priest." Rumble rumble rumble!
Powerful energy surged from Zeke's body, shadows roiling chaotically at his feet.
He took a step toward Harvey Draker and intoned,
"This time, I'll make sure to kill you properly."