Zeke was taken aback by the Great Sage's words.
"Make you into a shadow guardian spirit... you mean yourself, Great Sage?"
Zeke had already turned the Blood King Caligula, who had been the master of
Shambhala, and the angel from the Gemini Palace, the demon Lilith, into guardians. But he had never even considered transforming the Great Sage into a shadow guardian spirit.
Seeing Zeke's flustered reaction, the Great Sage pointed to the shattered homunculus.
[The soul I summoned using the key to the Treasury of Chronos won't last much longer. I'll infuse the remaining power into this homunculus, so please absorb it and turn it into your shadow guardian spirit, Sir Zeke.]
Zeke looked at the Great Sage with a serious expression.
"Do you understand what that means? It would mean a part of your soul becomes eternally bound to me."
The Great Sage nodded at Zeke's words.
[I do.]
He placed a hand on his chest and addressed Zeke with a formal bow.
[In any case, most of my soul is currently sealed in the Book of the Lion along with the Demon King's. Even the part of my soul that lingered in Peach Blossom Paradise as a heroic spirit was just one of the contingencies prepared by my main self.] Zeke was startled by the Great Sage's words.
"Then your main soul is sealed alongside the Demon King's?"
The Great Sage's heroic spirit nodded.
[You could say that. The second time the Demon King descended, it was into Siemens Apollyon, who was a perfect vessel. To separate that body from the Demon King's soul, my soul's power was necessary.]
Zeke realized that the "benevolence" the Great Sage spoke of was no hypocritical arrogance born of pride.
To sacrifice his own soul and hold the Demon King's soul captive all this time was a noble resolve no one else could achieve.
Pajijijik—
At that moment, a backlash of causality erupted around the Great Sage's heroic spirit.
He raised his staff and slowly approached the shattered homunculus.
Then, he pressed the tip of the staff against the homunculus's core.
Kiiiiing—
The soul's power flowing from the staff began to pour into the core.
The homunculus, which had stopped moving, started to stir again.
Woooong!
The homunculus's eyes soon glowed with a golden light.
Once all the light from the staff had transferred, the heroic spirit's body became far more faint than before.
Zeke sensed the weakened heroic spirit beginning to dissipate.
The Great Sage's heroic spirit looked at Zeke and said,
[Due to the sanctions of causality, there are limits to what I can tell you, Sir Zeke.]
The now translucent heroic spirit continued with a hint of regret.
[Finally, when the Demon King first descended into the phenomenal world, and when it descended into Bahamut... who... did it... find out...]
The Great Sage's heroic spirit couldn't finish his words and scattered into a halo of light.
Zeke gazed at the vanished traces of the sage, replaying his final words in his mind.
'Who made the Demon King descend into Bahamut. So the answer to my question
lies there.'
Until now, Zeke had assumed that those who revived the Demon King during the War of Liberation were followers of Siemens Apollyon and the originators of Narak.
But upon reflection, their true nature was quite unclear. 'Who orchestrated the third revival of the Demon King?' Zeke believed there was a hidden secret here.
Kigigigik!
Only then did Zeke snap out of his thoughts. He realized that while he had been lost in contemplation, the shattered homunculus had been crawling across the floor toward somewhere.
"Noble will... I obey. I shatter the wheel of fate. I harmonize, I harmonize the world." The shattered homunculus was still blindly trying to fulfill its original directive.
Zeke extended his shadow toward the crawling homunculus.
Tzutzutzutzu—
The Great Sage's homunculus, crawling on its broken body, began to sink slowly into Zeke's shadow.
"I harmonize, I harmonize the world."
Even as it sank into the shadow, the homunculus repeated the same words.
Soon, once the homunculus was fully absorbed into the shadow, a message appeared.
[You have absorbed the 'Blind Avatar of the Great Sage' infused with a portion of the Great Sage's soul.]
[The 'Blind Avatar of the Great Sage' submits to the unique authority Absolute Dominion of .]
[The 'Blind Avatar of the Great Sage' is newly restructured into a shadow avatar through the authority of Re-Creation.]
[The restructured shadow avatar is registered as your guardian.] Kugugugugu!
Soon, a figure in a black robe emerged from Zeke's shadow.
Thud!
The shadow avatar, wearing a black mask over its face, held a black staff.
Having been recreated as a homunculus infused with the Great Sage's soul, it took the form of a mage.
[Would you like to bestow a name upon this guardian?]
Seeing the message, Zeke pondered a name for his new shadow avatar.
After a moment, he slowly opened his mouth.
"Call it Innocent."
He bestowed the ancient word meaning purity as the guardian's name.
As Zeke named it, a glowing eye-light flickered behind Innocent's black mask.
As it was made from the Great Sage's soul, this shadow avatar would undoubtedly wield great power.
Zeke stood up and said to Innocent,
"Innocent, guide me to where the Book of the Lion and the Black Star are hidden." At Zeke's words, Innocent raised its staff.
Woooong!
A vibration emanated from the staff, and a portal of white light opened before it.
It seemed to connect to the location of the Book of the Lion.
'Hang in there just a little longer, Master.'
Zeke steadied his breath and leaped straight into the portal. *
Kugugugugu!
Nigel, Nabu, and Manna stood in a triangular formation, resisting the storm of power surging toward them.
"Ugh!"
Nabu, holding up the barrier from behind with an open book, let out a groan.
"Urgh! Manna! Do something!"
At Nabu's cry, Manna clasped his hands together and chanted a Buddhist invocation to strengthen the barrier.
But the storm of power heading their way grew increasingly fierce, which made it hard to concentrate.
Kugugu!
Nigel, at the forefront with her sword raised to counter it, gritted her teeth.
Then, she finally spoke.
"I'll hold this off. Manna, complete the absolute barrier in the meantime."
Nabu was shocked by Nigel's words.
"Old hag! How do you plan to block that alone!"
Ignoring Nabu's words, Nigel raised her sword and took another step forward.
The power of the full power technique concentrated in her sword.
Seeing this, Nabu steadied his breath and stepped in front of Manna.
He opened his book and recited the passage to summon a defensive wall.
Kugugugu!
A virtual wall formed in front of Nabu, creating a protective barrier so Manna could focus.
Nabu shouted to Nigel,
"Old hag! This side's good!"
At that, Nigel surged forward like a spring and swung her sword at the storm of power.
Full Power Technique
Double Spell
Will of Reflection
The storm of power clashed with Nigel's full power technique double spell and began to rebound.
Kugugugugugugu!
As the storm reversed due to the Will of Reflection, the identity of the hidden presence was revealed.
Kugugugu!
Surprisingly, at the center of the storm stood Ivan, a member of the High Table.
Nigel shouted at Ivan,
"Ivan! Get out of there right now!"
But Ivan did not move from his spot despite Nigel's warning.
He had activated the defensive magic circle set up here to prevent Nigel and her group from reaching the Book of the Lion.
'He never listens, that stubborn fool.'
Realizing Ivan wouldn't yield, Nigel had no choice but to raise her sword again.
Woooong!
The sword strike infused with the full power technique flew toward Ivan.
Kwakwakwakwa!
Ivan, confirming Nigel's incoming sword strike, raised both hands and drew a magic circle in the air.
Ancient runes were inscribed in the air, activating the magic.
From the two runes, black forms emerged, each taking shape.
One took the form of a reaper wielding a massive scythe, the other a jackal-headed beastman holding a hook.
The reaper and the beastman swung their scythe and hook at Nigel's approaching sword strike.
Kwakwakwakwakwa!
With a massive clash, Nigel's sword strike was nullified, and the shockwave scattered in all directions.
At the same time, the absolute barrier deployed by Manna from behind began to envelop the entire chamber.
Tzutzutzutzu—
The powerful storm of power that had threatened to engulf Nigel and her group was offset by Manna's absolute barrier, restoring stability.
"Ugh! I thought I was done for."
Nabu slumped to the floor with a sigh.
But Nigel remained steadfast, sword raised, glaring at Ivan and his summons.
She spoke to Ivan again.
"Step aside, Ivan."
Even at Nigel's warning, Ivan did not move.
Behind him was a firmly shut door.
The Book of the Lion and the Black Star were sealed together right behind that door.
Nigel said to Ivan once more,
"We must destroy the Book of the Lion and the Black Star before those bastards get here. If they fall into the enemies' hands..."
At that moment, Ivan spoke in an emotionless tone.
"The Book of the Lion is not something to be tampered with lightly. If mishandled, the seal could break, and the Demon King's power trapped inside could leak out."
Nabu, sitting behind him, shouted at Ivan,
"You said the Demon King can't descend without a vessel anyway! So a little leak shouldn't matter!"
Ivan shook his head.
"That's not true. The Demon King's power is dangerous in itself. Even the minute power that has leaked from the seal has created countless magical beasts. Imagine what would happen if the seal fully breaks and the Demon King's power flows out directly." Nabu's mouth gaped open in a troubled expression at Ivan's words.
"Uh, I hadn't thought of that."
Nigel, furrowing her brow, said to Ivan,
"Don't change the subject, Ivan. You're planning to imperfectly overlay that power onto Zeke Draker according to the Leader's plan and completely dissipate the Demon King's power. That way, only a half-baked Book of the Lion remains, preventing the Demon King's full revival."
Ivan slowly opened his mouth at Nigel's words. "For the noble will, sometimes sacrifice is necessary." Nigel gritted her teeth at his response.
"You damn bastard. Why force that sacrifice on my disciple?"
Pajijijijik—
As furious Nigel drew out her true power, a storm of causality arose around her due to the sanctions of karma.
From her demeanor, one could tell how enraged she was.
She took another step toward Ivan.
"Step aside. If you try to stop me further, I won't care if you're from the High Table—I'll cut you down." But then.
Tzutzutzutzu—
Crimson portals opened around the chamber, and Black Stage operatives in Draker uniforms marched out in orderly ranks.
At the center of those who had fully emerged from the portals stood a stern-faced man wearing black gauntlets, with no eyebrows or hair.
It was Baron Draker, the captain of the Draker Black Stage.
"What the hell are those guys!"
Nabu was flustered by the sudden appearance of the Draker Black Stage.
Nigel also turned toward Baron and the Black Stage operatives while keeping an eye on Ivan.
Ivan's usually expressionless face furrowed slightly, as if the situation was unexpected.
At that moment, the woman wearing an eyepatch standing beside Baron Draker stepped forward.
She was Ingel, the left wing commander of the Black Stage.
As the core of the Black Stage intelligence division, she handled all information coming into the Draker family.
Ingel shouted at the High Table members,
"The great Draker's new era is about to dawn! You relics of the old age, stop struggling and follow the flow of change!"
The one remaining eye of the one-eyed Ingel burned with fanatical loyalty to Draker.
Hearing her words, Nabu gaped in disbelief.
Nigel scowled and said to Ivan,
"You're really going to let those scum take the Book of the Lion?"
Instead of answering Nigel, Ivan merely scanned the Black Stage operatives.
At that moment.
Baron Draker, who had been standing behind, stepped forward.
He pointed his finger at the door behind Ivan.
"Drakers. Break through and retrieve the Book of the Lion."
At Baron's words, the Black Stage operatives' eyes turned fanatical, like zealots.
His voice echoed in their ears.
"Our god desires it."