Chapter 213: Defeat Me! Take the Fire Seed! Start a New Era!
"T-Time stop?!"
Phainon and Mydei exclaimed in near-perfect unison, their faces masks of disbelief, as if they had just heard a line from a children's fairy tale.
Meanwhile, March 7th's eyes lit up with an unconcealed blaze of envy. "Wow… I knew it!" she muttered, practically vibrating with excitement. "I knew Paimon's Star was strong! Paimon, please, you have to let me take a picture with it later!"
The rest of their companions, after shaking off their initial shock, voiced their own admiration.
Hearing so much praise—especially the nod of affirmation from the usually composed Zhongli—Paimon instantly forgot all her earlier exhaustion and nervousness. She planted her tiny hands on her hips, puffed out her chest, and tilted her head back so far her nose was practically aimed at the heavens, looking impossibly smug.
"Hmph, hmph, hmph! Of course! Who do you think I am? I'm the best guide in the universe—Paimon!"
However, the group's attention was swiftly recaptured by the changes unfolding in the center of the arena.
This time, Paimon's super-sized Optimization wrench—a construct of pure will that combined the power of a time stop with the bulk of her energy—seemed to be having a deep effect.
A golden magical circle spun steadily beneath Nikador's colossal feet, while the spectral wrench hovering above his head pulsed, bathing him in a soft, continuous purifying glow. The torrent of black tide energy that had been gushing from his body was no longer present.
Instead, under the influence of the Optimization Power, Nikador's massive form was undergoing a visible metamorphosis. His ancient stone armor, once a cracked and weathered gray, began to deepen in color, taking on the dull, burnished luster of dried blood, as if it had been reforged and quenched in some terrible power. The huge spear of divine retribution clutched in his hand became streaked with ominous patterns of black and red, making it look even more ferocious and deadly.
Yet, in stark contrast to this increasingly malevolent appearance, the aura radiating from Nikador was rapidly changing. The madness and chaos that had defined him were peeling away, replaced by a sense of calm majesty, tinged with an ancient, heart-wrenching sorrow.
This deep contradiction made everyone outside the arena hold their breath. Grips tightened on weapons as they found themselves unable to determine whether Paimon's wrench had worked a miracle, or if it had simply triggered a far worse transformation.
"Is… is he purified… or did he just get more corrupted?" March 7th whispered, her knuckles white around the hilt of Sode no Shirayuki.
No one could answer her.
Finally, the golden circle beneath Nikador's feet completed its last rotation and slowly faded into nothing. The phantom wrench above his head vanished along with it, signaling the end of the optimization process.
The very instant the magic dissipated, Nikador's massive body stirred. It was a barely perceptible movement—perhaps just the curl of a single finger, or the slightest tilt of his head. But that subtle motion was enough to send a jolt of alarm through every battle-hardened warrior present.
Shing! Fwoosh! Vrmmm—
The sounds of weapons being drawn and energy flaring to life filled the air. In a heartbeat, everyone was on maximum alert, their eyes locked on the silent, imposing titan.
Just then, a voice rang out, seeming to emanate from Nikador himself. It was a peculiar sound, as if five distinct voices were speaking at once, layered one over the other. Gnaeus's steady, rational tone formed the core, intertwined with four others—one bold, one fearless, one resolute, and one resilient—creating a grand yet strangely dissonant chorus.
"Warriors…"
Gnaeus's voice took the lead, with the other four echoing like a spectral choir.
"I… 'We'… thank you. Thank you for your efforts… for helping 'me' regain this brief moment of clarity…"
The voice was halting, as if struggling to integrate five disparate souls and their lifetimes of memories.
"But… I can feel it clearly… 'Our' current body has completely merged with the black tide. We are indistinguishable from it now."
"This power of Paimon's… it is miraculous. It forcibly dragged 'our' collective will from the mire of madness, but it cannot reverse the fact that this body has been irrevocably transformed… What we have now is merely a fragile balance."
The chorus grew heavy, thick with pain. "This balance… could be shattered at any moment by the immense power of the black tide accumulated within… 'I'… 'We'… will once again fall into an irreversible madness… or perhaps… become something far worse…"
After a brief, heavy silence, the five-layered voice suddenly soared, becoming resolute and clear, filled with a warrior's unshakeable resolve.
"Perhaps you still harbor good intentions, hoping for another outcome… But now is not the time for a warrior to hesitate!"
"Come! Take up your weapons!"
"And with me—Nikador! Engage in this final battle!"
"Then! Defeat me! Take the Fire Seed!"
"And usher in… a new era!"
The words struck everyone's hearts like the final, resounding beat of a war drum.
"..." Paimon's mouth hung open, her entire being frozen in shock. All her earlier smugness evaporated in an instant, replaced by a deep sense of helplessness and a touch of grievance.
"What's going on…? The optimization didn't work at first… and now it finally succeeded… but we still have to fight? And it looks like Paimon personally buffed the final boss… This… What kind of situation is this?!"
She felt a flush of embarrassment, suddenly finding it hard to meet anyone's eyes.
At that moment, however, no one had the time to complain about Paimon's dramatic "assist."
"Heh… So it has to end this way, huh?" March 7th's lips curled into a grin, but there was no fear on her face—only the eager anticipation of a good fight. "If a fight's what he wants, a fight's what he'll get! We can't let our own people get hurt!" She was never one to back down from a challenge.
"Be careful," Dan Heng said in a low voice, his form blurring as he moved to protect her flank. He knew March's personality all too well; when things got heated, she was always the first to charge in.
"For Amphoreus!" Phainon and Mydei exchanged a look, their eyes blazing with determination. With a simultaneous roar, they charged. Collecting the Fire Seed and ending this calamity was their sacred mission as the Chrysos Heirs.
The two of them, one on the left and one on the right, surged forward, flanking March and Dan Heng.
"We're going in, too!" Although March 7th and Belle had been asked to fall back earlier, they now reignited their powers. Hyōrinmaru and Sode no Shirayuki flared with icy light as the two launched long-range attacks from the wings.
The battle erupted in an instant.
The moment they engaged, everyone immediately felt the terrifying power of the new Nikador—a being "improved" by Paimon and empowered by a complete, unified soul.
Before, Mydei and Phainon, working in tandem, could barely manage to parry Nikador's onslaught. But now, a casual swing of the spear of divine retribution unleashed a terrifying gale that made both their faces pale. The force of the block sent a violent tremor through their entire bodies.
BANG! BANG!
Each time they successfully parried, the amber-colored Jade Shield enveloping their bodies flashed violently, a clear sign that Zhongli was absorbing the vast majority of the impact for them.
Without that shield, a single blow would have sent them flying.
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