TL/Editor: raei
Status: ongoing
Illustrations: none
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Ahmad stared at the spot where Zion had vanished without a trace, trying to comprehend what had just happened.
"Prince Zion!"
The event was so sudden that even he couldn't properly react. Though his eyes trembled as he instinctively realized this was far beyond mere spatial transfer, Ahmad couldn't dwell on it any longer.
The shadow that covered the entire battlefield was rising upward, taking form. It commanded the attention of every mage present, including himself.
The mere sight of it pressed down on their spirits with an overwhelming presence. Finally, two dark pupils within the shadow, now perfectly shaped like a dragon, looked down upon the Light Watchers.
Shadow Dragon Stigma.
Founder of the floating city and leader of the Shadow Nest. Moreover, he was ranked second in the city's magical hierarchy, ruling as an undisputed sovereign.
"You should be proud of yourselves. You've succeeded in drawing me out," he said with arrogant contemplation as shadows began extending from his entire body toward the Light Watchers and imperial mages.
"Deploy light magic to counter the shadow's erosion! Focus all attacks on that evil dragon!" Ackendelt shouted desperately.
Though Prince Zion's sudden disappearance was a massive variable that could derail their entire plan, they couldn't just stand still. That would mean instant annihilation by this absolute being.
The Light Watchers' light formation activated, pushing back the approaching shadows. The battlefield grew even brighter.
Through the center of this illuminated battlefield, a path of flames so white they appeared transparent cut through.
King-Slayer's Wrath.
One of Ahmad Ozlima's strongest spells since reaching the peak of level 9. This transcendent technique that embodied the very concept of "burning" shot straight toward Stigma.
Ahmad knew well. Though he was revered as the pinnacle of human mages, he fell short in both class and level compared to dragons, the originators of magic - especially this ancient dragon who had lived countless years.
Therefore, he needed no probing attacks. From the start, he unleashed his strongest magic.
When Ahmad's flames finally engulfed Shadow Dragon Stigma-
The entire field of vision turned white-hot.
In a world turned silent as even the air that carried sound burned away, the impact spread infinitely. Everything touched by this aftermath instantly ignited, leaving only white flame ash.
Perhaps this was what the world of Loki, the mythical God of Fire, looked like.
Even as vision slowly returned, the mages' eyes remained fixed on the overwhelming sight.
"So this is the Magician of Contempt..." Ackendelt whispered in unconscious admiration.
Hope began flickering in his eyes - but only for a moment.
"Not bad magic. For a human," a chilling voice emerged from the remaining white-hot remnants.
"...!"
As Ackendelt's face hardened, tens of thousands of spears erupted from the shadow covering the battlefield, piercing through the Light Watchers' mages.
Ahmad and other high-ranking mages quickly deployed defensive magic to block the spears. But not all were so capable.
"Gu-guh!"
Those who couldn't react in time or whose defenses proved too weak found countless shadow spears impaling their bodies.
The death toll from this single attack reached a quarter of their total forces.
"Ah..."
Perhaps only now did they truly grasp the difference in power. Despair began creeping into the other Watchers' eyes as they witnessed the scene.
"Now you show the expression I wanted to see."
Satisfied with their looks, Stigma's pitch-black shadows, formed from the fusion of authority and dragon speech, began consuming all visible space.
An overwhelming power that deepened despair and erased hope.
Then the one-sided battle began.
"Aaagh!"
"Kuaaagh!"
Endless screams rang out as the Light Watchers' numbers rapidly dwindled. Their attacks were completely blocked by the shadow wall that isolated space itself, while the dragon's magic proved lethal without exception.
"How are we supposed to fight something like that..."
"...What?"
Though Stigma's eyes filled with question at Zion's response, the dragon couldn't think about it further.
Zion had already reached right in front of him and was bringing down his raised sword vertically.
The dragon's massive form vanished from that spot, instinctively sensing he couldn't take that sword head-on.
Zion's sword cut through the empty air where Stigma had been a paper's width away.
A black line formed along the sword's trajectory, erasing everything it touched - including air and space itself.
'That's not Heaven's Opposition.'
Though chilled by this unbelievable sight, Stigma analyzed it coldly and immediately unleashed dragon speech.
"Sink into despair."
His dragon speech instantly eroded and reversed the world's structure.
The distortion from this reversal transformed into waves of shadow that crashed toward Zion from all directions.
Similar to before, but several times stronger.
Yet Zion's eyes showed neither fear nor confusion as he watched the approaching waves - only joy.
This was a chance to test the new level of Black Star Force he had just reached.
Black Star Force Six Stars.
There were only two differences between six stars and the previous level:
The range and intensity of the denial authority that was the source of Black Star Force.
The purpose of six stars was to maximize both.
Annihilation Step.
With an incredibly heavy step forward-
A single wave spread out.
The moment it met the shadow waves crashing in from all directions-
They vanished silently.
No sound.
No explosion.
The shadow waves simply ceased to exist, as if they had never been part of the world.
!!!!!!
All watching were dumbfounded by this sight that went beyond unbelievable to nearly incomprehensible.
"That power! What is that power?!" Stigma nearly screamed at Zion, feeling the alien nature of the power and an increasingly ominous familiarity.
Meanwhile-
"Yet Obergia recognized me instantly. You're duller than I expected."
Zion instantly reached the dragon, negating the distance between them, and smiled as he spoke these words.
"...What?"
A scene from the past began slowly overlapping in Stigma's mind.
'You're duller than I expected.'
In that scene too, the one before him had smiled and said exactly the same words.
And that person was...
"ETERNAL EMPEROR!" The dragon's cry burst forth, filled with immense rage.
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