Book 20 Chapter 22

Episode 189

The Unfinished Mission: The Decisive Battle of the Shuriganakyus Vortex

Zernix stretched out his hand, groping at the empty air.

His gesture was peculiar.

It was as if he were trying to discern something's identity by its texture and feel.

"Here… Hmm…"

Of course, what Zernix was achieving now went beyond that.

Deploying the last few handfuls of his magic, he was interpreting this subspace as a geometric three-dimensional blueprint and inputting it into his mind.

"I see… Is this space, along with me, being blasted to a dimension where the concept of magic doesn't exist?"

What a mad master!

Zernix didn't stop there; he even let out a roaring laugh.

"Hahahahaha! You brats of the <Ones Who Came>! What a pity, isn't it? If your opponent wasn't I, Zernix, the Father of Geometry! Even if magic can't be used in this dimensional rift, the power of the abyss can still be used!"

The cosmic space, the vast darkness that had shone outside the cathedral window, vanished, and in its place… the burning desert that was its original location spread out.

'The cathedral back to its original place…?'

Transferring an entire space, not just one's own body, is impossible unless one's geometric knowledge is on par with a transcendent being.

But, this evil spirit!

He had effortlessly accomplished what the Black Sun Kalenden did, in such a short time, all with a smile!

"Let's finish what I started! Hahahaha! It seems you were planning to use a trump card at the cost of your life, but if that kind of thing worked against [the Strongest Mage], how could I be [the Strongest]!"

The cube forming in Zernix's palm was both water, electricity, and fire. This was Zernix's specialty, attribute mixing!

"It's been a truly long time since I've had the experience of fully deploying 100% of my geometric knowledge until my brain felt like it was burning, and in return for helping me grow further! I'll shove this eight-attribute cube into every single one of your organs!"

The concept of spatio-temporal transfer has a kind of contradiction.

One who can only perceive a single dimension calls it a transfer because something disappears from location A and appears in location B.

But in truth, the principle of spatio-temporal transfer is to fully interpret reality geometrically, and then subtly overlay another dimension onto it.

'That dimension is the caster's domain!'

The caster can freely manipulate the speed of time and friction within that dimension. Like the creator of space!

"I'll make the time flowing in that space so fast it's almost 0 seconds compared to reality! Through that passage, I'll make the cube embed itself in your organs!"

Spatio-temporal magic works on precisely this principle.

That is, it's impossible to stop the transfer itself! Theoretically, it truly is! But at that moment, just as the cube was about to penetrate the organs!

The brilliantly flashing blade of the holy sword cut through even the dimension superimposed on this reality, scattering all the cubes that were traveling through it.

"You've finally revealed your true self… Zernix!"

She was the last Paykwarrior, one who had even defeated the first and strongest Paykwarrior!

Rista Alter Shurphen!

Zernix, who had experienced the power of that holy sword countless times, maintained a confident smile while using the power of geometry to instantly widen the gap.

"Zernix! This thousand-year-old graveyard will be perfect for burying an antique like you, five hundred years old!"

A breath of flame immediately assaulted that evasive area! The heat was so intense that even the interior, which could withstand the burning desert, vibrated with high temperatures.

"Because no place on earth, not even a landfill for trash, would accept a bastard like you, calling you too dirty!"

However, that attack was completely nullified.

Geometry is the projection of another dimension onto reality… Zernix was cloaked in a dimension created based on the principle of the 'parallel postulate', like a barrier.

All attacks become part of a line segment belonging to the parallel lines extending from Zernix. Parallel lines are parallel precisely because they can never meet.

[(@-@);;;;]

Serwebon's arrow, which had flown in through a blind spot, also hung in that space, trembling violently before vanishing.

'Is this bastard's barrier completely different in ability from the one the puppet used? Does it just vanish?'

In contrast to Kies's frown, Zernix burst into delighted laughter.

"I, Lord Zernix, am invincible! If that insolent brat wasn't here, wouldn't it be impossible to attack me without that holy sword?"

Friede was already examining Shuan's condition, chanting a miracle of healing.

"You idiot, why did you push yourself so hard! What if you died!"

"I…!"

"Don't try to die again! You fool! And with you like this, we have no means to attack that guy!"

Pipi pecked furiously at Shuan's forehead with her beak.

"Don't die, don't die, unless you want Pipi to kill you."

Though her words were harsh, Shuan understood that Friede was truly angry because he had resigned himself to death, so he became solemn.

"I'm sorry…"

Even at that moment, Zernix, who had exchanged blows with Rista several times, finally ascended high into the air.

"Oh, no…!"

Shuan couldn't help but scream when he saw it, for the core was in Zernix's hand.

"We must stop him! I don't know what he plans to do with that, but…!"

It's generally accepted that in aerial combat, close-range types are at a disadvantage against long-range types, but for Rista, who freely leaped through the air on magic footholds, such a convention didn't apply.

"Every time I see you, you're a monster. So, to catch a monster, one must become a monster, is that it? Thanks to you, I've made up my mind. I'm very grateful."

What was brilliantly forming behind Zernix's back was… an Attribute Compass. Eight attributes each formed a circle, arranged in a systematic order.

"Secret Art, Elemental Deployment (奧義 : 元素展開)."

Something immense was about to burst forth. A powerful feast of strength that Rista alone could not stop was about to begin.

"Bel (Flame)!"

"fa (Blazing)!"

"puros (Breath)!"

This fire, which suppressed and almost sealed off that feast of power with overwhelming force and heat… was the breath of true dragons!

It was the procession of red true dragons!

Pyras was in the lead, and even though their bodies were not yet fully recovered, Grydaone and Zhakhan were also lending their strength.

"Hah, I thought things would get easier with all those yellow dogs dead, but the most annoying rednecks have arrived."

Zernix's parallel line barrier could be constructed 360 degrees in all directions for his true body.

The dragon's breath, grazing the invisible parallel lines that surrounded him, allowed for a glimpse of the barrier's form.

In that blaze, Zernix's unusual action was… stabbing the core into his own heart.

"I already know how to use this core! The moment you failed to stop me, Zernix, from looking into the dimensional rift beneath that blood-red cathedral, you had already lost!"

It was fundamentally impossible to fully bring Neigalass out of the dimensional rift.

However, to Zernix, this world was like a precious toy, so he didn't want it to be completely destroyed.

A toy should never be completely broken. It's only fun when you build it up and break it down repeatedly, like blocks.

"So, I will only take Neigalass's vengeful spirit for myself! That abyssal power! And this core will be the key to preventing my ego from being stolen by the king's abyss! Heh, huff, huff hahahahahaha!"

Neigalass's abyss, the power of evil roaring from the rift beyond dimensions… flowed into Zernix's body and began to pulse heavily.

"Alas… he is taking the king's power!"

Even a body constructed from the abyss could not resist the flow of that immense power and began to collapse… then reconstructed itself.

The King is immortal.

It was impossible for anyone to wield that power within their own body, but the blood-red cathedral's core acted as a shield for the soul, making this phenomenon possible.

"What, is mud not enough to construct a body? My, how picky! Is a king still a king even when rotten? Since you're a king, I'll respect your demanding palate!"

Zernix snapped his fingers, and far above, on the distant ground… the Golden Talisman resting beside the unconscious Lin began to tremble.

What kind of madness was this?

Had Zernix's geometric knowledge reached the point of interpreting even the unique dimension of the Golden Talisman?

It was half-right and half-wrong.

It was possible because the king's power permeating Zernix's soul told him the whereabouts and coordinates of the flesh needed to repair his body.

"That bastard is putting the [King's Flesh] that we've diligently collected for four years, into his own body…!"

The mud could not withstand the king's abyss and crumbled and scattered, but the [King's Flesh] was different.

They extended protrusions, sinews, and blood vessels, gathering and intertwining to form a vessel to contain the king's soul.

The true forms of the <Forgotten Kings> were cosmic madness itself, utterly hideous, and ordinary mortals could not endure their majesty, their brains bursting.

And furthermore!

Having obtained divinity, they could assume the most beautiful human form when appearing as humans.

The same was true for Zernix.

Zernix's facial features and hair remained the same, but the body constructed below became a more perfect and beautiful physique, upon which reptilian musculature sculpted a form that strangely combined armor and priestly vestments.

"That is Neigalass's human form…!"

Pyras, the Red True Dragon, let out a sigh.

Except for the face and gender, his presence and appearance were indistinguishable from Neigalass's human form!

Zernix laughed madly at the surge of power boiling throughout his body, threatening to melt and erupt like lava.

"This is it. Yes, this is it! This is it! The power I've been searching for was this! It's incredible! How can it be so inexpressibly powerful! Hahahahahaha! This is the truth!"

It was a power sufficient to deal with the last fake hero, the fire dragon priestess, the mute archer, and the three rednecks, and still have power left over…!

'For now, I'll have to retreat…'

There were two reasons.

One was that, upon gaining this power, he had become significantly sensitive to the flow of power most opposite to it.

'Light is coming. I feel it instinctively. And a very intense light… True Dragons can't even compare. In that case, it must be the Fire Dragon and the Light Dragon.'

And the other was that, since this <City of Pillars: Larien> itself was deeply imbued with Neigalass's abyss, he felt as if the control over his body would be seized by the king at any moment.

'I'll have to retreat for now, from here.'

Zernix completely nullified the True Dragons' flames with 'parallel lines forged from lava' and shot up into the air above the spiral staircase.

"Are you running away, Zernix! You coward!"

At Friede's provocative shout, Zernix sneered coldly.

"Don't bark like that with your pretty face. You'll get wrinkles around your mouth, you know? And this is me, Lord Zernix, letting you live a little longer as a reward for you bastards of Shinchen Kaditpol letting me gain the king's power. You shouldn't be barking, you should be grateful."

"Damn it! Shut up with that nonsense! You're running away because you think you're at a disadvantage, aren't you! And you call yourself the strongest mage? Pathetic! Lin, who fights head-on regardless of the opponent, is several times more truly the strongest mage than you!"

"Do you think I, Lord Zernix, the wisest of all, would fall for such a trivial provocation? Don't be impatient. As promised at the beginning, I will definitely kill all three of you with my own hands. Wash your necks and wait! Hahahahahaha!"

At that very instant, the dimension-shattering power of the holy sword Shurphen, the verdant power of the World Tree, and the full-force flames spewed by the three True Dragons all converged!

The dimension warped, as if iron were melting in lava!

The dimension, melting and wriggling, accepted only Zernix and then returned to its original state, so the slash and flames clashed in empty air.

"Damn it, we missed him…!"

They couldn't rest easy just because his presence had completely vanished.

He could hide behind superimposed dimensions. But with such power, would he really bother with such an effort?

Rista barely supported her collapsing body with the holy sword as a staff. Kies's body had long since reached its limit as well.

'Still, that bastard… I don't know what his scheme is… but maybe it's a good thing he retreated for now.'

Fighting here, having accumulated fatigue and injuries from battling the front lines of Shinchen Kaditpol, it would be impossible to fight at full strength, so victory certainly couldn't be guaranteed.

'And the most important Lin isn't here either…'

Amidst that despair of 'losing their sworn enemy' and relief that 'the situation was over for now,' Friede finally slumped to the ground.

'Still, for now… we won this battle too… so can I think that… we're closer to the end of our journey…?'