**Chapter Thirty-Three: The King of the Void Shadow ⑧**
—
My spine froze, and my consciousness drifted far away. That single strike felt as if it were the judgment of a god.
A tremendous light shot past me, heading straight for the floor. To be precise, it was directed toward the source of death itself.
The concentrated light pierced through the solid stone pavement without a sound, vanishing into nothingness.
Without a doubt, it was the strongest attack I had ever witnessed from Senri. The light left a deep crack in the floor, likely penetrating down to the underground labyrinth. The cross-section was smooth, and I couldn’t even begin to imagine how much blessing had been converted to create such destruction.
Even a powerful attack spell wouldn’t yield such results. I felt a slight numbness in my body from the aftershock, even though I hadn’t been touched at all. If I had been the lower-ranked vampire I once was, I might have suffered significant damage from just the residual effects. Even now, with the power I had accumulated as an Archdemon, I would hardly be able to withstand it if I were to receive it directly.
The ancient castle trembled violently. Cracks spread from the center of the destruction, widening in an instant. I felt as if my lower body was being pulled in, and I hurriedly tried to regain control.
The sensation of my flesh and bones contracting was unique, no matter how many times I experienced it. Pain flickered in my vision, but I couldn’t afford to be distracted.
I somehow returned to my Yuan form. The world expanded around me. I reached out, pulling my body away from the collapsing ruins.
Ignore the pain. The battle is not over yet. First… I must regain my stance.
The ceiling collapsed, and the floor and thick walls crumbled as if swallowed by the earth. Senri’s annihilation power was indeed immense, but such a collapse from a single strike was unreasonable. Had the foundation been destroyed? Was it already at its limit due to age? Or had it always been designed to crumble like this?
But there was no time to think. I shouted to Senri, who was being supported near the entrance by Rufuri and the others, barely managing to endure the tremors.
“Senri, get out of here! I’ll be fine!”
“…Understood.”
I still had blood power remaining. Even if my head were crushed, I wouldn’t die. I didn’t care what happened to Rufuri and the others, but Lazarus should still be here.
Moreover, there were still enemies present.
Abiko Doro stood there, stunned. The body press had certainly landed, yet there was no sign of pain on his face. His consciousness was already directed elsewhere. Only his deep crimson eyes, glowing like blood, quietly gazed at the point where Senri’s attack was aimed.
I caught the incoming “Light Eater.” I had released it underground, but it seemed Senri had retrieved it.
It was a formidable opponent. Our compatibility should have been favorable, yet I had failed to finish it off due to a difference in skill and experience.
But here, I would kill it. I would leave no lingering issues.
My body was already at its limit. Once I collapsed, I had no confidence in being able to stand again. I sharpened my focus and killing intent. A massive piece of rubble fell between me and the Light Eater.
I charged into the debris with all my strength, raising my weapon high.
—
The ceiling and walls crumbled. The ancient castle, which had retained its shape for so many years since the age of battle, was collapsing.
The scene of destruction that hinted at the world’s end was over in an instant. The objects that made up the castle were swallowed by the earth, leaving behind a hill of massive rubble.
The completely collapsed castle ruins. Large debris stirred, and Abiko Doro crawled out as if emerging from the ground. After a moment of dazed observation, he staggered to his feet. The deep crimson light in his eye sockets flickered with agitation.
Necromancy grants the deceased an immortal physical body. He had crashed into the rubble, his garments torn, his staff lost, and now—his right arm was gone.
The vampire that had launched a desperate attack just before the collapse had penetrated Abiko Doro’s magical defenses, severing his right arm at the shoulder. Yet, that was not the reason for his agitation.
“Impossible…”
That was a strike of light that rivaled even those unleashed by the Order of the Final Knights he had once fought. The counter-strategy was flawless. The core of the ritual was protected by multiple defensive barriers laid by his master.
However, that single strike easily swallowed and obliterated them all.
The ritual had already been activated. In just a few minutes, his master should have been resurrected—yet that was not the case.
Black dust swirled around. The King’s castle was the site of the ritual. The collapse of the site meant that the objective could not be achieved.
“Impossible. Why… why would a vampire ally with a human!?”
The magical power of the Light Eater was formidable. If the opponent were human, even the Order of the Final Knights would undoubtedly be held at bay. If only that vampire, who could nullify Abiko Doro’s magic, were not here—
“Archdemon, your negativity is unwelcome.”
“…”
At the sound of the voice, Abiko Doro realized he was now surrounded.
The aura of light—the Eclipse Knights—three figures surrounded Abiko Doro, their holy silver weapons pointed unwaveringly at him.
One was a powerful being, while the other two were lower-ranked knights. If that strike from a moment ago had come from these three, it was clear that the techniques of the Order of the Final Knights had improved with the passage of time. He had been too focused on hiding and the resurrection of the King, neglecting to investigate.
“You… Eclipse Knights…”
The emotions that had thinned out since becoming an Archdemon began to resurface.
This was—anger. When the Order of the Final Knights had invaded the castle, Abiko Doro had been ordered to remain on standby, denied participation in the battle. However, had he been allowed to fight alongside his comrades back then, he would have felt the same boiling anger he felt now.
Abiko Doro’s mission was the completion of the ritual. With that thwarted, there was nothing more he could do.
The opponents were three. They were loathed adversaries, but their power was genuine. He understood that the long years of slumber had granted the Order of the Final Knights new strength. Yet, he could not allow himself to retreat as a subordinate of the King of the Void Shadow.
He would destroy them. Even if it meant taking them down with him. Otherwise, he could not face the King, who had entrusted him with a significant mission.
He raised his hand. The magical power coursing within him erupted.
Though he had lost an arm and his staff, Abiko Doro had gained powerful magic by transcending death. To him, even the Eclipse Knights were merely humans. He could handle humans with magic even without a staff.
“This power—”
The knight wielding a mace with a menacing glare stepped back. But it was already too late.
He had long since understood the weaknesses of humans. He would turn the land into a realm of death for miles around.
Could the Eclipse Knights of this era prevent that?
“‘Annihilation (Photo Delete)’!”
A particularly powerful female Eclipse Knight unleashed a beam of light. However, that strike was significantly weaker compared to the one from a moment ago. There was a buildup. It seemed that such a powerful strike could not be fired in rapid succession.
That was the limit of the human race.
I gracefully dodged the single beam of light. The expression of the female knight twisted in frustration.
And just as she attempted to unleash her power, a familiar voice echoed in Abiko Doro’s ears.
“How terrible—how terrible, I was having a dream.”
The cold voice instantly extinguished his anger. Abiko Doro distinctly felt the heartbeat of the heart he thought he had lost.
There was no presence. Yet, that was precisely the essence of the Void Shadow. The King of the Abyss. A complete dead person. That King, the ultimate zero, had no presence.
The deceased had been feared. That King was the hollow shadow. And the army that had received that power had once been called the Legion of Shadows.
The Eclipse Knights all took a step back simultaneously.
The swirling black dust gathered, forming a shape. A small, black skeleton.
It was no coincidence. Its eye sockets clearly gazed at Abiko Doro and the Eclipse Knights.
Indeed, the ritual had succeeded. He regained his composure in an instant. Perhaps because not all of his power had been poured into it, the figure was frail and far from a complete resurrection, but the King had not perished.
Though he had intended to take them down with him, he could not afford to do so now. Time was necessary to gather strength.
He had to escape at all costs. The expressions of the Eclipse Knights shifted.
“Ah… King, we have awaited your return. Please forgive us for our audience while standing before the enemy.”
It would be easy to flee. Abiko Doro still had power remaining. Even if he faced three Eclipse Knights, he could at least escape.
The King’s gaze fell upon Abiko Doro. Just that alone stirred an overwhelming sense of joy within him.
“It was for a great cause… Ah, the weight of this body, the pain, it is not unpleasant… I feel alive.”
He had hidden in the human realm for ten years. At last, he had fulfilled his mission.
The alertness of the Eclipse Knights was now completely directed toward the King. The tables had turned. They intended to stop the King, even if it meant taking them down with him, before he regained his strength.
However, Abiko Doro would not allow that. He turned his back on the King and glared at the Eclipse Knights.
That familiar voice resonated within him, permeating his very being and soul. Then the King spoke.
“However, this is not a complete reincarnation. I shall take your power, ‘Abiko Doro.’”
There was no time to comprehend. The power drained from his body, transcending death.
When Abiko Doro became aware of his surroundings, he found himself staring at the ground. In an instant, his outstretched left arm transformed into dust.
The vast magical power he had accumulated vanished—no, it was drawn away. His consciousness slipped away without any chance of resistance.
Abiko Doro was born from the Dead Person’s King. Though freed from the wedge of death, it was merely a change of ruler.
Just before his awareness faded completely, the Knight-LiN/Achi, who had lived through the ages, felt a long-forgotten fear of the encroaching death.
§ § §
He was one who defied the laws of this world. A being of complete Darkness. Through that abominable magic, he was liberated even from the wedge of death—the King of the Abyss.
The Order of the Final Knights referred to those Evil Mages, who threatened all living beings and reigned supreme, as the “Dead Person’s King.”
The once-mighty LiN/Achi crumbled away. It happened in the blink of an eye. The tattered robe turned to dust.
It was the “Return of Power.” Those who transcended death through curses would ultimately return to dust due to the very same curses.
After several attacks, even the nearly inexhaustible Blessing of Senri had temporarily run dry. Rufuri and Nebira had lent their strength to Senri, leaving them with only the bare minimum of power.
However, Senri instinctively concentrated his remaining strength and unleashed it. The tip of the holy silver sword gleamed.
The instincts of the Eclipse Knight warned him. This Abiko Doro must be killed here and now. Before he could fully regain his power.
“Annihilation!”
The energy drained away. The concentrated power, capable of returning everything to nothing, was unleashed.
The technique of Annihilation, which he had practiced countless times until blood seeped from his hands, activated perfectly even in his exhausted state—
And just before it could engulf the gathering mist, it twisted dramatically.
“N/A!?”
The bent light scorched the night sky. With a body on the verge of collapse, he drove his sword into the ground to brace himself.
There had been times when he had been evaded. There had been instances when he had failed to achieve Destruction, but never had he encountered something that bent.
A voice devoid of emotion echoed through the air. The voice, which had been hoarse and hazy just a moment ago, now clearly regained its strength.
“It is said that the Necromancer of beginnings created three methods to transcend death through his wisdom and madness.”
“N/A!?”
He gasped. He urged his weakened body to respond and pointed the tip of his sword forward. His voice contained not a hint of panic.
“The Freshman has the Demonic Nature of Blood, the Wraith possesses the Demonic Nature of the soul—and the Skeleton embodies the Demonic Nature of ‘Earth.'”
Before him, a wall had formed that had not existed just a moment ago. A polished wall that reflected his face clearly. It should have absorbed the Annihilation, yet its surface bore not a single scratch.
The wall shattered into countless pieces. From beyond it emerged a man with black hair. He donned the robe that LiN/Achi had worn moments ago and let out a small sigh.
His skin devoid of the essence of blood. The immense magical power emanating from him was palpable. Upon closer inspection, it was clear—his skin, his flesh, his very blood was composed of death. Yet, no trace of that presence leaked out.
It was as if he were encased in an impenetrable shell.
“That castle… I built it. Hmph… Abiko Doro, you failure. Your power is lacking.”
“An Earth Mage… N/A.”
Annihilation was a light imbued with the power of Destruction. It could not be reflected in a mirror.
Yet, this man had done just that. And he had done it with a freshly revived status. Annihilation was a technique birthed by his master; it should have been unknown to this man. At the very least, it shouldn’t have been something he could handle instantaneously.
What this fact conveyed was—overwhelming skill and battle experience.
The Shadow Mage King was obliterated by that dangerously powerful Deceased. However, conversely, it meant that he had survived and repelled pursuers until he established his castle in this land.
Now, with the advancement of science, the number of Mages was dwindling. Yet, that was not the case during the era of the Shadow Mage King. The expansion of the Order of the Final Knights had also reduced the number of mercenaries. But again, that was not the case in the time of the Shadow Mage King.
The passage of time is cruel. There are those who progress and those who decline.
The Shadow Mage King surveyed his surroundings. His crimson eyes glowed like blood. No one could move. His presence, though seemingly vulnerable, held a terrifying aura that prevented Senri and the others from attacking recklessly.
“Well then… let’s see. The physical body of the Demonic Nature of Blood—”
The ground trembled, and like a tree sprouting, a spear was born. A spear forged entirely from pitch-black material. The Mage King grasped it in one hand, lightly swung it, and pointed its tip at Senri, blinking his eyes.
“Do Mages of this era not engage in hand-to-hand combat?”