Chapter 696

[System Alert: A foreign presence has breached the domain.]

“What is this?”

Gias stood entirely paralyzed by the notification manifested in midair.

“What could have…!”

It became instantly clear to Gias that this realm was no longer governed by the Legion.

Though the exact method eluded him, control over this reality had shifted only a split second before.

Deducing the identity of the new master required little effort.

Gias grimaced in fury.

‘On the surface, the circumstances remain identical.’

Even if this domain now belonged to the heroes, the chaotic frenzy showed no signs of stopping.

Absolute mastery akin to the Legion’s rule might be out of reach, but with the madness already unleashed, the dungeon’s stability could be sustained forever.

‘Besides, regardless of any disruptions to the scheme, my sole objective is to eliminate Kyle.’

That outcome alone would suffice.

In truth, it would be a resounding triumph.

After all, that very action was the ultimate aspiration of Tartaros.

“Aaaaaaargh!”

Gias bellowed.

Rumble! Flash!

Sinister sorcery and the blazing fires of Erebus erupted violently from his form.

‘Kyle must fall before anything else!’

Dweno’s arrival was imminent.

Amidst this overwhelming ambiguity, one absolute truth remained.

Dweno was undoubtedly on his way.

Crash! Boom! Bang!

Lifting his massive blade, Gias sprinted forward, targeting the defensive ramparts.

“Halt his advance!”

“Focus all attacks on Gias!”

The spellcasters of Ivaldi directed a torrential barrage of spells at Gias.

“Do you honestly believe such trivial spells can impede my path?!”

Gias shouted in derision.

The magical onslaught dissolved into nothingness before it could even touch him.

Observing Gias’s relentless assault, Leo shut his eyes.

“Listen, Black Rabbit! I am going to assist…”

…

“What?!”

Ar gaped in astonishment at Leo, who remained stationed atop the ramparts.

Ancient runes began to spill from Leo’s lips.

Whoosh!

A shimmering, silver mana radiated from Leo’s form, causing his garments to whip wildly in the wind.

“Casting a spell right now?”

This was no ordinary incantation, either.

It was undeniably a high-tier spell requiring an extensive invocation period.

Utter confusion washed over Ar’s face.

Gias’s gaze similarly locked onto Leo in disbelief.

The roiling silver energy evoked a deeply unsettling memory of a specific individual.

‘Luna Luminance!’

The harbinger of absolute ruin.

An embodiment of dread who had handed Tartaros numerous devastating losses.

Gias understood precisely the consequences of allowing that spell to manifest.

A horrific memory replayed in his mind.

‘Apocalypse.’

“Raaaaagh!”

Gias redirected his terrifying animosity and crushing pressure entirely toward Leo.

Yet Leo pressed on with his incantation, entirely undisturbed.

In the realm of sorcery, a protracted invocation directly amplified the ultimate output of the spell.

Gias rapidly closed the distance to the section of the wall where Leo stood.

Unable to stay still, Ar clenched her jaws and leaped from the rampart.

Leo’s vocalizations continued unabated.

Ar was well aware of the reality.

A short invocation would never be enough to bring down an opponent like Gias.

However, the very act of initiating this grand spell signaled Leo’s certainty of triumph once it reached fruition.

Therefore…

‘I must grant him the seconds he needs!’

A radiant, golden energy erupted around Ar as determination hardened her features.

“Take this!”

She lunged directly toward Gias with a fierce shout.

“Utterly pathetic.”

Gias mocked openly as he observed her approach.

Regardless of her potential, she remained nothing more than an inexperienced novice.

What she might become later was irrelevant.

As things stood, the most Ar could hope to achieve was to delay him for a mere heartbeat.

Unexpectedly, Gias locked eyes with Ar.

A sudden shudder ran down his spine.

For an instant, the shadow of Arion seemed to manifest within her.

Stunned by the intense pressure and fierce intent emanating from Ar, Gias hesitated.

“You little brat!”

Infuriated by his own momentary hesitation, Gias hoisted his weapon.

Ar prepared her strike, fixing her gaze upon him.

Just as her knuckles were about to meet his blade.

Whoosh!

A torrent of blazing golden fire plunged from above like a falling star.

“Huh?”

Dweno, descending upon Gias with blinding velocity, snatched Ar by the back of her collar and tossed her out of harm’s way.

Simultaneously, he brought his heavy war hammer down against Gias’s incoming blade.

An instantaneous, quiet concussive wave rippled outward.

Boom!

A devastating blast radius, mirroring the earlier collision between Leo and Gias, tore through the landscape.

“What?!”

Gias’s eyes narrowed in shock.

Thud! Thud!

Forced back by two paces, Gias bellowed in fury, “Raaaargh!”

Crash!

Sent airborne by the recoil, Dweno crashed backward toward the ramparts.

Smash! Rumble!

Like a projectile, Dweno’s form collided heavily with the stone barrier.

The structural section that sustained the impact gave way completely, crumbling to pieces.

“Noooo!”

Ar, positioned right beneath the collapsing masonry, shrieked.

“Heheh. Dweno has returned, yet he is merely a remnant of a bygone era.”

At that moment, Ar, extricating herself from the fallen debris, gnashed her teeth.

Rumble! Clatter!

Emerging from the heavy fragments of the wall that had buried him, Dweno casually swept away the accumulated grime.

“A-Are you unharmed, Lord Dweno? Did you sustain any injuries—Yikes! Ouch, ouch! That hurts!”

“Good grief! Your temperaments couldn’t be more different, yet your actions are identical! Diving into danger without a thought the moment trouble arises! You were almost killed! Honestly, copying someone to this extent is ridiculous!”

“Hehe. I suppose I inherit a piece of Lord Arion’s spirit after all…”

“I wasn’t praising you!”

“Ow!”

Ar cried out as Dweno firmly pinched her ear.

“Throw yourself blindly into danger again, and I will personally snap you in two!”

“Understood, completely understood!”

Ar squeaked, pulling her head down defensively.

“Sigh… ultimately, the greatest foolishness lies with me, doesn’t it?”

Exhaling a weary breath, Dweno proffered Brave to Ar.

“Accept this.”

With unsteady fingers, Ar accepted Brave.

She unsheathed the weapon.

Her jaw dropped as her eyes swept over the pristine edge.

“Could this be… Brave?!”

“Indeed. That is Brave.”

The legendary blade representing the hero.

“This marks my third rendition. It is forged to endure eternally without shattering.”

With resolute words, Dweno advanced.

Step. Step.

Gripping his war hammer, Dweno closed the distance toward Gias.

Ar, clutching the hilt tightly, trailed behind him.

“Ha… have you returned merely to perish, Dweno?”

“Quite the contrary. My presence here is to end you, Gias.”

Dweno’s lips pulled back into a grim smile.

“It appears your arrogance remains fully intact.”

“Do you… retain your recollections?”

“Naturally. My mind holds every detail, extending straight to the final instant of my demise.”

Hearing this, Gias’s expression turned grim.

Yet within moments.

Regaining his composure, Gias allowed a mocking smirk to resurface.

“Then it appears your recollections are all you possess.”

Dweno’s current strength fell short of his zenith.

Though he retained his knowledge and mastery, this simulated domain belonged to a past era.

Consequently, his physical capabilities could not fully manifest at their peak.

“In that case, this will be simple.”

“Ha! Hahahaha!”

Dweno erupted into a booming wave of laughter at the remark.

“What drives your amusement?”

“You are projecting fear, Gias.”

“What absurdities are you uttering?”

“Your fixation on me and your frantic scanning of the environment prove that the true reality of this battlefield completely eludes you.”

“What do you mean?”

Spurred by Dweno’s statement, Gias hurriedly surveyed the area.

His expression froze.

During his initial clash with Leo, a solitary impact had laid waste to the entire vicinity.

The subsequent trade with Dweno involved a comparable release of energy.

Yet, the sole structural failure nearby was the specific barrier Dweno had been thrown against.

Furthermore, the platform holding Leo was completely undisturbed.

Throughout all of this, Leo’s invocation had continued without a single pause.

Dweno had flawlessly executed his duty to shield the spellcaster.

“It is true that my current output is diminished compared to my absolute peak.”

Dweno fixed a chilling stare upon Gias.

“However, I possess more than enough capability to delay you until my companion finishes you off.”

“Do not mock me!”

Bellowing fiercely, Gias lunged forward.

Dweno raised his heavy hammer and counter-charged.

Boom!

The smith’s heavy hammer collided violently with Gias’s greatsword.

Screeech!

“Observe, Dweno! Behold the blade of my own creation!”

The musculature in Gias’s forearms strained as he pressed down with his weapon.

“Ugh!”

Dweno’s footing slipped slightly, causing him to waver.

Clenching his teeth, Dweno forced his hammer upward, throwing Gias’s blade off course.

“Haha! The armaments of your past design are indeed resilient! However!”

Whoosh!

Gias’s immense blade descended once more like a heavy executioner’s axe.

Crash!

“That is your limit! I have honed my craftsmanship across five millennia! Furthermore, following my intrusion into your realm, my capabilities reached a tier far exceeding your own! This blade incorporates unparalleled components!”

Thud!

Dweno was forced down onto a single knee.

“Your creations and your life end here!”

“Remarkable.”

“Hahaha!”

“How did you manage to achieve such miniscule progress over five thousand entire years?”

“What did you say?”

“An incredibly amateurish piece of work. A tragic squandering of prime materials.”

Dweno smirked derisively.

“You wretched…!”

“Cast your eyes upon your own creation.”

“What…”

Gias’s twisted expression froze entirely.

At the point of impact against Dweno’s war hammer, a distinct fracture had formed.

‘Kyle truly managed it.’

Dweno cast a brief look behind him toward Leo.

During the prior engagement, Kyle must have focused his strikes repeatedly on that singular point of the blade.

Naturally, that weapon had been fashioned from Gias’s very backbone.

It was a tool into which Gias had invested the absolute limits of his capabilities.

Under normal circumstances, nothing in existence should have surpassed its durability, with a singular exception.

Only one.

‘Posteritas.’

Gias’s understanding of Dweno’s forging methods predated the birth of Posteritas.

Moreover, the moment that ultimate masterpiece left the anvil, Dweno’s mastery had transcended to an entirely new echelon.

Ultimately, even with five millennia of dedicated labor, Gias could never bridge the gap to Dweno’s innate genius.

Consequently, there now existed three distinct treasures capable of breaking Gias’s sword.

Posteritas.

The newly tempered Brave.

And finally…

Dweno tightened his hold on his war hammer.

“Ha!”

Channeling his entire reservoir of power, he repelled Gias.

“Break!”

Clang!

Dweno’s secondary masterwork slammed heavily against Gias’s greatsword.

This strike landed precisely on the structural flaw previously carved out by Posteritas.

Crack!

“This cannot be…!”

“You spent five millennia chasing a ghost, all for nothing.”

“You miserable bastard!”

Shatter!

Gias’s weapon burst apart into a cloud of flying shards.

“Regardless, your ultimate destruction remains absolute!”

Gias’s massive palm lunged forward to seize Dweno entirely.

Boom!

“A simple apocalypse summoned by mere remnants cannot bring me down!”

The vocal incantations had ceased at some point.

Leo’s spellcasting had reached its culmination, finalizing the grand sorcery.

Recognizing this development, Gias took note.

Leo was not Luna.

Furthermore, the spell being woven was not the true Apocalypse of Luna.

As such, it lacked the necessary magnitude to eradicate him.

Exultation washed over Gias’s features.

His anxiety had been completely unwarranted.

“In the end, I am the one who triumphs!”

Right at the peak of Gias’s confidence.

…

Leo’s voice resonated once more in a new invocation.

The instant the reproduction of Luna’s Apocalypse concluded, Leo remained fully aware that this initial force would fall short of destroying Gias.

Endowed with divine providence and the favor of Erebus, Gias possessed an unparalleled defense.

Leo had deduced through active engagement that while Gias’s offensive output might lag behind Jörmungandr’s, his sheer resilience was far superior.

Yet that reality was irrelevant.

He had anticipated from the outset that Apocalypse by itself would be inadequate.

Leo initiated a secondary chant.

An ash-gray mana billowed outward from Leo, vibrating in harmony with the spoken ancient language.

This technique was known as…

‘Innocent.’

The ancestral sorcery granted to him by the founder of the Nebula.

The singular countermeasure designed to vanquish Erebus.

Yet even this combination was not meant to destroy Gias directly.

Innocent was fundamentally formulated to counteract Erebus.

Apocalypse and Innocent were merely the foundational elements.

‘Within a reality where all things have dissolved into ruin, absolute vacancy remains, does it not?’

Undoubtedly, that was the exact panorama Erebus yearned to manifest.

A void landscape.

‘Yet, precisely because it is devoid of all things, it represents a state of absolute purity.’

Prior to his encounters with Lysinus, Luna, Arion, and Dweno.

He had sought nothingness, a quiet void.

It was that very vacancy that allowed him to absorb and be transformed by the bonds he formed with his companions.

If sorcery is indeed the external realization of an individual’s subconscious architecture.

‘Then this must be the exact visualization that defines my essence.’

Past the boundaries of final destruction.

That pristine juncture where all matter ceases.

‘A domain of infinite potential.’

The radiant silver essence of celestial bodies combined with the ash-gray resonance of innocence.

The force of total annihilation intertwined with a boundless, pristine energy, synthesizing into an unblemished, intangible, absolute void.

Leo, having finalized the dual incantation, uttered its true designation.

A term signifying the moment prior to creation.

“Zero.”