Chapter 246 - Darkness Incarnate (4)

Even in the last fight, Reygus was unable to win against Atein. They fought 10 times, and Reygus had lost all 10 times.

It really depended on what one considered to be a victory.

Atein’s criteria for winning was the achievement of his goal, and he looked at the terms of the fight. On the other hand, Reygus only determined the result of a fight based on whether he won an individual fight or not.

There was a saying that said one could lose the battle but win the war. There were times when Atein won his personal fights, but his group lost the battle. That was why he considered it to be losses. However, Reygus disagreed with that assessment.

“I see. However, this will be a first for me, Reygus.”

“This is the first time I’ll be fighting you with the intent to kill you.”

-Come Dragon Demon weapon! Darkness Engraver Sword! Sky’s Fortress! Son of Earth!

Atein summoned consecutive Dragon Demon weapons. He was holding a longsword made out of complete darkness, and it was like an absence in space. A translucent wall made out of light surrounded him, and an enormous hand made out of boulders erupted behind him.

Reygus did nothing as he watched Atein summon his Dragon Demon weapons.

Saibein, Niberis and Kieren didn’t urge Reygus to attack Atein. They knew Reygus’ action was foolish, but they could only swallow their sighs.

“I hoped he fixed that bad habit…..”

Saibein let out a bitter laughter.

When Reygus met a powerful foe, he waited until his enemy could be at his peak power. Even if he pushed an enemy into a corner during battle, he would stop if his enemy wanted to pull out an ace in the hole. He let his enemy use it against him.

This flaw in his personality had not changed over the years. It didn’t feel like distant memories to Saibein. He was deluged with memories that gave him stomach ulcers.

Oooooooooooh!

However, it wasn’t as if Reygus was doing nothing.

While Atein summoned his Dragon Demon weapons, a change occurred within Reygus. When he partially absorbed the Great Darkness, he dramatically recovered his magical energy. He amplified his magical energy to induce his transformation.

His armor covered his skull, and his armor was dyed white. The magical energy of an Undead changed into Dragon Demon magic. In a flash, his body contained power that couldn’t be compared to his past self.

Atein looked a bit surprised.

“You did it faster than expected.”

Reygus had finished his transformation faster than expected.

There were two reasons why he was able to do this. First, his reservoir of magical energy was filled to the brim when he absorbed by the Great Darkness. Secondly, Reygus was used to his transformation now.

If one thought about it, Reygus had to adapt and evolve at breakneck speed after he awoke as an Undead in this era.

He had to get used to his Undead body, and he had to optimize his battle techniques to fit his new body. His essence was within the Great Darkness, so he had to learn how to draw power out from the Great Darkness. At a glance, he looked like a simple brute. However, that was just his style. Reygus was one of the experts that reached the zenith during the Dragon Demon war. His experience and talent didn’t erode away just because he was an Undead.

Reygus used Instantaneous movement as he brought down his Soul Hammer against the surprised Atein. He was so fast that it looked as if he had skipped a step.

An explosion rang out.

When the Soul Hammer impacted on the ground, it created an earthquake. However, the earth didn’t get overturned. Atein had stealthily place magical traps, and Reygus’ attack activated them. The magical traps created a Dimensional Distortion.

Reygus laughed. As soon as the Dimensional Distortion was used, Reygus planted the Soul Hammer on the ground. The rebound caused his attack to change direction. He once again pushed off the ground as he used Instantaneous movement. He attacked Atein.

There was a wall of light around Atein. It was the Dragon Demon weapon called Sky’s Fortress, and it blocked Reygus’ attack. After receiving a strike from the Soul Hammer, the wall shook fiercely, but it didn’t break. It was too sturdy.

However, the energy created from the impact wasn’t entirely dissipated. Atein had been in the air, and the attack dropped him close to the ground. The shockwave tried to encroach into Atein’s space.

“Mmmm!”

Atein kicked off the ground as he moved backwards. He tried to let the attack flow off from him. Reygus appeared in front of him.

Kwahng! Kwahng! Kwah-ahhhhhhhhng!

The Soul Hammer ruthlessly accelerated without reserve. It was a spectacular swing with massive power behind it. However, one could barely see the attack, because it was too fast.

After his transformation, Reygus became much stronger than his past living self. It wasn’t, because his reservoir of Dragon Demon magic had increased. This was a difference caused by being an Undead. Every ability of an Undead was determined by how much magical energy one possessed. This was why his physical ability increased in an overwhelming manner.

Kwah-chahng!

In the end, the Sky’s Fortress was broken. Reygus stomped on the ground once again, and the ground exploded. Earth and rocks started to attack Atein.

However, the attack rapidly dissipated as it approached Atein. Atein had a Dragon Demon weapon that dealt with the power of earth. It was possible to neutralize Reygus’ attack, because Atein had summoned the Son of Earth.

<Hmmmph!>

However, Reygus expected this move. While the Son of Earth blocked the soil and rocks, he made a frontal attack against Atein.

Atein couldn’t dodge it. When he came to this conclusion, he brought up his Darkness Engraving Sword, and he charged forward.

The shockwave assaulted the ground around them.

<Kuh-uhk……!>

Reygus yelled out loud as he was sent flying.

A streak of darkness moved through the air.

It was as if someone was drawing in the sky with a brush dipped in black ink. It was a darkness that was absent of all light and mass. This alien darkness streaked all over the sky as Atein’s clone appeared and disappeared like illusions.

It was Atein’s Dragon Demon weapon called Darkness Engraver Sword.

After he regained his bearing, Reygus landed on the ground, and he caused the ground to shake. Earth erupted upwards as it blocked the streaks of blackness.

It was as if the streaks of darkness was turning the day into night. The Darkness Engraver Sword was creating this phenomena, but according to Reygus’ memories, this Dragon Demon weapon didn’t have this ability.

Atein appeared in front of Reygus.

“That’s right.”

Atein’s expression didn’t change as he admitted his plagiarizing Azell’s technique. Atein was the creator of magic, and countless beings had copied what he had created. This was why his pride wasn’t hurt when he copied someone else’s ability.

In the next moment, Atein’s fist pierced through the wall of earth erected by Reygus. His fist impacted on Reygus. Reygus had raised his arm to block the attack. Shockwave erupted outwards centered around the two of them.

Koo-oong! Koo-oooooohng!

The sound rang out almost simultaneously.

The first sound erupted when Reygus hit the ground several dozen meters away. The second sound rang out when Reygus slid for several dozen meters.

Atein had used his Dragon Arts to pierce through Reygus’ defense. It was a technique that could pierce through a Dragon’s hide to destroy its innards.

However, Reygus used his sublime defensive technique to deflect the attack using his shoulder. However, that wasn’t all he did.

“Mmmmm……!”

Atein groaned.

After deflecting the attack, Reygus returned some of the damage. He was able to damage Atein.

Reygus let out a heroic laughter as he kicked the frozen Atein. Atein broke apart into darkness, and several dozen magic circles appeared in the air.

Reygus wasn’t flustered.

The destroyed clone was there to draw attention away from the real Atein, who was preparing to carpet bomb Reygus with spells. Dozens of fireballs, thunderbolts and cursed essences impacted on Reygus all at once. An incredible explosion rose into the air.

When the spells detonated, part of the mountain nearby was destroyed. The aftereffects of the attack caused a landslide.

Koo-roo-roo-roong……!

Atein had hit Reygus with a full force of his attack, yet he didn’t show any reaction. He just got ready to use his next attack.

The earlier attack by Atein wasn’t meant to be a killing blow. It was meant to stop Reygus from moving.

The real attack would be coming next. He used the aftereffects of his previous spell to chain his next spell. It truly was a high level magical tactic.

The energy created by the carpet bombing was sucked into Atein’s surrounding, and it was gathered at a single point.

-Solar Gaze!

The energy was amplified to the extreme, and a destructive beam of light was shot towards Reygus. It was an attack so hot that it would vaporize rock. The beam pierced through the prior explosion, and a new explosion of light occurred.

Kwahhhhhhhhng!

By the time the surrounding people realized what had happened, the heat and the destructive force of the attack had changed terrain of the battlefield.

Koo-gooooooo……!

“A...amazing!”

Kieren had been barely able to bring up his shield. He groaned.

He was speechless. It was such an amazing way to use magic. He wasn’t surprised by the destructive capability of the spell. He was surprised by how fast and easy Atein was able to use such spells.

Moreover, Atein hadn’t stopped his assault.

-Come Dragon Demon weapon! Gatekeeper of Emptiness!

Atein had been continuously changing his spell. He suddenly stopped manifesting his spells, and he summoned another Dragon Demon weapon.

A portal made out of darkness appeared in front of him. It manifested as a large sphere with a diameter of 10 meters. At the same moment, an off-white colored beam of light shot towards Atein. It roiled around like lightning.

An explosion occurred several hundred meters behind Atein. The Gatekeeper of Emptiness had the ability to connect two location. Atein had sent the light-based attack to a different location using the portal.

“Reygus, what happened? This isn’t the you I know.”

Atein was truly puzzled as he appeared in front of Reygus. There wasn’t a single scratch on Reygus.

When he fought Azell, Reygus had used the new ability of his Soul Hammer. He was able to redirect the damage using his Soul Hammer, and he was able to survive against Azell’s Sun Lightsaber. However, he was a wreck after taking on that attack. Reygus knew his skill was lacking.

This was why he worked on his defensive technique, and he was able to take another step forward. It didn’t matter how fierce the attack was. If the attack was straightforward, he could predict the path of the attack. Reygus would be able to slip the attack.

In the previous exchange, Atein had realized the his carpet bombing of spells would be unable to pierce through Reygus’ defense. This was why he decided to use focus his attack.

Reygus could have taken that attack head on with his body, but he decided to defend against it. He was able to slip Atein’s devastating attack while taking almost no damage.

Atein let out a bitter laughter.

“I wanted to end this fight quickly, but…. It seems fights with you always devolve into a prolonged fight.”

Reygus raised his Soul Hammer as he spoke.

Reygus was about to kick off the ground, but suddenly, he flinched. He stopped in place.

“What…….”

Atein spoke in a questioning manner, but he didn’t finish his sentence. He immediately realized what had happened.

“…you got me. Did you hide another force nearby?”

While he fought Reygus, Atein had kept an eye on Saibein, Niberis and Kieren. He was able to do this through Incarnation. It was possible using his clones.

However, someone he hadn’t sensed had broken the seal of the god of Rest.

“No. That’s not it.”

Soon, Atein realized that he had guessed wrong. His gaze headed towards Saibein.

“It was you, Saibein.