Chapter 686
For a moment.
A chill ran down his spine.
A cold shiver pierced his heart.
He sensed the anomaly just before every attack engulfed Yomaganto’s entire body.
‘…Something’s wrong.’
The ground beneath his feet, the air filling his lungs, even the Mana flowing along his skin.
Everything felt off.
And the ominous feeling he’d had 0.1 seconds ago turned into certainty 0.1 seconds later, slamming into his mind.
[Yomaganto uses the ability of the 121st Returnee, ‘Itsuya’.]
[The world of ‘Nine Heavens Nine Swords’ responds to Itsuya’s call.]
[All seven conditions have been met.]
[‘Blood Absorption Art’ is activated!]
Conditional fulfillment.
Unlike Barriers that blanket a wide area, Eastern “sorceries” often complete a grand spell only after a web of intricate conditions is satisfied.
Just like now.
The powers of the Greek Divinities summoned through Gros and the Traitor’s Golden Apple were all absorbed by Yomaganto.
Crackle!
The light of antiquity deepened into an even darker purple.
[The second flame, ‘Light of Taihe’, is activated!]
A massive storm of Mana was swallowed whole, and Yomaganto’s Flames of Fear burned hotter than ever.
The heat was so intense it blurred his vision.
A zone where even his senses vanished.
“Of course, it was obvious you’d counterattack with Gros’s abilities as the main axis. But did you think I’d just stand by and let it happen?”
He had been waiting for the perfect moment to unleash his all-out strike.
If he could absorb every ounce of power poured into it, the battle would be decided.
Fwoooom!
The red flames swallowed Jinhyuk whole.
Whoooosh!
Fwoooosh!
The Barriers he formed with [Glacial Sculpting], along with countless other Barriers, evaporated.
“Kuaaaaa!”
A scream of agony tore from Jinhyuk’s throat.
[Seraphim] and [Phase 2] were protecting his body, but even they wouldn’t last much longer.
This had already far exceeded what could be defended.
Worse, he’d burned through most of his Mana in the previous attack.
He had nothing left to answer with.
Right then—
“Contractor!”
Alice spread her wings wide and wrapped Jinhyuk in her embrace.
Her wings completely sealed him in.
A scorching pain—like his brain was being set on fire—raked through his entire body.
Fwoooom!
The light of antiquity punched through [Apocalypse of Revelation] and burrowed even deeper.
“What are you doing! At this rate, we’ll both be finished!”
“Be… still. I will… protect the Contractor.”
Alice bit her lip.
Her entire body was being seared, but she had no intention of letting go of Jinhyuk.
[Apocalypse of Revelation activates ‘Will of the Pureblood’!]
The purest first drops of blood gathered.
One of the few defensive skills Alice possessed.
The proud and aloof True Ancestor had always despised relying on others, so her abilities were naturally specialized for offense.
Yet instead of suppressing the enemy, she chose to protect someone.
Whoooosh!
The flames burned through the blood.
But they could not burn away the will blazing in her red eyes.
Even if she turned to ash and collapsed on the spot.
…She would protect him.
[‘Will of the Pureblood’ exceeds its limit!]
The situation shifted.
From the blood droplets scattering into ash, a brilliant vitality surged forth, pushing back against the power of antiquity.
—
And in the process, it was Yomaganto who found himself in trouble.
‘…More than I imagined.’
The pressure pressing down on his entire body far exceeded his projections.
Several pre-prepared formulas activated to suppress the True Ancestor’s power, but Alice’s strength was beyond what even invisible shackles could contain.
Yomaganto’s brow twitched.
He still had power to spare.
The problem was that if he pushed further, Alice could truly die. Even if he maintained this stalemate, her life force would be drained at a terrifying rate.
“Tch. Nothing ever goes my way.”
Yomaganto gathered his Mana.
The temperature of the flames weakened noticeably.
That didn’t mean he intended to let Jinhyuk live—only that he wouldn’t deal Alice a fatal blow right now.
After all, finishing off Jinhyuk, who could barely stand, was as easy as twisting a chicken’s neck.
And that clumsy lapse led to serious consequences.
“Now…!”
“Use every last bit of strength you have. This is your last chance!”
“Uwaaaaa!”
Boom!
The Returnees unleashed their Unique Holy Spears.
Brilliant abilities turned the area around Yomaganto into a wasteland.
They fired the crossbow forged from divine holy water, hurled the cursed spear, and burned through the strongest Sacred Relics they had brought from their worlds—ready to discard them all.
“Tsk. Annoying flies….”
Yomaganto spat a curse through the rising smoke.
He wasn’t seriously injured, but he couldn’t help but lose focus.
And in the gap created that way—
“…This is enough.”
Medrey, who had been preparing his own strike, squeezed out everything he had left.
Two threads of Mana stretched toward Alice.
Crackle…!
[Rainbow Bridge ‘Silver White’ and ‘Rose Madder’ colors are overlaid!]
The color of her wings changed.
The color of her blood changed.
Ruuumble!
Her wings spread wide, and a single drop of blood formed—clearer and more beautiful than ever.
“What…?”
Yomaganto’s expression changed completely.
At the same time—
Ruuumble!
The precarious balance shattered in an instant.
Before he could even reorganize his Mana, a wave of pure white surged forth.
A power that could tear space itself.
It was temporary, but it had reached a realm beyond purple.
“Kueuk!”
A heavy groan spilled from Yomaganto.
He had never faced an enemy like this.
The waves crashing in from every direction didn’t just disrupt the gathering of Mana—they also interfered with his control over the summoned beasts and satellites.
Worst of all, it severed his ability to sense Mana.
In battle, reading the enemy’s next move is essential, and losing that sense was fatal.
Thwack!
Crack!
Blood droplets lashed across his entire body.
One wound after another bloomed across his flame-wreathed clothes.
Each wound alone was trivial, but accumulated damage was dangerous.
‘This won’t do.’
It would be absurd to be injured while trying to capture Alice alive.
Murderous intent flooded Yomaganto’s sword.
Whatever Nyarlathotep had said, he had no intention of obeying that order to the end.
Whoooosh!
Purple flames coiled at the sword’s tip as he waited for his target to close in.
Even with his senses disrupted, his vision couldn’t be completely gone. In that case, he only had to wait for Alice to enter range—trusting the overwhelming dynamism of her movements.
No matter how many heterogeneous colors he layered, he would still have to close the distance to land the finishing blow.
And the True Ancestor of Ataraxia, who would never abandon her pride, would want to end this with her own hands.
Thud…!
As expected, Alice—who had been pouring out ranged attacks—charged in.
Stubbornly head-on. Foolishly.
“Yes. That’s what makes you worthy of being called the absolute ruler of the tower.”
Yomaganto thrust his sword straight forward.
A stream of fire shot out like lightning, focused into a single point.
There was no technique—only speed and power befitting an ancient rank.
Sword met sword.
Clang…!
A tiny spark flared.
And from that point—
[Soul Chasing Sword Dance.]
The rapier sang softly.
The swordsmanship was clumsy.
Insignificant compared to the origin. A blade with poor perfection.
But—
[Form 5.]
The sincerity carved into that imperfection surpassed the origin’s understanding.
It was Jinhyuk’s sword.
A sword she could mimic because she had always watched from the sidelines.
[Soul Chasing Sky Severance]
“Take this.”
Alice recited coldly.
In an instant, the flames vanished, and Yomaganto’s body was laid bare.
Fwoooosh!
A storm erupted from the rapier, drilling through the Sword of Incineration.
“Kuaaaak!”
Half of Yomaganto’s body was swept away.
Thud….
Yomaganto stood where the storm had passed, missing half his body.
At a glance, it was a fatal wound.
As if to prove how perfect Alice’s strike had been.
“Haa… haa….”
[‘Apocalypse of Revelation’ is deactivated.]
It would’ve been a miracle if she didn’t lose consciousness on the spot. Alice had nothing left—so little that she even let go of her rapier.
But it was worth it.
Because she had finally brought down a mountain of an enemy.
However—
Tap… tap.
In the wound where embers should have been dying, a strange light flickered.
[The third flame, ‘Embers of Regeneration’, is activated!]
The status window she never wanted to see flashed before her eyes.
The flames that had carried annihilation had transformed into hope—symbolizing resurrection.
Whoooosh!
The half that had been blown away began to regenerate.
The flames crackled, and the missing portion returned to its original form.
“To be honest, I was quite surprised by that last attack.”
Yomaganto—already restored to perfect condition—rolled his shoulders and flexed his limbs.
The same Mana.
The same power as when he first manifested in his true form.
“No way….”
“How are we supposed to kill something like that?”
“We should’ve run.”
“Hahaha…. It’s over. It’s all over.”
The Returnees’ fighting spirit melted away like snow.
The Spirit Kings and Spirit Beasts froze as if they had lost the ability to speak.
Against an enemy who returned unscathed after they had thrown everything away…
…What could they possibly do?
There was no method left.
No hope left.
It was the end.
But as everyone sank into despair—
Vwoooom!
From a slightly distant place, a massive beam of light shot into the sky.
—
Born into a fairly well-known family—yet fated never to become a True Ancestor.
That was why the boy thought:
‘If I can’t become the protagonist, then I’ll follow someone strong enough to be one.’
Ten years. Twenty years… Thirty, and a hundred.
For a long time, he sought out family heads and high-ranking blood relatives, but he found no one who satisfied him.
How long had it been?
Just as his original purpose and desire began to fade, he finally found the one he wanted.
Alice von Ataraxia.
The strongest family head in history.
He admired her.
She was brighter and more beautiful than anyone else, and he believed she would one day reach the 50th floor—the dream of all vampires.
And in reality—
Alice carried that role in silence.
The head of Ataraxia, who followed her beliefs without emotion, never lost her noble light.
Iron-blooded.
The True Ancestor of Pureblood allowed no personal feelings to mingle.
Just as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west—
It was as natural as law.
If so…
For Alice to cherish someone, to sacrifice for someone, and to live while being sincerely happy.
Not as a family head, but as a person.
Michael pressed his rapier to his own heart.
-You asked if I had a wish.
He did.
His body had died once and returned, but he still had a reason to live on.
That was why he chose to follow her.
Even if that journey ended too soon, and he couldn’t see the next chapter at her side—
Seeing that expression alone was enough to satisfy him.
“I respected you, loved you, hated you, and resented you.”
He completed the final line of the incomplete formula.
“So… please be happy now.”
Thwack!
With the sound of something rupturing as the blade pierced his heart—
[Restrictions are lifted.]
A new formula activated.
[‘Endless Wayport’ is activated!]
Ruuumble!
A light that reached the heavens.
[A Divinity of another world responds to the call from ‘Oryx’.]
It was a signal flare—announcing the intervention of a new force that had remained unmoving until now.