Chapter 2590: Chaos of Mythology: Excalibur Ultra!

The life force of the Nightmare Sacred King surged violently the instant his ability was activated, revealing the immense price he had paid to unleash such a technique, yet none of that seemed to matter as every maw across his grotesque, tumorous body stretched into twisted smiles upon seeing Cain frozen in place, unable to move and left completely defenseless against what was to come. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The wings of the Sacred King twisted and sharpened with terrifying precision, transforming into deadly blades that slashed toward Cain’s neck from both sides, aiming to sever his head in a single, flawless motion.

As the attack descended, time itself appeared to slow under the overwhelming tension of the moment.

Cain could see everything with perfect clarity, from the distortion of space around the incoming strike to the violent fluctuations of his enemy’s energy, yet despite that awareness, his body remained completely still, locked in place by a force that left him utterly unable to defend himself.

However, even in that state, Cain did not despair, because he understood that when defense was impossible, offense could still decide the outcome. His eyes glowed faintly as his will surged forward, and instead of struggling against the paralysis, he chose to act in the only way still available to him.

His lips parted slightly, and he uttered a single word, one that carried the weight of everything he had prepared since the very beginning of the battle.

"Explode."

The Nightmare Sacred King’s expression immediately froze as shock and horror erupted across his red gaze, because in that instant, his awareness turned inward, drawn toward his own heart where an unseen threat had been waiting.

The realization struck him with brutal clarity as his heart began to swell violently. Within it lay a single drop of blood that concealed billions of low-level Ancestor Drops. Those fragments had never been suitable as fuel due to their instability and inability to withstand Cain’s purification.

Instead of discarding them, Cain had transformed them into a hidden weapon, one that had remained dormant until this exact moment.

The Sacred King’s mind raced as he desperately searched for the origin of this attack, and in a flash of memory he recalled the instant when Cain’s blade had pierced his heart at the very beginning of their clash, a moment in which he had been too focused on removing the weapon and suppressing the Eternum Flames flooding his bloodstream to notice the microscopic remnant that had been left behind.

That fragment had remained hidden, silently enduring within his body, waiting patiently for its purpose to be fulfilled, and now that moment had arrived.

His chest swelled grotesquely as his body attempted to adapt to the sudden internal catastrophe, yet his condition was already too weakened and his injuries too severe to respond in time, and in the next instant, a catastrophic explosion erupted from within him.

The destruction tore through his torso as his heart detonated, blasting a massive hole through his body and sending torrents of blood cascading outward in a violent eruption that shattered what remained of his internal stability.

At that exact moment, Cain shattered the paralysis that had bound him, his power surging outward as his voice rose with overwhelming force and determination, unleashing everything he had left in a single, decisive action.

"Chaos of Mythology: Excalibur Ultra!"

His roar echoed across the entirety of the Ninth Realm as his arm became engulfed in blinding light, and when he brought it down, the strike carried a power that transcended the battlefield itself.

"ZNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!"

A line of pure radiance cleaved through the Nightmare Sacred King’s body, splitting him cleanly in half, yet the attack did not end there, as it continued downward with unstoppable momentum, cutting through continents and oceans alike and carving a canyon that stretched across vast portions of the realm.

The force of the attack was undeniably catastrophic, yet within that destruction there was also a strange sense of stillness, as if the sheer magnitude of the power had overwhelmed the chaos it created, extinguishing flames, halting further devastation, and leaving behind a silence that contrasted sharply with the violence that had preceded it.

The Ninth Realm was left in ruin, its surface scarred and broken, but the storm of battle had finally come to an end.

"BOOM!" "BOOM!" "BOOM!"

The aftermath was punctuated by three thunderous impacts as Cain and the two halves of the Nightmare Sacred King crashed into the ground, sending shockwaves rippling across the already devastated landscape.

Cain remained still for a brief moment, his breathing heavy and uneven as the toll of the battle became increasingly apparent, yet despite the pain and exhaustion consuming him, a radiant smile spread across his face, because he knew that he had achieved victory.

That moment of triumph, however, was fleeting, as Cain was fully aware that the damage within his body had only been temporarily halted by the power of Null Eternum, and that once that suppression failed, the accumulated strain would erupt with devastating consequences.

Even with the resilience granted by his phoenix bloodline, the magnitude of that backlash was enough to destroy him completely, which meant that he could not afford even a single moment of hesitation.

Ignoring the exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm him, Cain forced himself to rise, his body trembling under the strain as he prepared to act, only to be interrupted by a voice that should not have been able to speak.

"You... ant..."

"I will... eat you..."

Cain turned immediately toward the source of the sound, his gaze locking onto the two halves of the Nightmare Sacred King, which continued to twitch and pulse despite being severed, their grotesque forms still capable of speech even in such a condition. The sight served as a chilling reminder of the resilience possessed by a Sacred King, as even an attack of that magnitude had not been enough to end him completely.

However, Cain had never intended to rely on a simple kill to achieve victory, and as a wide smile spread across his face, he summoned the Chaos Scarlet Throne with unwavering confidence.

The moment the throne appeared, a surge of instinctive dread rippled through the remains of the Sacred King, prompting an immediate attempt at self-destruction, yet Cain acted faster, seizing both halves of the creature and casting them into the throne before the attempt could be completed.

As soon as the remains were sealed within, the binding mark within Cain’s chest shattered, releasing him from the constraints that had held him in Paradise, and in that same instant, three golden figures appeared at his shoulders, their expressions filled with awe and reverence as they witnessed the culmination of the battle.

"Creator, you have slain a Sacred King of Chaos and Order, one of the four rulers of Paradise!" Morningstar declared, his voice carrying the same astonishment shared by Satan and Hades.

Despite their words, Cain simply shook his head, his expression calm and composed as he responded.

"That was not the real Nightmare Sacred King," he explained, causing shock to spread across the faces of the Royal Guards, who struggled to comprehend how such a powerful opponent could have been anything less than genuine.

"If I am correct, what we faced was an embodiment, a specialized incarnation rather than the true entity," Cain continued, maintaining his composure as he elaborated. "Although his strength was undeniable, he never used an Ancestor Domain, nor did he wield the full authority of Chaos or Order, and those limitations make the truth clear."

After a brief pause, he added, "Regardless of the reason the real Sacred King did not appear, the destruction of this embodiment is still significant, and the breaking of my seal serves as undeniable proof of that."

He allowed himself a small exhale before speaking once more, his tone carrying a quiet sense of finality. "I have won, and now I can finally leave."

Turning toward the Royal Guards, Cain continued, "I cannot bring you with me, but you will remain safe, as I will leave my body along with your souls inside the throne, and the devastation of the Ninth Realm will serve as the perfect cover, making it nearly impossible for even a Fourth Realm life form to locate it in a short time."

Understanding the urgency of the situation, the three figures nodded without hesitation before returning to his body, allowing Cain to proceed without delay. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the Chaos Scarlet Throne, fully aware of what would happen next.

In the very next second, his body shattered completely as all the suppressed damage erupted at once, destroying his Royal Blutlinie form.

His skull broke into pieces, his chest was shattered into a dozen forms, and his internal organs were ravaged. The only thing that had a semblance of structure was his heart.

Luckily, his Primordial Essence remained intact, floating silently above the remnants of his body, yet unlike in any other circumstance, nothing was lost, because the throne existed as a closed system, preserving everything within it regardless of the destruction that occurred.

Cain’s golden phantom form lingered briefly as he gazed upon the shattered remains, his expression calm despite the enormity of what had just transpired, as he left the throne, which vanished between the layers of reality.

"With time, it should recover, or at least I hope so," he murmured softly, as his eyes glowed, now filled with unwavering determination.

Without hesitation, he merged into the Endless River, his presence fading as he began his journey away from Paradise.

"Time to go home."

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End of Book 26 - Breaking the Shell, Taking the Fourth Step