Epic of Ice Dragon: Reborn As An Ice Dragon With A System

Chapter 2340: Oda Nobunaga’s Endless Castle [58]

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"EHEHEH...! EHEHEHAHAAH!"

The wicked laughter of the monstrous, twisted Susanoo reverberated through the Endless Castle. The void rift he had created was slowly dragging himself into twisted space itself.

Hundreds of rooms spiraled around this void rift, forming a vortex of rubble and cursed miasma, which Susanoo voraciously consumed to gain more power, growing larger and more bloated with each moment.

"POWER...! I NEED MORE POWER...! SWORD GOD...! I AM THE SWORD GOD!"

Susanoo amassed greater power but grew increasingly incoherent, his speech devolving into screams as he unleashed massive beams of karmic energy and cursed divine power toward Drake, bombarding him with explosions.

Drake evaded as best he could, employing his Dragoon Knight’s Skill [Draconian Ascent and Descent] to dart rapidly between locations, zigzagging at lightning speed with his {Dragoon Spear: Fersefia} in hand.

By combining this technique with precise thrusts to pierce Susanoo’s body and arms, Drake managed to hold him in place, but exhaustion was setting in, and Susanoo seemed to grow stronger with each wound.

"RAAAAAHHH!"

RUMBLE!

Drake unleashed the [Celestial Dragon Roar] Archetype Skill, sending powerful soundwaves toward Susanoo, disrupting his corrupting aura that distorted the surrounding space, forcing the monstrous titan back several meters.

"BLADES... BLADES!"

Susanoo roared, his Aura surging anew, transforming into thousands of swords that rushed toward Drake. Gripping Muramasa tightly, Drake swung the blade forward, upward, downward, and horizontally, deftly defending against the onslaught of attacks.

CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!

"This damn bastard is really pissing me off!" Orochi growled. "When is he even going to die?!"

"It seems Hajun’s Stigma has made him more monstrous. He’s losing his sense of self!" Muramasa warned. "Drake, you must find an opening and strike his Soul Core."

"Soul Core? I’ve already tried to destroy his entire soul!" Drake retorted.

"No, you must locate the point where everything converges into a single entity. That’s where Hajun’s Stigma resides! Pierce it and destroy the Stigma, and his karmic power should diminish significantly or even collapse entirely!" Muramasa explained.

"Worth a try, but it won’t be easy...!" Drake said.

"GRAAAAAHHHH!"

Susanoo bellowed, forming blades of his own blood and cursed miasma, launching them at Drake from every angle. The blades pierced his body but exploded into rainbow ice and flames.

Drake enveloped himself in his powerful Immortal Soul Blade Aura, causing weaker attacks to freeze and shatter, offering partial protection against the barrage of projectiles.

However, this technique consumed vast amounts of energy, forcing Drake to deplete his Ascendancy Law Essence reserves far more than he preferred.

"Susano!"

Drake roared, closing in on the monstrous being. He aimed Muramasa at Susanoo’s soul and thrust forward, targeting his chest!

Yet Susanoo suddenly sprouted six arms from his aberrant form, catching Drake off guard. Giant bony claws slashed at him, unleashing dozens of slicing waves intent on tearing him apart.

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

Several attacks landed, strong enough to breach his aura, shredding his armor and scales...

"Nnnggh!"

Drake persevered, pushing himself to his limits. His Dominions surged within his Aura, swirling into a vortex of elemental forces.

"{Immortal Soul Blade Arts}!"

As Drake prepared to sever the arms, Susanoo grinned, startling him. A massive maw opened in Susanoo’s chest, having gathered energy, and unleashed a colossal beam of red and black energy, striking Drake before he could execute his attack.

BOOOMMM!!!

"Aaarrgh! Damn it!"

Drake groaned, half his body disintegrated. He swiftly regenerated but felt significantly weakened, as a substantial portion of his energy was obliterated by the attack.

Indeed, karmic energy-based attacks could destroy a target’s energy reserves—an astonishing power Drake hadn’t anticipated.

"HEHEHE... HAHAHAHA!"

Susanoo laughed, mocking Drake as hundreds of magic swords surged toward the Dragon King, who grew increasingly frustrated.

"This bastard...! I have to use that, don’t I? One final gamble and...!"

Drake began contemplating risking his life for a decisive attack...

FLAAASH!

"Hm?!"

Suddenly, the world around Drake and Susanoo shifted, colors transforming as the darkness faded.

The sky turned azure, and a radiant golden sun shone brightly above the clouds.

"What is this?!"

Drake was stunned, momentarily unaware of the changes within his Divine Realm, so consumed by the battle.

Then he realized.

"That’s...!"

A luminous figure emerged, adorned in flowing white, gold, and red robes, her face a mask of white porcelain, with long hair woven from strands of gold.

She held a golden and red katana, unsheathed from its scabbard.

Above her head rested a sun-shaped golden crown, adorned with a red jewel resembling a mirror.

Her presence radiated like the sun itself.

"I am the Solar Empress!"

FLAAASH!

As she proclaimed her title, the world around Susanoo warped, and the monstrous Sword God fell from the void rift, crashing onto the radiant floor below.

"Y-YOUUU...! AMATERASUUUUUU!!!"

The monster rose with his many arms, roaring as his face contorted grotesquely.

Drake smiled, recognizing her.

"Yuki?! And...!"

He sensed another presence within this Archetype...

"Yudra?!"

It was both Yuki and Yudra, fused into a single Archetype, a phenomenon Drake had witnessed only once before with Benladann and Miranda.

"Oh great Dragon King, through the union of my soul’s two halves, I have manifested to aid you."

"Yuki? Yudra?"

"I am both, yet neither. I am their past self, Amaterasu."

"What?!"

This was unprecedented!

Drake wasn’t merely speaking with Yuki and Yudra—he was addressing Amaterasu herself.

For the first time, an Archetype had manifested as the embodiment of an ancient divine being.

Drake struggled to comprehend the situation.

"Don’t worry, Drake! We are here as well!"

"Papa!"

"...!"

Drake smiled, hearing Yuki and Yudra’s voices within Amaterasu, or rather, the "Solar Empress," as her Archetype was named.

"This vast Dominion! Is this Amaterasu-sama’s doing? She’s truly returned?!" Muramasa’s ghostly form exclaimed in awe.

"She’s here...! The real one! She’s been revived...!" Orochi murmured. "I’m certain my wife would have been overjoyed to know this...!"

Amaterasu gazed at Muramasa and Orochi, offering a gentle smile.

"You have excelled, noble warriors of Zipangu. I am immensely fortunate to have your presence here. Without your support, Drake could not have come this far, and I would not have been reborn."

She extended her hands toward them, and their ghostly forms transformed, absorbing her radiant golden light!

"W-What is this?!"

"What’s happening?!"

FLAAASH!

In that moment, a colossal golden dragon and an eight-headed golden serpent materialized, forged through spiritual and divine power.

"She can do that?!" Drake exclaimed, astonished. "Yuki, did you know this?!"

"I had no idea. This is entirely new to me!" Yuki replied from within Amaterasu. "Amaterasu, what is this?"

"Your new power, my reincarnation, {Solar Spiritualization}! The ability to transform a soul into a Solar Spirit—one of the many powers we once possessed... Remember?" Amaterasu said.

"Right..." Yuki said. "Wait, did I? I don’t remember that well..."

"GRAAAAHHHHH! THOSE MONSTERS...! BASTARDS! WHY WON’T YOU DIE?!"

Susanoo finally reached them, only for Muramasa and Orochi to roar back, clashing against his massive form!

CLAAASH!

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