Chapter 243: A Clash with the Shadows

Chapter 243: Chapter 243: A Clash with the Shadows

WHOOSH!

Lucian channeled mana into the Ring of the Void Walker on his finger. The S-Rank artifact hummed, lifting him off the ground and propelling him into the air. He activated Light Acceleration, his body turning into a streak of golden light as he appeared directly behind Aria, the Blood Reaver already in its massive greatsword form, descending toward her neck with lethal intent.

CLANG!

A blinding energy beam fired from below intercepted his blade. Zero stood on the ground, his hand outstretched, a smile playing on his lips. "Too slow."

The sheer force of the blast sent Lucian careening through the air, crashing violently into the ocean. SPLASH! A massive geyser of water erupted into the sky.

Seeing Lucian knocked away, Clara’s eyes flashed with cold fury. She raised her hands, the air around her plummeting to absolute zero. "Lunar Authority: Absolute Blizzard!"

WHOOOOOOSH!

A monstrous storm of freezing ice and silver frost erupted from her hands, surging toward Marcus and Aria like a tidal wave of jagged glaciers. The temperature dropped so rapidly that the water vapor in the air shattered into ice crystals.

Marcus stepped in front of Aria. His hands ignited with an intense, blistering heat. "Crimson Sun: Fire Lotus!"

ROOOOAAR!

A massive, swirling lotus of concentrated orange and white flames blossomed in front of him. It expanded rapidly, meeting Clara’s blizzard head-on. HSSSSS! The extreme heat instantly vaporized the incoming ice, turning the blizzard into a massive cloud of scalding steam. The fire lotus didn’t stop there; it pushed forward, forcing Clara to retreat.

Seizing the advantage, Marcus and Aria shot through the steam, charging directly at Clara.

But before they could reach her, a terrifying, dark inferno erupted from the ocean. BOOOOOOM! A massive column of black fire shot toward them.

Aria’s eyes widened. She spun her hands rapidly, conjuring a massive sphere of water. "Aqua Vortex!" SWOOSH! The water sphere expanded into a violent whirlpool. Simultaneously, she pushed her left hand forward, manipulating the winds. "Gale Barrier!"

A raging cyclone of wind wrapped around the water vortex, creating a spinning, pressurized shield. The dark fire slammed into it with a deafening hiss. The wind deflected the flames upward while the water cooled the residual heat, successfully blocking the attack.

ROOOOAAAR!

Lucian burst out of the ocean, riding atop the massive, midnight-scaled Dark Wyvern. The beast’s Early Tier 4 aura (Early A-Rank) exploded outward, crushing the surrounding air.

Zero’s eyes widened slightly, a flicker of genuine surprise crossing his face. He hadn’t expected Lucian to have tamed a beast of this caliber.

"Ven," Lucian commanded. CRACK! The Crimson Manticore, Ven, materialized in a flash of red light. The beast had grown considerably, reaching Peak Tier 3 (Peak B-Rank), its venomous scorpion tail dripping with paralytic toxins.

"Protect Clara," Lucian ordered. Ven let out a screech and bounded toward Clara’s side, its massive claws tearing through the rubble.

Lucian’s eyes locked onto Zero. He urged the Dark Wyvern forward. The beast opened its maw, gathering a massive sphere of dark fire. Zero fired another blinding energy beam, but the Dark Wyvern countered with a concentrated fire blast. BOOOOOOM! The two attacks collided mid-air, creating a shockwave that ripped the surrounding trees from the earth.

Since Zero couldn’t fly on his own—he had been hovering solely due to Aria’s wind manipulation. Lucian leaped off the Dark Wyvern’s back, descending toward Zero like a meteor.

Light Steps!

Lucian blurred, appearing directly in front of Zero. The Blood Reaver, coated in his dark, destructive Sword Intent, cleaved downward. Zero reacted instantly, drawing an S-Rank saber that glowed with a cold, violet light. CLANG! The weapons clashed, sparks flying. Zero smirked, his eyes narrowing. "Is that all you got?"

Lucian smirked back. "Not even close."

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Dozens of blood needles materialized from the air, surrounding Zero in a 360-degree formation. Zero’s eyes widened. He dissolved into a cloud of black shadow, vanishing from the spot just as the needles converged.

He reformed behind Lucian, but the Dark Wyvern appeared instantly, its massive claws swiping toward Zero’s head. Zero dissolved again, evading the strike as he reformed from the Dark Wyvern’s shadow and fired a compressed energy beam. BAM! The blast sent the Dark Wyvern crashing across the beach, tearing a massive trench in the sand.

"Eclipse Sword Art: Crescent Moon Slash!" Lucian roared, unleashing a massive arc of dark Sword Intent.

Zero dissolved once more. Lucian’s Blood Sense screamed as he sensed Zero reforming behind him. He tried to dodge, twisting his body, but Zero was fast. SHUNK! Zero’s saber stabbed directly into Lucian’s shoulder, narrowly missing his heart. Lucian gritted his teeth, jumping back, but Zero formed behind him again, firing a point-blank energy blast. BOOOOM! Lucian was sent flying into the rushing Dark Wyvern, both crashing into a massive rock formation.

Lucian stood up, coughing blood. His Eternal Regeneration kicked in, closing the hole in his shoulder. He activated Primordial Sight, the world shifting to microscopic detail.

Zero walked toward them slowly, his S-Rank saber resting on his shoulder. "I must admit, you’re tougher than the other vermin. But you’re still just a Peak Grand Core human playing with powers you don’t understand. You can’t touch me. I am the shadow itself."

Lucian didn’t respond. He told the Dark Wyvern to attack. The wyvern roared, rushing forward with blinding speed, its maw open wide. Zero smirked, dissolving into shadow, and reformed directly behind Lucian.

But Lucian was already turning, light particles gathering densely in his palm.

"Yeah, figured it out," Lucian said, his voice cold. "Solar Flare."

FLAAAAASH!

An omnidirectional blast of blinding, purifying light erupted from Lucian’s hand. The light was so intense it vaporized the nearby shadows, turning the immediate area into a white void. Zero, who had just reformed from Lucian’s shadow, was blasted directly in the chest. BOOOOM! Zero was sent skidding backward, his boots digging deep into the sand as he stabilized himself, a deep frown replacing his smirk.

Lucian looked at him with a smirk. His Primordial Sight had analyzed the mana flow of Zero’s ability. Zero’s "shadow dissolution" was a form of spatial teleportation that required shadows as an anchor. He could only reform where shadows existed. By using Solar Flare, an omnidirectional light attack, Lucian eliminated all shadows in the immediate vicinity, forcing Zero to reform in the only available space—and blasting him as he did.

It’s a tricky ability, Lucian thought. But light always dispels the dark.

He rushed forward with Light Acceleration as he closed his fist.

"Light Chains. Blood Chains."

ZING! ZING!

A massive net of golden light chains and crimson blood chains erupted from the ground and the air, wrapping around Zero’s limbs, torso, and neck. CLANK! The chains pulled taut, binding the Dark Order apostle in place.