Chapter 117 – Dragon Extermination Campaign

Jingjingjingjingjing!!!

The moment the 11th Star Dragon Slayer Emperor manifested before the Subjugation Force.

Countless magic circles rose around the Ark’s imperial palace, forming a 4-dimensional convex regular polytope magic circle close to a 3-dimensional hypersphere.

A pentagon with five vertices and edges formed the basic planar framework of a single magic circle.

When each edge of the pentagon contained a different rare-grade subordinate magic spell formula, a unique intermediate-grade magic formed within the pentagon’s space depending on the combination.

Then, pentagons containing various types of intermediate magic gathered in dozens of combinations, with twelve forming a 3-dimensional dodecahedron that functioned as a three-dimensional magic circle containing legendary-grade high magic.

When 120 dodecahedrons, each meeting at three vertices per edge, gathered to form a 4-dimensional regular polytope—the regular hecatonicosachoron (dodecaplex).

Inside the dodecaplex, close to a 3-dimensional hypersphere, a mythic-grade transcendent magic was ultimately contained.

Kugugugugugugugu!

The transcendent magic circle rotating around the Dragon Slayer Emperor traversed spiritual dimensions, making its form appear to change moment by moment.

Since only a part was revealed in the actual reality, the hypercube’s form appeared as entirely different bizarre shapes depending on the viewing angle and perspective.

It was a magic circle so complex that even a great archmage would be unable to discern the magic contained within.

‘Cycle? Eternity? Infinity?’

The combination of Insightful Eye and All Phenomena pierced through part of the magic the Dragon Slayer Emperor was attempting to activate.

He realized that as long as that magic circle remained intact, all magic activated by the Dragon Slayer Emperor would not be consumed but would return to the magic circle and regenerate into new magic.

“【Transcendent Magic: Eternal Magic】.”

Each dodecahedron forming the dodecaplex was a spirit particle mechanism made from dragon hearts.

The crystallization of mysticism and sorcery studies accumulated throughout the history of the Ardenia Empire.

To achieve that ultimate sorcery reachable through magic, the Dragon Slayer Emperor had slaughtered the empire’s guardian dragons.

【Inferno】, 【Hellfire】, 【Volcano】, 【Blizzard】, 【Absolute Zero】, 【Frozen Tempest】, 【Cyclone】, 【Tornado】, 【Fire Rain】, 【Meteor Strike】, 【Giga Lightning】, 【Earthquake】, 【Tidal Wave】……

Legendary-grade high magic that would normally require considerable recovery time after a single activation began pouring out endlessly, dozens per second.

While magics of mutually opposing attributes harmonized without canceling each other out, instead creating synergistic effects.

Asta’s response was simple.

Guu—ung. Kwaaaaaaaaang!!!!

He simply rampaged with his celestial body clad in the Authority [Star-Shattering Fist], shattering the magic.

High magics embodying natural disasters were smashed before the Star-Shattering Fist.

Thududududududuk!

Next, fragments of the shattered and scattered high magic struck Asta’s body but couldn’t inflict any damage on the Giant God’s celestial body.

Even after witnessing his magic’s uselessness, the Dragon Slayer Emperor showed no change in expression.

From the beginning, the high magic pouring from the dodecaplex was merely a greeting.

If Asta had been injured by it, he would have been disappointed instead.

“A fist that shatters stars… That is your Authority.”

The Dragon Slayer Emperor coldly analyzed Asta’s Authority with icy, sunken eyes and began utilizing the dodecaplex in earnest to counter it.

Chwararararak!

New 4-dimensional polyhedral magic circles sharing existing vertices overlapped inside the dodecaplex that had covered the imperial palace.

Among the six types of 4-dimensional convex regular polytopes, excluding the dodecaplex, 4-dimensional magic circles in the forms of ‘pentachoron (hyperpyramid)’, ‘tesseract’, ‘hexadecachoron (4-4 duopyramid)’, ‘octaplex’, and ‘tetraplex’ were added.

Moreover, all 10 types of 4-dimensional concave regular polytopes were also overlapped, spreading a total of 16 layers of 4-dimensional magic circles above the Ark’s imperial palace.

Additionally, spell formulas equivalent to 15 more transcendent magics were added to the dodecaplex.

And through this, all transcendent magics activated second and beyond could be fired infinitely like other high magics due to the existing 【Eternal Magic】.

“If that’s all you have, you die here.”

The Dragon Slayer Emperor utilized spell formulas equivalent to twelve transcendent magics from his newly increased capacity to activate a special transcendent magic.

They were transcendent magics corresponding to each of the Twelve Constellations of the Heavenly Palace.

【Transcendent Magic: Idea Spell】 projecting the truth of the Brilliance Constellation.

【Transcendent Magic: Akashic Record】 accessing the Void Records of the Wheel Constellation.

【Transcendent Magic: Astral Wish】 invoking the nebula of the North Star Constellation.

【Transcendent Magic: Zion Gate】 borrowing the heaven of the Sun Constellation.

【Transcendent Magic: Genie Aura】 overlaying the elemental of the Epicenter Throne.

【Transcendent Magic: Spiritual Weapon】 forging the mental image of the Golden Constellation.

【Transcendent Magic: Material Armor】 imitating the material of the Steel Throne.

【Transcendent Magic: Cosmos World】 unfolding the phenomenon of the Clay Constellation.

【Transcendent Magic: Gehenna Gate】 drawing out the purgatory of the Lunar Constellation.

【Transcendent Magic: Phantasma Dream】 dreaming the fantasy of the Wind Constellation.

【Transcendent Magic: Nether Way】 connecting to the abyss of the Heavenly Slaughter Constellation.

【Transcendent Magic: Abyss Hall】 observing the abyss of the Darkness Constellation.

Gogogogogogogogo!

Thus, the power of the Twelve Constellations ruling the Otherworld filled the area around the Ark.

If he had used just one, he could have amplified the influence of a single constellation.

But having used all transcendent magics connecting to the Twelve Constellations like this, there was no major change in the balance between constellations.

However, just one thing.

The effect the Dragon Slayer Emperor desired was clearly applied.

Hwaaaak!

Originally, the root world was divided into twelve layers by the Twelve Constellations of the Heavenly Palace.

Normally, even a True God could perceive at most four layers as a limit.

But now, through the 12 transcendent magics just used, the Dragon Slayer Emperor could fully perceive all twelve layers comprising the world.

And the foundation of mysticism begins with perception.

Magic unfolded while fully perceiving the world reaches the realm of creation beyond the reproduction of phenomena.

“【Transcendent Magic: Disintegrate】, 【Transcendent Magic: Nuclear Blast】, 【Transcendent Magic: Elemental Punishment】.”

Using the capacity equivalent to the remaining three transcendent magics, three termination magics of the spirit particle, physical, and elemental series manifested without delay.

【Disintegrate】 forcibly collapses the spirit particles forming the Primal Spirit God into meaningless starlight.

【Nuclear Blast】 explodes the nuclei of physical material structures.

【Elemental Punishment】 completely separates the target by each attribute through diverse elemental powers.

The moment three god-slaying magics, each capable of killing a Demi-God alone, manifested.

Drrrruk— Gireuk! Gireureuk!

The representation of the 4-dimensional magic circle revealed in the imperial palace changed to a form similar to the Wheel Constellation’s chariot wheel, and the magic circle began to rotate.

Originally, the Dragon Slayer Emperor was a spirit serving the North Star Constellation, but by absorbing the achievements of dragons—transcendent species of the Wheel Constellation—he gained the ability to use the power of the chariot wheel.

Authority [Magic-Destroying Wheel].

As the chariot wheel projected with the 4-dimensional magic circle rotated, the three different termination magics perfectly fused into one.

Transcendence of hierarchy through Trinity.

Magic already called transcendent for having transcended hierarchy transcended once more to become an Authority.

Its effect was simple.

Destruction that destroys him by perceiving all 12 layers comprising the world.

Before it, even Asta’s celestial body was no different from a piece of paper.

‘I shouldn’t get hit by that.’

Bang!! Bang!! Bang!!

So Asta had no choice but to first block the Magic-Destroying Wheel with his Star-Shattering Fist.

Since the Star-Shattering Fist was also an Authority, it had sufficient qualification to block the Magic-Destroying Wheel.

He struck the chariot wheel attempting to spew destructive power repeatedly, blocking the wheel.

The problem was that merely blocking was the limit.

Although the Dragon Slayer Emperor was also using all capacity of the 16-layered 4-dimensional magic circles to maintain the Magic-Destroying Wheel, making it difficult to do anything additional.

As long as Eternal Magic was maintained, the Magic-Destroying Wheel would attempt to roll endlessly.

No matter how low-consumption the Star-Shattering Fist Authority was, in a prolonged battle, Asta would inevitably reach his limit first.

Gireuk— Bang!! Gireuk— Bang!!

At least now, while the two True Gods’ Authorities were deadlocked, the other Subjugation Force members had to do something.

* * *

While Hanna and Beatus were devoting all their strength to maintaining the Sanctuary.

The Subjugation Force members with leeway were Duren and Dice.

Among them, the one who first attempted to break the deadlock between the two True Gods was Dice.

Step.

Looking at the transcendent magic Spiritual Weapon unfolded by the Dragon Slayer Emperor, his talent exploded once more.

“Knight Order Assembly.”

Dice, who summoned projections of Pilgrim Knight Order members by unfolding his 6th Awakening Skill, groped for the enlightenment of Polarity Reversal brought by amplification to 8-Star Grade.

<Instant> and <Instant Step>, which were 1st and 2nd Awakening Skills but were now Legendary Skills, were tangling in his mind.

‘I already know the direction I must advance.’

Originally, awakening the reversal form should come first, but Dice’s genius talent had already stepped into a future realm.

He reached Synthesis of Opposites directly, omitting reversal.

[Conditions met. <Instant> and <Instant Step> are integrated.]

[Mythic Skill <Foresight Before Pain> is formed.]

When unfolding Instant and Instant Step, Dice’s mind advanced far faster than his body.

His enlightenment was also gazing far above his current realm.

Thus, the Myth Skill also appeared in that form.

And the moment he acquired Foresight Before Pain, Dice could now consciously control his talent.

Hwaak!

[Conditions met. <Thousand Cuts> and <Gale Thunderbolt> are integrated.]

[Mythic Skill <Relative Time Acceleration> is formed.]

By intentionally utilizing the Synthesis of Opposites function normally obtained at 10-Star, he integrated his 3rd and 4th Awakening Skills, which had become Legendary Skills.

Since Dice had already reached the realm of Authority by integrating all skills once, integrating Legendary Skills wasn’t that difficult.

A time manipulation ability that selectively accelerates his own and surrounding time, beyond simple super-acceleration that only increases his own speed.

Upon obtaining it, Dice intuitively felt he could step into the realm of Authority once more.

Ziiing—

As <Relative Time Acceleration> unfolded, Dice, who gained over 10 times more temporal leeway than the outside, unfolded the Tenfold Lightning Sword Art.

Kururururung!

“Hundred Swords… no, Thousand Swords Thunderfall.”

He unfolded Hundred Swords Thunderfall, his 5th Awakening Skill, but unlike before, a thousand streams of lightning swords unfolded instead of a hundred.

Because Dice, utilizing Relative Time Acceleration, poured out ten streams of lightning swords in the time it would take to pour out one.

In that state, Sword Levitation Technique utilizing projections of Pilgrim Knight Order members followed.

Pachuchuchuchuchu!!

Since Relative Time Acceleration also applied to the knight projections Dice summoned, Thousand Swords Thunderfall also unfolded from their hands.

“Ultimate Technique. Ten Thousand Swords Thunderfall.”

Kugugugugugugugu—!!!!

Thus, he recovered the realm of Ten Thousand Swords Thunderfall he had reached in the past.

No, unlike when he was 4-Star, since Dice was now 8-Star, he advanced even beyond that.

[Ziziziz— Authority [Ten Thousand Lightning Swords] is temporarily unlocked.]

Pajijijijik!

The surging river of lightning gradually compressed into one place.

As if embodying All Streams Return to Origin, ten thousand tributaries converged into a single stream and condensed into one sword.

Extreme swordsmanship not inferior even compared to the Sword Demon’s Formless Sword.

Dice’s current maximum combat power.

“Huaaaaaaa—! Go!”

Sswaeaeaek!

It flew like an arrow, piercing through the 4-dimensional magic circle surrounding the imperial palace.

Peoseok!

Jjeojeojeojeojik!

As the space where the magic circle existed shattered, cracks spread even to the inner parts of the 4-dimensional magic circle that hadn’t been revealed.

But despite seeing that, Dice’s expression wasn’t good.

‘Damn. Was I too shallow?’

What he aimed for was the core part of Eternal Magic, the first activated transcendent magic.

Ultimately, since Eternal Magic was responsible for maintaining the Magic-Destroying Wheel, he judged that if he could break just that, Asta could win sufficiently.

But perhaps because the Dragon Slayer Emperor also knew the importance of Eternal Magic, its core was hidden in spiritual dimensions not revealed in reality.

The Ten Thousand Lightning Swords Dice shot pierced even into spiritual dimensions but ultimately failed to break Eternal Magic.

As long as Eternal Magic remained intact, the wounds inflicted by Ten Thousand Lightning Swords would quickly recover.

Just as Dice was about to bow his head with a despairing expression.

Tap.

Duren placed his hand on Dice’s shoulder and stepped forward.

“Leave the next part to me.”

As he said this, an unprecedented form of swordsmanship flashed brilliantly on the Infinite Single-Heaven Sword Art held in Duren’s hand.

It was Natural Sword, another form of swordsmanship that had reached the extreme.