### Chapter 133: Nine Gates, Open! (6k5!)
The Primordial Nightmare seemed to sense the opposing primal power emanating from Roswiser, becoming more ferocious than ever.
No longer flailing around in a wild tantrum, it concentrated all its energy in its chest.
A black-red magical sphere gathered there, reeking of such violent menace that it was suffocating.
Just in the charging phase, Leon could feel the unprecedented strength of this attack.
He stepped forward, gathering lightning magic to lend Roswiser a hand.
But Claudia pressed down on his shoulder.
“What’s wrong?” Leon asked, turning back.
“During a clash of primal powers, your regular lightning magic won’t help.”
Claudia said, “And that black dragon scale is quite eerie; aside from Roswiser’s primal power, I’m afraid ordinary magic won’t work on it.”
Leon bit his teeth in frustration; although he was somewhat unwilling, Claudia had already explained the situation clearly. If he rushed to act, he wouldn’t help Roswiser and might cause unnecessary trouble instead.
Remembering this, Leon took a step back, then slowly raised his arm, shielding Claudia behind him. Magical energy surged and formed a blue skeletal frame.
Super S-Class Lightning Magic: Shadow of the Sumeru.
Leon had used this move in the battle “Ten Seconds to k*ll Six Dragons” to neutralize the onslaught of four Dragon Kings.
At that time, Leon managed to fend them off with just the basic form of the Sumeru Shadow, but now, facing the Primordial Nightmare’s desperate attack, he used two successive upgrades on that skeletal framework.
In no time, the outer layer of the skeleton was enveloped in a lightning armor, visibly boosting its defensive power by several tiers.
Claudia gazed at the Sumeru Shadow shielding her and whispered her praise,
“You’re the only one I’ve seen who can develop the Sumeru Shadow to this extent.”
But facing her “auntie’s” compliments, Leon wasn’t in the mood to bask in glory. He fixed his gaze on Roswiser’s silhouette, silently cheering her on.
…
The battle in the upper city was being broadcast through the nearby remaining Shadow Stones, synchronized in the resonance array of Shadow Stones across the Empire.
In other words, the citizens of the Empire could witness this revolutionary battle firsthand.
At this moment, in the image projected from the Shadow Stones, the woman known as the “Silver Dragon King” was facing the ultimate monster created by the Empire all alone.
Her slender figure stood before the Primordial Nightmare, like a praying mantis attempting to stop a chariot.
Yet she displayed no signs of fear; the seven-colored glow shone even brighter, and her silver hair fluttered in the gusts of energy.
“I can’t believe the Dragon King is really on our side…”
“Can she defeat that monster, though?”
“Trust her, and trust Leon Casmod; they will definitely resolve this crisis.”
“…”
On the battlefield, both sides completed their charge.
The Primordial Nightmare initiated the attack first.
With a deafening roar, a world-destroying energy beam shot toward Roswiser.
At that moment, even Rebecca and the Lionheart Association, who were at the edge of the battlefield, could feel the extreme emotions contained in this attack from the Primordial Nightmare:
Violence, ferocity, anger, greed…
Rather than a monster’s desperate attack, it was more like the embodiment of “hatred and greed.”
“This feeling is just… bone-chilling.”
As an artillery master, Rebecca’s perception of magical energy was not as sharp as that of professionals like Leon.
Yet even so, she was shaken by that beam.
A tingling sensation swept from head to toe.
Cold sweat slipped down her forehead without her noticing.
Nacho and Martin’s expressions grew tense.
“Never seen an attack like this before… This is nothing like the pressure from the Dragon Kings; this is completely…” Martin struggled to find words to describe his current feelings.
And Nacho provided an answer,
“The dark side of humanity and its depravity. The Sharp Blade Trio met their demise because of Cant, and those sentient beings turned into fusion monsters… They’ve completely lost their self-awareness and are left only with anger toward this world.”
“What about the captain—”
“If they choose to confront it head-on, it means they have confidence in resolving this crisis.”
Nacho sighed, “In a battle of this caliber, we can’t help at all.”
…
Everyone could directly feel the power and horror of the Primordial Nightmare, but—
Would the Silver Dragon Queen be intimidated by this chaotic monster?
Seven-colored light spilled from her fingertips; she seized the moment and unleashed the Soul Judgment, confronting the energy beam of the Primordial Nightmare head-on.
Two immense energies collided.
In an instant, gusts of wind roared, and the world changed color.
The violently intertwined energies exploded outward, sending splintered debris raining down on Leon’s Sumeru Shadow.
Thankfully, Leon had asked the members of the Lionheart Association to help the civilians evacuate earlier; otherwise, such an enormous energy clash would inevitably cause tremendous casualties.
The Primordial Nightmare continued to channel energy into the beam; its power drew from the primal forces of the Sharp Blade Trio, as well as the darkness and greed hidden within their humanity.
So in a sense, the Primordial Nightmare was even stronger in sustained output or explosive power than any enemies Leon had faced before.
And that was precisely the reason why Queen Elizabeth felt confident about victory.
“Leon will seek help, which means he knows we haven’t played our trump card yet.”
Elizabeth said, “And he’s correct. But he would never imagine that our trump cards far exceed his understanding.”
Cant, having witnessed the power of the Primordial Nightmare, breathed a sigh of relief. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and laughed, “The black dragon scale given to us by ‘Lord Shadow’ is indeed powerful; it serves to educate Leon before his demise, teaching him what it means to be outsiders among outsiders, and heavens beyond heaven.”
At this, Elizabeth cast a sideways glance at Cant with hidden meaning.
“Actually, the black dragon scale isn’t the only trump card Lord Shadow gave us.”
“Oh? What else is there?”
Elizabeth pulled her gaze from Cant and lightly shook her head, “Let’s save the suspense for now; it won’t be needed anyway.”
Cant didn’t press further and turned his attention back to the battlefield below.
…
“Roar!! — d*e! Everyone just d*e!!”
The monster let out a deep, enraged roar, shaking people to their bones.
The two energies continued to clash violently, neither side gaining an advantage.
“If this continues… Roswiser won’t hold out.” Leon couldn’t help but worry.
The Soul Judgment is a highly draining technique, and Roswiser had never initiated such a massive ongoing attack in her usual training.
As he said, if it drags on, Roswiser might end up defeated.
“Trust your wife, Leon.”
Claudia remained calm, “Her proficiency with the Soul Judgment has far exceeded your expectations. And… haven’t you forgotten? The Soul Judgment isn’t meant for direct confrontation; the stronger the opponent’s negative emotions, the greater the damage inflicted.”
Leon paused; he remembered this effect, and it was quite vivid.
Because initially, to provide Roswiser with a practical training partner, Leon had even brought in an Angry Bull—though the Bull had ended up as beef hotpot instead of having its spirit purified by Roswiser…
“Then why is Roswiser still holding her ground against that monster? Clearly, she has no advantage in a direct confrontation.”
“She’s waiting.”
“Waiting? Waiting for what?”
“Waiting for an opportunity to maximize the power of Soul Judgment.”
As Claudia spoke, her eyes lit up, “It’s happening, right now!”
As the Primordial Nightmare continued to release energy, the dark emotions it emitted surged rapidly.
Finally, a bright glint flickered across Roswiser’s silver pupils.
“You shouldn’t have chosen to be our enemies.”
The seven-colored glow of the Soul Judgment suddenly flared up, and the previously stalemated energy clash shifted dramatically in one blink.
That holy light pierced through the darkness like a blade, flowing upward, unstoppable!
“No—no!!”
The heart-wrenching wails were drowned out amidst the explosion of Soul Judgment.
The explosion illuminated the upper city, lighting up the entire Empire.
Once the smoke cleared under the pristine moonlight, a magnificent seven-colored rainbow remained.
The immense black corpse lay before the Silver Dragon Queen, who took a moment to catch her breath before straightening up.
But before she could deliver her “Queen’s Victory Speech,” she was suddenly swept up in Leon’s bear hug from behind.
“Honey! If I had known you were this strong, I wouldn’t have looked for help! Just the two of us could speedrun the Empire!”
Having just cast her big move, the Queen fell into a state of exhaustion, unable to break free from this childish guy hugging her.
She looked at Leon, her gaze filled with “sisterly love,” akin to that of a neighborly older sister.
“Can’t let you steal the spotlight all the time; it’s my turn now.”
Roswiser was right; if an MVP had to be assigned for this Imperial battle, she truly deserved it so far.
“Big Sis! Wow! You were awesome!”
Not far away, Rebecca sprinted towards them while hugging her sniper rifle, followed by Nacho and Martin.
Only then did Roswiser relent and escape Leon’s hug, looking down at the crazy girl with a smile, “Is that so? So who’s cooler, me or your captain?”
“Of course, you’re cooler, big sis!”
“I think so too.”
“Hehe!”
Claudia watched the scene with a contented smile. While the happy ending felt a bit off from the initial literary intentions, who cares? A conclusion loved by the masses is a good conclusion!
Meanwhile, Old Cant was still huffing and puffing—
Oh, Old Cant has arrived.
“Is it over?” Constantine, who missed the final battle, glanced at Claudia.
“Yep, it’s over.”
Claudia nodded toward the Primordial Nightmare’s corpse, “The Silver Dragon King took it down in one hit.”
Constantine looked slightly shocked, “One hit?”
“Uh-huh.”
Constantine furrowed his brows, pondering for a moment, then sighed,
“The Empire doesn’t have any other move left, right?”
Leon: (→_→)
Queen: (→_→)
Claudia: (→_→)
Constantine blinked, then shrugged,
“I’m not a jinx or anything.”
…
Thud—
The defeat of the Primordial Nightmare seemed to be the last straw that broke the camel’s back. Cant, unable to bear the weight of despair, fell to his knees on the deck of the Landwalker.
“It’s over… it’s all over… ‘Shadow’ won’t spare us…”
He swallowed hard, seeming to suddenly remember something in a panic. He looked up at Elizabeth,
“By the way, didn’t you just say Shadow gave us another trump card? What is it? Hurry up and show it!”
Elizabeth stood with her arms crossed, glancing down at Cant with sarcasm, then asked flatly,
“Do you really want to know?”
“Of course! What’s the time for this? Do you want to get killed by Shadow or by that bunch of stupid citizens?! Just reveal whatever trump card you have!”
“Alright, follow me.”
With that, Elizabeth walked toward the bow of the Landwalker.
King Cant hurried to follow her.
Upon reaching the bow, Elizabeth looked down.
Leon and the others were laughing and joking there.
“Whoever Shadow decides must d*e, must d*e, Leon.”
Cant arrived at the bow and looked down, but aside from Leon and the corpse of the Primordial Nightmare, he saw nothing else.
“And then? Where’s the trump card? I—”
Before Cant could finish his sentence, Elizabeth quietly stepped behind him.
Then she hoisted his rotund waist and sent him tumbling off the bow of the Landwalker!
“Elizabeth!!—”
The king’s angry voice diminished with the increasing distance of his fall.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth returned to the bow, looking down at Cant, who had plunged into the Primordial Nightmare’s corpse.
“You are the last trump card Shadow left for me.”
“The Sharp Blade Trio sacrificed themselves for the Empire, so now… it’s your turn to sacrifice for Shadow.”
Her tone was as cold as ice, devoid of even the slightest trace of marital affection.
“Elizabeth… how could you—how could you do this to me?! I—don’t come over! Stay away from me! Get lost!!”
As Cant fell into the mire of blackness, countless writhing tentacles lunged at him, dragging him in an instant into the corpse of the Primordial Nightmare.
The queen on the Landwalker coldly watched the scene, whispering,
“Seems I’ll be giving up the Empire, Lord Shadow.”
…
“Hey, something just fell off the Landwalker.”
Rebecca squinted her eyes, peering at the dark corpse ahead, then began to observe carefully, “Is that thing… still moving?”
Upon hearing this, Leon and the others also turned to look.
Sure enough, what should have been the completely dead Primordial Nightmare continued to move.
Was it a dying struggle?
Or…
In their puzzled thoughts, Rebecca’s peripheral vision caught sight of her Shadow Stone fragment being absorbed by a small collection of tentacles emerging from the Primordial Nightmare.
The crazy girl quickly stepped back two paces, loading her sniper rifle and aiming, pulling the trigger.
The magic b*llet shot out, accurately striking that tentacle.
But it didn’t cause any harm.
Instead, that magical b*llet got absorbed by the tentacle!
“What—what’s going on?!”
Stunned, the girl was suddenly swept up by Martin and rushed backward.
Constantine also sensed the dangerous aura and jumped to a nearby low building.
Claudia unfurled her dragon wings, soaring into the air to evade the spread of the black tentacles.
Roswiser also flew up with Leon.
Once above, Leon perceived more intuitively what this black monster was trying to do.
The tentacles it split off continually expanded and stretched out, absorbing everything in sight, whether it was rubble, Shadestone fragments, organic or inorganic material, it all turned into part of the Primordial Nightmare.
Moreover, as it consumed more and more, its size kept increasing.
At this moment, the Primordial Nightmare resembled a massive black octopus, devouring everything within sight with its tentacles.
…
“Did I just see Cant fall into that monster’s corpse?”
“This broken country has finally become the worst-case scenario everyone wanted to avoid.”
“How is that thing still not dead?! It seems to still be absorbing the surrounding objects!”
“…”
The Shadow Stone resonance array also live-synced the anomalies in the upper city to every corner of the Empire.
After King Cant merged with the Primordial Nightmare, the eerie transformation sent chills down everyone’s spine.
In just a few seconds, half of the upper city was devoured by that black monster.
“Teacher Caroline… I’m scared…”
In front of the Casmod Orphanage, a little girl clung tightly to Caroline.
The sinister feeling also seeped into Caroline’s heart, but she had to hold steady; she still needed to care for the children.
“It’s okay… it’s okay…”
“Big Brother Leon… he can definitely defeat it! He can!”
Even the terrified little nun Sharen didn’t take even a single step back or succumb to despair at this moment.
Because she knew that as long as Leon hadn’t fallen, there was still hope.
“Leon… you can do it, you definitely can…”
Caroline gazed at the man in the Shadow Stone image, silently praying for him.
…
“If it keeps on eating like this, by tonight, the entire Empire will be gone.”
Constantine spoke while unleashing a powerful Dragon Flame toward the monster below.
However, the Dragon Flame was extinguished amidst countless black tentacles.
The next moment, the Primordial Nightmare’s body suddenly expanded a few inches.
At the same time, its rough black skin evolved into a deep red, and then, from that mass of black body, it suddenly unleashed a high-intensity fireball.
But thankfully, its attack speed was slow, and Leon and the others easily dodged in mid-air.
“Magical attacks can also be absorbed by it and counterattack.”
Claudia said, “Which means we cannot use any magical-energy-based attacks against it; that would only make it stronger.”
“What about the primal power?” Roswiser asked.
“Probably doesn’t work either; this monster still contains the Sharp Blade Trio, so it likely has resistance and absorption capabilities against primal power too.”
With magical attacks ineffective and primal power useless, it seemed they had hit a deadlock.
After a moment of silence, Leon suddenly spoke up,
“I have a way; it’s truly my last resort.”
The three Dragon Kings turned to look at him simultaneously.
“You’re not saying…”
“Exactly, since no magical attacks will work, we might as well try the most primitive physical attack.”
Leon looked at Constantine, “This move was originally meant for you, Constantine.”
Old Cant was taken aback, “For me?”
“Yup.”
Leon turned his gaze back toward the monster below, still consuming homes and streets,
“But the situation is urgent; I have to reveal the surprise early.”
“Roswiser, drop me down, then take Rebecca and the others to a safe place. I’ll handle it alone from here.”
The Queen frowned slightly, “You’re trying to play the hero again.”
“No, I’m not trying to be a hero; if you stay here, I won’t be able to perform.”
Roswiser continued to glare at him.
After briefly locking eyes with his wife, Leon quickly relented.
“Alright, there’s indeed a hint of personal heroism. But don’t worry; I’ll be fine, trust me.”
“Leave it to me” and “I’ll be okay” are Leon’s go-to phrases to reassure those around him in times of crisis.
Though this fool is childish and deluded and loves playing the hero,
Every time he says “trust me,” no one will hesitate or question anymore.
“Be sure to take care of yourself, Leon.”
“Yeah, the Daughters are waiting for us to come home.”
Roswiser nodded and slowly descended, placing Leon on an empty street, then retreated with Rebecca and the others to a safe area.
They landed on a tall building, a safe distance removed from Leon’s battlefield, temporarily out of reach of the Primordial Nightmare’s tentacles.
Claudia walked to the edge of the tall building, gazing down at the fiery battlefield in the upper city.
“He’s going to use the Nine Gates, isn’t he?”
“Uh-huh.”
“All nine gates open?”
“Yes.”
“But he’s not from the Dragon Race, and he doesn’t have the Heartguard Dragon Scale. If he forcibly opens the ninth gate, the backlash from the powerful energy will instantly destroy his heart.”
The “Nine Gates” ancient text was compiled by Claudia and handed down by her Master to Leon, so she understood the consequences of opening the ninth gate very well.
Even Claudia, with the Heartguard Dragon Scale, had only managed to reach the eighth gate.
Opening the ninth gate requires not only effort but also talent, of utmost importance.
“The Heartguard Dragon Scale, huh…”
Silver strands brushed against her beautiful face as she gazed at the black silhouette, her lips involuntarily curling up slightly.
“He has one.”
“What—”
Claudia was briefly taken aback before comprehending, “So, he had been relying on your Heartguard Dragon Scale to survive.”
“Yes… So, he’ll win, he will definitely win.”
Claudia sighed softly, reminiscent of her infatuated sister.
But this wasn’t the time for sentimentality.
She turned her gaze back to the battlefield; Leon was gradually opening the Nine Gates.
“bl**d boiling, bone charging, divine speed, celestial navigation, chasing the sun.”
“From the second gate to the sixth, these five moves can significantly enhance the user’s bodily functions and enable corresponding offensive actions.”
“But the seventh and eighth gates aren’t meant for offense.”
“Seventh Gate: Dusk’s Protection, Eighth Gate: Reverse Radiance; the former is for defense, and the latter is for rapid healing of the user’s physical injuries.”
“These two moves are all preparations for the ninth gate.”
“Because once the ninth gate is opened, the energy will rebound against the user, requiring Dusk’s Protection and Reverse Radiance to ease the backlash a bit.”
“Yet even so, most practitioners only reach the eighth gate.”
“Either limited by talent or unwilling to gamble on that self-sacrificial strike.”
“And Leon, as a non-Dragon Race, intends to open the ninth gate? This is really something to look forward to.”
Claudia slowly exhaled, watching Leon about to unleash the ninth gate and continued,
“The last page of the ‘Nine Gates’ has this inscription:”
In the distant battlefield, that man stood firm as if he were an immovable king.
“After traversing nine layers of hell, everything returns to oblivion, and paradise lies within reach—”
Red steam slowly rose from beneath his skin, and the fluid coursing through his veins wasn’t bl**d but magma, as deep red and visible as molten rock.
And lightning was akin to an old friend, still by his side even now.
“When dusk fades, and radiance extinguishes—”
He bent slightly, like a lion preparing to pounce.
The Primordial Nightmare immediately sensed the powerful force erupting from Leon and swung its towering tentacles towards him.
Leon was also awaiting this moment.
Pushing off with his right foot, he shot out, a surge of power coursing through him, as if his fighting spirit would crush everything in its path.
“The deep night is his only armor—”
The bl**d-red steam transformed into a fierce lion, charging toward that terrifying monster.
“Thus, the ninth gate of the nine gates, this move is known as—”
The raging lion roared, shaking the universe.
“Night Armor!!”
x*x*x
Writing out all nine gates serves to prove that I didn’t slack off and just copy others’ skills.
In the end, using phonetics is also a tribute to “Naruto,” an anime that has been a part of my youth.
Thanks for everyone’s support; this chapter hit a whopping six thousand five hundred words! Next, we will officially enter the next phase!
There’s no time to reminisce about the lost Empire; what’s coming next is a super comedy of Melkway’s family, filled with love-hate relationships and parental affection!
And now, please cast your monthly votes!!
