Chương 179: Dante Zogratis

Some time ago, before Julian embarked on his journey to the Diamond Kingdom, he delegated tasks to his comrades and left the base situated near the shore.

His destination led him to the basement of a dilapidated house, cloaked in darkness.

To dispel the obscurity, Julian conjured a small wisp of flame that cast a feeble light upon the scene, revealing a figure in the corner, draped in a black cloak.

"Since you've called me here, Nacht, it must be a matter of grave importance," Julian remarked, his curiosity piqued, as Nacht removed his cloak.

"Grave doesn't even begin to describe it... It's far more dire than that," Nacht replied, handing Julian a report that immediately widened his eyes.

According to the report, the Diamond Kingdom had fallen to the King of the Spade Nation.

Almost all of the generals, including the grand marshal, had met their demise.

"Let me give you all the information I've gathered from the Spade Nation so far," Nacht began, and Julian listened intently.

Seventeen years ago, three siblings from the Spade army had acquired the power of devils and orchestrated a coup d'état, usurping the throne. The eldest sibling, Dante Zogratis, assumed the role of king, while the other two, Vanica and Zenon, became his commanders. Nacht harbored suspicions of a fourth sibling but lacked concrete evidence.

Following their rise to power, the Spade Nation sealed its borders, cutting off all communication with the outside world. The Zogratis siblings had somehow forged contracts with the most formidable devils from the underworld, including the Demon King of Gravity, Lucifero, the Queen of Curses, Megicula, and Beelzebub.

Under their rule, the new Spade army entered pacts with various lower-rank devils, gaining unprecedented levels of strength—all in pursuit of a singular objective: the revival of the Tree of Qliphoth and the opening of the gates to the underworld.

********

The moon hung high in the night sky, casting an eerie luminescence upon the desolate battlefield. The clash of magical energies resonated through the air, creating a tumultuous symphony of power. Mana, saturated with darkness, clashed with ferocious intensity.

From above, a sword of light streaked toward Dante, but as if the very fabric of space obeyed his will, the trajectory of the light blade bent and faltered, crashing into the ground.

Observing the failed attack, Lumiere materialized beside Julian and Licht. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Wizard King Julian, the last Ragnvindr," Dante proclaimed with an arrogant grin.

"I can't say the feeling is mutual," Julian retorted, his response eliciting a laugh from Dante.

"I quite enjoy that look of disdain in your eyes. You're displaying true human emotions," Dante remarked. "In any case, I have an announcement to make.

In four months, I shall declare war on the entire world...

We intend to open the gate to the underworld, connecting our world to that abyss.

Those chosen shall receive the ultimate power to embrace their true natures, for the essence of humanity is inherently malevolent."

Aware that their presence might obstruct their plans, Dante continued, "Considering you all might prove to be hindrances, I've decided to eliminate you now."

"Devil power: sixty percent!!!!"

Dante exclaimed as his body began to expand, and his aura surged to that of a supreme-ranked devil.

The eruption of gravitational power from Dante felt as if the very world had been upended.

Unfazed, Julian activated his spirit dive, aligning his aura with Dante's overwhelming presence.

"Licht, Lumiere, I need you to scout the kingdom. We can't be certain Dante is the sole adversary," Julian ordered a decision that clearly irked Dante.

"But—" Lumiere began, only to be swiftly interrupted by Julian's firm tone.

"I can handle myself, Lumiere. This is an order—go!" Julian commanded as he summoned Aquila Favonia, his form shrouded in the black flames of the abyss.

"I relish that arrogance in your eyes, Julian.

The arrogance that makes you believe you stand at the pinnacle of the world….. that arrogance is your true emotion!!!"

Dante, draped in his ominous black cloak, was the first to make his move.

His crimson eyes gleamed with malevolent intent as he summoned the tremendous forces of gravity magic bestowed upon him by the demon king Lucifero.

The very air quivered with the weight of his power as he raised his hands, palms facing Julian. With a guttural incantation, he unleashed the full fury of his magic.

The ground beneath Dante's feet trembled as gravitational waves rippled outward. It was as if the very fabric of reality bowed before him, acknowledging his mastery over this dark and formidable force.

Julian, equally resolute, met Dante's assault with Susanoo.

Susanoo's slash passed through Dante as if the space itself wrapped around him simultaneous gravity hit Julian from all directions, shattering his Susanoo.

For a second, Julian's body turned permeable as Dante's kick passed through his body, completely erasing his cloak of limitless, but it regenerated the next second.

Everything within a five-hundred radius around Dante started breaking apart and being turned into weapons shooting at Julian.

In an instant, the battlefield erupted into chaos.

The vision of three seconds into the future got ingrained into Julian's mind as he effortlessly dodged the initial projectiles and then used time magic to stop all the projectiles altogether.

It only worked for a few seconds as the power of Gravity even bent time forcefully going around Julian's spell.

[Abyssal magic: Amaterasu]

Black flames instantly enveloped everything, completely turning every single projectile into nothingness.

Fire, water, electricity, darkness, light, and the other elements swirled around Julian, each under his absolute control.

Flames danced like serpents, water formed protective barriers, lightning crackled with deadly precision, and shadows extended like grasping tendrils. It was a mesmerizing display of elemental prowess, a testament to Julian's command over the chaotic forces of Abyssal magic.

Dante, undaunted by the spectacle before him, continued to manipulate gravity with chilling precision. The very ground beneath Julian's feet quaked as it was subjected to immense gravitational forces.

Julian struggled to maintain his balance, but his determination shone through as he chanted incantations to bolster his defenses.

The battlefield became a maelstrom of power, with clashing elements creating dazzling displays of light and fury.

Firestorms roared, hurricanes of water spiraled, and bolts of lightning cut through the tumultuous atmosphere.

Julian's elemental onslaught collided with Dante's gravitational onslaught, each force pushing against the other in a relentless battle for supremacy.

Swinging Aquila Favonia, Julian released thousands of slashes at Dante but with a snap of his fingers, all of his attacks were crushed.

The power of Gravity magic was terrifying.

Combined with Dante's own body magic, which provided him with infinite regeneration.

Even if Julian completely erased Dante's cells from existence, they regenerated using body magic boosted by the Devil's power.

Each time Julian's death was damaged by his strong spells on Dante, his size and power increased even more.

According to Nacht, Dante could use up to eighty percent of the Devil's power.

If only sixty percent of the Supreme Devil's power could make most of his attacks useless, eighty percent would be too much for him to handle even with assistance.

Dante was a huge threat and needed to be eliminated at all costs.

Using Kirin's ability to manipulate nature, numerous roots started to form all over the battlefield.

Vines of the World Tree tore through the ground and spread throughout, absorbing mana from Dante and transferring it to Julian.

As he did, his body radiated with ethereal light, and the very ground seemed to resonate with the pulse of the World Tree's energy.

With newfound strength, he unleashed a torrent of elemental attacks.

Dante's grin widened as he observed Julian's efforts.

"Impressive Julian! Show me more of that power! Entertain me!"

"Devil Power: Eighty percent!"

With a cruel laugh, he intensified the gravitational forces around him, creating miniature black holes that siphoned in Julian's elemental attacks.

The elements spiraled into the inky voids, disappearing with a sense of finality that sent gave Julian a sense of severe crisis.

The relentless pressure bore down on him, threatening to overwhelm his defenses.

The battlefield became a canvas of elemental artistry, as explosions of fire and water collided with bursts of electrified darkness.

Beams of light cut through the chaos, while Julian's spatial and time magic added an additional layer of complexity to the struggle.

It was a breathtaking and terrifying display of magical prowess, a testament to Julian's mastery over the forces of the Abyss.

Dante, however, was far from defeated.

He continued to manipulate gravity with increasing finesse, creating gravitational waves that twisted and distorted the very space around Julian.

It was as though the laws of physics themselves bent to his will.

Julian's movements grew sluggish as he fought against the overwhelming force, his every step and gesture impeded by the relentless pull of gravity.

Julian utilized everything he knew from elemental magic, Abyssal magic, mana method of the runes, spirit magic, etc., to fight against an enemy who surpassed him in every way.

The pages of his Grimoire continued to turn as Julian kept creating new spells to face against Dante.

With a burst of spatial magic, he created rifts in the fabric of reality, allowing him to momentarily evade Dante's crushing gravitational grip.

He appeared behind Dante, launching a devastating combination attack that combined fire, water, electricity, and darkness into a swirling vortex of destruction.

Dante caught off guard, staggered under the onslaught.

His cloak billowed as he struggled to regain his composure.

Julian pressed his advantage, his eyes blazing with determination.

The roots of the World Tree spread around the kingdom, supplying Julian with an infinite source of natural mana that resonated with his Abyssal magic, creating a balance of yin and yang.

The World Tree's energy infused Julian's elemental spells with newfound strength and resilience.

Fire burned hotter, water surged with greater force, and lightning crackled with intensified power.

Shadows deepened, and beams of light became searing blades that sliced through the very fabric of reality.

It was a sight to behold, a symphony of elemental forces converging in a crescendo of magical might.

Dante, however, was not one to be outdone.

He raised his hands once more, channeling the full extent of his gravity magic.

The very earth quaked beneath him as he created a massive gravitational singularity, a swirling vortex of destruction that threatened to consume everything in its path.

Julian knew that he faced his greatest challenge yet.

With a fierce resolve, he unleashed his most potent spell—a fusion of spatial and time magic that created a protective barrier of distorted reality around him. The singularity's pull was deflected, and its destructive force was redirected away from Julian.

The battlefield trembled as the singularity's power clashed with Julian's defensive spell.

The very air vibrated with the cataclysmic forces at play. Julian gritted his teeth, pouring every ounce of his strength into maintaining the barrier.

The strain was immense, and he could feel the fabric of space and time itself warping under the pressure.

Dante, sensing an opportunity, pressed his advantage.

He launched a barrage of gravitational waves at Julian, each one more powerful than the last. The waves battered against the barrier, threatening to breach it and crush Julian beneath their weight. But Julian held firm, his willpower unwavering.

In a moment of desperation, Julian tapped into the deepest reserves of his Abyssal magic. He invoked the power of sealing, creating mystical glyphs that reinforced his barrier and pushed back against the relentless gravitational onslaught.

The glyphs glowed with a brilliant, otherworldly light, and the singularity's power waned.

Dante's eyes widened in astonishment as he witnessed Julian's determination and ingenuity, making him redouble his efforts.

Time seemed to have stopped for Julian as he dug too deeply into Abyssal magic, drawing out a power for an instant that Julian never thought of obtaining.

Anti-magic...

With a final surge of power, Julian unleashed a devastating counterattack—a torrent of Abyssal energy and Anti-magic that converged into a single, blinding beam of light.

The beam pierced through the singularity, destabilizing it and causing it to collapse in on itself.

A cataclysmic implosion sent shockwaves rippling across the battlefield.

Everything around Julian came to a complete halt as Dante's mana started to disappear.

It wasn't even yet since Dante's presence was still under Julian's senses.

But as Julian approached the seemingly fallen Dante, the sorcerer's voice, now filled with a chilling, echoing quality, cut through the air.

"Bravo Julian Bravo!! Too bad, it was merely a vessel I created," Dante spoke, his form beginning to dissipate into blood, bones, and flesh that scattered like mist in the wind.

"I shall return in four months, and your precious Yami and William Vengeance will face their reckoning."

With those ominous words, Dante's presence vanished completely, leaving behind only an enigmatic promise of future confrontation.

Julian stood amidst the remnants of the battlefield, victorious yet wary of the upcoming future.