Marquis Voban's wariness was, in the end, half a beat too slow! The black miasma and the great earth that had guarded his body were turned to ash under the might of the setting sun, and the destructive impact had not yet even dissipated! He rolled away wolfishly, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow. At the same time, his entire body suddenly swelled, his muscles bulging, transforming into the even stronger, more oppressive form of a primeval Wolf God!
Even so, the scorching light still left a charred wound on his tough fur. But this was of no consequence! This Wolf God body, originating from Apollo, not only granted him astonishing life force but also the divine protection of light. The wound was healing at a speed visible to the naked eye!
The Pegasus Saint, Seiya, landed on the ground, the wings behind him releasing the brilliance of the sun.
—Combat Technique, Sunlight Heavenly Flight.
A combat technique propelled by the Sunlight Authority, its prototype was the ultimate technique of the Phoenix. When activated, it was like a Pegasus spreading its wings and soaring, releasing a scorching heatwave sufficient to boil the heavens and seas, with the power to destroy all things.
Without any conversation, both sides struck in an instant.
The Underworld Dragon of the ancient Mesopotamian earth mother goddess Inanna and the Karmic Fire Tornado of the Phoenix propelled by the Sunlight Authority collided. Then, Marquis Voban saw a light rise before his eyes.
—The Pegasus Light-Speed Fist. The blinding platinum light once again rushed towards the enemy like a torrent.
Without any hesitation, he swelled his body, transforming into a giant Wolf God and swallowing the light before him in one gulp.
"——Hahahahahahaha! Is this it? Is this the light that clashed with that boy Doni, the light that defeated the Eastern war god! How satisfying! It truly satisfies this old one!"
This was an Authority usurped from the Greek god of light, Apollo Lyceus. It allowed him to summon the sacred beast of the god Apollo—a demonic wolf with deep mouse-colored fur, a beast of darkness and the earth—as a familiar without limit to guard his own safety. In addition, he could also transform himself into the gray wolf's manifestation, gaining terrifying physical abilities. And because he had the divine protection of light in this state, he could devour light.
Under normal circumstances, a Godslayer would rely entirely on knowing the weaknesses of a god from the myths and developing their Authorities far beyond what was depicted in the myths to fight a deity. But this old wolf king was an exception. Three hundred years of time had allowed the number of Authorities he possessed to reach a scope that surpassed that of many gods. Instead, he used his extremely rich variety of Authorities to target and defeat his enemies.
Amidst the howl of the giant wolf, Voban's voice also rang out, a strange phenomenon.
"Brat, your light happens to be countered by this old one! This is the reason you will be defeated!"
The aftershock of their fierce battle split the earth into jagged valleys! At almost the same instant, a fierce and excited smile flashed in Seiya's eyes and in the emerald-green pupils of the Wolf God!
—Howl!
A great storm did not come from the sky, but erupted from the depths of the cracked earth beneath their feet! A bone-chilling cold from the underworld instantly enveloped the two who were locked in fierce battle! Then came a sky-covering swarm of black locusts, symbolizing desolation and death, sweeping towards them like a tide of destruction!
A giant shadow from above enveloped their figures. The God King Melqart had made his move!
Whether it was the Saint or the old Demon King, their vision was now covered by the sky full of a swarm of death locusts. But neither side immediately moved to disperse the locust swarm, because they were both waiting for the other to make the first move.
But the God King was also waiting for this very moment.
"Two god-slaying beasts, are also the same prey!" The God King laughed loudly, shouting the true words to release his divine artifacts. "O Chaser! O Driver! Baal, the Rider on the Clouds, is calling you! Now, speed forth, dance swiftly, and sweep away all!"
Lightning illuminated the earth, but faster than the lightning were two blurry trajectories. They were the divine artifacts Chaser and Driver. This was the God King's true, pride-worthy finishing blow!
The Light-Speed Fist rising from the Saint's hand crushed the Chaser that was closing in on him. And Marquis Voban, with a look, froze the divine artifact flying towards him. Gray and white salt crystals covered the wooden club, gradually eroding the divine artifact. But in the next instant, a strong sense of crisis assaulted him from the front.
The instant was extremely brief, but this was the gap between life and death.
The scorching Karmic Fire Tornado had completely opened a path through to Marquis Voban. "Seiya..." Marquis Voban had just said two words when he saw a brilliant light cover his face.
Infinite—Atomic Thunderbolt Light-Speed Fist!!!
Even though he was a sacred beast that could swallow light, he could not withstand this near-infinite torrent of lightning.
It's an attack of light mixed with the concept of lightning. My Apollo's Wolf can resist it... The first blow landed on Marquis Voban's face, and he was still calmly analyzing the Saint's technique. As his thoughts raced, a brilliant white light suddenly shot out from under his gray fur!
An Authority that can counter light? This old one has one too!
"Like a star shining in the day and night... the light of the wolf can also reach the heavens!!" A high-speed divine word filled with fighting spirit resounded! The sacred light emanating from the wolf's body strangely merged with Melqart's thunder and Seiya's light beam, transforming into a platinum domain of neutralization and cancellation!
But the next blow broke his jawbone, and his eyeballs, under the pressure, even burst from their sockets.
Even in this state, the old wolf king was still forcing himself to calmly analyze. No, there's a concept of destruction too?! Is it Verethragna's Authority?!
The third fist landed on the right arm he had raised to block... The fourth fist, the fifth fist, the sixth fist completely shattered his defense. The wolf avatar of Apollo could not truly cancel out that light attack. Then, it pierced through his chest.
But even in such a tragic situation, Seiya did not stop his hands, because he knew of the vigorous life force his opponent possessed. He had to make him fully realize what a foolish thing he was doing.
"Cry, scream, and then—die!!"
The final blow was the Boar Rush. The name, though unpleasant, was wrapped in the most destructive concept of destruction. Seiya's fist thoroughly smashed the tough wolf body to dust, completely silencing this interloping old Demon King.
In that realm between life and death, the old man let out a laugh of unknown meaning. And in the real world, the Saint turned to look at the two divine artifacts that had shattered his Pegasus Cloth and pierced into his back: Chaser and Driver.
These were the core weapons from Melqart's mythological story, meaning "to drive away" and "to expel" respectively. He had used them to draw the dragon king Yam from his throne and then kill him. And with this conquest, he had ascended to the throne of the God King.
But he slowly looked up at the giant god surrounded by lightning and storms. He was carrying the might of having defeated the most ancient Demon King, and even the God King Melqart felt an immense pressure sweeping towards him.
Seiya looked gently at the ruined Pegasus Cloth, then, the moment he raised his hand, an even brighter platinum light enveloped his entire body—
—The God Robe Verethragna completed its armament!