Chapter 128 - I Am The Strongest One
But those one hundred and fifty meters long dragons were different since they were indeed creatures made of flesh and blood, with an impressive and thriving life force and a power corresponding to a Rank 2 life form.
And although those dragonborns on their backs were at Rank 1, with their racial advantages, plus runic sets and armors, there was no one among the Rank 1 Magi that was confident in their chances in a battle against them.
Some discontent could be seen on some Magi as they saw the Sunlight Champions carrying such armors and runes since unlike dragons that were a known race of the universe, they were all members of diverse races that were always considered inferior to them.
So they did not think it was right for such creatures to have better equipment.
Zatiel has been observing all the members of the army using his Eye of Life and Creation to see and have a better understanding of their power as well his Animus abilities to detect their emotions. So he was able to detect all those small and imperceptible actions.
But he did not say anything and only made sure to mark those he determined problematic in his mind.
He was wearing dark armor that covers all of his body and had patterns on it so he could channel his energy inside them and activate his magic abilities.
This was a Rank 3 Magic Equipment known as Fallen Protector, due to its core parts being made of a fallen star mineral and was the most powerful creation of Ezequiel.
Extending all over his skin and even covering his face were incredibly complex runic inscriptions that carried a black light.
Most of the members of this army have heard stories about Zatiel, due to their leaders telling them that there was a great chance that he will be part of Heinz\'s army.
Those at Rank 1 did not dare to look back at him. As for those Rank 2, although they did not behave in such a submissive way, most of them felt apprehensive when that golden eye was fixed on them.
It was only those Rank 3 Magi that looked at Zatiel and also analyzed him, not showing any of the fear that those under their command were displaying.
Although they were able to feel that he was indeed very strong among those in his Rank, he was still at Rank 2 and they did not think that he would be able to have the abilities to jump an entire Rank in battle power just as he did when he was at Rank 1.
Their thinking was not unfounded since the difference between someone at Rank 1 and Rank 2, was inferior to the difference between those at Rank 2 and Rank 3.
Zatiel did not really care about the personal opinion that those Magi had over him, as long as they followed his every command without hesitation.
After having a good estimate of the power of the army and marking all those who could be a problem in the future, he gives a subtle look at Dante.
Immediately, the tadpoles in the hand of those Sunlight Champions and Neo-Demons glowed and together with those warriors covered completely by white armors, they acted in unison, all of them moving at the same time.
The Sunlight Champions and white warriors fly out of the Sun Domain at a great speed and as they do, they start to form groups.
Each group consisted of fifteen Sunlight Champions and thirty white warriors, and without losing speed and before they touched the ground, the groups were already formed.
As these happened, the two dragons were also descending and the dragonborns in their backs landed right in front of them, forming small groups of five.
When the dragon\'s claws touched the ground, the earth broke due to their immense weight, and a small earthquake occurred around them, but those dragonborns did not move a single centimeter and remained like statues.
When they saw these actions, even those stubborn Rank 3 Magi were impressed and had to admit that when it comes to order and discipline, the Daybreak army is truly top tier, since even those dragons that were supposed to be an arrogant race were acting just like a part of the army and not as individuals.
If they are able to display this type of unity in battle, then their power will be significantly superior to the mere sum of their numbers.
Zatiel was very satisfied with the behavior of his people. He saw all of them adopting a military formation with each group being ready to work alone or help the other in case of need.
\'Now it is time to show my might,\' Zatiel thought as he flew in the sky.
Zatiel did not waste his time trying to influence the opinion that the Magi army had over him, by displaying his profound knowledge or explaining the benefits of working under him.
Abyssal Lords have always obtained control over their armies displaying their powers and making clear that the only choice they have is to obey.
Once he was ten meters above the head of the Undying Leviathan, Zatiel power starts to increase greatly as he activates both of his True Names, making his skin golden and a dark aura formed around his body.
When he does this, not only those Rank 3 Magi but also the Soul Forging existences in the sky focus their entire concentration on him.
The stories about his monstrous talent and battle power had already spread all over the empire, so they were curious about how truthful they were.
Once his life force and vitality reached their peak, Zatiel proceeded to activate his runic set.
The runes in his body start to burn with a dark light that seems to be breaking his skin, and a black, violent and destructive force starts to form around him as incredibly pure dark flames cover his body completely.
The runic set that Zatiel was using was a very powerful and dangerous one named Catalyst of Negative Energy, and the deadly force he was generating now was reaching the level of a newly promoted Rank 3 life form.
Being true to their knowledgeable nature, the Rank 3 Magi and those Soul Forging existences were able to detect the type of power that was running through Zatiel bodies at this moment and that it increased his strength so much.
But when they understood the origin of his power, there was disappointment in the expression of those Rank 4 individuals in the sky and some Rank 3 were showing disdain.
This was due to although negative energy being indeed a very powerful source of destructive force, it was also the antithesis of life, and if your body was not one with undead properties, then using it to increase your strength will harm you.
So in their minds, taking that risk just for a momentary impulse in power was foolish, and sometimes only those obsessed with the perception that others will have on them will do.
Zatiel was oblivious to their thoughts and even if he knew it, he would not care. He would never do something so stupid as to sacrifice his future, merely to make an impression on others.
He knew of the dangers of this runic set, but he already had a way to counter it, and without delay, once the negative energy inside him reached his peak, his Eye of Life and Creation activated to the fullest.
From his golden sun, a great amount of golden fire filled with life came out and started to appear around him, displacing the dark flame made of negative energy that filled his body.
Normally when negative energy enters in contact with a force of life, it will usually react in a violent manner, but even though their quantities were around the same, the quality of the All-encompassing Sun-flame was incredibly superior, so a harmonious equilibrium was created among the flames, in the right side of his body one dark and full of death and in the left side one golden and filled with life.
Once that happened, Zatiel\'s power rose even greater than did the dark golden flame inside the domain.
The equilibrium made between those two powers seem to be affecting the Undying Leviathan, and since it was a necromancy construct itself, the increase of negative energy, made his power greater and it roared to demonstrate its new might.
"ROOOAAARRR!!!"
Just the roar made some Rank 1 Magus almost faint.
When they saw the power inside Zatiel body, the expression of all those Rank 3 Magi was filled with shock and even those Rank 4 in the sky were surprised, since right now, he was displaying a power equal to an Advanced Rank 3 life form, and they could notice that his time in Rank 2 has been insignificant.
There were two among the Soul Forging that were looking at Zatiel with immense interest and although they tried to hide it, there was also excitement.
They were professor Totto and Zitra.
Zatiel knew that his might in the heart and mind of this army was something equal to those Rank 3 Magi, and they understood that they needed to follow him. But he was not satisfied with it and wanted for them to feel it will be their honor to follow him, not something they need to do but something they wanted.
So he proceeds to prepare for the most powerful attack he has, one he obtained thanks to his new Innate Spell.
The Rank 2 Innate Spell he obtained was known as Life Release, and it gave him the ability to swallow energy with his Eye of Life and Creation before transforming it into an attack and releasing it as a beam of energy.
So once he targeted a mountain five hundred kilometers away, Zatiel made the dark and golden flame surrounding his body to enter the Eye of Life and Creation and he only stopped when there was a very thin thread of the flames surrounding his body.
Once all the energy was ready to be fired, Zatiel made the last adjustment and prepared his Abyssal Blast to be fired from his eye as well, along with the Life Release.
When Zatiel finishes his preparation and feels like his Eye of Life and Creation is about to explode from so much energy, he fires his attack, releasing six pairs of beams of energy to the mountain one after the other.
The attacks reached the mountain at almost the same time and when they landed; they generated an explosion with a radius of total destruction of ten kilometers. One hundred kilometers around the blast area, everything was inundated in dark and golden flames.
Seeing someone at Rank 2, fire an attack that could kill almost all of them, the entire army including those Rank 3 Magi were amazed.
"There are many reasons why you will follow me, but the most important one is that I am the strongest one!"
The entire Magi army turns to look at Zatiel, and despite seeing his face pale due to the immense exhaustion and energy depletion, in the heart of most of them, there was admiration and respect, and also hope since following someone so powerful, will mean that their chances of returning alive will be greater.