The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order Chapter 2584 Reaching the heart

At the very heart of the Burning Moon, the Nightmare Sacred King was situated.

His eyes blazed with uncontrollable hatred and utter frustration as he deflected the seventy-two weapons aimed at piercing him. Each impact resonated like the chime of a celestial bell, its echoes reverberating throughout the molten sphere that contained him. His wings, which were artifacts as robust as Fourth Realm treasures and capable of withstanding the destruction of worlds, were no longer intact. They had already suffered damage from the Soul Shattering Sky and were further battered by the immense pressure of the Burning Moon. Now, the Ars Goetia weapons relentlessly tore into them.

Dark blood started to drip from his wings; each drop, suffused with immense power, hissed as it disintegrated in the searing environment. The light within the Nightmare Sacred King's eyes grew colder and more piercing—it was no longer mere irritation, but pure rage.

"Fine then… little ant," he snarled, his voice booming like distant thunder. "No more games."

The Ancestor Power within him violently surged, intensifying its glow as it coursed through his being. His wings unfurled, their sharp edges cleaving through the molten rock and earth, pushing back the overwhelming pressure that surrounded him. The seventy-two weapons quivered as the counterforce against them escalated, yet they remained fixed—embedded deeply, resisting his defiance.

A void began to materialize at the center of the Burning Moon as his power displaced all surrounding matter. The flaming pentagram behind him reappeared, radiating a terrifying brilliance. Its luminescence climbed towards its zenith, the energy within compressing to a singularity where reality itself started to warp.

The Sacred King was poised to unleash his might when he heard it. "Detonate!"

Cain's voice pierced through the tumult, reaching the core of the Burning Moon with absolute clarity.

The Nightmare Sacred King's eyes widened in disbelief as he sensed it—the change.

The seventy-two weapons lodged within the molten sphere began to emit a glow.

"You bastard—!"

He bellowed in fury, but it was in vain.

The Burning Moon, together with the seventy-two Ars Goetia weapons, detonated in unison.

"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!"

The resultant explosion was beyond comprehension—surpassing a supernova, eclipsing the birth of a star. It engulfed everything in its path, obliterating the ground beneath and shattering the sky above. Arcs of lightning shrieked across the heavens as the fabric of reality itself seemed to rupture under the immense strain.

For several moments, only blinding light and devastation existed.

Then, gradually, the inferno began to recede.

From the epicenter of that cataclysm, a figure emerged.

The Nightmare Sacred King remained standing.

Dark blood streamed from his body. Five of his wings were afflicted with deep, searing wounds, their once-flawless forms now marred and fractured. One of his wings was entirely gone—annihilated by the explosion. The bindings that covered him were scorched and ripped, exposing patches of charred flesh underneath.

His respiration was heavy and irregular. For the first time, his life force exhibited a trace of instability.

Even for a Fourth Realm entity, surviving such an explosion at its very core was no simple feat. The mere fact that he still existed—still upright—was already a testament to his formidable power.

Nevertheless, despite his injuries, the Nightmare Sacred King's stance remained unbroken. His presence continued to dominate the battlefield.

His gaze immediately swept the surroundings, seeking Cain.

Within him, something far more potent than physical pain burned.

Humiliation.

He had not landed a single significant strike.

Instead, he had been wounded—repeatedly—by an individual he had previously deemed insignificant.

Should news of this event propagate, his name would become a universal jest.

Such a fate could not be permitted.

His gaze sharpened as he looked towards the heavens—and then narrowed further as he fixed his eyes directly upon the sun.

There, amidst its incandescent fury, a figure was visible.

The Scarlet King hovered within the solar inferno, adorned in the Omnissiah Sacred Treasure, its power emanating with divine intensity. His right gauntlet was extended, shaped into a blade of concentrated energy that grew brighter with each passing second. Behind him, his Chaos Wings flared wide, channeling the sun's fiery essence into his weapon.

For a fleeting instant, a flicker of something crossed the Nightmare Sacred King's eyes upon witnessing those wings.

Recognition.

But it vanished as swiftly as it had appeared.

"Hmph. What an imbecilic display," he scoffed, though his murderous intent surged uncontrollably.

The detonation had disrupted his Ancestor Power at a crucial juncture, triggering a backlash that damaged his Ancestor Drop. However, this was of little consequence.

He did not require it to eliminate Cain.

Without a moment's hesitation, his wings beat furiously, propelling him forward at an inconceivable velocity.

He hurtled towards the Scarlet King like a descending shadow.

Yet—

Midway through his charge, his eyes widened.

Cain materialized directly before him, his blade thrusting towards the Nightmare Sacred King's heart!

The Nightmare Sacred King experienced a moment of stunned paralysis. He could still perceive Cain's silhouette within the sun—unwavering, still standing.

But this reality—

This was undeniably real.

What lingered in the sky was no illusion, no mere clone. It was a temporal echo, an embodiment constructed through the Quietus Force, mimicking Cain's very essence so flawlessly that even a Fourth Realm entity was thoroughly deceived.

For that briefest of instants, the ruse had been effective.

However, there was no luxury of time to ponder it.

Every instinct shrieked a primal warning.

Danger!

The Nightmare Sacred King reacted with immediate reflex, drawing his wings inward to form a protective barrier around his person.

Yet, his response was too sluggish.

Cain's eyes blazed with a fierce scarlet luminescence as three suns erupted within his being—hallmark phenomena of the Apollo Speed technique.

He had attained the second stratum within the Eighth Realm.

And three months prior, he had ascended to the third stratum. The catalyst for igniting the final Hollow Stars? None other than the formidable Dark Blood King!

The Scarlet King's gaze ignited, his entire form engulfed in radiant golden flames.

"Final Apollo Burst!"

His thunderous cry tore through the very fabric of the atmosphere.

His speed surged exponentially. Time itself seemed to falter and lag behind his accelerating momentum, achieving a velocity that defied all rational comprehension.

The blade continued its inexorable descent.

"BOOOOOOM!"

A colossal shockwave detonated across the heavens as Cain's assault made contact, propelling both combatants downward like a plummeting celestial body.

Their impact with the ground below tore open a gargantuan chasm throughout the Ninth Realm. Mountains fractured, seas diverged, and the earth itself groaned under the immense force of their catastrophic fall.

Cain's eyes, burning with icy resolve, drove his blade onward.

The sharpened tip of his weapon—possessing the capability to cleave through Fourth Realm artifacts—pressed firmly against the Nightmare Sacred King's chest.

But progress halted.

The bandages.

Those accursed wrappings encircling the Sacred King's form resisted the blade's advance, their peculiar potency holding it at bay.

Gradually—yet persistently—the blade began to force its way through.

Concurrently, the Nightmare Sacred King launched his counter-offensive.

His wings sharpened, morphing into deadly scythe-like appendages that lashed out ferociously towards Cain, intent on piercing the Omnissiah Sacred Treasure and dismembering his adversary.

Cain stood his ground, refusing to yield.

He did not falter, nor did he exhibit any hesitation.

His eyes flared with increased intensity.

"Fourth Realm Asura Form!"

Every single cell within his body ignited with raw power. Overwhelming strength flooded his entire being, propelling both his speed and might to unprecedented heights. His muscles strained audibly under the immense pressure, but he pushed them relentlessly, exceeding their natural limitations.

His acceleration surged once more.

His blade thrust deeper.

Deeper—

Until at long last—

It broke through the resilient bandages.

And found its mark, piercing the very heart of the Nightmare Sacred King.