Typemoon: Starting Out as the Lion King [134]
Credits: SunyLaw1
"King Ozymandias! What a generous gift this is—truly gets the blood pumping!!" Alaric charged straight toward the Abu el-Hol Sphinx without a moment's hesitation!
As a familiar of Ozymandias, the Abu el-Hol Sphinx also shared the immortality granted by the Grand Temple. In other words—
Even with the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, Alaric could not kill the Abu el-Hol Sphinx within this temple!
Realizing this, Alaric's lips curled into an uncontrollable grin.
Summoned in the Rider class, Ozymandias possessed multiple Noble Phantasms, and this Abu el-Hol Sphinx was but one of them—a member of the royal lineage of Sphinxes that awaited within the temple.
In other words, Ozymandias had many such creatures at his disposal!
A surge of magical energy, as vast as the starry sky, began to emanate.
The Abu el-Hol Sphinx, as a royal specimen of the sphinx race, commanded immense power, all under Ozymandias's control.
It was a Noble Phantasm of Anti-Army classification.
BOOM!!
In an instant, before Alaric could close half the distance using Thunder Flash, a dazzling torrent of celestial energy surged forth, overwhelming his entire field of vision.
Clang!
Another sharp, ringing sound echoed.
As the celestial torrent dissipated, a crisp crackling noise followed—a clear sound of something breaking.
Alaric discreetly glanced at the longsword in his hand. A visible crack had appeared along the blade.
To slay the torrent unleashed by the Abu el-Hol Sphinx required direct contact, but even that brief moment of contact had exceeded the sword's limits, causing it to crack!
"One more time, and it'll shatter completely!"
Alaric understood this with certainty. Currently, his only weapons were the Sword of End and this nameless longsword. If this nameless blade broke, he would be forced to fight barehanded!
But against Ozymandias's seemingly endless arsenal of tricks, fighting barehanded would only result in swift defeat.
This was something Alaric absolutely could not accept.
His thoughts raced, and in an instant, he made his decision. Alaric softly uttered a few obscure syllables.
"Reinforcement—"
A basic magecraft of enhancement, personally taught to him by the universal genius and true magi, Leonardo da Vinci.
Sizzle!
A faint, inky black radiance flowed like water, enveloping the entire blade. In addition to reinforcement, Alaric used his magical energy to form a protective layer, hoping to mitigate the damage.
"Interesting. But what will you do about this?"
Seeing Alaric slay the torrent with a single strike, Ozymandias's smile grew wider as he waved his scepter once more.
Buzz!
The temple hummed in resonance. An invisible wave of divine magical energy spread outward, instantly enveloping Alaric!
This power was entirely different from any authority Ozymandias had displayed before, leaving Alaric unable to discern which deity it originated from.
But as the divine energy swirled around him, Alaric immediately felt his body grow heavy. Both his magic circuits and physical movements were impeded, weakened even.
"A curse!!"
Alaric's expression sharpened. A curse so potent that even his Magic Resistance was ineffective—it had to be at least A-rank!
At this moment, Alaric finally grasped the full, terrifying scope of Ozymandias's power. Within the confines of this temple, he was nearly invincible!
Even if victory seemed impossible, Alaric had no intention of surrendering. This would be his final battle against Ozymandias, and he was determined to achieve a result that satisfied both himself and the king.
Placing his hand over his chest, Alaric drew a sharp line, causing a fresh wound to appear. In that instant, the curse within him—
Was killed.
Clang!
"Ho! Did you kill my curse? Sir Alaric, your Mystic Eyes have improved greatly!"
Ozymandias folded his arms, then raised a single finger, waving it lightly. "But it's useless. As long as you remain within my temple, you will be plagued by curses until you fall."
"So what?!"
BOOM!!
Alaric's response was an eruption of pitch-black radiance that surged skyward!
Unleashing the full extent of his magical energy, he created a terrifying spectacle that even Ozymandias could not ignore.
"So, it's this kind of power—" Thunder Flash!
The atmosphere roared with thunder, and the pristine temple was suddenly engulfed in a spray of white light.
A black meteor streaked across the scene, crashing directly into the Abu el-Hol Sphinx behind Ozymandias, sending the beast flying!
Using the Abu el-Hol Sphinx as a foothold, Alaric halted his momentum mid-air and turned, swinging his sword straight at Ozymandias!
Even with the temple's immortality, this strike would leave Ozymandias injured!
Clang!
The crisp sound of metal echoed through the temple as a curved blade intercepted Alaric's strike!
The wielder of that blade was none other than Ozymandias himself, standing directly in front of Alaric!
Holding the blade with a single hand, Ozymandias laughed heartily. "I am Pharaoh, the ruler of all that walks the earth. Is it not natural for me to be omnipotent?"
"The temple's divine blessing—it's boosting his physical strength?"
Alaric could feel the power emanating from Ozymandias. Though it was not as strong as his own, it was still incredibly formidable.
Within that power, Alaric sensed the presence of divinity. At this moment, Ozymandias truly felt like a god!
It was this divine presence that had enhanced Ozymandias's strength. Otherwise, he would have had to rely solely on magical energy or skill to block Alaric's sword!
But what puzzled Alaric was why Ozymandias had chosen to engage in close combat. It was entirely unnecessary.
With the authority of every Egyptian deity at his disposal, Ozymandias could utilize countless divine powers. Any combination of them would have been more than enough to repel Alaric's attacks.
"Is his body weakening?"
Clang!
Alaric didn't dwell on the question. Seizing the opportunity to close the distance, he unleashed a relentless flurry of attacks, as fierce as a storm!
Yet Ozymandias met him blow for blow, displaying a level of martial skill that was not only on par with Alaric's but far superior!
"Hahahaha! Muda muda muda muda (Useless)! This isn't enough!"
Ozymandias laughed heartily, but his laughter was abruptly cut off as a cold, pitch-black sword light sliced through the air in front of him.
The curved blade in his hand shattered with a single strike!
The laughter ceased.
Instead, it was Alaric who burst into laughter. "King Ozymandias, this isn't enough!"
But just as Alaric prepared to press his advantage—
Buzz!
A familiar darkness spread forth. It was the Mirror of the Underworld, something Alaric had encountered many times before—
"What?"
Alaric instinctively moved to strike again, aiming to destroy the mirror, but the accompanying curse slowed his movements.
He could only watch as the Mirror of the Underworld swallowed him whole!
...
Step, step.
When his vision cleared, Alaric saw Ozymandias's figure standing in the distance and immediately understood what had happened.
"King Ozymandias, you are—"
"Hm? Do you have something to say to me?"
Putting away the broken blade, Ozymandias returned to his throne, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Alaric.
Faced with this, Alaric could only let out a sigh. Just as he was about to sheath his longsword—
Crack.
The cold blade fractured under everyone's gaze.
"...King Ozymandias, would you mind lending me a weapon?"
...