The instant that broken smile appeared on Nihilak's face, an aura like nothing the Sacred Kings had seen before emerged from this one, flooding everything.
It was full of darkness and flooded the souls of the Daybreak Universe warriors with a sense of meaninglessness. There was nothing so simple as despair or fear. It was as if the purpose of their life and the goals they had pursued were pointless.
Waking up, eating, loving, cherishing, and spreading their lineage was devoid of any sense of purpose. There was no point in them breathing, and living was nothing more than a futile waste of time.
Even Orgullo, the Depravita that managed to ignite the Eternal Flame Pride, felt utter emptiness in his heart and soul as he faced that aura.
The intent was so immense that it was about to break the will and mind of anyone with willpower beneath Rank 10, and even those at the Fourth Realm would not be safe.
Luckily for the Daybreak Universe warriors, a golden flame soon flooded the Emptiness, pushing back the dark aura. The origin was not other than Zatiel's Eternal Flame Pupil.
Zatiel did not lose his calm even after the rise of that corrupting aura. He saw how Nihilak opened his eyes, but now there was nothing but darkness in them, and it was clear the Knight was no longer present.
The hole in Nihilak's chest was still present, but this one did not seem to care as he straightened his body and stared at Zatiel as his smile grew more refined.
"¡Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
A maniacal laugh emerged from the entity that took control of Nihilak's corpse, and everyone felt utter bliss and joy in this one. It was pure and devoid of any pretense as if it was a bliss that originated from the core of his soul.
"Finally, you did it. You have evolved into an Empyrean Paragon of the Daybreak-Verse!"
A meaningful light appeared in Zatiel's eyes as he listened to those words. While it was the first time he heard the term Empyrean Paragon or Daybreak-Verse, it all made sense after his evolution.
"Beyonder."
Zatiel uttered that word, and the smile on Nihilak's corpse grew wider.
"It is a pleasure finally meeting you, Sacred Child of Verse."
The Sacred Kings Orgullo stared at Nihilak's corpse with confusion and dread as they did not understand what was happening, and they were not alone since the Knights still alive shared the same doubts.
If the Beyonder could project his mind and soul force, why wait until now, and even more importantly, why was that monster so happy about Zatiel's evolution?
"In all honesty, I had been wondering whether I made a mistake, but now that I see you, there is no doubt that you are the one I have been looking for. You are the missing piece I have searched for my entire life."
The Beyonder stared at Zatiel as if this one was the most magnificent treasure in existence.
"I am glad to see Nihilak and the others fulfill their purpose."
Shock, absolute, and overwhelming shock assaulted the hearts of everybody who heard that. Some of the Knights could not believe it at first, thinking something was wrong.
"Master, what do... you mean by that?"
Voidscard, the Knight that had been fighting Salomon, could not help but utter those words since he desperately wanted to believe he had misinterpreted them.
The Beyonder lowered his gaze and stared at the Knight with a calm expression on his face.
"I thought you were smart. It should be obvious. The sole purpose of your existence and this war was to act as a catalyst for this man's evolution. Now that it is over, I have no use for any of you, so you are free."
A sense of utter bewilderment assaulted the Knight as they heard that. The next second, they felt their connection with the Beyonder, which had lasted for several Epochs, suddenly vanished.
None of the Knights could understand what was happening, and they could not adapt to the sense of freedom since their egos and personalities had already taken the Beyodner as their core. Now that it was gone, they did not know what to do.
Zatiel glanced at the Knights but showed little care for them, and instead, his eyes focused on the Beyonder. He was still adjusting to the true nature of reality but could not lose focus since the enemy was extremely dangerous.
The Beyonder noticed the caution in Zatiel's gaze, but it only made him smile.
"You understand now, right? The path to Reality Override does not start after attaining Omnipotence, nor does it come from a sudden flash of enlightenment during a battle. It begins..."
"From the first time that I wished things to be different."
Zatiel finished the Beyonder's phrase, making this one nod approvingly.
"As expected from the Sacred Child of the Verse, the favorite of the Creator."
The Beyonder noticed the sharpness in Zatiel's eyes as he spoke that last word, but he just carried on.
"You have been pushing your existence to this realm from the first time your soul craved to challenge the Creator's Path. It all started with an idea born out of the sublimation of your entire existence, one that was mightier than anything else."
A sense of unfaltering determination and willpower capable of sundering the multiverse emerged from the Beyonder's dark eyes.
"For me, it was the moment I understood I was nothing more than a cradle for a Singularity to be born. Rage and hatred tempered my spirit for nine Epochs until they finally allowed me to disobey the Creator's Path, transforming me into my current self."
The Beyonder's soul burned with a sense of pride and fulfillment that overwhelmed even the Pride Thearch.
"Now that you see the true nature of reality, you should understand what I am."
Zatiel stared at the Beyonder, and his eyes burned with a powerful light.
"You are The Antagonist."
