They studied each other for a while before Zero flashed an unsettling grin that made Kaphaias instinctively take a few steps backwards.
"Don't tell me you are now scared of a mere—knight?"he titled his head,his grin widening."You always talked big...where is did the big bad nasty Kaphaias go?".
"You—you seem different for some reason".
Zero raised a brow.
"Really?".
"Doesn't matter...This place will be your grave today!"
With a swift flick of his hand he summoned a series of chain that shot towards Zero,coiling around him in an instant.
"Mire is my bloodline gift and no one has ever escaped it.These chains will prevent you from teleporting or escaping,drain your magic energy and reduce you to no—"
Kaphaias voice trailed off as the chains snapped,shattering before vanishing into the evening breeze.
"Uh..these chains?...it's first time for everything I guess"
The Knight's eye widened.
"Ha how?"
Before he could process what had happened,an unbearable weakness swept through his body.
His legs gave way first,forcing him to his knees. He tried to summon his magic, but his body refused to respond. His strength was disappearing at an alarming rate and the dark figure approaching him seemed to grow more terrifying with every passing second.
Not this again!
He wanted to say but was unable to voice those words.
Slowly he felt his life fading as he watched his life essence flow into Zero.
Was he... absorbing him?
A Devourer had never awakened in centuries.Not even a high rank Semonio or sorcerer had the abilities to commit such sacrilege.
It was too late for him now.There was no way out of this.
The dark energy around zero surged violently,reducing the building he stood on to nothing as Kaphaias watched his body fade from existence.
The knight had been distracted all along,his senses dulled by the enormous amount of magic energy around him that he didn't noticed the frightened figure watching him from a corner.
Zero appeared in Lord Tydor's underground chamber to find no trace of him,he could neither smell or sense him though
A faint smell of the Lord along with Kaphaias mingled with wine however filed the room.
His gaze settled on the wine jar on the table before drifting to the chair he assumed the Lord had sat.
"You won't escape me!".he grunted."I know just where you are".
****************************
"Let me speak with him I be—beg you!"Lord Tydor pleaded facing the King's advisor then paused to catch his breathe.
His whole body trembled as the entire scene replayed in his mind.
He had tried sending a telepathic message but his link was blocked.That only meant the Emperor's knight was closeby.
"I'm afraid I cannot do that"Advisor krien said,fanning himself."Not even if I wanted to "
"You—you don't understand...it's urgent an—"he stammered."It cant wait till morning i have to speak with him to—right now"
"Lord Tydor we both know that even I am unable to pull down a barrier the king erected it's late and his majesty is exhausted.He must have erected this barrier for the likes of you who like barging in whenever they please".
"Well then at least send him a telepathic message for me".
"Do not bother...the king blocked his himself".
Advisor krien studied him briefly.
"You look like you just saw a ghost"
"Even worse"the Lord paused to catch his breathe,his back arched with both hands gripping his knee."Sa...sacri..large—sacrilage!".
"Sacrilege?"
"Yes!...If something happens to me pass this message to the king...The Emperor's Knight Zero who is a sorcerer has awakened a Devourer,he devours Semonios now he—"
Lord Tydor shut his eyes and reopened them to see the advisor's head rolling towards him.
He turned around to see the lifeless bodies of other guards littered across the hallway at the post they once stood.
The Emperor's knight had been covered in fripju lily and he hadn't sensed him but the speed he moved at frightened him even more.
He immediately vanished to appear outside the barrier surrounding Tyran's bedchamber.
And was met with another group of knights.
"I Demand you let me see the emperor right now".
"His imperial majesty is still in mourning and even turned the six kings away.My lord you are asking for an impossible request".
"No you must I beg you or someone important will die tonight ".
The Knight shot him a suspicious glare and other knights turned his way.
"The Emperor's knight—"
"Is right here"Zero's voice boomed from afar.
"My lord"The knights chorused with a quick bow and the Lord spun around to see him in full armour.
His smell was back,but his aura was different,it was heavy,dark and unsettling.After he devoured Kaphaias his cultivation had tremendously increased to something near Lord tier and the Knights in front of him couldn't sense it because they were all middle tier.
Lord Tydor,however understood.
He was finished.
"Lord Tydor...what brings you here at this late hour?"Zero's voice was oddly calm.
"You!"the word escaped lord Tydor's lips in a trembling whisper.
He quickly seized the nearest Knight's hand,his eyes wide with terror.
"He... he is trying to kill me...you must save me please....don't let him kill me i beg you".
The knights gaze settled on the emperor's knight as his lips stretched into a chilling grin.
Their telepathic connections had blocked the moment he appeared and they were just realizing it.
Zero let out a sinister laugh.
"You lowlifes...The Emperor is not even in you dont even know that much"
Zero's eyes turned black as a sea of dark magic energy engulfed him.
They all dropped to their knees immediately each succumbing to the magic energy that had subdued their consciences.
He lifted his hand.
"All ye living that hear me,heed my command and return to nought from whence ye came —Decarpos!"he muttered causing every living thing around the area to die and vanish into nothingness while consuming their essence in the process.
Zero dropped to his knees,staring at his his palms as a fresh wave of magic energy surged through his body.
It coursed through his veins with an intensity he had never felt before.
And in that moment he knew it.
He had ascended to Lord tier.