CHAPTER 1457: OVERCOME YOUR NIGHTMARES

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BOOOM!

A giant mass of light, composed of hundreds of ghostly souls materialized, protecting him from the Nightmare’s attack.

"Huh?"

Lucifer’s eyes widened, as he saw the specters of his past, his wife, children, his people he had abandoned, that he had failed.

They were overflowing with light, and unified as one to stop the darkness from consuming him.

"W-What...?!"

He was surprised, as he saw their eyes looking at him, his wife, his children.

Were they the real ones?

Or could they be dreams, the same way Sofia saw her parents in the Nightmare Realm?

Lucifer couldn’t really tell...

But even if they weren’t truly their souls, these people were born from his own memories of them.

To an extent, they were just as real.

At least in here.

"Lucifer, grab it!"

His wife cried to him.

"Papa!"

"We can’t... hold that thing for too long!"

His children called for him.

"...!"

Lucifer couldn’t speak, he was left speechless.

Was this real?

What was this anyway?

What was going on?

What was he supposed to do now?

"Lucifer, you know exactly what we have to do."

Maria spoke behind him.

"Papa! Let’s do it!"

Nyx nodded confidently.

"Yeah..."

Lucifer smiled, closing his eyes.

His hand reached the ember glowing in the middle of the light.

"I’ve finally reached it... Thank you, everyone."

FLAAASH!

The Divine Ember encompassed Lucifer entirely, as his flames merged with it, and so all his draconic powers.

His skills, abilities, everything converged into a single point within him.

FLUOSH!

Until out of nowhere, he became an entity, a mighty dragon made of blinding white flames.

The flames continued glowing, spreading light through it all...

"My Divine Ember had already become a Divine Flame..."

And his Divine Flame’s Divinity was...

Abyssal Death Flames.

However, why was he glowing with light right now?

It wasn’t that he was the element of light exactly, no.

It simply meant that his mind and soul had become clear, to the point even his flames were overflowing with a purifying, sanctifying power.

Death wasn’t just darkness and destruction, but also a new stage for a living being, he who experienced life and death...

Knew very well what it felt like!

"PATHETIC!"

"ARE YOU GLOWING OR SOMETHING?!"

"DO YOU THINK YOU ARE JONATHAN NOW?!"

"No... I could never compare myself to that buffoon," Lucifer smiled proudly, crossing his arms. "I am myself, Lucifer... The pathetic Dragon King! And the one that will avenge his family, his people, and his friends... And forge a new future with those I love."

"PATHETIC!"

"DIE ALREADY!"

"I WILL DISCARD YOU!"

Lucifer manifested two scythes in each one of his hands, as he rushed towards the monster in front of him, clashing against the abomination’s claws.

CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!

He swung his scythes up and down, spinning in midair and unleashing a barrage of slicing and harvesting attacks, like those ones would use to harvest plants on a farm.

"DON’T MAKE US LAUGH!"

His monstrous Nightmare roared furiously, opening his nine jaws and unleashing a devastating breath attack, nine of them at once.

However, as they came, Lucifer faced them with the strength of his Dreams by his side, the people he couldn’t protect, and those he swore to protect now appearing behind him.

"{Divine Abyssal Death Flames Scythe Arts}: {Blossoming Oblivion}!"

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

Each of Lucifer’s slashes gathered and merged together, the white flames turning into a beautiful, blossoming rose that constantly spread its petals, shining brightly and encompassing everything with White Abyssal Death Flames everywhere.

BOOOMMM!!!

The nine breath attacks impacted this blossoming showcase of power, as the flames constantly pushed back against the nine breaths, rapidly beginning to overwhelm his dark inner dragon.

"W-WHA...?!"

"THIS MAKES NO SENSE!"

"WE ARE THE STRONGEST!"

"WE ARE DRAGONS! HOW COME...?!"

"BASTARD!!!"

Lucifer didn’t stop pushing, his flames constantly blossoming into more and more roses, burning all the darkness as he flew around his deadly nightmare.

"I’ll finish you once and for all, and end this!"

Lucifer reached above the monster, combining both of his scythes into a much larger one, and swinging it down against the aberration.

"HAAAAAHHH!"

With a mighty roar, his own inner dark dragon began to be sliced apart, the screams of agony of his dark alter ego echoing through this strange Nightmare Realm born within his own Soul and Mind.

"Y-YOU BASTARD...!"

"DON’T THINK YOU CAN FREE YOURSELF FROM US SO EASILY...!"

"WE’LL RETURN...!"

"AS LONG... AS YOU CONTINUE DOUBTING YOURSELF!!!"

"UUUAAARRGGHHHH!"

BOOOMMM!!!

Although they resisted until the bitter end, they were ultimately defeated, their entire body sliced apart, and then exploding into white flames, disappearing.

"It’s done..."

A white portal appeared in front of Lucifer, as he slowly began to fly towards it, with Nyx and Maria’s Dream Spirits by his side.

But then, he stopped.

Looking back at all those he would leave behind...

Again.

"..."

He didn’t know what to say, but...

"Go..."

"It’s fine, daddy!"

"We’ll be fine, wherever we go!"

"We know you tried your best, King Lucifer..."

"Our foes were simply... beyond what we ever thought possible, or what we could achieve with our true power..."

"Odin and the Heroes used strength beyond what we were even allowed to develop..."

"But it’s different now, you can continue growing... to reach their level. To crush them..."

"Please, my dear husband... Free Yggdrasil from that tyrant..."

"We know you can do it dad!"

"After all you’re our..."

Lucifer’s eyes became emotional, as he started crying while remaining with an stoic face.

"You’re our hero!"

He gritted his teeth, as his hands gripped tightly.

And without saying a word, he flew towards the portal.

"Thank you... for ever loving a man like me."

FLASH!

When Lucifer opened his eyes, he gasped in disbelief.

He was not dead.

White and golden flames encompassed his entire body, his Abyssal Death Flames having changed into something stranger.

And before him, the giant turtle Kaiju was dead, sliced apart into two.

"H-Huh?"

The blazing scythe in his hands still covered on blood...

"What I did in that Nightmare Realm... it happened in real life?"

It was a strange experience, reality merged with his own internal Nightmare Realm.

But thanks to that, he was able to surpass his limits, through this experience he managed to achieve by pushing himself to his limits.

These white flames that could even heal his body... had sure changed a lot from what they once were too.

[Congratulations! You have gained Enlightenment and surpassed your limits, managing to Evolve your Divine Flame!]

[Your [Divine Flame: Abyssal Death Fire (Tier 1: Rank 5)] has Evolved into [Divine Flame: Sacred White Void Fire Of Oblivion (Tier 3: Rank 1)]!]

[All of your Stats have increased greatly!]

[All of your Skills have Leveled Up!]

[You earned the Title: [True Dragon King of Oblivion: Lv1]!]

[You earned the Divine Skill: [Sacred White Void Flames of Oblivion: Lv1]!]

[You earned the Divine Skill: [Holy Dragon Soul Of Dreams Aura: Lv1]!]

[You have reached Max Level: 250/250!]

[You can now Evolve.]

[A New Evolution Option Has Been Unlocked]:

[Sacred Divine White Void Dragon King Of Oblivion: Aeon (L++ Rank)]

"Aeon...?"

Lucifer was left speechless, as Maria and Nyx reached his side, confused.

"Lucifer? Are you alright- Woah! What with that white fire?!"

"Oh wow papa! You got so much stronger?!"

"Hahah... I guess I did..."

And without hesitating, Lucifer hugged the two of them very tightly.

"Eh?"

"Papa?"

"Thank you for loving me..."

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