Chapter 532: The Dragon of Hades, Like the Sun Golden Crow
On the other side of the Competitive Canyon, a colossal dragon, resembling a Western dragon with a chaotic, mottled coloration, clashed with a demon-faced figure dressed in yellow. This was Kiiro, the demon apostle, battling the Dragon of Hades, one of the three guardian Mythical Beasts.
Kiiro had taken an interest in the Dragon of Hades, which leaned heavily toward the spiritual realm, and so he engaged it in combat. The two fought while exchanging words, almost as if they were practicing a legendary health-preserving technique.
Kiiro was intrigued by the Dragon of Hades, and the beast reciprocated the interest, partly because the final treasure was loosely tied to demons. More importantly, demons were spiritual entities, aligning closely with the Dragon of Hades' nature. Unlike other Mythical Beasts, it could traverse the boundary between life and death.
Its origins stemmed from Orochimaru's research into the spiritual field, spurred by his rivalry with Hisoka, a master of spiritual power. To counter Hisoka, Orochimaru delved deep into this domain, combining his Rashomon ability with his findings to create the high-tier Mythical King, the Dragon of Hades.
However, the Dragon of Hades was unique among Mythical Beasts. Its life-and-death attributes set it apart, leaving it with few allies.
Other Mythical Beasts of its kind quivered under its soul-crushing pressure, while its deathly aura intimidated outsiders. The Sun Golden Crow was unbothered by it, but the Dragon of Hades found the Golden Crow's searing heat unbearable, given its preference for cooler, shadowy environments. It also disliked the Yamata Lion Majesty's poisonous mist.
For the Dragon of Hades, reality was harsh. Its sole comfort was visiting the underworld, where souls revered it as the Dragon God of the Underworld. Those moments were blissful, though it avoided lingering too long, wary of the Shinigami who governed that realm and whose strength it couldn't gauge.
Meeting the talkative demon apostle Kiiro brought the Dragon of Hades some joy. "Hey, hey, hey! What's with that Mythical Beast? It's suddenly so terrifying!" Kiiro said, his face showing fear before shifting to a negotiating tone. "It seems this barrier is tough to break. Brother Meiryu, why not let it slide?"
The Dragon of Hades' face darkened and said, "I'm not male."
"Sister Meiryu, then?" Kiiro asked.
"I'm not female either." the Dragon of Hades replied.
Kiiro's face took on an exaggerated expression and asked, "Are you one of those shemales unique to the New World?"
In the New World, the Demon Pattern Guild, a notorious group of transvestites, was well-known, even to demon apostles. Their actions were considered bizarre, but as the saying went, a vast forest held all kinds of birds.
"What's a shemale?" the Dragon of Hades asked, looking puzzled.
Kiiro clutched his forehead and unleashed a wave of Shikai. The Dragon of Hades, unfazed, simply declared it was done and prepared to retreat. The situation was dire, and it had no time for nonsense with Kiiro.
Like the Yamata Lion Majesty, it sought to escape the area, repelled by the Sun Golden Crow's blazing aura. The protective barrier wasn't mandatory; the Mythical Beasts could withdraw at any time.
Orochimaru imposed no strict demands, and they typically fulfilled their duties. But this situation was untenable.
On the other side, near the Sun Golden Crow, the ground had turned into steaming lava. The beast's heat, concentrated within a golden halo around it, prevented even greater devastation.
Opposite it stood the female knight in a void-like position. Her bright silver armor gleamed majestically, and the saber in her hand resembled a sword more than a knife, similar to the Lord of Miracles' light-cannon-wielding blade. Its golden hilt and mirror-like blade bore intricate golden lines.
The female knight pointed her sword at the sacred-looking Golden Crow, evoking scenes from comics where human heroes faced mythical beasts.
The Sun Golden Crow didn't underestimate her. It had tested her with its standard ultimate move, Bright Sun, sensing her power rivaled its own. The results were unimpressive. While a human wielding the Purgatory Cage Hand was gravely injured by the attack's aftermath, the knight emerged unscathed. Her counterattack, a single sword strike, gave the Golden Crow a sense of defeat.
This prompted the Golden Crow to activate its Original Root Mode. Without it, the knight might have bested it, tarnishing its title as the strongest Mythical Beast and shaming its creator YamataGodOrochimaru. Thus, it unleashed its full power, radiating heat up to 15 million degrees, akin to the sun's core. Even so, it wasn't confident of victory.
The knight, appearing calm, was Hikari, a blonde girl resembling the King of Miracles, hidden beneath her armor. Internally, she was far from composed. Facing a Mythical Beast radiating solar heat, it was a miracle she hadn't fled. She had come to the Mythical Beast Conference to prove her independence and worth to the Kingdom of Miracles, and to show her father she was a capable daughter. But the terrifying Golden Crow made her sword-holding hand tremble.
Under her helmet, Hikari's heart quaked as she met the Golden Crow's sharp, dazzling eyes. The two stood in a tense stalemate. The Golden Crow, unable to see her eyes, sensed her fluctuating aura. Delaying further would waste its strength, but the knight's power demanded precision.
Golden flames condensed along its wings' edges, forming a cauldron of fire. With a whoosh, a golden flame slash erupted toward Hikari, carrying endless heat. The surrounding area churned as the attack's shockwaves cracked and melted the earth, turning it into rolling magma.
(End of this chapter)