Chapter 587: Kizaru Takes Action
"Can you block an attack like this from me?" Gusen asked.
"The development speed of human magic-pattern users truly is impressive," he added.
"Only…"
Gusen stared at Zeno, who had been constantly moving but finally chose to resist his attack by standing completely still. His expression was dull, lifeless, like a dead tree.
"How long can you hold on?" he asked.
Around Zeno, rings of water swirled like spiraling whirlpools.
That water directly dissolved the demon tree striking him.
This was Zeno's ability, his characteristic. It was not something he was born with.
He achieved it by studying magic patterns, integrating them, and developing techniques that matched their essence.
It could be said that this was the true path magic-pattern users were meant to walk.
Because of it, Zeno managed to stand out among countless magic pattern users.
He became the second Demon King-level magic-pattern user within the Anti-Demon Agency.
His talent was exceptional, and the abilities he developed were among the strongest.
His power, melting or cleansing magic, gave him a natural advantage against magic-pattern users and demons relying on magic.
He was like a Mythical God of War, capable of clashing against pure magic systems.
Even under the relentless bombardment of the Nine Demon King Gusen, he still managed to hold his ground.
But merely holding on wasn't what he wanted.
Many magic-pattern users in the area were collapsing under the pressure of the domain and being captured.
Zeno felt bitterness as he glanced at his companions who were still resisting.
What a terrifying demon king.
A demon king with a domain was overwhelmingly powerful in group battles.
Fighting them head-on was nearly impossible.
Just one demon king taking action was enough to decide the outcome.
And Zeno hadn't forgotten the other demon king standing beside Gusen.
He had to just endure long enough for support to arrive.
The users trapped here are the elite of the magic-pattern world. They must not die here.
As the area continued to be ravaged by the demon tree, Kizaru noticed the situation from afar.
Gusen's domain was wide open, so Kizaru not only saw it, he saw it clearly.
But instead of comfort, it filled Kizaru with distress, since it meant he could no longer loaf around.
Fleet-Admiral Sengoku had ordered him to keep a close eye on demon kings and insisted he use the magic-pattern public core privately built by the Marines.
But almost every magic-pattern user has been caught in the domain.
If he didn't intervene and someone actually died, it would be a serious embarrassment.
After all, it wouldn't look good to say they had been "protected" to death.
"This is really troublesome… Why don't those other strong people come out and help?" Kizaru complained.
Muttering lazily, he transformed into light.
---
Inside Gusen's domain, the roar of rushing water continued.
Waves of water around Zeno tried to expand outward.
He attempted to use his ability, dissolving magic, to erode and destroy the demon king's domain.
But under Gusen's violent bombardment, the water couldn't spread far.
Unless Gusen stopped attacking directly, which was impossible.
"A remarkable ability. If I let you act freely, you truly might destroy my domain," Gusen said.
He let out a deep, low chuckle.
The water swirling around Zeno had already reached a point where even Gusen couldn't fully control it.
This alone showed how powerful Zeno was.
In truth, his ability could restrain the domain of a demon king.
But even so, Gusen wasn't worried.
Human magic-pattern development truly was fast. It was faster than expected.
But demons of Demon God Island weren't merely surviving; they were evolving.
Thanks to Apostle Celestial Dragon's exploration, research, and teachings, the demons' domain-application techniques had become increasingly terrifying.
That was why even with such a massive gap opening in the domain, the domain didn't destabilize, it was already repairing itself.
And this wasn't unique to Gusen.
Any demon king's domain could do this. Their control was simply that precise.
Furthermore, demons had developed many domain-expansion methods and movement variations based on the domain.
All of this had been analyzed by the Apostle Celestial Dragon and taught to every demon on Demon Island.
"Haha! Just give up and let us take you alive. A human Demon King-level magic-pattern user will make excellent fertilizer. It will make the magic tree I plant flourish beautifully," Gusen said.
Hearing those words, Zeno's expression darkened.
The attack frequency intensified, and the pressure increased.
"Someone's coming," Desert said.
Desert, who had been quietly observing beside Gusen, looked off into the distance.
His comment caused Gusen to momentarily shift his attention.
"Yasakani Sacred Jewel," a lazy voice sounded.
Whoosh!
Countless golden flame bullets swept through the air.
As they entered Gusen's domain, the demonic trees binding the magic-pattern users were obliterated one after another.
Each shot was delivered with surgical precision, avoiding the trapped magic-pattern users completely.
Even the explosions were tightly controlled, ensuring escaping users weren't harmed by the aftermath.
Rumble!
Once freed, the magic-pattern users activated their shields and sprinted toward the domain's boundary like their lives depended on it.
Only after escaping the domain could they finally breathe.
Gusen didn't bother chasing them.
His attention was now on the golden bird-man hovering outside the domain.
"Marine Admiral Kizaru. Or perhaps… 'Golden Phoenix' is a more fitting title now," Gusen said.
"Haha… As expected, you humans are wary of us."
In the air, Kizaru looked down at the demon king.
At the mention of "Golden Phoenix," he felt a twinge of embarrassment.
That nickname had been something he fed to the World Economic News Agency himself.
After all, with all the attention surrounding Mythical Beast Island, he expected countless nicknames to pop up, so he simply provided one himself.
The paper used it out of courtesy.
But once the novelty faded, being called that became… awkward.
Even someone as laid-back as Kizaru felt embarrassed.
"Ahem."
Kizaru cleared his throat, returning to human form as he hovered 250 meters above the ground using his mythical-beast power.
"It's truly frightening. The Nine Demon Kings really live up to their reputation… but…" he said slowly.
"Could you please leave this place and stay out of the ceremony? This event is rather important."
The grotesque eyeballs on Gusen's face half-closed under wrinkled eyelids.
"Oh? How arrogant, human," Gusen said coldly, continuing to command his demons to assault Zeno.
"Words alone can't achieve anything. If you want us gone, defeat us."
As the others escaped the domain, only Zeno remained inside.
Kizaru couldn't help but admire his endurance.
If Zeno knew what Kizaru was thinking, he would have three question marks floating above his head.
'Does he think I want to stay here? obviously I can't leave!'
"Ahh… this really is troublesome," Kizaru sighed.
"All nine demon kings are monstrous in strength. Why do I have to be the one sent in first?"
He was helpless.
He could clearly sense the overwhelming magic power radiating from both demon kings.
Although he had reached a demigod-level of strength over the past month due to the Phoenix Fruit's subtle influence…
He truly did not want to fight the demons.
'What are those guys doing? Why aren't they here yet?! Hurry up! I really don't want to fight!'
(End of this chapter)