Chapter 593: It's Impossible to Fight Desperately
'There is no other choice, but to fight to the death.'
Stray thoughts flickered through Kizaru's mind as the tree roots at the borders of the sealed area advanced rapidly.
Even if he used his actinic movement to put distance between himself and Demon King Gusen, Demon King Gusen would quickly catch up.
He knew, just from instinct, that once this guy closed in, he would use his ultimate move.
Kizaru understood a thing or two about the close domain of demons.
Although he was trapped, he wouldn't necessarily lose given his strength and abilities. Still, he had no intention of taking unnecessary risks if he could avoid them.
"It's really scary. That look is full of malice."
Kizaru glanced at the aggressive Demon King Gusen, muttered briefly, and immediately unleashed his ultimate attack.
He wanted to hit the demon with everything he had at the very moment he acted.
Tweet!
A loud, piercing cry split through the treetop nest.
Kizaru transformed into a golden phoenix, his entire body wrapped in fierce flames, blazing like the sun.
The flames alternated between gold and red.
Even Light-Light Fruit couldn't fully enhance the explosive intensity or coloration of this flame.
Seeing Kizaru's stance, Gusen immediately altered the characteristics of the domain, he was close enough now.
Rumble!
Dark magic gathered from all around, closing in to seal the space.
During this moment, Kizaru's brilliant phoenix form shot upward, piercing the sky like an arrow released from a bowstring.
But instead of rushing toward Gusen, he broke through the magic-mineral-reinforced barrier above.
This sight stunned Gusen.
He had assumed Kizaru was about to fight to the death.
He didn't expect the Admiral to choose to run away anyway.
'What was with this Marine Admiral?'
'Why did he only know how to escape?'
'His personality is completely opposite of that lifeless magma human.'
'Interesting… truly interesting!'
A slight grin lifted the corners of Gusen's mouth.
This Admiral had successfully piqued his interest.
Next, he wanted to make sure Kizaru couldn't fly away.
A hunter must experience some twists and turns before achieving a sense of accomplishment, and Gusen was already enjoying the thrill of the chase.
But regardless of the Demon King Gusen's thoughts, Kizaru flew upward and punched a massive hole directly into the ground overhead.
Even though the stratum was extremely hard and reinforced with magic ore, it still couldn't withstand Kizaru's force.
He pushed upward, getting farther and farther away from the underground chamber, pulling ahead by a wide margin.
He couldn't help feeling a bit proud.
He knew that once he adopted an aggressive stance, the Demon King Gusen would grow alert and momentarily shift his focus away from the surroundings.
There was truly no blockade.
He could never fight desperately, not in this lifetime.
However, running away wouldn't last long.
Kizaru couldn't simply abandon the magical pattern users and flee. At best, this was only a strategic retreat to avoid the demon's sharp edge.
'Wait… what is this feeling?'
After breaking through dozens of meters of the thickest subterranean layer, Admiral Kizaru sensed something unusual.
Rumble!
Floating on rocks at the center of the massive hole he'd created,
a group of magic-pattern users stared at him.
With a single glance, Kizaru recognized them.
The world-famous illegal magic-pattern guild, the Seven Demon Envoys.
There were already two Demon King-level magic-pattern users among them, while the Anti-Demon Guild currently had only two on their side.
Although, given time, the Anti-Demon Guild might increase their Demon King-level reinforcements.
But there was no denying how powerful the Seven Demon Envoys were now.
Seeing their surprised expressions, Kizaru smiled.
'If you want to sleep, someone always brings you a pillow.'
The Seven Demon Envoys already had deep conflict with the demons, they had even killed a Demon King once.
Their arrival now was nothing short of perfect timing.
"Everyone from the Seven Demon Envoys, please take care of the Demon King below~!"
As the bird-man spoke, the Seven Demon Envoys recognized the identity of the blazing firebird.
Marine Admiral Kizaru, also known now as the Golden Phoenix.
Before they could say anything, Kizaru already made his next move.
"Wings of Mythical Light."
Kizaru's phoenix wings transformed into colossal wings of light.
He wrapped the Seven Demon Envoys in their radiance, dragged them back down into the giant hole, and after diving for more than ten meters, he slammed them downward.
Then he added another technique, Yasakani no Magatama.
The entire sequence happened in a flash.
Only the Arrogant and Pain Envoys among them had enough awareness to react.
Everyone else was a step too slow.
Still, they managed to defend against the barrage of Yasakani no Magatama raining down like a storm.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Amid dust and smoke, the ceiling burst open again as a group of magic-pattern users and light-bomb projectiles shot outward.
Gusen narrowed his eyes, recognizing these humans at once.
He decided temporarily to ignore Kizaru.
The stagnant domain expanded again, this time it was an open domain.
Against the swift Marine Admiral, he needed a closed domain.
But facing these people, he no longer needed it.
Besides, Kizaru was still outside. Integrating a closed domain outward would be troublesome.
"Bastard! That Marine Admiral Kizaru, right? He's dead meat!!"
At this moment, Arrogant Envoy steadied himself on the ground, looking a bit disheveled, then lifted his head.
His eyes were blazing with anger.
Being wrapped up and tossed aside like a chicken was utterly humiliating.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"…I didn't expect such an accident to happen. Truly a coincidence."
Greed Envoy Nipero brushed off the dust.
The underground field was massive and hard to sense into. He hadn't expected Kizaru to suddenly blast upward.
However, rather than complain, he focused his attention on the Demon King before them.
For the Greed Envoy, they'd originally planned to come down for a mission.
Now they were conveniently delivered straight to Demon King Gusen, one of the Nine Demon Kings.
If they could defeat or at least stall this devil, it would be quite an accomplishment.
Right now, the Seven Demon Envoys were enemies of the entire world, so the powerful forces behind the Pure Demon Association were still relationships worth maintaining.
Otherwise, Nipero felt he couldn't survive with too many enemies.
Whoosh!
"Demon King Gusen, is this guy our opponent this time?"
The Pain Envoy adjusted his messy bangs.
He pulled out a white cloth from his coat and polished the scepter in his hand.
"Leave it to me. Take care of yourselves."
Arrogance took the lead, completely ignoring Kizaru's existence for now.
The Admiral had attacked him and run away before he landed properly.
If he ever got the chance later, he would "discuss" it with him again.
"Arrogant Envoy, Artek."
"Your remarkably brave."
Seeing Artek step forward to challenge him, a sinister smile crept across Demon King Gusen's pale, corpse-like face.
Human newspapers had once dubbed him a "second Sun."
It was truly displeasing, relying on power under the Demon God's mantle, yet worshipping the so-called Sun God as supreme!
Rumble!
Overwhelming demonic trees surged forth with Gusen's malice.
Artek was swallowed instantly by the demonic forest.
(End of this chapter)