Chapter 157
Chapter 157
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 157
Chapter Title: Dog Bastard
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Mad Emperor.
He was extremely displeased with the current situation.
Up until he'd been clashing with Rai, he'd been having a grand old time.
It had been ages since he'd last gone toe-to-toe with someone this strong, so the thrill had him hooked.
But then that bastard showed up out of nowhere and ruined everything.
The Blood Heaven Realm—a world meant for their one-on-one duel.
The intruders who shattered that realm and barged in had given the Mad Emperor one hell of a rotten feeling.
One arm lopped off, his entire body set ablaze...
Of course he'd sink into that shitty mood.
And now, that rotten feeling was piling up even more.
Amid the Sovereign Annihilation Blades raining down from the sky.
A figure danced like she was possessed by a god herself, sweeping in with her glaive.
She pressed the attack as if she knew full well those blades would never touch her.
And sure enough, just as she figured, the Sovereign Annihilation Blades parted to clear her path.
They blocked threats in tight spots and opened attack windows with exquisite precision.
And that precision was all thanks to Rai's mastery.
It was flying swordplay so masterful it made his tongue wag even on second glance.
'Damn it, no openings left at all.'
Rai's flying sword arts were originally tuned for battling Erosion Beasts.
Against World Erosion entities specifically, he could rightly claim the top spot among the Ten World Supremes.
But that's precisely why he lagged a bit in human duels.
He couldn't fully overwhelm the Mad Emperor, so it had dragged on.
But now the situation was utterly transformed.
Sena Meyer, the Ghost Marquess, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Rai in the Golden Generation.
She might not match the Ten World Supremes, but she was every inch a powerhouse.
And their teamwork together was better than anyone could've imagined.
Rai specialized in arts perfect for Erosion Beast hunts over World Erosions.
Sena, meanwhile, shone even brighter in fights against fellow humans.
Put them together, and Sena rampaged wildly across Rai's battlefield.
Thanks to that, the Mad Emperor's flank got shredded by Sena's glaive yet again.
Gnashing his teeth, he swung the Blood Rakshasa Blade.
But by then, Rai's Sovereign Annihilation Blade had already slammed down, blocking his path.
Rai's blades excelled at dominating space.
And their sheer hardness—even the Blood Rakshasa Blade couldn't dent them.
Which made perfect sense.
Every Sovereign Annihilation Blade whipping through the air right now was forged from the world's toughest ore: adamantium.
Rai's skill.
Repeten.
A skill that manifested ore-imbued aura into any desired shape.
That skill fused with Rai's flying sword mastery had birthed the Sovereign Annihilation Blades.
Dozens of them floated in the sky overhead.
Just seeing them drove home how monstrous Rai's aura reserves were.
But something even more irritating to the Mad Emperor right now...
The moment he leaped back, a chilling aura prickled his senses, and he whipped around the Blood Rakshasa Blade.
But he cleaved only empty air.
The Mad Emperor's face boiled with rage as he slashed at nothing.
There was only one reason for it.
Krash, who kept vanishing only to sneak in hits and bolt, had been at it since earlier.
That latest chill? The bastard had deliberately leaked his presence, then dipped—to bait him into wasting energy.
"You son of a bitch!"
The Mad Emperor, who rarely cursed, bellowed in fury.
But he had no time for that.
Another Sovereign Annihilation Blade was plummeting from above.
Injured as he was, he couldn't catch even a moment's breather.
The Mad Emperor did have self-regeneration, but it slowed to a crawl while wielding the Blood Rakshasa Blade.
The damn thing sucked up his blood.
Not that he could drop it.
That'd be like tossing his weapon aside.
The Mad Emperor's mind raced.
The situation was dire, the thought hammered home.
Evelask seemed to have betrayed him too.
Absorbing the World Erosion's power was crucial to Ixion's goals, sure—but getting pinned like this pushed even that aside.
Survival first.
Handle the rest after.
That was the Mad Emperor's survival creed.
"Black Witch!"
He bellowed till his throat tore.
"I've done my part!"
Black space warped behind his back.
The Black Witch was honoring his intent.
The distorted black void gradually took shape.
Right then, another Sovereign Annihilation Blade came crashing down.
And through the gap, Sena charged like a demon.
They'd clocked his escape attempt.
Too late.
"Quit dicking around."
The Mad Emperor's Blood Rakshasa Blade swelled violently.
Blood surged from his arm, and the blade's edge bulged, glaring wide as it unleashed a grotesque screech.
Kiiiiiiiiiiing!
The protruding blade edge began spinning wildly.
The gruesome whine filled the air just from hearing it.
The Mad Emperor first swung the whirling blade at the charging Sena.
"Urk!"
Sensing its unnatural power, she slammed her brakes and leaped back.
A few strands of her hair sheared off and fluttered away.
He tried to press and finish her, but a Sovereign Annihilation Blade loomed right overhead.
So he twisted the blade toward it instead.
Clang!
The Sovereign Annihilation Blade clashed with the Blood Rakshasa Blade, sparks flying.
Grindgrindgrindgrindgrind!
The spinning edge began grinding down the blade's edge.
Worthy of the Ten Heavenly Swords' fame, it seized the advantage.
Thud!
The Mad Emperor finally batted the Sovereign Annihilation Blade aside, and it gouged into the ground.
Meanwhile, the Black Witch's spatial warp was nearly complete.
More blades were incoming, but he decided to ignore them.
Pity about abandoning the World Erosion absorption Evelask ordered, but oh well.
Life trumped all.
With that, the Mad Emperor turned.
"Black Witch."
It was then.
The voice booming from behind made him halt instinctively.
Because it belonged to Krash.
The very bastard who'd royally screwed him over.
And here he was, calling the Black Witch by name like he owned it.
The Mad Emperor's eyes flicked back involuntarily.
There stood Krash, Thunder Roar slung low, smoke billowing from his mouth, grinning for some reason.
That smile made the Mad Emperor's brow twitch.
Krash slowly raised his free hand—the one not gripping Thunder Roar.
Before the Mad Emperor could question it...
Whoosh!
Azure flames erupted from his upraised hand.
Pure Ignis, forged solely from aura.
The instant the Mad Emperor's face clouded with confusion...
Kreeeeee—
The sound of space ripping open echoed behind him.
Sensing this wasn't the time, he lunged for the portal—
Only for a massive black octopus tentacle to fill his view beyond it.
Groooaaar!
Before he could even voice his shock, dozens of swollen tentacles shredded the black space and spilled out.
"Wha— Black Witch!?"
The Mad Emperor yelped in panic at the sudden betrayal.
And understandably so.
The tentacles had completely blocked even his entry slot.
Undeterred by his desperate cries, the tentacles lunged straight for Krash.
They were so enormous they blotted out his vision in pitch black for a split second.
Every one fixated solely on snaring Krash.
Ignis was vital to the Black Witch for exactly this reason.
But Krash merely stared, unmoving.
Until, with a full exhale, his eyes gleamed.
"Now it's done."
The moment the words left Krash's lips—
Fleet!
A razor-thin blade of light flashed from behind him, grazing past his head.
The streak of light slammed into the tentacles in an instant.
KABOOM!
The tentacles burst apart like exploding ink.
The light blade shot straight through the shattering limbs, barreling toward the Mad Emperor.
"Gah!?"
The sudden turn threw him; too late to dodge, he thrust the Blood Rakshasa Blade forward.
Grindgrindgrindgrindgrindgrind!
And that proved a colossal blunder.
The clashing light blade shoved the Blood Rakshasa Blade—and him—back relentlessly.
It was so overwhelming an involuntary scream nearly escaped.
Without the Blood Rakshasa Blade, it'd have pulverized straight into his flesh.
Thud!
After being hurled back, the Mad Emperor's back slammed into the flat of a grounded Sovereign Annihilation Blade.
But worse than the impact—the light blade's pressure threatened to rip his arm and sword clean off.
His already mangled arm was bad enough.
Now the other one screamed in protest too.
The light blade's glare dazzled his vision.
He felt like he'd fuse with the Sovereign Annihilation Blade any second.
Blood surged madly through the Mad Emperor's veins, igniting the power of Blood Ghost Dominion.
Grindgrindgrindgrind!
His muscles bulged as he strained to repel the light blade.
Fierce blood circulation turned his body crimson.
"Bl-Black Witch!"
He screamed her name, cursing her freakout.
Whatever flipped her switch, this was as good as abandoning him.
Step—
Then, crystal-clear footsteps rang in his ears.
His eyes followed the sound to a familiar silhouette.
A boy gripping his sword, smoke pouring from his mouth, his entire form from head to toe reddening.
It was none other than Krash.
Fresh flames kindled within Krash's body.
And they poured wholly into the sword he clutched: Thunder Roar.
Crackle!
Lightning bolts leaped from the newborn sheath over Thunder Roar.
Foul heat clashed wildly within, swelling the power.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump!
The Mad Emperor's heart pounded fiercely.
Crisis, crisis, crisis, crisis.
Alarm bells blared nonstop in his head.
The light blade pinning him could snap his sword and arm, crush his heart any instant.
No room to divert power anywhere.
Eating a frontal strike like before? No chance he'd survive.
His strength would give out, and the light blade would shred his heart.
He absolutely could not allow Krash's blow.
"Bl-Black Witch! Black Witch!"
Like a child crying for mom, he kept wailing for her.
No answer came.
His bloodshot eyes quivered.
Krash advancing step by step looked like the Grim Reaper himself.
"St-Stay back! Stay the fuck back, you bastard!"
His curses fell on deaf ears; Krash's mind stayed serene.
In his spirit's tranquil lake, fixated solely on the sword...
Black Flame churned into a towering maelstrom.
It pierced the heavens, reaching Krash's Thunder Roar.
Rumble!
As thunder cracked—
The sheath encasing Krash's sword shattered all at once.
"You fucking dog bastard!"
Flame Annihilation ErosionThird Form
Flame Annihilation Heavenly Thunder
Roarrrrr!
The storm of Black Flame and lightning swept the battlefield.
Crack!
Something shattered, and the light blade's glow ignited.
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