Necrotic energy surged, its force making Kaiser cross his arms.
Bang!
With a muffled thud, he retreated three hundred meters, his toes tracing golden ripples in the air.
He fixed on the faint blue Runes shimmering along the bone dragon's spine.
Nidhogg's curse, drawing endless necrotic energy from the Underworld.
The Libra Cloth's shoulder plates bore dark red scorch marks, its repair speed outpaced by the corrosion.
"This necrotic energy is relentless."
"So corrosive."
"Even the Gold Cloth forged from the Cloth Gem struggles to resist."
Golden Cosmo flared.
"Domain Expansion! Arsenal of Hundred Weapons!"
Countless divine weapons materialized in the void, rippling space.
"Kill!"
A holy sword appeared in his hand.
Man and dragon clashed again!
When the holy sword met the dragon's fang-blade, space warped ninety degrees, the shockwave twisting clouds into spirals for ten kilometers.
The bone dragon's tail split, unleashing hundreds of venomous bone spikes like a storm.
Kaiser's expression didn't falter, his divine sight tracking every spike.
The golden shield activated, a golden wall rising before him.
The spikes battered the barrier, screeching.
Kaiser swung his sword.
A golden slash shattered every spike.
"Your weapons can't harm me."
"We're evenly matched now, but given time, I'll outlast you!"
"I have an endless supply of necrotic energy."
The bone dragon's jaw opened, abyss-like dragon breath laced with necrotic power erupting.
Even the ground's stones dissolved in the deathly aura.
The Libra Gold Cloth began to decay.
This was the rotting power from the World Tree's roots, capable of corroding Asgardian divine artifacts.
Kaiser's late eighth-sense Cosmo surged, the Libra constellation tracing across his forehead.
He recalled all weapons, letting the dragon breath engulf him.
In the capital, Brunhilde saw a golden meteor plunge into the necrotic vortex.
A metallic snap echoed through the heavens, Kaiser's eyes reflecting the bone dragon's ghostly flames.
His right arm's armor cracked faintly from the direct hit.
"Not bad."
Kaiser glanced at the Libra Cloth's cracks.
"I am the Black Dragon King Nidhogg's first dragon general!"
Seven black halos burst from the bone dragon's spine, each showing visions of gnawing World Tree roots.
"This skeleton was bathed in the Styx's waters for countless eons!"
"Can you withstand it?"
Kaiser remained unfazed. The bone dragon was strong, but still below a god.
He hesitated to reveal his full power, wary of divine scrutiny.
But with raw strength, the bone dragon was no match.
As his late eighth-sense power unleashed, gravity warped for a hundred miles.
Countless stones floated, forming a radiant star ring between them.
"Titan's Nova!"
The earth overturned, Kaiser's Titan's Nova turning it into a meteor.
It crashed down with divine might.
The bone dragon's wings formed a shield, black necrotic energy creating a honeycomb matrix.
The meteor hit, dissolving into countless light streams!
"Useless!"
The bone dragon's chest echoed with a hollow laugh.
"Your attacks are etched and dissolved by necrotic energy…"
"My body is indestructible!"
Before it finished, Kaiser appeared above its skull.
A holy sword materialized, a crescent-shaped golden slash descending.
Sparks erupted from the bone dragon's neck, a three-meter gash piercing seven vertebrae.
But instantly, Styx's shadow surged from the crack.
Necrotic energy poured, mending the bones at visible speed!
"I told you!"
The bone dragon's tail whipped, a sonic boom sending Kaiser flying kilometers.
"With Lord Nidhogg's curse, my body is eternal!"
Kaiser stabilized mid-air, his Arsenal of Hundred Weapons orbiting him.
He noticed the blue Runes on the dragon's tail flashing with each repair.
Niflheim's necrotic energy.
"I see."
"How about this? Scarlet Needle·Antares!"
Scorpio's technique, channeled through Libra's arsenal, split a spear into fifteen crimson streaks.
The bone dragon tried to dodge, but its wings were locked by Aries's Crystal Wall.
Fifteen star points struck its joints, each laced with venom disrupting energy flow.
"Parlor tricks!"
The bone dragon roared, shattering the Crystal Wall, but its repair slowed.
Kaiser's divine sight saw clearly... these were the dragon's energy nodes.
The Scarlet Needles hit the Zodiac's corresponding star points!
"Starlight Extinction!"
Aries's technique followed, diamond stardust pouring into the breaches.
The bone dragon's body cracked like a glacier, its ghostly flames flickering.
Kaiser seized the fleeting chance, crossing his hands.
"Nothing in this world is indestructible."
"Even God Cloths can break."
"Your body is no exception!"
"Lightning! Galaxy Explosion!"
Not a single shockwave, but a fusion of Gemini's Galaxy Explosion and Leo's Lightning Bolt.
Countless light fists formed a golden lion pride in the galaxy, each lion carrying a miniature supernova.
As the pride struck, the battlefield drowned in white light, space itself collapsing.
"Aaagh!"
The bone dragon thrashed in the energy vortex, cracks spreading across its body.
But its tail Runes flared, World Tree root shadows piercing the void, knitting its bones back together!
Kaiser retreated swiftly, his Gold Cloth marred by corrosion.
Seeing the Libra Cloth's marks, he frowned.
Niflheim's necrotic energy was poison even to gods.
To mortals, it was instant death.
It was tough to handle.
Kaiser's barrage of techniques hadn't cost him much.
But the bone dragon, bolstered by Nidhogg's power, took little damage.
The fight became a war of attrition.
The bone dragon's shattered jaw twisted into a menacing grin. "Time to end this, insect!"
The heavens darkened, nine Styx rivers surging from the void.
Nidhogg's shadow loomed in the sky.
Its overwhelming necrotic energy carried the Black Dragon King's might.
Its wings blotted out the heavens.
"Twilight Dragon Breath!"
A deathly beam, ten times stronger, obliterated even atoms in its path.
Kaiser crossed his arms, the Libra Cloth blazing with unprecedented light.
The Arsenal of Hundred Weapons formed the Aegis Shield, Athena's visage shimmering on its surface.
The golden shield stood before him.
Crack!
The outer energy barrier shattered under the onslaught, the attack's power immense.
Kaiser's knees sank into the rock, his Cloth rattling against debris.
Through the crumbling barrier, he saw the bone dragon's tail Runes frantically drawing Niflheim's necrotic energy.
"I've found your weakness."
Kaiser's lips curled with battle-fueled zeal, his divine sight glowing with the Zodiac's radiance.
"Time to show you what a Gold Saint can do!"
The golden holy sword expanded.
Infused with every weapon from the Arsenal of Hundred Weapons.
"Excalibur!"
As the blade fell, time and space froze.
The bone dragon watched its body dissolve at the molecular level, its tail Runes pierced by twelve starlights.
It tried to call Nidhogg's name, but its soul was sealed.
As the necrotic energy shattered, its last sight was Kaiser wreathed in golden flames, wielding a sword that pierced eternity.
I'm not reconciled… Master… so close…
As the necrotic energy dissipated and the ghostly flames died, Kaiser stood on the scarred earth.
His Cloth slowly repaired.
He gazed at the ravaged land.
The dissipated necrotic energy surged again.
A massive shadow formed, exuding suffocating dragon might.
Nidhogg had noticed this dragon-slayer.
"Black Dragon King…"
Kaiser looked up, his golden Cosmo flaring.
Behind him, the Twelve Zodiac constellations shone.
Illuminating the deathly domain, like a dawn from the gods.
"Mortal…"
Nidhogg's voice echoed across Midgard.
Every creature in Midgard heard it.
Countless beings knelt before the Black Dragon King's majesty.
"Nidhogg, first meeting."
Kaiser stood firm, the Zodiac star map blazing behind him.
Unafraid of the Black Dragon King's necrotic energy.
"I underestimated you."
"You defeated my bone dragon."
"Worthy of the one who bested Beelzebub in the Underworld."
"But this is the Nine Realms' affair."
"Does the Sanctuary truly wish to interfere?"
"Should I take this as the Sanctuary declaring war on me?"
Nidhogg's voice was low, oppressive.
Its mere sound compelled submission.
"Tch…"
Kaiser raised his holy sword. "What nonsense?"
"Just a lizard hiding in Niflheim."
"You think you're the gods' end?"
"Come out of Niflheim now."
"Let's see who dies first."
Kaiser stood unmoved, his eyes mocking.
If it was Nidhogg's true form, he might be wary.
But a mere necrotic avatar?
Why should he yield?
Dare to fight, and Kaiser would kill.
Countless creatures across Midgard heard him.
They learned he came from the gods' domain, a Gold Saint guarding Earth.
They'd heard of Gold Saints' renown.
Stronger than Asgard's God Warriors.
Since the Mythological Era, undefeated in Holy Wars.
Following Athena, they'd suppressed countless evil gods and divine avatars.
They knew Gold Saints were strong.
But now, they grasped the extent.
Strong enough to defy Nidhogg.
Even taunting it openly.
The bone dragon, in raw power, was top-tier below gods.
Some third-tier gods and demigods couldn't match it.
Yet Kaiser slew it unscathed.
His strength was staggering.
Now, he openly challenged Nidhogg.
"Very well, Sanctuary, I'll remember this."
"When the Nine Realms fall, Earth is next."
Nidhogg gave Kaiser a long look.
Its sky-shrouding necrotic energy faded.
Clearly, it knew its avatar was no match for Kaiser.
It had no intent to fight.
Engaging would only let Kaiser humiliate it again.
As the necrotic energy vanished, sunlight bathed the earth.
The Zodiac star map purified the land's deathly aura.
"Fully exposed now."
"But this means I don't need to hide anymore."
"Odin, you'd better step up."
Kaiser's Libra Gold Cloth reverted to its Cloth Gem.
The land's necrotic energy was cleansed.
His body became a streak of light, returning to the capital.
"I didn't expect your strength to be this immense."
"Not even the bone dragon was your match."
Brunhilde looked at the returning Kaiser.
Her eyes held a smile.
"Just a dead thing."
"Unless it's a god, it makes no difference to me."
"Now that I'm exposed."
"Might as well go bold."
Kaiser turned to Brunhilde.
The empire's leaders were summoned again.
This time, they knew who they faced.
From the gods' domain, the Sanctuary's mightiest force.
The Libra Gold Saint, Kaiser!
The greatest warrior on Earth, with countless glorious victories in Holy Wars.
The mastermind behind the Zodiac Array that sealed Earth's threats.
Soon, the capital's council hall was filled with the empire's leaders.
"I'm sure you know who I am."
"No need for introductions."
"My purpose in the Nine Realms is singular."
"To find the World Tree's seed."
"To break Ragnarok's prophecy."
"Ragnarok is a vast divine war."
"Once it begins, Midgard has no chance of survival."
It was tough to handle.
Kaiser's barrage of techniques hadn't cost him much.
But the bone dragon, bolstered by Nidhogg's power, took little damage.
The fight became a war of attrition.
The bone dragon's shattered jaw twisted into a menacing grin. "Time to end this, insect!"
The heavens darkened, nine Styx rivers surging from the void.
Nidhogg's shadow loomed in the sky.
Its overwhelming necrotic energy carried the Black Dragon King's might.
Its wings blotted out the heavens.
"Twilight Dragon Breath!"
A deathly beam, ten times stronger, obliterated even atoms in its path.
Kaiser crossed his arms, the Libra Cloth blazing with unprecedented light.
The Arsenal of Hundred Weapons formed the Aegis Shield, Athena's visage shimmering on its surface.
The golden shield stood before him.
Crack!
The outer energy barrier shattered under the onslaught, the attack's power immense.
Kaiser's knees sank into the rock, his Cloth rattling against debris.
Through the crumbling barrier, he saw the bone dragon's tail Runes frantically drawing Niflheim's necrotic energy.
"I've found your weakness."
Kaiser's lips curled with battle-fueled zeal, his divine sight glowing with the Zodiac's radiance.
"Time to show you what a Gold Saint can do!"
The golden holy sword expanded.
Infused with every weapon from the Arsenal of Hundred Weapons.
"Excalibur!"
As the blade fell, time and space froze.
The bone dragon watched its body dissolve at the molecular level, its tail Runes pierced by twelve starlights.
It tried to call Nidhogg's name, but its soul was sealed.
As the necrotic energy shattered, its last sight was Kaiser wreathed in golden flames, wielding a sword that pierced eternity.
I'm not reconciled… Master… so close…
As the necrotic energy dissipated and the ghostly flames died, Kaiser stood on the scarred earth.
His Cloth slowly repaired.
He gazed at the ravaged land.
The dissipated necrotic energy surged again.
A massive shadow formed, exuding suffocating dragon might.
Nidhogg had noticed this dragon-slayer.
"Black Dragon King…"
Kaiser looked up, his golden Cosmo flaring.
Behind him, the Twelve Zodiac constellations shone.
Illuminating the deathly domain, like a dawn from the gods.
"Mortal…"
Nidhogg's voice echoed across Midgard.
Every creature in Midgard heard it.
Countless beings knelt before the Black Dragon King's majesty.
"Nidhogg, first meeting."
Kaiser stood firm, the Zodiac star map blazing behind him.
Unafraid of the Black Dragon King's necrotic energy.
"I underestimated you."
"You defeated my bone dragon."
"Worthy of the one who bested Beelzebub in the Underworld."
"But this is the Nine Realms' affair."
"Does the Sanctuary truly wish to interfere?"
"Should I take this as the Sanctuary declaring war on me?"
Nidhogg's voice was low, oppressive.
Its mere sound compelled submission.
"Tch…"
Kaiser raised his holy sword. "What nonsense?"
"Just a lizard hiding in Niflheim."
"You think you're the gods' end?"
"Come out of Niflheim now."
"Let's see who dies first."
Kaiser stood unmoved, his eyes mocking.
If it was Nidhogg's true form, he might be wary.
But a mere necrotic avatar?
Why should he yield?
Dare to fight, and Kaiser would kill.
Countless creatures across Midgard heard him.
They learned he came from the gods' domain, a Gold Saint guarding Earth.
They'd heard of Gold Saints' renown.
Stronger than Asgard's God Warriors.
Since the Mythological Era, undefeated in Holy Wars.
Following Athena, they'd suppressed countless evil gods and divine avatars.
They knew Gold Saints were strong.
But now, they grasped the extent.
Strong enough to defy Nidhogg.
Even taunting it openly.
The bone dragon, in raw power, was top-tier below gods.
Some third-tier gods and demigods couldn't match it.
Yet Kaiser slew it unscathed.
His strength was staggering.
Now, he openly challenged Nidhogg.
"Very well, Sanctuary, I'll remember this."
"When the Nine Realms fall, Earth is next."
Nidhogg gave Kaiser a long look.
Its sky-shrouding necrotic energy faded.
Clearly, it knew its avatar was no match for Kaiser.
It had no intent to fight.
Engaging would only let Kaiser humiliate it again.
As the necrotic energy vanished, sunlight bathed the earth.
The Zodiac star map purified the land's deathly aura.
"Fully exposed now."
"But this means I don't need to hide anymore."
"Odin, you'd better step up."
Kaiser's Libra Gold Cloth reverted to its Cloth Gem.
The land's necrotic energy was cleansed.
His body became a streak of light, returning to the capital.
"I didn't expect your strength to be this immense."
"Not even the bone dragon was your match."
Brunhilde looked at the returning Kaiser.
Her eyes held a smile.
"Just a dead thing."
"Unless it's a god, it makes no difference to me."
"Now that I'm exposed."
"Might as well go bold."
Kaiser turned to Brunhilde.
The empire's leaders were summoned again.
This time, they knew who they faced.
From the gods' domain, the Sanctuary's mightiest force.
The Libra Gold Saint, Kaiser!
The greatest warrior on Earth, with countless glorious victories in Holy Wars.
The mastermind behind the Zodiac Array that sealed Earth's threats.
Soon, the capital's council hall was filled with the empire's leaders.
"I'm sure you know who I am."
"No need for introductions."
"My purpose in the Nine Realms is singular."
"To find the World Tree's seed."
"To break Ragnarok's prophecy."
"Ragnarok is a vast divine war."
"Once it begins, Midgard has no chance of survival."
"But the elves' alliance is good news."
"Excluding Asgard, Jotunheim, and Niflheim, home to the three sacred springs."
"Two other realms have opened their gates to us."
"Once Midgard's search is complete."
"We can move to the realms of the elves and dwarves."
"This is promising."
"We've gained the upper hand."
"But other beings won't just watch us act."
"Inform the elves and the empire's leaders to stay ready for battle."
"When Midgard's search is done, tighten the defenses."
Kaiser wasn't surprised by the news.
The elves and dwarves were naturally aligned with Asgard's gods.
Asgard was the strongest, revered by their deities.
Now, only Vanaheim, Helheim, and Muspelheim remained in the Nine Realms.
Vanaheim housed the Vanir gods, formidable in strength.
They coveted the World Tree.
Seizing it could let the Vanir supplant the Aesir as the Nine Realms' rulers.
They wouldn't relent.
Muspelheim's environment was harsh.
The World Tree's seed was unlikely to form there, but vigilance was needed.
Muspelheim had few beings.
Aside from the fire giant Surtr, only mindless demons roamed.
Humans, elves, even dwarves couldn't survive there.
And they'd face Surtr.
Since losing the Eternal Flame,
Surtr's power had waned.
But in Muspelheim, he was immortal.
Reborn in flames.
So few dared challenge him.
As for Helheim,
The fabled Underworld.
A perilous place.
One of the destinations for the Nine Realms' dead.
Ruled by Hela.
Fenrir, the demon wolf, slumbered there.
Loki might be hiding there too.
Hela was his daughter, after all.
Helheim was the most hostile to Asgard.
"We can only hope the World Tree's will is reliable."
"I hope the seed is in Midgard, Alfheim, or Svartalfheim."
"Otherwise, obtaining it will be far harder."
Kaiser mused silently.
Even with the seed, leaving the Nine Realms wouldn't be easy.
But in human, elven, or dwarven realms, it would be simpler.
"The elves want humans to help defend Alfheim."
"They've fully opened Alfheim to us."
"Should we send some forces?"
Brunhilde frowned.
Searching Midgard already strained their resources.
Defending Alfheim would slow progress.
"Simple."
"Notify Odin."
"Have Earth's Norse palace send God Warriors."
"Earth is secured by the Zodiac Array."
"It's safe for now."
"I'll inform the Sanctuary."
"Monitor the Norse palace's movements."
"Have God Warriors defend Alfheim's elves."
"Siegfried's strength is impressive."
"He'd be a top warrior even among the elves."
Kaiser offered a solution.
"Alright."
"I'll arrange it."
Brunhilde now fully deferred to Kaiser.
The plan was sound.
Earth's Norse palace…
"Defend the elves?"
The Norse queen studied Odin's divine oracle.
She was surprised.
"Is the Nine Realms' situation this dire?"
"To deploy the palace's God Warriors?"
Siegfried frowned.
He knew of the World Tree's seed.
But they were powerless.
In a war of gods, they'd be cannon fodder.
"Your Majesty…"
The other God Warriors hesitated.
"No worries."
"The palace will be fine."
"The Sanctuary's Zodiac Array holds."
"Kaiser has informed the Sanctuary."
"Your task is to help Kaiser find the World Tree's seed."
"Leave two God Warriors to guard the palace."
The Norse queen issued her command.
As Odin's proxy, her authority was absolute.
Her orders were rarely defied.
Especially when reasonable.
With Earth at peace, keeping so many God Warriors was unnecessary.
The sea realm, the greatest threat, was flattened by Kaiser's sword.
Any fight would wait decades, until the Zodiac Array broke.
"We understand."
Siegfried nodded.
He accepted the queen's orders.
Sanctuary…
"Kaiser's causing quite a stir."
Shion, reading the message, sighed.
Asking the Sanctuary to guard the Norse palace?
"It seems Asgard's God Warriors are all heading to the Nine Realms."
"The World Tree's seed is making waves."
Aiolia replied.
"I'll go."
"I can train there."
"If the Sanctuary needs me."
"I can return instantly."
Krest spoke up.
"The best arrangement."
Aiolia agreed.
Krest, with divine blood and enhanced power,
Thrived in the Norse palace's icy domain.
Even evil gods would steer clear.
"I just hope Kaiser returns to Earth safely."
"Ragnarok in the Nine Realms shouldn't touch Earth."
"Why's he wading into this mess?"
Shion sighed, exasperated.
"He's always had his own ideas."
"Don't you know that?"
"And the outcomes prove him right."
"A human favored by both Athena and Odin."
"Rare in all of history."
"We just need to follow his lead."
Aiolia patted Shion's shoulder.
Shion nodded.
After settling matters, Krest departed for the Norse palace.
The palace received the news.
The God Warriors exchanged glances.
Why send such a powerhouse?
Second only to Kaiser on Earth.
A warrior who could face gods.
"This is good."
"The Sanctuary can't meddle too much in the Nine Realms."
"Kaiser alone is the limit."
"More would destabilize Earth."
"Let's go defend Alfheim."
Siegfried said calmly.
With Krest here, they weren't needed.
Bluntly put,
Krest alone could wipe out the entire palace.
Such was the might of the Sanctuary's elite.
Five God Warriors entered the Nine Realms, landing in Alfheim.
"Hm?"
Siegfried, startled, threw a punch.
His seventh-sense Cosmo blazed.
The heavy blow sent a dark elf flying.
"Didn't expect to fight right upon entering the Nine Realms."
The Dubhe Star God Warrior smiled.
"Reinforcements!"
The elves rejoiced.
God Warriors coming to their aid was unexpected.
A boon.
As guardians of Earth's Norse palace, God Warriors were formidable in the Nine Realms.
The dark elves retreated swiftly.
Siegfried's power alone shifted the battle.
The elven queen and the dark elf king,
Both late to peak seventh-sense warriors,
Were on par with Siegfried.
The conflict in Alfheim was soon quelled.
"It's gotten this chaotic?"
Siegfried hadn't expected to fight immediately.
The situation was worse than imagined.
From the elven queen, they learned of Kaiser's actions.
The five God Warriors recalled the Gold Saint who parted the sea with a sword.
Faced two eighth-sense mythical creatures.
"He's grown stronger."
"Some gods might not be his match now."
Siegfried mused.
That was the bone dragon, Nidhogg's mightiest servant.
Bathed in Niflheim's necrotic energy since the Mythological Era.
Yet Kaiser crushed it head-on.
God-level power.
With the God Warriors' aid,
Alfheim's search progressed steadily.
"Things are moving well."
"But if it were that simple."
"Would Loki have searched five hundred years for the World Tree's seed?"
Unease stirred in Kaiser.
This felt too easy.
A great battle loomed.
"Perhaps…"
Kaiser frowned, considering a risky plan.
Using Gungnir to sense the World Tree's seed.
But if exposed, he'd become a target.
Loki might lock onto him.
"Better wait."
After weighing it, Kaiser abandoned the idea.
Loki's avatar alone required twelve Gold Saints and twelve Gold Cloths to defeat.
Kaiser didn't think he was at that level.
A near first-tier god's Cosmo.
Loki was no weakling.
"Is there a way to boost my strength quickly?"
Kaiser pondered.
"Might have to visit the Dragon Ball world."
"See if Bulma has any ideas."
Kaiser thought of Bulma's genius.
She built a time machine.
Could she enhance a Gold Cloth?
The Dragon Ball world had divine metals.
Their energy conductivity was unknown.
But Bulma could study it.
The Cloth Gem was with him.
"Settled. I'll find Bulma."
The best option for now.
Back in his room, Kaiser began to meditate…
***
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