The shockwaves from the Azure Dragon's appearance didn't just rattle Kuoh Town—they echoed across the entire cosmos. Gods of every pantheon, Dragon Kings, and even the most wicked dragons felt the tremor in their souls.
Whenever that spectral Azure Dragon manifested, its presence sliced through their defenses, wrapping icy fingers around their hearts—a nightmare that refused to let go. Fear was the first instinct, but beneath it, awe simmered. Not one of them had ever witnessed such overwhelming, godlike power.
In the shadows, the calculations began.
Hades, ruler of the Underworld, gripped his staff with skeletal fingers, emerald flames flickering in his eye sockets as he watched the dragon's phantom.
"So it's real… That divine power isn't a trick. The dragon has returned."
Indra, the Buddhist war god, stared up at the dragon dominating the skies, horror etched into his features.
"Is the source of that phantom really Kuoh Town? The leaders of Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils are negotiating peace there… Don't tell me Cao Cao and the Khaos Brigade have attacked?"
Indra's face darkened. He barked at his subordinates:
"Contact Cao Cao—now! Find out what he's up to, and tell him to get his ass back to Mount Sumeru immediately!"
Not satisfied, Indra started dialing himself.
Elsewhere, Odin clutched his bleeding right eye, voice trembling.
"Terrifying… Absolutely terrifying. We need to accelerate the peace talks with the three factions. The treaty must be signed—now."
He didn't notice Loki's scowl, the evil god's eyes glinting with mischief as he plotted in silence.
All across the realms, attention snapped to Kuoh Town. Eyes gleamed with ambition, caution, or outright greed.
Rizevim Livan Lucifer, the current Khaos Brigade leader, watched the dragon's phantom with twisted delight.
"Hehehe… This power even surpasses Ophis. If my scheme works, maybe it could take down Great Red."
He was dreaming, of course. If Shuo heard him, he'd probably laugh—an insect fantasizing about manipulating a force that could annihilate entire realities.
And then, in the dimensional gap, the True Red Dragon God Emperor—Great Red herself—paused mid-flight for the second time. Both times, this dragon's phantom had stopped her cold. She gazed toward Kuoh Town, crimson eyes locked on Shuo, curiosity burning.
What kind of dragon could produce such power? And what kind of being was its master?
She focused her dreamlike power, holding the fabric of the realms together even as chaos threatened to unravel everything.
Ophis, the so-called "Infinite Cute Dragon," watched from a mountain peak, her kitten-like face lit up with rare excitement.
"This time, I will find you. The power I've longed for… You will help me reclaim my peace."
Every pantheon, every supernatural king, every dragon—debate and speculation erupted. The Azure Dragon's shadow loomed over all.
Meanwhile, back in Kuoh Town—
Shuo basked in the nearly invincible power surging through his veins.
Damn, showing off really is the best. There's no high like this.
He glanced at Vali and Lux—broken, battered, and thoroughly "educated."
That's enough. Lesson learned.
With a final flourish, Shuo waved his arms. The Azure Dragon phantom let loose one last, earth-shaking roar before dissolving into nothingness.
He hadn't expected that roar to be so destructive.
Across the realms, gods probing with their divine senses recoiled, blood gushing from their mouths as the shockwave slammed into their souls. Many cursed Shuo's name, calling him inhuman.
Even the barrier guardians in Kuoh Town staggered, blood surging, as the shield shattered again. Michael—usually the embodiment of mercy—shot Shuo a glare filled with exhausted resentment.
But no one had it worse than Vali and Lux. Already half-dead, the dragon's final roar nearly finished them off.
Shuo winced.
Damn… I overdid it.
The Azure Dragon's power was beyond "double digits"—a cosmic scale that could erase star systems. Even Great Red had only just reached "triple digits." Shuo had released a mere fraction of the Azure Dragon's might, and the world trembled.
If he let loose any more, the DxD universe itself would shatter.
He looked down at Vali and Lux, his voice calm.
"So… Anything left to say?"
Vali and Lux exchanged a glance, bitter smiles on their faces.
"What's there to say? We lost. Kill us if you want. Dying by your hand—we can accept that."
Both lay limp, barely clinging to life.
Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have defeated Vali and Lux! Black Mission complete. Reward: Two Black Gift Packs.
Shuo chuckled at the system's prompt.
He considered finishing Vali off, but instead, with a grand gesture, he sent a wave of life energy into both of them.
Moments later, every wound healed. Vali and Lux staggered to their feet, staring at Shuo in disbelief.
"Shuo… What's the meaning of this? Why didn't you kill us?"
Shuo's lips curled into a sly smirk; he raised an eyebrow.
"Didn't I say at the start? This was a spar, not a death match. I don't kill sparring partners. Unless… you really want to die?"
Vali and Lux hadn't expected that one early promise would save their lives. Both could only laugh—weak, but grateful.
At that moment, the crowd gathered around. Azazel stepped forward, awkward and relieved.
"Uh… Shuo, seriously, thank you for sparing Vali."
Shuo's eyes sparkled with sudden inspiration. His tone shifted to mock seriousness.
"Hmph, Azazel! I only spared Vali because of our deal. But bringing him as an undercover agent to the meeting? That's on you."
He paused, then grinned.
"Still… I might be willing to let it slide. Look at all my girls—none of them have decent Sacred Gears yet! Since you've got a whole arsenal of artificial Sacred Gears, how about you hand over a few? Seems fair, right?"
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