1018 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

# Chapter 1018: The Divine Tree and the Owner (30) "What is that?" I gazed at the leader, whose body was gradually turning red. His skin, marked with increasing red blotches, was completely overrun by them, and his fur had turned a fiery crimson some time ago. Even more astonishing. "The axe turned red too." The axe that used to spew flames had changed to the same crimson hue as its fur. The room was filled with red spots, engulfing the black leather and transforming everything to a deep scarlet. "Kuhehe..." Oddly enough, flames no longer spewed from the leader's nostrils. What's this? As I observed, I sensed another peculiar change. "His presence has faded." The overwhelming presence that was suffocating mere moments ago had noticeably diminished. "What is happening?" How could something so massive suddenly lose its presence? It's preposterous. "What transformation occurred?" What on earth was that body? What power could create such a form? "I have more to investigate." There was still more I needed to uncover about this entity. However... "This is unsettling." Observing it stirred an inexplicable anxiety within me. My instincts screamed a warning—avoid unnecessary provocations against it. "Do I need to decide the outcome here and now?" As soon as I resolved to act, my shadow stirred as if reading my mind, ready to pounce. "If I'm going to act..." It would have been better if I had used Heaven's First Strike from the onset. I had hesitated, aiming to verify things first, and missed an opportunity. I reignited my cooled body. As the heat surged, energy coursed through me. Hwaaah--!! It surged over my shoulders and into the sky, setting an energy domain. Integrating demonic energy, I created the Crimson Sky, constructing a realm with Black Sky. This invigorated me, providing strength for the imminent confrontation. Just as I was about to clash with him again— Whoosh-! "Hmm?" Suddenly, my body jerked. Someone grabbed my nape and pulled. I turned to see the Heavenly Demon. She swiftly pulled me away from the battle. "What are you—!" I attempted to speak but was cut off. In one leap, she propelled us upward at remarkable speed. The leader dwindled to a mere dot below as I was drawn out of range. * * * The leader stood alone atop the rocky mountain, staring into the void. It was the direction his opponent had disappeared to just moments ago. He contemplated chasing after them, knowing he could if he set his mind to it. Yet he hesitated to pursue. "......" His expression twisted in frustration as he gazed into the empty space. "Kuhehehehe---!!" With a guttural roar of discomfort, he pulled the axe from the ground, swinging it through the air. Kuaaaah---!!! His swing whipped the air, tearing it apart as the force tore through the nothingness. Remarkably, it struck something invisible, causing a violent explosion. The leader turned to the source, snarling fiercely. "Raven. What are you scheming?" Gritting his teeth, the leader clutched the axe as someone emerged from the void he had struck. Flap-!! A figure with dark wings appeared, their face hidden. "Damn." He expressed his regret as he approached the leader. "They were keener than expected. How unfortunate." "I asked you—what is your scheme—!!" Hwaaah--!! The leader's wrath sent tremors through the air. The figure gestured as he spoke to the leader. "What am I scheming? I was preparing to capture prey caught in my trap." Tsk tsk. He clicked his tongue repeatedly in dismay at the leader. "A little more, and they would have been ensnared. Couldn't you have distracted them better?" "......Impudent." Boom-! Crack-!!! The leader leaped at the figure, swinging the axe. The sharp axe cleaved straight through him. His form split in two, seemingly sealed his doom. Yet— Flap--!!! The cleaved body dissolved into black feathers and vanished. "Leader. Do you not grasp the situation?" The feathers converged behind the leader, reforming the figure. "Didn't you say it yourself? They are disrupting the order of the myriad worlds." Flap-! The figure spread his large wings, soaring into the sky. "I sought to assist in apprehending them. Why are you so irate—" He soared higher as tendrils of flame shot through the space he'd vacated. "I've told you numerous times," the leader growled back, these words directed at the figure. "Don't interfere with battles without invitation." "......Sigh, Leader. Now is not the time for such stubbornness, you know?" The figure sighed in exasperation at the leader. "Our commander has perished." Yusa's death had brought an unprecedented upheaval to the myriad worlds. "It was a fundamental law laid down by the Master, enforced by the commander's unwavering loyalty. We were to uphold what the Master established within the myriad worlds." Yet even such a commander met his end. Furthermore, "The commander perished by another being of the myriad worlds. Can you truly not see the gravity of this situation?" "It is irrelevant." "Leader." "This was my battle to fight. How dare you impede it?" Resolute, the leader infused his axe with combat aura, showing no intention of yielding. "......Hu." The figure sighed again at the leader's stubborn demeanor. "This matter concerns the Master as well. How do you, so loyal to the Master, dismiss it so easily?" "I will deal with it myself. I could have, undisturbed by your interference." "Ha—!" The figure released a mirthless laugh. "Can you truly be certain of that?" "Well, of course. Who do you think I am?" "A stubborn brute, nothing more." "......." Rumble—!! The killing intent radiated by the leader shot towards the figure, but it was effortlessly evaded once more. "Heavenly Demon. The one you were fighting called himself by that name." "......." "How was it to face him? It seemed like you were struggling." "Ridiculous." Sssshhhh---!!! Smoke formed of intense heat angrily emanated from the leader's body. "Had you not interfered, I would have been the victor." "Perhaps. It's possible." The figure did not refute those words. Yet... "If it were just the two of you, perhaps. But wasn't there another standing watch?" An enigmatic presence quietly observing the fight from behind, that was the real point of interest for the figure. "I don't care. I would have dealt with them all by myself." "......" Such bold yet slightly naive statements made the figure want to sigh, but he held back. "......What do you mean by 'dealt with them'? Without my intervention, it would have been you who was defeated." The figure was certain. "The unknown woman was wary of us from the start." He had sensed how she detected his presence hidden in the void. As evidence of this... "Even as you fought, her eyes remained fixed on this direction." While the leader was engrossed in combat, she kept scanning the surroundings, seemingly searching for him rather than engaging in the battle. That had truly been surprising. "Could she really sense me?" Even if the leader seemed oblivious, intent only on fighting, this woman was different. "She was peculiar." Strange did not quite capture it; it was beyond strange. It was the peculiar aura and presence of the Heavenly Demon that baffled him, and the woman with him was... "Something..." There was something incredibly unsettling about it all. Beyond being simply unidentifiable. "The feeling..." It was an innate sense of discomfort that the presence evoked. It was akin to... "It felt like Yarang." The entity the Master favored. It was ludicrous enough that such a being suddenly became a commander. The one who was stripped of their title by the Divine Tree but retained the title by name alone. That distinct aura bore an uncanny resemblance to it. "In that kind of situation, do you think you could have overcome it all if left alone?" "......I'll handle it myself. So leave me be." "You fool." No matter how many times he explained, the leader's attitude remained unchanged. In anticipation, he had set a trap, and the prey had wandered right into it. If only they had been more careful in eliminating them. 'This stubborn fool didn't help at all.' The leader had ruined everything. There was a reason the figure never revealed his hidden presence to the leader. Because he knew that if he found out, he'd go berserk and attack immediately. "If you won't leave of your own accord, I'll make sure you do." Just as the leader was about to slice the air with his axe again. "Damn fool." The figure shook his head and motioned with his fingertips. Instantly, Ziiing---!! The space at his fingertips split and cracked, resembling a realm gateway. The figure darted into that split. Only after he vanished did the leader release the tension in his body. Fssssshhh—!! Steam emitted from him as his body reverted—his fiery fur and skin returned to their original color. "Grrehhh..." Then, the leader cast his gaze back to the void. He was more disgruntled about the unfinished battle than losing sight of the enemy. Should he pursue them immediately? The leader pondered. Chasing them after time had elapsed might be tougher, but that didn't deter him. As long as they hadn't left Marene Mountain, he wouldn't lose track. However, as he prepared to set off... "......" He paused his stride. In the distance, the sun was rising above the crimson aurora. Seeing the sun caused him to lower his axe. The moment he saw the sun, drowsiness overtook him. The leader slowly sat down and closed his eyes where he stood. For now... He needed to sleep. At least until night falls once more. And so, the leader closed his eyes and sought slumber.