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As the scream echoed through the air, a massive magic circle appeared beneath Haru.
A blinding light erupted from the circle, illuminating the entire mountain range, turning the world into a sea of white.
"Tsk" Haru cursed, shielding his face from the sudden flash.
Then, A gigantic head emerged from the magic circle, its jaws snapping shut, swallowing Haru whole.
As the head materialized, the light within the circle turned an ominous black, absorbing all other light, plunging the world into darkness.
'A darkness deeper than the abyss, a void of nothingness.'
Haru, trapped within the darkness, felt the Earth Mother bloodline within him stir.
"What is this power…?" His face darkened as he felt the oppressive darkness attempting to consume him.
A wave of intense negativity washed over him—pain, resentment, hatred, curses—as if all the world's malice had converged upon this single point, pouring into his mind through the encroaching darkness.
Fighting back the nausea, Haru extended his senses, probing the nature of the darkness that enveloped him.
And then he saw it.
He was inside the mouth of a monstrous being, its body covered in grotesque, ancient runes, bound tightly by restraints.
The creature's upper body was humanoid, with black, Fallen Angel-like wings sprouting from its back. Its lower body, however, was a long, serpentine tail covered in scales.
'A hybrid of Fallen Angel and Dragon.'
And he'd been swallowed whole. The thought made Haru's stomach churn.
"That form… Samael—The Dragon Eater! Mongrel, You dare attack me?" Haru's voice was cold, his face a mask of disgust.
"Come forth, Platinum Star! Come forth, Sword of Salvation!"
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As Haru was swallowed, a teleportation circle appeared beside Cao Cao.
It transformed into a brown, wooden door, which slowly opened.
Figures emerged, hurrying towards Cao Cao.
The Hero Faction had scattered, Pursuing Vali, only to be misled by Bikou's transformations.
Only Cao Cao, trusting his instincts, had managed to track Vali.
And when Cao Cao activated Truth Idea, they had sensed his location through the magic circle, witnessing the final moments of the battle.
"He's… strong. Even you were beaten this badly, Cao Cao," one of the figures said, hurrying forward. He conjured a wisp of gray mist, from which he retrieved a teardrop-shaped object radiating fiery energy.
He offered it to Cao Cao.
"Phoenix Tears? Thank you, Georg," Cao Cao gasped, taking the tear and swallowing it.
Golden Touki flared around him, and his wounds healed instantly. If not for his tattered clothes, no one would have guessed he'd just been through a brutal battle.
"Weren't you pursuing Vali? That man earlier… he looked like the Red Dragon Emperor from the reports," Georg asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"It's a long story. The one I fought was indeed the Red Dragon Emperor. But… is that… Samael? How disgusting…" Cao Cao stared at the monstrous figure in the distance, his face a mixture of awe and revulsion.
"Yes! That's him! When I saw it was the Red Dragon Emperor, I immediately summoned Samael. I'm glad I didn't make a mistake!" Georg said, relieved.
"Well done, Georg. Samael's power can nullify any attack and possesses the ultimate Dragon-slaying ability. Even the Red Dragon Emperor can't survive being swallowed by it. What a shame, though. Humanity has lost another powerful warrior." Cao Cao's voice was filled with regret as he watched Samael… chewing.
Cao Cao knew Samael's power well.
In the Bible, Samael was the serpent who tempted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit.
In this world, that act had angered God, who cursed Samael, imbuing him with all His hatred and resentment towards Dragons and serpents.
God's malice, like a potent poison, transformed Samael into a being of pure evil, a force specifically designed to destroy Dragons.
And Haru, despite being among the top ten strongest, despite wielding the Boosted Gear, was still a Dragon. Even Ophis wouldn't survive being consumed by Samael.
"Help me up, Georg. Let's retrieve Samael," Cao Cao said with a sigh.
Just then, Samael raised its head.
Blood and tears streamed from its single, visible eye, staining its face crimson, obscuring its features.
Then, it opened its mouth.
"—GRAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!—"
A horrific wail, a symphony of pain, resentment, hatred, and curses, echoed through the air.
A brilliant golden sun erupted from Samael's mouth.
Like snow melting in a fire, Samael's body began to… dissolve.
"Impossible!" Cao Cao shouted, his eyes wide with disbelief.
The other members of the Hero Faction stared in horror.
"That's… Samael…"
"How…? That monster, which required the combined might of the Greek Gods to seal… was just… killed?"
"The ultimate Dragon Slayer… defeated by the inheritor of one of the Two Heavenly Dragons…?"
"This can't be happening…"
But it was.
BOOM!
Under the radiant light of the sun, Samael's body dissolved completely, transforming into a formless, black mass of energy.
Haru, hovering in mid-air, the Sword of Salvation clutched in his hand, plunged the blade into the energy mass. It flickered and pulsed before being absorbed by the sword.
The moment Haru appeared, Cao Cao roared at his companions, "Run!!!"
The Hero Faction members scrambled towards the teleportation circle.
Haru's eyes narrowed. The Platinum Star transformed into the Mandala formation, unleashing a barrage of holy lightning—Divine Retribution.
The holy light followed the Hero Faction through the portal, piercing their bodies.
One of the bolts, however, transformed into a shimmering platinum rope, wrapping around a single figure and pulling them back just as the portal closed.
Haru appeared before the figure—a beautiful young woman with long, flowing golden hair. He grinned.
"Hey there, beautiful. Wanna… hang out?
Jeanne d'Arc, her face a mask of despair, her eyes filled with tears, managed a choked, "Okay…"
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