Chapter 683: The Unexpected “Allies”
Indeed, Ghuush wiped the golden Divine Blood from the corner of his mouth, his fierce grin widening as he locked eyes with Kai Xiusu. His single eye gleamed with euphoric triumph. "Red Dragon. As a lowly mortal entity, you’ve done remarkably well. But alas—you’ve met a Power, an unbeatable Deity!"
Ghuush advanced relentlessly, his crimson divine light erupting in a frenzied surge. A suffocating aura of intimidation swept across the Earth, shaking every living thing. Slowly raising his massive battle axe, he let out a thunderous voice that split the sky:
"I will make you understand—once and for all—what true Strength truly means!"
Kai Xiusu spread his wings wide, straining against the crushing weight of the Deity’s divine presence. His eyes never left Ghuush’s avatar, scanning every twitch, every shift in posture. His muscles were coiled like steel springs—tense, ready, utterly still. He dared not relax. Not for a single breath.
This Ogre Deity’s combat mastery was flawless—almost preternatural. It seemed he could predict every move Kai Xiusu made before the Red Dragon even thought it. There was no room for offense. Only defense. Only patience. Kai Xiusu had to endure, wait, watch for a single flaw, a moment of hesitation—then strike with lethal precision.
A smug smirk curled on Ghuush’s lips as he observed the Red Dragon’s cautious movements.
"Soon, you’ll learn—before a True God, all rebellion is nothing but futile writhing!"
Before the words even faded, the Ogres’ feet slammed into the ground. The surface cracked open like a shattered mirror, dust and stone erupting into the air. The armored figure blurred into a phantom, vanishing from sight and reappearing above Kai Xiusu in a flash of speed that defied mortal perception.
"Shhh—!"
The battle axe descended in a streak of blood-red light, slicing through the air like a storm.
Kai Xiusu had been ready. His muscles snapped forward like a spring, and with a thunderous crash, he kicked off the ground, his limbs driving deep into the soil. At the same time, a colossal column of flame erupted from his maw—like a fire-powered jet engine—propelling his body skyward.
"Boom!"
Using the reaction force and the powerful downbeat of his wings, the Red Dragon soared upward—rising tens of meters in an instant.
Ghuush’s axe missed, but the afterimage of its swing was deadly. The crimson blade tore through the air, slicing across Kai Xiusu’s scales. A deep, jagged wound opened across his chest—long, bloody, and deep into the flesh. Had it come a moment later, the dragon’s ribs would have split open, and his beating heart would have been cleaved in two.
The ground, meanwhile, split cleanly in half. A crack stretched for dozens of meters, then echoed with a second, deeper boom, as if the Earth itself were screaming in agony.
Kai Xiusu’s flame column slammed into Ghuush’s chest—only to be deflected by the thick black plate armor. The fire erupted in a torrent of white-hot flame and glowing embers, but it could not pierce the divine barrier. The armor bore countless scars, dull and worn, but beneath its battle-worn surface pulsed the power of a divine artifact—one that allowed the Orcish Deity to slaughter without restraint.
Ordinary fire breath would have done nothing. It couldn’t even breach the crimson aura that shielded Ghuush’s body.
Kai Xiusu gritted his teeth. With a roar of defiance, he channeled every ounce of strength within him. At his core, the Dragon Crystal flared like a miniature sun—light and heat exploding in a storm of luminous particles colliding and intertwining.
"Boom—!"
The Sun God’s Power, the Order Fire, surged through him. The flame column transformed—growing brighter, shifting into a blinding silver-white. It roared forward, scorching, eroding, dismantling the divine shield before Ghuush’s chest.
"No matter how hard you fight, you’re still just a Mortal Entity! Let me show you—clearly—how vast the gap between us truly is!"
Ghuush didn’t dodge. Didn’t flinch. Instead, he let out a wild, deranged laugh that echoed across the heavens, then hurled his battle axe with all his might.
"Shhh—!"
The axe spun through the air, tearing space itself with each rotation. A violent gale erupted around it, distorting the fabric of reality. It shot toward Kai Xiusu at impossible speed—cutting through the air like a blade of destiny.
Every moment, it tore open dozens of meters of space, emitting hundreds of crimson blade-waves. Each one could cleave a Legendary-level warrior in two. The storm of blades could reduce an entire powerful supernatural army to pulp.
Kai Xiusu sensed the danger from below in an instant. Without hesitation, he made a decision—not to flee, but to dive straight into the unguarded Ogres.
He plunged forward, his flame breath blazing brighter than ever, a living inferno descending upon Ghuush.
The axe whistled past, narrowly missing—but not before its storm of blades lashed at the Red Dragon’s massive body. The golden wing membranes tore apart, slashed open by bloodlight-infused wounds. They hung in tatters, torn and exposed.
But Kai Xiusu didn’t care. He roared in fury, driving forward with unstoppable momentum, determined to crush the Ogres beneath him.
"Roar—!"
"Come on, Red Dragon! Show me what you’ve got!" Ghuush sneered, raising his left hand. A heavy, ancient shield materialized in an instant—cracked, weathered, but radiating divine power. He planted it before him like a fortress.
Then—"Boom!"
The Red Dragon crashed into the ground like a falling mountain. His body, nearly sixty meters long, slammed down with such force that the world trembled. The earth ruptured. Stone shattered. Dust and debris roared into the sky. A shockwave rolled outward, scorching the air with heat.
A crater formed—nearly a hundred meters wide, dozens of meters deep. In the center of the dust cloud, Ghuush stood—his feet buried in rock, his shield cracked and broken.
"Aaaargh—!"
Kai Xiusu roared again, seizing the moment. With a thunderous swing, he drove his massive claw down with all his might.
"Boom!"
The ground cracked again. Ghuush was driven deep into the earth, his body buried, blood spraying from his mouth. Even his black plate armor cracked and splintered under the blow.
This was the power of a Red Dragon’s full strike—each claw capable of outpacing most spells.
But the divine aura around Ghuush repaired itself instantly. The wounds sealed. The armor mended. Within a single breath, he was nearly whole again.
"Not bad," Kai Xiusu thought, gritting his teeth. "A powerful Divine Avatar—remarkable healing ability."
He had been ready to strike again—but then he saw it.
A flicker of amusement on Ghuush’s blood-streaked lips.
That smile—dangerous.
His heart skipped.
Something’s wrong.
In a flash, Kai Xiusu spread his wings, clearing the dust with a powerful gust. He leapt into the air, soaring above the battlefield.
Then—he saw it.
The battle axe, spinning through the air, reversed course, returning with terrifying speed.
"Shhh—!"
The axe pierced the space where Kai Xiusu had just been—ripping through the air, unleashing hundreds of crimson blades. The area was torn apart, space itself shredded. Only then did Ghuush catch the axe, holding it firmly in his hand.
He exhaled, a faint sigh of disappointment.
"A pity. You’re too cautious. Too careful. I was hoping for a moment of arrogance."
But above, Kai Xiusu trembled—not from pain, but from relief. Had he struck again, even a fraction later—his body would have been torn apart by that spinning blade.
He stared at Ghuush, his voice low and sharp.
"A dangerous opponent… one slip, and you’re dead."
Now, the battle’s truth was clear.
Ghuush fought without restraint. Kai Xiusu? He had to fight with caution, with calculation. Every move, every breath—watched.
Yes, Kai Xiusu had a way out. He could vanish instantly, retreating to the Empire. No threat to his life.
But if he fled, the Empire’s holdings in the northern Feanso would fall. His prestige within the realm would crumble. And worse—this chance—this once-in-a-millennium opportunity—would vanish.
He’d be trapped forever in the remote northern wastes, a petty emperor living for thousands of years, powerless and forgotten.
Ghuush, wrapped in black mist, rose once more. His right hand gripped the battle axe. In his left, a bloodstained spear coalesced.
"I told you—Deity-level strength is beyond your imagination. Kai Xiusu, I’ll give you one last chance. Submit to me. You’ll be worshipped by billions of Ogres across the multiverse."
He smirked.
"But there’s a condition."
He leaned in, eyes gleaming.
"You’ll serve as my eternal mount—standing beneath my Divine Statue, forever."
To emphasize sincerity, a contract of divine power materialized in midair—glowing, pulsing, radiating an intoxicating aura. It promised immortality, power beyond mortal dreams.
To Ghuush, this dragon should be terrified. Broken. Willing to sell his soul for survival.
After all—submit and become a subordinate deity? How many mortals would kill for such a chance?
But Ghuush didn’t know. To Kai Xiusu, this offer meant nothing. He already had multiple paths to ascension.
"Shriiiik!"
Kai Xiusu slashed the air with his claw. A jagged force field tore through the contract—ripping it to shreds.
The Red Dragon stood tall, his voice cold, dripping with sarcasm.
"Old green-skinned fool. Did you lose so many followers you’ve gone mad?"
"Foolish."
Ghuush’s eyes turned icy. Veins bulged on his forehead. His single eye flared with divine wrath—bloodlight shooting into the sky, blotting out the sun for miles.
Step by step, he advanced. Each step caused his body to swell, his aura of intimidation growing stronger.
Finally, he stood—nearly a hundred meters tall—his left hand gripping a spear, his right hand clutching the axe. Black armor. Ancient, primal. A presence from the dawn of war and conquest.
The weight of his divine aura pressed down on Kai Xiusu like a mountain. His wings trembled. He nearly fell from the sky, barely holding his balance.
Only now—only now—did Ghuush reveal his true form.
A cost: the attrition of his Primordial Source. But the result? The Embodiment of War and Conquest—a Deity utterly committed to victory, no matter the cost.
Kai Xiusu strained, wings flapping, staring up at the colossal Ogres.
Yet he didn’t fear.
Instead, a faint, mocking smile curled on his lips.
"Old green-skinned… you’re willing to burn your Primordial Source just to kill me? Must be your old enemies attacking your Divine Realm. You want to eliminate me quickly. Am I right?"
"You’re dead!"
Ghuush roared, blood spear raised, his rage boiling over. The killing intent locked onto Kai Xiusu like a vise.
Kai Xiusu gave everything—soaring upward with a trail of fire, bursting through the divine domain’s barrier in an instant. He climbed—thousands, then tens of thousands of meters—until he hovered high above, staring down at the Ogres below.
Though he mocked the Deity, his mind remained sharp. This was no ordinary avatar. It was a Divine Power, descending at the cost of its very essence. One misstep… and he’d be dead.
"Roar—!"
The Red Dragon let out a primal cry. The primordial flames from the Inner Planes, the radiant power of the sun—merged with his body. In an instant, he grew—his form swelling to over a hundred meters, matching the Ogres in size.
"Boom!"
Ghuush charged again—feet crushing the earth, hills collapsing beneath him. With a single leap, he soared thousands of meters into the air, meeting Kai Xiusu at the same height.
The battle axe slashed through the air, cutting the sky like a god’s scythe. The spear flew forward, tearing the heavens in two. The two weapons—axe and spear—moved in perfect harmony, forming a lethal cross—cutting off every escape route.
Kai Xiusu reacted instantly.
He activated his mastery of the Elemental Plane of Fire. His body transformed—became pure elemental energy. At the cost of his own strength, he dissolved into a sea of flames, pouring down toward the surface world, vanishing into the inferno.
The blood-imbued axe split the fire. The killing spear pierced through it. Kai Xiusu’s fire elemental authority was killed—one-fifth of it destroyed in an instant.
But in that moment of escape, the flames surged back, coalescing—forming the Red Dragon’s massive, blazing body once more.
Kai Xiusu didn’t hesitate. He folded his wings, contracted his body, and plunged downward like a falling star.
"Crawler," Ghuush snarled, swinging his weapons, chasing after the Red Dragon, trailing bloodlight like a comet.
"Boom—!"
Kai Xiusu crashed into the earth. The ground heaved. Mountains trembled. The planet itself groaned under the impact.
Now—now—he could have torn open space and fled.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he lifted his head, gazing up at the sky.
A familiar presence… he recognized it.
His eyes narrowed—sharp, calculating.
He had expected this.
Then, lowering his head, he roared toward the ground:
"Think carefully! If I fail—no one will be left to stop the Ogres’ advance! I can abandon Northern Aether and return to Anzeta. In ten years, I’ll raise another army of conquerors. But you? Can your Elven Kingdom and Dwarf clans still resist the Ogres? Do you want to see the Beast Tide drown the world? Do you want Ghuush to grow even stronger?"
His voice was passionate. But it wasn’t meant for Ghuush.
It was for someone else—someone hiding beneath the earth.
"Allies?" Ghuush’s eyes widened. His face twisted in rage.
"No! He cannot survive this!"
The Deity roared, swinging his weapons with divine fury, charging toward the Red Dragon.
"Boom!"
The earth split. The mountains trembled.
And from the ground—emerged a Stone Dwarf.
Clad in a massive hammer, holding a colossal stone shield, he crawled from the ruins—his body glowing with deep ochre-yellow divine light. He clashed with Ghuush’s crimson domain, the two forces colliding like titans.
This unexpected ally—this allied force—was no ordinary being.
He was a Dwarf Deity.
One Kai Xiusu had fought before.
The God of Shields, the Silent Conservator—Dumason.
(End of Chapter)
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