When leaving the rest area after the match, Xiao Wu's swollen sausage lips had already been healed by Xiao Qing's healing soul skill.
However, Chu Chengzhou's face was still full of bite marks, and he had two panda eyes. A still-fuming Xiao Wu refused to let him heal himself.
Yet, Chu Chengzhou wasn't the least bit upset. In fact, he was quite pleased with himself.
Because right now, his two arms were wrapped around the slender waists of two beautiful girls—one on each side.
"If only I had a third hand!"
He glanced behind at the dazed big kitty (Zhu Zhuqing), feeling the beauty in his hands and couldn't help but think to himself.
The incident from the previous night, where he was caught meeting his side girl by the main one, had been properly resolved. Now, it was time to continue working on getting the next fish into his pond—and also to ensure the three fish, who already had a decent relationship, could live in harmony.
Not long after leaving the rest area, the four of them ran into the retreating teams of Godwind Academy and Blazing Fire Academy.
Feng Xiaotian was still the same—acting like a simp, circling around Miss Huo Wu from the Blazing Fire team.
Suddenly, the simp-Feng Xiaotian noticed Chu Chengzhou approaching with his group, and the moment he saw the giant panda-like bruises around his eyes, he hurried over for a closer look.
Then, with a schadenfreude-filled smile, he turned to Huo Wu and said:
"Sister Huo Wu, look! A panda!"
(Note: "Panda" is another name for the iron-eating bear, a type of soul beast that looks silly and cute with black and white coloring.)
Yesterday, the Blazing Fire team had been crushed by Chu Chengzhou. Now seeing that he got beaten up and given panda eyes, Feng Xiaotian figured Huo Wu would be pretty pleased.
"Feng Xiaotian, do you know how I got these panda eyes?"
Chu Chengzhou clicked his tongue and asked.
What's this? A simp like you who hasn't even won the heart of your goddess dares to mock someone like me—someone with two beauties in his arms? You've got to be kidding me.
"Panda eyes?"
Feng Xiaotian blinked, confused. "Panda? Like a cat that looks like a bear?"
"Panda is just another name for the iron-eating bear!"
"Oh... I didn't know that."
Feng Xiaotian shook his head.
"Tsk~ Young man, you need to learn more."
Chu Chengzhou chuckled, tightened his grip on the girls beside him, and continued walking toward the entrance of the Great Soul Arena.
Frozen in place, Feng Xiaotian stared at Chu Chengzhou's hands holding onto those beautiful waists and couldn't help but gape.
Then, he looked back at Huo Wu, who barely even acknowledged him, and a wave of frustration washed over him.
This young man, born with full soul power, couldn't understand it. How was there such a huge gap between people?
'Maybe I should be more proactive?'
Glancing at Huo Wu and recalling Chu Chengzhou's panda eyes, Feng Xiaotian thought.
In his eyes, Chu Chengzhou only got beaten up because he was two-timing.
But the fact was—Chu succeeded. Despite getting two panda eyes, he got to enjoy a life of holding beauties in both arms.
A beating = success? Doesn't sound like a bad deal.
Let's do it!
With that, Feng Xiaotian took a deep breath, shoved Huo Wushuang aside, and under Huo Wu's shocked gaze, reached out and wrapped his arm around her slim waist.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze.
Everyone from both the Godwind and Blazing Fire teams stared wide-eyed at Feng Xiaotian's bold move.
Was their team captain (a known simp) actually this brave?
Two seconds later, Huo Wu's shock turned into anger. She raised her long leg and kicked Feng Xiaotian hard in the stomach.
"Boom—!"
In the next moment, Feng Xiaotian became a human cannonball, flying dozens of meters through the air from Huo Wu's kick.
With a swooshing sound, Chu Chengzhou looked at the airborne Feng Xiaotian, who landed with a thud not far in front of him, and fell silent.
What the hell did that guy just go through...?
But Chu Chengzhou didn't dwell on it. Holding onto his girls, he led Zhu Zhuqing and the rest around the dazed, flat-on-the-ground Feng Xiaotian and exited the Great Soul Arena.
Outside the Great Soul Arena
Not seeing Ma Hongjun and the others, the four planned to return to the academy—until they ran into the members of the Heaven Dou Royal Team.
Although the Royal Team was automatically seeded into the finals, it didn't mean they weren't paying attention to the preliminaries.
After all, while the Five Elemental Academies weren't stronger than Heaven Dou Royal Academy, they weren't far behind either. Plus, Yu Tianheng and the others knew that this year's Soul Master Tournament had more than just the Star Luo Royal Team and the Spirit Hall Team to worry about.
There was also a dark horse—the Blue Tyrant Academy Team that had once defeated them.
"Brother Chu, I heard you were attacked by assassins from the Star Luo Empire last night?"
Dugu Yan approached with concern.
"Thanks for your concern, senior. I'm fine."
Chu Chengzhou waved it off.
"Good to hear. My grandfather's been missing lately. If he were here, those assassins wouldn't dare act up in Heaven Dou City."
Dugu Yan said, clearly a bit frustrated.
Titled Douluo have strong senses. Any powerful soul master stirring trouble in Heaven Dou City would normally be noticed.
And if they made a scene, they'd likely be caught before escaping—so such incidents were extremely rare.
Chu Chengzhou raised his eyebrows.
No wonder Dugu Bo didn't show up last night—turns out he's not in the city.
"Sister Dugu, who's this?"
Chu looked at the blue-haired youth in the Royal Team.
No need to guess—this must be Tang San, the one walking the path of death.
Of course, Tang San was currently just a Five-Ring Soul King. Whether he could become a god in the future? That remained to be seen.
"Hello, I'm Tang San, vice-captain of the Heaven Dou Royal Team."
Tang San greeted him politely.
As a Five-Ring Soul King, Tang San could've been the team captain, but since Yu Tianheng already held the title and Tang San was a new addition, he only took the vice-captain role.
"Chu Chengzhou, captain of the Blue Tyrant Academy Team."
Chu returned the greeting.
Tang San hadn't awakened his Blue Silver Emperor bloodline when Chu last saw him, so he didn't recognize him at first. But now, with his bloodline awakened, Tang San had a refined and polite air.
Well, that's expected. Before labeling you as an enemy, Tang San usually behaves quite nicely.
But once he marks you for death? Hell hath no fury—he'll go all in.
Just then, a noble-looking woman in palace attire, accompanied by two maidservants, stepped out of the Great Soul Arena.
She looked to be around 27 or 28 years old, with long sky-blue hair, a well-fitted silver dress, a stunning face, and an elegant aura.
The moment Chu Chengzhou saw her, he was dazzled.
Damn~ this mature beauty is fine! Great body, great looks, and even better temperament.
But who's the lucky bastard who landed her?!
Chu Chengzhou: I'm so jealous I'm about to split into atoms.
"Xiao San, so you're here!"
The beautiful woman approached upon seeing her nephew.
"Auntie, you came to watch the match too?"
Tang San was a bit surprised.
"The Soul Master Tournament is the biggest event on the continent. Why wouldn't I come?"
Tang Yuehua smiled.
"No, no, of course you can!"
Tang San waved his hands quickly.
Hearing their exchange, Chu Chengzhou's spirits lifted.
So this beautiful milf is Tang Yuehua?
Tang Hao became a Titled Douluo at age 44, just as Tang San was born. Now, more than a decade later, Tang Hao was nearing 60. If he and Tang Yuehua were less than ten years apart, that would put her around 50.
Which means... Tang Yuehua is in her prime milf years!
Even if not quite there, she was at least in her "tiger" phase.
And yet, despite being that age, she looked no older than 30—a regal and stunning noblewoman.
Bibi Dong looked like she was in her 20s, and god-tier Qian Renxue like an 18-year-old, but those two had immense power and longevity.
Tang Yuehua, on the other hand, wasn't even a proper soul master.
A true miracle of creation!
The Four Mature Beauties of Douluo: Bo Saixi, Bibi Dong, Tang Yuehua, and Liu Erlong.
Although Liu Erlong was his dean, Chu Chengzhou had to admit that, excluding strength and judging only by looks and temperament, Liu Erlong was clearly a tier below Tang Yuehua.
As for Bibi Dong and Bo Saixi?
They were not only among the most beautiful women but also top-level powerhouses on the continent. Bibi Dong, in particular, was the kind of woman even a "Secret Room Douluo" couldn't resist.
Qian Xunji: "I only made the mistake that all men tend to make."
Chu Chengzhou: "Tang San, this brother of mine—no, my dear nephew—is someone I, Chu, will definitely befriend!"
"Since it's getting late, San, let your aunt treat your classmates to lunch!"
Looking around at everyone present, Tang Yuehua spoke.
She knew her nephew lacked social interactions with peers growing up and feared he'd become antisocial. So she wanted him to build better relationships with his classmates.
As for the four who weren't Tang San's classmates—Chu Chengzhou and the others?
She had already come to watch them at the Battle Arena the previous day.
Except for Xiao Wu, who had yet to reveal her strength, Chu Chengzhou and the others were all rare young geniuses on the continent. Ning Rongrong, especially, came from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and had an evolved version of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul.
With such extraordinary talents, they were worth befriending—both for Tang San and from the perspective of the Clear Sky Sect.
Faced with Tang Yuehua's invitation, Yu Tianheng and the others didn't refuse. After all, it was a senior of a teammate treating them to a meal. But Chu Chengzhou declined.
"Thank you for your kindness, big sister, but we have important matters to attend to and must respectfully decline."
If Tang Yuehua had invited him alone, he wouldn't have refused.
But with others around—and no real relationship with Tang San—it wasn't worth it.
If he truly wanted to pursue Tang Yuehua, he'd have to rely on real strength.
For example:
Chu Chengzhou: "Heh heh—Madam Yuehua, surely you wouldn't want the Clear Sky Sect to be in trouble, would you?"
"Big sister? Heh~ you sure know how to talk. No wonder... cough cough... next time, you better not refuse."
Women are always sensitive about their age. Hearing a young man call her "big sister," a smile crept across Tang Yuehua's face. No wonder this boy had beauties on both arms—clearly not without reason.
"Absolutely!"
Chu Chengzhou smiled and nodded.
On the way back to Blue Tyrant Academy...
"Brother, did you feel something strange about that Tang San?"
Suddenly, Xiao Wu frowned and asked.
She had sensed something off about Tang San the moment she saw him but couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"You noticed?"
Chu Chengzhou raised his eyebrows, surprised that Xiao Wu caught on.
Then again, it made sense. Ordinary people—even titled Douluos—couldn't detect anything strange about Tang San. But Xiao Wu, being a 100,000-year-old spirit beast in human form, was incredibly sensitive to spirit beast bloodlines.
In the original story, Xiao Wu became close with Tang San right after their first meeting and even shared a bed. A big reason for that was Tang San being part beast—not exactly. He was part plant.
"???"
Xiao Wu blinked, confused.
"Tang San's situation is somewhat like yours but different. His father is a powerful human, and his mother is a transformed 100,000-year-old Blue Silver Emperor."
Chu Chengzhou transmitted via spiritual voice.
"Blue Silver Emperor? Even Blue Silver Grass can cultivate to 100,000 years?"
Xiao Wu's eyes widened in disbelief.
"If a bunny like you can cultivate to 100,000 years, why can't Blue Silver Grass?"
Chu Chengzhou shot her a blank look.
"Uhh, true!"
Xiao Wu nodded.
Her case was special—her mother had already cultivated for 100,000 years when giving birth to her, so her bloodline was inherently high-tier. Her physical form may have been that of a Soft Bone Rabbit, but fundamentally, she was far from ordinary.
But her mother started off as a common Soft Bone Rabbit and still reached 100,000 years. So, Blue Silver Grass achieving the same wasn't entirely impossible.
Maybe her mother and the Blue Silver Emperor had both once come across some kind of immortal herb?
Three days later.
In a palace hall of the Star Luo Empire.
"You're saying our Star Luo assassins tried to kill contestants in the Heaven Dou City Spirit Master Tournament?!"
Emperor Dai Yutian glared, eyes wide in shock, at the Prime Minister reporting to him.
The Star Luo Empire operated like a constitutional monarchy, with the Prime Minister at the helm and ministers of various departments under him.
But the emperor held absolute power and could dismiss the cabinet at will.
The royal Dai family was the strongest spirit master clan in the empire. With military control and royal legitimacy, the Dai family held absolute military power.
There was also a strict rule: to be a high-ranking official in the cabinet, one's spirit power must not exceed level 60. Anyone surpassing that threshold would be forcibly removed from office.
In Douluo Dalu, where strength is everything, authority on paper meant little. Power ruled.
The Star Luo throne was always claimed through combat. Most emperors weren't skilled in politics.
So how to maintain imperial power with no political cunning?
Simple: Officials could have brains, but no fists.
The stronger the emperor, the more likely he could flip the table on any official who dared disobey.
"Yes, Your Majesty. The Heaven Dou envoy, along with the Wuhun Hall's Star Luo Sanctuary Master, has ordered our empire to take responsibility for the assassination attempt on Blue Tyrant Academy."
Prime Minister Pierce reported nervously.
If he could help it, he'd rather not report this to the emperor, who was known for being arbitrary and domineering.
But he had no choice—the envoy from Heaven Dou came with a top Wuhun Hall figure. Pierce couldn't escape responsibility.
"Bang—!"
Enraged, Dai Yutian smashed the desk before him into dust.
He was furious. Did the empire send anyone to cause trouble in Heaven Dou City? He'd know!
"Damn that old man Xue Ye! Damn you too, Bibi Dong! Framing me, huh? You think my empire is made of clay?"
Even if it was his people, how could he admit it? That'd make the empire look shady!
"Listen, Pierce—kick them out of my palace! Especially the envoy from Xue Ye. If he dares spout nonsense, chop him up!"
He kicked a desk fragment aside, roaring in rage.
If not for diplomatic considerations, Dai Yutian would've executed the envoy on the spot.
"Star Luo has bigger fists than Heaven Dou. What if I bully you? Come duel me!"
As for the Wuhun Hall sanctuary master?
Well… as long as Qian Daoliu still lived, he didn't dare act rashly.
"Your Majesty, the Heaven Dou envoy says they have the third prince in custody. If we don't take responsibility, they won't release him."
Pierce hesitated, then relayed the envoy's words.
Dai Yutian fell silent.
If spirit power wasn't inherited, he wouldn't care if a prince got detained. Heaven Dou wouldn't dare kill a royal anyway.
Unfortunately, spirit power IS inherited. If they didn't take responsibility, what if Heaven Dou raised their prince and bred a White Tiger clan?
For the royal family, almost anything could be negotiated—except spirit inheritance.
"What do they want?"
Dai Yutian asked with a dark expression.
"Hand over the mastermind, apologize, and compensate one million gold soul coins to Blue Tyrant Academy."
After a moment's thought, Dai Yutian replied, "Agree. Send someone to bring back Dai Mubai from Heaven Dou."
A million gold soul coins might be a fortune to civilians, but to Star Luo, it was pocket change.
Heaven Dou's demand was reasonable. The loss of reputation was greater than financial cost. More importantly, he couldn't risk the White Tiger martial soul being leaked.
Anyway, Star Luo had always been tyrannical and poorly reputed. One more smear on their name didn't matter.
"Yes, Your Majesty. But... who is this 'mastermind' we're handing over?"
Pierce asked.
"You need me to teach you that?"
Dai Yutian frowned, eyes sharp.
"Understood! The head of the Imperial Shadow Division has confessed. I'll deliver his body to them."
Pierce replied formally.
"Good."
Was there even such a department? Neither he nor Pierce knew. Star Luo didn't even have an "Imperial Shadow Division."
Didn't matter. Find a freshly dead body and label him the scapegoat. Problem solved.
"By the way, who was the assassination target?"
Dai Yutian asked.
"Unknown for now, Your Majesty."
"Find out. Once the tournament ends, send someone to kill him. Frame it on Wuhun Hall. We're not taking this blame for free."
In Dai Yutian's view, the real mastermind was likely Wuhun Hall. Heaven Dou probably suspected it too but didn't dare provoke them, so they framed Star Luo instead.
Now that Wuhun Hall and Heaven Dou were colluding to pin this on Star Luo, he had to retaliate.
Kill the target, blame Wuhun Hall—it was the perfect revenge.
Heaven Dou would lose a rising genius powerful enough to make Wuhun Hall want him dead early. Wuhun Hall would get framed. Even if they didn't fight openly, Heaven Dou would seek vengeance later.
If he could take down Wuhun Hall's "Golden Generation" in the process? Perfect.
Leaders are always... a little ruthless.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The next morning, the Blue Tyrant Academy team set off energetically for the Great Spirit Arena.
With the preliminaries halfway done, they had just defeated another top team—Elephant Armored Academy, one of the Five Element Academies.
Compared to Blazing Academy, Elephant Armored's full lineup of defense-type spirit masters made them easier to deal with.
All muscle, no brain—they were fed Oscar's fire-inducing sausages, then battered by enhanced Dai Mubai, Tai Long, Jing Ling, and Huang Yuan, who looked like rampaging beasts.
In under two minutes, all seven from Elephant Armored Academy were hanging from trees—courtesy of Chu Chengzhou.
This brought Blue Tyrant Academy to a perfect 15–0 win record.
So far, only Thunderclap Academy and Tianshui Academy also remained undefeated.
Godwind Academy could've kept up, but their captain Feng Xiaotian was too much of a simp and lost to Blazing Academy.
Of course, with five teams advancing, losing once wasn't a big deal.
Diary System—Chapter 134: System: I Don't Know If I Should Say This or Not?
The reason she did this was naturally because of Xiao Wu's talent. She was born with innate full soul power. As long as she didn't die halfway, she would become a Titled Douluo in the future. Now she released some goodwill, and when Xiao Wu grew up, she would give feedback to the people and the academy. Then—
The people around saw that the vice president was so kind to Xiao Wu, and they didn't feel jealous but only envious.
Among their group, there were a few who had been bullied by nobles in the academy and were then saved by Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu thought for a moment and asked tentatively:
"Teacher, do you know anyone in the middle and senior academy near Star Luo City? If possible, I want to go to Star Luo Royal Academy to receive the best education, but I heard that only nobles can enter that academy. Is there any similar one I can enter?"
Deputy Dean: …
Others: …
They never expected that Xiao Wu would want to go to the Royal Academy.
The deputy dean frowned and said with some embarrassment:
"Xiao Wu, you also know that the academy recruits nobles—many of whom are unreasonable—and with your talent and appearance, without a strong background, it is easy to encounter danger."
As for what danger, the woman did not specify.
Xiao Wu was just a civilian, born with full soul power. What danger could there be? Was there any need to mention it?
However, during this year, their academy, located in the southern part of the empire, also heard rumors about the fourth prince.
Like Xiao Wu, he had full innate soul power, and his cultivation speed was no slower than hers.
The woman knew that this was due to differences in resources between the academies, but she also heard that the fourth prince spent half his time reading books, studying, and exercising besides cultivating, making his schedule even tighter than Xiao Wu's.
To be honest, this was beyond the expectations of the senior students.
They had heard of the princes of the Dai family: the arbitrary and oppressive eldest prince, the unknown second prince, and the idle third prince who listened to music in brothels.
Dai Mubai: What the hell???
Xiao Wu said with a determined look:
"Teacher, I want to grow up faster and avenge my family. Although the nobles in the Royal Academy have a bad reputation, isn't that what happened before?"
"I heard that the fourth prince would decisively help the nobles who oppressed the common people. Do you think that, with my talent, the academy might make an exception?"
The woman then understood that Xiao Wu was aiming for the fourth prince.
Although she had her reasons for revenge, there was at least a 40% chance that Xiao Wu's true motivation was to see the fourth prince—at least in her heart. Could this be mutual attraction among geniuses?
In the past, it took decades for a genius with full innate soul power to appear on the continent. But in the past two years, three such geniuses had appeared in their Star Luo Empire alone. Has the era of geniuses arrived?
Seeing Xiao Wu's firm expression, the woman smiled and agreed. She would write a letter to the Star Luo Royal Academy to explain the situation. Whether they would make an exception was beyond her control.
Xiao Wu happily hugged the woman after hearing this.
In her opinion, Star Luo Royal Academy would agree—after all, she was a genius with full innate soul power.
Although there were already two people with full innate soul power in the Star Luo Royal Academy, she believed there was no such thing as too many geniuses, right?
What she needed to consider now was what to do if she encountered Dai Yichen in the Star Luo Great Forest.
After all, although Dugu Bo's strength was somewhat weaker, he was still a Titled Douluo. With his eyesight, he would see her true identity.
Should she remove her disguise then?
If she didn't, Dugu Bo wouldn't see her true form, which might arouse Dai Yichen's suspicion. Ahhh, so annoying!
Dai Yichen had said that Dugu Bo's character was trustworthy, but she hadn't had any dealings with them yet. If Dugu Bo discovered her identity as a soul beast, would he act?
Xiao Wu felt she was making a huge bet—she bet that Dugu Bo would discover her true identity but not take action. She also bet that Dugu Yan and herself would stop Dugu Bo because both possessed the diary copy. She was betting on Dai Yichen's character.
Xiao Wu thought her chances of winning this bet seemed quite high.
She secretly said in her heart: System boss, please help me, please help me~~
However, no matter how she called inwardly, the system did not respond.
Meanwhile, Auspicious Beast, Biji, and Gu Yuena, who were near the Lake of Life in the Star Dou Great Forest, were about to take action.
Gu Yuena: Are you two interested in going to see Dai Yichen for me?
Biji: My lord, I am interested, but it isn't appropriate for me to meet Dai Yichen by chance given my identity and cultivation.
Auspicious Beast: I, I, I want to meet this human. Is that okay?
Finally, the three decided that the auspicious beast would encounter Dai Yichen after they obtained the third soul ring. Biji would temporarily hold back the Red King. If the auspicious beast later encountered danger, she would let the Red King go.
However, she couldn't say how long she could hold the Red King back. After all, the Red King was sent by Di Tian to protect the auspicious beast, and he stayed with her almost constantly.
Meanwhile, at the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect...
When Ning Rongrong learned that Dai Yichen and his friends planned to go to the Star Dou Great Forest first, she began to prepare and look for a suitable opportunity to persuade her father and grandfather to take her to Gengxin City.
They had to wait until Dai Yichen and Senior Lou Gao finished their conversation before she appeared. This timing was very critical.
Her father might let her go to the Star Luo Royal Academy after seeing the power of the Godly Zhuge crossbow.
Although the two sides were in conflict, it was all about interests. She saw this clearly at a young age.
What her father cared most about were the disciples of the sect, followed by the Heaven Dou Royal Family. Those hidden weapons were enough to excite her father.
Dai Yichen and his companions also searched around the periphery of the Star Dou Great Forest but did not find a suitable soul beast. They decided to rest for the night and move deeper the next day.
That night, Dai Yichen received the reward of [Randomly designating one person and disguising his breath at will] from the diary system.
Dai Yichen: ??
Isn't this wrong?
Dai Yichen: "System, what are you trying to do?"
System: Host, there is something I don't know whether to say or not.
Dai Yichen: "Even if I say it's not appropriate, you'll still say it in the end, right?"
System: …
Due to your appearance, a series of butterfly effects have occurred. After testing, you will meet unexpected people in the next few days. Please be mentally prepared.
Dai Yichen: ??
(End of this chapter)
"How can this be... This guy is too strong, Aso!"
Staring at the battlefield before him, Eguchi's eyes were lifeless. His own Pokémon, as well as Aso's, were without exception being completely suppressed by Julian's.
And mind you, their Pokémon were all at the Elite level—while on Julian's side, only Metagross, Dragonite, Arcanine, and Kartana were at the same level.
Yet even the non-Elite-level Pokémon on Julian's team were dominating their Elite-level ones.
They had thought only Metagross had the power to fight above its level—but now it seemed every one of Julian's Pokémon had that ability.
It was simply unbelievable.
As Kartana cleanly beheaded Flygon with one slash—
Eguchi's face instantly turned pale. Flygon wasn't his Pokémon—it belonged to Aso.
But at this point, the two of them were like grasshoppers tied to the same rope.
Flygon's death meant that Kartana was now free to move.
They were already at a disadvantage, and if Kartana joined another fight, it would force one of their Pokémon to deal with two of Julian's.
Fortunately, Kartana was actually called back by Julian in the end.
Aso's expression was grim. Even in such a situation, he hadn't panicked—his mental fortitude was clearly exceptional. Right now, all his attention was focused on the battle between Hydreigon and Metagross.
To turn the tide, the outcome of the battle between Hydreigon and Metagross would be the key.
Both were the strongest Pokémon on each side. Whichever one won could then support the others.
However—
Looking at Hydreigon's left head, now smashed to pulp by Metagross's Meteor Mash, the flicker of hope in Aso's heart was rapidly dying out.
As long as Hydreigon's central head remained intact, it wouldn't die even if the other two were destroyed. However, for each head lost, its level would drop.
With the left head gone, Hydreigon's level had already fallen from 78 to 75.
As its level dropped, so did its strength. Now, it stood even less of a chance against Metagross.
In contrast, Metagross lay pressed against Hydreigon but hadn't sustained any significant damage.
The destruction of the left head caused Hydreigon to completely lose its remaining sanity. Its main head turned savage, overflowing with dark-type energy and a brutal aura—it now looked utterly terrifying.
"Eguchi, have Magnezone and Bronzong Self-Destruct!" Aso commanded.
"Got it!!"
Eguchi nodded.
They had already been pushed to the brink by Julian. If sacrificing their Pokémon could buy them a chance to survive, he was willing to go for it.
As for why it wasn't Aso's Pokémon doing the self-destructing—it was simply because he held a higher status in their country than Eguchi's, and his strength also surpassed Eguchi's. That was all there was to it.
"Magnezone, Bronzong—use Self-Destruct!"
As soon as Eguchi gave the command, he hurled a Poké Ball, releasing a Bastiodon—surprisingly, also at the early Elite level.
Self-Destruct was a last resort move.
And they weren't far from Magneton and Bronzong. Two Elite-level Pokémon self-destructing would easily flatten the surrounding area within a radius of over ten-kilometers.
Their only chance to survive the blast was relying on Bastiodon. With its incredible defensive power, Bastiodon was their only hope of staying alive through this.
Moreover, the combination of Self-Destruct and Bastiodon was a trump card they could only use in life-or-death situations.
That's why Aso hadn't let Eguchi send out Bastiodon earlier—because if Bastiodon went down, then using Self-Destruct would just mean mutual destruction with the enemy.
Eguchi looked at Magnezone with reluctance in his eyes. It was his first Pokémon, and after using Self-Destruct, survival was unlikely.
As for Bronzong, he had taken it from someone else, so there wasn't much emotional attachment.
Pokémon's feelings toward their trainers are pure—if you treat me well, then no matter how the world sees you, I'll still believe you're good.
I would even give my life for you.
A blinding white light began erupting from Magnezone's body.
"Arcanine," Julian said coldly.
He had long been on guard against this tactic. He'd been hit by Self-Destructsseveral times before.
Earlier, he had already used his Probing Eyes to inspect the pair's Pokémon and knew exactly which ones had learned Self-Destruct or Explosion.
Magnezone and Bronzong.
Magnezone, already half-dead from Arcanine's attacks, was determined to go out with a bang. But before it could, Arcanine's Roar forcibly interrupted the move.
Then came a devastating Burn Up, knocking Magnezone out for good. The extreme heat melted away a quarter of its body, though it still barely clung to life.
Magnezone's Self-Destruct had failed.
As for Bronzong…
Well—it simply ignored Eguchi's command.
This was the fatal flaw of forcibly taking someone else's Pokémon. At the most critical moment, it could betray you.
It's not that you can't seize another trainer's Pokémon—but you need to build a bond afterward. If the relationship is cultivated well, then there'll be no problems in the future.
Clearly, Eguchi's Bronzong was a prime example of failing to build that bond.
Julian was already preparing to have Moltres melt Bronzong on the spot—since Aggron was too slow to stop the explosion in time.
But unexpectedly, Bronzong didn't follow its trainer's order.
Aggron: "You're not exploding?"
Bronzong: "I surrender."
Bronzong made its stance clear—it never had much emotional connection with Eguchi. It had obeyed him before only because he fed it, gave it resources, and helped it grow stronger—even though he had already killed its original trainer.
Bronzong felt that the fact it hadn't turned on him yet—and had still fought for him—meant it had already done more than enough.
And now this bastard wanted it to 'self-destruct'? How was that any different from asking it to commit suicide?
Psychic-type Pokémon were highly intelligent.
With no real bond, Bronzong chose betrayal in a heartbeat. 'You want me to die? Then I'll just sit back and watch YOU die instead.'
Seeing this unfold, Eguchi coughed up a mouthful of blood, his rage nearly driving him mad on the spot.
He had never imagined that the Bronzong who had always seemed so obedient was actually faking it. All that loyalty had been an act—and he'd been completely fooled.
Magnezone's Self-Destruct had failed, leaving it critically injured and on the verge of death.
And Bronzong had outright betrayed them.
Their trump card was instantly rendered useless.
Aso's face turned dark as ink. He looked at Julian—clearly suspecting that the opponent had somehow known in advance that Magnezone and Bronzong had self-destruction capabilities.
The moment Eguchi gave the order, Arcanine and Moltres had reacted instantly—as if they'd been warned in advance.
Even if Bronzong hadn't betrayed them, even if it 'had' attempted Self-Destruct, Moltres would have stopped its explosion anyway.
Out of all their Pokémon, only those two knew Self-Destruct—yet Julian precisely targeted them.
Was it a coincidence? Or did he possess some ability that allowed him to see through everything?
Julian: 'You wouldn't understand… this is what it's like to play with cheats.'
"We're done for... This time, we're really done for."
Eguchi collapsed to the ground in despair. Their final trump card had failed. Now, he and Aso seemed to have no choice but to wait for death.
"Eguchi, we still have the gene serum."
Aso's voice came through, and Eguchi's eyes lit up instantly. He sprang to his feet and said excitedly, "Right, right! We still have the gene serum. This can definitely turn the situation around!"
"You get Steelix to hold off Metagross for a bit," Aso instructed.
With Metagross around, there was no way they could successfully throw the gene serum to Hydreigon.
"Got it!"
Eguchi nodded, but just as he was about to call for Steelix, a pained roar echoed in his ears.
Then—Steelix collapsed under Melmetal's devastating fists.
Eguchi: ⊙ｏ⊙
Aso closed his eyes in despair.
They had almost no Pokémon left on the field—none that could block Metagross and buy time for Hydreigon.
But fate didn't seem to want them dead just yet.
Hydreigon was knocked back by Metagross's Bullet Punch, its massive body rolling across the ground—only to come to a stop less than ten meters away from Aso.
For a moment, both Aso and Eguchi thought they were about to be crushed under it.
"Hydreigon!!"
Aso shouted at the thrashing, half-mad dragon, who was struggling to get up.
Though Hydreigon had lost its sanity, Aso had raised it since it was a Deino, so it instinctively turned its gaze toward him.
And then—Aso hurled something straight at it.
"Swallow it!!"
Gulp.
Hydreigon swallowed the object in one go.
Standing on Moltres's back, Julian frowned slightly. What Aso threw looked like some kind of vial of serum.
'What kind of serum could it be?'
'Could it really reverse the situation now?'
As the gene serum entered its body, Hydreigon felt a massive surge of power erupt from within, an unending flood of strength—but it came with tremendous pain, as if every cell in its body was breaking apart and regenerating.
The unbearable pain made Hydreigon roar over and over again in fury.
At the same time, a dark, miasma-like energy burst from its body like thick smoke, wrapping around it.
Even its previously shattered left head began to regenerate under this dark energy—but the new head was now composed entirely of that shadowy energy.
"ROOOOOAR—!!!"
A terrifying aura exploded from Hydreigon, scattering the clouds in the sky and sending shockwaves sweeping across the battlefield.
Had it not been for Bastiodon shielding Aso and Eguchi with its body, the two would have been obliterated on the spot.
Meanwhile, all their fainted Pokémon were blown away by the shockwave, taking even more damage.
Now, only Aso's Hydreigon remained on the field. Julian had already recalled all his Pokémon, leaving only Metagross behind.
Drip. Drip.
Droplets of black, thick, smoke-like drool oozed from Hydreigon's jaws, sizzling as it hit the ground, burning holes into the earth.
Pokémon: Hydreigon (Dark/Dragon)
Level: 78 → 86
Potential: Cyan
Ability: Levitate
Held Item: Dragon Fang
Gender: Male
Moves: Bite, Dragon Breath, Focus Energy, Tri Attack, Assurance, Headbutt, Work Up, Crunch, Scary Face, Dragon Pulse, Dragon Rush, Nasty Plot, Outrage, Hyper Beam
TMs: Take Down, Protect, Fire Spin, Dragon Tail, Fire Fang, Ice Fang, Thunder Fang, Dragon Dance, Dark Pulse
Egg Moves: Astonish, Double Hit, Focus Blast, Dragon Claw
Note: Gene serum used—power drastically increased. Death in 3 minutes.
---
'So it was the gene serum that was used.'
Julian deactivated his Probing Eyes.
Gene serums were a product of genetic engineering.
Research into Pokémon genetics was being conducted worldwide, but Babath was ahead in this field—because their research was extremely inhumane, completely devoid of any ethical constraints.
Under such extreme research, their progress was naturally faster. The gene serum Aso used was one of their most recent creations.
It could dramatically boost a Pokémon's power, but after a few minutes, the Pokémon would die.
So the power boost could be seen as a trade—burning the Pokémon's life for a short burst of strength.
The Hydreigon that had taken the gene serum looked extremely grotesque. Cracks began to appear all over its body, leaking some kind of foul-smelling fluid from the fissures.
"Hydreigon! KILL HIM!" Aso pointed at Julian.
But Hydreigon didn't move—instead, it looked at him.
Its eyes held no emotion, only deep, brutal violence and endless bloodlust.
Aso instinctively took a step back, terrified. Eguchi fared even worse—he fainted on the spot.
Fortunately, Hydreigon didn't attack Aso. Instead, it locked onto Metagross and Moltres.
Moltres lifted its head arrogantly, looking at Hydreigon with disdain: "Disgusting. It looks like a demon now, not a dragon."
Wrapped in that shadowy energy, with eyes radiating sheer savagery, Hydreigon had transformed from a Dark Dragon into a true Monster.
"Metagross," Julian said calmly. "Test its strength."
He had no intention of Mega Evolving Metagross—even though Hydreigon's current strength had already surpassed mid-stage pseudo-champion level.
But it had limited time and had lost all rationality.
Metagross felt that 'this' version of Hydreigon was finally worth fighting. The previous one had been strong, but never pushed it to its limits.
Now, for the first time, Metagross could feel real pressure building.
In an instant, Metagross vanished from its original spot, and reappeared a second later above Hydreigon's central head, its Meteor Mash crashing down with enough force to split the air itself.
BOOM!!
Hydreigon didn't even try to dodge. It took the blow to the head directly.
CRACK—CRACK—!!
The ground beneath Hydreigon's feet shattered instantly, sending debris flying like bullets.
The dragon's scalp split open, revealing pale white skull beneath. Even the skull itself began to fracture. This was its primary head. If destroyed, Hydreigon would die instantly.
Yet it had chosen to tank Metagross's punch head-on without even trying to evade.
Proof that it really had no rational thought left.
It had great strength, but without reason, it was nothing more than a mindless machine of destruction.
Its two remaining heads—left and right—lunged toward Metagross, trying to bite, but Metagross quickly pulled back.
But the left head, formed of that shadowy energy, suddenly stretched like a serpent's neck, and sank its fangs into Metagross.
Then it whipped its head violently, smashing Metagross into the ground.
KABOOM!
The massive impact cracked the battlefield.
ROAR—!!
Hydreigon howled, and all three of its heads charged attacks simultaneously:
- Main Head: Dragon Pulse
- Right Head: Dark Pulse
- Left Head: Dragon Breath
Three beams of destruction shot down into the crater where Metagross had just been smashed.
BOOOOOOM—!!!
The resulting explosion tore the earth apart. Cracks spiderwebbed outward before the entire area collapsed inward, the shockwave rippling fifty kilometers in every direction.