Chapter 183: Exodus of the Five Dragons 『 Part Two 』
〜Genshin Impact World〜
Teyvat—
"Eh? Big Brother Kaeya, why did the sky go dark?"
Inside the Knights of Favonius headquarters in Mondstadt, Klee was using her crayons to draw a crooked dragon in her sketchbook.
Suddenly, in an instant, the sky dimmed. It became so dark that one could not see their own hand in front of their face, as if the sun had been devoured whole by a colossal dragon.
"It is a black dragon…"
Albedo murmured in a low voice.
He had never seen a dragon like this… Even Durin, the demonic dragon who was also a creation of his master, was not even one-thousandth the size of this black leviathan.
Its body spanned the firmament, every scale saturated with a smelted, dark radiance. Rugged bone spikes towered upon its skin like mountain ranges; the crimson heart within its thoracic cavity beat with such intensity that every pulse seemed to set the cloud layers ablaze, and every breath boiled the very air.
And when it flapped its wings—
Countless burning meteors and rains of fire cascaded from the gaps in its plumage, as if threatening to ignite the entire world. Simultaneously, it attracted countless equally pitch-black whelps flying toward it.
"A dragon a hundred times bigger than the Stormterror!"
Klee's eyes went wide with wonder.
"Heh… a hundred times?"
Albedo smiled faintly. He raised a hand and pointed to a tiny black dragon in the corner of the light screen, so small it was barely visible to the naked eye.
"Little Klee, I'm afraid Stormterror isn't even as big as that little black dragon right there."
—
「 The old man sighed with leisurely emotion: "The Long Scions are scattered across the worlds, estranged within the Silver Sea, never to interact. Compared to the universe, the rise and fall of a single clan is but a triviality."
"Yet it is said the Vidyadhara formed an alliance with the Xianzhou. Five High Elders descended to the mortal realm to guard the Plaguemarks, unceasing for ten thousand generations."
"Could it be that the Permanence… is this great cause that protects the universe?"
An ink-black dragon plummeted straight down from the Ninth Heaven, its slender body tearing a trajectory through the clouds that stretched for thousands of miles.
The divine tree manifested by the Plague Author had long since died. The ink dragon rose from the waters, whistling as it spiraled, standing guard beside this withered section of wood.
The old man let out a sigh, filled with lament: "Alas, Imbibitor Lunae Forsook his oath, leading to great chaos… The High Elders, too, possess mortal hearts, after all. The heavy burden upon them will, one day, turn into shackles."
Accompanied by the old man's voice, the High Elder's originally held-high head gradually lowered, bowing down beside the Ambrosial Arbor. 」
「 ..... 」
〜Type-Moon World, Carnival Phantasm Worldline〜
The Emiya Household—
"So, the High Elder isn't just Imbibitor Lunae? There are four other High Elders besides him?"
Cu Chulainn's eyes widened.
"Then, when Phantylia came to the Xianzhou Luofu to pick a fight, why didn't the other High Elders show up?"
"…If they had all come together, it would have been quite the spectacle."
"Heh, Lancer, have you forgotten that the other Xianzhou ships also house Plaguemarks?"
Saber took a sip from her teacup and spoke calmly,
"At the time, it was unclear if only one Lord Ravager was eyeing the Xianzhou Alliance. If the other High Elders had come to the Luofu, causing a mishap with the Plaguemarks on their own ships, I fear the consequences…"
…I fear they would have had to ask the Star God of The Hunt to manifest again.
—
「 "Then, according to the Elder, what exactly is the revelation of the Permanence?"
"The sun and moon turn, and worldly affairs are impermanent. In the ever-changing universe, unchangeability is meaningless. Only by deep accord with all phenomena, unifying with the Dao(Way of the World), can one reach Eternity."
Accompanied by the old man's voice, four giant dragons emerged successively in the sky curtain.
The clouds over ten thousand miles retreated completely. A giant dragon, wings sprouting from its back, coiled around a crimson moon, exhaling dragon's breath and commanding wind and thunder.
This is the first: The High Elder of the Yaoqing—Caelorum Venti! Successor of the Winged Dragon, Sovereign of Storms, and is tasked with watching over the Lunar Embryo.
Next, a crimson-bodied dragon appeared, clutching an ancient, simple furnace cauldron in its claws. Liquid fire roiled within the cauldron, the heat waves seemingly piercing through the sky curtain, making one unable to suppress a rising feeling of scorching heat.
This is the second: The High Elder of the Zhuming—Ardens Regia! Successor of the Horned Dragon, Wielder of the Heavenly Flame, and is tasked with watching over the Primordial Flame.
Then, a snow-white dragon appeared, as if carved from mysterious ice. Its scales refracted a ghostly blue light, and that trace of chill instantly dropped the previously scorching mood to freezing point.
This is the third: The High Elder of the Fanghu—Glaciator Marum! Successor of the Scaled Dragon, Tamer of the Ebbing Frost, and is tasked with watching over the Miniature Myriads.
The final dragon, black and azure, coiled silently amidst the mountains, its body seeming to merge as one with the mountain range. Its head hung low, gaze serene, a thick and heavy aura rushing forth.
This is the final one: The High Elder of the Yuque—Mons Grandis! Successor of the Terrestrial Dragon, Ponderer of Congealed Silence, and is tasked with watching over the Fallow Earth.
"Countless new creations emerge when one dragon meets its end among the morning stars. For the Vidyadhara, this is the true teaching of the 『 Permanence 』" 」
「 ..... 」
〜Dragon Raja World〜
"Perhaps I should be rejoicing that the Dragon Race we have to deal with isn't these guys."
Caesar filled his glass with champagne and took a resentful sip.
"If we had encountered one of these in the Three Gorges back then, I'm afraid none of us would have come back alive."
"Dragon Kings and High Elders are not in the same weight class to begin with."
Chu Zihang shook his head.
"Take that High Elder of the Zhuming Xianzhou, Ardens Regia, shown on the light screen as an example. His abilities might be similar to Norton, the 'King of Bronze and Fire,' but the temperature of that cauldron in his grasp… it was high enough to affect us through the screen. It is evident that his mastery over 'fire' has long since surpassed Norton's authority."
"If this Ardens Regia were to use his power, I fear he could boil and evaporate an entire river, couldn't he?"
Chu Zihang speculated.
"To have guarded a Plaguemark left by a Star God for a millennium… even if the High Elder's power is not equal to an Emanator, the difference is likely not significant."
—
「 "And in this endless cycle of reincarnation, any ending will become a new beginning."
"For him, it is no different."
The scene shifted. Dan Feng was sitting cross-legged, six chains binding him tightly. Yet he merely sat there in silence, resigned to the wind's guidance.
The sky curtain went dark once again. 」
「 ..... 」
〜One Punch Man World〜
Hero Association Headquarters—
"Eh? Did you not notice? When the last four High Elders appeared, Tatsumaki looked unusually relaxed."
Child Emperor said to Bang, who was beside him, as the meeting concluded.
"You didn't observe closely enough. Actually, from the moment those five dragons appeared, Tatsumaki had already relaxed,"
Bang stated calmly.
"As for the reason… It's not hard to guess."
"Why?"
"If the opponent is a powerful Monster, Tatsumaki will definitely have the will to fight. But if she is facing a Monster that can destroy the Earth with a casual gesture, she has no such thoughts at all."
"…No desire to battle anymore?"
"Simply put, there is no meaning in fighting."
Bang corrected.
"Those dragons possess the ability to easily destroy the Earth. Tatsumaki likely realizes that in the face of such an absolute gap in power… resistance is meaningless."
—