Greatest of All TimeSeason 2 – Chapter 14: Emperor of Despair
The mountain disappeared beneath the shockwave.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Neither Arashio nor the Dragon King could be seen.
Only two streaks of light—
One purple.
One golden.
—collided across the heavens faster than lightning.
BANG!!
Their fists met.
The impact ripped apart the clouds, sending a shockwave across the entire continent.
Cities hundreds of kilometers away trembled.
The ocean rose into gigantic tsunamis.
Every warrior looked toward the sky in disbelief.
"...They're monsters..."
The Dragon King laughed.
"Hahaha! Finally!"
"You've become interesting, Arashio!"
Arashio remained silent.
His purple aura flowed around him like a calm galaxy.
No rage.
No fear.
Only perfect focus.
The Dragon King vanished.
Thousands of punches exploded from every direction.
The sky became a golden storm.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Arashio moved.
Not with speed...
But with instinct.
Each attack missed by less than a centimeter.
His body swayed effortlessly through every strike.
The Dragon King's eyes widened.
"You aren't predicting..."
"Your body is reacting before you think!"
Arashio whispered,
"I don't need to think anymore."
Suddenly—
BAM!!
His knee slammed into the Dragon King's ribs.
The Dragon King crashed through three mountains before stopping himself.
He wiped blood from his lips.
Then...
He smiled.
"So this is your true power."
"I'll stop holding back."
Golden flames erupted from every scale on his body.
The heavens darkened.
A gigantic dragon silhouette appeared behind him.
The ground below cracked.
The Dragon Army immediately knelt.
"Our King..."
"Dragon Emperor Form..."
The Dragon King's body transformed.
His muscles expanded.
Golden scales became black with glowing crimson lines.
Six massive wings spread across the sky.
A crown of dragon horns formed above his head.
His aura swallowed the sunlight itself.
Even Arashio's purple aura trembled.
The Dragon King slowly raised one finger.
"This..."
"...is the form that conquered kingdoms."
He disappeared.
BOOOOOOM!!
A devastating kick struck Arashio.
For the first time...
He failed to dodge.
Blood burst from his mouth.
His body flew across the sky.
CRASH!!
He smashed through a floating island.
Without giving him time to recover—
The Dragon King appeared above him.
"Dragon Emperor Crash!"
His fist descended like a meteor.
BOOOOOOOOM!!
The floating island exploded into dust.
Below...
Siya screamed.
"ARASHIO!"
Inside his consciousness...
James frowned.
"His movements are slowing."
Saku clenched his fists.
"He's relying only on instinct."
"He still hasn't mastered our fusion."
Outside...
Arashio slowly stood among the debris.
Blood dripped from his forehead.
His breathing became heavier.
The Dragon King smiled.
"I knew it."
"You borrowed power..."
"But it isn't truly yours."
Another punch came.
Arashio barely dodged.
Another.
He blocked it.
Another.
His shoulder shattered.
Blood painted the sky.
The Dragon King laughed.
"This is the difference between talent..."
"And experience!"
He grabbed Arashio's throat.
Then slammed him through the atmosphere.
BOOOOOOOOM!!
Both crashed into the ocean.
A massive whirlpool swallowed everything.
The Dragon King dragged Arashio beneath the sea.
Thousands of meters below...
Darkness surrounded them.
The pressure alone could crush mountains.
The Dragon King punched again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Each blow shattered the seabed.
Arashio's vision blurred.
Inside his consciousness...
James looked toward Tiger Master's memories.
"The training..."
Saku smiled.
"The old man wasn't training his muscles..."
"He was training his heart."
Suddenly...
Arashio remembered.
The iron weights.
The endless rice counting.
The water buckets.
The calm breathing.
Tiger Master's voice echoed.
"A true warrior doesn't chase victory."
"He becomes one with every movement."
"Stop forcing your body..."
"Let your body become your weapon."
Arashio slowly closed his eyes.
The Dragon King laughed.
"You've given up?"
He prepared one final punch.
At that exact moment...
Arashio opened his eyes.
His purple aura completely changed.
Instead of exploding outward...
It condensed around his body.
His heartbeat became silent.
His breathing disappeared.
Even his presence vanished.
his hair turned radient purple.
James smiled.
"He did it."
Saku laughed loudly.
"Hahaha!"
"He mastered it!"
A voice echoed throughout his soul.
"Mastered Despair Insane"
The Dragon King's punch arrived.
...
It missed.
The Dragon King blinked.
"What...?"
Arashio stood behind him.
Without sound.
Without light.
Without warning.
One palm gently touched the Dragon King's back.
"Move."
A tiny pulse escaped.
...
Nothing happened.
The Dragon King laughed.
"That's your attack?"
Suddenly—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
An invisible shockwave exploded from inside his body.
Blood erupted from his mouth.
He flew through the ocean...
Into the sky...
Past the clouds...
Until both warriors reached outer space.
The stars surrounded them.
Fragments of destroyed asteroids floated nearby.
Earth shined below like a blue jewel.
The Dragon King breathed heavily.
"...Interesting."
He smiled wildly.
"I've waited centuries for this battle."
Golden flames exploded around him once again.
"I'll end this with everything I have!"
He gathered endless dragon energy into both fists.
A colossal dragon made of golden fire appeared behind him.
Its roar echoed across space.
Arashio quietly floated forward.
Purple starlight surrounded him.
He slowly clenched his fist.
James and Saku spoke together.
"Our final technique..."
Arashio nodded.
"I know."
The Dragon King roared.
"DRAGON EMPEROR APOCALYPSE!!"
The giant dragon charged.
Arashio calmly inhaled.
Purple energy gathered around his right arm.
A dragon-shaped aura wrapped around his fist.
But unlike the Dragon King's...
This dragon was made of pure cosmic light.
Arashio whispered,
"Celestial..."
"...Dragon Breaker."
He punched.
Silence.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Purple and golden light collided.
The stars disappeared.
Space itself cracked.
The Dragon King's dragon shattered into millions of fragments.
"No..."
"My power..."
he saw creator hollowgram for a second.
The purple dragon pierced straight through the Dragon King's chest.
His Emperor Form cracked apart.
Golden scales shattered like glass.
His wings crumbled into light.
The Dragon King stared at Arashio.
"...You..."
"...surpassed me..."
A peaceful smile appeared on his face.
Then...
His body dissolved into countless golden particles.
The battle...
Was over.
Arashio looked toward Earth.
His purple aura faded.
His eyes slowly returned to normal.
"I'm..."
"...so tired..."
His body lost consciousness.
He began falling toward Earth like a shooting star.
"ARASHIO!!"
Siya spread her Phoenix wings.
The Tiger Army.
The students.
Everyone rushed into the sky.
Just before he reached the ground...
Siya caught him in her arms.
Tears rolled down her face.
"You idiot..."
"You actually came back..."
The students smiled.
Some laughed.
Some cried.
James and Saku looked at each other inside Arashio's consciousness.
"We won."
"...For now."
Far beyond the stars...
In a forgotten corner of the universe...
A pair of ancient silver eyes slowly opened.
A voice older than time echoed through the darkness.
"So..."
"The Dragon King has fallen."
A faint smile appeared.
"Then the game..."
"...can finally begin."
To Be Continued...