"Tsk—!! To think they'd use a scheme like 'killing with a borrowed knife' just to stall for time." Netherworld King Spirit of Non-Forgetfulness clicked his tongue in annoyance as he watched the retreating backs of Issei Hyoudou and the others.
Litos Azimuth Calamity, holding a diamond compressed by Ladon, approached Netherworld King Spirit of Non-Forgetfulness and said, "Don't worry, there will be others to deal with them further down the road."
"True enough," Netherworld King Spirit of Non-Forgetfulness said indifferently, crossing his arms.
Meanwhile, Issei Hyoudou and the others were running through a canyon. As they ran, countless boulders rolled down from one side of the canyon. These boulders were pushed by sinners undergoing punishment in the Third Prison. Upon contact, these boulders would grow in size based on the individual's sins and suppress their power. Consequently, they had no choice but to use long-range attacks to deflect them.
Dragon flame, magic bullets of destruction, Kasha, spears of light—various long-range attacks were unleashed in succession, knocking the rolling boulders behind the group.
Above the canyon, a Specter nearly two meters tall, wearing underworld armor adorned with rounded cones, looked down at the group as they used their various methods to deflect the boulders. He was one of the guardian Specters of the Third Prison, Rock of the Heavenly Horn Star, Golem.
Surrounded by countless boulders of the Third Prison, Rock wore a smile on his face. He gripped a boulder with both hands and said, "Your strength is quite good. Then how about this move!!"
"Rolling Bomber Stone!!" Rock's Cosmos erupted with a powerful aura. Gripping the boulder, he began to spin his entire body before hurling it at the group below. The two boulders he threw spun continuously in the air, pulverizing any other boulders in their path.
The group below, having pulverized the other rocks, saw the two boulders thrown by Rock approaching. They counterattacked as they had before, but to their surprise, the high-speed rotation of the boulders dispersed their attacks. Watching the boulders draw closer, a strange sense of dread welled up in their hearts.
At that moment, a round-bodied humanoid demon with a pig's head—the Zhu Bajie—stepped forward. He held his nine-toothed rake horizontally to meet the incoming boulders head-on. The high-speed rotating boulders ground against the nine-toothed rake, producing countless sparks. The intense friction quickly turned the rake red-hot, and the Zhu Bajie gritted his teeth, struggling to hold his ground.
Seeing the Zhu Bajie's actions, Monkey King grew agitated and shouted at him, "You idiot!! What are you doing!!"
"Go, quickly! I'll hold the rear!! Our goal is to defeat Hades and the others!! You powerful aces must be preserved!! Get to the next hell, now!!" the Zhu Bajie said to the group through gritted teeth.
"But..."
"No!! The team can't afford to lose any more companions!! Not Dulio and the others, and not Uncle Tannin or Bakuha!!"
Monkey King wanted to say something, but Issei Hyoudou immediately cut him off. Having lost companions across several hells, he couldn't bear to lose another one.
At that moment, Vali came to Issei Hyoudou's side and placed a hand on his shoulder. As Issei looked on with tearful eyes, Vali shook his head.
"Why..." Issei Hyoudou said, tears streaming down his face.
Monkey King also walked over and said to Issei Hyoudou, "Let's go, Red Dragon Emperor kid. We can't let that idiot's resolve go to waste."
"But..." Just as Issei Hyoudou was about to say more, Kiba Yuuto and Saji hooked their arms into his. No matter how much he resisted, it was in vain. They left the Zhu Bajie behind to resist Rock's boulder attacks.
"Don't even think about running!!" Seeing the group about to escape the Third Prison, Rock threw boulders toward them with all his might.
Seeing this, the Zhu Bajie used all his strength to fling the two boulders on his nine-toothed rake at the ones Rock had thrown. The four boulders collided and exploded, scattering rock fragments everywhere.
The Zhu Bajie was drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. Black smoke was rising from two spots on his nine-toothed rake; a few more hits like that, and his rake would likely be ruined.
Rock looked at the panting Zhu Bajie with a dangerous smile and said, "Not bad at all. As expected of a descendant of the Altar-Cleansing Envoy. I hope you can catch the next ones."
With that, Rock picked up the boulders beside him and threw them continuously at the Zhu Bajie. Faced with the rain of rocks, the Zhu Bajie had no choice but to use his nine-toothed rake like a hockey stick to block them.
Meanwhile, the departing group encountered another massive obstacle: a Specter wearing underworld armor resembling a short-horned demon with a tail. He condensed his Cosmos into his right fist and threw a punch.
"Greatest The Perestroika!!" Powerful energy blasted from his fist, and the massive shockwave sent the group flying several miles back.
The Specter stood tall at the exit of the Third Prison, crossing his arms with an air of righteousness. "You won't be leaving this Third Prison as long as I, Ivan of the Heavenly Defeat Star, Troll, am here."
"Damn it! There's another Specter!"
"I should have realized. There are two Guardian Dragons here, so there should naturally be two Specters responsible for guarding and management."
The group, having been knocked back, clutched their chests and slowly stood up.
"Ha!!" At that moment, a figure leaped out from the group. A girl with vermillion hair, holding a staff tipped with a crescent blade, charged at Ivan. It was the Current Incarnation of Sha Wujing.
"Sandy-chan!" Kuroka and Le Fay from Vali's team cried out in alarm. The Current Incarnation of Sha Wujing was also a member of Vali's team and a close friend of theirs.
The Current Incarnation of Sha Wujing swung her demon-subduing staff with exquisite skill, attacking Ivan repeatedly. However, Ivan blocked every strike with his forearms. Finding an opening, Ivan grabbed the Current Incarnation of Sha Wujing by the neck and lifted her high, causing her staff to fall to the ground.
Ivan looked at the Current Incarnation of Sha Wujing in his grip and said with a sneer, "Even if your ancestor, the Golden-Bodied Arhat, were here, he would be no match for me, let alone a green little girl like you."
"Damn you!!" The Current Incarnation of Sha Wujing kicked and punched Ivan, trying to break free from his restraint, but it was all useless against him.
Ultimately, Sandy was thrown aside by Ivan.
"Curse it! As expected, none of these Specters are easy to deal with!!" Issei Hyoudou said indignantly, clutching his chest.
Then, another figure leaped from the crowd. It was an old man with incredibly bulging muscles—Vasco Strada, the strongest swordsman in the history of the Vatican.
"Old man Strada!!" Issei Hyoudou cried out again.
Strada clenched his fists and attacked Ivan with his 'Holy Fists' imbued with holy light. Ivan didn't dodge or block, allowing the Holy Fists to strike his body.
When Strada's assault ceased, Ivan was completely unharmed. He lightly brushed the dust off his underworld armor and said, "Not a bad punch. It would be more than enough to deal with those devils and fallen angels, but it won't work on us Specters."
With that, Ivan clenched his fist and threw a punch like a meteor, forcing Strada to retreat step by step.
Despite the meteor-like punches, Strada pressed forward. His chest began to bleed, his eyes turned bloodshot, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, yet he continued to advance.
Reaching Ivan, he grabbed him with a fierce gaze and slammed him against the rock wall.
With blood at the corner of his mouth, Strada looked back at the group and shouted, "Go! I'll take care of this Specter! Get to the next hell, quickly!!"
"Lord Strada..." Xenovia said, her eyes shimmering as she watched Strada exerting his all to suppress Ivan.
"Let go of me!! Old man!!" Ivan's arms began to exert force, and the rock wall behind him shattered into countless pieces.
Strada, refusing to back down, continued to exert his strength to suppress Ivan, urging his companions behind him, "What are you waiting for!! Go!!"
"Alright..." With tears in their eyes, everyone ran straight toward the next hell.
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