Instead of an answer from the Azure Dragon, a low draconic growl met the Quincy girl group.
A massive surge of sound erupted as countless wind blades spat from that cavernous maw, blanketing the sky and raining down upon the four of them.
"Dammit!"
The four never imagined the dragon above could be so arrogant, launching an attack without a word. They quickly unleashed their respective abilities to block the incoming gale.
For a moment, spiritual pressure surged—lightning crackled, arrows flew, and fangs gnashed as they countered with everything they had.
Fortunately, while the wind blades were numerous, their power was not overwhelming. The four easily fended them off, remaining suspended in mid-air unscathed.
"Bastard! I'm going to pull your tendons out and use them as a belt!"
"Leave the meat to me. I've never tried dragon before."
"Turning it into a zombie would be pretty good too!"
With fury on their faces, they looked up only to see a mature, striking woman suddenly appear beside the dragon.
She was vibrant and curvaceous, wearing a tricorne hat. Pink wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders. A ball of living flame floated beside her, while she stood atop a thundercloud. Her smile was bold and hearty.
What truly surprised the four was her size!
She was absurdly massive, nearly as large as the dragon's head!
The flame at her side and the cloud beneath her feet both possessed eyes and mouths. They spoke like living beings, calling out, "Mama, Mama!"
Perched on her shoulder was a man whose tongue nearly reached his chest, licking the cane in his hand.
This was Charlotte Linlin—Big Mom—and Perospero, who had just arrived.
Seeing the duo's sudden arrival, the Quincy quartet was struck with shock.
"How can she be that big... a giant?!"
"The fire and the cloud... they can talk!"
"What kind of enemies are these?"
Even within the wondrous Soul Society, such a bizarre combination was a rare sight.
Above them, Linlin caught the voices of the quartet and turned to Kaido with a sneer.
"Ma-ma-ma-ma! Kaido, did you hear that?"
"These little brats are saying they'll slaughter you for your meat."
Shadows veiled the Azure Dragon's eyes as a deafening roar escaped his throat. "Linlin, keep your mouth shut!"
With those words, the long, draconic body began to shrink. Horns receded, scales melded into skin, and the ferocious dragon head gradually shifted into a human visage.
In the blink of an eye, Kaido exited his dragon form, revealing his true self as he stood atop the auspicious clouds.
He was tall and hulking, draped in a purple cape. His skin possessed a bronze sheen, and every bulging muscle exuded explosive power.
Sharp horns grew from his head, and two long whiskers trailed down his chest. His face was savage, radiating fury and a murderous aura.
This appearance was less that of a human and more like a demon crawled out of hell!
"The dragon turned into a man!"
"That look... it's just too much!"
"He's huge! He's as big as that woman!"
"How does his human form feel even more intimidating than the dragon form?!"
Looking at the transformed Kaido and feeling the killing intent radiating from him, the four girls paled, their nerves tightening instantly.
Kaido pulled a mace from behind him, slapping it into his palm as he glared at them with ill intent.
"I'll ask you one more time. Which of you said you were going to eat someone?"
Clearly, he had heard their conversation.
Liltotto's mouth split wide as she said coldly, "I did, of course—"
Before she could finish, a gale hit her square in the face. A thick, black, massive mace suddenly dominated her vision!
Kaido appeared before them in an instant, his roar thundering.
"Thunder Bagua!"
Boom!
The four didn't even have time to react. The mace slammed into them with raw force, sending them flying like shooting stars.
They were launched like cannonballs toward the distant palace, breaking through successive sonic booms before crashing into its thick walls!
Rumble!
Unable to withstand the impact, that section of the wall collapsed into a cloud of dust that billowed in all directions.
Kaido looked dissatisfied. To think that even the 'strong' among the Quincy couldn't handle a single hit from him.
"Just a bunch of little girls after all."
"Ma-ma-ma-ma! Kaido, don't get careless. These Quincy have an ace up their sleeves—some technique called Vollständig."
"I know that! I don't need you to remind me!"
As Kaido spoke, the collapsed rubble was suddenly blown away.
Reishi surged through the air. Four pillars of light in different colors erupted, and the girls' figures appeared within the beams.
"Damn you! You messed up my hair! I'll never forgive you! Thunder of God!"
The girl's roar echoed everywhere as the green pillar of light shattered, revealing her new form.
A halo in the shape of a five-pointed star floated above her head, and multiple lightning-shaped wings sprouted from her back. Her aura was undeniably stronger than before.
The Quincy Vollständig had arrived.
The other three pillars shattered simultaneously, revealing the others in their Vollständig states.
"Power of God!"
"Hunger of God!"
"Death of God!"
Seeing this, Kaido and Big Mom exchanged looks, immediately realizing what it was.
"Looks like this is the Quincy Vollständig."
"Doesn't matter. They're still fragile!"
Kaido's expression remained unchanged. So what if they used Vollständig? He wondered how many swings of his mace they could take.
Right then, a deep, resonant voice echoed from the upper levels of the distant palace.
"Hahaha! I followed the tremors of the palace, and sure enough, I found the enemy!"
"Haschwalth said I shouldn't interfere, but when the enemy strikes at our very doorstep, staying back isn't my style!"
Kaido looked over and saw a robust man.
He wore a red cape and a mask adorned with wings. Long blonde hair draped over his shoulders. He held a round shield in one hand and a sword in the other.
Recognizing this figure from the intel Ren had provided, Kaido's lips curled into a smirk.
"Linlin, I'll leave these girls to you. I'm going to meet this guy!"
Leaving her with that, Kaido kicked off, the clouds beneath him churning as he flew toward the palace.
He recognized this man. He was the one Ren called the Man of Miracles among the Quincy.
Gerard Valkyrie, the Schrift M, symbolizing The Miracle—the heart of the Soul King!
Big Mom recognized him too. Seeing Kaido's eagerness to go, she didn't linger and turned her gaze toward the four girls in their Vollständig forms.
She beckoned with a finger, a contemptuous smile on her striking face.
"You lot, let's see what you've got."
Perospero hopped down from her shoulder onto the thundercloud, licking his candy cane. "Mama, give me an opponent too."
"Then pick one yourself."
"They're all trash anyway. Any of them will do."
The conversation between mother and son reached the girls' ears, sending a wave of fury through them.
"You bastard! I'll kill you!"
"Bitch, for once, I agree with you!"
Reishi swirled in their hands, forming their respective weapons. Filled with murderous intent, they charged at Big Mom.
Meanwhile, Kaido flickered across the sky on his clouds, appearing on the palace's upper floor in moments.
Thud!
He landed heavily on the masonry, cracking the roof. Shouldering his mace, Kaido looked at the man before him, his battle spirit burning bright.
"Hey. I heard someone say you're the miracle worker of this Quincy bunch?"
"Correct—"
Before Gerard could finish, a gale hit his face as the spiked mace filled his vision.
Kaido's figure flickered in front of him, swinging the mace with full force.
Boom!
Though Gerard managed to raise his shield in haste, the sheer force behind the blow launched him through the air and into a distant wall.
"Hmm?"
Disdain crossed Kaido's face.
"This is it? It seems he misjudged you, talking you up as if you were some powerhouse!"
Rumble!
The broken wall was tossed aside as a powerful aura erupted. The man stood up from the ruins.
Having taken Kaido's blow directly, Gerard was unscathed. There wasn't a single scratch on him, and he hadn't even entered his Vollständig state.
He swept his greatsword, clearing away the rubble and dust.
"Hahaha! You're certainly strong, just as your savage looks suggest. However—"
"A miracle is to turn the impossible into the possible. I shall be the one to defeat you!"
Gerard's voice was deep and powerful as he pointed his longsword at the two-story-tall giant.
Kaido watched Gerard stand back up and felt the burning battle spirit coming from him. Just as a grin was about to spread across his face, he frowned.
"Kid, did you get bigger? Is that your Schrift ability?"
Previously, Gerard was barely over two meters tall, reaching only Kaido's knees—a midget in his eyes.
But now, he looked to be over three meters, his frame considerably bulkier, reaching up to Kaido's waist.
Along with his size, his spiritual pressure had intensified several times over.
Kaido realized this must be the manifestation of that so-called Miracle power.
Confusion flickered on Gerard's face. "This is our first meeting. How do you know of my Miracle? I don't recall ever mentioning it to you."
Furthermore, the enemy had ignored the girls the moment he appeared, heading straight for him. It was clear he had been chosen as the target from the start!
Could there be a traitor within the Empire collaborating with these enemies?!
"Worororo! None of that matters!"
Kaido laughed heartily, spiritual pressure surging. He slammed his mace onto the ground, causing the roof to crack like a spiderweb, threatening to collapse.
"I just want to beat you to death right now!"
With those words, Kaido lunged. The roof finally gave way, collapsing entirely.
Meanwhile, he appeared instantly before Gerard, swinging that hard, black mace with everything he had once more.
But Gerard was indeed tangibly stronger than before. Facing Kaido's sudden strike, he reacted quickly, meeting the blow head-on with his sword!
Clang!
The weapons collided with a sharp, explosive boom. Air currents swirled violently, whipping their clothes and hair.
Having successfully blocked the strike, Gerard's battle spirit, bolstered by his spiritual pressure, grew even more frenzied.
"On that point, I share your sentiment—to take you down!"
"Not just you, but every one of your companions who dared to invade us. I'll take every last one of you down!"
Kaido exerted a sudden burst of strength, pushing his opponent back several steps, his expression full of contempt.
"With your pathetic strength? Not a chance!"
With that, he charged again, mace in hand!
The two combatants—one the Azure Dragon, the so-called Strongest Creature in the world; the other the Heart of the Soul King, possessing the nearly invincible power of The Miracle!
The slaughter had officially begun!
On a slightly more distant side of the palace, a series of continuous explosions rang out.
Flames roared, destroying what few intact buildings remained in the vicinity.
Wings of light spread from Bambi's back, a five-pointed halo shining atop her head. She looked ahead with a smug expression at the roaring flames.
"So what if you're a dinosaur? No one can stand against my Explode!"
While she was basking in her triumph, the blurry figure of a Pteranodon appeared within the flames.
The Pteranodon spread its wings, blowing away the surrounding fire and smoke, revealing a massive, pitch-black silhouette standing proudly on the ground.
Seeing the unscathed Pteranodon in the distance, Bambi's expression froze before shifting to disbelief.
"Impossible! How could you be unharmed by my explosions?!"
"Your explosions are powerful, certainly. It's a shame about my clothes, though."
The Pteranodon spoke, its voice dripping with contempt.
Having sent the female Quincy flying, he had left Kaido to come here, only to be met by a barrage of explosions. As the ancient King of the Skies, he had been forced to descend to the ground.
Seeing Bambi's current state, King felt a sense of relief. He had forced her Vollständig out before landing. Not bad.
Hearing the mockery, Bambi's rage boiled over, her face turning red instantly.
"How dare a mere extinct bird look down on me!"
Just as she was about to attack, the Pteranodon underwent a massive change.
The Pteranodon body shrank abruptly. The massive beak merged into a face, wings became arms, and the feet planting themselves on the earth became legs.
In an instant, a massive figure appeared in Bambi's eyes.
He was dressed in all black, his upper garments tattered, revealing half of his face. An odachi was tucked into his waist.
But most remarkably, two black wings grew from his back, and a flame was burning fiercely behind him.
Bambi asked in disbelief, "What's with that look? You can turn into a human too!"
"And those wings... are you a fallen angel? Or were they just burned black by my explosions?"
King exited his Pteranodon form, returning to his human state.
Since he had landed and entered ground combat, his beast form was less convenient. It was better to return to human form.
However, the front of his clothes had been mostly scorched, which was a nuisance.
King grabbed the fabric and ripped off the upper part of his outfit along with his mask, revealing his true face.
The moment she saw King's face, Bambi froze.
"You... you... you're actually that handsome?!"
"If you have such a handsome face, why hide it?"
King's expression remained unmoved. He had a clear understanding of his own looks.
"Focusing on such trivial matters during a battle... you really are just a little girl!"
"I'm not that old to begin with!" Bambi retorted.
Though he was an enemy, he could turn into a Pteranodon, and more importantly, he was a hunk.
"Exactly my type. It's just your size..."
"You look at least six meters tall. That's a bit much, otherwise I wouldn't mind hooking up with you."
If his size were that of a normal human, she wouldn't have minded having some fun with him, considering that face.
She could always kill him afterward.
"What a pity..."
Bambi sighed, looking regretful.
"Now I just have to kill you."
King drew the blade from his waist, holding it at his side. He looked coldly at the girl, his voice devoid of emotion.
"You have no hope of defeating me! On a biological level, we are worlds apart!"
During the earlier strategy meeting, their opponents had already been assigned.
And the enemy he was meant to eliminate was exactly this explosion girl!
"Die!"
With a sharp cry, King raised his blade and charged.
The battle erupted!
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]