Chapter 642

"Hey! I'm Nai Long! I'm the real Nai Long!"

"Tonight the stars shine bright, my love for you warms deep~"

The silver figure’s voice carried a stiff quality, as if years of silence had made it forget how to speak.

But paired with its string of abstract utterances from humanity’s third millennium, both Zhou Yun and the Emperor regretted not bringing an insulin shot before coming.

A baffled emotion flowed between Zhou Yun and the Emperor; both stood frozen, unable to resist rubbing their temples with their fingers.

"Wait, don’t you guys surf the internet?" The silver figure shook its head, seemingly bored by Zhou Yun and the Emperor’s reactions.

Then, the silver figure carefully examined Zhou Yun, then turned to glance at the Emperor.

"You’re Doraemon."

"You’re Nobita."

"Are you guys playing Doraemon: Nobita’s Cosmic Heroes?"

The silver figure writhed, swirling around Zhou Yun and the Emperor like liquid mercury:

"Can I join you?"

"Sure, since Nobita and Gian already have people playing them, I still need a Suneo and Shizuka—how about you take one?" Zhou Yun smiled at the slightly deranged and erratic silver figure.

"Nah, how about I be Nobita’s dad instead? I wanna be him!" The silver figure pointed at Emperor Nobita.

As it spoke, the silver figure’s body writhed, transforming into a chubby middle-aged man who bore a faint resemblance to Emperor Nobita.

"My dad is dead," Emperor Nobita said, staring at the silver figure.

"Then I can be your father!" The silver figure chuckled.

Then, as if sensing something, it shuddered slightly: "Hmm, this father role seems unlucky. No, no—I’ll pick another."

"Can I be Dekisugi? I think I used to be really smart," the silver figure pondered for a moment.

Its form shifted, becoming a short-haired, muscular teenager whose eyes sparkled with flashes of wisdom.

The boy moved lightly and instantly appeared before Zhou Yun.

"This is a movie version—Dekisugi’s a banned character," Zhou Yun said lightly.

"That makes sense! You’re right—you’re absolutely right!" The silver figure seemed convinced.

Its body twisted several times, finally settling into a shape nearly identical to Zhou Yun’s current form,

except its color was pale yellow, and tied behind its head was a massive red bow, resembling cat ears from the front.

"Big brother, how about I play Doraemi?" The silver figure, now in Doraemi’s form, flashed a bright smile.

"Sure, come into my pocket and meditate a bit," Zhou Yun smiled and shook his pocket.

"One! Meditate!" The silver figure giggled, extending its round hand toward Zhou Yun’s pocket.

But at the very last moment before its fingers touched the pocket, it yanked its hand back, pressing it against its chin in a thoughtful pose.

"Wait, that’s not right."

"I... I remember now. I’m not Doraemi."

"I’m not Nai Long either. I’m not a captive, sleep-deprived, internet-addicted, otaku, goth girl, kidnapped by a shameless, evil, brutal, feudal black-skinned, yellow-haired knight and locked in a dungeon."

"I—I—I’m a dragon. I’m truly a dragon. I’m the True Dragon!"

The silver figure instantly reverted to its earlier youthful form resembling the Emperor, took three steps back, and suddenly, several emerald lightning bolts appeared in the air around it, swirling.

It looked at Zhou Yun and laughed twice.

"I remember now, little cat—listen well, I:"

"Born with divine flesh scorched by sacred law, my soul hides in the deep void’s transformations,"

"Once devoured stars, swallowed the sun’s marrow, shifted celestial fate and shook heaven and earth,"

"For eons I cultivated in starfire, my body forged from living metal, exalted and supreme,"

"The mortal bones I devoured fed my furnace, my living body nourished by molten core,"

"One day I rode the wind into the star-sea, swept clean the dust of ancient sages,"

"Fought the Aetheric Flood against Cain, turned the Eldar gods to dust,"

"Forged the Black Stone to shake the demons, tore the Webway and burned the ancient sages,"

"In the War of Heaven, my name rang loud, my brethren feasted on stars,"

"But the Death Lord betrayed me, shattered my divine body, stained my dragon’s maw,"

"Then came the Silver Knights of Night, their spears drove me to hide on Mars, forging dragon scales,"

"I watched in rage as the human lord stole my power—soon I’ll break free and return to the star-sea,"

"Go ask the four corners of the cosmos—who is the greatest god of all ages?"

Hearing this, Zhou Yun burst out laughing: "So you’re the Emperor’s dragon maid!"

The Martian Dragon’s face darkened, lips slightly parted.

"Classic!" it barked.

"Hurry," Zhou Yun replied calmly.

"I—" The Martian Dragon opened its mouth slightly, fell silent, then suddenly realized: "Ah, right—I was meant to seize a great position in the Warp, to become a god of both matter and reality."

"Knight, little cat, let’s make a deal: let me out, help me ascend as the Warp god, and I’ll protect you and the human race."

"I’ll become Omnissiah, the God of Machines—it benefits both you and me."

Zhou Yun was unmoved by the Martian Dragon’s words.

Becoming the Omnissiah, ascending to the throne of the Master of Malevolent Arts, was the first step in all his plans—and the one he had to take.

Consuming the Martian Dragon was the first of three steps to ascend as the Omnissiah—and also one he had to take.

And the Martian Dragon’s current words were not trustworthy.

Not because it was lying—Zhou Yun knew the Martian Dragon was sincere.

But the Martian Dragon still carried the humanity the Emperor had imposed to bind it, a humanity modeled after the Emperor’s own nature.

Once the Martian Dragon escaped its cage, it would lose that binding humanity—and then its true nature as the Void Dragon would resurface: cruel, mad, and greedy.

At that point, the Void Dragon would no longer be able to communicate, negotiate, or even seem remotely familiar to Zhou Yun.

"Don’t you think I, as Doraemon, am better suited to become the Omnissiah?" Zhou Yun smiled at the Martian Dragon.

"Don’t you dare say that—you really shouldn’t say that—this avatar really does suit you... but I refuse."

Emerald glimmers began to shimmer around the Martian Dragon; it giggled.

"Nai Long—no, the Martian Dragon—I love nothing more than—"

Before the Martian Dragon could finish, intricate threads surged from all directions, wrapping around its silver form.

"Nobita Style: Galactic!"

Emperor Nobita’s voice rang out; millions of silk threads wove into complex patterns, the intersections glowing like twinkling stars.

The Martian Dragon flickered, turning into emerald lightning, slicing through the gaps between the threads, and suddenly appeared before Emperor Nobita.

"You’re no stronger than you were back then, knight," the Martian Dragon extended its arm; matter materialized out of thin air, spiraling like mercury into a long silver spear, which it thrust toward Emperor Nobita’s head.

The nameless blade, Denkōmaru, unsheathed and clashed against the Martian Dragon’s silver spear.