Chapter 130: Tit for Tat

A few minutes earlier, before the wreckage of the Supreme Teigu.

Sakazuki's arm easily penetrated the already badly damaged cockpit, grabbed the little Emperor's collar, and forcibly dragged him out from inside.

The little Emperor was slammed heavily onto the ground, letting out a muffled groan; by now he had regained consciousness.

He raised his head with difficulty and looked around; the once-mighty Supreme Teigu had become a pile of broken copper and rotten iron, scattered across the battlefield.

"My country..." the little Emperor spoke weakly, his voice tinged with confusion and regret. His gaze swept over the ruins and finally fell on Sakazuki. "Am I really a bad emperor?"

Sakazuki looked down at him, his palm covering the little Emperor's skull: "You are merely a puppet blinded by power."

"Is that so..."

As soon as the words fell, scorching magma surged out instantly, completely devouring the little Emperor, and a trace of relief appeared in his eyes.

Afterward, Sakazuki looked at the mission panel in the void, his brow slightly furrowed. Logically, killing the little Emperor should have completed the mission. But the mission status on the panel still showed "In Progress."

"What's going on?"

Just as he was puzzled, a bone-chilling cold suddenly surged from afar. Sakazuki abruptly looked up, only to see the distant sky suddenly turn gloomy, with howling winds mixed with tiny snowflakes.

Sakazuki narrowed his eyes, staring in the direction the blizzard was coming from. He could feel a powerful force rapidly approaching.

Sakazuki stood in the howling wind and snow, his brow tightly furrowed.

Although consecutive fierce battles had left him somewhat fatigued, the powerful aura coming from afar made his blood begin to boil.

"There's still this trick; it seems I still underestimated this world." Sakazuki said softly, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. In this chaotic wind and snow, a wisp of heat sprayed from his mouth, instantly evaporating the surrounding snowflakes. Sakazuki clenched his fists, feeling the heat gradually rising within his body.

"Boom!"

Afterward, with a huge roar, the blizzard surged forward like a bursting flood.

"Right on time." Sakazuki murmured softly, staring directly in the direction the blizzard was coming from. He slowly raised his right foot and took a step forward.

"Hiss—"

The snow beneath his feet melted instantly, and a heat wave spread outward from him as the center. The surrounding temperature suddenly rose, forming a stark contrast with the incoming cold current.

Second step.

"Sizzle—"

A stronger heat wave swept out, and the snow on the ground began to melt in large patches. The blizzard in the distance seemed provoked, attacking even more fiercely.

Third step.

"Boom!"

A thunderous roar suddenly erupted, and the heat around Sakazuki suddenly burst forth. A scorching airflow like a giant dragon shot into the sky, unstoppably crashing toward the heavens.

Wherever the dragon passed, the heavy dark clouds were instantly split open. The originally surging blizzard, before this terrifying heat wave, vanished instantly like encountering a natural enemy, leaving behind a straight vacuum zone.

The members of Night Raid stared with wide eyes at the magnificent sight before them. The sky seemed to be split into two halves by an invisible giant axe—one side was Esdeath's world of ice and snow, all white with howling cold winds; the other side was Sakazuki's Purgatory, all red with rolling heat waves.

"What... what kind of monster is this?" Leone couldn't help but exclaim.

Just as everyone was shocked, a figure wrapped in magma slowly walked out from that vacuum zone. With every step, the ground beneath his feet melted instantly, forming small lava pools.

Sakazuki had already walked in front of the Night Raid members. He slightly raised his head, his gaze sweeping past them to stare directly at Esdeath in the distance. Two powerful auras collided in midair, stirring up ripples.

Esdeath looked at the other's figure, then took a deep breath, as if savoring the battle aura in the air, a dangerous smile curling at the corner of her mouth.

"So it's you," Esdeath said softly, her voice carrying a hint of pleasure, "the man who drove the little Emperor to a desperate situation..." Her gaze swept back and forth over Sakazuki, as if appreciating a precious work of art. "Do you know how much I've looked forward to this moment?"

Sakazuki stood in place, completely unmoved.

"Look forward to what?" Sakazuki said coldly, "Being killed by me?"

"Kill me?" Esdeath laughed loudly, her laughter full of excitement, "Hahaha—what arrogant words!"

She suddenly stopped laughing, her gaze becoming extremely sharp. "But I like it," Esdeath said softly, her voice carrying a hint of danger, "only such arrogance is qualified to be my opponent." "Magma and ice and snow, seem to be arranged by heaven..." Esdeath slightly tilted her head, a blush rising on her cheeks: "Come, let me see your power, let me see just how excited you can make me!"

Her voice grew lower, carrying a hint of danger, "Otherwise, you will end up like those boring weaklings, ultimately crushed mercilessly by me."

Sakazuki coldly watched Esdeath, suddenly saying: "Your ability is very similar to someone I know."

Hearing this, Esdeath's fanatical smile slightly receded, a trace of curiosity flashing in her eyes. "Oh? Is that so? Then let me see, whether the person you speak of is stronger, or I am superior!"

Before her words fell, Esdeath's figure had already vanished from the spot. Only a faint blue afterimage remained in the air.

"Whoosh!"

Ice blades broke through the sky, straight for Sakazuki's throat. The biting cold instantly enveloped his whole body, as if to completely freeze him.

But just as the ice blade was about to touch him, Sakazuki slightly turned his head, and the ice blade brushed past his neck, leaving only a shallow white mark. The high temperature instantly evaporated that white mark, as if it had never existed.

"Oh?" A trace of surprise flashed in Esdeath's eyes, a playful smile curling at the corner of her mouth, "Not bad reaction. It seems you're not just arrogant."

Sakazuki snorted coldly, a sharp light flashing in his eyes. He suddenly stepped forward, his right fist instantly turning into rolling magma.

"Dog Devouring Crimson Lotus!"

With a low shout, a huge hound made of magma appeared out of thin air. It opened its bloody mouth and pounced toward Esdeath. Wherever it passed, the air was distorted by the high temperature, emitting a piercing hum.

Esdeath widened her eyes, the smile on her face instantly freezing. She had only wanted to test this opponent's strength, but didn't expect the other to use such a fierce move right from the start.

"This power..." Esdeath was secretly shocked in her heart, but a glint of excitement flashed in her eyes.

At the critical moment, Esdeath pressed her hands together in front of her chest, and a huge ice shield instantly formed before her.

"Boom!"

Magma Fist slammed heavily onto the ice shield, erupting with a deafening roar. The collision of ice and fire kicked up a heaven-shaking energy storm, and ice crystals instantly vaporized under the high temperature.

"Bang!"

Esdeath flew out like a kite with a broken string, crashing into several buildings behind her before barely stopping. Dust billowed, and rubble scattered.

Suddenly, a bone-chilling cold erupted from the dust.

"Interesting." Esdeath's voice came, carrying a trembling excitement, "So interesting!"

The dust cleared, and Esdeath walked out slowly. Her clothes were torn, revealing large patches of snow-white skin. But her gaze was even more fanatical than before.

Esdeath stood at the edge of the pit, her clothes somewhat disheveled, with a clear burn on her right arm. She panted heavily, a trace of shock and excitement flashing in her eyes?

"This power... this pain..." Esdeath licked her lips, "It's truly irresistible!"

Next Second. She suddenly burst forth with a terrifying cold air from her whole body. She slammed both hands toward the ground, "Come, let me see what other skills you have! Freeze!"

(Chapter End)