The Divine Twilight's Return

Chapter 305: Star, the United Army (5)

[The Society <Purple Star Astrology> is in chaos!]

[Corps 3 has sent an urgent request for reinforcements!]

[Corps 12 has reported that they are losing their battles due to strengthened attacks from the Society <Olympus>!]

[Corps 19 has reported that they have witnessed the three <Niflheim> siblings in their battle, and are asking for advice from headquarters!]

[Corps 22…]

[Corps 24…]

…

[The Life Palace instructs all the corps in battle to wait for a moment!][1]

[The Transition Palace quickly divines fortunes!][2]

[The Wealth Palace hurriedly sends an emergency message, notifying everyone that the Celestial ‘Primordial Evil Dragon’, who is also the leader of <Nammu>, has revealed herself near the Life Palace!][3]

[The people of the Life Palace are screaming about the presence of a person who should be fighting the Society <Horoscope>!]

…

[All of the Twelve Palaces are on the highest alert level!]

『…Shit!』

The Azure Dragon of the East was about to explode with anger from the messages that appeared continuously in front of them.

The developments taking place in the battles alone already looked so serious that it would take <Purple Star Astrology> a while to sort out the aftermath; on top of that, they continued to take turns for the worse.

<Purple Star Astrology> was a giant <Society>. Although it was considered weaker than <Horoscope>, that was only due to the sheer power of <Horoscope>. Regardless, <Purple Star Astrology> was strong enough to be one of the two main <Societies> in <Heaven>.

In fact, <Purple Astrology> outnumbered <Horoscope>. That was why <Purple Star Astrology> had started numerous wars in this universe. Not only had they fought in Worldline 801, they had also gone to other Worldlines to stir up war. The <Myth War>? It was true that the war had once slowed down <Purple Star Astrology>, but it was insufficient to stop their greedy Celestials.

From the beginning, the <Purple Star Astrology> Celestials had been Aberrations—monstrous, demonic, and evil Celestials. Consequently, patience was far from their strong point. As such… They ended up taking significant damage once the strange alliance called the ‘United Army’ or something opened fire.

Perhaps it would have been different if the large-scale attack began while the <Purple Star Astrology> Celestials were expanding their <Society>, but their battles were scattered all over the universe, making them panic when they ran into a strong opposing force. Any combatant was helpless when outnumbered.

That was why the armies in the various battles had sent urgent messages, requesting reinforcements. Some of the armies requested to be given first because they were the ones who were in the most imminent danger. The Life Palace, the headquarters of <Purple Star Astrology>, was paralyzed as a result of too many incidents taking place at once, and it was no different for the Azure Dragon, who was in one of the battles.

In truth, the Azure Dragon was supposed to have already retreated to their headquarters, as the Twenty-Eight Mansions existed to preserve <Purple Star Astrology>, but the Dragon could not afford to do that. Right below the Dragon, the King of the Underworld was running wild. The soldiers he had brought were also engaging in chaotic battles against the <Purple Star Astrology> soldiers. If the Azure Dragon and <Purple Star Astrology> soldiers retreated from those battles without a plan, they would only be hunted down by the <Underworld>.

‘Those <Horoscope> sons of bitches! They keep holding out on us until the end, even when this situation is such a mess!’ the Azure Dragon thought with gritted teeth, their eyes already bloodshot.

Even though <Purple Star Astrology> was on bad terms with <Horoscope>, they were always on the same page regarding any matters related to R’lyeh. It was actually <Horoscope> who had given <Purple Star Astrology> intel about ‘Doomsday City’. However, the moment the <Underworld> army had raided the site, <Horoscope> had furtively backed out as if they had nothing to do with it. The Azure Dragon could tell what <Horoscope> was aiming for.

‘They’re trying to fish in troubled waters. Once both sides’ casualties reach a certain point, <Horoscope> will step in… Fuck!’

Perhaps <Horoscope> was planning to backstab both <Purple Star Astrology> and the <Underworld>, or benefit from the situation by pretending to be a mediator. No matter what option they chose, <Horoscope> would avoid suffering losses.

[The Celestial ‘Taurus’ is casually observing the situation!]

Just as expected, Bel-Marduk’s message appeared right in front of the Azure Dragon as if he had read their mind. The Azure Dragon could picture the smug Bel-Marduk’s smirk, practically driving them mad from frustration.

『King of the Underworld―! Why are you insisting on such a useless thing―?! You know very well that we’ll only be benefiting <Horoscope> if we keep fighting―!』

The Azure Dragon pushed away Chogang in frustration, then looked downward. Their bloodshot eyes were filled with desperation to overcome the situation by any means necessary. However…

“What do you mean, I won’t gain anything?” Thanatos, the King of the Underworld, replied as he clasped his hands behind his back, one end of his mouth curling up. “I’ll at least be able to shove all of you here into Abysm, won’t I? I think that alone is great enough.”

The Azure Dragon scowled, realizing that Thanatos was unwilling to compromise.

“And how can you pay attention elsewhere? It seems you should be focusing on someone else,” Thanatos said

Whoosh!

The Azure Dragon suddenly sensed a wave of heat at their side, and quickly looked in its direction. However, it was already too late. Chogang had closed in on the Azure Dragon during the short conversation between the Dragon and Thanatos.

“You dare to be distracted when I’m right here? You took me for a sucker, didn’t you?” Chogang remarked as he raised a brow , smiling crookedly.

[The Celestial ‘Second Purgatory King’ is trying to reveal his Authority.]

[The Authority ‘Tertiary Fiery Eye of Truth’ has been activated!]

Right at that moment, Chogang’s forehead split apart vertically, revealing a hidden third eye that shone radiantly with gold light.

Whoosh!

As soon as his eye was revealed, the Fire Dragon around Chogang grew, releasing even larger flames!

[The ‘Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier‘ has lit up!]

『F-Fiery Eye of Truth? That’s Sun Wukong’s ability, so how can you…!』

The Azure Dragon’s eyes widened in shock.

Sun Wukong, who was also known as the Monkey King or Victorious Fighting Buddha, was the unmatchable mad dog of <Heaven>. He had been on top of the <Purple Star Astrology> watchlist, but he was working together with them now, so they had not been particularly worried…

The Azure Dragon belatedly recalled that Sun Wukong was not the only one who could use [Fiery Eyes of Truth]. One of their old enemies had become a <Fallen Star> and been shoved into Abysm, but he had been able to use it!

『No way! Heavenly Marshal Ma[4]! The son of Douniugong Tianwang and Hariti[5]! How in the world can you be here?!』

The Azure Dragon finally realized that the face underneath Chogang’s long knight helmet was familiar.

Heavenly Marshal Ma had been born a noble, but he had been persecuted all throughout his childhood because of his ominous birth from the grave[6]. Due to his unfortunate childhood, he had a rebellious personality, and had thus continuously stirred up trouble despite his important role as the protector of the southern sky. Regardless, he had earned the title of Heavenly Marshal. On top of that, he had even created his own <Myth> as a Dragon Slayer for slaying the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea and the Dragon in the Yangtze River.

Although Heavenly Marshal Ma had lost in battle against <Purple Star Astrology> and ended up in the Bottomless Pit, he had been recognized by Taishang Laojun and been granted the powers of the [Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier] and [Fiery Eyes of Truth], making many <Stars> gnash their teeth. Now, he was back…!

『Are all of the Ten Purgatory Kings <Fallen Stars> or something…?!』

The Azure Dragon realized how Thanatos had finally filled the positions of the Ten Purgatory Kings.

“You realized at last. You have seven brains, so you should be wiser. But it seems that all seven of them belong to idiots and only made you dumber,” Chogang said, smirking at the Azure Dragon and lowering his hand.

The Fire Dragon, which had grown dozens of times bigger than before, now had nine heads; it had become a [Nine-Headed Fire Dragon]. Chogang had created his special ability by mixing the Traits of the dragons he had killed before his death with the [Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier] and [Fire of Burning Hell].

Roooarrr―!

Thinking they would be in critical danger unless they did something, the Azure Dragon made their scales bristle. Chogang… Heavenly Marshal Ma held the <Myth> of a Dragon Slayer, so of course, the Azure Dragon felt extremely threatened. As such, they held up their [Cintamani] in their right foreleg. Right now, they needed to subside that bizarre-looking Fire Dragon by any means necessary…!

However, that plan failed. Just as the [Cintamani] was about to flash, a sneak attack arrived, seizing the opportunity.

Swiish―!

The sound was very faint, but the Azure Dragon could not disregard it. The Azure Dragon’s scales bristled more intensely than when Chogang summoned his [Nine-Headed Fire Dragon]. Their instincts were practically screaming that they would be in a real crisis if they were hit by the attack!

[‘Gram’ has been fired at you!]

『Twilight! You son of a bitch!』

The Azure Dragon knew the power of [Gram] better than anyone, as that damned sword had put the Dragon through a great deal of trouble during the <Myth War>! A Dragon-Slayer, and the dragon-slayer sword. The Dragon had encountered both of those damned things at once, so there was only one choice they could make. Which body part would they allow the sword to strike and which parts would they protect?

The Azure Dragon came to a decision in the blink of an eye and moved, retrieving the [Cintamani] and twisting their long torso. Deflecting [Gram] was their choice, as Chang-Sun was aiming for none other than the Dragon’s reverse scale. The scale was under the Dragon’s chin and grew upside-down, and it was the Azure Dragon’s only weakness, as it was the core that enabled the seven <Stars> to move as one.

Of course, their fusion would be undone if the scale was shattered, and the Divine Classes of all the <Stars> could potentially be decreased due to the rebound. To think that the dragon-slayer sword was about to strike such an important core… Just imagining how immense the damage would be made the Azure Dragon feel lightheaded. It was their deepest regret that their secret had been discovered by Chang-Sun during the last <Myth War>.

Booom!

Whirl―!

The Azure Dragon fiercely parried [Gram] upward with their tail, changing its trajectory and making it fly high into the air. Meanwhile, their nape, forearms, and waist… The [Nine-Headed Fire Dragon] bit the Azure Dragon fiercely all over.

Howl―!

『Fuccckkk!』

Despite the fact that they had been expecting it, the Azure Dragon howled loudly in pain as many parts of their body were butchered. That pain fueled their fury. Determined to not let the [Nine-Headed Fire Dragon] off, they also opened their mouth wide and gnawed the Fire Dragon’s nape, which happened to be exposed at the time.

One head of the [Nine-Headed Fire Dragon] flew up into the air. While the [Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier] poured out from the Fire Dragon like dripping blood, the Azure Dragon’s eyes flared up more fiercely than ever. Their mouth was covered in soot and burn marks due to the Fire Dragon’s fire. Chogang’s Fire Dragon and the Azure Dragon continued to bite pieces off each other in a relentless exchange of butchery.

At that moment, the Azure Dragon’s [Cintamani] lit up, as they tried to summon the [Windwhisper Raincall] to extinguish Chogang’s [Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier].

[‘Balmung’ has been fired at you!]

Swoosh―!

Boom!

Chang-Sun’s second arrow furtively flew toward the Azure Dragon. [Balmung], which was heavily coated with Chang-Sun’s [Blood Toxin], pierced right through the [Cintamani], causing the Azure Dragon’s divine power to flow backward and the [Cintamani] to explode.

『What in the world… Urgh!』

The Azure Dragon’s attempt to activate their Authority was terminated by force, naturally causing a rebound. As their divine power’s circulation became chaotic, the Dragon gasped, shocked by the fact that their most treasured relic had been shattered far too easily, Still, Chang-Sun was not yet done.

[‘Nothung’ has been fired at you!]

[Nothung] flew forth right after [Balmung] and struck right at the Azure Dragon’s reverse scale. The combination of J?rmungandr’s [Mamushi Eye] and Pabilsag’s [Perfect Marksmanship] allowed Chang-Sun to hit the target no matter what. What would happen if the Effects of Chang-Sun’s [Close Combat Master] were also applied, and he was also using the god-slayer sword?

‘It’s obvious what’s going to happen,’ Chang-Sun thought, lowering his [White Magpie Bow] with a victorious smile.

Pzzzzzzz!

Boom, boom, boom―!

Rumble!

[Your vermilion lightning bolts are leaving impacts on the Divine Class of the Constellation ‘Azure Dragon’!]

Hoooowl!

『Arrrghhh! Ahhhh!』

The vermilion lightning bolts that emerged from [Nothung], which Chang-Sun had fired with his full power, created ground-shaking thunder as they continuously struck the Azure Dragon. The red lightning spread endlessly like a spiderweb, engulfing the Azure Dragon. Fierce wind and howling ghosts tore apart every scale in their body. On top of that, the [Blood Toxin] in [Nothung] also forced its way into the Azure Dragon’s soul as the sword sank in… The Divine Class manifestation that made up the Azure Dragon was struck all at once.

Crraack―!

Like fracturing ice across a river’s surface, thousands of cracks spread across the Azure Dragon, whose body had resembled a beautiful, sparkling sapphire up until that moment. The Azure Dragon trembled, as if they would break down into dust at any minute.

『N-No…!』

『Argh! Urghhh!』

『It hurts. It hurts so muuuch!』

『Twilight! Is it you again, Twilight?!』

『Should capture him… Should capture him by any means necessary…!』

『Keough…』

『Twilig… ht… At least I’ll…!』

The Azure Dragon was no longer able to speak and think as one. One body overlapped with another, and over another… The Dragon was about to be divided into the Seven Mansions of the East—the Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail, and Winnowing Basket Mansions!

The shock they had received was so great that some of the <Stars> were already unconscious. Nevertheless, the remaining <Stars> desperately pulled themselves together, trying to stop themselves from being divided. If they were unable to maintain their Dragon form and fell to the ground, they felt as if they would be trampled by the Purgatory Plane army’s soldiers, who looked up at them with greedy eyes. However…

Tap!

Chogang landed on the Azure Dragon’s nose, scoffing lightly and holding out his hand in the air. He remarked, “Twilight is doing something very odd. He didn’t really have to do this.”

It looked as if Chang-Sun was trying to repay the help he had received in the <Underworld> in his own way, but Chogang was actually not used to receiving someone else’s goodwill.

‘It’s not bad though,’ Chogang muttered in his mind, snatching [Gram], which happened to be falling in his direction, from the air. Then he held it in a reverse grip and stabbed it into the spot he was standing on.

『N…!』

The Azure Dragon began to let out an urgent scream, but it was too late.

[‘Gram’ has struck the Constellation ‘Azure Dragon’!]

[The Myth of Dragon-Slaying overwhelms the Constellation ‘Azure Dragon’.]

『Arghhhh!』

Ooooong!

The convulsing Azure Dragon suddenly became paralyzed. The number of cracks covering their body increased by dozens of times, and vermilion lightning energy emanated from the cracks. In mere moments, the Azure Dragon exploded, and the <Stars> that had previously comprised them fell to the ground.

[The Constellation ‘Azure Dragon’ has been destroyed!]

1. The raw is ??(命宮). It actually refers to an area between a person’s eyebrows, which can be used to predict people’s health, personality, lifespan, and depth of wisdom according to physiognomy. ????

2. The raw is ???(遷移宮). It actually refers to a person’s temples that can be used to predict people’s future stability. ????

3. The raw is ???(財帛宮). It actually refers to a person’s nose which can be used to predict people’s future wealth. ????

4. His full name is Huaguang Dadi, and he’s the protagonist of the Journey to the South. He has an interesting story, but his story has been slightly altered in TDTR. It’s quite long, so for those of you who are interested, . ????

5. She’s actually a goddess who’s known to be the protector of children, but she’s sometimes depicted as a demon. She isn’t technically related to Huaguang Dadi, but she’s his mother in TDTR. ????

6. This is because Hariti in hanja (鬼子母) means ‘mother of ghost children’. ????