Record of Ragnarok: Ouroboros

Chapter 25: Dream of Rule

The past crumbles away, and a new emperor from the depths of the shadow emerges.

Nobunaga stood frozen, his gaze fixed firmly on the emperor, his face contorting with a mixture of disbelief and seething frustration. A thick vein pulsed on his forehead as if it might burst. His eyes, cold and hard, narrowed into a sharp glare, locking onto the emperor with an intensity that could pierce through stones. The emperor's smug expression only served to intensify Nobunaga's simmering rage. Every smirk, every glint of confidence in the emperor's eyes, seemed to feed the flames of Nobunaga's irritation, pushing him closer to the edge.

"Honestly, I had a feeling this would happen. To think you would be foolish enough to swing that polearm in such a reckless manner in desperation, you're not the kind to have that behavior." Nobunaga exclaimed with a palpable annoyance, his words spilling forth with irritation.

"Hmm? Was that meant to be a compliment?" Yu Huang responded, his voice light and playful as he let out a soft chuckle. He paused for a moment before his expression shifted entirely. Gripping his guandao tightly with both hands, his demeanor hardened, and a fierce determination blazed in his eyes. "Now, enough talking, it's time to bring this to an end, like you wanted. Let's finish it once and for all!"

Once the emperor finished his sentences, a noticeable shift occurred in the expressions of both fighters. What had now deepened into sternness, as if the weight of the moment had fully settled upon them. Around the arena, the crowd erupted with fervor. Supporters, families, and friends of the fighters could be heard shouting with all their might, their voices merging into a powerful roar. With every passing moment, the air grew heavier with their chants, each name of the champions being shouted in unison, their cheers reverberating like thunder throughout the arena.

As the two fighters moved toward each other, their steps were slow and deliberate, each of them sizing up the other, watching for any sign of weakness. The air between them crackled with tension, as though the atmosphere held its breath. With every step, their eyes remained locked, calculating and searching for an opening, their bodies coiled like springs, ready to unleash the first strike.

At first, their movements were calculated and methodical, but as the distance between them shrank. The pace of their movements began to quicken, the air becoming thicker with anticipation. The faintest twitch or misstep could spell disaster, and the tension became almost unbearable. Finally, the distance between them was gone. In that split second, the first one to strike was...Nobunaga. His body burst into action, faster than the eye could follow, as he took advantage of the briefest opening.

Understanding Yu Huang's Qi redirection, he knew that engaging in a reckless strike might expose him to a counter that could end him. With a quick decision, he changed his approach, seamlessly shifting into sword mode. The demon king swiftly swung his blade, the weapon cutting through the air with a sharp hiss, its trajectory aimed directly at the emperor from below. However, as the blade neared, Yu Huang swiftly brought his guandao into position, parrying the Nobunaga's blade.

The emperor then took a measured step back, creating just enough distance between himself and Nobunaga. As he adjusted his stance, he swept the guandao downward and across the ground. The sheer speed of the movement caught the air, and in an instant, a massive cloud of dust erupted from the ground, swirling up around him like a smokescreen. The dust billowed thickly in every direction, obscuring the arena from view and enveloping the demon king in a blinding haze. The emperor swiftly stepped back further into the mist, using the cover to disorient his opponent.

The cloud of dust moved like a storm, thick and choking, and within moments, Nobunaga was left scrambling to regain his bearings. The sudden, disorienting shift in the environment clouded his vision, and his senses overwhelmed him. He then raised his arm and fired a piercing shot, releasing a concentrated burst of energy through the dust cloud, clearing the swirling particles instantly.