Chapter 267: ICISEI Episode 253
Episode 253: The Funeral Bells of the Underworld Have Tolled; King Hassan Is Doing Whatever He Pleases
『 Merlin’s words acted like a stimulant, continuously fueling the combat fervor of everyone present, as if injecting them with an irresistible power.
"...So, do not feel genuine despair or self-doubt because of the fact that the lives of countless people were burned, and no effective damage was dealt to Tiamat—"
Merlin’s voice was firm and powerful. Every word seemed to encourage them, helping them recover from their loss and confusion, reminding them that none of their efforts were in vain.
"Your battle, every bit of it, has meaning."
Even if the result was not what they wished for, as long as they had given their all, it was a feat worthy of praise and commemoration.
Such words were like timely rain for warriors plunged into despair, nourishing their parched hearts.
Just as Merlin finished speaking, a powerful sound arrived from the distance. This sudden noise broke the momentary silence while simultaneously piquing the curiosity of everyone present.
Suddenly, a massive black sword slammed fiercely into the earth of the Underworld, emitting a deafening boom that made people instinctively cover their ears.
At the same time, the entire ground seemed to tremble slightly.
The massive black sword was driven deep into the soil by this terrifying force, kicking up a large amount of dust, and the air was filled with a thick scent of gunpowder.
Seeing such a shocking scene, everyone was stunned, their hearts feeling as if they were about to jump out of their chests.
With the echo of the sound, Merlin’s eyes became incredibly resolute at this moment. He seemed to have made a certain determination, and his whole being radiated an unprecedented aura that commanded awe.
"Alright... look up to the sky! Primordial Sea!" Merlin suddenly raised his voice, almost roaring at the Tiamat who was already approaching, hoping to attract her full attention.
At the same time, he gestured with his hands, pointing to the sky, as if wanting to show his companions that something incredible was brewing.
"AAAAAHHH!!" Tiamat clearly sensed the strong hostility coming from Merlin and reacted quickly.
A heaven-shaking roar erupted from the depths of her massive throat, attempting to suppress her opponent in this way, while also expressing her refusal to easily admit defeat.
However, in this instant, the camera angle quietly shifted, moving from the lower position to a higher one, finally focusing on a corner at the top of the Underworld mountain range—the very place where a major event was about to unfold.
Then, one could see Tiamat slowly raising her enormous, hill-like head, observing the surroundings with curiosity and vigilance, preparing to meet the new challenger who might appear next.
At this moment, everyone witnessing this scene held their breath, completely stunned by the incredible sight before them. No one dared to comment or take action, fearing that any carelessness would break the delicate balance of the current situation.
Only Merlin stood unwaveringly, shouting in the terrifyingly silent atmosphere: "Your death... is standing right there!"
His voice carried a strong sense of provocation, as if declaring an upcoming fierce battle.
Everyone followed the direction of Merlin’s finger and saw an old man clad in black armor, with a pitch-black cloak fluttering behind him, standing quietly there. The mask on his face was carved with a vivid skull pattern, making him look particularly eerie and extraordinary.
He had now become the focus of the entire scene, and everyone wanted to figure out whether this mysterious figure was a friend or foe, and what kind of unexpected development he would bring. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "So powerful. Even across the world, I can feel the immense strength emanating from this person." ]
[ Tartaglia (Genshin Impact): "..." ]
[ .....]
〜Naruto World〜
"That’s right... it’s him..."
Jiraiya looked at the figure before him, revealing a very serious and solemn expression.
"That invisible killing intent is coming from him. Even from across a video, I can feel it."
After saying this, Jiraiya let out a sigh of relief.
"Good, good. It looks like this guy shouldn’t be an enemy. If that’s the case, their chances of winning have increased by another ten percent... oh no... at least by several percent..."
"Several percent...?"
Beside him, Naruto, hearing his teacher Jiraiya’s words, felt quite confused for a moment.
Clearly, this guy named Tiamat was so monstrous that even sacrificing so many Heroic Spirits couldn’t do anything to her.
But now, because of the appearance of one person, things had changed.
Although Naruto was very happy and supportive of this statement, he still felt that something was very wrong.
"How is that possible? How is that possible?"
Facing Naruto’s muttering, Jiraiya patiently explained:
"This person, even if I don’t know how their world judges strength, and I don’t know anything about that ’magic’ stuff... but... since he can emit this kind of aura, it means his strength is even greater than that of Gilgamesh."
"Huh?"
For a moment, Uzumaki Naruto’s CPU seemed to have burned out. In his view, the King named Gilgamesh was already a complete freak.
But... now Teacher Jiraiya was telling him that an even more freakish existence had appeared.
A sure win... a total victory... such thoughts couldn’t help but surface in Naruto’s mind.
—
『 The guy in the black cloak stood calmly on the earth of the Underworld, looking at Tiamat beneath his feet, without any sign of panic.
His composure gave people a strong sense of security.
This feeling really made one feel filled with peace and reliability. It seemed as if no matter how dangerous the situation was, he could solve it easily.
A thick and steady voice emanated from his mouth:
"I have come from the abyss of the valley, racing through the dark death."
The old man in the black robe stood atop the towering mountain, unwavering, like an eternal, indestructible rock.
"Without death, there is no life. To have death is to truly have life. Life and death are inseparable existences."
"The ’eternal’ you speak of is not walking; it is slumber. It does not mean living forever, but merely an endless, long sleep."
From his voice, one could almost determine that this person wearing a skull mask must be an old man who had experienced the vicissitudes of time.
The old man’s voice remained steady, like a clear, bottomless lake, without a ripple, as if nothing could stir his waves or emotional changes.
"Beast of Calamity, you evil existence born from the depths of human hearts!"
"The desire to return to that pure emotion of love is precisely the fundamental reason that rejects your existence."
As the words fell, a layer of ghostly blue flames began to cover the old man’s entire body.
These blue particles, like stardust, attached to his skin, making his aura look even more terrifying and mysterious.
"Although you have fallen into the form of a beastly god, as the mother at the beginning of creation, out of politeness and respect, I should still state my identity."
"I come from the bottomless valley, with the purpose of letting you taste the true beauty of destruction from the power of darkness..."
Saying this, the old man, his face hidden behind a terrifying skull mask, saw his eyes become increasingly cold and sharp, staring fiercely at the giant creature not far ahead—Tiamat.
The ghostly blue fire burned more intensely and vigorously than ever before at this moment, as if it wanted to burn anything it touched to ashes.
As the old man finished his introduction and the manic blue flames surrounding him, which seemed on the verge of losing control, revealed their true appearance, the atmosphere became instantly silent and heavy. The surroundings were deathly still, to the point where even breathing could be heard clearly.
"I am the secret guardian from the distant mountains... Hassan-i Sabbah!"
When he finished introducing his origin, the jet-black great sword in his hand made all the onlookers feel an unprecedented coldness and fear.
The Creator God, Tiamat, felt this terrifying aura and, as if her own life were under threat, kept letting out low roars:
"AAAAAA!!!"
At this moment, she was constantly twisting her massive body, the enormous form causing waves of rumbling sounds.
She revealed a hideous face, filled with unease and anger, looking up at the old man in the black cloak directly above her.
The old man stood there like an unbreakable fortress.
To escape the Underworld, she had to face this old man’s attack head-on; this was the only way.
As the most primal instinct of beastliness, survival was the first thing she had to consider. To live, even the Creator God could not retreat.
But... Tiamat had never felt such a chilling, almost suffocating, terrifying aura from anyone else before, yet it had appeared on this seemingly inconspicuous old man.
This filled her heart with terror and uncertainty.
Her pink-purple eyes, like jewels, were now staring fixedly at the old man looking down at her, flashing with vigilance and caution.
That gaze was as sharp as if it could pierce through all obstacles, reaching deep into the other’s soul.
Instinct told her she must dodge this blow; this old man’s strength was beyond imagination and could potentially end her existence entirely.
But facing such a desperate situation, giving up had never been Tiamat’s choice.
At the same time, as a noble and great Creator God, Tiamat also had her own pride and dignity.
Having never truly experienced the fear of death, how could she tolerate compromising because of a mere mortal? Absolutely not! So she decided to fight to the end.
Whether this reaction was due to the remaining wild instincts in her body or a warning before the impending conflict, Tiamat’s chilling roars never ceased.
The air was filled with a heavy atmosphere of battle, and the entire Underworld became increasingly tense.
Yet, even so, the old man standing on the mountain top, looking out in all directions, remained extremely calm and composed, his hands naturally resting on the hilt of his long sword, his eyes coldly and calmly watching what lay ahead, waiting for that moment to arrive.
This old man, standing in the darkness yet exuding a faint light, appeared particularly mysterious under the ghostly blue light unique to the Underworld.
Whether it was the daunting white skull mask covering his face, or the mottled, iron-gray armor on his body that seemed to have witnessed countless histories woven with blood and fire, or the ghostly blue brilliance that leaped and bloomed from his body from time to time, sparkling like starlight yet making people feel deeply wary, all signaled that this was no simple practitioner.
Like a hero who remained standing after countless tests of life and death, simply standing there was enough to make everyone feel an invisible pressure rushing towards them.
That fear of a powerful existence from the depths of the soul reached its peak at this moment.
Seeing that the opponent not only had no intention of retreating but was even more determined to block her escape, Tiamat couldn’t help but roar again:
"AAAAAA!!!"
This deafening scream seemed to be a declaration of the unwillingness and helplessness in her heart, and the best interpretation of her own desperate situation.
Even the usually calm and composed Fujimaru Ritsuka realized in this instant that the person standing before them was the old hermit who had once provided them with food.
Thinking of this, his face immediately revealed a complex expression of astonishment and shock.
More importantly, now this seemingly plain old man had clearly prepared to take action himself.
The astonishingly powerful aura, enough to make one’s hair stand on end, was enough to make Tiamat, the creator, highly vigilant;
And at this moment, accompanying the towering might that suddenly erupted from the Old Man of the Mountain, the pressure was even greater than before.
One could see the huge wings, which had been spread out, beginning to tremble slightly at this time.
Such a scene made all the onlookers who witnessed it hold their breath involuntarily. 』
『 .....』
〜One Punch Man World〜
Saitama’s house—
Now, Genos could be certain that this Old Man of the Mountain definitely had the strength to battle that invincible KING in their world, or even... compared to his teacher, it was hard to say who would win.
Feeling Genos’s strange gaze, Saitama, who was continuously eating popcorn, slowly put his hand down.
"Genos...?"
Facing that questioning gaze, Genos couldn’t ask a question for a moment. Before this Old Man of the Mountain had even made a move, he knew very well that such a meaningless question would only bring his teacher’s speechlessness.
Moreover, his teacher’s strength was fundamentally unanalyzable. Genos always believed that his teacher was a god-like existence.
So... there shouldn’t be any doubt.
Genos kept comforting himself.
He... shouldn’t disturb his teacher from watching this video... his teacher’s interest was quite high.
—
『 Tiamat’s horns and wings were completely unfurled, and having set up her takeoff posture, she leaped up from the earth of the Underworld in an instant.
Those huge wings were particularly striking in the night, like a bolt of lightning in the dark, sweeping away all the surrounding gloom.
Tiamat, once she returned to the land of Mesopotamia, would be able to regain that invincible power.
Her goal, after falling into the Underworld, was only one—she must return.
This became her only belief and persistence, making her never give up, no matter what predicament she faced.
This Old Man of the Mountain was the enemy she had to deal with to return. He was the last line of defense blocking her way; only by completely eliminating him could she successfully return to her homeland.
Although his appearance was so imposing, as the Grand Assassin, he was indeed the sharpest blade to deal with Tiamat.
But all of this was just to cover up the panic and unease in her heart, the feeling of powerlessness when facing a strong opponent.
However, from beginning to end, Tiamat had never exerted her full strength; in fact, she had never actively attacked her own children.
Because she was the Creator God Tiamat, she had her own unique dignity and pride, and would never use force against those weak existences at will.
Even in the Underworld, her power was sealed.
Although everyone thought this old man was very likely to become the key to the final victory, the idea of him killing Tiamat alone was like a pipe dream.
After all, from start to finish, this guy named Tiamat had never exerted her full strength, let alone attacked the lives she had once created, which was simply unimaginable.
But when the old man truly raised the sword in his hand, everyone realized what a terrifying combat power boost this old man had brought to the Uruk side.
An indescribable weight permeated the air, and even breathing seemed to be frozen.
One could see the Old Man of the Mountain firmly grabbing the treasure sword buried deep in the soil, raising his hands high to the sky, pulling it out with all his might. 』
『 .....』
