"Isn't this a bit much?"
Charles hovered in midair, looking down over Tokyo Bay. The fighting spirit he'd been building all week deflated slightly—because as a battlefield, Tokyo Bay was... a bit too lively.
One week had passed in a flash, and now the time had come for the duel with the Puppet King.
But when Charles arrived, he was surprised to find the bay hadn't been evacuated as he'd expected.
On the contrary, the area around Tokyo Bay was teeming with people. Several helicopters buzzed through the sky, some clearly carrying camera crews.
It was only ten combatants today—but several of them were Majin-level Blazers. A fight of this caliber would have the destructive power of a large-scale military operation, yet these people didn't seem the least bit concerned.
Just then, Charles's earpiece crackled to life.
Kurono Shinomiya's voice came through. "Surprised, huh? I don't understand what those people are thinking either. They say this battle could cause serious damage to Tokyo Bay, so they decided to... raise some funds for repairs."
Charles's face darkened. "How much did they sell the broadcast rights for?"
"I heard they got over 200 million yen."
Charles was speechless. "Do they have any idea what kind of damage Majin-level fighters can do? They think 200 million yen is going to fix it?"
Two hundred million yen—less than 1.5 million USD. For a major international port like Tokyo Bay, you couldn't even think about repairing it without hundreds of millions.
Did those politicians seriously believe that several Majin would fail to destroy an entire port? That little bit of money wouldn't help at all—if anything, it just put innocent people at even more risk. Stupid and clueless.
But Charles didn't have the mood to care about them anymore—because the Puppet King had just arrived.
He landed and joined Kurono and the others to confront their enemy.
It was the first time Charles had seen the Puppet King in person. Only now could he fully sense just how twisted the malice was behind that handsome façade.
"So we finally meet," said the Puppet King, his expression blissful as he looked at Charles.
A shiver ran down Charles's spine. "I don't remember us being that close."
"Don't be so cold!" the Puppet King pouted. "I've been looking forward to this for so long."
Charles asked, "I've always had one question—why me?"
The Puppet King sighed. "Don't you see how dazzling you are? So strong, so selfless for your friends. And your comrades trust and rely on you. You're just like a hero out of a storybook!
I admire people like you the most!"
Charles opened his mouth but didn't bother saying Admiration is the emotion furthest from understanding—because whatever the Puppet King meant by admiration, it was clearly deranged. What he wanted was to see the noble dragged into the mud.
The Puppet King glanced at the group. "By the way... where's the Crimson Princess? She's not here?"
At the mention of Stella, Charles's brow furrowed.
Sure enough, the Puppet King continued, "I was hoping to capture her too. Having her fight you would've been delightful!
But she was always by your side—never gave me a chance."
Murderous intent surged from Charles like a tidal wave, crashing toward the enemy group.
"You really know how to piss me off. But don't worry—Stella will show up, and she'll let you know just how stupid that idea is."
No sooner had he spoken than a fiery meteor streaked across the sky.
Charles smiled and looked up.
The meteor defied physics, rapidly decelerating until it came to a full stop before him.
The flames dissipated, revealing Stella. She looked at Charles and said, "Well? I'm not late, am I?"
Charles reached up and gently smoothed out her wind-blown hair. "Right on time. How was the training?"
Stella gave a thumbs-up. "Watch me shine in a minute."
The Puppet King clapped his hands. "Now that we're all here, let the... carnage begin!"
Though the Puppet King declared the battle's start, someone had already moved before he finished.
Desert Reaper Nassim Salim—born in a nation ravaged by war. It was only natural that he'd become a mercenary.
With his overwhelming power and vast magic, Nassim had destroyed more than a handful of countries.
But few knew that this bringer of death was always chasing a feeling—that edge-of-death clarity he'd known in his weaker days. Only that made him feel alive.
The stronger he became, the less he could feel it.
But today—just now—after sensing Charles's killing intent, that feeling returned. That desperate thrill of life-or-death survival.
How could he not charge in first?
His gauntlets manifested instantly—Desiccated Revenants. Unlike Charles's own dragon-themed gear or Fu Xiaoli's Savage Oni, Nassim's equipment was pitch-black with sparse golden accents, and radiated death.
Charles, with his sharp senses, even picked up a nauseating stench—like rotting corpses.
"Corpse-Dust Tempest!"
Black magic swirled around Nassim, forming a massive storm.
This wasn't just wind from hell—it visibly shattered and cracked everything it touched.
Nassim's ability was desiccation: he violently extracted all moisture from anything, turning it into dry, lifeless sand.
Several of the small countries he'd destroyed had become literal deserts—that's why they called him the Desert Reaper.
Between a desert-maker, a string-controlling puppet master, and a swordsman like Ikki… was the Puppet King trying to rebrand as the Seven Warlords of the Sea?
Not that Nassim thought this opening move would win the fight—it was meant to split the battlefield.
The storm immediately forced the teams apart.
Charles's body was wreathed in fire; the black wind couldn't move him an inch.
Kurono stood firm too. As the black currents approached, they warped, then vanished into nothing. Time-based powers were just that broken. She even spoke casually.
"Guess we've been separated. What now?"
Charles answered, "The strongest among them is probably the Desert Reaper. You hold off Ikki—I'll deal with him."
Kurono nodded. "Sounds good. I've been wanting to see how young Kurogane's grown."
She raised her gun-shaped Device and fired into the distance.
The bullet rippled through the air like a wave, slowing time in that area.
The next moment, Ikki—wielding his dark iron sword—stepped into that space, his movements suddenly sluggish.
Among everyone present, only Kurono could restrain Ikki without harming him.
That left Charles free to focus on the Desert Reaper.
Ascalid, having stabilized herself, immediately charged the Puppet King. She had grown stronger for this moment.
Todoroki Yui, brimming with killing intent, went straight for Blossom of Evil Ein Abberant.
B·B's body inflated like a balloon, and with a massive slap, he lunged at Stella.
With each fighter matched against their foe, the battle truly began.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get early access to chapters by joining my Patre@n!Find me at: patre@n*com/Mutter
You can read each novel for $5 or get them all for just $15.
I Am Zeus, KING OF GODS (Chapter 79)
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 391)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 471)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 677)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 1059)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1418)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1422)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1452)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1504)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld!(Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 703)
[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter][+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]