"?!"
Xia Mi's pupils narrowed slightly.
She hadn't mentioned her true name, "Jörmungandr," earlier. Even though Fenrir was a bit dim, he wouldn't be foolish enough to spill such a critical secret to a stranger.
As expected…
(This woman knows the Dragon King's secret!)
"…That's what I was about to say!" Xia Mi shot back.
She could already tell Uchiha Hikari wasn't an ordinary opponent. This woman was far stronger than any human hybrid Xia Mi had ever faced. If they fought in human form, it'd be a grueling battle.
So…
Whoosh—
With a long, steady breath, Xia Mi's hoodie tore apart.
Bluish-gray scales pierced through her skin, covering her graceful figure, shifting subtly with each breath.
Her once delicate hands morphed into jet-black claws, sharp bone spikes protruding from the ground. Nearby metal fragments began to condense the moment they touched her, forming a layer of shimmering metallic crystals on her bone blades.
Dragon transformation.
"Don't you need to power up?" Xia Mi asked, probing. "Once we really get into it, you might not get the chance."
"No need," Uchiha Hikari replied coolly, shaking her head. She began channeling her chakra, the meridians suppressing its flow loosening up.
"Alright then."
The moment the word "alright" left her lips, Xia Mi's figure blurred into a series of afterimages, darting forward like lightning, her speed several times faster than before! Even with the Sharingan's dynamic vision, Hikari could only catch a faint trace of her path.
"…So fast!" Hikari gasped, taking a deep breath and rallying her full strength, facing her opponent with absolute focus for the first time.
Spirit Command: Immortality, activate!
Eight Gates: First Gate of Opening, Second Gate of Healing, Third Gate of Life… open!
Over time, Uchiha Hikari had studied the Eight Gates technique, a concept reminiscent of the Naruto anime's chakra-based power boosts. While the later gates were tough to unlock, opening the first three as a buff was highly effective.
Then…
Eighth-Tier Instant: 256x Divine Speed Slash, unleash!
In a flash, Hikari surged forward at a speed rivaling Xia Mi's, her body carving a lightning-like arc through the air. Her dual blades clashed against the giant scythe charging toward her!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew!
In that moment, both Xia Mi and Hikari unleashed power far surpassing even the "Emperor-level hybrids" like the Genji brothers. Shockwaves from their clashes formed visible air blades, slicing clear gashes into the surrounding ground and air.
Xia Mi's dragon blood boiled, her death domain expanding to every corner of the cavern.
Hikari countered by unleashing her "Black Sun" domain, pulling nearby rubble and metal shards toward a black hole-like vortex behind her. Her eyes widened, pushing her dynamic vision to the limit to track Xia Mi's every move.
With Immortality active, her body was temporarily reinforced to an almost indestructible state, though her clothes were steadily torn apart by slashes.
But…
In this chaos, Hikari's lips curved into an excited grin.
"Not bad."
"Of all the opponents I've faced in this world, no one has surpassed you in taijutsu… Xia Mi, I, Uchiha Hikari, declare you the strongest!"
"…Hmph!" Xia Mi didn't respond, her golden eyes blazing as if they were about to ignite. She erupted with incredible speed and agility, leaping high into the air.
Hikari followed, using a Naruto-style Sky Dance technique to defy gravity and chase after Xia Mi.
Their weapons clashed, shattered, and broke apart, sending a storm of metal fragments scattering. Nearby rubble, caught in the "Black Sun's" gravity, floated upward, glowing red-hot before being pulverized by shockwaves or embedding into the cavern walls like machine-gun fire.
The ground trembled amid the deafening roars!
Molten metal from melted rails swirled, collided, and burned in the air, radiating endless light and heat!
Gradually…
Metal fragments began gathering around Hikari, reforming a long blade on her broken sword hilt.
Spirit Command: Heaven and Earth as a Furnace!
"?"
Xia Mi's pupils contracted again.
Typically, human hybrids could only wield one Spirit Command.
Even among Dragon Kings, most were limited to their lineage's abilities. For example, the Bronze and Fire King could use fire-based commands like Blazing Sun, Monarch Flame, Rhine, or Candle Dragon, but they'd struggle with wind-based ones like Dustless Land.
Of course, this wasn't absolute.
Throughout history, rare human "freaks" had wielded multiple Spirit Commands—usually no more than two, including advanced ones.
Among Dragon Kings, beings like Jörmungandr, who excelled at learning and mimicking, could simulate other lineages' commands through precise elemental control.
But…
What was this girl?!
If she was human, she'd already used more than three Spirit Commands, each with a high sequence number and immense power.
If she was a dragon, she'd wielded the Wind King's Instant, the Mountain King's Immortality, the unlisted Sequence 110 Black Sun, and now the Fire King's Heaven and Earth as a Furnace… and it seemed she'd just learned the last one during this fight!
This! Was! Impossible!
In terms of learning and mimicry, Xia Mi prided herself as the best among the four Dragon Kings and their eight twins.
Even she had needed time and experimentation to master Heaven and Earth as a Furnace. With a sequence number of 96, it was a high-risk command, far harder to mimic than those below Sequence 80.
To do this mid-battle could only mean…
"Who are you?!" Xia Mi demanded.
"Huh?" Hikari frowned, confused by the sudden question.
But Xia Mi had already made her judgment—
No ordinary Dragon King could casually mimic another's abilities.
Only a fused Dragon King—or something even higher—could pull this off!
In the years she and her brother had been asleep, had a Dragon King already reached this level?!
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