After Ikuse Tobio collected the tip from that mysterious woman, a familiar Cosmos instantly surged into his body.
Then, under the astonished gazes of the other members of the Blade Dog Squad, Ikuse Tobio was suddenly clad in the earth dog star underworld armor and collapsed to the ground.
"Tobiwo!!" the other members of the Blade Dog Squad shouted worriedly as they looked at the fallen Ikuse Tobio.
Lavinia stepped forward, touched the underworld armor on Ikuse Tobio, and said, "Is this the earth dog star underworld armor?! Has Tobiwo awakened?!"
Under the worried gazes of the Blade Dog Squad, Ikuse Tobio suddenly snapped his eyes open, slapped the bar counter with one hand to prop himself up, and said:
"I know... who that woman was just now..."
Hearing Ikuse Tobio's words, Lavinia became excited. She lifted Ikuse Tobio and shook him, saying, "Tell us quickly! Who exactly was that woman!!"
"She is the commander of our Underworld Army, the representative of Lord Hades, Lady Pandora," Ikuse Tobio told Lavinia, enduring the intense shaking.
Lavinia let go of Ikuse Tobio and muttered to herself:
"Pandora? The woman from greek mythology who brought disaster to this world, the representative of Hades... no wonder she said she was the woman closest to Hades."
"She said she'd see us at the international tournament, which means the Underworld will be participating next," Minagawa Natsume noted, placing a finger on her chin after recalling Pandora's words.
Samejima Tsunao then looked at Ikuse Tobio and said, "By the way, Tobiwo, can you take off that underworld armor? Our next opponents are the 'Heavens Ace' team led by Dulio. You'll scare them like this."
To those in the know, Specters were now a synonym for fear, arguably the strongest warrior group in this world.
"I understand. Heave... ho... heave-ho..." Ikuse Tobio placed both hands on the canine-shaped helmet and pulled upward with force, but the helmet seemed glued on with superglue and wouldn't budge no matter how hard he pulled.
Panting with exhaustion, Ikuse Tobio said, "I can't get it off. It feels like it's been glued on."
"It seems that to remove the earth dog star underworld armor, we'll have to ask Hades for help," someone said, resting their chin on their right hand and looking at Ikuse Tobio with a puzzled expression.
"Then what do I do?! I can't exactly fight while wearing this, can I?!" Ikuse Tobio said, his emotions exceptionally heightened.
At this moment, Minagawa Natsume walked over, smiled, and patted Ikuse Tobio on the shoulder, saying, "Isn't this great? You possess the terrifying combat power of a Specter! Besides, you were bound to put on this underworld armor sooner or later anyway!"
"Woof woof woof woof!!" Just then, Ikuse Tobio's Longinus, 'Dog God of the Black Blade', transformed into a cute little black dog named Jin. Seeing Ikuse Tobio clad in the earth dog star underworld armor, it barked excitedly, wagged its tail, and jumped around.
"Jin, why are you so happy?" Ikuse Tobio asked, watching Jin jump around in joy.
"Woof!" Then, Jin jumped up, curled into a ball in mid-air, and after a flash of purple light, transformed into a katana with a black scabbard.
The sword then fell into Ikuse Tobio's hands. Stroking the katana, Ikuse Tobio said in confusion:
"This? This is a form I've never seen before."
"Could it be because Tobiwo's earth dog star underworld armor has awakened?" Tojo Sae also questioned.
At that moment, Samejima Tsunao grabbed one of Ikuse Tobio's hands, pushed open the bar door, and rushed toward the competition grounds, shouting as he ran:
"What are you all staring at! The match is about to start!! We'll be disqualified if we don't make it in time!!"
Hearing Samejima Tsunao's roar, the other members of the Blade Dog Squad immediately rushed after him. Among them, Lavinia used magic to change into a white witch outfit.
Meanwhile, at the Fafnir Stadium in the Underworld...
The 'Heavens Ace' team led by Dulio had already arrived, but there was still no sign of Ikuse Tobio's 'Blade Dog' team.
"They're so slow, Tobiwo and the others," Dulio said, tapping his foot impatiently.
"Let's wait a bit longer," Griselda said very patiently.
"Sorry! We're late!!" Just at the critical moment, Samejima Tsunao pulled Ikuse Tobio into the stadium.
The other members of the Blade Dog Squad also arrived, panting from exhaustion.
"Alright! The 'Blade Dog' team has arrived! This match officially begins!! Will the 'Kings' of both sides please step forward and shake hands!!" the host, Nado, announced upon seeing them.
Then, when Dulio saw Ikuse Tobio walking toward him clad in the earth dog star underworld armor, the fear of Specters in his heart began to magnify.
Dulio sat down on the ground in terror, looked at Ikuse Tobio, pointed at him, and said, "You, you, you... why are you wearing that armor (underworld armor)..."
Noticing the reason for Dulio's panicked expression, Ikuse Tobio said in an awkward tone:
"It's like this: I met my superior from the Underworld earlier, and as soon as I touched something she left behind, the aura on it suddenly caused me to awaken."
After speaking, Ikuse Tobio reached out and pulled Dulio up.
After the two shook hands, they returned to their respective teams. The 'Blade Dog' team was full of confidence, while the 'Heavens Ace' team was feeling a bit down.
"Can I surrender if I'm fighting a Specter?" Dulio said, head bowed and shoulders slumped, devoid of any motivation. The other members felt the same, as they had all participated in the campaign to suppress the Underworld.
Griselda comforted them from the side, "Now, now! Don't be so discouraged. He should be in a newly awakened state; we still have a chance to defeat him."
"I suppose so," Dulio said, cheering up slightly.
Dulio took a deep breath, straightened his back, and a flash of determination crossed his eyes. He knew this match was not just about personal honor, but also about the dignity of the team.
"Alright! The match officially begins!!"
With Nado's announcement, the match officially started. Members of both sides quickly entered their states and began a fierce competition. Dulio gave it his all, wanting to prove his strength and use it to overcome the inner fear he felt toward Specters.
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