Torrential rain lashed the earth. Lightning snakes slithered through the somber, heavy clouds. The world appeared to be on the brink of total annihilation.
Zoran stood silent and steadfast amidst the storm clouds, his gaze piercing through the gloom of the rainy night to survey the world below. He understood exactly what was unfolding here.
"We have already chosen our proxy. He is the sole King of this world, yet now he faces an act of usurpation!" Shendu's form drifted from the clouds, his voice cold and cutting.
The lightning snakes across the firmament seemed to shrink away from the two demons; the storm and thunder veered around them as they moved. Where they stood was a literal vacuum of calm. This was now Shendu's domain, yet at this moment, it was turbulent and unstable. Something was awakening, an ancient entity attempting to reclaim its crown over this world.
Entities rising from ancient myths did not understand that the world had changed; they still sought to crawl out of their graves and defy the established order.
Shendu's body descended slowly, his eyes fixed on the source of the surging aura. Japan, Tokyo. In the mountainous region of Tama River, at a place called the Red Well, a violent, tyrannical presence was slowly climbing.
From the first moment he entered this world, Zoran understood the situation. Above the four Dragon Kings who wielded power and authority, there existed two supreme Sovereigns: the Black King and the White King.
And right now, awakening in Japan was that very White King.
This was a world of Hybrids. The members of the Japanese branch were all descendants of this White King, and it was awakening once more, called forth by a conspirator named Herzog, who hungered to occupy its body and seize true power.
Shendu's possessed body stiffened as he looked at Zoran. The so-called White King, viewed as a god by the Hybrids of the Japanese branch, was still as fragile as a babe before him. He had already located the site of the White King's resurrection. With a single descent, every defiant soul would perish.
But Zoran stopped him.
"Brother?" Shendu asked.
"Do you remember Valmont's report?" Zoran asked tonelessly.
Shendu's mind flashed back to the message Valmont had recorded while sitting in his executive chair, word for word.
"I am Valmont... I have endured many hardships, but hardship is the medal of a leader... A life without overcoming obstacles is insufficient to sustain the status and identity of a leader. As your proxy, I am more certain of this than ever... To become a godfather capable of leading everyone, one must demonstrate the ability to resolve all hindrances."
Valmont's voice echoed in Shendu's mind. It was clear and resolute. He had truly been recounting his experience, from ruling a world down to leading a small gang.
Shendu immediately grasped Zoran's intent; he was not one to ignore sound advice. He remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "Valmont is right."
This world required a proxy, and as his proxy, the chosen one had to prove his worth. However, the wisdom gained over thousands of years still made him worry.
"The proxy of this world is too soft. Even if he is to learn, he is still a long way from Valmont." In Shendu's eyes, the gap between his two proxies was vast; otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered recording Valmont's insights. It was the difference between a boy and a man, immaturity versus maturity.
Valmont was a man. Lu Mingfei was still just a boy. But how does a boy grow into a real man?
"Precisely. It has always been this way," Zoran noted. "He needs a push to grow into a capable man. Young people are always like that, aren't they?"
"We will possess many worlds in the future. We cannot micromanage every single one."
"True," Shendu replied. He understood that Zoran was helping him cultivate a qualified proxy. Perhaps Zoran had his own personal reasons mixed in, but it didn't feel out of place. Before his brother had entrusted this world to him, Zoran had spent time here. Perhaps he had experienced things that made him fond of this young man.
"So...?" Shendu asked tentatively.
"In my capacity as a demon, I struck a deal with that sweet-talking child." Zoran spoke slowly, his form fading into the clouds. He was leaving, seemingly to set things in motion. "Everything must be perfect. Since I've prepared a world for you, I must naturally cultivate a qualified proxy to match it." His voice, elegant and low, echoed through the clouds.
"In that case, I shall watch with my own eyes," Shendu murmured. At this moment, he occupied the best vantage point, one Zoran had specifically arranged for him.
Shendu sighed. Although his brother talked about not needing to micromanage, every single time, Zoran was the one who personally saw things through.
Shendu gazed down through the dark clouds. His gaze spanned ten thousand meters, landing at the center of this stage of destruction. He watched in silence, waiting to see how his brother, without personally entering the fray, would forge this unqualified proxy into a leader.
…
It was a soul-shattering rainy night. A sudden tsunami had struck the bustling metropolis of Tokyo. The ordinary citizens were unaware that a being called "God" by the Hybrids was about to wake up. They fled through the floods that threatened to submerge everything, heading for the western highlands and the airport.
It was truly an apocalypse. The tsunami swept through, swallowing Tokyo. In most areas, the water was three meters deep and still rising. Meanwhile, the sacred mountain of their faith, Mount Fuji, finally erupted. The snow covering its slopes melted under the magma; the holy mountain was filled with glowing lava, turning black under the torrential rain.
Residents across Tokyo fled toward the western high ground. The elevated highways leading to the airport were gridlocked. Falling rain mixed with the piercing sound of horns and human cries, a vision of ruin.
And at this moment, the proxy of this world was in a wine cellar called Takamagahara.
Lu Mingfei was covered in blood. To deal with the awakening of what the Japanese branch believed might be a Dragon King, he, Chu Zihang, and Caesar had arrived here not long ago. They had dived into the Great Abyss to drop "Destruction" into the place of the same name.
Yet, the end had still come. A treacherous and vast conspiracy loomed over the world.
Lu Mingfei was not actually someone skilled at ruling others from on high. After his teacher and the Sovereign he served had left, he continued to interact with everyone as he always had. The only difference was that he now possessed immense power.
"Sakura!"
The floor of this host club had already been submerged by the flood. The manager, Zatoichi, burst into the wine cellar, calling out Lu Mingfei's host name.
Suddenly, the manager froze in his tracks. Within his line of sight, Lu Mingfei stood amidst a floor littered with the remains of monsters, a heavy scent of blood clinging to him. His face was splattered with gore, and he held a wine glass, having seemingly just swiped a bottle of Hakushu whiskey from the cellar.
He had just lured all the Death Servitors, those mindless, monstrous dragon-thralls, who had burst into Takamagahara into the cellar. And slaughtered them all.
Chu Zihang and Caesar had left; Principal Hilbert Jean Angers had arrived in a ruined Japan, and they had been assigned other tasks.
Lu Mingfei looked at Zatoichi. "Sorry, Manager. I have other things I need to do."
He reached for the phone in his suit jacket pocket. Just then, the phone emitted a ding, a message notification. It was from the Line app. He tapped into it; it was a message from his only friend.
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