Chapter 520 Dragon Eater
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Cao Cao left. He left covered in injuries.
Facing Aki’s demand, he had no reason to refuse, and he understood that Aki was just using this as an excuse to let him go.
Aki could have contacted Ophis directly through Kuroka or by finding Vali, so the message was just a formality.
But Cao Cao didn’t have too many questions about why Aki spared him.
If he had won this fight, he wouldn’t have wiped out his opponent either – especially a talented rival of the same generation.
Having someone chasing you from behind lets you improve faster.
That was the pride and confidence of a young prodigy. Not like those old fossils who tried to suppress and eliminate every young talent, terrified of being replaced if they rose to power.
Aki let Cao Cao go not just because he was no threat, but also because even at the very end of the battle, Cao Cao had never attacked Kuko.
He had used a Barrier to protect her, but with Cao Cao’s strength, if he had really wanted to use Kuko to pressure Aki, that flimsy Barrier would have done nothing.
”Come on. I’ll take you to find your mother.”
Aki dispelled the Barrier and took Kuko’s small hand.
Feeling Aki’s warm grip, the stunned loli finally snapped out of it.
”Lord Red Dragon Emperor… you were really this strong?”
Kuko asked cautiously. “And that guy with the spear – he wasn’t even trying last time.”
Unlike the original world line, this time Cao Cao had directly captured Yasaka and also extracted the divine beast fragment from Kuko.
So Kuko had seen Cao Cao’s power firsthand.
But against Yasaka and Kuko, Cao Cao clearly hadn’t used his Balance Breaker.
Having witnessed Aki completely overwhelm Cao Cao, Kuko finally understood just how huge the gap between individuals could be.
The sheer difference in power made the precocious nine-tailed fox loli instinctively more respectful toward Aki.
Aki understood. They had only known each other for less than two days.
No matter what he said, Kuko wouldn’t be able to relax around him immediately.
The best approach was just not to force it. After spending enough time together, she would get used to it naturally.
”Mm.”
Aki smiled faintly and said again, “Let’s go. Don’t keep your mother waiting.”
”Ah… yes, okay.”
Despite her anxiety, the loli, eager to save her mother, forced herself to calm down.
After driving off Cao Cao, rescuing the nine-tailed fox Yasaka was simple.
Aki took Kuko to where Yasaka was imprisoned. After confirming that breaking the prison Barrier by force wouldn’t endanger Yasaka inside, he raised his fist and punched…
Crack. Crack…
The prison Barrier’s crystalline walls emitted a spiderweb of fractures, then shattered into tiny fragments.
The instant they touched the ground, the crystalline shards turned into pure mana and vanished into the air.
A tall, full-figured woman with flowing golden hair slowly opened her eyes.
”Where am I…”
”Mom!”
Before Yasaka could fully grasp the situation, a familiar small figure flew into her arms.
Instinctively holding the small body close, Yasaka finally reacted, surprised and delighted. “Kuko, how did you get here? Did that man bring you here to threaten me when I wouldn’t cooperate?”
Cao Cao wanted to use Yasaka’s ability to lure out Great Red, but Yasaka would never agree to something that would plunge all of Kyoto into crisis.
When negotiations failed, Cao Cao thought of other methods.
Before that, to prevent Yasaka from escaping, he’d used this isolation Barrier that blocked all senses.
But Cao Cao hadn’t expected to run into Aki first and suffer a crushing defeat before he was even ready.
He didn’t know if Aki was stronger than Great Red, but before defeating Aki, he wouldn’t be setting his sights on Great Red anymore.
”No, Mom. That guy who kidnapped you has been beaten and driven off.”
Though they had only been apart for less than a week, it had been genuinely dangerous. Now that mother and daughter were reunited, Kuko wasn’t just happy – her fear of Aki had also faded a lot, replaced by gratitude and admiration.
”Beaten off? What happened?”
Yasaka gently stroked her daughter’s head while subtly glancing at Aki standing nearby.
She could probably guess that the handsome young man had saved her, but she couldn’t read his depth or his intentions, so she was instinctively wary.
”Mom, after you were taken, that man took the divine beast fragment from inside me…”
As Kuko explained, Yasaka’s expression kept shifting.
When she understood everything, her gaze toward Aki no longer carried any caution, only deep gratitude.
As a great nine-tailed fox youkai who had lived for centuries, Yasaka naturally wouldn’t trust Aki that easily just based on a story.
But for the same reason, with years of experience, once she knew that even Cao Cao with the Twilight Spear had been crushed by Aki, she understood that if Aki meant them harm, there was nothing she could do about it.
Rather than staying on guard, it was better to relax and treat him with the gratitude owed to a savior.
”Lord Red Dragon Emperor, we truly thank you.”
Yasaka took Kuko’s hand and they both bowed. “Please come to my shrine and let me show my appreciation.”
After all this time in Kyoto, Yasaka’s assets were considerable.
Just owning her own shrine with a thriving flow of worshippers was enough to put her among the wealthy.
Aki wasn’t particularly impressed. Once you reached a certain level of power, money was never a concern.
Neither the Gremory household nor the Sitri family possessed less wealth than Yasaka.
”Sure. Lead the way.”
Aki had no reason to refuse Yasaka’s invitation.
Visiting a shrine fit the purpose of the school trip perfectly.
After coming to Kyoto, historical buildings and cultural sites were naturally the main attractions.
Among them, shrines were the most iconic.
If he was lucky enough to catch a festival, it would be even more lively.
Japan had countless festivals. Apart from national holidays, each region held its own regular events.
Some were big, some were small, but regardless of scale, they were always more lively than usual.
Because Yasaka had been taken and Kuko, as her young mistress, had gone missing too, the shrine maidens at the shrine had already fallen into chaos. There was no mood for any festival.
Japan’s shrines were family-run. Yasaka’s was even more unusual.
She was more strict about hiring shrine maidens and priests. They had to be from the inner world and capable of keeping quiet.
As the shrine grew, the number of priests shrank while the number of shrine maidens grew. Now it was almost all shrine maidens.
Because nine-tailed foxes had natural charm talent and Japan’s priests could marry, many male priests who stayed long enough would develop improper intentions.
Whenever that happened, Yasaka would expel them without mercy.
Occasionally, shrine maidens would be influenced by the charm talent too. To maintain harmony in the shrine and protect Kuko’s upbringing, Yasaka would expel them as well.
So despite the ancient history and large grounds of Yasaka’s shrine, its personnel were not numerous.
—
Summary:
Aki spares Cao Cao, then frees the imprisoned nine-tailed fox Yasaka with a single punch. Mother and daughter reunite, and Yasaka invites Aki to her shrine in gratitude. Meanwhile, the shrine is explained as almost entirely staffed by shrine maidens due to Yasaka’s strict policies on male priests and charm talent.
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Trivia:
1. Aki could have contacted Ophis through Kuroka or Vali directly – Cao Cao was just a convenient messenger.
2. Cao Cao never used Balance Breaker against Kuko, which is why Aki spared him.
3. Yasaka’s shrine is a family-run institution that only hires from the inner world.
4. Male priests are frequently expelled for developing improper intentions toward the nine-tailed fox.
5. Kuko was born through means that didn’t require a father – Yasaka’s purity is implied.
6. Even Cao Cao doesn’t know Aki’s true Dragon God-level status at the start of their fight.
Notes:
• Aki – A tall, handsome Kuoh Academy student and Red Dragon Emperor, he is a reincarnated cultivator who currently inhabits a pitch-black cat form with piercing azure eyes. Calculating and protective, he commands the Boosted Gear and Origin Blood. Connected to the Gremory household and Naruse Mio via a Soul Network, he manages a vast harem while navigating ancient conspiracies and his own feline instincts.
• Kuroka – Koneko’s older sister is a Nekoshou with a top-tier physical figure. She possesses a dark history of killing her own master, a defining aspect of her identity that deeply shapes her past and complex relationships with others.
• Ophis – The Infinite Dragon God, an initiator of the Khaos Brigade who refuses to coddle others.
• Kuro – A companion or observer who hides during combat and provides information to Aki.
• Vali – A stoic, arrogant half-demon youth of Ancient Devil blood, this battle-crazed individual is the White Dragon Emperor, Albion. Wearing resplendent white armor with light-absorbing wings, he triggers Balance Breaker at will. Taken in by Azazel but later joining the Khaos Brigade, this cynical warrior seeks a fated rival, though Governor Shemhaza admits his actions reflect a lack of supervision.
• Y – The first initial/part of the name Y Ddraig Goch.
• Gremory – Rias Gremory, a pure-blood devil of the prestigious Gremory household, has striking crimson hair, blue eyes, a curvy figure, and a prominent bust. Wielding top-level demonic power, she governs Kuoh Academy’s hidden hierarchy and leads her Gremory family members in a high-stakes competition against the rival Phoenix clan.
• Sitri – The prestigious devil hierarchy family name carried by Sona, representing her noble lineage and identity.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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