Chapter 519 Cao Cao
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The next morning, Kiryu Blueka and her two friends looked refreshed and glowing as they joined Rosweisse for the morning roll call.
It was a school trip, so the students weren’t just going to sleep the whole day in the hotel.
Looking at the three girls who showed no sign of fatigue and were actually more energetic than usual, Rosweisse had to admit Aki had kept his word.
She also found herself once again impressed by how special his abilities were.
She’d listened to them for half the night and could confirm that Kiryu Blueka’s group had at most slept two hours.
Yet this morning, the three showed no difficulty moving despite their first time, and their energy was completely fine.
If anything, the three were in better shape than usual.
Aki’s power was simply on another level. Kiryu Blueka and the others couldn’t use much of the life energy, but just the effect of the dual cultivation ability alone was enough to raise their physical condition by nearly fifty percent.
If they took a fitness test now, their results would probably rank at the top among all the ordinary female students.
Kiryu Blueka and the others had noticed this too, and they’d noticed it during the group activities the night before.
Maybe female high school students were quick to accept things, or maybe they just didn’t want to think about it too hard. Either way, they accepted the fact quickly and were enjoying it.
Moderate intimacy was good for the body and mind. Excessive intimacy caused all kinds of problems.
But with the dual cultivation ability, excessive intimacy no longer had any effect on Aki.
By the same logic, the same effect applied to the women he cultivated with.
An activity that brought only benefits and pleasure was something anyone would flock to.
That was also one of the main reasons why, after experiencing Aki, so many beauties lost interest in any other man entirely.
After roll call, Kiryu Blueka and her two friends boldly approached Rosweisse and invited her to join them for the day.
Students usually didn’t like to stick with teachers, especially strict ones like Rosweisse.
But Kiryu Blueka and her friends knew Rosweisse’s secret, or rather, all four shared a secret.
So, encouraged by the bolder Kiryu Blueka, Katase and Murayama agreed to the plan too.
Rosweisse thought about it and accepted quickly.
Since they had gotten involved with Aki, the three girls would obviously be entering the inner world now.
And after sensing them, she found that their talent was good, especially Kiryu Blueka, who showed real promise in magic.
Using this opportunity, Rosweisse planned to start introducing them to the supernatural on Aki’s behalf.
As a member of the peerage, it was perfectly normal to take on tasks for the master on your own initiative.
While Rosweisse accompanied Kiryu Blueka and the others on their outing and gradually introduced the concept of the supernatural, Aki was on his way to the place where the nine-tailed fox Yasaka was being held.
The moment roll call ended, Kuko immediately found him and insisted on coming along, puffing angrily.
Aki had originally planned to do what he did before, stall her and wait for the Khaos Brigade’s Hero Faction to show up on their own.
But with last night’s experience fresh in her mind, Kuko wasn’t falling for it this time no matter what he said.
She wasn’t unreasonable about it, though. She was the one asking for a favor, after all.
So Kuko leaned into her natural advantages.
As a cute little girl who looked like a human elementary school student, the best approach was obviously to act cute, wheedle, and fake cry.
Faced with the fox-eared loli’s powerful offensive, what else could Aki do but indulge her?
Based on yesterday’s location fix, Aki carried Kuko and moved quickly.
After about ten minutes, just as they were about to reach the destination, they were suddenly enveloped in a thick fog.
It was normal for early summer mornings to have fog, especially in areas with high humidity by the ocean or shore.
But if the fog wasn’t white, but black, that was another matter entirely.
They were on a large bridge, right at the midpoint.
Looking at the black fog around him, Aki gently set Kuko down on the ground.
”Lord Aki, what is this…”
The fox-eared loli clutched his sleeve, looking a little panicked.
She seemed mature and acted nothing like an elementary student, but that was only because she had no one to rely on.
They had only been together for about a day, but Aki really did have a way with women. Kuko had already come to see him as someone she could trust and rely on, like her mother.
Aki chuckled. “It’s fine. I was worried I might scare off my prey, but it looks like I got lucky.”
His real target was about to show up, so Aki no longer needed to hide the fact that he had been fishing. He gave Kuko a quick explanation.
Not just for the loli’s sake, but also for whoever was hiding in the black fog.
As soon as he finished, a young male voice came from within the fog.
”Tsk. If I’d known the Red Dragon Emperor was thinking the same thing, I wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble.”
A tall figure carrying a long spear slowly emerged alongside the voice.
”Cao Cao?”
It was phrased as a question, but Aki’s tone was completely certain.
”Fancy the Red Dragon Emperor knowing who I am.” The dark-haired young man grinned casually, but his attitude was completely different from how he treated Hyoudou Issei in the original timeline.
Not just because Aki was extremely strong, but mainly because he didn’t have Hyoudou Issei’s naive stupidity.
There was an old saying about virtue failing to match one’s position.
The same principle applied to having nothing but power while everything else was lacking or even terrible.
Aki’s way of doing things clearly fit Cao Cao’s preferences as a man of excellence, or at least was something he could acknowledge.
When facing a strong opponent like this, they might be enemies, but basic respect was still due.
Otherwise, you were just disrespecting yourself.
”Save the small talk. Let’s fight.”
Now that he’d confirmed the other party’s identity, Aki didn’t want to waste time.
His attitude toward Cao Cao was about the same as toward Vali or Sun Wukong.
Both were battle maniacs. One wanted to push past human limits, and the other just wanted power regardless of the source.
Unfortunately, whether it was Vali or Cao Cao, they had already fallen behind his pace.
That also meant he didn’t have much interest in conversation.
Without using Balance Breaker or obtaining Ophis’s power, Cao Cao was currently only at Ultimate-Class level, not even Demon King-class.
His Sacred Gear was very strong, and at full power he could probably reach God-class, not losing to Vali at all. But in front of Aki, he was still weak.
Cao Cao was clearly taken aback, but he quickly smiled with pleasure.
Capturing the nine-tailed fox Yasaka was meant to lure out Great Red. Aki’s appearance was a pleasant surprise.
He didn’t understand why Aki seemed to know his movements so well, but as long as the goal was achieved, that was fine.
He had only one goal: to defeat a strong enemy.
Before challenging the world’s strongest dragon god, the Red Dragon Emperor was a perfect stepping stone.
Clearly, Cao Cao didn’t know that Aki was already at Dragon God-level. If he did, he wouldn’t be acting like this.
It wasn’t just Cao Cao. Not many people knew this information yet.
Breaking through to God-class caused a huge commotion because it required a fundamental transformation of life. But subsequent breakthroughs, unless you deliberately made a big show of it, wouldn’t be noticed by anyone.
Otherwise, Sirzechs couldn’t have quietly cultivated to his current level.
Aki put up a barrier to protect Kuko, then casually beckoned Cao Cao forward.
Cao Cao knew Aki was strong – none of the younger generation could match him. That was exactly why he’d gone out of his way to borrow the Dragon Eater from Hades. But being dismissed so casually was still infuriating.
Not using his Sacred Gear was one thing, but he wasn’t even assuming a combat form or stance…
No one in the younger generation could match Aki, but that was when Aki was also giving it his all.
If he wasn’t using a Sacred Gear and hadn’t even released his power, Cao Cao didn’t think Aki would be a match for him.
”Underestimating me will cost you.”
Cao Cao gripped the long spear that had been resting on his shoulder, assumed a fighting stance, and his eyes sharpened instantly.
Massive mana surged, blowing away much of the surrounding black mist.
This black mist wasn’t ordinary fog. It was created by a magic barrier.
The fact that it was affected showed just how much mana Cao Cao was outputting.
But Aki remained completely unimpressed. Cao Cao thought he was being careless, but the truth was that Aki was always at his best at any moment.
That was another hidden benefit of breaking through to Dragon God-level.
The stronger you became, the more you actually returned to simplicity.
Truly powerful beings had no such thing as a second stage or a special form. They were always at their strongest state.
A simple example: a sage.
Even if the primordial chaos itself shattered, no sage ever went through a second-stage transformation.
Always being at full strength and using only as much as you wanted – that was true power.
Of course, Aki wasn’t quite at sage level yet. If he went all out, there would still be some visible changes in his body.
For example, his entire body being covered in red armor.
But Cao Cao clearly couldn’t force Aki to go all out. So from his perspective, it looked like Aki was underestimating him, or even looking down on him.
Aki didn’t bother to explain. He wasn’t sure if Cao Cao was going all out or had other cards to play, but based on his current level, the fight would be over in ten moves.
”Balance Breaker…”
After the words, a halo radiating sacred light appeared behind Cao Cao, and seven bowling-ball-sized orbs appeared in the air, orbiting around him.
Aki looked curious. This should be the full power of the Dusk Spear.
No, it should be the full power Cao Cao could currently bring out.
After all, Sacred Gears in this world were ridiculous. If someone developed a Sacred Gear to its absolute limit, each one could reach a level where they grasped the rules, or even sage-level strength.
The Thirteen Sacred Gears represented the potential for thirteen beings of that level in this world.
Unfortunately, no one had ever managed to achieve that.
The complete Balance Breaker of the Dusk Spear had seven abilities that could be switched seamlessly. Compared to using a single sub-species Balance Breaker, it was several times more powerful.
Aki didn’t know the specific abilities, but it didn’t matter.
Whatever the ability, a huge gap in power made it useless.
But even if he didn’t want to know, he couldn’t stop his opponent from explaining mid-battle.
After taking seven attacks from Cao Cao, Aki had figured out the Dusk Spear’s abilities.
The effects were strong, but Aki felt they didn’t live up to the Dusk Spear’s reputation as the original god-killing Sacred Gear.
Cao Cao’s Balance Breaker was called “Spears of the Holy King of the Heavenly Wheel of Extreme Night,” with seven abilities in total.
Facing Aki, a powerful enemy he acknowledged, Cao Cao wanted to fully display his strength while earning Aki’s recognition.
So even though a few abilities were useless in this fight, he still explained them.
Ability 1: Wheel Treasure. Destroys weapons, prioritizing the strongest weapon on the field. Can also transform into a spear shape to pierce the opponent’s abdomen.
Ability 2: Woman Treasure. Completely seals the abilities of women on the field for a set period, starting from the strongest and without the possibility of evasion.
Ability 3: Horse Treasure. Freely moves the positions of enemies and himself.
Ability 4: Jewel Treasure. Absorbs enemy attacks and skillfully transfers them to someone else.
Ability 5: Elephant Treasure. Flight ability, can also allow others to fly.
Ability 6: Lay Disciple Treasure. Clone ability, can create multiple copies.
Ability 7: General Treasure. Devastating destructive power.
Aki wasn’t using Boosted Gear, Kuko was essentially not a combat factor, and it was a one-on-one duel. The first three abilities were all directly rendered useless.
Actually, Aki secretly used Boosted Gear once to see if the Dusk Spear could destroy a Sacred Gear of the same rank.
It turned out the Dusk Spear couldn’t do it.
A Sacred Gear that contained its own will couldn’t be considered a mere weapon anymore.
After experiencing the Dusk Spear’s abilities, Aki was somewhat disappointed.
It wasn’t that they were weak, but they had almost no effect against him.
The General Treasure ability increased Cao Cao’s attack power significantly, but it could barely break through Aki’s defense.
Flight and clone abilities were completely countered by Aki.
The only thing that interested him was the Jewel Treasure ability.
Unfortunately, after seven exchanges, Aki found that this absorption and transfer ability also had a limit.
At Cao Cao’s current level, the upper limit was only up to Mid-God level.
Also, using the Jewel Treasure required tremendous power, otherwise you couldn’t catch the fleeting opportunity.
With Aki deliberately cooperating, Cao Cao only succeeded twice in seven exchanges.
”Is this your full power?”
Aki looked at the cut in his sleeve caused by a spear blade and said calmly, “If that’s all you’ve got, I suggest you run. I don’t even feel like chasing you, so you might live.”
Cao Cao gripped his spear hard, his heart sinking.
He knew Aki was strong, but how could he be this strong? The guy hadn’t even used his true combat form or his Sacred Gear…
”What level are you really?”
”Not bad. Your brain works.”
Aki grinned. Cao Cao had caught on fast, and that put him in a good mood.
But he quickly reined in the expression. This posture felt too villainous.
”Might as well tell you.”
Aki clenched his fist and said slowly, “I’m already at Dragon God-level. Honestly, I might even be a bit stronger than Great Red, who you all think is the strongest.”
Both were Dragon God-level, Ophis couldn’t beat Riviel, but Riviel wasn’t a match for Aki either.
The two dragon gods born from concepts had almost no combat experience. They relied entirely on their natural abilities and overwhelming power.
Compared to Aki, who had been through countless battles and whose skills and magic were at the highest level, they were on a completely different plane.
Even in a two-on-one fight, Aki was confident he could beat them.
But that was only beating them. Killing them was not within his current ability.
Cao Cao’s mind reeled. He instinctively stepped back twice.
As for Aki lying…
There was no need, and only that could explain why Aki was so much stronger than him.
”Judging by your expression, you still have a card up your sleeve.”
Seeing that Cao Cao wasn’t running or surrendering, Aki unclenched his fist and said with interest, “I’ll give you a chance. Use it.”
Cao Cao took a deep breath, put away his spear, and began reciting a magic incantation.
As he chanted, a massive magic circle unfolded on the bridge.
Out of it emerged a large crucifix bearing a creature that looked like a dragon and fallen angels.
Sensing the crucifix’s aura, Aki frowned.
This feeling – no mistake – another dragon-specific weapon.
Dragons in this world were concentrations of power. Many powerful beings almost always had dragon elements.
As a result, many weapons designed specifically to counter dragons had been created.
”What is this thing?” Aki asked in confusion. “I thought you were going to use the Dusk Spear’s true ability, and this is what you pull out?”
Although the thing Cao Cao summoned was strange and radiated an ominous aura, even waking Ddraig inside him, Aki felt no threat at all.
As the original and strongest Sacred Gear, Aki could sense a powerful force inside the Dusk Spear.
Using external tools, and a one-time one at that, Cao Cao himself felt this wasn’t his true skill.
”So you noticed.” He laughed self-deprecatingly. “The Dusk Spear’s true Balance Breaker is called Hauki. It can summon the manifestation of a legendary god’s will, but I can’t do that yet.”
A legendary god, probably a primordial god or demon of this world. Being able to become the Dusk Spear and survive to this day, the least they could be was Dragon God-level.
Power at that level without any cost – with Cao Cao’s current ability, it was natural he couldn’t use it.
In the original world line, Cao Cao went through multiple ordeals – losing an eye, being thrown into the underworld, having his Sacred Gear taken by Indra – before his will, soul, and body all sublimated, his power surged, and he gained the Dusk Spear’s acknowledgment to use it.
The man himself admitted it, so there was nothing for Aki to say.
He turned his attention to the bizarre creature-crucifix that had been summoned.
Seeing this, Cao Cao also changed the subject and explained, “This is the Dragon Eater, the world’s strongest dragon-slaying weapon. It’s always been under Hades’ control. It wasn’t easy for me to get even one summoning chance.”
”As I thought…”
Ddraig’s voice echoed in Aki’s mind, but just as he tried to offer a warning, Aki blocked him out.
After becoming Dragon God-level, he could fully control his Sacred Gear.
Not just Ddraig – even the souls of all previous Red Dragon Emperor gauntlet wielders, Aki could communicate with if he wanted.
All past Boosted Gear wielders were short-lived, and after death their souls were imprisoned in the Sacred Gear.
Among them were several powerful women, but the majority were male souls.
Without Aki’s permission, Ddraig and the souls couldn’t perceive the outside world, but Aki had still sealed away all the male souls.
Leaving only the beautiful female souls, occasionally exchanging experiences and Sacred Gear usage tips.
Ddraig couldn’t be sealed. He was already sealed inside the Sacred Gear.
But he was usually asleep and couldn’t perceive the outside world, so Aki didn’t care.
Being blocked by Aki infuriated Ddraig. If he didn’t want to be resurrected, he would have left Aki long ago.
Aki couldn’t have cared less. The Sacred Gear was somewhat useful to him, but only somewhat.
”Dragon Eater… the strongest dragon-slaying weapon…”
Aki rubbed his chin and examined the massive crucifix ahead. Somewhat helplessly, he said, “Good idea, but I’m Dragon God-level, not a dragon god. Do you really think this thing works on me?”
”Of course. You’re the Red Dragon Emperor of this generation. Whether you like it or not, you’ve been assimilated by dragon…”
”Stop.”
Aki cut him off impatiently. “I may not be pure human anymore, but I can’t accept being called assimilated.”
”I assimilate other bloodlines, not the other way around.”
Cao Cao was taken aback, not understanding what Aki meant, but a bad feeling crept into his heart.
But now it was too late to back out. He could only spin the Holy Spear and say, “Eat, then.”
The Dragon Eater shot a black beam that enveloped Aki, making a sucking sound.
”Tch.”
Feeling his power being drained at a very slow rate, Aki looked speechless.
He’d already said he wasn’t a dragon. Why wouldn’t they listen?
This kind of specialized attack weapon, if used against the wrong target, was basically powerless.
The small amount of power being drained was only because Aki hadn’t fully merged his Origin bloodline, so it still had a trace of dragon concept.
As Cao Cao watched in disbelief, Aki stood there completely unbothered by the Dragon Eater’s assault, dashed straight in front of him, and threw a punch.
Pfft!
Cao Cao managed to block with the Dusk Spear at his chest, but the massive impact still made him spit a mouthful of blood.
Looking at the Dusk Spear in Cao Cao’s hands, Aki felt a little tempted.
The original and strongest Sacred Gear, powerful abilities, and a stylish appearance.
He wondered if it could form cool-looking armor too…
After glancing at it a couple of times, Aki looked away and didn’t attack Cao Cao again.
He remembered the Hero Faction still had several members. The Dragon Eater was also meant to be used against Ophis, and the Underworld would eventually get involved too. Their target seemed to be Ophis and Riviel.
Aki had already regarded Ophis and Riviel as his women. Now that he remembered this, he naturally wasn’t going to stand by.
It wasn’t that he was intentionally sparing Cao Cao’s life. It was just that a living Cao Cao was more useful than a dead one.
With a light ripple of deep blue mana, the black beam from the Dragon Eater was instantly dispersed.
Aki glanced at Cao Cao, who was still coughing blood, and said flatly, “I’ll take the Dragon Eater.”
”Cough… that probably won’t work…”
Using the Dusk Spear as support, Cao Cao managed to keep from collapsing.
He looked at Aki and said with difficulty, “I just summoned the Dragon Eater for one use. It’ll…”
Before he could finish, the massive magic circle flashed, and the Dragon Eater disappeared into it.
”Forget it. It’s useless to me anyway.”
Aki rubbed his chin, thinking about what to do with Cao Cao.
The other Hero Faction members were hiding somewhere. Now that the Dragon Eater had been used against him, would Ophis still get her power drained and be severely injured…
As a pure-blooded human, Cao Cao’s self-healing ability was not great. Even after several minutes, his injuries were still severe.
Watching Aki thinking, he forced himself to stay alert and asked, “What? Not going to kill me?”
”You caused me a little trouble…”
Aki shrugged. “But if you pass a message to Ophis for me, I’ll let you off this time.”
”What message?”
”Tell her I have a way for her to go home, and to come find me.”
After fighting Cao Cao, Aki was sure the Hero Faction posed no threat to him at all.
Now the main concern was making sure Ophis and Riviel wouldn’t be targeted by Hades using the Dragon Eater.
Now that he had suspicions and worries, solving the problem in advance was the best approach.
If he couldn’t solve the problem, he could solve the people causing it.
He already possessed the strongest power in the world. On this issue, the other two top-level powers were actually on the same side. It felt wrong not to go on the offensive.
Come to think of it, Hades had the Dragon Eater under his control and was interested in Ophis and Riviel’s power. Why hadn’t he acted all this time?
In the original world line, even when he could only obtain a quarter of Ophis’s power, Hades never acted himself. He used Cao Cao and the Dragon Eater to deal with Ophis.
As the god ruling the Underworld, Hades was undoubtedly very strong.
Aki suspected he was already at Dragon God-level. The fact that he’d stayed out of trouble all this time meant there were definitely restrictions on him.
Combining the memories in his head, Aki had a rough guess.
And with that, the thought of actively attacking the Underworld grew stronger.
But before that, he needed to discuss it with Ophis and Riviel.
—
Summary:
Cao Cao ambushes Aki on a bridge in Kyoto, goes all out with the Dusk Spear’s seven abilities, and still gets effortlessly crushed. The Dragon Eater barely phases Aki, who reveals he’s Dragon God-level – stronger than even Great Red. He spares Cao Cao in exchange for a message to Ophis, then begins planning an assault on Hades and the Underworld.
—
Trivia:
1. Cao Cao’s Balance Breaker has seven named abilities based on the seven treasures of the wheel-turning king.
2. The Dusk Spear cannot destroy a will-bearing Sacred Gear like Boosted Gear.
3. Cao Cao cannot yet use the Dusk Spear’s true Balance Breaker Hauki (domination form) which summons divine will manifestations.
4. The Dragon Eater is a one-time summon that requires Hades’ permission to use.
5. Aki can seal all male souls within Boosted Gear, keeping only female souls for conversation.
6. Dragon Eater drains power so slowly from Aki that he can ignore it entirely and fight normally.
7. Hades is suspected to be Dragon God-level himself but is constrained by some unknown restriction.
8. Aki plans to take the offensive against Hades to protect Ophis and Riviel.
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.
• Y – The first initial/part of the name Y Ddraig Goch.
• Kat – A recurring visitor who exchanges information and frequently seeks food from Aki.
• Hyoudou Issei – A brown-haired Kuoh Academy high-schooler with an average build and mischievous face, Issei Hyoudou is the original host of the Boosted Gear. Infamous as part of the “Pervert Trio” for peeping on girls, he is notably unlucky but maintains close, chaotic ties with his classmates and fellow trio members.
• Hyoudou – The Hyoudou family name is carried by Issei.
• Issei – Issei Hyoudou is a brown-haired, kind-hearted Kuoh Academy student known for his lack of academic ambition, fixation on girls, and membership in the “Three Perverts.” The son of the Hyoudou family, he exhibits protective anxiety regarding his mother’s interactions with outsiders. As the host of a powerful supernatural relic, the Boosted Gear, he is the Red Dragon Emperor’s successor. He is currently captive for an extraction ritual and a source of information on Holy Sword experiments.
• Wukong – A short-haired youth who wields a staff and possesses a confident, relaxed, and slightly arrogant demeanor.
• 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.
• Ophis – The Infinite Dragon God, an initiator of the Khaos Brigade who refuses to coddle others.
• Sirzechs – Sirzechs Gremory, the red-haired Demon King Lucifer, is a formidable strategist and Rias’s brother. Known for his battlefield prowess, he charmed the enemy general Grayfia into defecting, later marrying her and fathering Georgix. A complex, often elusive leader, he balances diplomatic duties and rebuilding the Underworld with a cultivation obsession that frequently strains his family life, yet he remains an ally to Aki.
• Ddraig – The Welsh Dragon and Red Dragon Emperor, one of the Two Heavenly Dragons. As an ancient, strongest dragon with a deep, resonant voice, his powerful soul is currently dormant and sealed within the Boosted Gear. He retains a powerful will and recognizes his wielder, Aki, as his chosen heir, maintaining impactful relationships with those around him.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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