[I will cross the apex of dimensions, ]
[We who transcend the end shall eventually surpass all endings, ]
[Bestow upon me your brilliant radiance and the might of galaxies!]
[Descend!]
[Kurma, Incarnation, Overlimit!]
[World Dragon Kurma Incarnation: Origin Form!]
Takeyo had completely transformed into the original appearance of the silver-haired loli Kurimo, the World Dragon's true form!
Colossal power reverberated through the cracks of the dimensional gap!
CRACK... CRACK... CRACK...
Durmado's mechanical body twisted into grotesque shapes as the overwhelming force attacked from every direction simultaneously. The Sea Prime was being crushed, literally compressed by an authority that superseded his own existence.
"What is this...?!" Mechanical sounds emanated from Durmado's distorted form. "This cannot be... this wasn't your full strength?!"
"You have no need to know."
Takeyo's voice was cold. Time was running out.
A white holy sword extended from the precious jade in his hand, its blade gleaming with divine radiance.
[Holy Sword Est!]
Infinite power circulated through Takeyo's body, power beyond the Dragon God tier, far surpassing even the might of his master Kurimo in her prime.
BOOM!
A flash of white holy light tore through the dimensional gap, so brilliant it seemed capable of traversing the boundary between worlds itself!
The space where Durmado had been, along with that section of the dimensional gap, simply ceased to exist.
[DING!]
[Congratulations to the Host for completing a Plot Check-in! Check-in Level: Diamond!]
[Check-in Plot: The Fall of the Sea Prime!]
[Plot: Someone came looking for trouble, how could you let them leave?
Kill the Sea Prime Durmado and his subordinates!]
[Congratulations to the Host for the reward: Three Thousand Ways, Formation Dao!]
[Three Thousand Ways, Formation Dao: Command the momentum of heaven and earth. Use people as the array, sentient beings as the array, heaven and earth as the array! Master the true essence of formation craft...]
This seems suitable for me, Takeyo thought as flames erupted around his body. At least it's more compatible than the Thunder Dao or Holy Dao.
The Protection of the Phoenix!
His body reconstituted from golden flames, restored by the blessing he'd acquired long ago. But even with the Phoenix's protection...
This state was truly overwhelming.
Anyway, that should be considered resolved, right?
Takeyo coughed up blood while processing the battle's aftermath.
The Phoenix Avatar could guarantee he wouldn't die from overexertion or surprise attacks, but the damage from using the Origin Form was irreversible, it required time to heal naturally.
If mere Phoenix protection could restore such injuries, Takeyo would have used the World Dragon Kurma incarnation to heal himself immediately. There would have been no need to wait.
With the Three Thousand Ways, Holy Dao and Formation Dao now integrated, my strength has risen to peak Ultimate-Class. High-tier Maou-Class is just a matter of time.
When that happens... I'll begin the final integration.
While contemplating his growth, Takeyo examined the Underworld and Celestial Grand Formations hovering beside him.
Though these two artifacts were incredibly useful, they couldn't stay with him forever. Beyond the fact that he couldn't always channel their full power, their prolonged absence might be noticed by other factions, potentially sparking a war.
At his mental command, both formations separated from his body and flew toward Heaven and the Underworld respectively.
In his current physical condition, forcing these grand formations into action would only deteriorate his body further. If it triggered his remaining Phoenix protection and resurrected him again... that would be a significant waste.
It should be fine for now. There won't be any major battles coming up.
Just the Rating Game against Sairaorg and the match against Emperor Diehauser.
If things got desperate, he could save up Sacred Beasts in his dimensional storage over the next few days and unleash them all at once.
Just as Takeyo breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to recall everyone,
A soft voice pierced through his thoughts.
"Lord Takeyo! Watch out!"
"Hm?!"
Takeyo froze for an instant, not reacting until he felt himself being swept away.
That sweet voice belonged to Grayfia. She must have been monitoring their surroundings the entire time. The moment she sensed an unknown attack, she'd grabbed Takeyo and carried him out of the attack range.
But... she hadn't been entirely successful.
"Thank you..."
Takeyo coughed up a mouthful of golden blood as soft white light gathered in his hands, the eternal life power of World Dragon Kurma.
His hand swept across Grayfia's back, and the scorched flesh returned to its original smooth, pristine state.
She had successfully moved him out of the danger zone, but her own back had taken the brunt of the attack.
"It seems the fall of the Sea Prime has awakened the Celestial King."
Takeyo's eyes narrowed as he gazed toward the origin of the attack.
That blast had come from Durmado, who was supposed to remain dormant in lunar orbit!
If Grayfia hadn't reacted so quickly, Takeyo's last Phoenix protection would have been wasted right here.
"Lord Takeyo, do you possess the power to travel through time and space?"
Grayfia asked while carrying him through the dimensional gap.
"Hm?"
Takeyo raised an eyebrow and placed his hand on her back.
"Yes, I do."
He met her silver-gray eyes as he spoke.
He had already guessed why she would ask such a question. There was only one reason...
"Then, Lord Takeyo, please bombard the nearest time node."
Her voice carried no emotional fluctuation whatsoever.
"Don't worry about things here. Once enough time passes, Great Red should intervene."
"I see... so the time has come?"
Takeyo sighed.
He had once used the Black Sky Krishna incarnation to obtain nearly all of Grayfia's information, but not quite everything. There remained one final piece he hadn't been able to access.
When he'd been on the verge of seeing it, he'd glimpsed a person's silhouette looking back at him. After that, Black Sky could no longer perceive that portion of her memories.
That person... had been himself.
At that moment, he'd understood the reason for this anomaly, why Grayfia had said she wasn't married.
It must have been because he used the ability to travel through time at some point in the future!
And now, Grayfia's behavior confirmed his previous suspicions.
"Bombard the nearest time node? Understood!"
Takeyo coughed up another mouthful of golden blood, silently condensing his remaining strength.
Since Grayfia was telling him this, he could only trust her!
He had never attempted to use this skill before, because he currently lacked the ability to pinpoint exact temporal coordinates. If he traveled to the past, there was no guarantee of which time period he'd arrive in.
Returning would be extremely difficult.
But now, if everything aligned with his predictions, the time node Grayfia provided would be absolutely correct!
[Gifted Power! Corridor of the Fairies!]
[The Corridor of the Fairies, gifted version, originating from the Campione world.
Originally the power Madame Asia usurped from Queen Niamh of Tír na nÓg, the Celtic Land of the Ever-Young.
It can open passages leading to the "Secluded World", the hidden realm or past ages, though in its original form, it cannot access the future.
Originally, this power was completely uncontrollable. Madame Asia couldn't activate it at will; it would occasionally open spontaneously and draw her in. However, wherever she went, there were always people in need of help.
The gifted version of the Corridor of the Fairies has repaired all weaknesses and expanded its reach. Whether the past, the Secluded World, the future, or other dimensions entirely, all can be accessed through this gifted power.]
BOOM!
A space-time tunnel materialized before them!
Without the slightest hesitation, Grayfia dove through with Takeyo in her arms!
WHOOSH!
The moment they entered, another light cannon from Durmado swept through the space they'd just occupied!
"Kaka... kakato... KRRRT..."
As if enraged by their disappearance, Durmado's mechanical form emitted incomprehensible sounds while venting destruction across the dimensional gap.
"ROOOAAAAR!"
It wasn't until some time later that a crimson dragon emerged from deeper within the dimensional gap, Great Red finally intervening to end the rampage.
But that no longer concerned Takeyo.
At this moment, he and Grayfia were hurtling through the corridor of time!
"Ahem... you were injured again just now?"
Noticing Grayfia's rapidly weakening life force, Takeyo frowned.
"..."
Grayfia didn't respond. After meeting Takeyo's gaze, she seemed to finally release a breath she'd been holding, then her eyes drifted closed.
"Hey!... Hey!"
Seeing her condition deteriorate, Takeyo immediately channeled the power of World Dragon Kurma once more.
As white light enveloped her, Grayfia's furrowed brow slowly relaxed. The additional injuries she'd sustained from Durmado's second attack gradually healed.
But... I still can't see it... though she does seem to prefer white.
Takeyo's gaze flickered involuntarily as he examined her wounds.
Because she'd used her back to shield against the attack, the rear straps of her maid uniform had been destroyed. It was natural, wasn't it? The maid dress had simply fallen away beneath him...
Seeing what the damage revealed, Takeyo silently coughed up another mouthful of blood.
BOOM!
In a desolate borderland, a crack split open the sky.
CRASH!
Two figures tumbled through.
The residual energy trailing behind them instantly vaporized the surrounding space!
Just like using the Origin Form before, Takeyo immediately collapsed.
However, his body's automatic operation system had essentially been configured. Anyone harboring malicious intent, or anyone not designated as an ally, would be attacked the moment they made contact.
With Takeyo's current strength at peak Ultimate-Class, even without using incarnation powers, he could display Maou-level might.
Grayfia's condition wasn't much better.
Her maid uniform had been mostly destroyed, the entire back half simply gone. And with the rear section missing, the front had naturally lost its support.
Fortunately, she was currently lying on top of Takeyo, so her beautiful figure wasn't exposed to the world.
Within Takeyo's spiritual space.
A silver-haired loli was happily observing the Goddess of Night before her.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Using a whip fashioned from dragon-shadow energy, Kurimo left crimson welts across Nyx's divine form.
She was educating the primordial goddess.
Because Takeyo had completed the "Submission of the Night" check-in previously, he'd entrusted the captured Goddess of Night to Kurimo's management, storing Nyx within his Treasury.
Now that some time had passed, Nyx was approaching her limit.
While Kurimo was enjoying herself, countless golden light motes began filling the surrounding space.
The particles gradually coalesced into Takeyo's form.
"Hm?"
Kurimo glanced at Takeyo's nearly flawless spiritual body and sighed helplessly.
It seems he's lost consciousness again...
The entity on the other side appears quite capable, at least four-digit level. But that shouldn't be enough to trouble him, should it?
Kurimo shrugged and beckoned with one finger, drawing Takeyo's spirit toward her.
Dragon God-tier entities possessed roughly four-digit strength. With his weakened body, winning wouldn't be easy...
Still, you are my host after all. Let me help you a little.
A silver phantom materialized behind Kurimo, her true body, the World Dragon itself.
However, within Takeyo's Treasury, there was no difference between her main body and her avatar. She was a dragon soul regardless.
"Let me continue witnessing the miracles you create..."
Contentment flickered through Kurimo's eyes.
She had no doubts about Takeyo's potential. She was certain that through his bloodline and physical constitution alone, he could eventually reach at least double-digit existence.
Perhaps even higher...