Following Konrad's appearance, Dasra, Aakash and Nehal's eyes fell on him. Each with varying degrees of surprise. Aakash who always relished in his "splendid appearance" found Konrad's figure quite punchable, while Nehal failed to restrain the "pleasant surprise" look in her eyes.
Although they'd already seen glimpses of him through memories, the real deal far outpaced images.
Dasra, however, remained as calm and steady as before. Bright silver light erupted from his fist, allowing him to shake off Konrad's control before retreating on several steps.
"Took you long enough."
Yvonne remarked with a false hint of dissatisfaction.
"That is natural. As a monarch, I must ensure my entrances overflow with magnificence. Surely, you must understand my plight."
Konrad replied with a mischievous grin, causing Verena to sigh, Else to shake her head, Yvonne to roll her eyes, and Astarte to not know whether to laugh or cry.
Only Krann who observed the scene from within the Tower found those words…perfectly reasonable!
For a brief moment, Dasra's eyes went between the profane pair before finally locking on Konrad. His third eye opened, scrutinizing every nook and cranny of Konrad's existence.
"I can see it. Your existence goes against Heaven's Will. You…are an abomination."
He stated in a mild tone that served as a sharp contrast to the implications of his words.
"Abomination, monster, wife robber, despicable, with neither moral nor virtue and the list goes on…
All these perfectly define me. And I take them all as praises."
Konrad acknowledged while shifting his attention back onto Dasra.
"Though, I wonder if you can see what's about to happen…"
Konrad began, but before he could finish his words, though he still stood where he previously was…
*BAM*
…another version of him was encasing his right fist in Dasra's silver giant face, shooting it across the sky, like a dazzling silver meteor, to crash at the edge of the Holy Continent, tens of thousands of miles in the distance.
"…now. But I guess you cannot."
Konrad finished, and the afterimage he left behind vanished alongside his words. Nehal and Aakash were horrified.
"Why am I starting to feel…that descending onto this world wasn't…such a good idea?"
Aakash wondered with his widened eyes staring at Konrad.
"I'm afraid it's a bit too late for this train of thought."
Nehal replied with her eyes locked on Konrad's relaxed form. Ignoring them, Konrad stepped forward, vanishing to reappear at the Holy Continent's border where Dasra cratered.
With another step, he appeared beside Dasra, who slowly rose from the ground and…
*Bam*
…sent him flying back toward the Jade Capital.
"Leaving the battlefield unauthorized violates martial laws. Shame on you."
Konrad admonished in a serious tone while reappearing on top of Dasra's silver light giant's head and firing a kick at the middle of its skull.
*BAM*
Again, Dasra cratered, this time, in the Jade Capital's ground.
"What kind of guest makes such a mess in the host's house? How uncouth. I will have to send you the bill later on."
Konrad sighed with his hands crossed beneath his back. And hearing this, though Nehal managed to suppress herself, Aakash didn't possess such self-control.
"Where did such a shameless miscreant emerge from? Clearly, he's the one wreaking havoc in the land! How did it become our turn to pay the bill?!"
Aakash roared in indignation. Alas, he found no support in Nehal who merely shook her head.
*Crack*
At that time, the cracking sound of rolling rubble echoed alongside the climb of Dasra who again rose from the ground. And though those three blows slammed him across tens of thousands of miles, within the silver light giant, Dasra's body showcased no damage.
"You are strong. Stronger than I expected. Good, then I'm not wronging you."
He declared while assuming his battle-stance.
"Ancestral Glory: Realm of Eternal Peace!"
Dasra exclaimed, and again, his mighty ancestral glory covered the atmosphere, turning the world into that idyllic paradise of thirty-three celestial islands floating above an elysian landscape of lush green prairies and various creatures standing in harmony.
In that world, race divided none. In that world, demons, devas, and humans all held hands with no barriers separating them. War didn't exist, slaughter was a myth, and blissful peace reigned throughout eternity.
Within that world, for the fraction of a second, Konrad experienced the appeal of that blissful land full of joy and candid laughter. But as soon as the sensation flashed within his mind, it vanished.
Konrad waved his hand, causing his Imperial Jade Seal to appear while his Golden-Jade Crown shone with gold and jade light. That light stretched throughout the atmosphere, threatening to collapse the eternal paradise.
The Imperial Jade Seal then turned into a meteor, shooting toward a hidden location within the sky, and expending as it went. But before it could hit home, Dasra's voice again echoed.
"Heaven of the Thirty-Three."
Just like with Yvonne, one island among the thirty-three rose to become the center of them all, making the remaining thirty-two swirl around it while releasing monstrous, destructive power.
But this time, the height of this destructive force had already surpassed all Dasra displayed beforehand. With the central island guiding them all, the thirty-three islands released their supreme strike, barreling into the Imperial Jade Seal in an earthshaking explosion.
*BOOOM*
The mirage of peace vanished, but knocking off the jade seal, the blow still carried on unimpeded, aiming to obliterate Konrad where he stood. Indeed, with Konrad as his opponent, Dasra no longer held back, and every move aimed for his life.
But Konrad didn't evade, first pulling back his Imperial Jade Seal before stretching out his hands.
"Ascended Titan Form."
This time, Konrad's height didn't increase, remaining at 1.9 meters. However, forty-nine additional pairs of arms still emerged from his side, each carrying the strength to lay a continent to waste.
With his hundred arms, Konrad unleashed thousands of punches, into the air, each releasing dreadful shockwaves that slammed into Dasra's strike.
*BOOOM*
The move collapsed, and alongside it, so did the thirty-three islands. The red prism mark on Konrad's forehead glittered, and he vanished to reappear before Dasra with one hand aimed toward his face.
"Innate Skill: Extinction."
Konrad uttered, releasing a blinding wave of jade light that stretched throughout the atmosphere.
Dasra's silver light giant collapsed, and though it didn't move from an inch, his true body experienced unprecedented damage with his internal organs spiraling out of control and blood gushing from all his orifices.
"What a formidable constitution."
Konrad sneered and crashed his one-hundred fists into Dasra's body.
*CRACK*
Yes, for the first time, Dasra's bones crackled, wincing in pain under the brutal assault, and he flew backward before slamming into an invisible barrier Konrad raised to avoid further damaging his land.
*Puh*
As his back slammed into the barrier, Dasra spurted blood, but ultimately regained balance and straightened himself within the air.
"Never did I expect that a peak-level Saint would one day push me to this extent. I suppose this is my oversight. No wonders Heaven's Will doesn't tolerate the existence of your kind."
Dasra professed while lifting his eyes back toward Konrad.
At that moment, Aakash and Nehal vanished to reappear by his side.
"Let's join hands to eliminate him at the fastest pace."
They offered. However, Dasra shook his head.
"Since the foe is mighty, we should at least give him the opportunity to shine at his brightest before extinguishing the flame of his life. Such is my code."
Dasra declared while joining his hands in a prayer sign and crossing his legs within the sky.
He closed his eyes, but as he did, the third, vertical one opened, glittering with endless force.
"Mount Meru!"
