A Cliché Multiverse Story

Hades’s skeleton face failed to show the fury boiling underneath. He raised his hand. The sleeve of his robe slid down, revealing a bony hand. “Let’s take a step back. Pluto stepped out of his bounds, and you struck first. We both made a mistake.”

Hades saw no reason to butt heads with someone whose aura alone could cause him discomfort.

“Very well. Before that, there is one last thing.” Asahi turned back to Pluto. “Since you wanted to teach me a lesson, it’s only fair that I return the favor.”

Asahi placed a hand on Pluto’s chest and channeled his Life element. Grim Reapers, the beings native to the Realm of Dead, had a lifespan regardless of their half-god lineage. Pluto shivered but was unable to move any inch. Asahi’s glowing mana penetrated Pluto’s robe.

Pluto shrieked. His agonizing howl echoed in the empty castle, reaching into the devils hiding in the comfort of their homes. The Life element violated the very essence of his being, death.

“This is—” Hades’s eyes widened. “Stop this at once!”

Hades’s divine aura burst forth with his rage. Even then, Asahi continued sucking the life energy out of Pluto.

Hades was given the choice to save his loyal servant and make an enemy out of Asahi or let his servant die. The God of Hell immediately made his choice and summoned a bone staff with a skull mounted on its top. A white skull with three blue eyes and two horns. His divine aura was multiplied several folds. The castle shook under his rage. As he gathered his divine aura to attack, Sandalphon lunged at him with her sword.

“Do not disturb Lord Asahi!!!”

“White bird,” Hades cursed. “You are—”

Hades paused as the scaled crimson gauntlet around Asahi’s left hand caught his eyes. The gauntlet leaked a strong, distinct aura.

“Kuhahaha!” A burst of roaring laughter came from the Boosted Gear. “I can’t stop myself—Klyscha, let me go! I want to fight!”

“Ddraig, calm down, or I’m gonna spank your butt with Klyscha.” Asahi pulled back and slipped the scythe back into Pluto’s hand. “Kid, always thinks about the consequences of your words, got it?” he casually advised a hundred years old grim reaper.

The grim reaper bowed his head as he floated in silence as though he was still in shock.

“...Ddraig?” Hades muttered. “How are you still alive?”

“I curse you to die first, you undead bastard,” Ddraig replied. “Do you have the guts to fight me later?”

Hades scratched his chin without any flesh. “Your flesh is indeed dead, but your body is clinging to a special armor.”

Amidst his thoughts on the fascinating matter of Ddraig, the thought of his subordinate slipped out of his mind.

‘So Biblical God made a special weapon fueled by Ddraig's soul, which this kid used to overcome the oddities among the devils.’

He suddenly had an epiphany about increasing his forces. A new plan that involved the sacrifice of other dragons.

“You think I’m a mere specter?” Ddraig growled.

The Boosted Gear emitted a red aura. A blinding light shot out of the emerald jewel. What happened next shocked Hades out of his mind.

The Strongest Heavenly Dragon Ddraig in flesh and blood looked down on Hades with gleaming emerald eyes. The aura Ddraig exuded was comparable to her peak condition.

Sandalphon gazed at the dragon in shock.

(M-My love, I tried.)

“Ddraig,” Asahi said, voice low. “Go back.”

“Hold on, Devil King,” Hades tried to stop Asahi as he examined Ddraig’s phantasmal body. “What are you, Ddraig?”

The dragon glanced at Asahi with a soft look in her eyes. “Asahi, just one fight. I want to test the limits of this body.”

Asahi’s brows twitched. Ddraig’s battle maniac nature was a real pain in the ass sometimes. “Not now. I’ll let you fight an even stronger person later.”

He had made up his mind to throw Ddraig at Great Red.

Ddraig’s eyes glowed. Without any protest, the dragon returned to Boosted Gear state before disappearing altogether.

Hades scratched his chin, again. Not many people could claim to be stronger than him. It gave him all the more reason to be curious and nervous.

‘He isn’t someone I can take on alone.’

Hades chuckled amiably. “I apologize on Pluto’s behalf. I was originally here to greet my new neighbor. To see what kind of man doused the conceited flames of the devil kings. And I found a young man with limitless potential.”

The same god that threatened Asahi moments ago was flattering him.

‘One cautious undead he is.’

(Self-preservation grows stronger with time… or they become dull.)

Ddraig snorted. “Dragons don’t need self-preservation. We need fights. Lots of them that can boil our blood.”

(Asahi will give you something else. He will fill you up from inside out.)

“What, Asahi? What can fill me up?”

‘You’ll see it in the future.’

Shutting down Ddraig, he pulled Sandalphon with telekinesis and checked on her. Seeing the concerned look on his face, Sandalphon lifted her hand and stroked his hair.

“...”

Glorious_Milfhunte