The forest felt suffocating. Every breath of the Romanti Snake carried the thick, acrid scent of venom. The towering trees stood like corpses, their leaves withering under the poisonous mist.
Crackle!
Lightning exploded around Bei Bei's fists, golden arcs flickering in the gloomy shadows. Beside him, Tang Ya's Blue Silver Grass slithered across the ground, searching for a way to slow the movements of the 10,000-year-old Romanti Snake that coiled in front of them.
It was massive and fast.
Dark yellow scales gleamed under the moonlight, each one thick like iron plates, it was like a panzer tank. Its slit pupils locked onto them, ferocious, unpredictable. It was toying with them.
A predator with its prey.
Then it moved, slithered with a random pattern, any opponent would be confused and terrified of a large snake moving at a bizarre pattern with speed barely perceptible to the eyes.
Suddenly, it was like a blur.
Bei Bei barely had time to cross his arms before the tail whipped toward him like a falling mountain.
Boom!
He was flung backward, crashing through the trees. The impact stole the air from his lungs, and for a second, his vision blurred from the impact and force, causing damage to his internal organs.
"Bei Bei!" Tang Ya's voice was tight with panic. She felt helpless.
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to his feet. He couldn't stop. If he hesitated for even a second, they were good as dead.
'Brother Huo Yuhao, I am betting on you. There's no turning back.'
His first spirit ring flashed—Thunderous Dragon Claw!
A violet-blue dragon claw shot forward, slicing through the air, and aiming for the snake's side. The attack landed, however—
It did nothing.
Bei Bei gritted his teeth at the rebound, he felt his body absorbing the impact of his fist. The scales felt indestructible.
The Romanti Snake barely flinched. The scales absorbed the hit like a sponge taking in water.
It hissed as if mocking the two, as it came for a counterattack.
The snake lunged, jaws wide. Two venomous fangs glistened in the dim light, aiming for Bei Bei's throat.
He twisted his body, barely avoiding it. The wind from the beast's strike brushed past his neck, sending a shiver down his spine.
A heartbeat later, Tang Ya's Blue Silver Grass lashed forward, trying to bind the creature's body. The vines wrapped around its thick frame, tightening.
Her second spirit ring that could turn her silver grass into sharp vines was useless, so she could only bind it, as it managed to buy them a fraction of a time.
The Romanti Snake struggled.
For a second—only for a second—for the beast to be halted.
Then the beast coiled tighter and ripped through the vines like they were paper. A deep hiss filled the air, its tail slamming down toward Tang Ya.
"Tang Ya, move!"
Bei Bei surged forward, pushing her out of the way. The ground where she stood exploded as the tail obliterated the dirt, sending rocks flying.
They were getting overwhelmed.
Bei Bei's chest rose and fell rapidly. His lightning flickered, weaker than before. They weren't strong enough to even graze it. At best, they could only hold out to give Huo Yuhao time.
'That bastard isn't even tired...' Bei Bei laughed bitterly with blood from his mouth and nose.
Its massive body coiled again, preparing for another strike. This time, it was going to end them.
There was no time to think. Bei Bei had to take the lead.
Second spirit ring—Vigorous Thunderbolt!
Golden lightning exploded outward, forming a sprawling net of electricity. The arcs danced through the air, forcing the beast to halt. It snapped its fangs, trying to resist, but the golden lightning stuck to its scales, shocking it.
It recoiled, hissing in frustration.
But even that wasn't enough.
The snake angered was powered through the pain, slithering forward again. Faster to the point, Bei Bei couldn't run away from.
"Damn it," Bei Bei muttered.
Tang Ya staggered beside him, her breathing ragged. "Bei Bei…" her hands shook from the fear, however, Tang Ya used her first spirit ring again, she tried to halt its movements, but the Romanti Snake was clever, as it escaped from the traps.
Using the momentum and the confusion, the Romanti Snake lunged at Tang Ya with a terrifying killing intent.
"Dammit! Tang Ya, run away!"
Bei Bei crossed his arms, his third spirit ring igniting—Thunderous Fury!
Lightning wrapped around him scales spreading over his chest, pulling the snake toward him like a storm's center.
With no choice, Bei Bei could only sacrifice himself, the Romanti Snake confused by the sudden change of direction, continued its attack—it was already mid-air, unable to change its course.
But neither could Bei Bei.
The beast slammed into him using its head, its massive weight crushing him into the earth. A wet crack rang through the air—pain exploded in his ribs.
"Bei Bei!" Tang Ya cried and screamed his name.
His vision blurred. The world spun. Everything hurt.
The Romanti Snake circled him as it was ready to twist his body into a mangled mess.
"Get off of him!" Tang Ya in desperation used her second spirit ring to pierce the eyes of the Romanti Snake, however, it closed its eyes, causing the vines to break into pieces from the momentum.
It hissed like it was laughing at the two.
Bei Bei coughed, tasting blood.
He tried to stand.
His legs trembled.
The snake was about to twist its body like tying a rope for the final blow.
They couldn't stop it.
Suddenly—
Boom!
A flash of light struck the Romanti Snake, sending it hurtling in the opposite direction. Its massive body crashed through the trees, snapping branches like brittle twigs. Blood seeped from its cracked scales, staining the forest floor with dark crimson.
The sky shimmered as arrows of golden light rained down, each shot accompanied by a divine chime, like the chorus of celestial bells, and angels singing.
The oppressive force of the radiant display sent gusts of wind rippling through the surroundings.
Tang Ya and Bei Bei, with his weakening breath, turned their gazes toward the source. Behind Huo Yuhao, two radiant wings of golden light spread wide, and above his head, a luminous halo gleamed, casting an ethereal glow over his form. To the two onlookers, he no longer seemed human. He was something beyond—like a God descending in judgment.
The very wind bent at his feet, bowing like subjects before their king. The force of his presence was overwhelming, pressing down upon them, forcing them to their knees.
The Romanti Snake, however, shrieked—not just in pain, but in a fear it had long forgotten.
Goosebumps rippled along its scaled body, a primal terror crawling up its spine. It had fought through the depths of the Star Dou Forest, surviving battles against powerful spirit beasts, yet this human!
This insignificant being that once held frail spirit energy from his body—was suddenly growing in power from the spirit energy of the surroundings being sucked into his body, his energy was growing constantly without an end—the glaring silver eyes from the boy were making it feel the unmistakable dread of death.
"To dare lay your serpent eyes on me. You will suffer a fate worse than death."
Huo Yuhao's cold gaze locked onto the beast. He stepped forward.
With a sudden burst, the wind coiled around him, and his wings propelled him forward at supersonic speed.
The Romanti Snake barely registered the movement before a lance of pure reishi—Gungnir—materialized in Huo Yuhao's grip.
The air whistled as he drove the lance forward, piercing through the Snake's thick hide. A bloodcurdling screech filled the air as the beast writhed in agony. But Huo Yuhao wasn't done. He retracted the lance and thrust again, each strike tearing deeper into the creature's stomach, spilling more of its lifeblood.
The snake thrashed, pulling itself back before coiling its tail and swinging it toward him in a desperate counterattack. But Huo Yuhao had anticipated it. With a sharp twist of the wind, he redirected the snake's own tail—sending it crashing into its head.
Bang!
The beast convulsed from the impact.
Huo Yuhao smirked at the pathetic sight. However, the creature still wasn't dead. The power of Wind Vollständig wasn't enough yet.
Wind Vollständig allowed him superior control over the air, manipulating the surrounding spirit energy into Reishi. If he were in his old world, saturated with Reishi, the battle would have been over in an instant. He could have shredded this snake into pieces as effortlessly as slicing cheese. But here, where the energy was thin, he felt the limitations of his current power.
Using Vollständig came with a price—one he couldn't ignore. His vessel was too weak to sustain it for long, forcing a harsh cooldown period before he could invoke it again. His body lacked the necessary Reishi to recover from overusing his Psyche, and Vollständig placed immense strain on his spirit. It felt like his veins and arteries were being overclocked, running on the edge of combustion.
Though it was far safer than Letzt Stil, it still carried severe drawbacks. Every second in this form drained his energy like a collapsing dam, and with his already weakened body struggling to maintain it, the toll on his lifespan was undeniable. A creeping sense of decay gnawed at him from within, as if time itself was siphoning away his existence.
The effects had already begun to show. The edges of his hair, once black, now carried a faint tint of white—a price of using a power he couldn't handle, if not for his lineage as the Quincy King.
The pain was unbearable. His veins and arteries felt like they were being stretched to their limit, forcefully expanded by the overwhelming surge of Reishi flooding his body.
It was as if his entire circulatory system had turned into overstrained wires, pulsing and thrumming with raw energy, threatening to snap at any moment.
Every breath was heavy, each movement sharp with discomfort, but he refused to falter. The only thing keeping him standing was sheer pride—the unshakable will of his crown as King of the Quincies.
No matter how much he tried to suppress the pain signals surging through his body, the sheer intensity had already overwhelmed his limits. His nerves screamed, drowning out any attempt to numb the agony.
His veins and arteries strained under the unbearable pressure, snapping one by one like fragile threads on the verge of collapse. Each rupture sent a sharp, burning sensation through his limbs, making it feel as if his entire body was being torn apart from the inside. But despite it all, he refused to show a glimpse of weakness.
However, the pain wasn't the reason that caused him to feel frustrated.
What was this? Me? The Quincy King? Yhwach?
'To think I had a flicker of weakness.'
'How weak have I become?' Huo Yuhao smiled with a blood-curdling opening of his mouth.
A laughter escaped his lips as he brushed a hand over his forehead. The Romanti Snake shuddered, sensing something deeply unnatural in his demeanor. It hesitated for a moment, then, with a furious hiss, lunged again, its poisonous fangs bared.
Hatred and anger filled the mind of Yhwach about Ichigo Kurosaki and the rest of those who dared to stand in his way.
"If it wasn't for them...'
"Brother Huo Yuhao! Look out!" Tang Ya shouted.
But Huo Yuhao didn't move from the ground—because he wasn't there anymore.
He had already leaped high into the air.
'Rend.'
A cross of white light slashed across the Romanti Snake's face, splitting its scales open. Blood gushed from the wound as the beast shrieked in agony, lashing its tail toward him in blind fury.
'Twist.'
The snake's tail suddenly veered off-course, sent spiraling into the air by an unseen force. It flailed, disoriented, its own momentum thrown into chaos.
'Slice.'
Huo Yuhao landed, extending his hand. A razor-sharp blade of wind formed at his fingertips. With a single motion, a flash of white light carved through the snake's stomach, splitting it nearly in half.
Yet, it still clung to life.
"You're persistent," he muttered.
Blood had already leaked from Huo Yuhao's mouth, and he indifferently wiped it from his mouth using the power of the wind.
The skills of the Schrift had cooldowns, he couldn't overuse them. Otherwise, he would suffer more from the side-effects, new skills that weren't part of the Schrift were a far better option.
The Romanti Snake hissed once more before spewing a thick cloud of poisonous mist.
Huo Yuhao merely scoffed. "Pathetic."
With a snap of his fingers, a gust of wind howled through the battlefield, scattering the deadly fog as though it had never existed.
"Enough of this."
He extended his palm, forcefully dragging the surrounding Spirit Energy into himself. It was sluggish—far too slow for his liking—but it would suffice.
The Romanti Snake felt its instincts scream at it. The fear that had been simmering within it finally took over. It turned, desperate to escape.
But it was too late.
'Cripple.'
A circle of white light swirled around the snake's body, locking it in place. It tried to move—but couldn't. The Wind Schrift Skill had sealed its fate.
"Kirchenlied... Sankt Zwinger."
Huo Yuhao pressed his palm to the ground. Five luminous bands, each inscribed with Roman numerals, shot out, forming a grand, dome-like structure of blue light. It was as if an ethereal court had descended to punish a sinner.
Light surged from every direction. The Romanti Snake's pained screams filled the air as beams of reishi from the sky burned through its flesh. The divine execution had begun.
Huo Yuhao hovered above the suffering beast, his expression cold and detached.
He gathered all remaining Reishi into a single point. The blue light condensed into a crescent moon shape, a massive arrow of pure energy pulled back on an invisible bowstring.
"... Sankt Bogen."
The Romanti Snake hissed in horror, its body thrashing. It tried, desperately, to free itself.
But the arrow had already been released.
A piercing flash. The world stood still.
Splat!
The arrow tore through the snake's massive frame. The force sent its limp body catapulting backward, colliding into trees that were instantly obliterated. And then—
Boom!
A devastating explosion followed, swallowing the forest in a wave of blue fire. The earth trembled as silence fell over the battlefield.
Tang Ya stared in disbelief. The once-mighty Romanti Snake lay motionless, its chest gaping open.
Thud.
Huo Yuhao turned away, stepping toward the two.
"Brother Huo Yuhao…" Tang Ya murmured, her eyes wide with awe and uncertainty. He looked… completely different. Like a divine king descending into the mortal realm, a figure straight from myth.
But her awe was quickly overshadowed by her despair and sorrow. Bei Bei was barely breathing.
His injuries were fatal. He was going to die soon. No doubt.
"It's all my fault…" Tang Ya sobbed, clutching Bei Bei's unconscious body.
Huo Yuhao halted near the two before muttering with an authoritative tone as if a decree had been sent out.
"He will live."
"What—?" Tang Ya momentarily confused, closed her mouth due to the new sensation.
The wind around them softened, carrying a whisper of something foreign yet gentle. Huo Yuhao—no, Yhwach—had once been a god. A being who could grant miracles. He owed them for giving him enough time to use Vollständig, so he gave a fragment of his soul as a transaction for the favor.
Huo Yuhao had his pride as the Quincy King—walking away from this sight without a second thought wasn't an option. His fists clenched at his sides, the tension in his body refusing to ease.
From now on, he needed to be more careful. Jumping blindly into places like the Star Dou Forest was reckless, no different from throwing himself into a beast's maw when he was still weakened.
The previous Huo Yuhao had made the same mistake, overestimating his chances, blinded by naivety. And now, he had nearly done the same. For the Quincy King to make a childish mistake. He swallowed the blood from his mouth with irritation.
To think he would feel so weak. It was pathetic, undeserving of his previous title and name.
However, Huo Yuhao couldn't dwell too much on his first mistake in this world. He had to grow more powerful, stronger than his previous self, where no one could defeat him. It was what the Quincy King had strongly desired, starting from today.
He knelt, pricking his finger and letting his blood drip onto Bei Bei's lips. White light coalesced around the dying man's body. Then—
Cough! Cough!
"Bei Bei!"
His eyes shot open, radiant and full of life.
"Tang Ya?"
"You idiot! You worried me so much!" she cried, punching his chest, even as tears of relief streamed down her face.
"Sorry... I worried you." Bei Bei smiled with softened eyes.
Huo Yuhao watched the scene, his lips curling in disgust. He truly never understood the thought of loving another. It was foolish.
If it was before, he wouldn't have cared, but remembering Ichigo Kurosaki and Orihime, brought back bad memories.
He turned away, his gaze falling upon the corpse of the Romanti Snake. Above it, a black halo floated ominously. He reached out and placed his palm on it. Instantly, he was pulled into his Boundless Sea Realm.
A familiar hiss of hatred greeted him.
"Hah... to think a worm would still dare to bear its fangs at me... even after death."
The snake shook in fear as Huo Yuhao's eyes gleamed with malevolent crimson eyes. Two other red eyes also appeared from both sides.
It shrieked as it tried to fight back. However, its body twisted into different shapes one of them was like a pretzel.
"Your struggles are futile before the Almighty."
Hiss!-
"Now, you will pay the inevitable price for your transgression before me."
"For I am Yhwach... the person who will take everything from you. Your life, your death, and your pitiful existence. I will not grant your wishes for I oppose it." He muttered, remembering the quotes of his past so well.
With a flick of his finger, the snake shrieked in pain, after what felt like a century, the snake's spirit manifestation shattered into fragments of green light. It did not die, its existence was erased and slowly absorbed into Huo Yuhao.
It will forever be in torment in the endless void, he once called home. He smiled at the satisfying conclusion.
In this Boundless Sea Realm, he could alter the future to his liking.
He then absorbed the green light, leaving the remaining fragmented manifestation since it wasn't compatible with him.
And then, he felt it—
The power of the Deathdealing had awakened.