Golden Crow

On a hill ten thousand miles away, a great tree stood atop the slope, and several figures stood on the green grass.

"I've read his records. That is Samael, King of Demons, one of the seven demon kings of the Fourth Epoch's fallen civilization. In the terms of the current Time Node, his strength is at the Emperor-Rank Fifth Step."

A hooded woman with a quiet air stood ahead of the others and spoke to those behind her.

Behind her were two men in black and a bespectacled man lying unconscious on the ground.

"Captain, isn't Emperor-Rank Fifth Step strength a little too powerful for the people of this age?"

Of the two men in black, a tall, thin man spoke up.

"Don't worry. Since demons haven't appeared in our future and exist only in legends, that means there are people in this era who can deal with them."

The hooded woman nodded without the slightest concern.

"The captain is right. Besides, from what I can see, the demon that emerged from that Magic Formation is merely a projection. It doesn't seem to possess Emperor-Rank Fifth Step strength."

The other man in black, whose face was stern, spoke as he looked toward the valley.

"Yes, and that primordial god with golden hair and golden eyes standing beside the demon doesn't look weak either, though I don't seem to recall which figure from mythology he is."

The tall, thin man in black nodded in agreement and added his thoughts.

"Yes, that person is very powerful too. Once we've completed this mission, many beings who disappeared from mythology will probably appear in the epics again."

The hooded woman sighed with feeling, then continued.

"All right, their story doesn't have much to do with us right now. Let's hurry and deliver the mission target to the destination."

"Yes!" both answered.

With that, the stern man in black hoisted the bespectacled young man who lay unconscious on the ground onto his shoulder.

The three exchanged a glance, pushed off lightly, and vanished from the spot, leaving only a faint voice echoing around them.

"There are still great enemies in the future. We must make the most of our time."

Within the vast valley shrouded in dark demonic will stood the towering, sky-supporting King of Demons.

His enormous figure filled the entire valley, his gaze arrogant and savage, volatile flames burning in his fiery red demonic eyes.

After he uttered that bold declaration like a conqueror's proclamation.

The shrewd, capable pitch-black dragon had already had the sense to prostrate himself, pressing his entire head tightly against the ground.

A voice that had yielded before power rose from the ground.

"Great Samael, King of Demons, Your Highness, your humble believer Aji respectfully welcomes your arrival. May you bring death and eternal rest to this continent teeming with life!"

"Hahahahaha! So it's the little fellow who contacted me by chance three hundred years ago. Rest assured, I shall grant you an even more powerful demonic body. Hahahaha! The world shall belong to demons!"

He delivered another earth-shaking proclamation, delight appearing on the face of the towering King of Demons.

Suddenly, he noticed a tiny figure flickering with golden flames before him.

He watched the tiny figure fly around his demonic body, nodding repeatedly and making tutting sounds.

As though appraising a piece of merchandise.

"Ant, what are you doing?"

The King of Demons lowered his hundred-meter-long horns and frowned.

Drops of dark demonic power stained the earth, infecting large numbers of wild animals nearby and twisting their bodies into strange shapes.

The human figure forged of golden flames stopped in midair and spoke with a serious expression.

"A demon. What a rare thing. I won't be able to see you anymore in a little while, so I'm taking a good look. Once I get back, I'll paint a picture and let everyone else have a look at this curiosity too."

Those words made the King of Demons laugh in anger. Over countless years, he had encountered fellows like this, but practically all of them had become dust in the sky.

Except for those few who were fellow demon kings.

"How amusing. A creature with merely the strength of a high-level demon, lowly yet stubborn-mouthed."

"Since you're so curious, I'll dig out your eyeballs in a moment and stuff them into my body, making them part of me!"

Samael, King of Demons, cackled and stretched out a hand as large as a small mountain to seize Jiang Yang.

Only when it drew close did Jiang Yang see clearly that those enormous hands were actually composed of countless living beings!

He looked the demon up and down again and discovered, to his shock, that this enormous demon's entire body was forged from countless corpses and bones.

Behind him, Jiang Yang seemed to see endless corpses and bones piled like mountains and seas!

This was a horrific body forged through the slaughter of endless living beings!

"How... absurd!"

Finding it both pitiable and laughable, Jiang Yang felt boundless killing intent ignite in his heart!

Only someone evil to the marrow could become such an existence.

This thing cannot be allowed to remain. The world has finally flourished again; I will not allow it to be destroyed once more.

Then boundless golden flames began to burst from his body, like stars scattering endless starlight!

Soon, an incomparably majestic divine bird of golden flame suddenly soared into the sky, appearing in the world.

"K clang! K clang!"

As a powerful, ringing cry echoed through heaven and earth, golden light swept through the world's darkness, appearing in this age of myth!

Ten thousand miles away, the trio carrying the man had not yet gone far and stared at the distant sight in shock.

"That glorious golden divine bird-it's the Golden Crow from mythology!"