NOVEL WEB Chapter 378: 378
In the end, Jaden and his group had no choice but to stop along the mountain road.
Jaden gasped heavily, eyes locked ahead.
Before him, two colossal demons were locked in a furious clash, each blow sending out shockwaves that Jaden had to strain himself to shield everyone from.
After a moment, the two demons halted. Grapha, the Dragon Lord, and Reign, the Demon God, floated face-to-face in the air again.
This time, a massive gash had opened in Reign's body, multicolored blood streaming out.
"Hahahaha! Reign! Why won't you ever listen to reason!? If you'd just stayed at the gate like I told you, I wouldn't have had to rip you apart with my own claws!" Grapha laughed maniacally.
His power far exceeded Reign's. In terms of Spirit strength, he had complete confidence in his victory.
"Now you're injured trying to stop me. You wouldn't win even in a Duel!"
He laughed savagely.
That crazed laughter only made the students inside the machine more terrified.
They could tell that the muscular demon had been trying to protect them. However, now that he was wounded, what could they do?
When Grapha saw Reign silent, he turned and lunged toward Jaden. Reign roared, swinging his spear to intercept, blocking the attack in front of Jaden.
"You okay!?" Jaden shouted instinctively. He didn't know what was going on, yet seeing Reign protect him triggered a gut reaction.
"I-I'm fine, my king!" Reign trembled, whether from excitement or fear. It was the first time the Supreme King had ever shown concern for him.
King?
Jaden whispered in confusion.
"So, you got what you wanted," Grapha growled. "Supreme King, are you going to cower behind your subordinate?"
Supreme King?
What was all this?
Jaden was lost.
As he tried to make sense of things, a twisted, bizarre-looking demon stepped out from Grapha's ranks. Its head tilted sideways, chuckling eerily.
"Dragon Lord, have you forgotten? The Supreme King hasn't awakened yet!"
"Ah, yes—that's right," Grapha laughed darkly.
That was why he dared appear before the Supreme King.
He intended to seize the King's power before he awoke.
"Jaden Yuki, right?" the crooked-neck demon sneered. "I serve the Dragon Lord. I am Brron, Mad King of Dark World. You must be wondering why we all came after you during your escape, why every last demon is hunting you down."
Jaden had already figured it out.
He just regretted realizing too late.
"You're... after me?"
"Hehehe, truly worthy of being the Supreme King. So clever." Brron cackled. "You are the reincarnation of the one who once ruled twelve dimensions. The Supreme King's power lies dormant inside you. If we claim it, we can raise our armies once more and conquer all twelve dimensions. We'll be the Demon of Demons—the Demon King of Demon Kings!"
"W-what?" Jaden was too stunned to speak.
"Reincarnation? What kind of nonsense is this!?" Tyranno shouted from the truck window.
But his shouting was drowned out by other voices.
"So we were dragged into this?"
"Then they should've just taken Jaden!"
"M-mom...!"
Some of the students, already cracking under pressure, began voicing their fears.
Jaden felt a sharp pain in his chest.
"How about it? Stay behind, and we'll let the others go," Brron tempted him, raising a claw as he spoke.
Jaden hesitated.
"Don't listen to him, Jaden!" Jim immediately shouted. "This creep will absolutely go back on his word. If he gets a hostage, it's over!"
"He's right. You can't trust him," Axel added firmly. "On the battlefield, it's life or death. There's no surrender!"
Jaden's eyes regained focus and resolve.
He still had many allies standing with him...
"Hehehe—" Brron saw Jaden had recovered, yet wasn't discouraged. He burst into crazed laughter.
"What are you doing!?" Syrus screamed.
One student pushed open the vehicle window and jumped out. "I have nothing to do with this! Leave me alone! Fight among yourselves!"
"Idiot—" Syrus coughed violently, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He had been pushing his energy to the limit to power the vehicle. His head spun, and he nearly collapsed before Dennis caught him.
With panic spreading, more students leapt from the truck, unable to handle the pressure.
"Fools..." Jim tugged his hat down grimly.
What was a true hero's greatest enemy?
An evil villain?
No.
Jim thought to himself:
It's "foolish people."
"HAHAHAHA!" Grapha dove, with waves of demons swarming behind him. The fleeing students were like helpless chicks, snatched up and torn apart.
Jaden summoned Neos, while Reign, focused only on protecting Jaden, didn't dispatch his forces to assist the fleeing students.
To him, those deserters would only drag the Supreme King down. Better they all die.
And just like that, the goodwill Jaden had started to feel toward Reign vanished.
It was like being doused in cold water.
He finally understood.
From the start, only they—the humans—valued the lives of their companions.
Brron laughed wildly.
"Supreme King, your allies don't seem particularly bright!"
"Duel me..." Jaden lowered his head, his tone calm.
"Hmm? Duel? We're the ones with the upper hand, remember?" Brron sneered.
He didn't care about formalities, as long as he got what he wanted.
"Duel me!" Jaden raised his left hand, shouting at Grapha. "You want my power, don't you? Duel me!
If you win, take what you came for. If I win, all of you leave!"
Brron scratched his head, wanting to object, but Grapha gave him a sharp glance, shutting him up.
Grapha slowly descended among the crowd. Around him were both his own and Reign's demons.
He could feel it—familiar hostility approaching.
The Lightsworn were coming.
"Fine, Supreme King," Grapha said with pride, unlike Brron's madness. "This is the perfect moment.
Right now, before my kin, before my enemies, I'll crush you completely!
Then I will rightfully become the new King of Twelve Dimensions!"
He waved a claw. Brron nodded and quickly retrieved something from the rear. Holding it reverently, he brought it before Grapha.
A pitch-black disk.
Jaden felt a strange familiarity. Once mounted on Grapha's arm, it began spinning wildly, churning up gales before transforming into a Duel Disk.
"Ahh—what a great feeling," Grapha laughed.
Jaden pressed a button; his own Duel Disk unfolded. His expression turned serious.
"DUEL!"
[Jaden Yuki, LP: 4000]
[Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World, LP: 4000]