dmims Chapter 292 New Participant, the 6th Demon King Descends!
Chapter 292 New Participant, the 6th Demon King Descends!
Chapter 292 A New Participant: The Sixth Demon King Descends!
Three days after the Minnion Island incident.
Onigashima, the deepest part of the Beasts Pirates' headquarters, is a space resembling the interior of a giant skull.
The lava flowed slowly through the fissures in the earth, emitting a scorching smell that was a mixture of sulfur and blood.
The walls were covered with the skulls of various creatures, including some that were clearly human: rebels, losers, and simple sacrifices.
Kaido's massive body was perched on the Skull Throne, clutching a huge gourd of liquor, gulping down strong wine.
The liquor dripped down his chin, falling onto the rocky ground with a hissing, corrosive sound.
Cú Chulainn leaned against a stone pillar in the distance, his crimson spear planted beside him, and he was sharpening the tip of the spear with a rough whetstone.
The grating friction echoed through the empty hall, creating an eerie symphony with the sound of bubbling lava.
"So—" Kaido put down his gourd, let out a deafening burp, and stared at Cú Chulainn with his dark golden vertical pupils.
"That medical genius is very powerful?"
"It can block my spear and stand up to that sun god." Cú Chulainn didn't even look up, continuing to sharpen his spear.
"That's acceptable. But the flamingo getting mixed up with that doctor kid is a bit of a problem."
"Hehehehehe—" Kaido chuckled in a low voice.
"That Doflamingo brat always manages to create trouble for himself at the most troublesome times. But it doesn't matter, as long as he doesn't get in my way—"
His words came to an abrupt end.
Suddenly, Kaido's massive body sat bolt upright, his dark golden pupils shrinking into slits.
The gourd in his hand was cracked from being squeezed, and wine dripped out.
Cú Chulainn also stopped sharpening his spear, raised his head, and a hint of alertness flashed in his crimson eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"Do you know why I called you back? I sensed it again—" Kaido said in a low voice, his voice filled with suppressed excitement.
"Right here in Wano Country—a very clear fluctuation, similar to the feeling when you Heroic Spirits appeared, but even more—fresh."
Cú Chulainn frowned: "A new Heroic Spirit summoning?"
"No, not a Heroic Spirit yet." Kaido grinned, revealing a ferocious smile.
"It's a fluctuation triggered by the qualification. Someone has just gained the right to participate in the Holy Grail War, right on my turf!"
He stood up abruptly, his tall frame almost reaching the top of the hall.
"ember!"
A dark figure slid out from the corner of the hall, the wings of the Lunaria tribe unfolded behind him, and the eyes beneath the mask gleamed with a cold light.
"Mr. Kaido."
"Take men to Wano Country immediately! Search the area centered on the Flower Capital!"
Kaido's voice echoed in the hall.
"Find that new participant and bring him back, alive or dead, but he must be qualified!"
'
"Yes," Jin replied briefly, then turned to leave.
"Wait a minute," Cú Chulainn suddenly said.
He shouldered his spear and walked up to Kaido.
"I'll go too."
Kaido raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Didn't you say you weren't interested in this kind of trivial matter?"
"I'm really not interested," Cú Chulainn grinned. "But that healer is gone, and I'm itching to get my hands dirty. Besides—"
'
A dangerous glint flashed in his crimson eyes.
"What if the Heroic Spirit summoned by that new participant is strong enough?"
Kaido stared at him for a few seconds, then burst into a deafening laugh.
"Hmm, hehehehe!!! Alright! Jhin, you lead a team to search from the ground. Cú Chulainn, you go from the sky."
I want to see that qualification placed before me before the sun rises tomorrow!
Ember and Cú Chulainn nodded simultaneously, each transforming into a black shadow and a red light, disappearing into the depths of the Skull Palace.
Kaido sat back on his throne, grabbed the broken gourd, and drank the remaining wine in one gulp.
"The Holy Grail War — Hmm — This is getting more and more interesting."
He casually tossed the empty gourd aside, and it smashed into dust against the wall in the distance.
Let's make this game even more exciting!
The Flower Capital, the nominal capital of Wano Country, is a prosperous land under the rule of Shogun Kurozumi Orochi.
During the day, the place is bustling with song and dance, and the streets are crowded with people watching performances and buying goods. Geisha move between teahouses and banquet halls, and the sounds of shamisen and taiko drums fill the air.
But as night falls and the city lights come on, another side of Wano Country quietly emerges.
The alleyways of the slums reeked of sewage and disease, and drunken patrolling samurai walked by, casually kicking over the broken bowls of beggars on the roadside.
Deep within the red-light district, in a brothel called White Dance, the laughter of drunken customers and courtesans mingled together, drowning out the occasional muffled sounds and sobs coming from the back alleys.
Deep within the White Dance, in a tea room not open to outsiders, a secret meeting is taking place.
"Lord Hiyori, please reconsider."
The speaker was an elderly man with gray hair and wearing reading glasses.
He was dressed in a simple kimono, kneeling on the tatami mat with his forehead pressed against the ground, his posture humble, but his voice carried an undeniable determination.
Opposite him, across an exquisite lacquer tea table, sat a stunningly beautiful woman.
Her long, purple hair cascaded down like a waterfall, adorned with pearls and gold ornaments.
Her skin was as white as snow, her eyebrows and eyes were exquisitely beautiful, and a touch of vermilion on her lips made her both charming and dignified.
She wore a priceless furisode kimono embroidered with lifelike peacock and peony patterns.
Just sitting there, it was as if the whole room was brightened by her presence.
Light, moon and sun.
Or rather, in the City of Flowers, she has a more widely known name: the courtesan Komurasaki.
"Lord Semimaru, please get up." Hiyori's voice was as gentle as a spring breeze, yet it carried an irresistible force.
"You are my teacher, there's no need for that."
Kurotan Cicada Pill.
The old retainer who had served Kozuki Oden and was now secretly protecting Hiyori slowly raised his head, his eyes behind his reading glasses filled with worry.
"Lord Hiyori, I know what you intend to do. But the time is not yet ripe."
"Orochi's rule may be brutal, but he has Kaido behind him. With our limited strength, let alone restoring our kingdom, we can't even assassinate Orochi—"
"That's why I need that." Hiyori interrupted him calmly, taking a small scroll from her sleeve and unfolding it.
The scroll depicts a complex magic circle pattern, with dense annotations next to it.
It contained ancient incantations transliterated using the language of this world, along with some basic instructions on summoning Heroic Spirits.
"The qualification for the Holy Grail War," Hiyori said softly.
"If I can obtain it and summon the Heroic Spirit, I will have the means to fight against Kaido and Orochi."
"But the qualification is randomly selected!" Semimaru said excitedly.
"No one knows who it will choose! Even if you prepare for this ceremony, if the right doesn't come your way—"
"It will."
Hiyori's voice remained calm, but deep within her purple eyes burned a flame that bordered on obsession.
"Because I have to get it."
"For my father, for my mother, for my brother, for all those who died because of Orochi and Kaido—"
"I must get it."
She rolled up the reel again and carefully placed it back into her sleeve.
"Everything needed for the ceremony is ready. The location is that abandoned shrine in Ringo, far from the Flower Capital, a secluded place, and also—"
She paused.
"That was where my father practiced asceticism when he was young. If there is any place that can attract qualified beings, that is the most suitable one."
Looking at the 24-year-old woman before him, who bore the fate of the entire nation on her shoulders, Chanmaru felt a lump in his throat.
He recalled that 18 years ago, Kozuki Oden had done the same thing, resolutely deciding to challenge the impossible in order to save Wano Country.
"This old minister understands." Semimaru finally lowered his head.
"This old minister will arrange for someone to escort you to Linghou."
"But please be careful, the guards in the Flower Capital have been increased recently, and Orochi seems to have gotten wind of something."
"I know." Hiyori stood up, walked to the window, and gently opened it a crack.
Outside the window, the street was brightly lit, and laughter drifted on the breeze.
In the shadows where the lights couldn't reach, she saw several indistinct figures.
They are not ordinary guards, but Gifters, artificial Devil Fruit users under Kaido's command.
"They've already begun," Hiyori whispered. "Kaido—has already sensed something."
It was late at night, at the third quarter of the hour of Chou (1-3 AM).
The hustle and bustle of the Flower City finally subsided, with only the monotonous sound of the night watchman's clapper echoing through the streets.
The back door of Baiwu opened silently, and three figures draped in black cloaks quickly flashed out and disappeared into the shadows of the alley.
Hiyori walked in the middle, with Semimaru leading the way, and another young ninja following closely behind.
All three of them deliberately lowered their breathing, their footsteps were as light as cat steps, and they made almost no sound.
But just as they passed through the third alley and were about to reach the entrance to the secret passage leading out of the city—
"Found it."
A cold voice came from above.
The three of them looked up at the same time.
Seven or eight figures had appeared on the rooftops on both sides of the alley.
The leader was a tall, thin man wearing a bird-beak mask, with a pair of black wings unfolding behind him.
A Zoan-type Devil Fruit user with the Bird-Bird Fruit and crow form.
"Your courtesan is Komurasaki—no, I should call you Hiyori Kozuki." The crow-man's voice was mocking.
"General Kurozumi Orochi has been looking for you for a long time. I didn't expect you to be hiding in the entertainment district. You really know how to pick a place."
Semimaru instantly drew his sword and stood in front of Hiyori, shouting, "My lord, go quickly! This old servant will hold them off!"
"Hold us back?" the crow-man scoffed. "With just you, an old man? And that little ninja?"
He waved his hand.
The givers on the rooftop jumped down at the same time!
Some transformed into cheetahs, some had arms that turned into scythes, and some spewed venom from their mouths.
These guys are all Devil Fruit users created by Kaido using the SMILE Fruit. Although most of them have flaws, their numbers are enough to overwhelm them.
The battle erupted in an instant.
Semimaru's swordsmanship was superb; after all, he was a retainer who had served Oden. With a single stroke, he severed the forepaw of the cheetah-like gifted creature that was the first to pounce.
The young ninja threw out smoke bombs in an attempt to cover Hiyori's retreat.
But there are too many enemies.
From the smoke, a scaly arm suddenly reached out, grabbed the ninja's ankle, and slammed him to the ground!
Another Gifter lunged at Hiyori from the side, his arm, which had transformed into a drill, piercing straight into her heart!
"Don't even think about it!"
Despite taking a venom spray to his back, Chanmaru turned around and severed the drill arm with a single slash!
But he himself was also poisoned; his face quickly turned blue and his movements became sluggish.
"Lord Semimaru!" Hiyori exclaimed.
"Go quickly—" Semimaru gritted his teeth, forcing back two more Gifters with another slash, but his steps were already faltering. "To Ringo—we must—"
He didn't finish his sentence.
The crow-man descended from the sky, his bird-claw-like feet slamming down on Chanmaru's back!
The sound of bones cracking was clearly audible. The old man coughed up blood, fell to the ground, and remained silent.
"Teacher!!!" Hiyori cried out in disbelief.
The young ninja was also knocked to the ground, his fate unknown.
The crow-man shook the blood off his feet and walked towards Hiyori, his eyes beneath the bird-beak mask gleaming with cruel light.
"Don't worry, General Orochi said he wants it alive. After all, you're still useful—the last bloodline of the Kozuki clan can be used to lure out those hiding rats."
He reached out and grabbed Hiyori's shoulder.
Just as my fingertips were about to touch the kimono—
Rihe suddenly looked up.
In those purple eyes, there was no fear, no despair, only an almost icy resolve.
She bit the tip of her tongue.
Blood mixed with saliva was forcefully spat out by her, drawing a thin blood trail in the air.
At the same time, her left hand emerged from her sleeve, and on her wrist, three bright red, tattoo-like marks had appeared.
Command Spells.
"With my blood as the catalyst—"
Hiyori's voice is no longer gentle, but carries a certain ancient, ritualistic solemnity.
"Anchored by my own will —"
The crow-man's expression changed drastically: "That red thing is... it's the qualification for that war! She's using that ritual! Stop her!"
But it was too late.
The three command seals burst forth with a blinding red light!
The red light, centered on the sun, transformed into a spherical field with a diameter of three meters, repelling all the gifted beings that approached it!
"By transcending the barriers of time and space, I answer the call of this body—"
Rihe's voice echoed in the red light. With a flick of her right hand, a palm-sized wooden carving slid out from her sleeve.
That's a statue of Kozuki Oden in his youth, carved by a craftsman she secretly commissioned based on her memory; it's her last memory.
"Descend here—"
"Heroic spirits who will grant me my wish for revenge!!!"
boom!!!
A crimson light shot into the sky, transforming into a pillar of light that pierced through heaven and earth, tearing apart the night sky of the City of Flowers!
The entire population of the Flower Capital was awakened.
The black charcoal serpent was startled awake from its sleep and scrambled to the window, its face turning deathly pale as it stared at the blood-red beam of light.
"Th-what is that?!"
On Onigashima, Kaido suddenly stood up, looked in the direction of the Flower Capital, and grinned: "Found it!"
Meanwhile, in the sky, Cú Chulainn, who was heading towards the City of Flowers, also saw the red light, and a hint of excitement flashed in his crimson eyes.
"Oh? It's already been summoned? Interesting!"
The beam of light lasted for a full ten seconds before slowly dissipating.
The alleyway was filled with smoke and dust.
The crow-man and the gifted ones rose from the ground, staring warily at the center of the pillar of light.
Two figures could be vaguely seen in the smoke and dust.
One was Hiyori, kneeling on the ground, her face pale and clearly exhausted.
another----
"Cough cough—seriously, what kind of place is this?"
A boisterous male voice, thick with a Kansai accent, rang out.
The smoke and dust cleared.
A man of medium build, dressed in a red kimono in the style of southern barbarians, with two swords hanging at his waist, was scratching his head, looking around in confusion.
He looked to be around thirty years old, with a rugged face, a beard, and messy hair, looking like he hadn't slept well.
What's most striking is the aura emanating from him.
It wasn't powerful magic, nor was it terrifying pressure; it was a kind of domineering force that was taken for granted.
It was as if wherever he stood, that place became his territory, and whatever he said became the rule.
The man looked down at Hiyori kneeling on the ground, then at the Kozuki Oden statue in her hand, and raised an eyebrow.
"Hey, little girl, are you the one who called me here? This thing—" He pointed to the statue.
"Is that your dad? He's quite handsome, but he's nowhere near as good-looking as me, hahaha!"
He burst into laughter, completely ignoring the opportunistic gift-givers around him.
The crow-like man's face turned ashen: "Who are you?!"
The man finally stopped laughing, turned his head, and looked at the crow man.
His gaze was casual, as if he were looking at a stone on the roadside.
"Me?" He grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.
"The Sixth Demon King, the daimyo of Owari Province, the overlord of the Warring States period, and the man who almost unified the country."
"However, these titles are too long, so just call me Lord Nobunaga."
"Oda Nobunaga!"
>