Chapter 1650: Pandemonium
Drake and his group finally met with Pandemonium once more, and the mysterious man shrouded on shadows that was accompanying him. The two were menacing enough, but that man in specific was incredibly mysterious, without revealing his appearance or identity, Drake already had an idea of who it could be anyways, but he was still doubting if it was him, or a different new enemy entirely.
Drake's provocation easily got into Pandemonium's nerves, however. The God of all Demons had little patience at all, his furious crimson eyes flared with demonic flames. He knew very well what the Dragon King meant, after all, he had experienced the pain of one of his body parts being fully eaten by the power of Gluttony.
A Sin that his own powers created, just like the other six Demon King Seeds.
It was almost ironic, that the only thing that could actually pose a threat to Pandemonium were his own powers. He began to feel like it was a mistake to create the Sins, which he had originally made to control and terrorize Yggdrasil even after he was split apart and sealed.
But he still remembered how much Drake struggled against just one of his body parts, and Pandemonium in this form was composed of eight body parts, further powered by a fragment of the Red Orb, the crystallization of the Primordial God of Fire and Space, Logi.
That damned lizard was speaking with such a tone against him, Pandemonium?
The man that slayed countless Ancient Gods?
The man that almost brought the complete destruction of Yggdrasil?!
Was he insane?!
"Hah... Hahahaha!" Pandemonium laughed at Drake's provocation.
"You're so hilarious, you little lizard. Is a baby like you thinking they can act grown up in front of their pitiful, shitty family?" Pandemonium glared at the rest of Drake's group. "Would you act the same way when you see their bodies torn to shreds, I wonder?"
"Y-You bastard...!" Drake groaned, showing his sharp teeth. "As if I would ever let you put a hand on them!"
"Hah... Is that so?" Pandemonium smiled defiantly, his crimson red eyes glowing brightly.
His powerful Primordial Demon God Aura expanded, creating an incredibly powerful, overwhelming Domain that consumed everything. It felt as if nobody in the room could even breathe! Their energy was also being slowly drained, and demonic miasma was beginning to appear out of nowhere, trying to slowly poison them.
"I have the power to end this world, yet you act so cocky... Maybe I didn't slap you hard enough... This time I will just kill you though, why even let you participate?" Pandemonium gave a step forward.
"Don't underestimate me..." Drake's eyes glowed with golden light.
FLASH!
His Domain surged from the depths of his Soul, combining dozens of Divinities together, and many Divine and Demonic Abilities, the power of his Soul resonated, shining the brightest.
"Oh?"
Pandemonium's eyebrows rose slightly as he noticed Drake's power expanding, creating a powerful bubble-shaped domain around his allies, protecting them from the after-effects of Pandemonium's domain.
"I told you I am NOT the same as before..." Drake said with a serious tone of voice. Everyone at his side and behind him prepared for battle.
"Interesting..." Pandemonium gave another step forward. "Maybe this won't be so boring... Now, let's begin! I can hardly wait-"
"Stop." However, the hand of Pandemonium's companion touched the Demon God's shoulder. "You mustn't fight before the trial begins, Pandemonium. If you kill them now, we won't be able to access the Inheritance without the required participants."
"What...? Since when you order me around, you piece of shit?" Pandemonium glared down at the man in front of him, his demonic energy infecting his hand, which the man rapidly pulled away. "I can do whatever I want..."
"Remember what you promised to Crimson, you said you would help him because he revived you, and that wish was passed to me," The man said. "Now, don't waste my time, we must go in."
The man shrouded in shadows gave one last glare at Drake and the rest of his party, without saying any word, and then walked away.
"...Tch," Pandemonium clicked his tongue.
Despite how unruly and demonic he was, he seemed to keep his promises no matter what, it was a code he had, one he wouldn't go against. He gave one last deadly glare at Drake.
"Just you wait," He walked away after that.
As he and his companion moved across the long corridor in front of everyone, Drake sighed in relief. He felt his heart beating incredibly fast, his humanoid form was sweating all over, and he was gasping for air.
"Even now, after I've grown so strong since then..." he muttered. "The wall between the two of us... It's still so overwhelmingly big?!" he thought, gritting his teeth.
Drake started to think, if for his own recklessness, his family and friends end up dying, he wouldn't be able to even forgive himself.
Yet against such a terrifying monster, was there any other alternative than to confront him?
He looked back at his family and friends, who were just as scared as he was.
They were trembling, in fact.
Pandemonium's presence alone was incredible.
Like nothing they've ever felt.
In fact, it felt thousands of times more overwhelming than the presence of the Souls of the Primordial Dragon Mothers.
"Can we really win?" Surtr started to doubt herself too. "T-This is..."
"Hahh..." Emerald gasped. "I-I can't breathe... Hahhh..."
"So that's Pandemonium..." Rakasha muttered. "..." Ruby remained in silence.
"Drake, are you okay?" Benladann asked.
"Hey..." Miranda called.
"Papa?" Benladra seemed worried.
"Daddy..." Kate muttered.
"Dadah..." Drakda said.
Drake felt the overwhelmingly heavy weight of his friends and family relying on him. If he showed them the face he was making, they would surely lose all their motivation to fight.
"No... I can't show any weakness, I promised them I would win..." he thought. He gritted his teeth, washing his face with his divine aura, and calming himself down by injecting Azure Ice Essence into his mind.
Coldness encompassed him, his mind and emotions calmed down.
"I'm fine," he said. "Let's go."