Chapter 78: The Dragon's Pact

"Kurogami Masayuki, I know that aside from our master, you are the most enlightened deity in this academy. Therefore, I wish to ask you for some crucial information regarding a deity who was once a student in this academy. Would you be willing to assist me, my elder brother?"

"Snow Sky-Dog, we are not only friends but also comrades. If there is anything I can help you with within my capabilities, I will certainly assist you with all the sincerity and enthusiasm I possess!"

"Very well, if you say so, then I will straightforwardly inquire about a very important piece of information regarding him! With a series of impending missions, as well as a major and fierce battle that none of us can avoid; I wish to understand his mindset and ideological system."

"Are you referring to 'Desert Dragon' Ryujin Sabaku, Snow Sky-Dog?"

"That's him! I need to know about the life philosophy he deems most important!"

"Let me recall then! I remember our master mentioning a statement made by 'Desert Dragon' Ryujin Sabaku. 'The special ability of a pathfinder is evolution. Evolution means adapting at the utmost effective level even when it requires transforming what is very familiar and deeply ingrained within oneself at an exceptionally high degree. Supreme adaptation means devising a strategy, even if it's a new and bizarre one, seemingly less effective but in reality very effective. And subsequent actions will carry astonishing power and efficiency to the extent of being able to convincingly triumph in all non-specialized battles and in battles where its ferocity isn't overwhelmingly high.' If I'm not mistaken, this is the life philosophy he considers the best for himself! He uttered This statement on his first day at this academy when he was asked to express his most cherished life philosophy."

"If he lives by all that he said in this statement, then the three of us will be exhausted and strenuous in our efforts to defeat him. Because if he lives true to the life philosophy he deems most important to him, he will cause a lot of trouble for us. He will be a very difficult opponent for us to defeat. Not to mention, 'Demon Dragon' Kamui, and 'Steel Dragon' Ryujin Tetsu will also ally with him to oppose us. All three of them are very cruel and cunning. Furthermore, last time we severely injured 'Demon Dragon' Kamui. I believe the dragon god who heads the dragon clan - the King of Dragons, will not overlook this. The magical power and character of the King of Dragons are still mysteries. And down in the underworld, the King of Demons has made his initial moves through his henchman 'Demon Dragon' Kamui. About this character, the strongest figure in the underworld, we still don't know the specific magical power he possesses. So far, all we know is that all the opponents we will face are very ruthless, cunning, and possess terrifying magical powers, as well as being skilled in the admirable combat skills of seasoned warriors. I worry that if we don't urgently train in magic, in the end, we will be the most shameful failures!"

"Do you have any solutions to this, Snow Sky-Dog?"

"My elder brother, Kurogami Masayuki, do you know that aside from the 'Colorful Armament' magic, War God Bishamonten possesses a much stronger magic called 'Dominance of Colors'? This magic allows the user to emit a tremendous amount of energy to the point of almost unimaginable. This energy can render any opponent within its influence range unconscious, convulsing, irregular heartbeat, loss of consciousness, and even if maximized, can make a large number of opponents stop breathing, have their hearts shattered, or otherwise become insane."

"What, am I hearing correctly, Snow Sky-Dog? Isn't this a banned magic, War God Bishamonten wouldn't teach it to you!"

"My elder brother, Kurogami Masayuki, do you know that War God Bishamonten has an irresistible passion for rare weapons? He will happily teach us this magic alone if we bring him such a weapon!"

"Snow Sky-Dog, is there any rare weapon that War God Bishamonten doesn't own?"

"Oh, yes, there is, there's a rare weapon that War God Bishamonten desires to possess, but he fears the magical power of the owner of this weapon, so he doesn't want to seize it from its rightful owner!"

"Is that true, Snow Sky-Dog?"

"Indeed, Kurogami Masayuki! This weapon is called 'The Weeping Demon Blade.' The one who currently owns it is 'The Dragon Bone Youkai' Aokigahara Akio."

"Are you insane, Snow Sky-Dog? We can't defeat Aokigahara Akio! This is an extremely dangerous dragon deity, and also the highest-ranked criminal in all three worlds!"

"My elder brother, Kurogami Masayuki! A person is deemed insane if he truly is insane, or if he is extraordinarily outstanding, outstanding to the point where no one can predict. Therefore, a person deemed insane can still advance with the 'madness' that others ascribe to him. The important thing is what kind of madness he belongs to lower-class madness or upper-class madness?"

"So you go alone to find and eliminate 'The Dragon Bone Youkai' Aokigahara Akio to take away his 'The Weeping Demon Blade'! You're asking me to bury you in the same grave!"

"No, my elder brother, Kurogami Masayuki, we can't defeat Aokigahara Akio alone. That's too big a task for anyone. But we can try to approach and persuade him. If we're clever and smart enough, perhaps we can achieve our goal without the need for weapons or magical power."

"But how can we approach such a dangerous person as Aokigahara Akio without causing attention or being detected by him?" Kurogami Masayuki doubted.

"We need a meticulous plan and a clever approach. Surely it won't be easy, but if we don't try, we won't know the outcome. And of course, we also need thorough preparation before taking any action."

Kurogami Masayuki sensed the determination in Snow Sky-Dog's words. He looked at his comrade with confidence that they would overcome any challenge together.

"Alright, Snow Sky-Dog, tell me what your plan is. Where do we start?"

Snow Sky-Dog smiled, his eyes bright with hope.

"We'll start by gathering information and carefully planning. Then, we'll execute a smart approach, initiate a conversation, and see what we can do to persuade Aokigahara Akio. Trust me, my elder brother, we will overcome all difficulties."

Kurogami Masayuki nodded, showing agreement and determination. The two of them would have to face a major challenge, but with their combined intelligence and cooperation, they hoped they could achieve their goal and protect the world from the threat of rebellious youkai and the dark forces supporting them.

Snow Sky-Dog and Kurogami Masayuki's plan began with thorough information gathering about Aokigahara Akio, the owner of "The Weeping Demon Blade." They followed every lead, from rumors on the decrepit streets of the underground world to the reports recorded by renowned bounty hunters. Through each investigation and information analysis, they realized that Aokigahara Akio was not only a dangerous individual but also a profound researcher of ancient weapons and magic.

Gradually, they approached Aokigahara Akio through an underground network of bounty hunters and heroic saviors. They were confident that they could change Aokigahara Akio's perspective and cooperate with him to deal with the dark forces.

Finally, after a series of meetings and discussions, Aokigahara Akio began to open up and listen to Snow Sky-Dog and Kurogami Masayuki. He realized that magical power wasn't everything and that intelligence and strategy were needed to face major challenges.

Gradually, Aokigahara Akio became part of the team with Snow Sky-Dog, Kurogami Masayuki, and Mizuchi Haruka. He provided knowledge about ancient weapons and magic that he had researched for many years. The collaboration between the four deities opened up new possibilities and opportunities to deal with greater threats and protect the world from the devastation of rebellious youkai and dark forces.

Despite the challenges and risks ahead, Snow Sky-Dog, Kurogami Masayuki, Mizuchi Haruka, and Aokigahara Akio were ready to face them with a combination of strength, intelligence, and courage. The story of the battle between light and darkness, between heroes and villains, continued and would never end.