Celestial Spirit King

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Suddenly, a thunderous voice echoed through the celestial realm.

"Who dares trespass into the Celestial Spirit World?!"

A towering figure clad in majestic armor emerged. His presence alone radiated power and authority.

"The Celestial Spirit King?!"

Loke's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the imposing figure before them.

"The King... so he's the strongest Celestial Spirit?!"

The Celestial Spirit King looked directly at Loke. "Loke, so it was you. We Celestial Spirits form contracts with humans and are forbidden from harming our key holders. While you did not directly kill your owner, your actions led to her death. Therefore, I cannot allow you to return to the Celestial Spirit World."

Lucy immediately stepped forward, protesting, "Wait a minute! Isn't that ridiculous?! Loke was only trying to protect his friend, Aries! He had no other choice! He has already suffered for three years—hasn't he been punished enough?!"

"I understand your emotions and sympathize with your pain, but rules are rules. They cannot be changed."

Suddenly, another voice interrupted.

"No. Rules exist to bind the weak. The strong, however, create their own rules." Uchiha Kitaro spoke as he slowly levitated into the air.

"Kitaro?"

"Old man, how about this? Let's have a fight. If I can land even one solid hit on you, you pardon Loke. If I lose, you can do whatever you want with him."

"What?!"

Lucy, Loke, and Virgo all froze in disbelief.

"Kitaro, quit messing around! That's the Celestial Spirit King! The strongest spirit in existence!"

Kitaro chuckled. "The strongest Celestial Spirit is still just a Celestial Spirit. If fists can settle this, why waste time arguing?"

After all, back in the Pirate world, he had been called the strongest man alive. And besides, he was curious to see how strong the Celestial Spirit King really was. He was sure the King ranked among the strongest in this world—perhaps on par with the Spriggan 12, or at least above the Ten Wizard Saints.

"Puhahaha! You're bold, kid! Very well, I accept your challenge!" The Celestial Spirit King roared with laughter, clearly amused.

"Huh—?!"

Lucy, Loke, and Virgo were completely stunned. The Celestial Spirit King actually agreed to fight?!

"There are Celestial Spirits nearby. Let's move to a different battlefield."

Snap!

With a single snap of his fingers—

Whoosh!

The surroundings instantly changed. They now stood on a barren, uninhabited mini planet floating in space.

"It has been ages since I last battled a human... No, to be precise, I don't even remember how many centuries it's been," the Celestial Spirit King mused. "My old bones might be rusty, but this is a good opportunity to shake off the dust. Human boy, you may strike first!"

"In that case, I won't hold back."

Buzz—!!

Kitaro clenched his fist, coating it with the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.

Then, without hesitation, he threw a punch straight at the Celestial Spirit King.

Crack! Crack! Crack—!!!

Fractures spread through the very air itself as an intense shockwave rippled outward, shaking the entire mini planet beneath them.

The ground split apart, sending a massive chasm racing toward the Celestial Spirit King.

The King's once-relaxed expression changed in an instant. He swiftly raised his massive sword, bracing himself.

BOOM—!!

Even so, he felt the terrifying force travel through his blade, pushing him backward. His feet dug deep trenches into the ground as he struggled to withstand the shockwave.

The Celestial Spirit King was shocked. Originally, he had treated this as a playful match—humoring the reckless human before ultimately pardoning Loke. That way, he could maintain his dignity while also showing mercy.

But this... This was beyond his expectations. If he didn't take this seriously, he might actually lose.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!!"

Kitaro exhaled a massive, roaring fireball, sending it hurtling toward the King.

In response, the Celestial Spirit King swung his sword, unleashing a powerful energy slash.

Swish!

The slash cut cleanly through the giant fireball, splitting it in two.

Taking advantage of the moment, the Celestial Spirit King charged forward at incredible speed, bringing his enormous sword down toward Kitaro.

"Kitaro! Watch out!!" Lucy cried out.

But Kitaro remained still. He casually unsheathed the Nichirin Blade at his waist and held it above his head.

BOOM—!!!

The ground erupted as the King's mighty sword clashed against Kitaro's blade. Yet, Kitaro stood firm, blocking the strike effortlessly with one hand.

"He stopped it?!" Loke gasped in disbelief. He knew Kitaro was strong, but this was the first time he had seen him use a sword.

Kitaro pointed a finger at the Celestial Spirit King—

Swish—!!

A spear of lightning shot forward, piercing through the King's body.

"Your Majesty!!"

Loke and Virgo gasped in alarm. The Celestial Spirit King was their ruler, the very foundation of their world.

"Ugh..." The King groaned, swinging his massive blade once more.

Clang!

Kitaro met the strike head-on, their weapons colliding with immense force. For a moment, the two were locked in a fierce power struggle—

BOOM!

A shockwave erupted, launching Kitaro backward.

"Kitaro!!" Lucy shouted in concern.

However, in the blink of an eye, Kitaro reappeared, completely unfazed.

"Hmm... Not bad. As expected of the Celestial Spirit King. But fighting someone that much bigger than me feels a bit awkward."

With that, his body started expanding—

In mere moments, Kitaro had grown to match the Celestial Spirit King in size.

"Yeah, this feels much better."

"Huh—?!" Lucy, Loke, and Virgo were completely dumbfounded.

The battle had only just begun.

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