Taking the Mafia to the Magic World

Chapter 1111: Combat

Vicente listened intently to Kong’s words, the dragon’s voice tinged with regret and pessimism. The great frozen dragon’s eyes, filled with the weight of countless years, met Vicente’s gaze.

The sincerity in Kong’s tone was undeniable. Vicente understood that giving up might indeed be the most pragmatic advice the ancient dragon could offer. But surrender was not an option for him.

”I imagine the road ahead is torturous,” Vicente said, his voice resolute. ”Changing something crafted by the Transcendents certainly won’t come without its share of defeats.” He looked up at the sky, his thoughts drifting to Argardus. ”But I must try, or I will regret it deeply for the rest of my life.”

Kong’s massive head shook slowly, his neck moving with a creak that sent shards of ice cascading from his body to the ground below. ”I thought the same once,” the dragon rumbled. ”But go ahead. I won’t be the one to stop you. Just don’t count on my help. I’m retired from that life.”

”Oh?” Vicente glanced back at Kong. ”Can you at least tell me what you’ve achieved in your years of experience?”

Kong looked at the young human for a moment, seeming to consider the request. But in his mind, what he saw was a scene from the past, from the time when he was still in Polaris Realm and was preparing to come to Anicane.

He had also left friends and family behind. He had promised something similar to Vicente, having, like that human, done what he could to obtain the truth of the ’end’ of the Nine Paths and then try to restore it.

His memories took him to a not-so-distant past, making him see in his mind the form of an old companion.

”In the Red Enclave, there is someone who will be able to solve your doubts,” he muttered after a few seconds, as his eyes turned a little redder than usual. ”She’ll answer your questions... as long as she’s still alive.

Unlike me, she would never give up. Her heart has always been colder and harder to move. As long as she’s still alive, she’ll answer anything you ask. But don’t bother me with this subject. I no longer want anything to do with Argardus and the end of the Nine Paths.”

Vicente listened with interest, looking at Kong’s troubled expression. ’You seem to be stressing yourself out... But talking to you is too important for me to leave with just that.’

”Does she have a name?”

”Theloria. A Succubus.”

”A demon?” Vicente frowned in surprise.

”Yes,” Kong confirmed, his voice tinged with a mixture of bitterness and nostalgia. ”She was in Polaris Realm when the Nine Paths changed. Trapped for centuries on our plane, she became part of our alliance to find a method of repairing the Nine Paths. She lost everything, but unlike me, her loss was because of being trapped in Polaris Realm. Hence her hatred of the Transcendents and her interest in changing the current reality.”

Kong’s words gave Vicente much to ponder.

”Are there Transcendents in The Red Enclave?” Vicente pressed further, sensing the importance of this information.

Kong’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing in clear displeasure. ”Yes,” he admitted reluctantly, his voice growing nasal as his aura intensified, causing the surrounding ice to expand. ”The damned Transcendents... Their desire is to become True Celestials, to reach the glorious Argardus! Damn them!”

The dragon’s eyes darkened with fury as he looked at Vicente. A moment later, he opened his mouth, exhaling a freezing blue essence that surged toward the young human.

Vicente reacted swiftly, moving to dodge while summoning his powers from the depths of his soul. He knew Kong was not like the other high-level Sorcerers he had faced. The dragon’s freezing power was extraordinarily potent, already forcing Vice to shield himself with a significant amount of mana even before the situation escalated.

But Vicente didn’t retaliate immediately. Despite his earlier words to Eudon, he had no intention of attacking a friend from Polaris Realm so easily. Understanding the complexity of Kong’s history, he focused on using his suppressive powers while evading the dragon’s furious attempts to strike him.

”Kong, listen to me!” Vicente shouted, his voice cutting through the icy onslaught.

Although consumed by a moment of uncontrolled rage, Kong was not entirely lost to his trauma. His keen senses readily identified Vicente’s formidable strength, noting how his ice could not restrain the human before him.

”Calm down and I’ll leave,” Vicente declared, his voice steady and commanding. ”However, if you choose the path of pain, I will not only beat you until you return to your senses but also enter your mind.” As he spoke, Vice seated himself on a throne that materialized beneath him, half-black and half-white, raising one hand in the air.

With his gesture, two colossal figures materialized beside him, each as large as the ice dragon. One figure, composed entirely of darkness, wielded a menacing trident and wore a crown atop its head. The other, a radiant being of light, held a golden arrow that matched the gem embedded in its hand.

Around the two towering figures of light and darkness, eight glowing pentagrams solidified in midair, their intricate lines pulsing as they siphoned mana from the surrounding environment. The landscape itself began to change, the frost and ice coating the mountaintop cracking and melting under the intense, opposing forces. The stark contrast of heat and freezing energy created an unnerving harmony, an unstable equilibrium waiting to erupt.

But Vicente’s display of power alone wasn’t enough to deter Kong. The ice dragon grinned, a feral, hostile smile stretched across his ancient face.

With a rumble that sent tremors through the frozen ground, Kong stretched out his powerful limbs, his massive muscles bulging as if fueled by unrelenting fury. Around his immense body, new layers of jagged ice surged, spiraling upward to encase him in an even more formidable shield of frost.

”It’s been an eternity since this old body has truly moved,” Kong declared, his deep voice reverberating like an avalanche cascading down a mountainside. ”Good!” He sneered, as the air grew heavier with his intent, ”I’d like to see all those fancy tricks you’ve brought here. But before that, tell me, wouldn’t it be fun if I ripped off your arms and legs and devoured them right in front of you while you could do nothing but watch?”

Vicente remained seated upon his half-black, half-white throne, exuding a measured calm that contrasted with the ferocity of his opponent. He stretched out his hand, resting his elbow on the armrest, his expression composed, even detached.

”Trying that,” Vicente said, his voice filled with quiet authority, ”would be... extremely painful for you.” Sparks of energy flickered briefly across his throne as he glanced to the side, his sharp gaze catching movement within the swirling gas clouds cloaking parts of the mountain. He could feel other sources of mana stirring—a multitude of them. His senses sharpened further, taking in the figures emerging from the mist. ”Ah. I see you have company,” he remarked, his tone more amused than concerned. ”If you want to try, come. Come at me, all of you.”

From within the dense gas clouds, figures coalesced, their outlines solidifying as they crossed into clear view. Beings of ice, sharp and jagged like crystalline predators, marched in unison.

Meanwhile, high above, Kong himself launched into the air with terrifying agility that defied his massive size. His wings spread wide, carrying him upward in a great flurry of ice and wind. His colossal form cast a long shadow over the mountain as he arced through the darkened sky before turning into a violent dive aimed directly at his adversary.

The energy around the mountain spiked as the freezing battalion charged toward Vicente, their icy claws and weapons gleaming as they prepared to tear through the throne’s defenses.

Sitting calmly on his throne despite the convergence of enemies and the overwhelming blizzard of mana crackling in the air, he made no move to escape or counter the oncoming strike. He simply leaned back slightly, folding his hands together as a faint smirk curled at the corner of his lips.

Then, his two summoned entities moved!