Opening a spatial wormhole to traverse parallel universes was nothing more than a casual flick of the wrist for a Nebula Body wielder.
Initiated by Shendu, this particular wormhole opened up to deposit them right upon the planetary surface of the Fourth Parallel Universe.
Two distinct, sharply contrasting auras instantly dominated the skies above the Fourth Parallel Universe's Earth.
Zoran and Shendu had arrived at their destination.
The Earth of the Fourth Parallel Universe was governed and ruled by Bradley, one of the four elite guardians serving directly under Hades.
While his base, innate hetero-energy was not particularly overwhelming, by utilizing the self-created Cloud Bat Skill Formation in tandem with the nearly ten-thousand-strong Cloud Bat Legion under his command, he wielded a force that could by no means be underestimated.
Bradley.
An opponent whose statistics were maxed out entirely in speed and defense.
On the planet's surface, the surrounding terrain and landscapes differed distinctly from those of the Third Parallel Universe; towering stone pillars of various sizes stood scattered everywhere. If one were to ignore the presence of the sky above, it felt less like a normal world and more akin to some sprawling subterranean cavern teeming with bats.
Fittingly, the Earth of the Fourth Parallel Universe seemed trapped in an eternal state of night.
"So, you've made an agreement with Hades on a scheduled time, and in less than three days, you're going to head out to duel him?" Zoran hovered in mid-air, inquiring of Shendu.
At this moment, Shendu had completely discarded his disguised human form, manifesting once more in his true, original body.
Clad in traditional Taoist robes, he stood upright on four limbs.
Zoran was well aware that the Black Sea Abyss directly connected to the Netherworld Black Hole.
Given that Shendu had previously been swallowed into the Black Sea Abyss, it came as little surprise that he had managed to establish direct contact with Hades.
"Indeed. He hasn't been resurrected yet, and I have no desire to bully someone who isn't at full strength, especially not when the outcome is guaranteed before we even begin," Shendu replied.
He never entertained the notion of defeat; his only expectation was that his opponents would prove formidable enough to grant him a sufficient sense of gratification.
"True." Zoran nodded. He had clashed with Hades across parallel universes ten thousand years ago, and back then, Hades had yet to hone his strength within the Netherworld Coffin.
To his recollection, even after Hades's complete resurrection, the hetero-energy he wielded maxed out at roughly ten black holes.
If anyone were to ask Zoran whether a fully restored Shendu or Hades was stronger, his answer was absolute.
He would cast his vote for Shendu without a second thought.
After all, even when their raw hetero-energy output was roughly comparable, the inherent advantages possessed by Shendu, or rather, by demons as a category, were simply too overwhelming.
Ultra Beast Force essentially operated as a world dictated strictly by numeric scaling.
Without factoring in surprise attacks, whoever possessed the higher numerical value emerged victorious.
And when the numerical disparity was negligible, victory boiled down to mechanics and special abilities.
Yet, as was common knowledge, the powerhouses of this realm rarely had access to diverse mechanics or multiple abilities.
The protagonist group led by Kino possessed a meager single skill per person.
Even as the overlord of the Third Parallel Universe, someone as formidable as the Whale Shark King wielded only two techniques.
Meanwhile, the ruler of the Fourth Parallel Universe, Bradley, could already be considered an anomaly with the highest number of abilities, and even he possessed a mere three.
Now, look at Shendu.
His arsenal of abilities was practically inexhaustible.
The abilities he possessed natively that qualified as formal "skills" far outnumbered Hades combined with his four major guardians.
And the most terrifying part was that these abilities scaled directly in tandem with Shendu's current growth in hetero-energy.
The two demons strolled leisurely toward the grand hall standing atop a colossal stone platform in the distance.
At that moment, a sudden gust of wind whipped through the air.
A figure clad in purple armor paced into view from the far end of the horizon. In his wake, an escalating number of figures materialized from all directions.
The rhythmic pounding of countless boots echoed, gradually synchronizing into a unified cadence as they formed a massive circle, enclosing Zoran and Shendu within its perimeter.
Clad in standardized armor, the Cloud Bat Legion of the Fourth Parallel Universe revealed their full forces before the two demons.
"This is not a place where the likes of you belong."
A slightly piercing voice rang out as the general of the Cloud Bat Legion, Bradley, draped in purple armor, slowly addressed Zoran and Shendu.
Looking across the horizon, the Cloud Bat Legion had locked down the area with impenetrable tightness, standing in dead silence like rows of bats hanging upside down within a cave, biding their time and waiting for a single command.
"Not belong here? Then where? Your master hasn't even been resurrected yet," Shendu stood his ground, offering a nonchalant shrug.
Truth be told, he would have preferred to march straight into the Fifth Parallel Universe.
Alas, Hades hadn't given him the opportunity.
"Are you the strongest entity here?" Shendu pointed directly at Bradley and asked.
"Correct," Bradley answered.
"Splendid." Shendu took a step forward, sweeping his gaze across the surrounding forces with an indolent tone, "Now, you have all been surrounded by me. Let the battle commence."
As those words fell, a searing flash of eager anticipation flickered deep within his eyes.
"Surrounded? What utter impudence! It is you who are surrounded by us!" Behind Bradley, the former leader of the Cloud Bat Legion, Owen [1], bellowed with absolute fury.
He made as if to step forward, only to be halted by Bradley extending an arm to bar his path.
"Interesting." Bradley stepped forward to face Shendu and Zoran. "As a warrior, I have always adhered to the tenets of fairness. You are free to choose any opponent you wish for a one-on-one duel."
Shendu scratched his head in bewilderment. He figured out the situation: because he hadn't fully unleashed his hetero-energy yet, the opponent failed to gauge his true strength.
Furthermore, whenever he had previously unleashed attacks, his Nebula Body's power had enveloped his presence, completely shielding it from external reconnaissance.
He let out a chuckle, pointing a finger straight at Bradley. "Fine then. All of you attack together. I'll single-handedly take on every single one of you."
The previously tense standoff abruptly plunged into an eerie, stifling silence.
"Arrogant fool!" Owen stepped out from the ranks, his eyes blazing with rage.
His gaze darted back and forth between Shendu and Zoran.
Owen harbored his own hidden agenda.
To be able to arrive in the Fourth Parallel Universe with such supreme composure meant these two intruders were undoubtedly powerhouses.
Bradley would undoubtedly select one of them as his personal opponent, which meant Owen needed to make his move as well.
Therefore, he had to pick the one who appeared relatively weaker, leaving the stronger adversary to Bradley.
Simply put, Owen was an opportunist and a traitor at heart.
He had never accepted Bradley usurping his position as leader of the Cloud Bat Legion, nursing a deep-seated grievance and harboring treasonous ambitions while concealing his true allegiance all along.
Now, with the Ultra Beast Warriors yet to arrive to subjugate Hades, two far more intimidating figures had instead presented themselves.
This was a golden, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: not only could he subtly undermine Bradley and reclaim leadership of the Cloud Bat Legion, but he could also showcase his prowess in front of the entire legion. It was an absolute masterstroke.
"General, I request permission to engage!" Owen declared, turning to Bradley.
Bradley glanced over at Owen, contemplated the request for a brief moment, and slowly responded: "Very well."
Owen stepped forward briskly, a triumphant smirk breaking across his face.
He strode to the forefront of the formation and thrust a finger out aggressively: "You!"
"Me?"
Zoran, who had been standing by and preparing to enjoy the show in peace, asked with a puzzled tone. A strange, subtle expression suddenly tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"That's right, you! Or what, are you scared?" Owen crossed his arms over his chest, radiating supreme confidence.
"Are you certain?" Zoran suddenly burst into laughter.
————
[1] Owen here is Ye Xiaozi. I don't know what his official translation name is, since this fic's english fandom seems long dead.
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my p-atre-on: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]