Yama Rising

What were international conventions to the P4 underworlds?

The Argosian Underworld, being one of the P4 underworlds, was naturally one of the rule makers. Not even a patriarch of the Argosian Underworld was able to find the right words to say in the face of the group of Mythic Spirits.

Damn it!!!

Aren’t they supposed to be terrified by the prospects of Forbidden Arts by now?

However, he knew better than to talk about these things right now. It had been a long time since he’d felt such despair, and he knew that the top priority at this moment was to ensure his own survival, “Listen…”

But as soon as he said that, a voice immediately hissed from behind, “Meaningless tricks.”

“Trying to buy time?” Black Mamba’s colossal body retreated back into the shadows of the roiling darkness around. Likewise, the figures of a dozen other Mythic Spirits promptly vanished into the shadows, and their cackling voices echoed through the night sky.

However, Aristotle wasn’t in the least bit relaxed. This moment of silence was a foreboding harbinger of an approaching storm. An intense feeling of fear that had eluded him for centuries on end suddenly surged to the forefront of his mind. It was the fear of being placed on the chopping block. It was a primal and instinctual sense of fear.

“What are you trying to do?” He tried his best to respond with calmness and placidity in his voice. However, his voice still wavered slightly, “This is one of the earliest codices of ancient Argos, one of the original codices of the Law of Twelve Tables. You’re… playing with flames over here. You’re going to provoke the majesty of Lord Thanatos if you keep this up…”

There was only the sound of fine scales rustling around him, almost as though giant beasts were prowling around in the darkness.

His voice finally cracked. Just then, a multitude of different-coloured netherflames burst out at the same time, striking the Codex of the Law in front of Aristotle!

A brilliant burst of light dazzled the surroundings, accompanied only by the sounds of Aristotle’s miserable wails. The ground cracked layer by layer, before crumbling at the heart of the explosion like a massive sinkhole. Yin energy swept in every direction, while the cracks on the ground continued to run outwards like an expanding network of spiderwebs.

In that instant, Khuree shone brighter than any other land in the world.

It wasn’t until five full minutes later that Qin Ye finally dropped his guard and gazed deep into the distance. There, in the pitch-black void of the night sky, he saw Aristotle swaying softly in the air. Yin energy was pouring out profusely from his body. Three seconds later, with one final sway, he fell back and landed onto the ground with a resounding thud.

That won’t do!

“He’s not dead.” The Harken spoke softly, “I’ve always known that there was something missing in these Alkebulan Mythic Spirits. A Yama-King can only be killed by one who is equal in power. Unfortunately, they don’t possess the ability to do that just yet. That said…”

“That said, this Yin artifact that has existed for well over a thousand years has been almost completely ruined.”

And today, it had been completely and utterly destroyed.

“Everyone.” She took a deep breath and curtseyed respectfully, “We’ve been rude not to receive you properly as guests after your long journey into these lands. That said, could you please set him down for now? As you all know, his identity is a rather sensitive issue - so sensitive that it might just cause the Argosian Underworld to go mad--…”

It was a tail.

“Catherine…” A pair of crimson eyes lit up in the darkness, “You actually have the gall to demand that we release him?”

Bang! Another tail struck the orb of bones with an earth-shattering crack, and another voice filled with rage echoed from the darkness, “Technical director? Energy advisor?!”

The Mythic Spirits were clearly turning their anger and rage towards her, pelting her with devastating attacks that caused countless cracks to appear on the orb of bones.

“You weren’t even born when some of us Mythic Spirits were called into being!”

The malevolent storm had finally turned its attention to her, crushing her as she fervently maintained the integrity of the orb of bones to the best of her abilities. She finally understood Aristotle’s earlier despair. The blows that were raining down on her body were completely unadulterated blows that were backed only by the Yama-class Yin energy of the Mythic Spirits. However, it was continuous and relentless. It bore the anger of over a dozen Mythic Spirits that had been suppressed and remained festering for hundreds of years. It was just like when the Danube finally broke its banks! It was an unstoppable tsunami hell bent on bringing devastation to the world!

“These barbarians…” She spoke with great trembling, and even a trace of regret - I shouldn’t have said a word at all! Who cares if he perishes?! Can our relationship with the Argosian Underworld be more important than my own life?!

Just then, the pelting of blows suddenly stopped.

A split second later, there was a shockingly loud sound. Someone had suddenly struck the orb of bones, sending it flying high into the sky once more. This was the final straw that broke the camel’s back. The next moment, the skeletons shattered completely and disintegrated in the air, leaving Catherine the Great in a condition no better than Aristotle’s tragic state. In fact, the netherflames in her eyes even appeared to be on the verge of being snuffed out completely.

These monsters… I could probably take on one or two of them on my own, but a dozen at once…

What should I do… What should I do?!

“Are you out of your mind? On what basis are you making such a request of us?” Qin Ye stared at her in horror, almost as though he’d just seen a ghost, “Did we not follow through with our promise?”

Qin Ye smiled gently and flicked his sleeves coldly before quipping with indifference, “Oh? I don’t recall that being part of the agreement.”

However, Qin Ye simply stroked the dog in his hands and responded placidly, “Who gave you the idea that we were even concerned about our reputation?”

“Fine... Fine!” Catherine the Great drifted further and further away, “We’ll remember this…”

“On account for all the nonsense you’re spouting, let me give you another warning.” Qin Ye was completely unaffected by her meagre provocations. After all, he had all the trump cards he needed in his hand right now, and there was no way he would come out short in these exchanges.

Without missing a beat, Qin Ye continued, “Peter the Great is currently located in Terelj National Park, isn’t he? If the Mythic Spirits proposed to trade the Resentment Crystals the Russian Underworld has harvested for Aristotle’s freedom, do you think Peter the Great would agree to that trade? Do you think that the Tsar would agree to something like that?”

This was a devastating blow that would completely dissolve the shallow foundation of cooperation between the Russian Underworld and the Argosian Underworld!

Qin Ye glared coldly at her, “But I can.”

This act was finally drawing to its climax, and the setting could only be at the location of the Resentment Crystals Mine!

So long as we can get the Resentment Crystals across the Russian borders, then at least… our sacrifices and losses wouldn’t have been in vain!