Epic of Ice Dragon: Reborn As An Ice Dragon With A System

Chapter 2298: Oda Nobunaga’s Endless Castle [16]

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BOOOM!

"Uaagh?! What the...?!"

Surtr didn’t sustain as much damage as he anticipated, but his body was suddenly covered in ink-made runes, glowing radiantly.

"You think that will work?!"

Surtr roared, his flames burning through the ink and causing it to disappear... However, he felt as though a small part of his energy was siphoned, approximately 1%.

"Haaa... I’ll burn you! I won’t show mercy! I shouldn’t have lowered my guard, what the hell...! Who are you anyway?!"

"Who am I, you ask?"𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The old man smiled faintly, his scroll swaying in the winds generated by his white cloud, as thousands of ink-crafted runes began emerging from the scroll, rotating around him and then infusing every surface—the walls, floor, and ceiling.

"I am Ame-no-Koyane, scribe of silence, officiant of forgotten gods. Once, I sanctified. Now, I judge."

"Oaths bend beneath my ink. Names flicker and fade. Step near, and your identity might become mine to archive... or erase."

"No war is truly won until ritual has chained it in scripture. Let this be your inscription—brief and binding!"

"Are you reciting a damn poem while introducing yourself?! Man, you’re utterly bizarre!"

Surtr wasted no time, swinging his blazing sword at the old man repeatedly, unleashing a devastating, all-consuming storm of slashing attacks, burning and exploding everything in its path!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

"Bound by my will, your flames have nothing to burn. For I am immune to your flames the moment you entered my scroll of records."

"Hah?!"

Surtr’s eyes widened. The flames, everything... it turned into black and red ink, permeating the walls, ceiling, and floor.

It burned nothing.

"And I can also sever these contracts if I choose. Now face the consequences of your insolence, child!"

The old man struck his scripture with a black dagger, tearing off a piece of paper.

And then...

CRAAASH!

"Aaaaggh?! W-Wha...?!"

Surtr’s eyes widened as he screamed in agony. His left arm was suddenly ripped off, blood splattering everywhere.

"Now, do you understand the position you’re in? You are powerless before me. Surrender, and I shall grant you a swift and painless death."

"Surrender...? Hah... Hahahah... You’re truly hilarious, gramps."

"Hm?! Such insolence even now, when you know your fate is sealed?!"

"Don’t you know, old man? The people of Yggdrasil never surrender. We keep fighting until the end!"

Surtr roared, surging with immense power. His Ascendancy Law Ring blazed behind him as he leaped forward.

He concentrated his flames into multiple spears, bombarding Ame-no-Koyane, who persistently used his bizarre powers to turn the flames into ink. At the same time, Surtr summoned his lost arm, which swiftly transformed into a giant crimson dragon with numerous heads, possessed by dozens of fire dragon souls.

"ROOAAARRR!"

Ame-no-Koyane might be able to negate Surtr’s flames, but could he negate direct physical attacks of this magnitude? Surtr didn’t believe he was as invincible as he seemed previously.

"Hmm..."

However, he soon discovered that the runes weren’t the only power this old Kami possessed, as a bright white portal opened beneath the dragon, and hundreds of sharp spears surged, piercing its body.

CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!

"A trap? Wait, isn’t that like a dungeon trap?!" Surtr exclaimed, raising an eyebrow as he gazed at the scene in disbelief.

"Hm! Hmm!"

Ame-no-Koyane didn’t pause, waving his hands as multiple glowing white sigils appeared above, below, and on either side, surrounding Surtr and then unleashing similar attacks. Hundreds of glowing white spears emerged from these traps, attempting to impale the dragon.

Surtr didn’t yield so easily, though, swinging his sword and slicing through everything. The traps shattered into glass-like pieces and vanished, as he quickly advanced toward the old man, attempting to strike him.

"Enough is enough, old man!"

SLAAASH!

A powerful slashing attack rushed down, as Ame-no-Koyane gazed at Surtr with a calm, expressionless face.

CLASH!

However, to Surtr’s astonishment, the Kami had stopped his blade with just two fingers, gripping the blazing sword as if it weighed nothing.

"Did you perhaps underestimate me because I look like an old man? I am quite formidable physically!"

Ame-no-Koyane punched Surtr in the face, sending him flying backward, crashing through dozens of wooden ceilings, before he fell back down, furious.

"That punch was impressive! But can you do anything about this?!"

Surtr’s Aura erupted, as hundreds of Fire Dragon Souls emerged, rushing down like a vast legion of draconic specters.

"{Divine Fire Dragon Spectral Soul Legion Arts}: {Blazing Draconic Meteors}!"

Surtr unleashed his true power as a Venerable, as gigantic meteors, not made of pure flames but of souls themselves, bombarded Ame-no-Koyane relentlessly!

"Hmm, that is indeed quite challenging."

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Ame-no-Koyane quickly enveloped himself in a barrier made of thousands of runes, as he was pushed back, explosions engulfing him continuously. His barrier developed cracks and then shattered into pieces.

Crack, crack...!

CRASH!

"I have you."

Surtr descended, glaring at the old man. His white cloud was destroyed, and the Kami looked pitiful, covered in some of his own blood and burns, lying on the floor.

"I’ll kill you now and—"

"No, child of Yggdrasil, I have you."

"What are you talking about?!"

Surtr gritted his teeth in anger, his sword rushing down.

And yet...

BOOOM!

"Uaaagh?!"

Surtr screamed as he was suddenly attacked from behind by a powerful and fiery black flame, sending him flying away, crashing into several walls.

He slowly rose, staring at the source of what had attacked him.

"I had no idea you brought friends! Who is—Eh?"

His eyes widened, as Surtr suddenly fell silent.

Guarding Ame-no-Koyane were no Yokai, Summons, or Specters of his own creation or army.

What protected him, and had just struck him with tremendous fiery fury, were...

"Rooaaaarrr!"

"Shaaaaahh!"

"Gryyaaarrr!"

Surtr’s own family.

"It can’t be! What is this?!"

He saw the Divine Souls of the Fire Dragons he had employed in that attack. Dozens upon dozens of them, all emerging, covered in strange black runes, their blazing red and yellow bodies now tainted with black and purple hues.

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