Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest-Chapter 368: The Storm God’s Intervention

[Using Kusanagi as a medium, Izanami forcefully summons Susanoo No Mikoto.]

Adam knew a notification had appeared, but only white registered in his agonising eyes. And even that was about to turn into eternal darkness the moment Zeus tore his head off.

Yet, it didn’t happen.

Instead, a sudden gale burst outward, scattering shadow spears with a deafening clang and ruffling his hair. Amidst the chaos, a virile voice cut through, pulling Adam’s attention away from his darkening skin.

"Two big wolves hunting a newborn puppy. Don’t you know how to spell ’shame’?"

Who spoke? Adam shuddered, rubbing his eyes until colors returned. The first was a bright vermillion on a loose pant, a hakama flapping in the middle of a storm. A silky sash of the same color wrapped around a strong waist and a half-open white robe that revealed muscles seemingly carved from divine minerals rather than flesh.

And from the wide sleeve, a veiny hand encased in swirling winds gripped Zeus’ shoulder, the shattered momentum revealing the veins throbbing on his forehead and piercing gaze.

Dark hair, each strand like a painter’s stroke, framed his wide eyes as the man addressed him softly. "I remained in the mortal realm because of people like you. Leave! I’ll handle these old fools."

Confused, Adam watched the steely glint in the man’s almond-shaped eyes and the smile beneath his mustache before reluctantly nodding.

The situation allowed no leeway; trying to help was folly. Zeus alone showed how easily he could crush him. Adding Hades to the mix made the odds even more impossible. Escape was the only answer for now. But he’d never forget this. ’I’ll return this humiliation a millionfold in the future.’

Jaws clenched, he raised his cap and handed Kusanagi to the man after noticing his name in the notification. "Thank you, Susanoo. Zeus can’t see me. I’ll escape if you keep Hades busy."

Susanoo’s smile broadened, but he pushed the hilt back. "This sword is not mine to wield anymore. Go, now. I guarantee no one will touch you."

Zeus watched them speak through the storm that raged like a barrier, his veins pulsing faster with each passing second. "A pathetic god banished from his pantheon dares stand in my way? Handle us? Guarantee? From you, whose grandest feat feels lackluster compared to Heracles killing the Lernaean Hydra? Hahaha! A god struggling against an eight-headed snake that’s a first. Now move!"

Lightning crackled, the pressure on Susanoo’s hand multiplying. He gritted his teeth, winds crashing on Zeus as he glared intently at Adam, the meaning clear.

Adam nodded, plasma propelling him through the ceiling and space roiling into a portal above. Though he felt terrible, this was his only chance. He could only hope Susanoo would have a way to join him later... His fingers tightened around Kusanagi. Even for him, surviving would be a miracle.

’Focus on yourself!’ His eyes narrowed as thousands of shadow hands engulfed the walls.

He encased himself in a plasma cocoon as they blurred to tear his limbs. But he didn’t feel the expected impact, only the storm beneath and the noise of wind blades slicing shadows. And the last thing he heard was Susanoo’s rumbling voice before crossing the folded space.

"Arrogant monkeys can’t understand the depth of mortality. Even with a hundred lives, your son would have never killed Yamata-No-Orochi, whose body stretched over eight peaks and eight valleys; even with a thousand guts, he would have never dared confront its wrath; and even with a million brains, he would have never devised a plan to triumph."

His voice grew epic, a proud proclamation of identity and a show that he was not inferior. "But I did. I’m Susanoo-No-Mikoto! A god banned for his chaotic behavior, hailed as a hero by mortals, and retired as a father!" His eyes narrowed, water and wind engulfing them. "And you two will not pass!"

The walls exploded into gravel that turned to dust. Even dust faded under the storm’s onslaught, which pushed Zeus a step back. A long blade flashed in his hand, his trusted Ame-no-Habakiri, the very same blade decorated with feathery patterns he had used to chop Orochi into pieces.

He swung at the ground, marble exploding and the shadows dissipating to reveal Hades aiming his bident toward Adam’s vanishing figure.

Surprised, he manipulated darkness to cover him in armor, yet Susanoo was faster.

With the fluidity of the sea and the rage of a storm, his blade cleaved eight times, leaving as many gashes through the dissipating darkness.

"ARGH!"

Hades clutched his lacerated chest, his jaw clenched, but he had no time to admire his strike. Lighting crackled—Zeus was on him.

"A place in Tartarus will be the least of your concerns if that bastard escapes, foolish dog!"

Unconcerned by the provocation, his eyes followed the palm aimed to grip his throat. No weapon? Arrogance.

He crouched, passing beneath the palm with a precise sidestep. Repositioned, his blade rose overhead, the feathers pulsing with divine water before he brought it down in a majestic movement.

Encased in wind, the water surged down first. But Zeus was fast—lightning fast. A punch coated in sizzling golden arcs cleaved upward, evaporating the water upon contact.

But Susanoo smirked. His blade came next. Like a wave, it bypassed Zeus’ risen fist to strike the gap between his shoulder and neck.

BAM

The ground caved in, dust and vapor engulfing his vision for a second. Yet, he leapt back, frowning despite his successful strike. The sensation was wrong.

PAT PAT

As if to confirm his sensation, dust faded, blown by Zeus’ dismissive pats on his unwounded shoulder.

"A little bit more to the left. You can do the other shoulder next; your massage is quite decent." His eyes narrowed, the storm around him turning tame only to flare again with ten times the power—under his control this time. "Even if I admit you’re right about Orochi and Heracles, what about me? I’ve dismembered Typhon, a cosmic entity with hundreds of heads."

Simultaneously, darkness devoured the corridor as Hades stepped beside Zeus, his body covered in shifting shadows, his wounds already healed, and his eyes gleaming an unsettling purple. His bident spun, the ground trembling with the somber arc it drew as his voice rumbled. "Don’t expect any mercy, any respite. There is no safe place in the underworld, none under the sky, nor at sea. Your transgressions end now."

"Hahaha..." Susanoo let out a hollow laugh.

Of course, he had no chance of defeating these two. He knew it the moment he had appeared. But he grinned, knowing he had accomplished his mission; Adam was safe.

His fingers tightened around his blade, his heart light and his eyes clear. "Entertain me one last time before I return to Ne-No-Kuni!1" freewёbnoνel.com

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AN: Guys, don’t abuse. There is no way Susanoo has a chance against them. For those who don’t understand the reference, Typhoon was the father of the Hydra, a cosmic monster with hundreds of snake heads on his shoulders that emitted fire and every kind of noise. He even challenged Zeus in a cataclysmic battle to control the universe.

And yes, Susanoo’s blade has the same name as the one used by Oden in One Piece... (The one inherited by his son.)