The Dawn of the New World

Lord Yami stepped in before things got out of hand and changed the topic.

"Seems him being here is just a streak of bad luck for us. What should we do? With his domain covering most of the realm we won't be able to sneak by. The longer we wait the worse it will get."

After a moment of deliberation Baba Jezda met his gaze, "How confident are you in single combat? We need to distract him just long enough to get them to the well."

Lord Yami didn't even have to think about it, "In a duel, I would not last longer than a minute but...with the aid of my master's power I could extend that to...five minutes perhaps if the objective is solely to buy time."

She nodded, "That should be enough. Use any life-saving treasures or trump cards, everything that you can use against him. Once we enter the well he will come for us so you should be able to escape-"

She took a quick peek over the outcropping to confirm, "-especially since he is inebriated," she said chuckling, "Seems the rumors of the firstborn trying to find comfort at the bottom of a bottle were quite true."

Her gaze seemed to come alive as she muttered to herself, "Something to remember for later..."

Lord Yami took a deep breath and looked at Hao Xuan one last time, "This is where we must say our farewells. Please take care of yourself, chosen one," he joked before solemnly muttering, 'May your enemies suffer and your allies flourish! Remember, even when it all seems bleak, as long as there is the light of hope in your heart it isn't over...as long as you can stand one more time!'

Hao Xuan's eyes narrowed because he communicated the last sentence directly into his mind for some reason. It was like he was trying to tell him something but in a roundabout way.

"I will see you soon," Hao Xuan replied which made Lord Yami burst out in laughter.

"Hahahaha! You most certainly will! Hahaha-"

And while continuing to laugh he took a step back and teleported next to the bridge.

The lonely figure sitting atop the gates turned towards the source of the noise, pulling the bottle away from his lips to mumble, "You...have a familiar scent on you..."

His unrestrained, deep voice created shockwaves with every word that leveled buildings around them.

**

Meanwhile, Baba Jezda started muttering an incantation while her robe continued to grow longer from the back. Once it had exceeded four meters, she paused the chanting to inform them of the process.

"You will cover yourselves with the cloth and stay absolutely silent while we move. I must continuously repeat the 'charm' for its effects to influence the world around us. Do not make any unnecessary moves, Understand?!" she glared at the trio, her gaze lingering on Max in particular.

"I do," he responded smilingly, "I don't plan to die just yet."

"Quickly then, get inside!"

Hao Xuan gestured for Claudia to get in first before joining her. As soon as the black cloth went over his head he was immediately swallowed up like the other two and disappeared within.

He could not see anything at all but upon reaching out the cloth could still be felt brushing past the skin, and it was not able to stop the sounds of battle from coming through.

"Start walking," Baba Jezda ordered and they complied.

Explosion after explosion rang out right next to them and if they could see what was causing them then perhaps it would paint a much harsher picture. The ground shook and the pressure from the battle managed to affect them even in the separate dimension they were in.

But they continued moving no matter what. Hao Xuan gave up trying to listen to the fight and even attempted to block out the noise but was unsuccessful, especially since there were Lord Yami's cries mixed in at every turn.

It sounded like he was being ripped apart repeatedly and after a couple of minutes, it began to weigh heavily on Hao Xuan's heart no matter how much he tried to 'logic' it away.

'It was his choice, his decision, no one forced him to do this,' Hao Xuan repeatedly told himself.

"AAAARGH!"

*Splash*

All of a sudden the noise died down and the robe was pulled from over their eyes returning them to the realm.

Hao Xuan found Claudia fallen on the ground barely able to hold herself up under the weight of the coffin.

***