So, without hesitation, he withdrew his authority and jumped.
Ah, ah, finally you came out! I was wondering why the demon wolf had disappeared a moment ago, so you were still here after all.
Doni's cheerful voice came through the wind and rain.
However, Kaido didn't have time to worry about him at this moment, he just stared at the corpse of the wolf man that was slowly sinking.
Having read the original work, he knew that Voban possessed no less than ten authorities.
The authorities that he frequently used and found most versatile, besides "Vendaval and Tempest", "Legion of Hungry Wolves", "The Eyes of Sodoma", and "Undead Servant", was also a powerful authority usurped from the ancient Mesopotamian earth goddess Inanna.
"Gurgle...!"
The sea water was boiling, and the turbulent sea surface underwent drastic changes. Under Kaido's gaze, the sea water bulged as if it was being squeezed from the inside, forming a large lump.
Then, the boiling sea water shot up into the sky, and the scorching current instantly raised the temperature of the area.
Just as the column of scorching water was about to fall, a terrifyingly enormous black shadow, over thirty meters in size, emerged from beneath the sea level. It was completely black, covered in scales from head to toe, with sharp teeth in its mouth and eyes that emitted a ghostly, distorted, and terrifying green glow, like will-o'-the-wisps.
Its two thick and powerful front limbs were covered in sharp claws, its body was robust and snake-like in the tail, and its black wings, nearly sixty meters long, darkened the sky. Its jaws, extremely impactful and blood-red, opened towards Kaido, letting out a deafening roar!
This was precisely Voban's special authority in emergency situations, which the Council of Sages referred to as the "Otherland's Dragon", which separates the soul from the body and transforms it into a thirty-meter-long black dragon.
The purpose of using this authority was to protect his physical body, and Kaido's previous actions had already threatened Voban's life.
"I feel that you have little spiritual power left. Now, wait for death obediently!"
The gigantic black dragon pronounced human words, then opened its jaws and spat out flames that could easily melt steel.
"Whistling, whistling..."
The water continued to evaporate constantly. Not far from the black dragon, a golden human figure stood, its aura burning, like an oil lamp in a storm before the dragon's breath, capable of being extinguished at any moment.
Voban's discontent intensified. Why were these young people now more arrogant than him?
"Zumbido-!"
The air shook, and Voban, in his gigantic black dragon form, looked at Kaido with terrifying and frightening vertical green pupils.
Voban's condensed spiritual power agitated the surrounding air like a storm, and his silent eyes were filled with an oppressive, man-devouring aura: "As a young man, the most important thing to understand is what it means to be in awe!"
"Roar, roar, roar, roar...!"
The gigantic dragon roared, and the vibration of its wings caused a large explosion in the air.
The black dragon of the underworld, with unstoppable force, advanced diagonally. Its simple flight opened deep grooves in the sea.
"As an elder, you should also understand what it means to be powerless".
Kaido finally smiled, then sang a new Spell Word out loud.
"Oh, violent and arrogant ocean, ruler of the rivers, why did you die!"
This Spell Word that shook the sky made the sea tremble uncontrollably, and the object of this Spell Word was precisely from the "Canaanite Mythology", the feat of the chief god Baal (i.e., Melqart) defeating the sea dragon god Yam, who oppressed the gods, and ascending to the throne.
It was the authority of the "Throne of the God King".
A crimson and deep blue light emerged from the void, and a growing spiritual power flooded Kaido's body, revitalizing his body, which should have been in decline. The red and blue light was the light of the divine artifact that killed the Dragon King Yam.
Although the black dragon of the underworld, which Voban transformed into, was strong, it had the weakness of the "Dragon-Serpent" attribute.
However, the new authority that Kaido recently obtained by killing Melqart was precisely a complete counterattack for enemies with the "Dragon-Serpent" attribute.
Normally, it could only be used as an auxiliary ability, with little effect.
But when Kaido faced a "Dragon", the power of the "Throne of the God King" authority was fully unleashed.
"Fall into the darkness... Voban".
Kaido unleashed the power of this authority, and the surrounding space was instantly enveloped by a red and blue light.
The black dragon swung its massive dragon power and released a scorching breath, trying to destroy these two halos, but these lights had no physical form.
Therefore, Voban felt like he was trapped in quicksand, powerless.
At that moment, he also discovered that his power had weakened, even less than half of what it was before, and many inexplicable images appeared in his mind, like someone half asleep and half awake, his consciousness beginning to blur.
And at that moment, Voban, who was conceptually defined as a "Dragon", and Kaido, who was conceptually defined as a "Dragon Hunter", began their fourth round of battle.
Compared to the previous battle of beasts and the clash of authority, the momentum of this battle was undoubtedly much smaller. The sea barely rippled with the gentle impact, creating splashes, and the golden human figure inflicted new wounds on the slow black dragon body.
The dragon scales, which should have been more resistant than alloy doors, were as fragile as ordinary leather armor before Kaido, and the powerful defense of the dragon-like creature had no effect.
Finally, when the golden light illuminated the world, the gigantic black dragon also lost its usual sharp and dominant roar, floating limply on the sea surface like a dead fish.
Kaido turned his lance; this battle was much easier than before.
Strictly speaking, the authority called "Otherland's Dragon" by the Council of Sages was not a transformation, but rather putting oneself in a deep sleep and then allowing the separated soul to transform into a dragon.
This authority was usurped from the goddess Inanna.
As the one who brought abundant harvests to the earth, she was also the goddess of the underworld.
Although Marquis Voban had the most authorities, the most practical ones in combat were undoubtedly the Legion of Hungry Wolves and the Vendaval and Tempest, while the "Otherland's Dragon" was definitely Voban's strongest hidden authority.
When he transformed into a gigantic dragon, he was not only incredibly powerful but also possessed a more tenacious vitality than the demon wolves.
The dragon formed by the soul is immortal; even if its spiritual body is destroyed, it will not die. Even if its body is reduced to dust, this authority can restore it.
Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to consider the authority of the "Otherland's Dragon" as Voban's ultimate trump card.
But it was precisely because of this "last move" that Marquis Voban failed so quickly.
Although the goddess Inanna was the goddess of the underworld, like many earth mother goddesses who preside over death, she also possessed a secondary divine nature with the "Dragon-Serpent" attribute.
If the Heretic Goddess Inanna had appeared before Kaido, perhaps she would not have been completely suppressed by the "Throne of the God King", but Voban, who had transformed into a demon dragon, had completely lost his "humanity" and become a "Dragon".
Because he was a "Dragon", Kaido's authority to kill dragons, the "Throne of the God King", could unleash its greatest power to crush him.
Of course, if the opponent was not a dragon, this authority would be purely an auxiliary ability, just like Voban's Eyes of Sodoma.
"A Hero of Steel authority that specifically targets 'Dragons', it seems you anticipated this a long time ago".
Voban, floating in the sea, emitted a faint voice. He had lost ninety-nine percent of his resistance and spiritual power, and if even the "Otherland's Dragon" could not take effect, it meant that he had lost his last right to counterattack.
His voice, much older than before, had a tone of bitter laughter and self-mockery.
He had ravaged the world for most of his life, never expecting to fall into the hands of a young man.
However, despite having foreseen his destiny, Marquis Voban did not think of asking for mercy or repenting.
Once one becomes a God Slayer, their destiny is already closely tied to "battle" and "death".
God Slayers are not invincible, and only Heretic Gods and other God Slayers are qualified to be their opponents. Therefore, God Slayers only have two paths to follow.
One is to continuously achieve victory and move forward.
The other must be assassinated, and if they are lucky, their remains might be buried in the earth for future generations to admire.
"I can only say that your luck wasn't very good".
Kaido shook his head in helplessness.
If it weren't for the new authority obtained from Melqart, perhaps he would have had to use another unknown trump card.
Moreover, defeating Voban didn't make him particularly happy.
"Then, please, go ahead. If you ever revive and look for trouble, I'll kill you completely!"
Kaido announced his parting words to Voban, then, without any expression, used the True Longinus to destroy the black dragon's brain.
The black dragon, with its brain completely destroyed, quickly disappeared into countless particles of light. In Kaido's eyes, Voban's main body, still sleeping, was also destroyed by the sharp claws of the black dragon, disappearing along with the enormous dragon body.
Finally, what entered Kaido's view was the expression of surprise on Voban's face.
Marquis Voban's authority, "Otherland's Dragon", was his strongest authority because the dragon-serpent attribute granted him formidable immortality.
A dragon's body, if destroyed, could be reborn from its soul state. If a human body was killed, even if it was reduced to dust, it could be perfectly revived later through the use of a large amount of spiritual power.
Voban did not fear death, but that didn't mean he wanted to die.
And his authoritarian behavior, besides his personality of not putting any other God Slayer in his eyes except for Luo Hao, probably also had something to do with this authority.
Kaido's "Throne of the God King" was essentially a power that counteracted the "Dragon-Serpent". As long as he fought against a dragon, the balance of victory would lean in his favor.
But this was only a defeat, not a massacre. Although the black dragon was not his opponent, its immortality could not be counteracted.
And this near-immortality, where an enemy could revive with just a hint of residual soul, was also the most problematic point for Heroes of Steel throughout history.
The soul is immortal, and the serpent-dragon is indestructible.
Kaido currently had no means to counteract the authority of "immortality", or rather, it had not been discovered by him yet.
Not even the True Longinus could seal his immortality.
His last words were also a warning.
Although Voban was not dead, it would not be easy for him to revive with that hint of residual soul. And even if he did, it would not take a day or two for him to recover to his maximum potential.
Moreover, as he had defeated Voban once, there would be a second, a third, until he was completely intimidated, or until he obtained the ability to completely kill Voban.
As Voban only had a vestige of his residual soul left, the dark clouds over the Adriatic Sea gradually dispersed, revealing the long-awaited full moon.
The soft light shone over the calm sea, and the scene with only the sound of the waves made Kaido feel empty, alone, and cold.
Was this the emptiness after passion?
After withdrawing from combat, Kaido's God Slayer physique was no longer as excited as before. The battle with Marquis Voban had fully satisfied his thirsty body.
Well, the description might be a bit suggestive, but that's precisely the point.
Kaido now felt painful all over, like an old ox that had been working for days and nights without stopping.
Oh, oh, oh! I don't believe you took care of that old man!
Just as Kaido was about to leave, a voice full of joy and incredulity came to his ears.
Well, I almost forgot that there was another fool.
Sword King Salvatore Doni.
Initially, he had arrived full of joy, wanting to engage in a great battle against Voban and Kaido. However, Voban's primary target at that time was Kaido, and he summoned packs of wolves and undead servants to hinder Doni's advance. Then, both of them disappeared inexplicably and reappeared inexplicably, and finally, Voban, who had transformed into a black dragon, was defeated by Kaido, who suddenly seemed to receive an energy boost.
"Voban is a long-famous God Slayer. I wouldn't even dare to provoke him for fear of being killed, but you killed him!"
No matter how insensitive Doni was, seeing Voban, who had used his trump card, being killed by Kaido with a sacred lance, he couldn't help but be as surprised as an ordinary person.