The anger of the Emperor slaughters a million, blood flows over thousands of miles;
If a gentleman must rage, two fall dead, blood flows for five steps, the world dressed in mourning.
Qin Shi Huang annexed six states, his gaze fierce, yet he was still chased around pillars by Jing Ke wielding a dagger.
The sickly, dying Emperor, from the gaps of his leaky teeth, could casually utter a few words that could change a man from a high official to a prisoner under the steps, or make a prisoner under the steps revered by thousands. Yet a mere palace maid was able to throttle the neck of the powerful Jiajing Emperor in his twenty-first year, nearly costing him his life.
There is no absolute invincibility.
The same goes for Time Stop.
Shibuya SKY, a recent observation deck in Shibuya that allows an overview of Shibuya from an open-air platform.
Li Changzhou and Yang Qinglan stood on the glass railing.
"Shibuya Crossing... the Crossing... isn't that Tokyo Tower over there? So it's actually this close in a straight line? Oh, look at that huge forest!" Li Changzhou gazed at the vast expanse of trees in the distance.
In Tokyo's wide expanse of green, Li Changzhou could only think... well, he knew nothing about Tokyo.
"Don't be hasty with your 'Flame Wave,' burning down such a vast forest would be a severe diplomatic incident," Yang Qinglan said beside him.
"Isn't it already a severe diplomatic incident though?" Li Changzhou pointed at the crossing below his feet.
From the information he had just looked up, Shibuya Crossing was one of the busiest pedestrian crosswalks in the world, surely significant for Japan.
This could be seen from its frequent depiction in many movies and games, such as "Goddess Revelations 5."
But now...
The ground was upheaved, car wrecks everywhere, smoke filling the air, collapsed walls everywhere, and beneath those walls, lifeless bodies.
"Without Flame Wave, how are we going to handle this guy?" Li Changzhou found himself in a quandary.
Initially, his idea was to use flames deep as the ocean, such that even stopping time wouldn't save anyone from the thick flames, burying the adversary.
But now, he couldn't use fire.
"Let's observe a little longer," Yang Qinglan said, "Time Stop must have some limitations."
"...Then why did we come so early?"
"To observe the scene, ready to intervene at any moment... without revealing our true identities."
◇
Shibuya Crossing, time, 8:21.
"Summon!" One lifted his left arm, a stone duel disk popping out, "Molten Demon!"
Black tendrils descended from the sky, turning the crossing into a forest, no, a sea of fire—these tendrils were coated with black-red molten lava.
Wooo!!!
Tens of meters tall, the tendrils of the Molten Demon roared, creating a gale with their powerful air currents.
Li Qianxia, weakened significantly, was almost blown away. Kujo Jotaro held her close, another hand in front of his eyes to shield against the fierce wind.
The air heated with the speed you could feel, quickly forming a heat wave.
"Molten Demon, Fiery Strangle!" The middle-aged player who possessed the duel disk commanded, pointing at the storm.
Hundreds of tendrils shot out like whips towards the storm.
"Massive! Massive!"
The storm laughed maniacally, standing still with hands in pockets, arms crossed over his chest.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The air continuously exploded, tendrils of molten lava burst one after another, even the scattered magma couldn't come within two meters of the storm.
"Impossible!" The duel disk bellowed in disbelief, "Stands get hurt, their users feel it. No matter how fast your fists, hitting so many times, they'd get scorched by the flames!"
"...Could it be!" The duel disk suddenly grew fearful again.
"That's right." The storm cruelly smiled, "To handle trash like you, the air from my fists is enough!"
"What?!" All the players were stunned.
Even Yang Qinglan, who was watching from Shibuya SKY, was shocked.
"Why do they start commentating in the middle of a fight?" the sharp-minded girl couldn't understand.
"It's a Japanese game," Li Changzhou said, touching the corner by his left eye with the index finger of his right hand, "that's how it works."
At the intersection, another Japanese player stepped forward, appearing to be only seven or eight years old!
"I'll help you! Go, Ice Bird!"
A red and white Spirit Ball was thrown with all the force one could muster, a dazzling white light exploding from within.
In Tokyo, where it rarely snows before December—mostly in January—suddenly, it began to snow over Shibuya Crossing in November.
Snowflakes fluttered, gracefully drifting down from the night sky.
In the fantastical snow, the dazzling white light gradually faded, revealing a majestic bird with blue feathers and a crown formed of three dark blue lanceolate feathers, its eyes red, showing its holy and beautiful figure.
With flag-like tail feathers fluttering, one of the Three Holy Birds, Ice Bird, broke through the dimensional barrier, appearing in reality.
It was surrounded by blue flames as beautiful as special effects and adorned with icy crystal-like particles, indescribably beautiful.
"Ice Bird, use Reflection Barrier on Molten Demon!"
Hum!
A transparent glass panel appeared in front of Molten Demon.
Bang! The air exploded, the whip-like tendrils of Molten Demon shot forth, not shattering.
"Fantastic!" The trainer jumped for joy.
"Reflection Barrier reduces physical damage for 5 turns." The storm raised his head, looking towards the Ice Bird fluttering above the intersection.
"1 second, just 1 second." He maintained his crossed-arms pose, raising one index finger.
Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang!
Five sonic booms, almost simultaneously exploded.
Bang! Molten Demon's tendrils burst open!