Chapter 120: Tokyo Hell (XVI) - Heroic Assessment

My body was shaking from fear, just seeing the legendary God of China in front of me is insane... His presence is like Amaterasu and Chang'e, he is the true embodiment of what the word God means.

I've heard from Amaterasu what kind of a man Tian Gong is, she said that his strength isn't something that any ordinary God has, which is why she admits that Tian Gong is a powerful enemy.

But... did he say Yú Húang? What does he mean by that?

"Hmm? Is there something in your mind Haruki? Don't worry about being polite, not a fan of that word."

"Then..." Even if he did say that he doesn't want me to be polite, I just can't get the fact that he's an enemy God, hence why I'm afraid that I might die if I say one wrong word. "*Gulp* What did you mean by Yú Húang? I thought your name was Tian Gong."

"That's what bothering you? Hmm... To answer your question, I am known by many names but Yú Húang is my original name, the name Tian Gong is only used by people whom are commoners back in the past, basically peasants. I only let people call me Húang Yú when I consider them an equal."

So... He let people call him Tian Gong because he thinks they're not worthy to be his equal? Then that basically means his strength is powerful than I thought, from what I've heard from Lugh he said that Tian Gong is not called by Jade Emperor by the other Gods, but instead it's Tian Gong.

Then if someone as powerful as Zeus or even Yahweh is calling him Tian Gong, then that means he his hiding a hidden trump card that he's hiding from the other Gods.

"Then for the looks of it there's something you want to discuss about." I sat at the ground without a care of my pants getting dirty and looked at him with no politeness found in my face. "Then Jade Empero-"

"What did I tell you about politeness Haruki?"

"Then Tian-"

"Nope, still don't like it."

I was speechless when Tian Gong- no Yú Húang said that, I just said that I need to at least have some respect in my tone but the level of respect I can say from just saying his name is non-existent.

The Jade Emperor named as Yú Húang or Tian Gong is famous throughout the world, despite Chinese Mythology as a whole is not famous than Greek or the Norse, but the name Jade Emperor is still known to many people as the God of China.

Which is why a lower-being like me to call him by his name is not something I could do... Well... I call Amaterasu and Yahweh by their name so it kinda doesn't matter now if I call him with any honorifics.

"Hmm... What's with the slight pause Haruki, are you perhaps wondering why I let you call me by my real name despite being the weakest among your friends?"

"Yes... After all you said that the only people who call you by your name are people who is an equal to you."

"To be honest with you, even if I hate to admit it Zeus is still more powerful than me..." He scratched his head and let out a deep sigh when he said that, Tu'er Ye who was in his hand then hopped and sat on the ground with me.

Yú Húang gave me an embarrassed smile and sat down on the ground with me, "I actually have a friend before, he was the only one beside my wife to call me by my name, and the one thing that's surprising is that he's only human."

A human calling the Jade Emperor by his name? Whoever that man is he has a lot of guts calling Yú Húang just by his name, but it doesn't make sense... Humans feared the Gods from both past and the present, which is why a human calling him by his name feels suspicious. "Can you tell me who that human is and where he is now?"

"Well like everyone else... He died in the Great God War." His voiced was filled with melancholy and his eyes darkens when he said that, seeing him now I feel bad for not learning what the Gods are feeling right now.

It reminded me of what Chang'e said... "Answer me... Why try to understand and learn about humanity, but not try to understand how much pain and suffering that Gods has been through? Did you think that we don't suffer since we're Gods?"

She's right, I thought that Gods doesn't feel pain because of how powerful they are... "In the end you didn't even think about what all of us Gods has been through, despite being the ones who created and helped all of you, none of you even tried to understand what we felt."

"She's right..." I whispered to myself.

Even if he the Legendary God of China the Jade Emperor is a God, seeing him cry to the death of a friend that's human is justifying what Chang'e said.

Yú Húang looked at me with a happy smile and removed his jade crown. "Haruki Hotaru, as the father of Chang'e I want to ask you many questions, is that okay for you?

"Yes..." For now I'll be honest to him and myself so that I could atone for my sins of judging the life of my creators.

"Haruki Hotaru, do you really want to save Chang'e?"

"Yes... I've decided that to be my answer when J saw her cry."

"Then will you become the Hero she is looking for?"

"Well my position as a Hero of Mankind is kinda useless since us devils are hated by them, so instead I'll be the Hero of a God."

"Hahaha! I like that answer! I knew I was right picking you as her savior!"

"So will you let her free now?"

"Let her free? What do you mean Haruki Hotaru?"

I was surprise at what he said, I thought by talking to him and abswering his question honestly I would finally save Chang'e from her nerverending pain, but it looks like I was mistaken.

"It appears that you weren't expecting what I said Haruki, I did say that I was right picking you as her savior but what I said could be falsified y'know that?"

What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that a Hero of Mankind should be someone strong and you fit th criteria that the Gods are looking for to help humans move forward, but a Hero of a God huh? In the past Heroes who are known as Heroes of the Gods are either people who are idiots and declared that themselves or people who are Demi-gods and humans as powerful as a God. The people I know of that is as powerful as a God is the Greek hero Heracles or that darn monkey Sun Wukong, even my human friend is strong he might be possibly stronger than me, I think? That's because he's one of the first human to create a religion that spread all over the world, his name is Siddhartha Gautama or famously know as the Buddha."

He looked at me in the eyes and his smile faded slowly. "And... The idiots that I know of that declared themselves as Heroes of a God are the former Kings of Mesopotamia and a demon named Haruki Hotaru."

Oh sh*t, I'm dead... I was being to prideful when I said that, I made a mistake! And i can't just say sorry to him now because it might come a bti rude if I disturb him from talking.

"Well... I do admit hat you might become a God-killing weapon in the future, but declaring to be a Hero of a God in your current state is very bold, especially since the one you're talking to is the Jade Emperor. Well since i respect you fro who you are as a person then I might reconsider what you said, well if only-" In a blink of an eyes I saw myself moving, when it finally stopped I saw that I was now far from where we were at, on the ground was a giant line that seems to be created from a sharp blade and in front of me was Yú Húang holding a jade halberd. "If only you defeated me in a duel Haruki, then I'll let Chang'e free."

"*Tsk*" I have no choice but to fight now, I was stupid to be prideful when talking to him but that pride is something I got from Lucifer, which is why I'll do what he ask because I'll save Chang'e. "Ignisvem! Soul Bound!"

I immediately ran up to him when I summoned Ignisvem and Soul Bound, he was shock to see me mindlessly rushing toward him. When I got close I swung my sword at him but he blocked it with his halberd.

Our blade let out a loud sound upon meeting, I swung it again and his halberd blocked my sword. "I'll show you that I'm worthy to be called a Hero of a God!" I ducked and did a spin to kick down his feet, he fell on the floor and was shocked on how fast I moved.

As he was standing I swung my sword again but he blocked it, upon moving my sword upward I slash it to him again to keep him on the ground, then the blade of my sword started burning; flames came out of it and I was pushing it toward his face.

The fire on my sword started heating up, he noticed what would happen next and he rolled on the floor, and when my sword hit the ground it exploded which pushed us both from the shockwave.

"*Cough* *Cough* I can't even use my skills-" Yú Húang blocked my hit again and was shock to see me standing despite beiing the one closer to the explosion more. "What the h*ck! You're a psyco!"

"Take this" I fired a fireball at Yú Húang's head and he barely dodged it, I swung my sword again and pushed the blade on his halberd which caused him to struggle back on the ground.

My sword started emitting another flame which cuased him to panic, but he was still struggling to push my sword back despite ebing stronger than me. "How are you beating me right now..?"

"Two things! One is becexause my father and Milicas told me that if I keep on attacking an opponent aimlessly he would have a hard time concentrating to use a skill! Second it's because I have a goal that's powering me, and that's to save Chang'e from her abusive father!" My sword exploded and pushed me back away.

I looked at Yú Húang who was injured on the ground, I ran up to him again and swung my sword at him, he barely blocked it with his halberd which caused him to struggle more. "*Tsk* I shouldn't never underestimated you..."

He pushed his halberd away and a shockwave came from it, I did my best too not get pushed back by the force of the shockwave. Looking at him right now inn front of me I saw him lookinng at me now with a smile, his halberd and armor that were made out of jade were now glowing and his eyes were colored green as he stares at me with joy.

"This is amazing..." He muttered. "The only lower-being to made me enjoy a battle is Buddha, but seeing how much you damaged me despite being lower than him I'm more willing to defeat you now." His halberd shone and in a split-second he was already close in front of me, the point of his halberd was near my neck and upon blinking the blade of his halberd touched my neck.

I jumped back and touched my neck, I noticed a little cut but because of Soul Bound the halberd didn't manage to go through. "Looks like this is the time you shine..."

I ran up to him again and the flames on my sword became bigger, he noticed that it was bigger than before and was more powerful. "What the h*ck is that?!"

The flames on my sword changed from orange to blue, my armor let out many flames and filled my body with it. I feel hot but it didn't stopped me from running toward him. My sword became hotter and the flames keep on getting bigger every second, he was starting to fear the amount of heat it's holding so he prepared to block it.

My head was filled with nothing but rage, because of him torturing Chang'e. The tears that Chang'e was letting out made me angry, because I want her go be happy.

Her smile that's starting to disappear is not something I want, which is why this goal of mine in saving her is what powers me.

I'll become one, a Hero of a God... Because is my only way of proving to myself that I can stand on the same ground as my friends.

He inspected it while I was running toward him, he was shocked to see what it was so his smile started to be filled up with fear. he whispered to himself. "Fenghuang, no Phenex it looks like you finally found the person that you are looking for, for over eons of you searching of the person that you'll bless with your power I can't believe that person is the one I'm confronting right now..."

I got close to him finally and swung my sword, I saw him stood there in front of me without doing a thing and when I noticed I wasn't on the moon anymore but instead I'm back to where I'm originally at.

I looked at in front of me to see Chang'e with Yú Húang in front of her, when my blade got closer I saw his face being serious and his eyes were now closed, I heard him muttering. "Tianlong."