MY HIDDEN TALENT IS FORBIDDEN BY THE HEAVENS-Chapter 224: THE SHADOW OF JUDGMENT

Chapter 224 — THE SHADOW OF JUDGMENT

The storm above the city had grown darker. Not from the clouds. Not from the smoke rising from the ruined districts below. But from something far higher. Something unseen.

The battlefield between the two dragons raged in the sky like a living disaster. Emerald lightning split the clouds apart every time the Jade Dragon moved, while deep black-gold currents spiraled around the Eclipse Dragon like the shadow of a newborn star. The entire skyline trembled beneath their battle. Each collision of their claws sent pressure waves across the city that shattered glass and collapsed weakened structures.

Below them, the Eight had regrouped. They stood on the broken roof of what had once been a communications tower, watching the sky with grim focus.

General Han Dae-Woo wiped blood from his lip and looked up. "...So." He cracked his neck slowly. "Did that giant lizard just say Heaven is watching us?"

Dr. Elena Kovács stared at the data streams floating beside her. "...Yes." Han frowned. "That’s... bad, right?" Astra Nyx answered quietly. "If what it said is true..." Her eyes remained fixed on the sky. "...this battle may already be too late."

Above them, the two dragons collided again.

BOOM

Claw slammed into claw. The impact shattered the surrounding clouds and sent a violent shockwave rippling across the skyline.

The Eclipse Dragon twisted through the air and drove his tail forward. "Eclipse Tail Breaker!"

The strike smashed into the Jade Dragon’s ribs. Emerald scales cracked. Fragments scattered across the storm. The Jade Dragon recoiled, but only slightly. Its emerald eyes burned brighter. "You grow stronger." Long Hao hovered across from it. His enormous wings cut through the wind like blades. "Thanks."

The Jade Dragon inhaled slowly. Emerald light gathered across its body again. "But still insufficient." The dragon lunged. Its massive claw tore downward toward Long Hao.

The Eclipse Dragon moved instantly. Their claws collided again. Shockwaves exploded outward. Long Hao pushed forward.

"Void Eclipse Crush!"

Black-gold energy erupted from his claws and blasted against the Jade Dragon’s forearm. The dragon slid backward through the sky.

For a moment, the two creatures hovered apart. Below them, Han stared upward. "...Did he just push it back?" Nyx nodded slowly. "Yes. But not enough."

Above them, the Jade Dragon’s emerald aura intensified again. "You resist well." Long Hao flexed his claws. "Still learning." The dragon tilted its head slightly. "You should focus on surviving." Long Hao narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

The Jade Dragon lifted its gaze toward the sky. "Because they are coming." Long Hao followed the dragon’s gaze. Above the storm clouds, the sky seemed... wrong. The cloud layers were shifting strangely, like something massive was moving behind them.

The Jade Dragon’s voice echoed again. "The Executors." Long Hao frowned. "You keep mentioning those." The dragon’s emerald eyes burned brighter. "They enforce Heaven’s order."

The storm clouds twisted again. "Anything that surpasses divine limits... must be erased." Long Hao exhaled slowly. "So they’re coming to kill me." The Jade Dragon corrected him. "To kill us." The words hung in the air.

Below them, the Eight exchanged uneasy looks. Han scratched his head. "...So we’re fighting a dragon. While Heaven sends assassins." He sighed. "Great." Above them, the Jade Dragon turned back toward Long Hao. "Your awakening triggered their attention."

The Eclipse Dragon’s golden eyes narrowed. "Well. That’s inconvenient." The Jade Dragon’s wings expanded. "But inevitable." Long Hao hovered silently. Then he cracked his claws slowly. "Then we better finish this fast."

The Jade Dragon roared. Emerald lightning tore across the sky. The dragon surged forward again. Its massive jaws snapped toward Long Hao. The Eclipse Dragon twisted through the air. His claw slashed across the Jade Dragon’s chest.

"Eclipse Sovereign Rend!"

The strike tore through several emerald scales. Golden energy surged into the wound. The Jade Dragon roared. Its tail whipped across the sky. The strike slammed into Long Hao’s shoulder. The Eclipse Dragon was blasted backward through the storm. But this time he recovered faster. His wings surged. He shot forward again.

"Void Eclipse Breaker!"

His claw slammed into the Jade Dragon’s jaw. The impact detonated across the clouds. The Jade Dragon’s head snapped sideways. Emerald fragments scattered across the sky. Below them, Han grinned. "Now that’s more like it."

But the Jade Dragon recovered instantly. Its emerald aura expanded violently. "You grow reckless." Long Hao hovered calmly. "Running out of time." The Jade Dragon’s eyes burned brighter.

The dragon lifted its gaze upward again. The storm clouds above them twisted violently. For a moment, a flash of brilliant white light appeared far beyond the clouds. Then it vanished. Long Hao frowned. "...That didn’t look friendly." The Jade Dragon’s voice deepened. "They observe." Long Hao exhaled slowly. "Then let’s give them a show." The Eclipse Dragon lunged again. His wings surged through the storm.

"Eclipse Cataclysm!"

Black-gold energy erupted across the battlefield. Eclipse Cataclysm detonated like the birth of a collapsing star. Black-gold energy devoured the storm, twisting clouds into spiraling voids. The shockwave crushed the skyline, shattering windows and flattening weakened towers. Lightning bent toward the vortex as the sky itself trembled, and for a moment the battlefield looked like night swallowing the world. The Jade Dragon roared and countered instantly.

"Emerald Sovereign Roar!"

A massive wave of jade energy blasted across the sky. The two attacks collided. The storm exploded. Shockwaves rippled across the city. Several damaged buildings collapsed under the pressure.

Below, the Eight staggered. Han planted his feet. "...They’re going all out." Nyx nodded. Her gaze remained fixed on the sky. "But the real battle hasn’t started yet." Han frowned. "What do you mean?" Nyx looked upward, far beyond the storm clouds. "...Heaven hasn’t moved yet." Everyone looked above with lightning speed.

Above them, the Jade Dragon and the Eclipse Dragon tore through the sky again. Claws collided. Wings clashed. Lightning filled the battlefield. But far above the storm, hidden behind the clouds, something watched. And slowly—

It began to move.

[Chapter ENDS]