Hitman with a Badass System
chapter-1333

"Nithroel, alert your people in the mortal realm. Tell them to perform a clean sweep across the realm," Michael calmly commanded, reaching out to Nithroel telepathically.

In the Akilan realm, Nithroel sprang into action without hesitation. She had anticipated Skyhall's dirty tactics and had her own contingencies in place. Her response was swift and decisive.

"You're making a grave mistake, Dark Lord," Devdan growled, his voice laced with desperation. "We'll destroy her soul and Rowena with a mere snap of our fingers."

But Michael was far beyond the point of negotiation. Instead of blindly attacking, he raised his hand, channeling 3,000 worship energy to immobilize the three elders. Their shadows thickened, materializing around them like dark tendrils, holding them in place without allowing a single muscle to twitch.

The elders had accounted for many possibilities, but they'd made a crucial oversight - they had no idea about Michael's badass system, capable of achieving the impossible with enough points.

Michael didn't stop there. He immediately took out a loan from the system for ten million badass points, using them to open two portals simultaneously. One led to Jasmine's soul, the other to the pocket dimension where Rowena was held hostage.

"Go rescue Jasmine. I'll handle the dragon," Michael commanded Elidyr and the others.

Lenora cracked her knuckles, a fierce grin spreading across her face. "Finally, some fucking action and retribution," she exclaimed, punching the air enthusiastically.

Elidyr needed no further encouragement, already moving towards the portal designated for Jasmine's rescue.

Michael, on the other hand, employed his Lightning Dash, vanishing into the portal leading to Rowena in the blink of an eye. In a matter of seconds, the opulent marble hall gave way to a snow-covered, barren landscape.

In the distance, he spotted the massive dragon that dwarfed Rowena Winston. As if sensing Michael's sudden arrival, the beast halted its circling of Rowena and turned its gaze towards him. Michael could have sworn he saw a devilish grin spread across the dragon's maw.

What surprised Michael even more was the realization that this dragon, like Azurith, was an ancient beast. When he activated his Eyes of Darkness, a yellow aura surrounded the dragon, indicating that strategy would be key in defeating this powerful foe.

"Looks like a new toy has arrived," the dragon chuckled, its voice awakening the unconscious Rowena. Slowly, she opened her eyes, confusion and fear evident in her gaze as she took in the scene before her.

Rowena had lost all sense of time in this frozen hell. Days, weeks, months - they all blurred together in an endless cycle of pain and torment. The sadistic dragon had made her suffering its twisted hobby, using its razor-sharp claws and cruel metal spells to inflict agony upon her flesh.

Countless times, the beast had tried to break her, to make her scream and beg for mercy. But Rowena had remained steadfast, her lips sealed against the cries that threatened to escape. Deep in her heart, a flicker of hope had persisted - a belief that one of her brothers would come to her rescue.

Now, as she gazed upon the Dark Lord's face in the distance, that hope blazed into certainty. Her faith had not been misplaced. Despite everything, despite the darkness that surrounded him, Michael had come for her.

As Rowena looked at her tormentor, she felt something she'd never experienced before - a desire for vengeance. She, who had always preached compassion and forgiveness, now wanted nothing more than to see this evil creature suffer a painful death. The dragon had inflicted thousands of cuts and bruises upon her, only to heal her when she lost consciousness, perpetuating a cruel cycle of torment. It had pushed her beyond her limits, awakening a darkness within her that she never knew existed.

"Welcome to my domain, my new toy…A godly toy…" the dragon's thunderous voice echoed through the barren land.

Even from a distance, the dragon's colossal form dominated the landscape. While not as massive as Vedora or Mugashuku, it still dwarfed Rowena to an alarming degree. She stood barely tall enough to reach the tip of a single claw on its enormous foot.

Michael, however, showed no fear as he approached. He had faced monsters far more terrifying than this dragon, and his steady gait betrayed no hesitation or doubt.

"Dean..." Rowena muttered, using the name Diana had given Michael. Her voice was weak but filled with a mixture of relief and trepidation.

Michael's mind briefly flickered to the inevitable moment when Rowena would learn of Noah's fate - of how he had fallen by Michael's own hand. He pushed the thought aside, knowing he'd have to face her reaction eventually. Even if she blamed him, as he expected she would, he'd have to accept it and move forward. After all, despite their blood relation, they had never truly grown up as siblings.

Focusing on the task at hand, Michael steeled himself for the confrontation with the dragon. Rowena's eyes blazed with a newfound fire as she turned to face her tormentor.

"He's coming for you, Malevolus," Rowena growled, the dragon's name dripping with venom from her lips. The name, meaning 'evil' or 'malicious' in ancient tongues, suited the cruel and sadistic beast perfectly. Her words carried the weight of a promise - a vow of retribution for every moment of suffering the dragon had inflicted upon her.

Michael approached the dragon, unfazed by its imposing size. Malevolus chuckled, a sound like grinding boulders. "Well, well, what have we here? A godly toy come to play?" Malevolus chuckled, his voice a rumbling earthquake.

Michael approached steadily, his eyes locked on Rowena. "It's going to be alright," he assured her, his voice calm and determined.

Turning to face the dragon, Michael spoke, his tone casual yet loaded with intent.

"I met your King Azurith recently. Surprising I didn't see you with him."

The moment Azurith's name left Michael's lips, a flash of intense killing intent blazed in the dragon's eyes. The reaction was unmistakable - there was bad blood between these two, a weakness Michael filed away for later use.

"Don't you dare speak that name in front of me!" Malevolus roared, his thunderous voice shaking the very air.

The dragon's massive foot came crashing down, sending a shockwave rippling through the ground towards Michael. With casual grace, Michael leapt into the air, effortlessly avoiding the attack before landing back on solid ground.

"Cute shockwaves," Michael smirked. "But it's gonna take a lot more than that to take down a god."

"You know, I never bothered to ask your name or what god you are. Want to know why?" Malevolus snickered, circling Rowena with predatory intent.

His cruel smirk widened as he continued. "Because it's fucking irrelevant to me. I've broken many gods in the past, and you'll be no different."

Michael recognized this tactic - the psychological warfare before the physical assault, a classic torture technique. But he remained unphased, waiting for the dragon's next move.

"I don't give a shit what kind of god you are," Malevolus growled, his hot breath washing over Rowena as he spoke. "In the end, once I'm done with you, you'll cry like a baby and beg for death. Just like all the others."

"Let me tell you a little story," Malevolous began, his voice dripping with sadistic glee. "There was once a God of Lightning who thought he was invincible. Cocky bastard, just like you. The dragon's eyes gleamed with cruel memories as he continued. "I started with his fingers, you know. Snapped them one by one, listening to him scream as I negated his powers. Then I moved to his limbs, tearing them off slowly, savoring every moment of his agony."

Michael's face remained impassive, but his mind raced. He knew Kranar, the current God of Lightning, but this tale spoke of someone who came before. The revelation piqued his curiosity, even as he recognized the psychological warfare at play.

"By the time I was done with him, he was nothing but a whimpering mess, begging me to end his misery," Malevolous chuckled darkly. "Gods, mortals, it doesn't matter. They all break in the end."

As the dragon spoke, Michael studied him intently. The ancient beast's scales, the way he moved, the power that radiated from him - all of it provided valuable information. At the same time, Michael was acutely aware that Malevolous was doing the same to him, each sizing up their opponent in this deadly game.

"Fascinating story," Michael replied coolly. "But you should know, I'm not like the gods you've faced before."

Malevolous's eyes narrowed, a hint of uncertainty creeping into his gaze. This 'toy' wasn't reacting as expected, and it threw the dragon off balance.

"We'll see about that," the dragon snarled, his massive form tensing for action. "I'm going to enjoy breaking you. And your little friend here will watch every moment of it."

Suddenly, Malevolous's massive form shimmered and vanished from sight, as if activating some sort of cloaking ability. Michael instantly engaged his X-ray vision, followed by thermal imaging, but to his surprise, there was no trace of the dragon. Only a prickling sensation on the back of his neck warned him of danger.

Scanning the snowy landscape, realization dawned on Michael. "Clever bastard," he muttered. The dragon was using the snow to mask its body heat, rendering Michael's enhanced senses useless.

"Watch out!" Rowena's scream pierced the air.

Before Michael could react, he felt an enormous presence materialize behind him. What shocked him most wasn't the dragon's size, but its silence - he hadn't heard a thing until searing pain exploded across his back.

The impact sent Michael flying, but he quickly regained control mid-air, landing gracefully on his feet. He spat a mouthful of blood onto the snow, an amused smile playing on his lips.

"Well, well," Michael chuckled, wiping his mouth. "It's been a while since I've had a decent fight. This might actually be fun."

The pain in his back was already fading, replaced by a surge of excitement. Michael's blood sang with the thrill of facing a truly powerful opponent. It had been too long since he'd been challenged like this, and despite the dire circumstances, he couldn't help but feel a rush of anticipation.

"Alright, you overgrown lizard," Michael called out, his eyes scanning for any sign of movement. "Let's see what you've really got."