Reborn with Steve Stand

"What... did you just say?"

Bakal glanced at Fang Mo, then at the little Ender Dragon in his arms, clearly bewildered.

"Just kidding," Fang Mo said, pulling the little dragon closer and smiling. "Anyway, welcome back to life, Bakal."

"Back to life?" Bakal was even more confused, his brow furrowing deeply.

If he remembered correctly, he had been killed by a group of adventurers who traveled from the future. How could someone who had died possibly come back to life? Was this another one of Hilder's tricks?

"...Are you someone sent by Hilder?" Bakal's expression darkened as a terrifying aura erupted from him. With a fierce growl, he tried to intimidate Fang Mo into revealing information. "Tell me! What is that woman's plan now!?"

But before he could finish speaking, the little Ender Dragon in Fang Mo's arms suddenly became upset.

"Rawr!"

The little girl in Fang Mo's arms suddenly let out a loud cry and glared at Bakal, her large purple eyes wide with anger as she bared her teeth. "Don't you dare speak to my dad like that!"

Bakal was momentarily taken aback.

But before he could process it further, the little Ender Dragon took a deep breath and attacked: "Roar!"

With a terrifying burst, a purple-black beam filled with the aura of death and destruction, like the end of all things, shot straight at Bakal.

"!"

Bakal's heart skipped a beat.

Instinctively, without thinking, his body reacted by dodging.

The beam of termination narrowly missed him, carving a long crack into the ground before piercing through the outer wall of Sky Tower and vanishing into the clouds.

"…"

Looking at the destruction caused by the beam, Bakal was taken aback. "You…"

As the king of the dragon star Troopat and ruler of dragons, Bakal was well aware of his species' capabilities. He could tell that the little one before him was of the same kind, but how could her breath be so powerful, even making him, the Explosive Dragon King, feel threatened?

"She's just a child playing around," Fang Mo said in a mock motherly tone before Bakal could act. "Would you really shatter this peace?"

"I…"

Bakal hesitated, unsure of what to say.

However, Fang Mo quickly spoke up again, reminding him, "If I were you, I'd take a closer look at the surroundings first."

"Hm?"

Hearing this, Bakal instinctively surveyed his surroundings.

As mentioned earlier, they were in Sky Tower. Back in the day, to sever the connection between Arad and the Empyrean Realm, Bakal had placed many magical constructs here. A quick scan revealed a large number of magical armors that were clearly his handiwork.

But something puzzled him.

The magical energy within these armors had weakened considerably.

This weakening didn't seem to be caused by external forces; it was more like they hadn't been maintained with magic for a long time, almost as if... centuries had passed.

Even the two generals, Segheart the Light City Lord and the Heavenly Exile, were nowhere to be found.

"This…"

Noticing this, Bakal hesitated.

His magic was unique even among dragons, something Hilder couldn't replicate. So the state of these magical armors had to be real, meaning they hadn't been maintained for centuries.

What was going on?

Had he really been transported to a time centuries later? Could he truly have been resurrected? Or had Hilder somehow sent him here through a dimensional rift?

While Bakal was lost in confusion, Fang Mo opened a portal and pulled out Delezie and Lotus. The three Apostles looked at each other and immediately froze.

"...What?"

"...Huh?"

"Lotus? Delezie?" In the end, Bakal was the first to break the silence. "How are you two still alive?"

"Is that a polite way to talk?" Lotus replied with a hint of irritation. "Bakal, weren't you the one who died in the Empyrean Realm centuries ago? Why are you still alive?"

After speaking, Lotus seemed to realize something, and with a look of disbelief, he turned to Fang Mo. "Wait… did you resurrect him too? He's been dead for centuries, and you can even do that?"

"What?"

Now it was Bakal's turn to be confused.

The perception between Apostles was unmistakable. These were undoubtedly the real Lotus and Delezie, but they mentioned resurrection… Could he truly have been brought back to life?

Was there really a magic that could break the barrier between life and death? That seemed too unbelievable.

But despite his shock, after confirming that these were indeed two genuine Apostles, Bakal relaxed slightly. At least he could now be sure that Fang Mo wasn't working for Hilder.

"I've been dead for tens of thousands of years, and I can be resurrected too, you know?" Fang Mo spread his hands. "That's just how the code is written. I'm just following the rules."

"So, you brought us out here just for him?" Delezie soon spoke up, eyeing Bakal. "But this guy isn't easy to deal with. We've had little to do with him."

"Don't worry, just tell the truth," Fang Mo replied.

"Alright then," Delezie said, looking up. "Bakal, this guy took down Hilder."

"What!?"

Bakal was stunned. "Are you serious? How... how is that possible?"

"You should know I wouldn't lie to you," Delezie said calmly. "We saw it with our own eyes. That woman killed me once, so seeing her suffer like that… it brings me no small amount of satisfaction."

"She was spun like a top," Lotus chimed in. "Her ambition, her schemes, her dignity as the Second Apostle—all of it was shattered and trampled under his feet."

After speaking, Lotus pointed a tentacle at Fang Mo.

"…"

Bakal fell silent.

"If there's nothing else, we'll be going back now," Delezie said, glancing at Bakal. Knowing his task was done, he didn't linger and signaled Fang Mo.

Fang Mo nodded.

He opened a portal, and soon Delezie and Lotus left, leaving only Bakal standing there.

"You…" Bakal finally spoke after a long pause, looking up at Fang Mo. "Who exactly are you?"

"I am the Great Emperor Yutao," Fang Mo said, holding the little Ender Dragon in one hand and spreading the other in a serious gesture. "If you prefer, I can also be a dragon."

"…"

Bakal was once again rendered speechless.

"Haha, just kidding," Fang Mo said, finally breaking into a smile when he saw Bakal's growing frustration. "I'm a god who descended to this world from another universe, known by the title of Jade Emperor. My mission is to bring peace and joy to all beings... So you can call me the Emperor of Joy, or Fang Mo if you prefer."

"You say you're a god?" Bakal instinctively frowned. "And that you came here from another world?"

"What, you don't believe me?" Fang Mo countered.

"If you can resurrect the dead, then there's no reason not to believe you," Bakal said, shaking his head, as if trying to organize his thoughts. "It's just that what I've seen and heard today… defies all reason, so it's a bit hard to accept."

"There are plenty of things in this world that defy reason," Fang Mo said with a laugh. "Live long enough, and you'll see all sorts of absurdities… even a Jew defending Hitler."

With the other Apostles' testimonies, Bakal ultimately chose to believe Fang Mo.

And Fang Mo didn't lie; he explained everything clearly, answering all of Bakal's questions.

For example, how Hilder was killed, what Fang Mo's plans were, and what the little Ender Dragon's relationship with him was. After a bit of explanation, the better part of the day passed quickly.

Fortunately, the conversation between them went smoothly.

Although Bakal had been depicted as a ruthless tyrant in the Empyrean Realm's history, in reality, he was a very straightforward individual—proud and arrogant, perhaps, but far from evil.

As the king of the dragon star Troopat and ruler of dragons, Explosive Dragon King Bakal was actually a warrior at heart, eager for combat. He had been lured to the Demon Realm by Hilder due to a lack of worthy opponents and, upon discovering her schemes, launched a furious counterattack.

Now that Hilder had been turned into a battery by Fang Mo, Bakal naturally shifted his interest to Fang Mo.

Moreover, he seemed particularly interested in Fang Mo's precious daughter...

Ahem, of course, that interest was purely about mentoring the next generation. Having experienced death once, Bakal seemed to have gained a deeper understanding of life and legacy.

As a fellow dragon, Bakal could sense the immense power within the little Ender Dragon.

So he was curious about what the little one might grow into.

Fang Mo was more than happy with Bakal's interest, given that, as a human, he didn't know much about dragons. If Bakal could indeed teach the little Ender Dragon some draconic knowledge, it would be a great benefit.

However, unlike Bakal, the other Apostle Fang Mo resurrected wasn't as cooperative.

That Apostle was Shilock, who had been horribly betrayed by Hilder decades ago and had gone mad before her death. No matter what anyone said, she was determined to return to the Demon Realm.

Since Fang Mo was offering an invitation, not trying to forcibly collect Apostles like Pokémon, he didn't push the issue. If Shilock didn't want to join him, he simply let her go.

Afterward, Fang Mo sent Bakal to his main dimension and returned to Ghent Palace, intending to bid farewell to a few people.

But when he saw Summon, he paused for a moment.

It wasn't because of anything special, but because she had already changed out of her dirty snowman suit and into a completely new outfit.

It was a black and white attire, somewhat resembling a Japanese kimono or a shrine maiden's outfit. Her shoulders were exposed, and her sleeves were wide and flowing. A thick sash was tied around her waist, with a bow near her belly, and the skirt reached down to her calves. The whole ensemble had an unexpectedly elegant look.

"…What's with the new look?"

Honestly, Fang Mo almost didn't recognize her at first glance, given the sudden wardrobe change.

"Aren't you about to leave?" Summon didn't seem surprised at all. Instead, she was looking at herself in a mirror, seemingly adjusting her appearance. "I'm still a girl, you know. I have the right to look good, don't I? Once you're gone, I can wear whatever I want… what's it to you?"

As she spoke, she put on a red crystal earring.

With her head tilted from side to side, the earring swayed back and forth, looking rather cute.

Fang Mo glanced at her and had to admit that the saying "clothes make the person" was true. He had previously seen her as a mascot, but now, with a bit of grooming, she actually looked quite attractive.

"Does it look good?"

Noticing Fang Mo's gaze, Summon asked directly. As she did, she patted her hair, which suddenly changed from red to white, seemingly through some sort of magic.

This change was like the finishing touch, elevating her entire aura to a new level.

If anything, she now had the perfect aesthetic for a classic Zhongguo baby doll.

"Not bad," Fang Mo replied casually. "But you're still nothing compared to me."

"Can you ever say anything nice?" Summon gritted her teeth.

"What, how do you want me to put it?" Fang Mo spread his hands, then changed his tone. "You're still quite charming for a Summon-chan."

"Are you here to eat or just to irritate me?"

Hearing this, Summon turned around and glared at him.

"Oh." Fang Mo said calmly, "I'm here to say goodbye."

~~~

I didn't like this arc because I don't know this game and it's hard to translate...

In the end we got this bittersweet ending which I feel rn.