186 Embodiment of Death

"Hmm?"

Gransurg looked at his captured arm, puzzled.

*Swoosh—*

A crisp sound rang in his ears as a spear with a golden chain flew out of nowhere, aiming directly at him.

Without hesitation, Gransurg severed his captured arm and flashed back several meters, avoiding the golden spear's assault.

"Survival by sacrifice... Indeed, Black Wing Lord. You're truly decisive..."

Arkhan clad in silver armor commented as he walked out of the void. He glanced at the severed arm, casually tossed it aside, and black flames erupted, reducing it to ashes.

"Your Majesty!" Benedict exclaimed, joy evident in his eyes.

"You've worked hard, Duke. I'll take it from here."

Arkhan said calmly and took out the Star of Eden. He tossed it down, and a barrier emanated from its center, enveloping Lucanmont.

No matter how the Phantasmal Species and Northern soldiers attacked, the barrier remained unyielding and standing firm.

Seeing this, Benedict finally breathed a sigh of relief before collapsing onto the ground. He closed his eyes, succumbing to unconsciousness.

He was exhausted, both physically and mentally strained. His injuries and weariness had pushed him to the brink. Only upon Arkhan's arrival did he manage to let go.

After healing Benedict's injuries with Abyss Flower, Arkhan shifted his gaze to Gransurg and Trhvmn not far away.

"Black Wing Lord, Gransurg Blackmore, and White Wing Lord, Trhvmn Ortenrosse... Crimson Moon really went all out this time, sending both leaders of the Dead Apostles..." Arkhan casually remarked with a cold gaze.

His gaze made Trhvmn instinctively take a step back with beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.

Having experienced getting beaten black and blue by this black-haired man firsthand, Trhvmn knew the terrifying nature of the man before him. This man was someone who could rival the King of the Moon herself!

Gransurg suddenly let out a strange and high-pitched laughter.

"Hehehe, Arthur, what can you do even if you're here? We have a whopping fifty thousand soldiers, Phantasmal Species, and Dead Apostles. What can you change with just yourself?"

"What can I change?" Arkhan's lips curved with a hint of mocking. "Then open your eyes wide and watch. I'll show you what I can change."

He reached out, and the Key of Corruption—Jizo Mitama, appeared in his hand.

"Jizo Mitama, First Power - Umbral Cataclysm!"

Jizo Mitama suddenly radiated a bright black light, like a rising black sun. Under this light, the eyes of monsters, Dead Apostles, and Northern soldiers were surrounded by clusters of black flames. Their expressions gradually became fierce and insane, launching indiscriminate attacks on everything around them.

As if something had taken away their sanity, their eyes lost all clarity, leaving only a wild madness. Even when facing their once-closest comrades, the soldiers hesitated at nothing, raising their swords to sever their comrades' heads.

Phantasmal Species and Dead Apostles also swung their claws ruthlessly, mercilessly harvesting lives, completely forgetting that moments ago they stood together as comrades in battle.

Carnage covered the land, blood flowed like rivers, and the ground was littered with crushed organs. Everywhere one looked, people were engaged in frenzied slaughter, as if transported to a savage ancient era, with only the most primal violence remaining.

Chaos ensued, utterly chaotic. Even the usually crazy Gransurg couldn't help but show a hint of bewilderment at the sight.

Arkhan looked at the Dead Apostles, Phantasmal Species, and Northern soldiers killing each other and a complex expression flickered in his eyes.

This was why he was reluctant to use Jizo Mitama. Unbridled manipulation of wills and corruption of minds, this power was too terrifying. A small mistake could easily lead to unimaginable disaster.

But now, he had no choice but to wield this power.

The obsidian gaze of Gransurg flickered slightly as a peculiar squirming sound emanated from his severed arm. Soon, a mass of flesh and blood grew out, transforming into a brand-new arm in the blink of an eye.

In the next moment, he transformed into a colossal black crow, surrounded by a dark halo that instantly enveloped Arkhan.

The vast sky became shrouded in endless black feathers, swallowing sunlight and stars alike. This was an absolute, utterly lightless 'world of death'. 

In the world of magecraft, birds were considered 'guides of the souls of the departed'. Gransurg, who made birds the foundation of his magecraft, was an exceptional carrier of souls. 

His love for birds projected into reality, granting him power beyond imagination.

This was his Reality Marble—Nevermore!

"Watch out, Arthur! The birds dancing in my night sky only show disrespect to the departed—!!!"

*Flap!* *Flap!* *Flap!* *Flap!*

The overwhelming sound of wing flapping, enough to send shivers down one's spine, echoed. Countless black birds, like dense storm clouds, descended upon Arkhan. Their blood-red eyes exuded a thick aura of death. A direct collision would be fatal even for a dragon.

However—

"Talking about death in front of me, do you really know what you're blabbering about?"

A cold smile curved Arkhan's lips as his Black Dragon Body was unleashed. Jet-black bone wings unfolded and complex tattoos covering his entire body, releasing an immensely powerful aura of death.

A colossal black dragon silhouette emerged behind him, its ferocious mouth wide open, exerting a vortex-like suction force. It swallowed all the approaching black birds and burped contentedly as its eyes reflecting a hint of satisfaction.

"What is that?!"

Gransurg's voice echoed from all directions, filled with undisguised panic.

He thought his study of the concept of death was profound. Yet, why did this man possess the power of death closer to the origin than his own?

He felt as if the man was the embodiment of 'Death' itself!

Amid Gransurg's shock and bewilderment, Arkhan summoned Black Abyss and threw it forward with all his might, causing a sonic boom.

*BOOM!*

The black spear pierced through the air, completely impaling a large crow hiding in the darkness.

Gransurg stared at the hole in his chest, then looked at Arkhan.

"...Why?" Gransurg asked with a hoarse voice.

Though the question sounded a little unclear, Arkhan quickly understood what he meant.

"Because you only imagined and imitated this world of death, while I have personally experienced, witnessed, and lived through true death."

"I see..." Gransurg's body gradually dissipated. "I, who have never experienced death, foolishly believed I understood the meaning of death... How naive of me..."

*Crack!*

With Gransurg's demise, the black world shattered like broken glass. Rays of light seeped through, and with a loud bang, the Reality Marble collapsed.