Final Battle (II)

Arkhan and the others meticulously planned and polished every detail to ensure they could push Tiamat back into the underworld.

This resulted in their efforts paid off brilliantly.

From Quetzalcoatl restricting Tiamat's movements with the black mud to Morgan wielding the Melammu Dingir to restrain her, Kingu using their Chains of Heaven to control Tiamat herself, and finally, Ishtar blasting Tiamat into the underworld—every step went seamlessly, without a hitch, in perfect coordination.

However, tossing Tiamat into the underworld was only the first step, as the true challenge lay ahead.

Within the desolate darkness of the underworld, Tiamat knelt like a mountainous colossus on the cold ground, surrounded by countless purple lightning bolts crackling around her.

"AAAAAAAAA—!"

Each bolt possessed terrifying power comparable to Ishtar's Noble Phantasms. Even the Goddess of Beginning could not endure such intense pain and anguish, her mournful cries echoing endlessly through the underworld.

"That's the underworld's defense mechanism, designed specifically to deal with intruders who trespass without my permission."

Ereshkigal proudly explained to Arkhan and Gilgamesh who had just arrived.

"It's the rule designated by the underworld, where not even a primordial goddess like Tiamat can be exempt."

As the Goddess of the Underworld, Ereshkigal granted Arkhan and Gilgamesh special permission to exist within the underworld, where they would no longer be considered living beings and thus not targeted by its defense mechanism.

"No wonder you rule the underworld so dominantly, with such privileges, of course you can." Arkhan remarked in astonishment.

Ereshkigal tilted her swan-like, snowy neck proudly, her delicate face adorned with an expression of pride.

"Don't get too smug too soon..." Gilgamesh interjected coolly, arms folded. "I, for one, don't believe that a mere underworld can bring down a primordial goddess."

Feeling secretly pleased by Arkhan's compliment, Ereshkigal's demeanor suddenly turned defiant upon hearing Gilgamesh's words, her petite face flushing with annoyance.

"That's because you don't understand how terrifying the underworld can be. Even if Tiamat is a primordial goddess, here she's just an ordinary goddess. If you don't believe me, watch how I eradicate Tiamat."

Gilgamesh remained silent, his eyes conveying a challenge.

Seeing his attitude, Ereshkigal gritted her teeth in frustration, then drew her long sword swiftly.

"O gallu spirits of the underworld, spears of rampant corruption, bring forth our judgment upon this intruder!"

In the next moment, purple lighting spears imbued with the authority of the underworld and countless gallu spirits materialized out of thin air, surrounding Tiamat before viciously thrusting down.

"AAAAAAAAAAA—!"

Tiamat cried out once more in sorrow.

"With our combined might, even Tiamat is no..." Ereshkigal boasted triumphantly, but soon her expression froze. "...match...?"

*BOOOM!*

Suddenly, a massive surge of crimson chaotic energy erupted from beneath Tiamat, enveloping her body like a cocoon, while her magical energy spiked exponentially!

Within seconds, the cocoon dissipated, revealing not the previously graceful and towering female form, but a monstrous dragon clad in scales.

It was Tiamat in a form resembling a dragon.

"AAAAAAAAAAA—!!!"

Layers of sound waves emanated from Tiamat's center, shaking the entire underworld, and causing countless boulders to collapse and fracture as if doomsday had arrived.

The Sea of Life's domain, known as Chaos Tide, quickly swept in, colossal tides crashing against the land, eerie mist madly spreading, painting the entire underworld in a crimson apocalypse.

Elevating her Saint Graph to the scale of the Jurassic era, the Goddess of Beginning had now become a true god. She unleashed her power without restraint, intent on washing the world in death, seeking to return all things to the beginning.

In other words, she aimed to reclaim her position as the mother of all things and once again gain the love of her children.

"Wh-What happened?" Ereshkigal's face turned pale, her composure shattered by fear.

Especially as the Chaos Tide spread, she felt herself gradually losing control over the underworld.

"Is that her strongest form?" Gilgamesh squinted his eyes.

"Strictly speaking, this still isn't Tiamat's strongest form, but it's challenging enough for us." Arkhan said gravely. "Get ready, it's our turn next."

"Let's give it our all." Gilgamesh gripped Ea tightly. "This is our final battle."

Arkhan took a deep breath, producing a black and white crystal with a hint of reluctance in his eyes.

"Sorry buddy..." Arkhan muttered softly, then pressed the crystal on the Key of Blankness without hesitation.

Power and authority beyond mortal imagination continuously permeated from the Herrscher Core into Arkhan's body. 

In the next moment, a strong, cold aura emanated from him as his short black hair swiftly grew to his waist.

Arkhan lifted his head, his gray-white eyes now filled with a sense of deathly silence.

At this moment, he was in the form of Herrscher of Death.

"Here we go again..." Gilgamesh's gaze narrowed slightly as he once again sensed the ominous aura emanating from Arkhan.

In the next moment, an ethereal, pitch-black scythe materialized in Arkhan's hand as he moved ghost-like, swiftly appearing in front of Tiamat.

In contrast to the massive dragon-like body of Tiamat, Arkhan seemed minuscule, yet he exuded a palpable aura of death that was impossible to ignore.

Like a grim reaper, heralding the end of fate.

*Swish!*

No fancy speeches were needed, just a single move, yet it carried a shocking power that reverberated throughout the underworld.

The ethereal black scythe swept through the air, slicing across Tiamat's colossal dragon horn, leaving no visible wound behind.

"AAAAAAAAAA—!!!"

However, Tiamat's wail pierced the air, filled with agony and despair, echoing even more mournfully than the depths of the underworld.

Arkhan's attack wasn't aimed at Tiamat's physical body but at stripping away her concept—the concept of 'immortality'.

Arkhan and his allies had devised a plan to banish Tiamat to the underworld precisely to prevent her immortality trait from passing down to any of her offspring.

However, Tiamat herself possessed an incredibly strong innate immortality, a power derived from her status as the progenitor of all dragons. Even the ancient gods of Mesopotamia had been helpless against this, only managing to exile her to the World of Imaginary Numbers.

If they couldn't find a way to break this immortality, they stood no chance in this battle.

Because of this, Arkhan sacrificed Abyss Flower to attain the power of Herrscher of Death, imbuing Tiamat with the concept of 'death' to invalidate her 'immortality'.

Now, it was time to physically enforce this death upon her.