205 The Key of Destruction

"Quit playing tricks!" Crimson Moon gritted her teeth and reached into the Holy Grail.

*BOOM!*

In an instant, the wind roared, the sky changed colors, dark clouds gathered, and the vast land trembled. The white glow domain enveloping Northumbria and Mercia gradually dissipated.

At this moment, during the transition from spring to summer, the sky was unexpectedly showering countless snowflakes. Tree leaves withered and fell, only to be immediately replaced by new buds. Flowers that shouldn't have bloomed in this season burst forth in a riot of colors, while many thriving fruits and vegetables withered in the blink of an eye.

The forces of nature were in complete chaos. The invisible hand that once dominated the development of all things on this planet was now suppressed by another power.

Crimson Moon slowly withdrew her hand from the Holy Grail, revealing a crimson sword engraved with the bloody moon. A boundless and calamitous aura surged as a strange crimson moon hung high in the sky, completely covering the heavens and earth, creating a world unique to the King of the Moon.

Just like Gaia's planetary defense mechanism—Excalibur, this Divine Construct known as the 'Real of the World' was specially forged by Crimson Moon to resist the destruction of her 'Moon' by extraterrestrial invaders.

Its power was no less than that of Excalibur in its fully liberated state.

In the distant Age of Gods, Gaia spread their 'tentacles' across the Earth for the convenience of adjusting and shaping the planet. At that time, Gaia could freely squander their power, even the first-generation gods of creation could easily be suppressed by them.

Crimson Moon took advantage of this, using the domain created by Vortigern as a foundation. With the power of the Holy Grail, she forged it into the 'Real of the World', and sealed all of Gaia's 'tentacles' within, usurping their authority.

Because forging the 'Real of the World' depleted the power of the Holy Grail, the golden light emanated from it dissipated, and everyone immediately regained their freedom.

However, they were soon suppressed again by another strong pressure coming from the 'Real of the World'. It was the pressure from the planet itself—a force beyond their capacity to withstand.

Artoria gritted her teeth, trying to liberate Excalibur, but Gaia, suppressed by the 'Real of the World', could not respond to her call.

The only one standing unyielding was Arkhan, protected by the power of the Oath of Judah. He stared calmly at Crimson Moon who wielded a crimson sword, with his deep and pitch-black pupils.

"How about it, Arthur? If you swear loyalty to me now, perhaps I might consider giving you a chance to live." Crimson Moon said with amusement while caressing the blade of her sword.

The moment the 'Real of the World' was forged, she had become invincible on this planet!

Even if the ancient gods were resurrected, they would be no match for the might of her sword!

"Hahaha... Hahahaha!"

Arkhan suddenly burst into laughter, as if mocking an ignorant mouse.

"Why are you laughing?" Crimson Moon's expression darkened slightly.

"Crimson Moon, oh Crimson Moon... You keep spouting nonsense about mimicking human wisdom, but in my eyes, what you've learned doesn't even scratch the surface."

Arkhan spoke calmly as he gazed coldly at Crimson Moon.

"You recklessly expose your cards without understanding your enemy, and what's more ridiculous is... you actually thought you could defeat me. I don't know if I should call you naive or foolish."

"Crimson Moon, the truth is... I've long since seen through your bullshit. I've endured until now, waiting for you to lay all your cards on the table, and then wipe you out completely."

Hearing his cold and confident words, Crimson Moon's breath hitched slightly.

"Stop pretending, Arthur. Even if you know, so what? This sword has been successfully forged; you're no match for me!" Crimson Moon said adamantly with a strong and high tone.

Arkhan looked at her calmly without any ripple in his expression.

"Do you know how I escaped from that banished dimension?"

As she heard his question, Crimson Moon's pupils suddenly contracted!

*Hiss* *Hiss*

Endless flames suddenly emanated from Arkhan, the intense heat from the flames even causing the void to distort violently, vaguely converging into the shape of a greatsword.

The 'Real of the World' on Crimson Moon's hand trembled slightly, emitting a faint hum, conveying a palpable sense of fear.

"You know... I wonder... Can your moon compete with my sun?"

Arkhan extended his palm, firmly gripping a sword hilt. In an instant, the flames rolled backward, engulfing heaven and earth!

"Awaken, Shamash!"

*Whoosh—!!!*

At the moment Arkhan gripped the glistening golden hilt, molten-like intense flames soared into the sky, converging into a greatsword. The indescribable waves of scorching heat filled the surroundings, causing the void to distort rapidly, elevating the temperature of the entire planet.

This was the Divine Key created from the core of the Herrscher of Flame, the entity governing the power of 'flames' and possessing unparalleled destructive force. It was the Seventh Divine Key, recognized as the Key of Destruction in its complete form—Cleaver of Shamash.

Arkhan held Shamash, flames rolling off the blade and entwining around his arm, emanating an unbearable searing heat.

Among all the Divine Keys, Shamash rightfully claimed the title of the foremost in destruction. When fully unleashed, its power could rival the radiance of a burning star.

However, due to its terrifying destructive capabilities, its core was split in two during the design phase and turned into the form of a twin pistol, known as Judgment of Shamash, limiting its power output. Despite a significant power reduction, this design ensured the user's safety.

When these two cores reunited, Judgment of Shamash would reveal its true power in the form of a greatsword, known as Cleaver of Shamash. But if the user's body was not strong enough, they risked being consumed by this power, burned into nothingness by the intense flames.

This was precisely why Shamash also bore the nickname 'double-edged sword'.

It was a Divine Key that inflicted a thousand wounds on enemies while self-inflicting a thousand, bringing equal destruction to all things.

Even Arkhan couldn't escape this reality.

His silver armor made from the Key of Domination exhaled a chilling blue mist, aiding him in resisting the destruction from Shamash. The Key of Creation, Abyss Flower, that resided within him, also released its power, tirelessly repairing the wounds on his body caused by Shamash.

The three Divine Keys achieved a delicate balance, allowing him to barely endure the backlash from Shamash.

With a tight grip on the hilt, feeling the surging power akin to a sun, Arkhan slowly exhaled a breath of scorching air.

His black eyes took on a tinge of fiery red.