187 Trap

"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 pitch-black world shattered like broken glass. Rays of light seeped through, and with a loud bang, the Reality Marble collapsed.

Soon, familiar sunlight touched Arkhan's body.

Glancing down, he saw the remaining Northern soldiers, Phantasmal Species, and Dead Apostles still engaged in brutal combat with each other, the scene gruesome and intense.

He turned to look at Trhvmn not far away and raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you would run away during the time Black Wing Lord used his Reality Marble. I didn't expect you to stay. Do you really think he could have killed me?"

"I would never have such naive thoughts. Rather, I was waiting for the moment you killed him." Trhvmn spoke nonchalantly.

"Although I know your relationship with him isn't good, I didn't expect it to be this bad. Aren't you afraid Crimson Moon will find out?" Arkhan asked.

"I'm not afraid, because it was her command."

Trhvmn revealed a strange smile on his face.

"Now that it has come to this, there's no need to continue hiding. I'll tell you the truth, Arthur. Our true target this time wasn't Camelot but—"

"You!"

Arkhan's heart instantly skipped a beat and an ominous feeling crept in.

The moment Trhvmn's words fell, a tiny black dot suddenly appeared where Gransurg's body had dissipated. It rapidly expanded into a black hole big enough to accommodate a person, an immense suction force pulling Arkhan inevitably toward its center.

The abyss-like black hole seemed to devour everything, its interior a profound chaos, impossible to discern.

"That's the banished dimension, and nobody knows what it's like inside because no one has ever escaped from it! Hahahaha!" Trhvmn laughed maniacally. "Pay the price for your arrogance, Arthur!"

"Bullshit!" Arkhan's face turned as serious as water. With a wave of his hand, the Star of Eden immediately flew to him.

"Star of Eden, Zeroth Power - Quasi Black Hole!"

The black and red sphere rapidly expanded, turning into a black hole with a diameter of dozens of meters in the blink of an eye. A more terrifying suction emanated from inside, pulling Arkhan back bit by bit.

"Ugh—!!!"

Arkhan gritted his teeth, unable to suppress a painful groan. The feeling of being caught between two black holes wasn't pleasant at all. If he wasn't in the fully liberated state of the Black Dragon Body, he would probably have been torn into countless pieces by now.

"Hahaha, you're quite resilient! But alas, my master anticipated this would happen long ago."

Trhvmn grinned, and a silhouette of a golden cup gradually came out through his chest.

"And God said, let there be light!"

*Swish—!!!*

A brilliance more dazzling than the sun instantly filled the entire world. Everything froze as if trapped in amber.

The Zeroth Power of the Star of Eden was forced to stop, and Arkhan was immediately dragged into the black hole leading to the banished dimension.

"It's finally over..." Trhvmn sighed with relief, a hint of a smile unconsciously appearing on his face.

Arthur had always been their formidable adversary. This formidable man could create miracles time and again, whether it was Vortigern with the Holy Grail or Crimson Moon unleashing her power; none could gain any advantage against him.

It was as if this man existed solely to counter them, so he came into this world.

Therefore, after careful consideration, they decided to banish him from this world.

Vortigern deliberately used fifty thousand soldiers to lure him into this trap as bait, while Crimson Moon sacrificed her loyal servant, Gransurg.

It was a heavy price, but looking at the results, it was all worthwhile.

Without Arthur, there was no one left in this world who could stop them!

"I need to hurry back and report this good news to Master."

Trhvmn was about to turn and leave when a golden spear, with a trailing chain, suddenly emerged from the rapidly shrinking black hole, piercing through his stomach from behind.

"What?!" Trhvmn turned his head in terror.

"Thinking of leaving? I'm sorry but you must come with me!" Arkhan's cold voice echoed from the black hole. The chain pulled taut and dragged Trhvmn toward the black hole.

"No! No! NOOO—!!!"

Trhvmn shouted frantically with panic etched across his face. He struggled to break free from the chain's restraint, even attempting to sever his own body. But under the binding power of the Oath of Judah, he was now no different from an ordinary mortal, powerless and unable to escape.

The chain dragged Trhvmn without stopping, and at the moment the black hole disappeared, it also pulled him into the banished dimension.

The void returned to calm as if nothing had happened.

===

Meanwhile, at the Great Wall of the North.

"What did you say?!" Artoria slapped the table and stood up, her eyes glowing with disbelief.

"As I said, this surprise attack was a trap set by Vortigern and Crimson Moon specifically for His Majesty. Unfortunately, His Majesty fell into their scheme and has been banished to another dimension."

Merlin's voice echoed in her ears.

"Tell me, how do we rescue him?!" Artoria asked urgently.

"There's no way. That place is nestled between the folds of the world. Even my clairvoyance can't see it. Plus, Vortigern has sealed that dimension with the Holy Grail. Unless we find a power higher than the Holy Grail, we can't open that dimension..." Merlin explained helplessly.

"Why don't you go help him then?!" Artoria questioned like an enraged lioness, eyes ablaze with fury. "You didn't help him in battle, and now he's gone. You also said there's no way to bring him back. What use are you?!"

It was the first time she snapped and lashed out at him, and Merlin could only stay silent.

When Arkhan went to the North, he instructed Merlin to guard Camelot. Thus, he couldn't leave on his own. Even if he could go to battle, unless he killed Gransurg in place of Arkhan, the outcome wouldn't have changed.

But Merlin didn't voice these thoughts because he knew it wasn't Artoria's true intention. She was blinded by anger and needed an outlet.

"..."

After her outburst, Artoria sat back down, lowered her head, and remained silent for a while.

"Forgive me, Merlin... I'm not blaming you; I'm just a bit worked up..." Artoria said softly with a guilty tone.

"I understand..." Merlin sighed. "So, what's your plan now?"

Artoria pondered for a moment and said, "Regardless, Teacher's disappearance must not be leaked. It could cause unrest among the soldiers."

"Are you planning to continue the war?" Merlin asked in surprise.

"I have no other choice. The only way to save him now is to defeat Vortigern and seize the Holy Grail!"

Artoria clenched her fists with determination in her azure eyes.

"Even if Teacher is not here, I must continue. Since he said that one day I will be crowned as king, I must now take on the responsibilities of a king!"

Merlin remained silent for a while, then sighed.

"Lily, you've truly grown up."

With her decision made, Artoria picked up Rhongomyniad and walked out of the tent, heading toward the military camp with resolute steps.

However, what she didn't notice was the existence of a crimson feather emitting a faint glow on the back of her neck.