[Guardian of the World Tree, Monarch of Transcendence? Even if the name changes, the origin of the Primordial Darkness you inherited does not! The Primordial Darkness you harbor is 'destruction', the purest 'power' created solely for annihilation!]
Something flickered in Suho's eyes as he answered Antares's words.
"I know."
The flames of destruction blazed in his pupils.
"I had no intention of leaving it in someone else's hands from the start. That thing is..."
"...my prey!"
Fwoooosh!
While the Dragon King fiercely clashed with the Jaws of Nothingness, Suho had not been idle. At some point, all of his soldiers who had been confronting the gray angels were gone. All those forces had returned to his shadow, being condensed and compressed even more tightly within Suho. To become one, greater being.
"But Antares, you were wrong."
Suho directly refuted the Dragon King's words.
"The heart I have is not only the one I received from you."
Thump! Thump!
With those words, two hearts beat violently within Suho. One was the 'Dragon King's Heart.' The other…
"Before inheriting the Primordial Darkness, and even after, my foundation remains the same. I am..."
Sung Suho's own heart, inherited from his father from the moment of birth!
"I am Sung Suho, son of the Shadow Monarch."
Suho declared proudly.
Shwaaaaaaak!
With that declaration, the countless shadows that had gathered to Suho wrapped around his body like bandages. In the end, it transformed into something like jet-black armor.
Ting!
[Using Spiritualization.]
Suho commanded all the shadows that had gathered to him.
"All death, come to me."
[The 'Guardian of the World Tree, Monarch of Transcendence' uses Authority: 'Shadow of the World Tree'.]
His call was not directed solely at his Shadow Soldiers. Suho was the White Shadow. The will of the dead World Tree that had sustained the Sea of the Afterlife. Therefore, even the Monarchs who had inherited the 'Primordial Darkness' answered his call.
Shwaaaaaaak—!
[Nidhogg, the Serpent that Gnaws at the Roots of the World Tree, is born.]
Centered on Suho, all shadows and all Monarchs merged into one. Just like when they had pierced the eye of Itarim and invaded this world! But the current Nidhogg was in an even more perfect state than then. With the final piece, Kandiaru, now joined, all the Primordial Darknesses that had been split into eight had finally become a perfect one. Within Suho…
Grwoooooooar!
The pure white serpent with eight heads, Nidhogg, roared.
[Hooh.]
At that sight, a strange light appeared in the eye of Itarim, which had been shedding tears of blood.
[This is quite intresting.]
Even in this situation, Itarim merely expressed admiration, as if appreciating a beautiful work of art.
[A pure white abyss…]
Crack! Crunch! Crack!
Ruuuuuumble—
Due to the aftermath of World Predation and the Breath of Destruction, there was almost no ground left to stand on in this world. Which meant, from Antares's perspective, who had been flying around the tattered universe to avoid World Predation, his room for maneuver had narrowed. At this rate, he might have to engage in a close-quarters brawl with those absurd Jaws of Nothingness. But conversely, that meant…
"I've been waiting for this very moment!"
Itarim was now in the exact same position!
Shwaaaaaaak—!
A white shadow extended in a straight line from Suho.
Flash!
Thus, the pure white abyss, Suho's shadow, finally created a 'single path' leading to the Outer God Itarim.
[…Hoh?]
Even Itarim's gaze wavered, as if bewildered for this one moment.
'A single path of pure white.'
There was no retreat now. Suho and Itarim, clearly connected in a straight line. All that remained was to run to the enemy at the other end of this path and cut him down.
"Kandiaru!"
Suho, feeling the pulse of the two hearts within him, drew out all the power he possessed and shouted.
"The time has finally come to revive the World Tree you will eternally gnaw upon!"
[An interesting proposal. What specifically should I do?]
One of Nidhogg's heads, Kandiaru, shone its eyes. Suho raised the two daggers held in his hands, 'Kamish's Wrath,' and commanded.
"Dwell within my weapons."
The corners of Suho's mouth rose. At his will, Kandiaru smiled with satisfaction.
[A very good idea.]
Fwaaaaaaah!
[Using Authority: 'Shadow Shape Transformation'.]
At that moment, the pure white serpent with eight heads, 'Nidhogg,' coiled and was sucked into Suho's weapons as if into a vortex. Then, Nidhogg and Suho's two daggers transformed into a completely new form.
['Nidhogg, the Serpent that Gnaws the World Tree' transforms into 'The Sword that Gnaws the World Tree, Nidhogg'.]
Flash!
The daggers held in Suho's hands were enveloped in a pure white shadow, and their number began to increase. One, two, three, four, …and eight. The eight heads possessed by Nidhogg transformed into exactly that number, 'eight swords,' and began to spin around Suho at a tremendous speed.
Kiiiiiiiiiing—!
That speed grew faster and faster, like a vortex, like a single giant saw blade!
Krrrrrrrrrrrrrk—!
Thus, the most heinous weapon in the world, meant for gnawing on all things, was born. A sword for pure destruction, capable of daring to fight even against the 'Jaws of Nothingness, World Predation' created by Itarim. At its center, Suho reached out both hands without hesitation. He grasped the ends of that fierce vortex. And swung.
"Go, Nidhogg!"
Becoming the commander of the battlefield, conducting this grand and heinous opera.
[Using Skill: 'True Slaughter'.]
Ruuuumble!
Crack! Crunch! Krrrk!
He struck, and struck again!
Kukwakwa-boom—!
[It's working!]
A roar erupted from the Monarchs within Nidhogg. Their roar was not mere encouragement, but manifested as tangible power.
[Using Skill: 'White Flame Storm'.]
Kiiiiiiing—!
Crack! Krrrrrrrrrrrung!
The eight Swords, Nidhogg, mercilessly ground down Itarim's law. Each time the ruthless storm of strikes collided, the teeth of World Predation began to be eroded away. Cracks began to form in that absurd law. But… It was still not enough. Itarim was still leisurely observing from the other end of that single path. To kill that absolute being called a god, stronger power was needed. And Suho already knew what was necessary.
"Antares! You come too!"
[Fine. If that is your will…]
Antares answered as if he had been waiting. War was not something to be fought alone, anyway… Besides, the Monarch conducting this battlefield was not him, but Sung Suho. In fact, any other excuse would be a lie, his true intention was something else entirely.
[If I myself can become the blade and sever the god's neck!]
How could he possibly resist that!
Flash!
The Dragon King Antares cast a spell on himself. Then, his giant body transformed into pure energy of destruction and settled upon Suho.
[Antares uses Authority: 'Possession'.]
Fwaaaaaah!
At that moment, from the Dragon King's Heart pounding within Suho, a lava fiercer than ever before erupted. Possessing a heat so powerful it threatened to incinerate Suho's spiritualized body.
"Kuk!"
Suho gritted his teeth. A heat of destruction that a human body could never handle.The intense pain was enough to make his mind go blank. This was a suicidal act, embracing a power that the vessel could not dare to handle, something Sung Il-hwan had experienced long ago. But he had to endure…
"I can do it!"
'I will endure!'
[Master…!]
[Lord Suho…!]
Finally, the Monarchs within Nidhogg, sensing Suho's state, began to urgently try to stop him.
[It's impossible! Your body can't take any more!]
[Even if you have the Dragon King's Heart…!]
[Your body, apart from the heart, is not that of a dragon!]
"No, it's still not enough!"
Crack! Crunch! Kukwakwang!
Even amidst this, Suho, with bloodshot eyes, relentlessly swung Nidhogg, engaging in a close battle with World Predation. The more he did, the more the Jaws of Nothingness cracked and were ground away.
"Antares! Don't hold back for my sake!"
Amidst everyone's desperate cries, in the exploding flames, Suho pushed his entire body's power even further into a rampage.
"More! More! Give me more power!"
[Good. In that case, let's see you endure this.]
Instantly.
Boom...!
The Dragon King's Heart, which had been pounding ceaselessly within Suho, finally exploded.
At that moment…
Urk!
Fwoooosh—
All the infernal flames within it began to run wild. That power… was hot, so very hot. As if it would melt even the soul. But Suho did not stop. Even as all that heat burned his mind white, he was still running on the path towards Itarim, swinging the eight Nidhogg blades.
"More! More! More! More—!"
And then. A miracle occurred.
Flash—!
[The 'Guardian of the World Tree, Monarch of Destruction' uses Authority: 'Transcendence'.]
[Skill: 'Tenacity' 'transcends' its limits.]
[Skill: 'Tenacity' surpasses physical resistance and assists in defending against all attributes.]
[Skill: 'Tenacity' levels up.]
[Skill: 'Tenacity' levels up.]
[Skill: 'Tenacity' Lv. Max]
Finally, from the depths of Suho's fiercely burning soul, the flower of true authority blossomed.
[Authority: 'Transcendence']
Shwaaaaaaak—
At that moment, the eight Nidhogg blades swirling around Suho all ignited violently. The pure white darkness and the brilliant flame truly became one.
"Uaaaaaaaaaagh!"
Suho poured all the rampaging flames from within him into 'Nidhogg'...
Ting!
The result was astonishing.
[The powers of 'Nidhogg' and 'Dragon King Antares' become one.]
[The ultimate god-slaying weapon, 'Ragnarok' is born.]
'…!'
At that moment, Suho smiled. Twisting his lips, which were trembling with pain. Even in pain, in a time like this, shouldn't one force a smile? When all the puzzle pieces within him had finally fallen into place!
[Shadow of Destruction, the Flame that Gnaws Gods - Ragnarok]
Fwaaaaaaah—
Suho's two hands raised 'Ragnarok' high. This giant sword, blazing with the purest and most beautiful, pure white destruction. This was the scythe of harvest, swung to revive the dead World Tree, and the sword of the end, to begin all things.
"Well then."
Finally, in the truest sense, Ragnarok was declared. Towards the Outer God Itarim.
"It's harvest time."
Shweeeeeeeeeeeek—!
Suho swung 'Ragnarok' and the World Predation began to be chewed and eaten by the ferocious saw teeth.
Kwaduk! Wzzzzz!
The Jaws of Nothingness that had been gnawing on the world began to melt in the pure white heat.
Kwaooooooooo—
[…!]
Itarim's authority was neutralized. The law created by the god began to burn helplessly before a more fundamental and extreme law of 'destruction'.
Suho kicked off the void and soared. Relentlessly swinging Ragnarok. Along the pure white path, towards Itarim.
[Astonishing.]
But there was still no fear in Itarim's voice. That emotion was closer to ecstasy. Even while watching the god-slaying flame approaching to kill him moment by moment, he was, instead, admiring the existence of that strange sword that was chewing and eating his own authority. As if admiring a beautiful work of art, seen for the first time in a museum.
[Truly astonishing.]
Itarim was sincere. At this very moment, he was feeling a pure interest in that 'monster' who had awakened him from his long-standing boredom that had persisted since antiquity. This moment, when the world he created was flowing in a direction he could not predict. For a god, it was the most thrilling stimulus!
Hwaaak—
Therefore, Itarim willingly spread his arms wide. Towards Suho, who was rushing to kill him. Towards the Shadow of Destruction, the Flame that Gnaws Gods, 'Ragnarok'.
[Come, little god. Let us enjoy this moment together.]