Valhalla Gate?
When those words, like a proclamation, came from the figure before her, the eyes of the God of Violence, Merseys, filled with shock.
There was no mistake—this was the exclusive move of the God of Destruction, Valkyrie. But considering that the First Demon King, Arthas, stood before her, Merseys wasn't surprised that he could use this move.
Indeed, the Valhalla Gate was a technique the First Demon King Arthas could also use.
What truly shocked Merseys was that the empty shell of a figure before her could actually activate the Valhalla Gate?
After all, there were many conditions that had to be met to use it, and in her eyes, the person before her, who seemed like a mere husk, couldn't possibly fulfill them. If he could use it, that meant—he met the conditions.
And why did that fact shock her? Because one of the conditions deeply contradicted what she believed about this figure.
"How is that possible?"
An incredulous murmur slipped from her lips.
But from the figure's back, black mist surged out—mist that soared to the heavens and enveloped the entire world behind him.
As the thick miasma spread out, it revealed a gate that either completely blocked off the world behind him or sliced the otherworld—Yadetre—in half.
It was an enormous gate, entirely made of what appeared to be black plaster. Compared to Valkyrie's Valhalla Gate, this one felt even more ancient, and the aura it exuded wasn't even in the same league.
At the top of this ancient gate was a grotesque skull—a massive skull made up of countless smaller skulls combined.
"G-Gone...?"
A dreamy murmur escaped from Ariadoa's lips.
The falling world, once within reach, vanished without a trace. What remained was a sky slowly repairing itself, even in its broken state.
Gone, too, were the God of Violence Merseys and the caster himself.
"T-That's the Valhalla Gate?"
A trembling voice followed, and she raised her head with effort, trying to take in the image of the gate that seemed as large as a world.
The size of this Valhalla Gate compared to the one she'd seen the God of Destruction Valkyrie use—it wasn't even close.
Sure, it was said that the power of the Valhalla Gate wasn't measured by size alone, since the gate's scale changed depending on the target, but even so, this size was overwhelming enough to stun Ariadoa.
Moreover, wasn't the Valhalla Gate supposed to be Valkyrie's exclusive move? No one else was supposed to be able to use it. And yet, that unknown being had used it.
So then, what exactly was imprisoned inside this fearsome gate that seemed to press down on the world itself?
Though she didn't want to believe it, what had vanished without a trace—where could it have gone?
The answer: inside the Valhalla Gate.
As the giant gate began releasing miasma and slowly opened, what was revealed behind the dispersing mist was a sight Ariadoa found impossible to believe.
The falling world had truly been swallowed into the gate. At the same time, the enormous skull formed by countless smaller ones began chomping with a ka-ka-ka sound—the movement of its upper and lower jaws producing a sound that filled Ariadoa with dread.
"Merseys?"
She spotted a minuscule figure—minuscule in comparison to the world—struggling desperately.
It was Merseth, attempting to escape, but she was glued to the figure by part of the unknown being's spirit, sticky like glue.
The next moment, a giant needle shot from the gate, piercing through both Merseys and the figure. For an instant, it sounded like Merseys screamed.
Then a violent current swept through the world of Yadetre once again—the Valhalla Gate was closing.
"Bastard! Bastard! Bastard! Let go of me! I still have something I must accomplish!!!"
Merseys howled. That divine face, beautiful enough to make the goddess of beauty swoon, was now twisted in pain.
At that moment, she ignored the agony of her soul being torn apart—a pain said to be thousands or tens of thousands of times more intense than having your flesh ripped to shreds.
She was desperately clawing her way out of the gate.
"You bastard! Why didn't you drag those other high-and-mighty gods into this damn gate—the Goddess of Time Chronoa, the God of Law Nemesiel, the Creator God Brahma?! They're just parasites who enjoy and steal your achievements, self-righteously claiming to uphold the 'correct' world!!!"
There was no longer any dignity befitting the a God—only a woman's hysterical screams.
"Answer me, Arthas!!!"
Merseys shouted in madness, but received only silence, as though the figure before her really was an unconscious shell.
But she knew—this figure, Arthas, either wasn't an empty shell or was indeed the real deal. Because one of the conditions to activate the Valhalla Gate was that the caster had to be a being with intelligence and consciousness.
This guy could clearly hear her—but chose to completely ignore her.
That was just like this bastard—this strange bastard. But she couldn't help but feel furious. It was so unfair!!!
"Ahahahahaha..."
In the end, Merseys threw her head back and laughed—laughed so bitterly, so miserably.
"You want me to answer you?"
A calm voice rang directly in her mind. Merseys froze.
And then, like a person on the brink of death suddenly grasping a ray of hope, she looked up with eyes full of anticipation.
"Then, open your soul completely to me."
The voice rang out again, indifferent and cold. Its content made Merseys momentarily freeze.
Open her soul to him completely? That was far worse than a human woman stripping herself bare and letting someone do as they pleased.
If she completely opened herself, her body and mind would be exposed to him entirely, without a shred of privacy. More importantly, he could rewrite her soul however he wished. Would she even be Merseys anymore?
Put simply, she'd be like meat on his chopping block—he could do anything he wanted to her.
Ha... he might as well kill her instead.
"You bastard, you lunatic—then let's die together!!!"
This madman clearly also intended to destroy the Twisted Staff fused with his own life.
From Merseys's perspective, the current Arthas was either the past Arthas or not. Most likely, he was a backup copy the guy had created of himself. An absolute maniac.
After her desperate words fell, he didn't respond further. The Valhalla Gate continued to close.
Damn it. So frustrating. Just a little more—if she had just a bit more strength, she could've escaped.
All she could do now was watch the gate slowly shut. Only a gap, just enough for one person, remained.
"Berserk State—Stage Four!"
With that declaration, a man wearing a demon mask and priest-like robes appeared.
He unleashed a wild spiritual energy that shook the Valhalla Gate, then without hesitation, slashed down with his sword, cutting apart the part of Merseys that had been stuck.
Just that attack alone caused the demon priest to deflate like a balloon, withering in an instant.
But that was enough. As Merseys screamed in agony, she tore off a portion of her own soul and, before the destructive needle came again, grabbed the new arrival and vanished through the gate in a dimensional shift.
Almost at the very instant the two disappeared, another figure appeared, slashing toward them.
But he was just a moment too late—his sword only hit an afterimage. No—he did manage to nick them slightly.
A few drops of blood drifted through the air.
"..."
Just when the duck was cooked and ready to eat, it flew away after one bite. Infuriating.
A miscalculation—he hadn't expected someone to suddenly appear and unleash a power nearly on par with Merseys.
If only his awareness had returned just a moment sooner... maybe he could've caught them.