But then the Herald uttered a single word that shattered all hope.

"Gehenna."

Magical circles appeared in the air around the Herald. It was a type of magic that Somnus could neither use nor decypher, similar to Arcadia's own. It was no doubt related to the Spirituality attribute, instead of Magic. Somnus's Spiritual apt.i.tude was 0, and he was rank F. All his other attributes increased through level, but not his Spirituality.

A sound pierced the heavens, like that of a deep horn. It sounded and the clouds instantly gathered above the Herald. Whatever that spell did, other than the sound, there was no overt change in the Herald.

But Somnus knew something was different.

Gehenna was no doubt a spell like Somnus's [Apocalypse Form] or [Harbinger of Ruin]. Now, facing a true Harbinger of Ruin, he felt the name of his spell was quite inadequate and pretentious.

Then, finally, the Herald's appearance did change. His hands began to ooze with blackened blood, constantly dripping off his fingers. Before the blood droplets could hit the ground, they turned into dust.

A light breeze scattered the dust.

[Unknown magic type detected. Unknown effects.]

[OPCOM: Avoid Barrier-type defenses.]

"Very well," the Herald said after a tense moment. "I gave you the opportunity to earn my mercy."

Somnus lowered his center of gravity when those words filtered into his ears.

"Perdition," the Herald uttered and a bolt of black lightning fell from the sky.

When the bolt struck, it created a smoldering crater thirty meters in diameter. Molten slag and liquid gla.s.s poured towards the center of the crater.

The Herald looked up into the sky to where Somnus had flickered and he flicked his restored, right hand at Somnus. A bolt of black energy flew towards Somnus and struck him in the chest, shooting him out of the sky.

You have taken damage. -2496 HP

As Somnus was about to land, the Herald appeared next to him, suddenly holding a double-sided scythe made entirely out of that black energy that the Herald used for his attacks.

Somnus threw his left arm up, blocking the shaft of the scythe before it could decapitate him, and the blow sent him flying across the open s.p.a.ce.

You have taken damage. -3897 HP

Damage reduction from successful block.

Critical hit negated due to successful block.

If he hadn't blocked it, who knows how much damage that would've done to him.

[Damage type a.n.a.lyzed: Ruin.]

Ruin? That was not a mantype! Or was it?

[Recommend increasing output to 31%]

[Output: 31%]

"Annihilation Blade," Somnus said, reaching into the air to grasp the still-forming blade made out of compressed plasma. Somnus watched the tiny magical circles appear around the sun-like core of the blade. The symbols were so small, he could barely read them. A ma.s.sive Realization Formation was compressed and miniaturized to the size of a coin. Compared to Aeon, this Herald was nothing.

The Herald swooped in, crossing the distance of a dozen meters in a heartbeat. His scythe glimmered with a white glimmer as it slashed at Somnus.

The impact of the Annihilation Blade and the scythe colliding together created a sound so powerful that it cracked the ground beneath the two and caused rings of condensed vapor to appear around them.

[Attack Configuration updated.]

[Deploying Wing Blades.]

The blades that made up Somnus's wings detached themselves from his back and surrounded the Herald from all sides. Then they converged on the spot where the Herald stood and pierced the ground.

The Herald reappeared several meters away from where he just stood. Somnus saw the line of the Herald's movement this time—he did not use teleportation—and Somnus was already rus.h.i.+ng towards spot.

A moment afterwards, the two collided, this time the Herald was on the defensive. Somnus struck the parrying shaft of the Herald's scythe three times in quick succession, and each strike after the first only enlarged the crater the first strike made.

[Combat Mode C.]

Just as the fourth strike was landing on the shaft of the scythe, Somnus's wingblades appeared once more. This time they were pointing downwards, instead of at the Herald.

[Harmonics]

A high-pitched ring oscillated between the blades and then the total sum of the previous four strikes. .h.i.t the Herald all at once.

Dust exploded into the air as the deafening roar of the oscillations blanketed the field. Flying out of the dust cloud, the Herald skipped off the ground twice before landing brutally and tumbling several meters. After the Herald flew both halves of the scythe, each in their own direction.

The magical circles that came into existence at that moment where four times as large as anything Somnus ever created before he merged with Aeon. They were also twice as numerous. A dozen, dark blue, magical circles spun in the air for a brief moment as the quickly Realized.

"Heavy Ion Beam: Dual Pulse," Somnus said, pointing the tip of his Annihilation Blade at the p.r.o.ne Herald.

Lightning flashed twice, and each time the sound was a high pitched clap. Then the whole atmosphere seemed to explode at once with thunderous barrages of sound. Purple, brilliant, trails were left in the vision of those who observed the lightning directly.

The Herald was once more sent flying backwards, but this time not as far. The ground was carved open by the Heavy Ion pulses, molten and scorched.

[Harmonics]

A solid dome of condensed air appeared around Somnus before being blown away, as the shockwave set the very ground on fire. The Herald's left leg was blown apart just before the rest of him teleported away.

[Harmonics] was an Information Dimension attack; it combined the power of previous attacks and repeated them in an instant.

When the Herald reappeared a moment later, he fell to the ground and screamed—not with pain, but with anger. His leg reformed itself an instant after the scream.

A movement line appeared in Somnus's vision as the Herald vanished once more.

[Deploying Physical Barrier.]

[Not recommended.]

The Herald reappeared, this time with a black energy sword instead of a scythe and stabbed at Somnus. Sparks flew off the sword as it struck the physical-negating barrier, but it eventually made it entirely through and stabbed Somnus through the stomach.

You have taken damage. -2411 HP

Health is critical.

Somnus narrowed his eyes at the Herald. A jet of black fire broke free from Somnus's halo and scorched the air.

The Annihilation Blade was raised straight up into the air, and then came down on the Herald's shoulder, cleaving halfway through him.

[Information Layer Destruction]

The expression on the Herald's face as his [Gehenna] spell was obliterated was one filled with surprise and anguish.

Somnus followed his attack through with a kick, aimed at the Herald's side. The Herald's arm got caught into the kick and its bones were completely destroyed, along with the Herald's hip. The kick blasted the Herald away, sending him plowing through the dirt in a mess of broken limbs.

"Reform," Somnus said, as he walked towards the Herald. Magical circles flashed behind him.

You have been healed. +5944 HP

[Enemy a.n.a.lysis complete.]

[Database updated.]

[Threat level updated. Designation Herald of Ruin threat level: 6.]

[OPCOM: a.n.a.lysis mode suspended. Full a.r.s.enal is now available.]

[Output: 100%]

[Reactor output: Stable]

Somnus's wings reattached themselves to his back as his halo grew larger. The jets of fire had been completely subdued into the ring and black flakes of some material fell off the apocalyptic object.

[Mana Stabilizers engaged.]

Once more, the blades of his wings expelled the crystallizing mana into the air, and this time, rather than a jet, they appeared more like fine dust, ceaselessly falling off the metallic structures.

The Herald's expression changed. The humans, of course, could not sense the change in Somnus's power as he increased his output to 100%, but the Herald could.

A magical circle, spanning fifty meters across, appeared in front of Somnus and slowly rotated. It was dark red, and the symbols as they Realized turned completely black.

The Herald's eyes widened.

"Wai—"

"Disintegration."

A dark red beam exploded out of the magical circle and consumed the Herald. It came into existence for merely a moment, and in its wake, there was no molten slag or scorched ground. There was nothing. Whatever once stood in the path of the beam was completely annihilated—disintegrated—atoms and molecules forced apart.

You have slain Malah-Hazai, Herald of Ruin.

You have gained a level. x109

You have reached level 100.

Expert jobs now available.

Race effects now available.

You have stepped foot onto the path of Divinity.

Cult information now available.

Your Corruptor job has improved.

Your Ruler job has improved.

Your Magic Slayer job has improved.

Your Paradox Mage job has improved.

Your Machine Seraph job has improved.