The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order Chapter 2388 The death of the Scarlet King (I)

Cain gritted his teeth while lifting his fists, bracing for yet another clash. Exhaustion gripped him, and he was badly injured, yet none of that mattered. He'd battled before after depleting all his strength, and as in those fights, victory would be his regardless!

"No need for that. The fighting ends here."

That voice didn't emerge from the enormous phantom overhead, but rather from Sozing's own soul.

The see-through form of the Immortal Knight floated over the destroyed city, a subtle grin playing on his features as he scanned the broken avenues, then shifted his focus to the Scarlet King.

"We intended this spot as our bastion," Sozing stated evenly. "A base for an upcoming conquest through the Nine Empyrean Suns Universe. Nobody from the Third Realm ought to have shattered it... yet we got pretty damn close."

Real delight colored his tone, bordering on satisfaction, while he overlooked the wreckage. Still, Cain stayed on high alert, not easing up in the slightest. His posture held steady, senses pushed to the max as he seized every instant to regain any strength possible.

Sozing observed this and merely gave a casual shrug.

"Carry on if you like. The fight's concluded," he went on. "I arrived ready to perish, yet also set to overcome you. Victory could have come by wiping you out directly... or through my loss and triggering my ultimate measure."

At those words, Sozing directed his stare at the gigantic Reaper-shaped entity towering high, its look icy and unforgiving, poised to carry out its mission.

"I really hoped to best you in straight combat," he confessed, a hint of sorrow in his voice. "But it seems I'll pass the remainder to Kazo."

Determination and triumph gleamed in the Immortal Knight's ghostly gaze as he faced Cain once more and beamed brightly.

"Should an afterlife exist," Sozing murmured gently, "I wish we'd cross paths again. This has been the greatest thrill in a billion years for me."

Cain's gut instincts blared warnings louder than ever.

This wasn't the usual alert for battle, but a profound, instinctual dread- signaling he stood on the brink of utter disaster. His whole essence screamed at him to escape.

The Scarlet King retreated one step.

Yet prior to a second move, Sozing called out once more- this time bellowing with all the might remaining in his waning soul, his last declaration booming over the shadowed metropolis.

"Kazo, King of Death! Claim our souls as tribute- and guarantee the downfall of the foe from the Tenth Empyrean World!"

"BOOOOM!"

In under a second, the King of Death pulverized the trio of souls- Sozing, Bako, and Hako- within his enormous grasp. Their core burst apart effortlessly.

Upon reopening his hand, Kazo revealed a shadowy dagger clutched in his digits.

Without advancing an inch or showing any motion, the King of Death thrust the dagger ahead.

In that instant, time halted within the shadowed city.

The dagger materialized right in front of Cain's torso.

His eyes bulged wide. His soul bellowed in resistance.

But evasion proved impossible.

He had no choice but to witness the dagger's point penetrate his chest. Indescribable torment erupted across his very being.

23:15 -

This wasn't bodily suffering-it felt like his soul itself was being warped, bent, and pulverized internally.

"DING!"

A chime like a bell resounded as the dagger plunged further.

Cain parted his lips, yet silence followed.

"DING!"

Yet another chime rang out. The dagger had embedded halfway.

The Scarlet King's gaze filled with crimson. He balled his hands so tightly that blood trickled from them.

"DING!"

The last chime reverberated.

The full dagger disappeared into Cain's form. Moments after, the hilt crumbled to pieces, and the blade dissolved from within the Scarlet King's frame.

The King of Death let go, shut his eyes, and disappeared- signifying the Curse Eaters' conclusion.

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Noise flooded back into the shadowed city as Cain howled with full force.

His frame convulsed wildly on the cracked earth like a stranded fish, thrashing without control while excruciating torment tore through him. This suffering outstripped all prior ordeals- an all-consuming anguish that nearly broke his resolve.

Cain had faced unspeakable terrors many times over, but this stood apart.

This torment struck at his innermost self.

Were it not for his latest advancement- and the powerful stabilizing force of his True Name- his sense of self and soul would have disintegrated fully, obliterated by the anguish.

Minutes dragged on.

Gradually, kindly, the torment started to ebb.

Once it truly receded, Cain sprawled still on the fractured terrain, soaked in icy perspiration. His form jerked now and then, echoes of pain surging within.

A few more minutes elapsed before he could stand.

The instant he rose, Cain sensed something terribly amiss.

The initial clue was plain to see.

He lifted his hand- and halted.

It appeared aged, lined with wrinkles.

With a scowl, Cain summoned a tiny mirror. Seeing his image there caused his eyes to flare in astonishment.

He appeared around forty years old.

As a True Primordial, his life spanned eternity. His appearance should stay forever young.

But now, he detected it- his lifespan flickering, draining in a manner utterly unlike typical vitality.

And in contrast to his life energy, this depletion seemed irreversible.

"What has he done to me...?"

Cain shifted his view to Sozing's remains far off.

Drawing in a deep breath, he turned his attention inside and probed his soul.

Terror widened his eyes.

The King of Death's dagger had stabbed the heart of his soul- the most profound, untainted part of his reality- and corrupted it in a manner Cain couldn't fathom.

"THUMP!"

A abrupt glow throbbed over the dome.

Cain's head jerked up as insight hit him like a bolt.

The rumbling outside the dome no longer aimed at the Immortal Knight of the Tenth Empyrean World.

Now it zeroed in on him.