THE VILLAIN'S POV Chapter 763: A - Written in Death (1)

Thanatos Nightborne, a primordial horror from the age succeeding the Wars of Oblivion and the vanishing of history's ancient scribes.

A entity that embodied the essence of death.

Legends claimed he commanded vast hordes of the undead, unleashing devastation and total destruction, his rule stretching over immense realms of the universe...

Thanatos struck fear with his personal might... yet his real threat stemmed from those legions, made up of mighty souls he had slain with his own hands.

Now, this terror had come back—his focus locked on Amon.

The Eleventh-Rank High Demon scarcely had a moment to recover or shift his eyes, as Thanatos zeroed in on him without mercy.

Amon deflected Thanatos' assault, yet the immense force hurled him backward a huge span, slamming him hard into the earth.

Regaining his footing, Amon glanced up at the fresh foe, then rolled his shoulders in sequence.

"That one strike alone left my arms tingling..."

Just that initial exchange let Amon comprehend the overwhelming scale of his rival's strength... and uncover who he truly was.

Beings like Thanatos were exceedingly rare.

His skin, a dull gray hue.

Eyes reduced to empty voids, shining with an eerie blue glow.

And lips sealed with dark stitching, as though some force had muted him forever.

"It's clear now... You're Thanatos, right?" Amon questioned while Thanatos advanced steadily.

"You... possess great strength. I meant to end you with that attack."

Those words rasped from Thanatos' lips like a rough scrape... akin to murmurs emerging from the depths of the underworld.

Thanatos eyed his adversary... scanned the chaotic field nearby... and examined his own form.

"How many years have passed? How long was I absent?"

He balled his hand into a fist as his energy flared with lethal intent.

In turn, Amon invoked his Transparent World, bracing for the fight.

But Thanatos ignored it completely—opting to survey the area further.

"I detect no trace of the Soul Bearers... actually, they've transformed. And that cursed Demon King..."

The instant Agaroth entered his thoughts, raw anger twisted Thanatos' warped features.

"He didn't merely steal my Death Soul... he even distributed it to some worthless being. That foul creature...!"

Thanatos hid his face, masking the rage-fueled deformity.

Bits of Agaroth's visage gradually returned to his mind... the Demon King he clashed with long ago.

Even with Thanatos' infinite forces...

Even with the scores of SSS-rank fighters and higher under his command...

Even grasping the Death Soul in those days...

It proved insufficient.

Agaroth wiped them out entirely, cutting them down individually.

It was a savage, world-rending conflict... but no matter Thanatos' efforts, he couldn't halt the advance.

The Demon King massacred them amid laughter, delighting in the slaughter...

As though Thanatos amounted to a mere foot soldier, not death incarnate.

"Unforgivable..."

Thanatos gnashed his teeth while his presence exploded outward from calm, shock rippling over Amon's countenance.

"Unforgivable!!"

He bellowed, his vacant gaze piercing the demon in front.

"Merely recalling that scum fills me with fury... and here you are, carrying the stench of his tainted aura."

"I'll end you right here, minion of that despicable Demon King."

Thanatos lifted his limb... unleashing a torrent of shadow that engulfed the whole area.

Moments afterward, the ground trembled fiercely.

From the dirt below, bony claws erupted—remains of the ancient fallen, beasts from epochs past.

Still, they awakened once more, heeding his summons.

Within seconds, a horde of undead swarmed the field, as Thanatos lunged directly at Amon, smashing into him with apocalyptic force.

At that instant...

Frey lingered close by, clutching Abraham firmly.

Abraham twisted in torment, deeply disturbing Frey... Thanatos' recent action had stirred the dark mist encircling him into a frenzy.

It seemed Abraham battled an inner force, striving to suppress it... keeping it from delving further.

Frey's eyes flicked from his father to the raging fight and the undead swarm charging wildly at Amon.

His thoughts froze... overwhelmed by the unfolding events.

Then Gehrman's call pierced the turmoil, jolting him back.

"This is your moment, Frey! Grab your family and escape now!"

Gehrman urged Frey to withdraw—but Frey had no plans to comply.

"No. I'm staying."

He shot back icily as purple Soulfire blazed over his frame, murderous resolve bursting forth.

"I have no clue what that beast is that popped up from nowhere... but I know this much. He's against the demons."

Clasping the Dark Sister with resolve, Frey stood up gradually.

"Heading back into the fray now lets me seize this chaos... and finish Amon."

Frey refused to back down, unwilling to waste this opening.

But Gehrman stepped in again.

"I can't fully grasp your turmoil—but observe your surroundings closely."

Positioned in front of Frey despite his weary state, Gehrman persisted in dissuading him to the last.

"See your father. See your sister. Consider it deeply, Frey Starlight... is this truly the time to dive into a fight with an unknown end?"

While Gehrman urged, bony shapes drew near Ada, though the relic's shield repelled them, driving the undead away.

Nevertheless, she stayed confined in that ocean of demise.

As for Abraham...

He endured excruciating pain.

And it was obvious Thanatos triggered it.

"If you see Thanatos as a friend, you're dead wrong. That horror opposes every life form. Once he overcomes Amon, he'll target the closest vital soul and start forging a fresh legion... to succeed the one he forfeited before."

Gehrman stated evenly, then redirected Frey's focus to Abraham.

"Your father's current struggle stems from him. Thanatos' essence revived Abraham's form—and now he's seeking to seize it, to make him one of his thralls. Your father resists... but staying near offers no assurance he'll hold out."

Gehrman halted briefly, then pressed on with steady tone.

"Hold back, Frey. Today's feats surpass expectations. We eliminated three High Demons, Wesker among them, and unleashed a sworn foe of the demons. That's leverage we can wield... but not as you intend."

He rested a palm on Frey's shoulder, making a final plea.

"Reflect, Frey. Think clearly. What's your true priority here?"

For a fleeting second, Frey and Gehrman locked eyes amid the thunderous booms of Thanatos and Amon's duel resounding nearby.

Frey went quiet.

Then he tightened his grip.

"Damn it!"

He swore, slinging Abraham across his back before flashing to Ada's side via quick teleport.

With a fierce blade sweep, Frey loosed a brutal surge of power that shattered the encircling remains. He slipped inside the shield, drawing Ada near with his spare hand.

Embracing his kin securely, Frey at last heeded Gehrman's counsel.

In the meantime, the showdown between Amon and Thanatos grew fiercer.

Thanatos boasted superior brute force over Amon... but without the Death Soul, he'd forfeited his deadliest striking tool. That fact alone enabled the Eleventh-Rank Demon to scarcely defend himself.

Regardless, the field plunged into total disorder.

Out of the blue...

Mad blue infernos poured from above, consuming Thanatos, while enormous dragon-like wings cast shadows over the vast battleground.

Nito burst in his beastly shape, diving to aid Amon.

Amon battled with utmost vigor... yet he withheld his concealed, reality-shattering trump card, which troubled Gehrman greatly.

Gehrman had anticipated Amon unleashing it versus Thanatos.

But he hadn't.

"What secret are you concealing, Eleventh-Rank Demon...?"

Gehrman whispered, pulling back right as Fulghor plummeted from the heavens at breakneck pace.

"Gehrman—we must depart at once. This fight is beyond us now."

Gehrman agreed promptly, without a second thought.