Now, Thanatos sat upon a grand throne constructed from tightly bound bones, gazing down at everything from above—his expression dark.
His features were sharp and cold.
His eyes carried a lethal emptiness, glowing with that same unnatural blue—like eyes that belonged to another world.
His aura was heavy, murky, and dark... swirling around his body and weighing down the very air.
"What a peculiar planet... these humans are incredibly weak. Among the weakest I have ever seen."
He turned his head eastward, toward the location of the Shadow Sect.
"But... among them are individuals of tremendous power. I can sense the bearer of the Light Soul among them."
Then, he shifted his gaze westward.
"On the other side, a large number of filthy demons are here, attempting to conquer this place... and I am caught between them."
Slowly, Thanatos clenched his fist.
"That damned Agaroth... you failed to kill me. And you will regret it bitterly when I return and tear your head from your shoulders. Then you will learn who the true embodiment of death is."
Now that he had finally returned, the embodiment of death regained his composure after his earlier agitation.
He was not a fool.
He understood full well that he could not defeat the Demon King in a direct confrontation.
So ..
Thanatos began planning his next move.
"I must rebuild my army... and reclaim the Soul of Death that was stolen from me."
That was his foremost desire.
"The Soul of Death is far from me for now. But the army... is here, served to me on a silver platter."
On one side stood the Shadow Sect, teeming with powerful warriors.
On the other, the demons .. hosts to countless monsters.
"If I make them all part of my army, I will recover what I lost... perhaps even gain something greater."
"So... I will let them destroy one another as they wish."
"And claim whoever remains."
It was a simple plan.
But effective.
Thanatos intended to remain distant from the coming war .. waiting patiently for the perfect moment to slaughter the victor, and then turn all of them into obedient puppets who would fight for him willingly.
As he imagined his new army, Thanatos began laughing loudly—burning from within with a desire for revenge.
He laughed.
And laughed.
Until his voice shook the entire capital.
But it did not last long.
Soon, his smile vanished .. replaced by utter seriousness and a murderous intent as he turned his gaze toward a nearby dark corner.
"You there... hiding among the shadows. Reveal yourself. Or lose your head."
His tone was threatening.
He had sensed another presence nearby.
And he was completely serious .. ready to strike at any moment.
That person had approached far too close.
Close enough that Thanatos had failed to detect him fully until the very end.
Which meant ..
He was no ordinary opponent.
At first, silence lingered.
But not for long.
Soon, Thanatos heard the sound of footsteps.
A man in human form stepped out from the shadows.
"Your senses are truly sharp, Embodiment of death, Thanatos," the man said.
"I intended to conceal myself from you until the very end... yet you noticed me regardless."
He stepped into the light.
And upon seeing him ..
Thanatos narrowed his eyes in recognition.
"You... I saw you before. On the battlefield through which I returned."
He recognized him.
The distinctive traits... the jet-black mask.
The white hair.
The dark blade.
There was no one else it could be.
"My name is Frey Starlight. I have come to you, Thanatos... to offer you the choice."
Frey had appeared from nowhere—standing at the very gates of the embodiment of death.
Thanatos, in response, leapt from his throne and landed before him.
"What choice do you dare offer?" Thanatos said, unleashing an overwhelming surge of aura from his body.
"No one in this world offers me choices. I am the one who decides here. No one else."
The pressure released by the embodiment of death was not ordinary.
It could be described in a single word ..
Crushing.
Yet before him, Frey did not flinch.
He walked calmly through the suffocating pressure as if it meant nothing.
"You are nothing but a miserable creature... in a time that is not yours, and a place that is not yours."
Frey’s body ignited with Black Hole Aura fused with the power of souls.
"The choice is yours, Thanatos. Either turn your weapon against our common enemy—the demons, the race ruled by a king you loathe beyond measure—"
He paused, allowing the weight of his voice to settle as he unleashed a killing intent so intense it startled Thanatos.
"—or die here and now... by my hand."
The echo of Frey’s final words spread through the capital.
A direct.
Explicit threat.
The King of Death trembled.
Not from fear ..
But from rage.
Thanatos’ eyes ignited with blazing blue fire born of fury and contempt. His aura erupted to its absolute limit, pressing down entirely upon the man before him.
"Kill me? Me?"
"Hehehe... hahahaha!!!"
Thanatos’ laughter boomed, coarse and monstrous, enough to freeze the heart of anyone who heard it.
"You are truly naive, human. I am death itself. Even the Demon King failed to erase me. How could a fool like you hope to succeed?"
Thanatos assumed a battle stance.
That was his answer.
"You came to me of your own accord. Do not regret it when you become one of my shadow soldiers!"
BOOOOOOM!!
The ground beneath Thanatos exploded as he launched forward like a roaring blue comet.
His fist slammed directly into the Dark Sister, and the force sent Frey flying—his body crashing through dozens of buildings and walls before finally stopping.
Thanatos pursued immediately, laughing madly.
"What a fool you are! You should have fought your pathetic war quietly instead of coming to me!"
He appeared before Frey and kicked him, but Frey blocked and evaded a direct hit at the last instant.
Thanatos’ speed and power were monstrous.
At first glance, he seemed completely superior.
But in a single heartbeat ..
As Thanatos’ fist was about to land ..
Frey vanished.
When Thanatos regained his bearings, Frey had already surpassed him in speed.
"Unlike Agaroth... I can kill you, Thanatos."
SLAAASH!!
With a single strike empowered by Black Hole Aura and the force of countless souls ..
Frey tore open Thanatos’ chest, dark blue blood spilling outward.
Thanatos recovered quickly and counterattacked ..
But Frey disappeared again, reappearing at a nearby point.
"The Demon King does not understand the Law of Life and Death. That is why he failed to end you."
"Unlike me... I can break it as easily as you do."
Frey’s body erupted in even fiercer violet flames as he burned more souls to fuel his power.
Through the gaps of Nameless’ mask, he stared coldly at Thanatos.
"Choose, Thanatos. Either fight my enemies... or die, and I will use your soul as fuel to stoke my own Soul Flame."
"Neither," Thanatos replied with a terrifying grin.
"The only option before me is to kill you and make use of that body of yours."
He lunged forward.
Frey did the same.
The two collided violently, their auras clashing in a thunderous explosion that shook the entire capital.
"Very well."
Frey spoke calmly ..
And began his battle against the embodiment of death, Thanatos.