In Britain, the Noble Phantasm: Divine Key

“Nidhogg, the despairing dragon that devours the world.” Merlin smiled, seemingly unaffected by the aura of death. “With its scales, combined with your bloodline, you can create the most powerful Camelot King in history. With this power, we can defeat Vortigern.”

Are you really sure about this, Merlin?

"Black and white, prosperity and decline, are like the rising and setting of the sun. This is the most fundamental law of the world... Don't you think so?"

“I just…” Yuther hesitated for a moment, then sighed, “Never mind, I understand.”

As if a pause button had been pressed, the scene before my eyes suddenly froze, and then the surrounding scenery distorted and underwent a dramatic change in the blink of an eye.

……

……

Before them stretched a vast forest, and in the central clearing, a massive array of runes emitted a faint glow.

In the center of the rune array, a baby lay quietly.

"Looks like it was a success, Yuther. Don't you feel excited right now, like you want to burst into tears?" Merlin laughed.

“I haven’t cried in forty years, Merlin,” Yuther said calmly.

"Huh? But generally speaking, shouldn't parents be moved to tears when they see their child born?" Merlin tilted his head.

“If I could, I would like to experience what it feels like to cry, but unfortunately that’s too much of a luxury for me,” Yuther said.

Merlin seemed to want to say something more, but suddenly paused and turned to look at the baby in the center of the rune array.

Black lines, exuding an aura of death, had somehow covered the baby's body, and an immense death force exploded from that frail body!

"Oops!"

Merlin immediately put his arm around Yuther's shoulder, tapped his staff, and the two of them vanished from the spot in an instant.

The power of death swept in all directions like a storm. The trees within a five-kilometer radius seemed to have experienced tens of thousands of years in an instant. Their lush branches and leaves withered and decayed rapidly. Many animals that did not have time to escape also lost their lives on the spot under this power of death. Their flesh melted, their fur rotted, and in the blink of an eye, only a withered skeleton remained.

In just a moment, the land within a five-kilometer radius was transformed into a dead zone, barren of everything!

Space distorted for a moment, and Merlin and King Uther reappeared.

Looking at the horrific scene around him, King Euthyder sighed.

"It failed."

"...Haha, I never thought that even a great sage like me could make a mistake. Oh dear, the nature of the world is indeed not such a simple thing." Merlin scratched his head and smiled somewhat awkwardly.

King Euthyder stepped forward and gently stroked the baby's cold body, a complex expression appearing in his eyes.

"...What should we do with this child?"

"What can we do?" Merlin shrugged. "You see? No breath, no heartbeat, blood frozen in his veins like stone. There's no doubt about it—death. He no longer belongs here."

“Nidhogg’s power is simply too great. With the resources and technology we have now, there is no way to create a body that can withstand that power.”

"Fortunately, we've gained enough experience this time, and I guarantee we'll succeed next time. But Nidhogg's scales are gone now, and I don't know when that place will open again. How about we switch to another dragon? I think the red dragon would be quite good."

The two figures gradually disappeared into the distance, leaving only a dead baby, forever remaining in this world of death.

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Glow of a Star's Demise

Do you understand now?

The illusory voice echoed in Anahn's ears like a demon.

"You are nothing but a manufactured weapon. That nightmare and that man don't care whether you live or die."

Yanan looked down at the baby at his feet, without saying a word.

Unbeknownst to them, a deep darkness enveloped the entire world, approaching from afar like the most astute hunter, patiently and slowly drawing near to its target.

"Without parents or relatives, you are destined to be alone from the day you are born."

"The one who created you has abandoned you, and the world has abandoned you. You and I are both beings who are not allowed to exist."

"Are you angry? Heartless abandonment, cold death, and the fact that your birth originated from such a ridiculous farce!"

"Despair? Beautiful visions are nothing but illusions; the hands of death cannot shelter any hope!"

The flowing darkness engulfed the entire world like a tide, and in the blink of an eye, it approached Anan's surroundings.

"Only a monster like me can understand you."

"Because we are all the same, puppets pulled by the threads of fate, unable to escape this farcical stage no matter how hard we try."

"So give up, cast aside those ridiculous emotions, merge with me, and unleash your true nature!"

"Let me bear your despair and anger, and take revenge on those hypocrites!"

Darkness surged, swallowing all light, and countless twisted, serpentine figures gradually crept up to Anan's feet.

"Have you finally finished spouting your nonsense?"

The darkness suddenly paused.

"You? How could this be..."

Yanan raised his head, his dark eyes revealing a clear understanding.

Suddenly, in this world devoid of any color, a vibrant, fiery red appeared.

They were crimson feathers, falling from the void and disappearing into nothingness, as if they had never existed, yet deeply etched into the spirit of every observer.

"What!? This is..."

"What do weapons matter? What do people matter? The most important thing is how you choose to live. Only I can decide who I am."

"So what if you're abandoned? Instead of hating the injustice of fate, you should use your own hands to get what you want and create a new future."

"Despair, anger?" A mocking smile appeared on Yanan's lips. "Don't joke like that. I crossed life and death to return to this world, not to do something as pointless as revenge."

"Besides, even if I really want revenge, I will do it with my own strength. What does it have to do with you, you big black worm?"

"Roar!!!"

The dark world shattered with a deafening roar, and the all-encompassing dragon of despair reappeared before Anan.

"Ignorant! Foolish!" Nidhogg's voice was filled with barely concealed anger. "Humans are indeed a bunch of uncivilized monkeys! Since you're unwilling to give me your body, then I'll take it myself!"

It opened its ferocious mouth and spewed out scorching dragon breath, causing even space to shatter in its wake!

"Tremble! This is the power of the despairing dragon that will destroy the world!"

A mocking glint flashed in the dragon's dark eyes, which then turned into deep astonishment in the next moment.

A shield, resembling blooming flower petals, unfolded layer by layer in front of Anan, completely blocking the dragon's breath!

What is this thing?!

“Nidhogg, you’ve been trying to distract me from the very beginning, trying to prevent me from discovering the truth of this world. But I’m sorry, I’ve known this secret from the very beginning.”

"What nonsense are you spouting!" Nidhogg roared, a barely perceptible look of fear flashing in his eyes.

Anan raised his head, gazed at the enormous black dragon, and smiled:

"This is actually my inner world, right?"

"How could you..."

"In the world of the mind, anything is possible, and how much power one can exert depends entirely on one's own will."

"At the beginning, you showed me the form of the World Tree, and then chose to appear in your true form, all to intimidate me. As long as I feel fear towards you, there is no way I can beat you here."

"But you were worried that if you devoured me directly, it would provoke my resistance, so you changed to a gentler approach, showing me your past experiences and stirring up my desire for revenge. In this way, you could devour me without lifting a finger."

Am I right?

Yanan's smile remained unchanged.

Nidhogg suddenly flapped its wings, and its enormous, sky-covering figure swooped down on Ananon like a meteor, its dark pupils flashing with madness.

hum-

As if a pause button had been pressed, the whole world suddenly froze. Less than five meters away from Anan, Nidhogg was frozen in mid-air like a statue, its ferocious dragon mouth wide open and its eyes filled with disbelief.

"Trying to devour me before I can muster enough mental power? That's a good plan, but unfortunately you've got one thing wrong, Nidhogg."

Crimson feathers danced around Anan, like fiery spirits.

"As long as I'm here, I'm invincible!"

The scorching flames came from the void and gathered in Anan's hand into the shape of a greatsword, as if a sun was hidden within it. The intense heat even distorted the void itself.

A look of panic flashed in Nidhogg's eyes.

"O despairing dragon that devours the world, behold this: the radiance of a star's demise!!"

Yanan swung his greatsword down fiercely, and flames exceeding the sun's extreme temperature erupted forth, filling the entire world with light more dazzling than a star, instantly engulfing Nidhogg's figure!

In this light that was too bright for ordinary people to look at directly, Anan suddenly saw a scene—

"What's the point of you doing this?" Merlin looked at the middle-aged man beside him with a helpless expression.

King Euthy sat on horseback, holding the cold, lifeless infant in his arms, his calm face showing no emotion whatsoever.

Merlin scratched his head and said helplessly, "I know that there are indeed legends of the dead being resurrected in the Land of Shadows, but this child has Nidhogg's power residing in him, and he will reject any power of life. It is impossible for him to be resurrected."

"Merlin, I have indeed lost the feelings of being a parent, and I will no longer shed tears for the birth of a child," King Uther said calmly, looking at the infant in his arms. "But at least I still know my responsibility; I brought him into this world, so..."

"Even just a glimpse would be enough; I want him to see this world."

Chapter Thirty-Five: Awakening

As if rusty parts had been coated with lubricant, familiar senses were awakened from all parts of the body, surging to the brain like a tide, and together triggering a signal called [awakening].

Anan slowly opened his eyes, and what came into view was the ceiling he saw every morning, and the familiar scent filled his nostrils.

This is Sir Hector's estate, and the little cabin where he lived for more than six months.

"Teacher, you're awake!"

A surprised voice came from the side, and then a fairy-like, exquisite face squeezed into Yanan's field of vision.

"...Lily?"

Yanan blinked in confusion as memories flooded his mind, his dark pupils gradually clearing.