Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

Countless thorns and branches wrapped around Darius, weaving him into a gigantic humanoid figure hundreds of meters tall, which instantly burst into flames, transforming him into a fire giant standing between heaven and earth.

"—The Wheel of Destruction! The Destruction of Branches!"

The monster of the present world raised the burning, tree-like demonic sword, Mistiltein, high in its right hand, as if wielding a torch to incinerate the world, and swept forward. Its furious roar stirred up rolling waves of heat that swept in all directions. The terrifying heat created a scorching wind that violently distorted the surrounding air, making even the powerful heroic spirits find it difficult to breathe.

Those burning crimson eyes looked down menacingly at the two instigators who had disrupted Ainsworth's entire plan, their gazes radiating an unquenchable rage and malice.

Today, he's going to burn those two scoundrels alive!

As the overwhelming heat and visible distortion rushed towards him, Samael, who was directly affected, narrowed his eyes slightly.

Damn it, Surtur, the "King of Flames"!

Darius actually collected the fragments of Surtr that were scattered throughout the world during the War of the Covenant, and based on these fragments, he replaced himself with the tyrant of fire who caused Ragnarok.

Is this going to be another Ragnarok?

To save the world, one must first destroy it. Is this the salvation of humanity that Ainsworth spoke of?

How twisted!

Samael's expression was stern. He shook his head inwardly at the fire giant who had gone mad before him. The holy spear Rungomminiad in his hand gathered a powerful stream of ethereal light, which he casually swung to block the path of the parasitic sword's sweep.

boom!

Amidst a muffled explosion, a fiery red halo spread across the sky, turning the entire firmament orange-red. Countless burning branches broke off from the sword and fell to the ground, making it difficult for the Giant's Branch of Destruction to advance even an inch.

Bang! Bang!

Even more surprisingly, the staggering figure took two steps back.

At this moment, the heroic spirits, busy dealing with the aftershocks of the various splashes, looked up in astonishment, their eyes filled with shock.

The stark difference in size makes the scene seem like an ant using a toothpick to knock down a giant dragon with its claws outstretched, creating a strong sense of incongruity.

It must be admitted that among the nine realms of Norse mythology, the Flame Giant King Surtr is indeed very strong.

Because it is not merely a final device born with the destiny of destruction, but a special existence that inherits the destructive nature and power of Ymir, the progenitor of the Titans.

Therefore, in order to deal with it back then, almost all the major forces and bosses in the Nine Realms participated in that campaign.

However, even Surut from back then was tricked and killed by me.

And you are nothing more than a inferior product that cleverly stole some divine power, or rather, you are too weak!

The ancient serpent's vertical pupils opened and closed, extending a holy spear of light a hundred meters long, which slashed down diagonally, mercilessly attacking the imposter's chest core.

boom!

The fire giant, still unsteady on its feet, hastily lifted Mistiltein, only to be once again blasted back by the raging force. Countless broken, burning branches transformed into a shower of meteors and fire along the way, falling in a flurry.

Bang bang bang!

The Holy Lance slashed and smashed repeatedly, like a tower being swung up. The monster, which was destroying the world, tried its best to defend itself, but it was completely overwhelmed in terms of strength and even skill. It could only retreat in humiliation, and the flames on its body gradually dimmed and shook violently. From its trembling chest, it let out a series of unwilling roars.

High in the sky, within a body that appears extremely small, an even more turbulent torrent of ether is constantly erupting.

Samael watched his opponent retreat steadily, nearing the end of his rope as his spirit and body were eroded. A cold smile crept onto his lips.

In the Ragnarok scenario, it's not just you who will automatically be strengthened.

If you want to kill me, at least send Surut. You're far from enough...

"Ye... Meng... Ye Meng... Gad!"

Just as the ancient serpent was muttering to itself, the fire giant's indistinct voice gradually coalesced into complete words, transforming into a hissing roar filled with resentment and anger.

"Oh!"

In an instant, half of the branch-like body shattered, and the flickering flames, sometimes present and sometimes absent, suddenly burst into a violent blaze. The intense flames shot straight into the sky, and the branches and ashes that had fallen everywhere were drawn back together by the burning monster under the influence of an invisible force, reconstructing a complete form.

Even more powerful!

hum!

At the same time, a space behind Samael vibrated violently with a buzzing sound. A beam of blazing scarlet light tore through space and flew toward the fire giant in the distance. With a joyful tremor, it landed in the giant hand made of branches.

After a moment, the floating light patterns disappeared and shattered, revealing the true appearance of the dark red sword body inside.

Flaming Demon Sword, Levadin!

Samael's gaze fell upon the scarlet sword, his face darkened, and a look of solemnity and frustration appeared in his eyes.

It seems that his old nemesis, the true King of Giants, whom he tricked to death back then, has risen from the ashes.

The fact that the demonic sword, sealed by the gods and kept in his care, was recalled is the most powerful proof of this.

Holy crap, this even has zombies coming back to life! Is this some kind of absurd thing?!

"Ye Meng Jia De!"

The furious roar, each word distinct, stirred up a blazing wind. Samael, bearing the brunt of it, had his cheeks flushed red, his snakeskin burning hot, and his hood burned to ashes.

The ancient serpent, held aloft, heard the furious roar filled with resentment and the frenzied obsession, and was on the verge of tears.

Loki stole the "Flaming Sword Levadin"; Odin wove the "Cage of the Gods"; Marduk tore you to pieces... The grievances have their perpetrators, the debts have their debtors. If you want revenge, go find them. What does it have to do with me?

However, whether it was because he had done too many bad things or because he was born with a tendency to take the blame, the fire giant who had just been resurrected from annihilation identified his target as his mortal enemy and decisively raised both hands high, bringing the two demonic swords on his left and right sides together.

Instantly, the flames of annihilation blazed fiercely, and the flames on the fire giant Surt also turned into an even more intense golden-red.

The faint sense of threat made Samael's expression change slightly. As he pondered this, he subconsciously adopted a defensive posture.

So that's how it is. The Flaming Demon Sword Leivatin, representing "fire," originated from the Parasitic Sword Mistiltein, representing "tree." The combination of the two is the most perfect "Branch of Destruction"!

A fierce, radiant light, like a ring-shaped crown, was placed over Surut's head.

Its radiant light illuminated all directions.

Looking around, the grass and trees are burning, the earth is burning, the world is burning.

And for every inch of the [World] that is burned and decomposed, the destructive power within Surtur's body grows stronger.

It was a living, eternal fire.

It seems that only by burning everything in the world to ashes, leaving no more nourishment, can that desolate and barren world be completely extinguished.

"Gentlemen, if this thing gets out, we'll be in big trouble! Forget about the Holy Grail War for now, everyone..."

Samael, watching the Flame Tyrant, which had completely filled the ruins of Ainsworth in a short period of time and swelled to nearly two hundred meters, turned his head to warn others, intending to gather manpower to deal with it together.

However, when the ancient snake turned around, it was shocked to find that there was no one left on the vast white ground.

The heroic spirits who were originally fighting fiercely in the courtyard took advantage of the break in his battle with Surtr to quickly move to the distant dense forest with their respective masters and targets.

Ereshkigal dragged Tokiomi Tohsaka, Rin Tohsaka carried the unconscious Sakura Tohsaka, and Attila took care of the Sajō sisters, Ayaka and Ayaka. Basically, everyone was fully loaded and evacuated.

However, whether it was because he forgot or because he trusted too much, he was the only one left behind.

"..."

Samael, whose attention was entirely focused on the enemy in front of him, came to his senses and was speechless, only able to silently raise the middle finger in his mind.

Dry!

"boom!"

Before Samael could react, Surut roared and raised the burning Branch of Destruction in his hand, swinging it forward.

In an instant, a fiery sword that could cleave the heavens and the earth roared in.

The overwhelming wave of heat almost instantly broke through the magical barrier protecting Samael, radiating terrifying heat.

Clearly, with the awakening of the true Flame Giant, its strength has increased by several orders of magnitude compared to before.

"It ends here, it concludes here—the ultimate blessing!"

Samael's expression turned solemn, as if facing a formidable enemy. He immediately gripped the Holy Lance tightly, and countless light patterns peeling off the blade surrounded their master. A crystal-like Tower of the End instantly rose from the ground.

"boom!"

The intense flames, the violent explosions, and the splattering flames resembled burning meteors falling from the sky, successively burning and flattening dozens of nearby mountains. The soil under the high temperature turned into scorching magma, overflowing and flowing everywhere. The entire Xindu mountain range became a molten lava hell with billowing smoke.

The smoke and dust it stirred up turned into smog, usurping the sun's brilliance and presenting a scene of apocalypse.

The strong tremors and sound waves spread throughout Fuyuki City. Citizens, thinking they had experienced an earthquake and a volcanic eruption, hurriedly sought refuge under the stern warnings broadcast over the loudspeakers, silently praying that the disaster would pass as soon as possible.

"Cough cough..."

In the epicenter of the explosion, within a crater tens of meters wide, Samael swayed, coughed violently, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. His golden armor shattered and gradually turned into stardust.

After taking a deep breath, the ancient snake frowned slightly at the sound of bone crepitus coming from its chest.

It looks like two bones are broken.

But then, the man, enduring the pain, looked up and gazed at the colossal object in the distance, which stretched out like a mountain range. He couldn't help but smile, a pleased grin spreading across his face.

Of course, the other side is in an even worse situation.

The flames on Surut's body flickered, his right side was completely bare, and his half-arm, blown off along with the dim [Branch of Destruction], lay tragically in the dense forest.

However, before Samael could rejoice for long, countless red and black light spots surged toward the paralyzed Surut, and the rapidly spreading branches began to fill the void left by his missing right arm.

Indeed, it was the right decision to kill Surut prematurely back then.

This calamity monster, driven by destruction and burning, is quite troublesome.

Seeing this, the ancient serpent frowned even more deeply, raised its hand to wipe the blood from the corner of its mouth, and tried to step forward to kill or seal Surut as soon as possible.

But as soon as he jumped out of the pit, a strong feeling of weakness caused Samael's legs to buckle, and the divine power within his body was exhausted and stagnant.

Tch, almost at its limit.

Although it wasn't his limit, it was Tokiomi Tohsaka's limit.

Now, things are getting a bit tricky.

"Roar!"

At the same time, Surut struggled to his feet and raised his arm to strike Samael in the distance, intending to finish off his seemingly exhausted nemesis.

"Star Emblem, activate!"

"Tamamo Type 97, all missiles launched!"

"Crimson lightning of the underworld!"

"Maanna, get her!"

But the moment the monster raised its hand, dozens of arcs of light shot out from the dense forest, blasting the half-paralyzed Surut into a million holes.

In the blink of an eye, light and shadow flickered and streaked, and a group of belated reinforcements, with their backs to a victim who was rolling his eyes, launched a merciless attack on the crippled giant king.

Chapter 217: Not much damage, but extremely insulting (4.5k)

"Boom boom boom!"

The roar was like thunder, thick smoke billowed, and the burning branches covering Surut's body layer by layer crumbled and fell off, scattering everywhere. His body, which stretched like a mountain range and was hundreds of meters tall, also shrank rapidly.

"Burn here, destroy here!"

However, just as this king of giants was about to be torn apart by the fierce bombardment, the living computing core, which was wrapped in branches in its chest cavity like a cocoon, let out a dying struggle and roar, and the remaining half of its left arm slammed into the ground.

boom!

Instantly, the earth cracked like a spiderweb, tearing open massive fissures thousands of meters deep and stretching for kilometers. Golden-red magma gushed from the earth's crust, splashing onto Surut's body, causing the fire giant, who was on the verge of extinction, to burn fiercely once more.

The time of fall has come, the song of despair will begin, the final chapter of all things will open, and the twilight of the gods will arrive—this is the burning of the stars!

At this moment, under the scorching winds resembling a star exploding, the heroic spirits who came to intercept them were blown backward.

"Die! Die! Die! Kill them all!"

The giant king, rising from the inferno of purgatory, supported his broken, tree-like body, frantically raising half an arm and unleashing a hysterical roar of venomous curses. He charged relentlessly toward the distant figure, willing to burn away the last embers of his power for it.

At this moment, Samael, who had withdrawn from the surging lava and retreated to a nearby low slope, watched the giant king, who was rushing forward step by step and burning the world, slowly raise his hand amidst the tremors of the earth. His face was calm, but a cold and ruthless look appeared in his eyes.

“You have lived long enough... Surut!”

hum!

As the ancient serpent clenched its right fist, the air trembled, and countless tadpole-shaped, ice-blue runes floated densely in the air and in front of it, like a magnificent curtain adorned with pearls.

shhhhhhhh!

As Surt charged forward with a roar, heedless of everything, a host of runes constructed from divine magic streaked through the air with sharp whistles, falling like a rain of meteors and crashing down on the oncoming burning body.