"Kill myself? Sorry to say, but I have no suicidal tendencies." Richard argued when he heard the necessity to be one with the ck Heart.


    [Your mortality restricts your power. Unless you cling to that pitiful life of yours, you will never be able to gain the full control of the ck Heart.]


    Richard...that day, didn''t think about it anymore. He didn''t have any necessity to gain control over the ck Heart.


    However, in front of Ithryx...the only enemy who overwhelmed him in every aspect of the battle, he doesn''t have any other option than to sacrifice his life.


    ....


    Berine staggered back—not out of horror at seeing her son tearing into his own heart, but from the sheer, bone-chilling terror radiating from his presence.


    Her instincts as a warrior screamed at her to flee, to get as far away as possible from the person she loved most. It wasn''t just her—everyone around witnessing the sight, faltered, their breath caught in their throats as they instinctively retreated.


    *SWANKH!*


    Dark, menacing mes erupted around Richard, swallowing his entire body in shadows that seemed alive. The air grew thick and oppressive as if the world itself was holding its breath, trembling under the weight of his existence.


    Richard''s mes roared upward, wing at the heavens and shredding the clouds apart. His eyes, nowpletely nk, held the emptiness of a void, an abyss staring back at the world.


    Ithryx''s breath hitched as he muttered to himself,


    [''He''s be one with the Darkness...'']


    For the first time, the demon general could feel the unmistakable presence of Zulcriz emanating from the boy.


    The earth around the newly awakened tore under his presence, as Richard shifted his foot just by an inch, and in the next instance,


    **CLANG**


    Ithryx barely managed to block the punch aimed at his skull, his twin sabers vibrating violently from the impact. He gritted his teeth, muscles straining as he tried to push Richard away. Yet, the ming human didn''t move, not even an inch.


    Richard''s mes licked at the des, corroding them like acid as he reached out with his free hand and grabbed one of the sabers. His voice was cold and mocking as he tightened his grip.


    "Why don''t you try cutting off my arm now?"


    Ithryx''s eyes widened in disbelief as Richard''s fingers dug into the de, snapping it like brittle ss with almost no effort. The demon general staggered back, his weapon reduced to shards, while Richard loomed closer, his abyssal gaze locking onto him like a predator to its prey.


    [You....!]


    The demon general roared as he darted around, moving faster than the eye could follow, as he tried to exploit an opening. But Richard was faster. He appeared behind Ithryx in an instant, mming his fist into the demon''s back. The impact sent Ithryx hurtling into a mountain, the rock face copsing like sand.


    Before Ithryx could recover, Richard was already there, punching him in throat and hurling him skyward.


    BOOM!


    However, Ithryx wasn''t done yet. He charged back at Richard, his hand shot forward as he cried,


    [Oblivion Rift!]


    A massive ck void tore open behind him, sucking in air and debris. Tendrils of darknessshed out, each one tipped with sharp ws. They shot toward Richard, slicing through rock-like paper.


    Richard smirked and raised his hand. His mes surged, consuming the tendrils mid-air. But Ithryx didn''t stop.


    [Eclipse Barrage!]


    Your next chapter is on empire


    Dozens of dark orbs formed in the sky, each radiating destructive power. They rained down like meteors, exploding on impact. The battlefield turned into a chaotic storm of fire and shadow.


    Richard dodged and weaved, mes shielding him from the worst. With a single leap, he closed the distance, fists zing as he aimed a punch at Ithryx.


    Ithryx, just in time, pulled himself back andunched another orb of dense gravity towards him.


    Richard was pulled away by the orb. However, his mes did a brilliant job ofpletely engulfing the orb.


    [You can''t absorb my spells like that!]@@novelbin@@


    The General was agitated as he kicked the air, the shockwave sending Richard back to the ground.


    The demon exploited the opportunity and punched Richard just the moment hended.


    **BOOOOOOM**


    Destruction far beyond catastrophic erupted from that strike. Mountains were shattered, and a huge crater that could fit a meteor was carved into the surface.


    Only Berine and a few were following the battle while the others were sent away—under the threat of dying by the battle cry.


    "They will end up destroying the!" Lena cried, seeing the two beings engaged in an abysmal exchange.


    Berine asked, "But none can do anything to stop them."


    Be cried, "Brother!"


    Richard was suddenly sted with an orb from point nk, sending him hurtling towards the group.


    Berine panicked and spread her arms to catch her baby, even if it took her life. However, Richard stopped himself just in time, and told thedies,


    "Get away, this will get ugly."


    "More than this?!" Jennifer eximed but Richard didn''t stay there to answer her.


    In a streak of light, he appeared before Ithryx and punched the demon.


    BOOM!


    Richard''s punch connected with Ithryx''s chest, sending the demon general flying across the battlefield. He crashed through jagged rocks, each one shattering like ss under his weight, before skidding to a stop.


    But Ithryx didn''t stay down. His body rose from the rubble, cracks in his armor knitting themselves back together as dark energy red around him.


    [You''re relentless,] Ithryx snarled, wiping the blood from his mouth. [But let''s see how long that fire burns!]


    He raised his hand, and the sky darkened once more. A massive, swirling vortex formed overhead, ck lightning arcing through it.


    [Abyssal Cataclysm!]


    The vortex unleashed a torrent of shadowy beams, each onerge enough to destroy entire cities. The beams rained down like wrathful gods, tearing apart the earth and engulfing everything in darkness.


    Richard didn''t flinch. His mes surged higher, forming a protective dome around him as he rushed through the devastation.


    "Not enough!" he roared, appearing above Ithryx in a sh. mes erupted from his fist as he brought it down like a hammer.


    CRACK!


    The ground caved in beneath Ithryx, the impact creating a fissure that stretched for miles. But the demon general countered with a swipe of his remaining saber, a wave of dark energy slicing through the air.


    However, Richard easily swatted his attack and remained unscathed.


    "I am sick of it, now." Richard snarled, bringing his hands together before a vortex of dark mes emerged.


    Ithryx''s eyes widened as he realized what he was about to do, so he suddenly dropped the saber and knelt on the ground,


    [Okay, I surrender.]


    "...." (Richard).


    --------**--------


    A/N:- Thanks for reading.