Chapter 185 The Hegemon (2)

"B-Brother… I-Is that you?"

"Of course, it's me," Jin scoffed while folding his arms. Irina felt odd, seeing her beloved brother and now husband wreathed in a divine aura that could cause most mortals to go insane. Yet, deep down, she knew…

The man that was standing in front of her was undeniably Jin Valter. His smell, his appearance, his soul, and most importantly… His emotions towards her. Everything about the man screams out 'Jin Valter.'

But whether it was the 'Jin Valter' she knew… That was a different story.

"Wait a minute…"

'Jin Valter' finally noticed something was amiss and looked around his immediate vicinity. Moving his eyes away from Irina, he scrutinised the area, and a knowing smile crept up.

"Lilith, Ysabelle, and even Rosa… The four of you are in your wedding dresses too! And you look so much younger… Ah, I get it now. It's not cosplay night. I've just returned to the past."

'Jin Valter' smiled while stroking his non-existent beard. His body started to shake wildly, and his shoulders were quivering. Grinning from ear to ear, the man let out a deafening laugh.

"HAHAHAHA!!! How many aeons has it been?! One billion years? No, it should be over two billion years now. Ah, how I dreamt of returning to this moment and seeing my pure wives!"

Intoxicated by the situation, future Jin laughed wildly and didn't stop once to breathe. It took him a full minute to compose himself, and everyone in the immediate vicinity froze, not knowing what to do.

The great Vampires of the Guardian Houses were all forced to kneel and press their heads against the dirty ground. They didn't dare, or rather, they couldn't look at the man directly. When they raised their heads, blood would drip down their eye sockets, and their bodies would likely collapse from the inside out.

Jin's four wives were clueless on how to proceed either. If they wanted to honour their husband's wishes, they should have fled far away from this version of 'Jin Valter.' But they were too enamoured by the charming man, who also seemed to possess a mysterious power that compelled them to stay.

And finally, the Demon of Death sent by Uriel, Thanatos. After recovering from Jin's finger flick, he returned, only to be dumbfounded by the current scene. Fear was still ingrained into his soul, and every fibre of his being was screaming to run away. But he could only watch helplessly as 'Jin Valter' finished his hearty laughter.

"Ah, come! Let me touch you! You girls are still beautiful two billion years from now, but nothing beats a girl in her twenties!"

'Jin Valter' attempted to reach out to Irina with his right arm, but he was hindered by one simple fact.

"Hmmm? It isn't there?"

'Jin Valter' examined himself, mainly the severed arm and hole in his chest. He was a little taken aback by the odd situation, but he took a deep breath and soon flashed a face showing that he'd figured everything out.

"Ah, this did happen. It has been two billion years since I was last injured like this. This sure is refreshing."

Future Jin wasn't deterred by his lack of limbs or the massive hole that seemed to be growing in his chest. Rather, he had a refreshed look on his face as if he was sightseeing at a beautiful attraction. Beaming with pure jubilation, he placed his left hand over his right shoulder like a dog licking his wounds.

Typically, the black mist would eat at anything it encountered. Be it an immortal body like a Vampire or an inanimate object like a falling meteor. However, 'Jin Valter' wasn't afraid of that. He allowed the black mist to move around his fingers, carefully twirling it with surgical precision.

"You call this the power of Death? Uriel was a fool to think that she could harness actual Death."

"... you!"

While 'Jin Valter' was talking to himself, Thanatos could not hold back his anger, especially when future Jin was degrading the woman he loved the most.

Alas, that was a mistake…

If he had kept quiet and silently disappeared back to the Demon Realm, 'Jin Valter' wouldn't have noticed him. But Thanatos had sealed his fate with his senseless and stupid need to defend the Goddess of Destiny.

"Thanatos… Right, you were the one who caused this injury to me."

"... you know who I am?"

"How could I not?"

'Jin Valter' let out a sinister smile. He played with the power of Death in his hands and interchanged his eyes between the black-robed Demon and the black mist that shrouded him.

"After all, I was the one who created you."

"H-Huh?"

"Ah, perhaps I've said too much. You don't need to know anything. You're just a tool to keep the timeline in check and deliver the final piece."

"W-What are you talking about?"

"Silence."

As he couldn't be bothered to answer Thanatos' questions anymore, 'Jin Valter' commanded the Demon to keep quiet. And sure enough, the Demon's soul was dominated by his order, and his mouth was sealed.

And with that nuisance gone, 'Jin Valter' now focused on the Soul Armament in his left hand. Four rings were lit up, each representing one power unique to Jin's Vampire Aspect.

The Azure ring on his middle finger represented Spacetime. The Rainbow ring on his thumb, Creation. The Crimson ring that covered his index finger possessed the power of destruction. The Emerald ring on his fourth held the power of life.

However, there were five fingers on a hand.

"Fate is a peculiar thing. To think that I would have to live through this experience twice."

'Jin Valter' laughed as he brought the dark mist from his wounds onto the final ring. With the black mist gone, Jin's regenerative factor could finally kick in, fully healing the hole in the middle of his chest and regrowing his lost limb. However, no one was focused on the rapid healing of the Progenitor.

The ring on his pinky finger, which had been dormant until now, finally resonated. Absorbing the black mist like a hungry beast, the gem on the ring turned completely black as a strange power erupted from within.

Irina felt it. Matriarch Innocence felt it. Even Thanatos felt it.

A strange power had awoken, and it wasn't just copying the attributes of the dark mist. It was something far more unique. Something far more powerful. And something… That even Thanatos feared.

"Imperium, the power of Spacetime. Genesis, the power of Creation. Interitus, the power of Destruction. Vita, the power of life. And now finally…"

Jin raised his left hand into the sky and examined all five rings. He marvelled at each and every one of them, and his eyes zoned in on the final one on his pinky. A black colour that reflected the nothingness of the void. A despondent power that brought dread to anyone who dared to stare directly at it. And a Godly attribute that no other mortal could ever hope to reproduce.

"Letum… The power of Death."

"How nostalgic… This Soul Armament, I'd almost forgotten I had it."

'Jin Valter' continued to look at the five rings with great sentimentality. And this longing action didn't go unnoticed, particularly by the four girls who knew Jin more than anyone else.

However, just before they could voice their questions, Thanatos swung his scythe like a madman and finally broke the spell he was cursed with.

"Y-You! How dare you?!"

"Hoh? You broke free from my spell? Tch, my control over this body still isn't absolute. To think that a mere failure like you could break my spell."

However, Jin wasn't deterred; rather, he was amused. Treating this entire situation as a joke, Jin continued to taunt Thanatos like he was a child.

"Failure?! You dare insult me?!"

"Hmmm… Did I design your setting that way? No, it must have been Uriel. That bitch…"

"Not only do you dare insult me, but you also dare to insult the Goddess?!"

"Ah," Jin smiled and looked back at Thanatos. "Has the fear gotten to your head? Ignorance sure is bliss. Well, you weren't created with brains, after all."

"Y-You…"

Thanatos didn't answer, but that was all Jin needed. Future Jin's power was beyond that of mortals and was in the realm of the Gods. It took everything in Thanatos' strength to stand before the hegemonic being and resist the urge to tunnel back to the Demon Realm.

But… Its pride had clouded its judgement. Its love for the Goddess of Destiny had made the poor Demon a fool.

He was an existence that stood at the top of the Demon Realm for aeons. An existence that was well-considered to be the strongest in history. And yet, he was being belittled by this man who was grovelling at its feet just a few moments prior.

Thanatos couldn't accept it. He didn't want to accept it. Which was why…

"I'll kill you!!!"

Mustering all of its courage to overcome the fear, Thanatos launched itself forward with the power of Death stored within its scythe. Thanatos thought that maybe… Just maybe… If he could slice Jin's head off with his black mist, he would be able to win. He would be able to live up to Uriel's expectations and end the nightmares. He would end the terror and change the destined future of all Demons.

But alas… That was just a wish… That could never be granted.

"How weak."

'Jin Valter' grabbed onto the tip of the scythe with his index finger and thumb like he was pinching a grain of salt. Wholly unimpressed by the attack, the Hegemon flicked the black scythe away with the power of Death and let out a bored yawn.

"Y-You… How can you touch Death?"

"This is why I called you stupid, Thanatos. Did you really think that your paltry power is true Death?"

"W-What?"

"Have you witnessed the death of a Star? Have you caused the River of Life to dry up? Have you killed solar systems? Have you decayed galaxies? And have you… seen the death of our universe?"

"W-What?"

"Hah… Like I said, you're a defective product."

'Jin Valter' shook his head, almost like a disappointed father who had failed to guide his child.

"But you've served your purpose. The moment you implanted your black mist on me, fate was sealed. The timeline has been secured, and there's nothing left to interfere with my destiny. In a way, I have to thank you for your service, even though you're ignorant of your sorry fate."

"W-What are you talking about?"

"As a reward for your deeds, I shall grant you knowledge. Let me show you what true Death is."

'Jin Valter' raised his hand, and the black ring erupted with vigour. Obsidian light overwhelmed the entire continent as the planet itself quaked in fear. The World Tree almost uprooted itself in an attempt to escape, while millions, if not billions, of lifeforms, perished instantaneously.

However, none of that mattered to Thanatos.

The moment he saw the black light, he knew he couldn't win. It was a power beyond anything he'd ever experienced or imagined before. A power that made him feel completely helpless, like an ant staring at a galaxy. As someone who had claimed to be the God of Death, Thanatos instantly understood…

The Death Thanatos held was nothing like the Death that Jin had shown.

If Thanatos' power could kill millions, Jin's power could cause the deaths of every living creature in the universe. If Thanatos could destroy meteors and end planets, Jin's power could end entire galaxies with a single thought.

There was simply no comparison.

Thinking he could hold a candle against the Overlord of Death was a joke.

And therefore, Thanatos accepted his fate.

'I'm sorry, Uriel… I have failed you.'

With his final thought, Thanatos opened his arms wide and welcomed the supreme power. Thanatos felt warmth within the black energy like a baby entering its mother's embrace. It felt like… it had finally returned to where it was meant to be all along.

True Death.

"Letum: Oblivion."

With Jin's final spell, the Demon of Death was no more. Gone like an ember in the wind, the last and final hope of the Demon Race, the trump card that the Goddess of Destiny had played…

Had faded into dust.