FATE: The Man with Divine Keys

"I know that red feathers of yours possess powerful psychic powers. If you try to erase me, it will be a mere moment's work."

Nidhogg stated calmly without fear.

"But I advise against it unless... you want history to repeat itself."

"Repeat?"

Though Nidhogg's words were somewhat ambiguous, Arkhan instantly grasped the situation.

When his baby's body was newly formed, the power of death within it went out of control, turning the surrounding five kilometers into a barren dead land.

That power was so overwhelming that even Merlin had to retreat.

"If it weren't for my control, the death energy hidden within you would have erupted in an instant, and you would have died once again. But this time, you wouldn't be as lucky as before. So... do you want to gamble? Will you risk it? Maybe you would succeed."

Nidhogg's voice was composed, and one could imagine the mockery and satisfaction in its eyes at this moment.

Arkhan's gaze flickered slightly as he calmly replied, "You're just bluffing. You mentioned earlier that the Abyss Flower once devoured all your death energy. How could such a tiny scale possibly contain such massive death energy?"

"Huh? What do you mean by 'a tiny scale'? Do you really think I'd entrust my last bit of soul and the life energy of Yggdrasil I painstakingly collected to an ordinary scale? Hmph, it seems humans are truly uncivilized monkeys—"

Nidhogg suddenly fell silent.

"Go on, I was enjoying your story." Arkhan's lips curled into a mischievous smile.

"You despicable human!" A furious roar echoed in Arkhan's mind like tolling bells. "You dare to fool me!"

"Have uncivilized monkeys evolved into despicable humans now? I wonder if I can take that as a compliment, O Great Nidhogg~?"

Arkhan responded with a smile, but his thoughts gradually raced. Clearly, the scale Merlin had taken to create his Black Dragon Body had extraordinary importance for Nidhogg.

'Is there an issue with the scale itself?' Arkhan pondered, then recalled what Merlin said in that memory projection.

—"This thing was not easy for me to steal from that place~"

—"However, now that Nidhogg's scales are gone, and I don't know when that 'place' will open again..."

'That place?'

Like a bolt of lightning, an idea struck Arkhan's mind, and his eyes lit up with a smile.

"Nidhogg, I've figured out your secret."

"What... What are you talking about?" Nidhogg's panic was evident.

This scene reminded Nidhogg of when Arkhan had previously unveiled the truth about the mental world.

"Why did you stuff part of your power, soul, and the life energy of Yggdrasil you worked so hard to gather into that tiny scale? Because you understood that, for you, this was a once-in-a-millennium opportunity. If you missed this chance, you wouldn't know when the next one would come."

"Y-You're spouting nonsense! I would never—"

"Nidhogg..." Arkhan's voice suddenly grew grave. "Your true body is probably in a very dangerous condition right now."

This time, the familiar voice didn't resurface.

'Right on target...'

Arkhan's lips curled up slightly as he continued:

"If I'm not mistaken, your true body is currently imprisoned in a secluded place, cut off from the world. Without external help, you won't be able to escape from there by yourself."

"So when Merlin intruded into that place to take your scale, you not only didn't stop him, but willingly transferred your power, soul, and the life energy of Yggdrasil onto that scale. Because you had already made up your mind, first to escape using that scale and then to find an opportunity to resurrect with the Yggdrasil's life energy, and finally figure out a way to recover your true body."

"Am I right?"

"..."

"Let's delve deeper then."

Arkhan didn't mind Nidhogg's silence. His pitch-black pupils gleamed with profound light.

"Could that eruption and loss of control when I was a baby have been intentional on your part? After all, no one would have expected a body that died because of the Dragon of Despair's power to have a chance at revival. This way, you could hide in the shadows and safely restore your strength."

A hint of coldness flashed in Arkhan's eyes as he said those.

If Nidhogg truly admitted to causing that loss of control when he was a baby, Arkhan would rather keep this power sealed forever than allow the soul of the Dragon of Despair to remain within him.

Such a lunatic inside his body was like a time bomb.

"Hmph. Anyway, this body was created using my power. I'm the Dragon of Despair, the harbinger of the apocalypse, not some lunatic like Hela. Destroying my soon-to-be body isn't something I would do." Nidhogg snorted. "I painstakingly saved a portion of Yggdrasil's power, so why waste it? To hide in the shadows and regain my strength, as you said?"

Nidhogg chuckled mockingly.

"Uncivilized monkeys, your perspective is quite shallow. Even though only a tenth of my true power resides on this scale, in this era, aside from that incubus and the purple-haired woman who slew gods, no one can even come close to challenging me. Do you think I need to hide?"

Arkhan scratched his face uncomfortably and coughed awkwardly.

"In the end, it's because the Age of Gods has faded so drastically..." Nidhogg sighed with melancholy. "With the resources of this era, it's impossible to create a body capable of containing my power. Moreover, due to your recent birth, my consciousness at that time was still fuzzy, leading to that loss of control."

'So, that's how it is...' Arkhan nodded inwardly, another puzzle piece fell into place. "So, do you admit to what I said earlier?"

"W-What are you talking about?!" Nidhogg's voice became flustered once again. "I don't remember admitting to anything! Don't try to trick me into saying something, you uncivilized monkey!"

"You don't have to admit it. I can simply go ask Merlin." Arkhan shrugged. "Since he took the scale from you, he must be well aware of your current state."

"Wait!"

Nidhogg quickly stopped Arkhan and let out a complex sigh after a moment of silence.

"I admit it! You're right... my true body is indeed in a very dangerous condition right now. The reason I'm staking everything on this gamble is because I don't have much time left."

"At most, in three years, my true body will completely perish."

"As long as you promise to help me rescue my true body within three years, I will not only help you unlock the power within this body but also bestow even greater power upon you."