FATE: The Man with Divine Keys

"Heh, I suddenly realized these monsters aren't completely useless after all... At least they're good for relieving my stress."

Gilgamesh chuckled as he watched the devastation he caused.

Though never admitting it, he had indeed been under immense pressure lately. Now, watching these ugly monsters sink into the ocean, his mood suddenly eased considerably.

*ROOOAAAARRR—!*

*ROOOAAAARRR—!*

In the next moment, several beast-like howls suddenly erupted from the sea. Although incomprehensible, the tone of these roars seemed somewhat excited.

*Splurt!*

Before long, parts of several Lahmu's backs suddenly arched as new organs tore through their skin, forming grotesque wings.

Clearly, these creatures had never touched the sky before, but the moment they flapped their wings for the first time, they moved faster than eagles, swarming toward Vimana like hungry locusts.

*Swish!* *Swish!* *Swish!* *Swish!*

Countless chains quickly slashed across the sky, their blade-tipped ends effortlessly cutting through several Lahmu's bodies. Like pythons, the chains coiled tightly around them, squeezing inward with force.

*Splurt!*

As the sound of flesh being crushed by immense strength rang out, filthy blood slid between the chains. When the chains loosened, the bodies of Lahmu fell into the blackened sea, creating ripples of moderate size.

'Are these the new humanity Mother created?'

Kingu observed the monsters swallowed by black mud with cold indifference. The thought of being replaced by such creatures made them feel extremely sour.

'Absolutely terrible...'

These Lahmu only understood destruction and slaughter, placing desire above reason. Such things hardly deserved to be called intelligent life forms. At best, they were merely a pack of feral beasts.

To think they could manage this world was pure fantasy.

Kingu gazed at the distant, towering figure and sighed silently to themselves.

Perhaps their plan was doomed from the very beginning.

"Traitor, Kingu!"

"Obsolete model, enemy!"

Surprisingly, the Lahmu could already speak human languages fluently. They demonstrated astonishing learning abilities beyond human imagination in such a short time.

"You guys are too noisy."

After saying that, Arkhan raised his hand, and soon, countless black holes with golden edges appeared and spread through the air.

Innumerable replicas of Divine Keys quickly flew out, piercing every Lahmu in the surroundings.

In just an instant, countless bodies fell from the sky like dumplings.

However, despite Arkhan and his group appearing to have the upper hand, these Lahmu were too numerous and continued to spawn from the black mud every moment. Even if they exhausted themselves, they couldn't possibly exterminate all these monsters.

"We must stop the spread of the black mud first." Arkhan glanced at the blackened sea below. "It supports Tiamat's operations and is the source of Lahmu's birth. We must start from there."

"I'll handle that." Gilgamesh extended his hand into the void before a red cylindrical weapon materialized in his hand.

Sword of Rupture, Ea—named after a Sumerian god, Enki, who slew a primordial god, Abzu. It was not only the key to Gilgamesh's treasury but also his most powerful Noble Phantasm, capable of shattering the world.

Since this weapon could inflict massive damage on Tiamat, it definitely posed no problem against the black mud.

However, Arkhan halted Gilgamesh's action.

"If the black mud is completely destroyed, Tiamat won't be able to move and will change her form, shifting her mode of operation from the ground to the sky." Arkhan shook his head. "That would spell failure for our plan."

Gilgamesh frowned.

"Tiamat is an Earth Mother Goddess; she never approaches the sky."

"Don't underestimate an Earth Mother Goddess." Arkhan gazed at the towering figure in the distance, resembling a mountain. "Just because she hasn't done something doesn't mean she can't."

"...So, what do you suggest?" Gilgamesh decided to trust his judgment.

"Just leave it to me." Arkhan smiled.

In the next second, Arkhan's silver azure armor instantly transformed into a futuristic suit.

Indeed, it was none other than the Key of Blankness.

Arkhan then took out a pitch-black sword, its profound darkness seeming to swallow even light.

Under his control, a black crystal floated out from the sword and landed in his hand. The sword, now devoid of the black crystal, became an ordinary sword, devoid of its previous special aura.

"I might look a bit frightening in a moment. Be prepared."

Taking a deep breath, Arkhan placed the Core of Corruption into the groove on the chest of the Key of Blankness.

*Whoosh—*

In the next moment, as black flames ignited on Arkhan's body, boundless hatred and malice erupted as if a demon god had descended upon the world.

Before long, the terrifying power filled every corner of Arkhan's body.

With the Key of Blankness and the Core of Corruption working together, at this moment, he was almost equivalent to the Herrscher of Corruption.

At the same time, Gilgamesh and Kingu's expressions showed a hint of solemnity. Despite knowing Arkhan wasn't an enemy, they couldn't help but feel an intense sense of danger.

It seemed that Arkhan's current appearance alone was a very dangerous phenomenon.

"Well then, I'm off."

Nodding to Gilgamesh, Arkhan leaped off Vimana, soaring thousands of meters through the air and plunging into the ominous and eerie black mud below.

As Arkhan plunged into the black mud, the once calm sea surface instantly churned, akin to water poured into boiling oil.

Before long, the surrounding mud rushed at him like bloodthirsty hyenas sensing fresh prey, eager to devour the intruder.

The black mud was the manifestation of Tiamat's authority known as the Sea of Life, capable not only of creating life but also of actively transforming it, bending both flesh and spirit to her will.

In such an environment, even Servants would struggle to endure and would succumb to Tiamat's grasp.

Nevertheless, none of this posed a problem for Arkhan.

"Let's give it a try, and see who assimilates whom." Arkhan remarked calmly, a slight smirk curling his lips.

Without delay, he activated the power of corruption.

A wispy black mist akin to smoke emanated from his body, blending into the surrounding mud.

Herrscher of Corruption was listed as the twelfth Herrscher.

Unlike the catastrophic powers of their predecessors, Herrscher of Corruption wasn't as flashy upfront. However, their true threat lay in their ability to corrupt and control anything they touched—a self-aware ultimate virus.

If likened to a game character, Herrscher of Corruption was like a typical late-game hero—unassuming at first, vulnerable to early attacks, but once allowed to develop, it signaled the endgame.

Due to their unique form, defeating the Herrscher of Corruption in the early stages was no easy task, especially If there was a mistake in the execution process, giving them time to react, then the aftermath was simply unthinkable.

Arkhan knew all too well how terrifying the power of corruption could be, thus he restrained himself from unleashing its full power whenever possible.

Yet, in an environment like this, it inadvertently provided a being like the Herrscher of Corruption ample room to thrive.

Soon enough, the once restless black mud invaded by the power of corruption quickly fell silent, followed by more wisps of black mist splitting off and spreading outward.

In Arkhan's perception, an intangible domain expanded from him, enveloping the chaotic sea around him.

With this, the corruption had finally begun.