Chapter 43: Soul Separation – The Awakening of Zahntu

  At the peak of a mountain engulfed by black storms, violet lightning ripped through the sky like the pulsing veins of darkness.

  Within a circle of ancient glowing carvings, Zedwan sat cross-legged, unmoving.

  Around him, two opposing forces clashed violently.

  Sacred blue light.

  And dense crimson darkness.

  One represented his true soul.

  The other was the lingering shadow of darkness still buried inside him.

  Far away, Hasyalys and Dr. Nadia monitored the ritual through a holographic mind-link projection.

  “His energy readings… are spiking,” Nadia said quietly, her voice filled with both awe and concern.

  “They may even surpass what Master Sein once achieved.”

  Hasyalys frowned as she studied the readings.

  “He’s really doing it… a complete separation.”

  She paused.

  “But something’s wrong.”

  “The emotional readings inside his body are erupting like a volcano.”

  “Anger… envy… vengeance… arrogance…”

  Zedwan suddenly groaned in pain.

  His body trembled violently.

  His stomach twisted as if something inside was being violently torn apart.

  His breathing grew ragged.

  “I… I feel—”

  Suddenly he lurched forward.

  Without warning, something forced its way out of his body.

  But it wasn’t blood.

  Not bile.

  Not anything human.

  Instead—

  A thick mass of black Syavadark slime poured out of him, glistening like living tar.

  The substance pulsed… twitching like it possessed its own heartbeat.

  Slowly, the mass began to take shape.

  Then—

  Two glowing crimson eyes opened.

  A voice emerged from the slime. Cold. Mocking. Malevolent.

  “At last…”

  “I… ZAHNTU… am free!”

  “Hahahahaha!”

  Zedwan stared in shock, his face pale.

  “Zahntu…?”

  The slime creature suddenly leapt high into the air.

  Its body dissolved into black smoke before vanishing into the stormy sky.

  But the aura it left behind was unmistakable.

  It carried the essence of every dark emotion that had once existed within Zedwan:

  Anger.

  Jealousy.

  Sorrow.

  Regret.

  Greed.

  Arrogance.

  Guilt.

  Hatred.

  Inferiority.

  Deception.

  False pride.

  Superiority.

  Ego.

  Zedwan collapsed to his knees, drenched in sweat.

  His emotions spiraled in confusion, anger… and guilt.

  Clutching his chest, he whispered weakly.

  “I thought I was casting the darkness away into lifeless ground…”

  “But instead…”

  “I’ve released a creature born from within my own soul.”

  Far above, lightning exploded across the sky—as if the heavens themselves had reacted to the birth of a new evil entity.

  Zahntu.

  The living embodiment of all the darkness that once existed inside Zedwan.

  And perhaps…

  Something even more dangerous than the Red Moon.

  Chapter 44: The Oblivarion Assault

  The Syavadark portal used by Valdira to escape was still open.

  It transported intruders directly to the summit of Mount Erredrath on Oblivarion, a hostile world guarded by alien monstrosities—mutated creatures fused with Syavadark corruption.

  Their mission was simple.

  Destroy anyone who dared teleport through the portal.

  But the first to arrive were Shinin and Fran.

  They immediately clashed with the monstrous defenders.

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  Fran wielded his twin short swords infused with the power of vampire blood and phoenix flame.

  Beside him, Shinin fought using his Morphing Beast style, constantly shifting his combat form to adapt to the battle.

  But the enemies were overwhelming.

  Dozens of mutated alien warriors surged forward.

  Without hesitation, Shinin activated a special beacon.

  “Summon teleport strike!”

  “Code: Zoarfang – Ritz – Aisha!”

  A bolt of violet lightning ripped through the battlefield.

  Three figures emerged from the teleportation flash.

  Zoarfang.

  Ritz.

  Aisha.

  They landed beside Shinin and Fran just in time.And immediately joined the fight.

  The Legendary Skunk Technique

  Despite their combined strength, they soon found themselves cornered by elite Syavadark champions.

  Among them were two terrifying enemies.

  A mutated female warrior with a black Komodo-dragon tail, ranked Nyxicar.

  And a faceless humanoid figure whose skin looked unfinished—like a half-completed mask.

  Behind them stood a group of dark priests chanting the same phrase repeatedly.

  “Go bas! Go bas!”

  “Die! Die!Die!”

  Dark flames spiraled upward into the sky, forming the shape of a massive Void Wyvern preparing to strike.

  Fran and Shinin were already exhausted.

  The ritual was almost complete.

  But then—

  Shinin began absorbing the surrounding aura.

  Dark.

  Rotten.

  Oppressive.

  He slowly laughed.

  His eyes turned dark green mixed with burning orange.

  He whispered to himself.

  “If I can transform into any beast…”

  “What happens if I choose the one they’d never expect?”

  Suddenly—

  His body transformed.

  A terrifying Hybrid Skunk Beast appeared.

  Half-humanoid.

  With a long glowing tail.

  A dark green aura mixed with deep purple radiated around him.

  Zoarfang stared in horror.

  “Oh no…”

  “He’s doing it again!”

  Meanwhile the enemy cultists continued chanting, unaware.

  Then Shinin performed his ultimate technique.

  He turned around…

  Raised his tail…

  And unleashed the attack he proudly named:

  “SKUNK APOCALYPSE STRIKE!”

  FFFWWWOOOOOOOSSSHHHH!!!

  A massive blast of thick, burning, nauseating gas exploded directly into the enemies’ faces.

  The gas flooded their eyes.

  Their mouths.

  Their lungs.

  Valdira screamed in horror.

  “AAARGH—THE SMELL!! WHAT IS THIS?!”

  “I—I have to get out of here—!!”

  She opened another portal and escaped immediately.

  The other Syavadark agents collapsed.

  Some vomited blood.

  Some died instantly from the toxic reaction between the gas and their own dark magic.

  Closest to the blast was Yorukira.

  He collapsed.

  His body burned as if melted by corrosive acid.

  His soul was fracturing.

  Yorukira’s End – The Phoenix Flame

  Through the thick poisonous fog, two figures emerged untouched.

  Lysa.

  And Ching Lee.

  Lysa’s face carried deep sorrow.

  She had been summoned through the rosary artifact carried by Ching Lee—a relic connected to the central portal inside Lysa’s palace in Middle Wildland.

  She looked down at Yorukira.

  “I once loved you, Yorukira…”

  “But you betrayed not only me…”

  “You betrayed the blood of your own children.”

  Yorukira coughed weakly, barely alive.

  “I… only wanted… a world without suffering…”

  Lysa raised her hand.

  Golden-orange flames erupted from her palm.

  The Phoenix Flame of Arven—a power she had kept hidden for years.

  “With Arven’s fire…”

  “I end our story.”

  The sacred phoenix flames engulfed Yorukira.

  His vampire body burned into ash.

  Erased from existence.

  Her secrets and hatred vanished into the dark skies of Oblivarion.

  Watching silently were:

  Ching Lee.

  Shinin.

  Fran.

  Zoarfang.

  Ritz.

  Aisha.

  From headquarters, Hasyalys watched the live transmission… without saying a word.

  Chapter Ending – A Turning Point

  Fran and Shinin stood beside Ching Lee and the others as the portal slowly began to close.

  Dim alien light swept across the mountains of Oblivarion.

  But one truth remained clear.

  Valdira was still alive.

  And now stronger than ever—with her dark Vanth creations and the mysterious entity known as Zahntu.

  But for now, they had a guide.

  Ching Lee.

  And Shinin had learned something important.

  Even in the darkest battles…

  Sometimes the last hope of humanity…

  Is a weaponized skunk fart.