"Until when will you stay like that!?"

Fresh blood flowed from the head of the man whose swords holding his body, stabbing the ground. He grinded his teeth as he listened to the question.

"Quickly kill me or Byrhemmoth will be the one that kills you!" He asked.

He asked to be killed repeatedly, yet the man in front of him kept unmoving.

It can clearly be seen that the black haired man is no longer able to fight. Some of his gruesome scars are deep, showing the broken bones inside. The smell of blood and charred flesh filling his lungs, he can't even stand on his two feet anymore. Yet, he tried his hardest to keep crawling.

"I can't! You are still alive and I can't–"

"Val! Kill me!"

Erus keeps screaming to the man to kill him. Continuously to the point where Val can only gritted his teeth every time his refusal got interrupted by Erus.

Lifeless bodies scattered across the battlefield. Red pool of blood flowing everywhere.

Debris of fallen buildings can be seen in every direction. Unending trace of battles on every corner. Smokes billowing from some spots of the battlefields, greatly lit by undying flames. Chaos everywhere.

There is only Val and Erus left inside the dungeon. Debating whether to kill or not to kill.

Erus's plea stabbed his heart, Val couldn't bring himself to do it. He unconsciously bit his lips, blood flowed into his mouth. Emotions which couldn't be bottled anymore bursted out.

At the end, he tried pulling his sword which stabbed the ground. The sword only trembled before he lost every ounce of energy and fell on his knees.

Loud laughter echoed the battlefield, his ears rang by how loud the laughter was, as if it could split the red sky on top of them.

"Foolish human! Being too naive would only bring you closer to me! To death!" 

Val looked toward the man in front of him with horror. The laughter came from Erus, the way he speaks changed, as if he was another person.

Lifting his head, Val tried to see the expression on his friend's face, yet in his horror, the body in front of him gradually changed.

"Shi– Erus!?"

"I have returned! Byrhemmoth the Great! The Dark Lord! The Undying King! I am returned!" 

The voice which came from Erus's lips distorted, he stood up without any care for the wound, posing on the battlefield, looking down at the dead bodies that were scattered on the ground.

Val fell on his back, his eyes trembled with fear, and complex feelings … wrath. 

Who would've thought that the monster every Hunter's looking for is now standing in front of his eyes? Inside of the body that was always there for him, the body he swore brother's with, the flesh of his dearest friend.

"Byr– Byrhemmoth!" He screamed towards the body.

The dark aura emitted from Erus's body clearly showed that it's no longer his best friend inside anymore. The Lord of Darkness had summoned inside of him, a stark contrast from Erus's bright green aura.

A black needle mark appeared below Erus's eyes, the only thing that differentiate Erus and Byrhemmoth.

"Don't you realize it yet?" 

A sinister laugh followed Val's terrified expression. 

"The pitiful human is dead! Hahaha! His puny power can't compare to my greatness!" The loud arrogant voice reverberating in the battlefield.

Stretching Erus's arms, Byrhemmoth release dark aura that coats his whole body.

"Observe, human! His soul has dissipated the moment he asked you to kill him."

Something sharp grew on Erus's crown, a black prominent horn stood tall on his head. The loud sounds even deeper and more sinister.

"T–That's not possible!?"

Yet, Val still couldn't accept the reality in front of his eyes. His body trembled, chattering can be heard from his teeth. Horror displayed clearly in his pupil.

Looking at the pitiful situation of the weak human, Byrhemmoth couldn't help but laugh even more maniacally and loud.

"Foolish human!" The smirk on Erus's face grew more sinister, an expression that doesn't suit his kind face.

"Looking at a bug like you made me feel like erasing all of you from this world!"

Val didn't move. He was still in shock. His body stiffened seeing the appearance of his friend; Erus, who was now under Byrhemmoth's control.

If what Byrhemmoth said is true then Erus is already…

"Don't you find this entertaining?"

The enemy in front of him moved his hand. Black nails growing from Erus's fingers, the terrifying smile never left his graceful face.

"You are too naive to think your pathetic strength can defeat me. I don't even need to walk my way to find weaklings to butcher, all of you came straight, giving your life to me!"

Byrhemmoth is busy laughing and chattering about this entertaining encounter while Val is still in shock.

"What? Did you even think to challenge a king like me with that poor strength? Did you think you would stand a chance?"

There is some truth to what the monster said. Val is only a Middle-Rank hunter who actually foolishly tried to challenge the undying king by himself.

"Akhahaha… I couldn't even wait to enjoy ripping out every last one of your flesh. Just a little power of mine is already enough to make you despair," 

The monster keeps talking, his chortle never stops as the aura around Erus's body grows even more sinister.

His words resonated with Val, the memory of his comrades slain one by one flashes through his mind. Every single one of them is now lying on the ground, their mingled flesh and torn up faces filled the battlefield, scattered by the might of the Dark Lord– the one who stood in front of him.

Not one of them died in peace, only to be ridiculed by the monster they fought together. Ridiculed by the face of his dearest friend, the one who becomes the vessel of the Dark Lord.

"What a shame, this body is the strongest out of all these flesh. Yet, his soul is the most annoying. Why don't you die quietly, you bug?"

 With no care for the human in front of him, he scanned the palm of the flesh he resides in. He felt delighted, a creepy smile never leaving the familiar face.

"Shut up…"

The deep voice caught Byrhemmoth's attention, looking at the puny human in front of him holding himself using the sword sticking on the ground.

Val's ashen face looked down, hiding it behind his jet black hair, the yellow iris on his eyes glaring at the monster.

Looking at the yellow eyes, Byrhemmoth let out a chortle, that is the eye he actually wanted to take over rather than the brown eyes he has now.

A grimace came out of Val's bleeding lips, every bone felt like they had been cracked. He tried to stand straight, yet even until now, he couldn't muster up the strength on his feet.

"If Erus is dead … won't his body rot not long from now?"

He remembered the lesson he learned in school. However, is it really appropriate for him to bring up the topic as his friend's life is unknown?

"Hm?"

The monster tilted his head.

"Oh, rot?" 

His mouth formed an o shape. There was no reaction before, but after that—

The terrifying smile appeared again.

"It won't happen if–"

Crat.

At the same time, blood flowed out of Byrhemmoth's mouth. He quickly shut his mouth with his hands, yet the blood kept gushing out of the hole on his left cheek. Looking at the pathetic human he just laughed at, the same dark aura has risen from his body, even as dark as his own aura.

Val stretched his arm. Several knives now reside in each of his fingers, the same one as the one that created the hole on his cheek.

The yellow eyes glowed brightly, glaring towards the enemy in front of him.

"I will never forgive you, Byrhemmoth."

Hatred filled the eyes of the black haired man, his gaze as sharp as the knives around his fingers. Looking at the glowing eyes, Byrhemmoth licked his lips, feeling more desire to attain that body.

However, instead of answering Val's words, he chose to remain silent, the smile grew even more terrifying as he glared back at Val. Staring at the human who was filled with anger, a pathetic bug who is trying to gather his strength to stand up and attack him, the Undying King. 

Val got up, wincing at the pain all over his body that was now nothing compared to the pain in his heart.

"Human body is frail." Val's trembled.

He lifted his face, mustering up the strength on his foot to support his body closer to the humanoid monster.

"Exposed to fire will turn it to ashes. The pressure of water makes it explode. And it is very easy for deadly viruses to kill them."

The irregular breathing made Val's emotions even more unstable. Tears came out without permission to wet his face, his teeth gritted, and his eyes staring sharply at Erus's body who was being possessed by the Dark King.

Not saying much this time, the same terrifying smile crept up on Val's lips, a challenge to the Undying King of Hell.

"You chose the wrong body, stupid bastard."