"How could this be...... Why be so cruel?"

  Aurora couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

  "Aren’t they your companions? Why do such a thing?"

  "Companions? Hahahaha......"

  Merkphis laughed loudly.

  "They’re nothing but pawns on my path to godhood~."

  "Merkphis! What kind of god are you!!?"

  Scherfil said angrily.

  "A lowly wretch like you—even if you become a god, you’ll only be an Evil God! One who plunges the world into darkness and destruction——!!"

  "Evil God?"

  Merkphis wore an intoxicated smile.

  "That doesn’t sound bad~!"

  "What? You——"

  "So what if I’m an Evil God? I’ll still be a god. All I care about is Lady Terra. What does it matter if every life in this world dies~?"

  "I’ll just create a new world."

  "......Create a new one? You......"

  Scherfil stared at Merkphis in disbelief.

  "Do you plan to destroy this world!? "

  "Huh~?"

  Merkphis looked at the Seven Sages in astonishment.

  "Could it be Lady Terra never told you~?"

  "......"

  "Hahaha! How amusing! So that’s it! You didn’t know~? The World Tree......"

  "If it withers, the entire world will perish too~!"

  "What!!!?"

  The group was struck dumb with shock, unable to believe such a truth.

  "The lifeblood isn’t just important—it’s the heart of the entire world. All the magic currents in the world operate under its regulation. I don’t need to tell you what happens to a person without a heart~?"

  "Himmler will face destruction~!"

  "Merkphis...... Have you completely lost your mind?!"

  "Knowing the consequences, you still did this!? "

  "Hehe, so what? Once I become a god, I can create any life I want!"

  "You bastard......"

  "Enough. I’ve wasted too much time on you fools who can’t understand my greatness. It’s time for you to exit the stage for good!"

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  "Let you witness the true power of the Sacrificial ritual circle——!"

  Boom——!

  Countless more ominous tentacles surged from the earth, far more powerful than before.

  The endless tentacles darkened the sky, swarming toward the fighting group.

  The power bestowed by the Immortal Spirit Orb on each of them was rapidly depleting under the increasingly powerful tentacle attacks.

  As Merkphis had said, this formation fused with the World Tree’s power had no weaknesses.

  Earlier, they had resisted this power by relying on the Immortal Spirit Orb’s ability to isolate all influences. But that didn’t mean the orb’s power was superior to the World Tree’s—in fact, it was the opposite.

  Its effectiveness stemmed purely from the orb’s extremely special nature!

  And now, when the power unleashed by the sacrificial ritual circle far surpassed that of the Immortal Spirit Orb......

  The orb could finally hold on no longer......

  "Everyone! It’s no use—the Immortal Spirit Orb’s power is failing!"

  Winnie said anxiously.

  Crack!

  In the next second,

  the barrier around her—powered by the Immortal Spirit Orb—reached its limit and shattered.

  Almost simultaneously, all the others’ barriers shattered and disappeared one after another.

  Immediately, their figures were engulfed by the endless pitch-black tentacles.

  "One last thing to tell you~!"

  Watching the Seven Sages sink deeper into despair, Merkphis said excitedly.

  "The reason this is called a ‘sacrificial’ ritual circle is because it can strengthen itself by sacrificing and seizing the power of other lives! Do you know what that means~?"

  The group’s expressions changed. Feeling their power draining away, they had a terrible premonition.

  Sure enough, the next moment Merkphis wore a ferocious smile and shouted:

  "That’s right! The more you try to save the Fairy Queen, the faster your draining power will accelerate her death~!"

  "!!!"

  "How could this be......"

  The group couldn’t believe the truth.

  "Everyone......"

  Semiris, her aura growing weaker by the second on the World Tree, spoke in broken gasps.

  "Run...... Don’t...... worry about...... Semiris...... anymore."

  "Please...... everyone...... run away quickly!"

  "......"

  "How could we...... possibly do that——!!!"

  "Semiris! Hold on—we’ll definitely save you——!!!"

  Boom——!

  At that moment, all members of the Seven Sages unleashed their primal power without regard for the consequences.

  With this life-burning power, they actually began to break free from their bonds.

  "Semiris——!"

  Sylph, the least restrained, broke free first and flew straight toward Semiris.

  "What a pity~. Too late——!"

  Crack!

  As if a crisp sound came from nowhere,

  the light in Semiris’s eyes faded rapidly.

  Her Fairy Essence had shattered......

  "No...... No——!!!"

  Sylph froze mid-air, screaming at the top of her lungs.

  But before her eyes, only Semiris remained—her aura fading, her life entering its final countdown.

  All members of the Seven Sages stared dumbfounded at the scene.

  "Gone......"

  "Semiris’s aura is gone......"

  In the next moment, everyone was engulfed by the overwhelming tentacles, plummeting into the depths of darkness......

  "Semiris......"

  Hulim looked at Semiris, whose aura was fading away, and an uncontrollable sharp pain surged in her heart.

  She knew this was just a projection of memories.

  She also knew that in reality, Semiris had survived in the end.

  But......

  Seeing Semiris like this,

  an unbearable emotion still spread uncontrollably from the depths of her heart.

  Thump! Thump! Thump......

  Her heart raced wildly.

  The intense emotion triggered a mark in her mind, which glowed faintly.

  At this moment, in the real world outside,

  Hulim—who was touching the Philosopher’s Stone—began to bleed from her seven orifices......

  Hum——!

  In the darkness,

  a halo lit up.

  The defeated group gathered beneath this halo.

  "......"

  Silence and sorrow enveloped everyone.

  "Semiris......"

  Aurora said through choked sobs.

  "Everyone, is this how it ends......"

  "......"

  No one replied, as if the answer was obvious.

  But just then,

  "It’s not over yet!"

  Avery’s voice suddenly echoed in the Aura Space.

  "It’s not over......"

  Everyone’s gaze turned to him.

  "Avery, what do you mean it’s not over......"

  "Semiris isn’t completely dead. And we haven’t been utterly defeated yet."

  "Merkphis, who possesses partial divine power, is strong—but he’s still far from a true god like Lady Terra."

  "But even so, we’re no match for him......"

  "No! We can win!"

  "......We can win?"

  "Yes...... We still have one last way to defeat him."