Clang~
A deafening bell toll resounded.
Imshi finally realized that her magic had no effect on Hel, so she descended back to the ground.
The massive phantom organ behind her slowly disintegrated, ultimately destroyed completely by countless writhing tendrils.
"I truly underestimated you. You can resist my illusions and unleash magic of this caliber."
With another wave of her hand, the tendrils coalesced into a monstrous beast that loomed behind her.
"Then I will deal with you using pure physical force."
"Second Movement: Filth of the Abyss."
Immediately, the beast's body secreted thick, viscous sludge that spread outward like a horrifying tidal wave.
Much like the corrupted blood of the fallen, wherever it passed became a land of death.
"Run!"
Hel whispered to Niv while raising her staff once more, pointing toward the skeletal bell overhead.
Clang~
The third toll rang, and for a brief moment, the sludge froze mid-motion—but soon it began spreading again.
If one looked closely, portions of the sludge had already turned to dust.
The sludge devoured everything in its path—plants, trees, even the corpses of devils—converting all into pure corrupted energy to feed the monstrous beast.
The beast finally moved. A thick tendril lashed downward, but its target wasn't Hel—it was the puppet horse carrying Vivian.
At that moment, the puppet horse had just passed the nun, controlling a giant fire-element hand to pull her onto its back.
Before the nun could be fully lifted, the tendril had already reached her.
But Niv remained calm, effortlessly tossing the nun onto the horse's back.
Immediately, the bell tolled again.
The tendril sweeping toward Vivian withered, decaying into a dead, dried limb as if it had endured millennia.
Clang~
Clang~
The next two tolls struck, and the massive beast halted. Two of its tendrils suddenly fell off.
One appeared drained of blood, the other exuded a horrid stench, as if some terrifying disease had been unleashed.
"When the bell tolls twelve times, all living beings standing will forever fall. Truly, the legendary End Bell—the 'Magic of Equal Death for All Beings.' Not even the undead Abyssal Titan can withstand its power.
However, before the twelfth toll, your magic alone cannot kill it completely."
"Some kind of death-substitute ability?"
"You're sharp. Indeed, it is a type of death-substitute. As long as its tendrils remain intact, it can continuously revive.
But I should warn you: you can only toll the bell five times unless you truly intend to ring it twelve times and perish alongside me.
I am only a projection. You…"
Imshi's expression suddenly grew serious. She looked at Morrigan's eternally calm face and finally realized the truth.
"You're also a projection. This is the undead you created?
No wonder you weren't affected by the Lament of the Fallen. You were just a projection here.
Ah… so your plan was to have the twelfth bell strike kill everyone present, including that little angel. You only wanted the corpse.
Haha… excellent, very well."
Imshi pressed a hand to her forehead, letting out a strange, twisted laugh, bending at the waist as she did.
Then she shot up, her blood-red eyes radiating madness, and her lower face twisted into a sinister grin.
Suddenly, she bared her teeth, shouting in a mix of laughter and rage:
"This long-lost taste of failure… so delightful.
Death Witch Hel, huh? You win this round.
But don't think you can easily take the little angel.
Not only that—I will use every method to drag you, this little rat, out of hiding."
At her words, the massive beast lunged at Morrigan.
The bell tolled again and again. Two more tendrils fell from the beast.
One swelled and burst, spewing viscous blood everywhere.
The other sprouted countless white bones from within, pinning it to the ground.
The bell tolled repeatedly.
No matter whether the bell struck Imshi or the Abyssal Titan, the beast could use its tendrils to negate the attacks.
As more tendrils fell, the bell reached its tenth toll.
By now, the beast had reached Hel's position.
Imshi slowly raised her wand, chanting softly:
"Final Movement: Echoes of Despair."
At her words, the diving beast exploded with a bang, transforming into sticky blood that drenched Morrigan.
But Hel merely struck the bone bell lightly. The blood froze mid-air, then crumbled into dust, drifting down.
Each toll of the End Bell grew stronger. By the eleventh, even pure corrupted energy could be easily destroyed.
As the blood dissipated, Morrigan noticed a massive magic circle had appeared above her.
Countless corrupted energies swirled within, completely shrouding the area.
"You will drown in this domain of corruption, experience the echoes of despair, and fall into endless cycles, even if only a projection of you remains here."
Imshi floated before Morrigan, a smug expression curling her lips.
"Choose. Will you strike the final bell, killing all life and eliminating my projection?
Or will you destroy the corrupted elements forming the Echoes of Despair and break this domain magic?
But know this—if you choose to break the domain, I will not let you win again."
Imshi floated closer, her grin malicious. She seemed to relish watching Hel struggle with the choice.
Yet, Morrigan's face remained icy and unreadable.
"You allowed the angel to leave to ensure she escaped the domain, keeping her safe from your magic."
"You may understand it that way. Reinforcements from the Judgment Church are nearly here. If you delay too long, the little angel will escape."
"Haha, I never liked choosing. Whether it's to destroy you or take the angel, I want both."
"You are arrogant indeed. But I like ambitious little wildcats like you."
Imshi reached toward Morrigan, as if to teasingly lift her chin.
Then, at that moment, the final toll resounded.