I was a bit surprised—it turned out to be Redmond. I'm no match for him, and even if I wanted to run, it would be nearly impossible.
"It's really been a long time, but unfortunately, I no longer have Ethan Zhang's memories. They were eaten by the Wraithlord."
Redmond sneered and patted me on the back.
"Come in and have a cup of tea."
I smiled and nodded. The two of us walked up the slope, passing through the cherry blossom grove. Petals drifted in the air, and I felt unusually comfortable. In this place, I saw a small pavilion.
"It's really strange, Ethan Zhang. I think we are somehow fated."
"I think so too."
I sat down at the pavilion. Just as I thought of tea, a kettle and two teacups floated over from nearby.
"From the very beginning, you were my enemy—the mastermind behind the first major event I ever experienced."
"Exactly. So in the end, let me remain your enemy—Ethan Zhang of Hell."
I held my teacup and took a sip. Steam rose as Redmond's eyes brimmed with murderous intent.
"This time, no one will come to help you."
I nodded.
"Don't be so hasty, Redmond. Aren't you going to bring Noah Grimm or Vivian Maple with you?"
Redmond shook his head and smiled.
"Of course not. The war in the Underworld is tense, and I barely have time to spare. That guy Yin Choujian is really troublesome. Like I said before, Ethan Zhang, you were my first opponent—and you’ll be my last. That's why I think we're somehow fated."
Looking at Redmond—so excited, so arrogant—I couldn't help but sigh. He really has the power to back it up. These days, people's malice has given him enough strength, and he's accumulated far more than any other Ghost Sovereign. He should already be at the level of a Yanluo.
"Since this is the end, can I witness your true power?"
I asked, and Redmond shook his head.
"Ethan Zhang, my true power is like my ace in the hole, and it requires Vivian Maple and Noah Grimm to be present. I'm afraid you won't get to see it. But if you have time, you can have your minions report on things in the future. After all, you'll definitely live longer than me—you'll see it eventually."
I grunted, still holding my teacup. The wind howled through the cherry blossom grove, and I raised my cup, feeling a bit helpless—John Chou was faster than I expected.
After leaving the Luminous Path, I thought someone would come to deal with me, but no one did. When I arrived in the Living World, I expected everything to go according to my plan—but it turned out like this.
"When did you all figure everything out, anyway?"
"Didn't you tell me yourself, Ethan Zhang?"
I immediately understood—Future Ethan Zhang was the one who told Redmond everything.
Redmond stood up, dressed in a pitch-black suit with a red tie fluttering in the wind. He held his teacup between two fingers.
"Can we start now, Ethan Zhang? I'm in a hurry."
I grunted, tilted my head back, and finished my tea. Redmond sneered and released his grip—the teacup fell to the ground and shattered with a crash. My eyes widened as I thrust my Deathbane Aura Blade straight into Redmond's chest, piercing through him in one strike. The violent aura instantly flattened everything behind Redmond, leaving only dust and drifting black particles.
After landing the blow, I returned directly to the rooftop of the apartment building, quietly overlooking the gradually recovering cherry blossom grove below. Although my Deathbane Aura destroyed everything in the courtyard, my Ghost Domain recycled it, so my power here can be used repeatedly.
Redmond was still standing there, hands in his pockets, looking at me. A black flame flared up, and the Deathbane Aura Blade stuck in his chest vanished instantly.
"The version of me you know—is it really me?"
Redmond sneered and asked. I immediately raised both hands, two Deathbane Aura Blades forming instantly. I slashed forward—two sharp sounds—and split Redmond into four. But all I cut was a mass of flame, divided into four segments. A surge of Deathbane Aura condensed around my body like armor. My eyes widened as black light engulfed me. I felt a burning pain, as if my body were being torn apart.
With a thunderous crash, I landed at the base of the apartment building. A huge section had been melted away. My entire body was burned to varying degrees. I understood the power of this calamity—it looked like fire, but it wasn't, because it could trigger so much more.
Redmond was only using a misleading form—flames as a disguise. I looked up at Redmond standing atop the pavilion. I glanced sideways at the area behind me, transformed by my Ghost Domain into a realm for ghosts, now turned into a sea of fire.
I could feel the ghostly power within me being burned away as soon as it appeared in those flames. Redmond seemed clever—he didn't want me to use my ghostly power.
With a whoosh, I moved in front of Redmond, wielding my twin Deathbane Aura Blades and slashed down. Redmond dodged easily, left and right. The Deathbane Aura sliced the ground, destroying everything in the apartment building. I knew—even if I could keep using Deathbane Aura, I was still no match for Redmond.
But Redmond was watching me intently, still probing. My only option now was to use my Ghost Domain's power to stall him, create a convincing duplicate of myself, and then escape from the Ghost Domain to hide for a while.
Just then, I caught sight of clusters of black flames appearing around the apartment building and courtyard. Redmond wasn't stupid—he didn't want me to escape, but to finish me off for good.
"Aren't you going to attack, Redmond? If we keep fighting, my power won't run dry."
I spoke, but Redmond remained unmoved, calmly dodging my repeated attacks. No matter the angle, it was the same. I knew all malice was connected by a shared consciousness, and Redmond could use that malice to discern everything. Even the turmoil in my heart would become part of that malice—and Redmond would sense it.
With a thunderous crash, as I struck down, my Deathbane Aura Blades flew from my hands. Black Deathbane particles reappeared all around. I created a space where time flowed slowly, and as Redmond dodged, the twin blades exploded.
Taking advantage of the chaos, I flew toward the apartment entrance. I was fast—the explosion had just started—but in an instant, Redmond blocked my way.
"This way is blocked."
My eyes widened as Redmond's hand pierced my chest. I instantly felt my Ghost Soul damaged. I leapt back—the explosion stopped abruptly, and violent Deathbane Aura began to gather in my body. I pressed my chest, which was already healed, but the pain remained. My Ghost Soul was hurt, and Redmond saw it clearly—he wouldn't give me any chance.
"How about we make a deal, Redmond? I came to the Living World just to take care of something. If I succeed, you can kill me anytime, but I'll grant you one wish."
Redmond brushed aside his hair and burst out laughing.
"For example, I could bring back the consciousness of Rufina Howard—the one you knew, before Hell swallowed her. What do you think?"
Redmond stared at me, stunned. I noticed everything around us was beginning to fall apart. A mass of violent black flames appeared in the sky. My Ghost Domain was completely overwhelmed by the power of malice.
"So you've completely changed—or maybe, you've finally shown your true face. We've known for a long time that every world has its own will, and these wills can sense and communicate with each other. When you started to perceive the will of the world, we knew—because only the will of the world can sense other wills and communicate. You are the Hell Will above all others. That's why the other wills kept helping you, letting you create the miracle called Ethan Zhang."
I didn't answer. Redmond was clearly furious. I sighed and shook my head.
"There's nothing I can do now, Redmond."
As soon as I finished speaking, I sank into the ground. My consciousness expanded completely. My power was totally suppressed by Redmond's malice, but my will was not.
I was now completely fused with my Ghost Domain. Raging Deathbane Aura surged from the ground, the sky, and empty spaces, rushing toward Redmond. But before reaching him, it was instantly consumed by black flames. Only relentless attacks might give me a chance against Redmond.
"This is pointless, Ethan Zhang."
As he spoke, Redmond suddenly floated into the air, legs relaxed, arms spread wide. The rumbling continued. I felt my Ghost Domain start to contract. Soon, I couldn't hold on. With a whoosh, I condensed out of thin air, and Redmond grabbed my neck, lifting me up.
"Sorry, Ethan Zhang. Don't blame me."