the heads of Merlin (chapter 165)

A/N: Hey you! Yes, you. Do you want a simple multiversal adventure with a calm and collected MC who isn't edgy all the time? Do you like magic and music? And most importantly, do you enjoy suffering? Then I've got a new fanfic for you. Check out 'Moiety of Magic,' my new fanfic that includes your favorite shows such as Castlevania, The Wheel of Time, and many more. It's straightforward, with a single main antagonist/yandere. So, head out and check out my new fanfic, please! It might be better than this one

————————————————————

Chapter 165

"Fascinating," Viridian Gallowglass said, his voice low and rich with awe as his glowing, runic form crackled with elemental might. "I've never seen someone change the very fundamentals of magic through sheer will alone. This is madness… and brilliance. Especially with something as ancient and delicate as the magic of love." His words sparked with excitement, but before he could continue, Elise Fontaine cut in with sharp impatience. "This is not the time to fanboy over forbidden magic, Viridian. Merlin ordered us to kill him—and you know how much he hates being disturbed when he's watching his shows." Her voice was smooth, resonant, and dangerous, her presence almost intoxicating despite the gravity of the situation. Imari Oshima, a living storm of martial grace and power, crossed her arms with a sardonic smirk. "Maybe we wouldn't be dealing with this snake if someone hadn't had the brilliant idea of killing his family," she said pointedly, her eyes flicking toward Cao Shen. The shadowed assassin didn't even flinch, his voice a calm, emotionless whisper. "I only carry out Merlin's will—just as all of you do."

But Grey wasn't listening. The mention of his family was like a dagger twisting in his chest, and the rage erupted in an instant. With a deafening roar, his massive form lashed out. His tail snapped through the air like a meteor, the sheer force of it splitting the ground and sending a shockwave powerful enough to flatten the ruins completely. Viridian reacted first, raising a single hand. The earth rose in defiance, forming an enormous wall of obsidian rock reinforced with pulsing runes. The tail struck—and the wall exploded into shards, but Viridian was already gone, leaping back as a surge of molten fire cascaded from his outstretched hands, turning the battlefield into a lake of lava. Grey lunged forward through the flames, his scales glowing with infernal heat, his jaws snapping shut just inches from Elise as she vanished in a burst of radiant light, reappearing above him with her robes flowing like banners of fire.

Imari struck next. She didn't wait—she never did. The Martial Mage was a blur, her body streaking toward Grey's massive head like a comet. In a flash, she was there, fists slamming into his snout with enough force to shatter mountains. The impact sent a shockwave rippling outward, but Grey's scales held—though the force made his massive head whip back. Imari was relentless, darting along his serpentine form with lightning speed, each strike detonating with arcane power, forcing him to twist and thrash. And then—darkness. Cao Shen's Domain of Endless Night descended like a suffocating blanket, swallowing the battlefield in perfect blackness. Even Grey's enhanced draconic senses faltered in the absolute void, but he didn't stop—his rage wouldn't allow it. He unleashed a wave of Destructive Force, the energy erupting from his body in a scarlet storm, obliterating everything in its path and forcing the darkness to peel back just enough for him to see again.

But Althea Argyros was already waiting. Hovering above the fray, her body glowed with the light of countless runes, her silver hair rippling with images of entire dimensions. Her eyes locked on his, and for a brief second—he saw. Visions flooded his mind—possible futures, endless outcomes, his own death playing out in a thousand different ways. The sheer weight of the knowledge pressed against his mind like an iron vice, his emotions spiraling further into chaos. And it was that chaos that saved him. The magic twisted around the visions, shattering them like fragile glass, and with a roar of defiance, Grey surged upward. His massive jaws snapped shut around Althea's shimmering form—only for her to dissolve into golden light, reappearing unharmed behind him. The fight had barely begun, and already the battlefield was a storm of ruin and magic.

Grey's power grew with every second, his emotions bleeding into the world around him, turning love into destruction. But the Order of Merlin were not his lesser—they were titans in their own right. And this was only the beginning of their war.

Grey's colossal form twisted through the shattered remains of the citadel, his crimson scales gleaming with an unnatural, bloody light. The air itself vibrated with his fury—crackling waves of Chaotic Love pulsed outward, warping reality wherever they touched. Stone melted into liquid, the sky rippled with colors that had no name, and gravity shifted unpredictably, sending debris spiraling in every direction. His golden eyes locked onto Viridian, who stood atop a rising pillar of molten rock, his runes flaring brighter as the lava surged around him like a living creature. With a hiss that shook the heavens, Grey opened his maw and unleashed his first true attack. A beam of raw, destructive force erupted from his mouth—an incandescent lance of scarlet energy that tore through the air, obliterating everything in its path. Viridian barely had time to react.

The Mage Division leader's hands flashed through a series of gestures, and the ground itself rose. A titanic wave of water burst forth, crashing against the beam with a deafening explosion of steam and lightning. The force of the impact sent Viridian skidding backward, his feet carving deep trenches into the stone as his eyes blazed with eldritch light. "He's getting stronger!" Viridian called out, his voice strained even through his excitement. But there was no time for further words—Grey was already moving. His massive tail lashed out again, faster than something of his size had any right to be, and Viridian barely managed to teleport away in a flash of green light before the impact shattered the entire lava field.

Elise Fontaine was waiting. The instant Grey's attack missed, her voice filled the air—not words, but pure resonance. The sound was beautiful and terrible, a song of truth and power that cut through the chaos like a scalpel. Grey felt the magic wrap around his mind, trying to strip away the rage, trying to force him to confront the pain and sorrow that fueled his transformation. For a heartbeat, his vision blurred—images of his wife and child flashed before his eyes, their laughter and warmth almost within reach. But then the rage surged back, stronger than ever. The love he felt twisted into something monstrous and all-consuming, and with a furious roar, he shattered Elise's spell with a burst of chaotic energy. The backlash sent her flying, her luminous form flickering like a dying star before she caught herself midair.

Imari Oshima struck next. The air cracked as she moved—so fast that even Grey's enhanced senses struggled to track her. One moment she was on the ground, the next she was above him, her fist slamming down with the force of a meteor. The impact drove Grey's massive head into the earth, creating a crater hundreds of meters wide. But Imari didn't stop—she was relentless. She darted along his body, every strike sending shockwaves through his massive frame, targeting his joints and weak points with brutal precision. And yet, with every blow, Grey only grew more dangerous. The magic inside him fed on the pain and rage, amplifying his power with every passing second. His scales darkened further, veins of black energy spreading across his massive form as his tail whipped around in a blur.

Imari barely escaped. The tail grazed her side, and the sheer force of it sent her spiraling through the air like a broken doll. Before she could recover, Grey unleashed another wave of Destructive Force, the crimson shockwave obliterating everything in its path. But the darkness swallowed it. Cao Shen's Domain of Endless Night descended once more, the battlefield vanishing into absolute blackness. Grey lashed out blindly, his massive coils thrashing through the void, but the assassin was a shadow—untouchable and unseen. Blades bit into Grey's scales, impossibly sharp and striking with surgical precision. The pain fueled his rage, and the rage fueled his power. Without warning, Grey unleashed his most unpredictable weapon yet.

The air twisted and shattered. Reality itself bent around him as his emotions reached their breaking point, and the Chaotic Love erupted outward in an uncontrollable surge. The darkness peeled back, replaced by a storm of distorted light and color. Gravity flipped, and the ground rose into the sky while the heavens crashed downward. The ruins of the citadel folded in on themselves, and time seemed to stutter—moments repeating and fracturing in a chaotic dance. Even the Order of Merlin was forced onto the defensive. Viridian summoned a cyclone of lightning and ice to shield himself, while Elise's voice rose in a desperate counterspell. Imari flickered from place to place, struggling to find stable ground, and Cao Shen's shadows splintered, unable to keep hold in the warped reality.