Merlin didn't get to finish his sentence.
Erwin gently placed a finger to his lips. "It seems you already know the truth. Then you should have no regrets."
Merlin's eyes dimmed. "So, all of this was your scheme? And we, the so-called natives you speak of, were merely pawns on a chessboard?"
Erwin shook his head, pointing toward the dark cavern in the ground.
"To be precise, he is also a native, but he sees further than you," Erwin corrected. "Frankly, in that respect, I admire him. He managed to see through the essence of this world despite being just a mortal. You cannot compare to him. From the very beginning, you were destined to fail because you simply aren't on the same level. You are inferior to him. If it weren't for my arrival, your fate would have been sealed. In fact, the only correct step you took was bringing me into this world; otherwise, his scheme would have been completely predictable."
Merlin let out a hollow laugh. "Yes, that might be the only thing we did right. Erwin Cavendish... I never imagined that years of planning would ultimately turn out to be someone else's scheme."
He paused, looking resigned. "Fortunately, we took another step. Tell me, Erwin—where do you think someone like me goes after I die?"
Erwin shook his head. He genuinely didn't know. Merlin had transcended the boundaries of mortals. He was now a god, the God of Magic, and where he would go upon death was beyond Erwin's knowledge.
"It is not my concern anyway," Merlin mused. "Perhaps I will simply dissipate."
He looked at Erwin and slowly walked toward him, glancing at the amethyst wand in Erwin's hand. He reached out and grabbed the wand, pressing the tip against his own chest.
"If I could, I really want to see where you came from," Merlin whispered, his voice fading. "To escape this world... to start over again... I really don't want to be a pawn again."
As he spoke, Merlin's aura began to dissipate. Erwin watched him, his expression unreadable.
"Don't worry," Erwin said softly. "It will end. Everything will end. This will be an explanation for all of you."
At the tip of Erwin's wand, purple light began to glow.
Behind Merlin, the phantom of a scepter slowly materialized—the authority of the God of Magic. Following this, black mist, symbolizing the authority of the God of Death, rose behind Erwin.
The mist lunged toward the illusory scepter and began to slowly engulf it.
Merlin's body aged rapidly. His life force grew weaker and weaker, yet a smile remained on his face as he looked at Erwin.
"Then," Merlin said weakly, "this world depends on you. I'm sorry for interfering with your plans; I hope my life can make amends."
The next moment, Merlin's figure vanished from the spot.
Thus, the legendary God of Magic met his end. A hasty death, a casual death—yet it seemed inevitable. Just as Erwin had said, Merlin was destined to perish.
However, Erwin hadn't expected Merlin to be so magnanimous. He had worried that Merlin might not be able to accept the truth or might attempt to fight him, but Merlin chose to die with dignity. Clearly, after so many years of being suppressed, Merlin was exhausted. The moment his faith crumbled, his fate was sealed.
With Merlin's death, the black mist in the space increased even further. In just a few seconds, it filled the entire void. Only around Erwin seemed to be an immune zone; the black mist couldn't approach him at all.
Erwin's face was pale as he stared at the cavern. Soon, a figure shrouded in black mist floated out of the depths.
After emerging, the figure took a deep breath.
"It's been so long since I've breathed air untainted by confinement."
Then, the figure looked at Erwin.
"Although this is the first time I've met you, you truly are my masterpiece," the figure said, its voice echoing with power. "Perfect bloodline, a fusion of all nobility, plus a soul born of a twist of fate. Excellent. Indeed, my plan was flawless."
Erwin nodded. "Yes, it is a genius idea. To be honest, I didn't expect you to achieve this. But I should still thank you; without you, I wouldn't have reached this point."
The figure of black mist chuckled. "We'll meet soon. I hope your preparations are truly as thorough as they seem."
"I won't disappoint you," Erwin replied. "But for now, you should remain inside."
As he spoke, purple light flashed around Erwin, suppressing all the black mist. The figure showed no surprise at this, slowly descending back into the cavern.
"One year!" the voice echoed from the depths. "Remember, you only have one year remaining. After one year, we'll settle this once and for all. You can't escape, and you can't win. This is a thousand-year plan; the victor will never be you."
Erwin sneered. "Then we'll see!"
He said nothing more. His figure slowly vanished from the spot.
When he reappeared, Erwin was already inside Hogwarts Castle. During the holiday, the castle was quiet. The students weren't there, and neither were the professors.
After returning to his quarters, Erwin's face instantly turned pale. He quickly sat on his bed, circulating his magic. Several wisps of black energy floated out from his body and dissipated into the air.
After doing this, Erwin opened his eyes.
"I never imagined it would be this powerful," he murmured. "Is this really power a mortal could wield? Even though it's a fabrication, its astonishing talent... it really does resemble him. No wonder it's the protagonist of this world."
Regardless of whether they were enemies, Erwin would never intentionally belittle others to elevate himself. Just as he had told Merlin, to be able to see through the essence of the world as a mortal... Erwin honestly admitted he couldn't accomplish that. Therefore, he was genuinely convinced.
After cleansing his body of the black mist that had accidentally accumulated, Erwin prepared to begin his next move. Merlin was eliminated; his Dragon Speaker bloodline was about to be fully activated.
However, Erwin had been suppressing this power. The reason involved another bloodline within him: the Pendragon bloodline—that is, the Arthurian bloodline. And the Pendragon bloodline was severely incompatible with Merlin's Dragon Speaker bloodline. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were irreconcilable.
This was why Erwin had previously suffered from bloodline conflict.