Deep within the Chamber of Time, the silence before the storm lingered. Ethan stood amidst the devastation wrought by the battle, his eyes gleaming with a mysterious light, surrounded by a swirling eddy of shadows that seemed poised to answer their master's call.
He slowly raised his scythe, and in a voice thick with majesty and mystery, he said menacingly, "Now, Saruto, I will show you what the title of Reaper truly means."
In an instant, everything changed. A wave of black energy erupted from his body, and behind him rose a massive aura in the form of a giant skeleton wielding a scythe that sliced through the air. The temperature plummeted, as if life itself had departed the chamber. Ethan's body began to transform gradually; his skin paled to a dull gray, and his eyes became devoid of any sign of life.
Saruto stepped back, his face filled with astonishment, and whispered, his voice faltering, "What is this form...?"
Ethan smiled faintly and said, "This is my true form… the form of the Grim Reaper of the Dark Family. It represents me, I am Death itself."
Saruto didn't have time to process the words. Ethan brandished his scythe, which ignited with black energy, and whispered, "Death is coming for you, Saruto."
In an instant, he vanished, reappearing before Saruto, lunging forward with his fist clenched. Saruto raised his hand to block the blow, but to his astonishment, Ethan's fist pierced his body like a ghost!
Saruto's eyes widened. "What is this? Your body… is transparent?!" he cried in disbelief.
Ethan laughed, his voice hollow and otherworldly. "You can't touch Death, Saruto."
In a flash, he slashed with his scythe, piercing Saruto's chest. He was violently thrown backward, crashing to the ground and leaving a deep gash. Blood began to gush from his chest, his breath coming in ragged gasps, as Ethan advanced slowly, black smoke billowing from his scythe.
"Those who stand before death... don't last long, Saruto," he said in a low, menacing voice.
At that moment, Ethan moved with incredible speed, vanishing and reappearing around Saruto from all sides, delivering a barrage of blows visible only as flashes of black light. Each blow left a mark, and each mark further weakened Saruto's body. He couldn't touch him.
The ground cracked beneath Saruto's feet, his armor began to crumble, and the luster of his white hair faded until it returned to its natural color.
He fell to his knees, panting, unable to move, as Ethan slowly drew closer, his killing intent unleashed.
The aura of death enveloped Saruto, who could feel his breath fading and the cold seeping into his bones. It was the moment death touched the edge of his consciousness. But amidst all this darkness, he heard a familiar voice in his mind, strong, angry, and calm all at once.
Void's voice: "Saruto! Wake up! We're not the kind of people who give up so easily! Remember what we said: if death is our destiny, we'll die together. So don't be afraid, and fight with all your might."
Saruto opened his eyes, and light gradually returned to them. He smiled through the pain and said in a weak but resolute voice, "Void… you're right… we mustn't give up here. We must fight with all our strength… and after we're done with Ethan, we'll return to take our revenge on Adrian."
The room trembled with a powerful, dark energy emanating from within him. Void and Saruto's synergy reached its peak, and the two cried out simultaneously, their voices resounding: "Common Consciousness!"
The cry echoed like a flash of lightning, and their souls reunited. Energy surged from them like a column of black and violet light, and his body gradually began to transform, their features fading and merging into a single, unified entity.
Dark wings sprang from his back, covered in dragon scales. His hands and feet had acquired the shape of dragon claws, and his eyes had become dark black with a dark purple sheen. The new creature took a single step forward that made the ground shake and the air around it tremble. He raised his head, the flash emanating from his body almost blinding, then looked at Ethan with eyes that radiated pure power.
Ethan stepped back slightly, surprised, and said in a hesitant voice, "Saruto and Void's consciousness has disappeared from this body… No, they haven't disappeared… They've merged completely."
The new being smiled and said in a calm yet solemn voice: "That's right… I am not Saruto… nor Void… I am a being born from their fusion… I am Side."
Then there was a moment of silence, before he finished his words with a faint smile and eyes burning with passion: "And now, Reaper of Souls… shall we continue the fight we began?"
As he uttered those words, the entire Time Room shook, as if preparing to receive a battle unlike any fight Ethan had ever fought before.