It's a bit cute for what essentially amounts to a slightly better "Destroy target creature, mill 4". I feel like the design on this would be a bit more elegant if there was a different trigger for the mill - maybe make the destruction a proclaim trigger or something? I realize it's not in the correct colors for it.

So cute isn't elegant? :P IMO this is somewhat more elegant than a design like Futile Waste for example.

This is playing on the "trope" of overcosted common removal that is never meant to see play anywhere but limited, which makes me quite sad. Even though this functions as that much of the time, it has "hidden" 'slightly better' qualities that elevate it beyond that.

The design itself should be familiar to most, though it's usually used in an attempt to justify a color bleed in . Considering that does get mill nowadays quite frequently, it makes much more sense in that color instead IMO.

Black gets mill, but it doesn't get bounce to the top of the library. Since the result is the same as Destroy (barring indestructible), that's exactly what it should say.

It also doesn't trigger cards such as Fire-Ridden End and Utopia Ambassador. I think it's novel card that I wouldn't recommend hand-waving away so indifferently. The effect gives weight and reason for the relatively high mana cost (since usually removal that costs the same amount or more mana than the card it removes is no good), but prevents it from being an automatic first-pick.

This is a bend since the means are unusual for black, but since the end is perfectly fine for black (which also is able to circumvent death triggers and indestructible by e. g. exiling the targeted creature) the card is fine.

This is a spell I could see being of interest to some sets though I don't recall any specific reason for it to be in this set.

Overall neat.

It's definitely a bend. But I don't see a problem with it.