I. The Vibration of the Void
The skies above Edenfall trembled, as if the city itself were about to disintegrate into shadows. It wasn't a physical tremor, nor a convulsion of the ground. It was something deeper, something that throbbed in every corner, in every crack in the concrete, in every breath caught by the weight of the darkness. The Ninth Seal had arrived .
Akihiko walked among the remnants of what had once been a main avenue, where neon lights flickered like a muffled echo of the city's former life. Each step resonated in his ears, as if the air itself were heavy, saturated with an uncontrollable energy.
I'm sorry...
The voice inside his head was a whisper, a constant that seemed to emanate from the fragment he carried in his chest, which throbbed strongly. But it wasn't a natural heartbeat. It was as if the Tree were awakening from its slumber and reclaiming something that belonged to it. Akihiko gripped the hilt of his katana, the Kurai no Kiba , knowing that its weight connected him to something much greater than himself.
I have no choice.
Beside him, Kaede kept pace, her eyes scanning every corner with a calculating gaze. The air grew thick, almost solid, as if shadows had materialized around them.
"The Ninth Seal," Kaede murmured, as if the mere mention of that unstoppable force burned her tongue. "I've felt it before. But never on this scale. Edenfall isn't just being consumed; it's being…reshaped."
Akihiko nodded, his gaze fixed on the horizon, where the sky opened in a rift of red light. The city's cathedral, the tallest of them all, glowed with the energy of the activating seal.
The Ninth Seal…
The resonance was stronger now, palpable on his skin. But this time it wasn't just the Tree. There was something more. Something he had been waiting for.
II. The Weight of the Fruit
High atop the cathedral, Shoen Rikudō 's silhouette was etched against the light. His figure was hidden, like a specter in the mist, yet his presence was undeniable. From his throne of liquid obsidian, his eyes gleamed with palpable interest as he watched the seals unravel one after another.
"The Ninth Seal has been opened," he murmured softly, his words drifting like an echo. "The Tree's fate draws near... and you, Akihiko, will be the final catalyst."
Akihiko felt the weight of the words on his chest, as if each syllable were a direct blow to his heart. Catalyst… The word offered no comfort.
"The Tree can wait no longer," Shoen continued, his lips curving into an inhuman smile. "The cycle is about to be completed. And you… you will be the one to decide whether everything will be destroyed or transformed."
Akihiko closed his eyes for a moment. His mind was a sea of confusion and fury. Has the Tree truly chosen me? The power of the fragment grew within him, but what he felt wasn't simply power. It was hunger. A voraciousness that devoured him from within.
"I am no one's tool," he said, opening his eyes with determination. "I will not let the Tree decide for me."
III. The Lament of the Shadows
Suddenly, the air grew heavy. A thick fog began to rise from the ground, carrying with it echoes of what sounded like a distant wail, as if thousands of souls were crying out in unison.
It was the power of the Black Veil . The Ninth Seal wasn't just reshaping Edenfall; it was unleashing a dark force that dwelled within the city's core. The fog rose, shrouding the ruins, distorting reality in its wake.
"Akihiko!" Kaede called out, her voice barely audible amid the growing storm of darkness. "Watch out!"
Akihiko didn't have time to react before a shadow materialized before him. The figure was intangible, floating, as if it were a reflection of the very darkness that was overflowing into the city. But in its eyes shone a fury that pierced him like lightning.
" Karyū ," Kaede murmured, her face paling. "One of the Seven Deadly Ones."
Karyū didn't speak. He didn't need words. In the blink of an eye, he lunged at Akihiko, his body enveloped in a cloak of searing shadows.
Akihiko raised his katana, but when he tried to block the attack, the blade passed through the shadow without making an impact. It was like striking thin air. The figure vanished, only to reappear behind him. The blow caught him in the side, slamming him against a concrete wall.
The shadow's power left him breathless. " You can't fight what you don't understand ," a voice echoed in his head, deep and piercing. "The Void cannot win this battle."
IV. Resonance of Guilt
Akihiko stood up, panting, feeling as if every inch of his skin were burning. His mind was distorted by the power of the fragment and the echo of Karyū's words. The city resonated with his own sins, his own fears, as if every corner were alive and ready to devour him.
He couldn't go on like this. The Void wasn't enough. Something inside him was changing.
I have no choice.
With a guttural scream, Akihiko unleashed the full power of the Void. Karyū's shadows dissolved, but the price was high. The fragment's energy shot through his body, filling him with sharp pain, as if his very soul were being torn apart.
But he did not stop. This time, the Void was not a weapon. It was an envelope, a containment for the nameless that surrounded him. Karyū's shadow wavered.
" Not everything we don't understand should be destroyed! " Akihiko shouted, his voice booming with a force that echoed throughout the city. " Sometimes, it just needs a name. "
Karyū hesitated, and at that moment, Akihiko channeled the Void to trap the shadow, forcing it to fully manifest. Karyū's body condensed into a solid figure, a humanoid of pure darkness that finally collapsed before Akihiko.
And then, as the shadow fell, Akihiko saw the shape of an object he had never seen before: a small black flower, in whose center shone a golden core. The fragment of the Fruit, dormant in his chest, throbbed in unison with the object.
"This… is just the beginning."
V. The Beginning of the End
The fog began to dissipate, but the resonance of the Ninth Seal remained. Edenfall was no longer the same. Every structure, every root, seemed to connect to a single center: the Tree. Akihiko knew the next step was inevitable.
Shoen Rikudō watched from his throne, his eyes closed in concentration. A sigh escaped his lips.
" One remains. The Tenth Core. The beginning… and the end."