Midnight had long since passed.
The Daizen Mansion, which only hours ago had been filled with tension and hurried footsteps, now rested in a fragile silence. The clan members had prepared spare rooms for allied families, and one by one, exhaustion claimed them. Doors closed softly. Lanterns dimmed. Footsteps faded into stillness.
But not everyone found peace.
Ren stepped into his room without a word. The corridor outside was cold, yet it felt colder within his chest.
He removed his coat slowly, letting it fall over the chair. His shoes followed. The faint creak of the wooden floor echoed as he sat on the edge of his bed, elbows resting on his knees, hands loosely hanging between them.
His thoughts were still trapped in the forest.
That sudden chill.
That unfamiliar energy.
It had not been ordinary. It had not been human.
It was something ancient… something that recognized him.
Ren lifted his right hand and stared at his palm. The shadows beneath the candlelight shifted faintly, responding to him even when he gave no command.
He slowly tightened his hand into a fist.
I must become stronger.
Not for pride.
Not for power.
But because something was moving in the dark… and it was watching.
A knock broke the silence.
"Ren… are you awake?"
It was his mother's voice.
Ren stood immediately and opened the door.
"Yes, mother."
Sumire stood there, her gentle face lined with concern. Beside her stood Zenkai — tall, stern, and unreadable as ever.
"Oh… Father. You're here too."
Zenkai nodded once. "May we come in?"
"Of course."
They entered quietly. Ren moved to prepare seats, but before he could finish, his father's voice cut through the air.
"Tell me the truth, Ren. What happened after you left the village?"
Ren froze.
He turned slowly, forcing a small smile.
"Nothing happened."
The lie barely left his lips before Zenkai crossed the room in a single step and grabbed Ren by the collar.
"Do not insult me with that answer."
His grip was firm — not cruel, but unyielding.
"The time you were gone was short. Yet your shadows move differently. They respond like soldiers to a veteran commander. And that bodyguard of yours — Althric. He is not human."
His eyes sharpened.
"What are you hiding from us?"
"Zenkai, stop," Sumire said softly, placing her hand on his arm. She gently pulled his grip away.
Ren sank to the floor, sitting back on his heels. He did not resist.
Sumire knelt slightly, her voice calm but heavy with worry.
"We were frightened, Ren. The argument with Arden… the way you handled it… that wasn't you. It felt as though something inside you had changed."
Zenkai's tone softened, though his gaze remained intense.
"That is all we wish to know."
Ren lowered his head.
For a moment, silence swallowed the room.
Then he spoke.
"Tell me something first."
His voice was steady, but the tremor beneath it could not be hidden.
"Was it our ancestors who broke the seal of the Gate of Shadow?"
Zenkai stiffened.
Sumire looked toward him.
A long pause followed.
"…Yes," Zenkai finally admitted. "They believed they were protecting the world. The truth was never meant to reach your generation. They did not know what lay beyond that seal."
Ren's fingers dug into the floorboards.
"They didn't just open a gate," he said quietly. "They awakened something that should never have been touched."
The wind brushed against the window, a hollow whisper against the glass.
Sumire stepped closer.
"Ren… what happened?"
That was the moment his composure cracked.
His lips parted, but no words came. Instead, tears formed — silent, restrained, but undeniable.
Zenkai saw them.
And in that instant, the stern clan leader disappeared.
He moved forward and pulled Ren into his chest.
"I am sorry," Zenkai said quietly. "I was harsh. But when I saw your eyes… I feared I had already lost you."
Ren stiffened at first.
Then slowly, he returned the embrace.
The warmth felt unfamiliar.
He had nearly forgotten what it meant to be held like a son instead of treated like a weapon.
Taking a slow breath, he began.
He told them everything.
About Raviel.
About the truth hidden within the cave.
About the Black Heart.
About the moment he chose to merge with it.
About selling his soul to the Shadow Realm in order to conquer the Abyss.
About the seal breaking to eighty percent.
About standing on the edge of oblivion — and how Kuro, Daiki, and above all Yume dragged him back from death itself.
The room grew colder as he spoke.
When he finished, neither Sumire nor Zenkai moved.
The weight of what he had endured in such a short time was almost impossible to comprehend.
Sumire covered her mouth.
Zenkai's fists trembled faintly.
Their son had walked through hell.
And returned.
Ren exhaled slowly, forcing a faint smile.
"But that is behind us now. What matters is what comes next."
Zenkai looked into his son's eyes.
The reckless boy he once knew was gone.
In his place stood someone forged by suffering.
"You have grown," Zenkai said quietly. "But listen carefully. Do not allow that darkness to control you again. Strength without control becomes destruction."
Ren rose to his feet and bowed his head.
"I will not repeat my mistakes."
Sumire stood as well, tears shining in her eyes. She stepped forward and gently cupped his cheek.
"You do not have to carry everything alone anymore," she whispered. "No matter how strong you become… you are still our son."
For a moment, the weight pressing against Ren's chest loosened.
"I know, mother."
Zenkai walked toward the door but paused before leaving.
Without turning back, he spoke one last time.
"The path you have chosen is not meant for ordinary men. Remember this — strength is not measured by what you destroy… but by what you protect."
The door closed softly.
Silence returned.
Ren lay down on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
For the first time since the Abyss… sleep came without nightmares.
Far beyond the Daizen lands, unseen forces began to move.
In the veiled forests of the Elven Realm, messengers rode beneath silver trees. Ancient spells were being prepared in silence.
In the Dragon Realm, war drums echoed across molten mountains.
In the skies above the Winged Dominion, commanders sharpened blades forged from divine light.
It was not yet war.
But it was no longer peace.
And beneath it all, the Shadow Realm stirred.
Morning arrived gently.
Sunlight filtered through the mansion windows. Guests departed with quiet gratitude. The night's tension seemed distant — but only on the surface.
By noon, Kuro had already gathered the younger generation in the courtyard.
Ren, Yume, Daiki, and Haru stood together.
Zenkai joined Kuro at the front.
Kuro's gaze was sharp.
"All of you possess strength. But strength alone is meaningless if it cannot be drawn out at will. When the Winged forces invaded before, we were unprepared. That will not happen again."
He turned to Arden.
"As my successor, you must become not only powerful — but strategic. You will train with Haru."
"Yes, sir!" Arden responded firmly.
Haru bowed slightly. "Understood."
They left to begin separate drills.
Kuro then faced Ren and Yume.
"Your cases are different."
He looked at Ren.
"Your power is tremendous. But you do not yet command it fully."
Ren nodded. "Whenever my instincts react, new forms manifest from the shadows. I do not consciously summon them."
"You are the Ninth King," Kuro replied calmly. "Such phenomena are natural. But instinct is unreliable. You must learn control."
"Yes, Master."
Before Kuro could continue, Zenkai stepped forward.
"Face me."
Ren blinked.
"I want to see whether my son can withstand my fists."
Kuro folded his arms but said nothing.
Zenkai's gaze sharpened.
"We both carry the power of the Ninth King. Yours may be greater — but I still possess enough to bring you down."
A faint smile touched Ren's lips.
"Then let us see."
The courtyard air shifted.
Father and son stepped into position.
Yume watched silently.
Daiki exhaled slowly.
The tension was not hostile.
It was necessary.
Zenkai raised his guard.
Ren mirrored him.
Just as they were about to clash—
Space tore open.
A gate formed in midair.
Every warrior froze.
From within the light emerged Zyra… and Althric.
Behind them stepped two overwhelming presences.
The King of Thunder, Raizen.
And the Winged King… Zeraphion.
Energy surged through the courtyard instantly.
Weapons were drawn.
Shadows gathered at Ren's feet.
But Ren raised his hand.
He stepped forward calmly.
Because Zyra and Althric stood without hostility.
This was not an invasion.
It was something else.
Ren approached the Winged King, eyes steady.
"Zeraphion," he said, voice firm. "Ruler of the Winged Dominion… why have you come to this realm?"