With the cold morning breeze, Sora and Raijin both woke up. Today was different. Today was the day they would finally set out toward the west. All preparations had already been completed the previous night—Weapons, supplies, and even their mental preparation.
Without wasting any time, the two left their house and reached the nearby stable. From there, they took two strong horses. Their luggage was tightly secured, and the very next moment, they mounted their horses and began moving toward the western direction.
The morning sunlight had not yet become harsh. On both sides of the road, farmers were working in the fields. Somewhere in the distance, a thin line of smoke rose into the sky, where someone was preparing breakfast inside a house. Some small children playing beside the road looked at the horses with curiosity.
But as soon as Sora and Raijin turned onto the path leading west, the smiles of the people slowly disappeared. An old farmer watched them leave, then silently lowered his head. His face showed both pity and helplessness.
For some time, the two continued forward without saying anything. The only sounds were the footsteps of the horses and the rustling of the wind passing through the trees. Occasionally, a bird would suddenly fly away into the distance, or the movement of some small animal could be heard inside the bushes.
However, as they continued moving westward, the sounds of the forest began to change. The wind hitting the branches created strange whistling sounds. Many old trees along the path appeared half-burned, as if a terrible battle had taken place here many years ago.
Sometimes, the horses would suddenly slow down without any reason and nervously stomp their feet on the ground, as if they sensed an unseen danger. Gradually, even the voices of birds disappeared, and the forest began to feel as if it was holding its own breath, waiting for something terrible to happen.
Now, only a dense forest surrounded them. Tall trees whose branches covered the sky, and a narrow path running through the middle.
While walking along that path, they eventually saw an open sky in the distance, covered with dark clouds.
As they moved forward, the atmosphere began to change.
The trees of the forest slowly started withering. The leaves became dry, the air grew heavier, and after walking a little further, the two saw that the forest had suddenly ended.
It felt as if after an invisible boundary, life itself had abandoned this land forever.
The color of the soil was dark gray, and not even a single blade of grass grew on it. Dry cracks spread across the ground, from which cold air seemed to escape. The atmosphere was so heavy that both of them unknowingly had to take deeper breaths.
In the middle of that barren land, a massive castle stood in the distance.
Black, terrifying, and completely silent.
A slight fear rose inside the hearts of Sora and Raijin, but they did not stop their horses. Slowly moving forward, they reached the castle.
Before reaching the massive gate, both of them stopped.
The walls standing before them carried deep marks of time. Large claw marks were visible in many places, as if some enormous creature had tried to tear them apart for years.
Dry blood stains could still be seen in several places. Broken stones, old weapons, and rusted armor were scattered around, covered with a thick layer of dust.
The faint smell of iron and dried blood still lingered in the air.
Looking at it, it felt as if someone had once fought here with complete hope...
But in the end, no one had returned.
Suddenly, their horses started screaming loudly.
They became uncontrollable, jumping and struggling, and the next moment, they broke free from the reins and ran away.
Sora took a deep breath.
"Anyone would be afraid in a place like this," he said.
Raijin nodded.
"It was bound to happen. Luckily, we kept the important supplies with us."
The two gathered their courage and began walking toward the castle.
The moment they stepped inside, a cold breeze rushed through their entire bodies.
The massive corridors were filled with strange dampness. The sound of every step echoed several times before returning.
The torches mounted on the walls flickered slightly, even though there was no wind.
Deep sword marks covered the walls, silently telling stories of countless battles from the past.
The two looked at each other but said nothing.
The silence of this place was more frightening than any sound.
Around them were monsters.
Countless monsters.
Different shapes, different appearances, but all of them carried the same violent intent in their eyes.
The first monster rushed toward Raijin at lightning speed.
He immediately swung his sword and blocked its claws.
The collision between their weapons sent sparks flying through the air.
At the same moment, another monster attacked Sora from behind.
Sora lowered his body, dodged the attack, and while spinning, struck the monster's legs.
The creature screamed in pain and fell to the ground, but before they could react, three more monsters rushed toward them.
The sounds of metal clashes, roars, and screams filled the entire castle.
Sora and Raijin continued defeating the monsters one after another.
With every strike, their breathing became heavier.
At every turn, a new monster blocked their path.
Some carried rusted axes, while others attacked with long, sharp claws.
Many times, they had to defend against attacks coming from behind.
Raijin swung his sword and pushed one monster away, while at the same moment, Sora jumped into the air and cut another monster's head off.
The battle continued becoming more difficult.
Every time they defeated one monster, two more appeared in its place.
Their clothes were already covered with dust and blood.
Their breathing was heavy, but neither of them was willing to retreat.
Without words, they understood each other's movements.
Where Raijin attacked, Sora protected him.
Where Sora was surrounded, Raijin immediately came to help.
Sora cut down a monster and said,
"If these are only ordinary monsters... then how terrifying will he be?"
At that moment, a monster suddenly dropped down from the ceiling and attacked Raijin's neck with its long claws.
Raijin moved back just in time, but a small scratch appeared on his throat.
Before the monster could attack again, Sora turned around and drove his sword into its back.
The creature roared loudly before collapsing onto the ground.
There was even a moment during the battle when both of them became surrounded.
Five monsters in front.
Three behind.
And two giant creatures standing on a broken balcony above them.
Raijin took a deep breath and said quietly,
"Don't step back."
Sora smiled slightly.
"When have we ever?"
The next moment, both of them charged in opposite directions.
Their swords continued clashing.
Many times, the claws of monsters tore through their clothes.
Raijin suffered a deep wound on his arm, while blood flowed from Sora's shoulder.
Despite the pain, neither loosened their grip.
They knew that if they stopped here, they would never reach the main hall.
Suddenly, a huge monster slammed its weapon into the ground with full force.
The stone floor shattered and pieces flew everywhere.
A cloud of dust spread throughout the corridor.
Raijin jumped backward in time, while Sora used the nearby wall to launch himself into the air and attacked the monster's head from above.
The heavy body crashed onto the ground, causing the entire corridor to shake.
Small pieces of debris fell from the ceiling.
Without stopping, without looking back, they continued defeating monsters and slowly moved toward the main hall.
As they approached closer, the number of monsters suddenly began decreasing.
Soon, the entire corridor became empty.
This silence was even more unsettling.
After such a terrifying battle, the sudden quietness made both of them uneasy.
Only their footsteps could be heard.
Finally...
They stood before a massive door.
Outside the main hall, both stopped for a few moments.
Raijin tightly gripped the handle of his sword.
His palm was covered in sweat.
He took a deep breath and looked at Sora.
Without saying anything, Sora gave him a slight smile and tightened his grip on his sword.
They looked into each other's eyes.
Neither said that they were afraid.
But both knew...
Behind this door waited perhaps the hardest battle of their lives.
The next moment, Raijin pushed the massive door open with both hands.
As they stepped inside the huge hall, their movements naturally slowed.
The silence was so deep that even their breathing could be heard clearly.
The air was completely still, yet it felt as if an invisible gaze was constantly watching them.
The hall was so enormous that its ceiling disappeared into darkness.
Broken pillars stood all around, and in the center was a massive throne.
For a few moments, nothing moved.
Only a faint red light spread throughout the hall.
Then slowly, within that red glow, a massive figure began becoming visible.
First, only a red glowing staff appeared.
Then the rest of his body emerged from the darkness.
Standing before them was...
Lord.
He was neither human, nor monster, nor wild beast.
He was a lion—
but standing like a human.
A strange pressure radiated from his presence.
Thousands of tails spread behind his back, like waves of darkness.
He floated about ten centimeters above the ground.
In his hand was a staff, with a red crystal ball shining at its tip.
A faint dark light spread around him, as if everything nearby trembled because of his existence.
A single thought echoed inside Sora and Raijin's minds—
Kneel. Run away.
Exactly the same feeling Takashi had described.
They could not raise their eyes.
Their bodies refused to obey.
But then...
Takashi's voice echoed inside Raijin's mind.
"If you are going to fight him... then never fear him."
Raijin gathered all his strength and shouted—
"Don't be afraid!"
His voice pierced through the heavy pressure.
The next moment, Sora and Raijin both stepped forward and attacked Lord together.
Both swords descended with all their strength.
But just before the blades reached Lord...
Transparent waves appeared in the air.
Their swords struck something invisible.
A sharp metallic sound echoed throughout the hall.
The entire hall trembled from the impact.
But Lord did not move even an inch.
The force of the collision was so strong that Raijin's hands became numb.
He stared ahead in disbelief.
Something existed between him and Lord...
But nothing was visible.
Both of them were stunned.
Not once.
Not twice.
They attacked countless times.
Fast.
Continuous.
With all their strength.
But every attack failed.
They refused to give up.
They began attacking from different directions.
Sometimes Raijin distracted Lord from the front, while Sora attempted to strike from behind.
The sound of swords echoed throughout the hall.
But every attack bounced back after colliding with the invisible force.
Slowly, their breathing became broken.
Their hands began trembling.
Yet neither was willing to retreat.
Lord released a powerful energy wave from his red crystal ball.
A flash like lightning spread through the air, and the surrounding space shook.
Sora and Raijin were thrown backward.
Their bodies crashed against the ground.
Both were severely injured.
Sora's arm was severed.
Raijin's leg was broken.
For a few moments, the entire hall became silent.
Lord looked at them as if watching entertainment.
For him, this was merely the final struggle of two weak humans.
But for Sora and Raijin...
This was the battle of their entire lives.
Raijin looked at his broken leg in pain, then slowly lifted his head.
Memories of childhood flashed before his eyes—
The days when they had nothing to eat.
The times they supported each other.
The promise they made that no matter what happened, they would always stand together.
"Remember, Sora..." Raijin whispered.
"When we were kids, you used to say that one day you would become the greatest swordsman in the world."
Sora said nothing.
His grip on the sword tightened.
"And you always said that I would surpass you..." Raijin continued with a faint smile.
For a moment, old memories appeared in Sora's eyes.
But the next moment, they disappeared.
Because behind those memories...
There was something else.
All the moments when he felt left behind.
The small things he never told anyone.
The comparisons.
The jealousy.
The pain that never disappeared with time.
Lord's power had not only broken their bodies.
It had also dragged out the emotions Sora had suppressed inside himself for years.
Raijin noticed the change in his eyes.
"Sora..." he whispered.
"Are you okay?"
For several moments, there was no answer.
Then Sora lowered his gaze.
"Okay?"
He laughed softly.
"Maybe I was never okay."
His voice carried pain.
Sora, Stop.
The two looked at each other, as if words were no longer necessary.
The time to give up had not arrived yet.
Both of them were still kneeling on the ground, but the light in their eyes had not disappeared.
Lord watched the two of them silently for a few moments. There was no anger on his face, only a strange curiosity. It was as if he was not looking at their swords or their strength, but at the weaknesses hidden deep inside their hearts.
He had already understood that their greatest strength was their friendship...
And perhaps that same friendship was also their greatest weakness.
In a calm voice, he said,
"You two... are a little different."
"No one dares to stand before me. But you two are still fighting."
After a brief pause, Lord fixed his red eyes on Sora.
"You think you know each other... but humans often hide their true pain even from the people closest to them."
His voice echoed throughout the hall.
"Your friend means a lot to you, doesn't he, Sora? But have you ever thought about how many times you felt left behind while walking beside him?"
Sora was kneeling on the ground.
His breathing was heavy, but his eyes held more than just pain.
There were years of suppressed questions, unfinished desires, and bitterness that he had never allowed anyone to see.
Old memories began appearing before him—
The days when the two of them shared food even when they were hungry.
The nights when they encouraged each other.
But behind those memories, something else was hidden.
Every time people praised Raijin.
Every time his strength surpassed Sora's.
Every time Sora tried to prove himself but still ended up falling behind.
That pain slowly accumulated inside him over the years.
Lord smiled slightly.
"See? I did nothing."
"I only brought out the poison that you yourself had been hiding inside for all these years."
Then he leaned slightly forward.
"If you accept becoming my servant, I will let you go."
Raijin replied without the slightest hesitation.
"Never."
"I will never accept becoming the servant of a monster like you."
Ignoring Raijin's words, Lord looked back at Sora.
"And you?"
For a few moments, the entire hall became silent.
Slowly, Sora raised his head.
There was no fear on his face anymore.
Only a strange seriousness remained.
With a faint smile, he said—
"So... the opportunity finally came."
Raijin looked at him in disbelief.
"Sora... is this true?"
"Have you really been feeling this way all this time?"
Sora remained silent for a few moments.
Both tears and anger were visible in his eyes.
"I always tried to stand beside you, Raijin..."
"But every time I walked with you, I felt like I had become nothing more than your shadow."
His voice slowly began to break.
"I didn't want to hate you..."
"But I started hating myself."
He clenched his fist tightly.
"You were ahead of me in everything."
"The one thing I was good at—swordsmanship—"
"Even there, you surpassed me."
He paused for a moment.
"And the person I loved..."
"She loved you too."
Shock was clearly visible in Raijin's eyes.
Sora lowered his gaze.
"Now tell me..."
"Why shouldn't I hate you?"
For a while, he remained silent.
Then his voice became softer.
"But no matter how much pain I felt..."
"You were still my friend."
Lord closed his eyes in satisfaction.
He had understood.
In this battle, the wounds hidden inside their hearts were far more dangerous than their swords.
Then Sora slowly said—
"I accept becoming your servant."
Raijin stared at him for a few moments.
It was as if the person standing before him had suddenly become a stranger.
Lord nodded with satisfaction.
"A wise decision."
Then he looked toward Raijin.
"And you?"
Raijin answered without fear.
"No."
His voice was calm.
"Never."
The next moment, Lord used his power.
Sora's severed arm slowly began reconnecting.
His broken body healed.
His wounds disappeared.
But along with the healing came unbearable pain and burning sensations, as if this power carried its own price.
Within moments, his body had completely recovered.
Lord looked at him.
"If you accept my servitude..."
"Then kill your friend."
The entire hall became silent.
Sora's sword slowly rose.
Raijin stared at him.
"Why are you doing this, Sora?"
There was pain in his voice.
"We are friends."
"We have been together since childhood."
Sora remained silent for a few moments.
Then he spoke in a cold voice.
"Yes..."
"That is how you always saw it."
He slowly walked toward Raijin.
"But you never saw the pain inside me."
His eyes contained years of bitterness.
"I didn't want to hate you..."
"But I kept suppressing that feeling inside myself."
He stopped.
"Even then..."
"You are still my friend."
His grip on the sword tightened.
"After you die..."
"I will bury you properly."
The next moment...
His sword pierced through Raijin's chest.
There was only one question in Raijin's eyes.
Why?
But he never received the answer.
His body slowly collapsed onto the ground.
For a few moments, Sora stood there silently.
There was no victory in his eyes...
Only emptiness.
Then he bowed before Lord.
"From today onward..."
"I am your loyal servant."
After some time, he looked back at Raijin.
"Allow me."
His voice was quiet.
"He was my friend."
"Whatever happened between us..."
"I want to bury him properly."
Lord allowed him.
Sora buried the person with his own hands—
The person with whom he had spent his entire childhood.
He had not only lost a friend...
He had buried his old life beneath that same soil.
The western castle became silent once again.
But behind that silence...
A new tragedy, filled with hidden pain, had been born.