Rei's unconscious mind continued to sink into the deep ocean. At the surface, a new consciousness began to form—one that was not Rei.
Meanwhile, a wounded Tenko limped toward the Midgard. The drugs had taken a toll, making his steps unsteady and causing him to fall. But he persisted, holding the Chaos Scepter in his mouth. He finally reached the Midgard and saw the door was destroyed. With great difficulty, he struggled inside.
The interior was a mess, with belongings scattered everywhere. Tenko made his way to a corner where he saw many letters. Clumsily, he used his paws to sort through them until he found a token and a map. The token was from Nandaka, and the paper showed the map to the city. A look of determination filled Tenko's face as he looked back outside. The next day, he used earth and wind spells to drive the Midgard. It was more difficult than usual, but he pushed on, heading toward Nandaka sword city.
The man who took Rei continued his journey. Frerin Village was close to the border of the principality, so it only took a week for him to cross from Astria. Once they were across, the man immediately went to a cave and placed Rei on the ground. He took off his mask, revealing his true face. "Sorry, Rei," he said. "The sun will rise again, and one day, you will too."
He then took out a powder and sprayed it on Rei to wake him up. Rei's red eyes opened, but it wasn't Rei. The body was someone else now. The black-haired boy sat up, confused. "Ahh, my head hurts. Who am I? Where am I?"
"Piers, don't you remember me?" the man asked. "I'm your master, Zen."
The new consciousness, who didn't know anything, was confused. "What? What did you just call me?"
Zen feigned concern. "The trauma might have been too great. Piers, don't you remember? Your family abandoned you. You were homeless and people discriminated against you. I was the one who gave you some food and asked you to be my student, and you said yes."
Piers was unsure. "No... but I guess that might have happened." He didn't remember it, but Zen's concerned look was convincing.
Zen continued his false story. "Recently, we got into a fight. You suffered two blows to your chest, and then someone snuck up and hit your head. I was able to kill them and get you out of there, and then I found this cave where we could hide."
"I see," Piers said, accepting the story. "I guess that's what happened." Piers had no memory of his past, and he needed a reason to live and a path to follow, a need that Zen took advantage of.
"Don't worry," Zen said. "I will make you remember everything about yourself, but first, you should rest."
"Okay," Piers agreed.
"We are going to the Black Devil Mansion," Zen said.
"Black Devil Mansion? What's that?" Piers asked.
"Oh, you must have forgotten that too. We're going there so you can become a student and make your first contract with a devil. The Black Devil Mansion will then be your training place."
"Devil? What is a devil?"
"Devils are beings that live in hell," Zen explained. "We make contracts with them to use their power. We're known as devil holders. Everyone calls us the scum of the earth, but we're a respected occupation."
"Okay, if you say so," Piers said, still wondering.
"We'll set out tomorrow. Get some rest for now," Zen instructed.
Tenko, driving the Midgard, was halfway to Nandaka. His energy was depleted, and he had to rest. He looked out of the Midgard, hoping Rei was watching the same stars.
Piers looked at the stars, too. "This world is so beautiful. I love it here," he thought. "One day, I will become someone famous and strong, someone everyone can count on."
The next day, Tenko's and Piers's journeys began again. As Piers and Zen traveled, they stopped at different cities. In one city, a ball rolled to Zen's feet. A kid from a distance asked, "Will you pass the ball, sir?" Zen smiled faintly, threw the ball back, and turned to Piers.
"We exist in the shadows to protect those who live in the light," he said. "Even if I'm not with you, remember that you have to put others first and do everything to protect them, even if it means dirtying your own hands."
"Okay, Master," Piers said. "I would do anything to protect them." Zen nodded in approval and took Piers to a restaurant to eat.
A month passed, and Zen and Piers stopped at many more places before finally arriving at the Black Devil Mansion. Piers looked at its massive size. "What a huge mansion! It could be a castle!"
"Now let's go," Zen said.
Meanwhile, Tenko reached the mist of Nandaka. He knew he couldn't travel further in the Midgard, so he began walking. Suddenly, a sword attack came at him. Tenko, with his fast speed, dodged it. The swordsmen were shocked and attacked him again with their strongest attacks, but Tenko dodged them all and used wind slices on them. Their eyes widened. In their moment of astonishment, Tenko took out the Nandaka token. The swordsmen's eyes widened even further. A beast possessing a Nandaka token? They immediately knelt. "Please, forgive our intrusion," they said.
A man came out and asked, "What's with you two? What's all this commotion? A deadly beast! Attack him!"
"He possesses the Nandaka token! He can't be attacked!" one swordsman said.
"But how can we let him enter?" the man asked.
"He possesses the Nandaka token, so he is allowed to enter! We can't stop him!" the swordsman replied.
Tenko ignored their squabble and entered Nandaka. This was the first time in history that a beast was allowed to enter the sacred land of Nandaka without any guardian. But Tenko didn't think about any of that. His first priority was saving Rei.