Chapter 38: Shadows of the Awakened Heir
The shoreline was empty. Broken stones floated slightly above the sand.
A strange wind swept across the battlefield.
Lucius was gone. Taken by Gojo Shinra and Shinji Hashimoto.
Even absent, his cursed energy still lingered faintly.
Shadows shifted. The air thickened.
Arkais (Demon King): "Zelos… did you feel it?"
Zelos (First Demon Lord): "Yes… we must return. The battlefield calls."
Zelos vanished. His presence folded into shadows.
A storm of power remained where he had stood.
From the horizon, a massive figure appeared. The Devil King.
Reality bent around him. Air quivered with his presence.
Zelos reappeared, landing softly.
His aura expanded like a storm held in check.
Zelos: "You came sooner than expected."
Devil King: "I've come to see for myself. The spark is alive… but the true fire remains untested."
Zelos' black blade hovered, spinning in the air.
Controlled by his will alone. Silent, deadly.
Zelos (thinking): I will not use my full strength… yet. But this will show him my edge.
The domain awakened. Shadows twisted into jagged pillars of darkness.
Reality bent, reacting to Zelos' command.
Narration (small caption): Only the presence of a massive threat could trigger this…
The Devil King observed calmly. Every movement, every flicker told him Zelos' true power.
The First Demon Lord had destroyed his first army alone.
Shadows writhed. Towers of black stone pierced the sky.
Winds howled. Waves crashed violently. Stones cracked under the pressure.
Zelos: "Even you must respect what has been forged in strength."
Devil King: "Careful, Zelos… Every display has consequences."
Zelos smiled under his helm.
"I test. I measure. The heir must grow strong. Threats must be measured."
Shadows formed twisted beasts. Spires of molten darkness rose.
The battlefield itself obeyed Zelos' will.
Narration (caption): This was no mere spectacle. Any who challenged him here would be crushed instantly.
Gojo Shinra and Shinji Hashimoto watched from the edge of the domain.
Lucius clutched their arms, weak but alert.
Gojo Shinra: "Zelos has stepped beyond what we anticipated."
Shinji Hashimoto: "The Devil King… he's here, but he hasn't acted. He's observing."
Lucius' eyes widened. Shadows swirled across the battlefield.
Lucius (thinking): "Is that… the First Demon Lord? The one who destroyed the Devil King's army alone?"
Zelos' domain pulsed again. Spires collapsed and reformed instantly.
Every ripple answered his will.
Zelos (calmly to Devil King): "I test. I measure. You must know the limits of what stands before you."
The Devil King's presence shifted. Subtle, undeniable. Reality bent slightly toward him.
A warning of his immense power.
Devil King: "Let the stage be set. Testing is not mercy. Every move will be counted."
Zelos nodded. The black blade spun in the wind, then vanished.
The domain folded into shadows. Faint pillars remained.
Lucius, safely beside Gojo Shinra and Shinji Hashimoto, watched silently.
Heart pounding. Breath quick.
Narration (caption): The heir survived the First Demon Lord… but the true trial against the Devil King had only begun
Chapter 38: end