The hall felt dim, as though the light itself had grown hesitant to exist within its walls.
It was not darkness that filled the chamber, nor shadow alone—but pressure. An invisible weight pressed down on every soul present, heavy enough to make breathing feel deliberate. Murmurs spread in hushed tones among the elders and clan members, whispers layered with unease and disbelief. No one dared raise their voice. No one dared speak Ren's name aloud.
Fear had settled deeply.
Ren's parents stood among the crowd, motionless, their bodies rigid as if rooted to the stone floor. Their eyes trembled as they stared at their eldest son. The presence surrounding him was overwhelming—cold, ancient, and absolute. It felt nothing like the boy they remembered. Nothing like the wounded child who once left the village, nor the quiet young man who had returned later bearing strength earned through suffering.
This presence was something else entirely.
Takuma clutched his mother's sleeve with shaking hands, his voice barely audible.
"Mom… what is Ren?"
His mother inhaled sharply, her breath uneven. She tried to answer, but her words caught in her throat. When she finally spoke, her voice was fragile, almost breaking.
"Is that… really your big brother?" she whispered. "The way he speaks… the way his power moves… it's nothing like before. Nothing like when he came back to the village."
Her eyes filled with confusion and fear.
Sumire stood nearby, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. Her nails dug into her palms, grounding herself as she stared at Ren.
"I think the Ren we knew is gone."
The words fell heavily into the hall.
Zenkai exhaled slowly, his sharp gaze never leaving Ren for even a second. His voice, when he spoke, was calm—yet carried undeniable weight.
"No," he said. "The Ren you knew has not vanished. He has awakened. What stands before us now is the true Ninth King."
Those words silenced the hall completely.
—
Outside the house, the world felt unnaturally still.
Ren and Arden stood facing one another, a short distance apart. The air between them felt dense, distorted by the pressure of their clashing presences. Shadows stretched beneath their feet, twisting unnaturally as if drawn toward them. Thin cracks spread across the ground, spiderwebbing outward, reacting to the power gathering in the space.
A few steps away, Althric, Kuro, Yume, Daiki, and Haru stood silently, watching. None of them spoke casually. Each understood that this was no ordinary confrontation. This was a trial—of strength, of will, of hierarchy.
Haru finally broke the silence, his voice low.
"You've been unusually quiet since we arrived."
Kuro did not look away from Ren.
"I'm watching."
Haru frowned slightly. "Ren's behavior… his sudden surge in power—it doesn't make sense. I remember clearly. When he pushed himself beyond his limits, the backlash nearly destroyed him. His fatigue would cripple him completely. But now…"
He hesitated.
"After returning from the Abyss, he's different. Completely different. It gives me a bad feeling."
Kuro nodded slowly, acknowledging the concern.
"Anyone who enters the Abyss and returns alive is never the same. Whatever Ren faced there reshaped him at his core. But speculation ends here. Focus on the battle."
—
Arden stepped forward.
Shadow energy rolled off his body like heat rising from molten metal. His presence sharpened, his aura expanding as he faced Ren directly. Despite the pressure bearing down on him, Arden's voice remained steady.
"Ninth King," he said firmly, "do not pity me. I am stronger than most hunters alive."
Ren remained silent.
His eyes were colder than steel, devoid of emotion. There was no anger, no excitement—only certainty. A certainty that sent an unspoken message through the air: this battle is already decided.
Nearby, Althric lowered himself onto one knee, his senses spreading outward like a net.
"Althric?" Yume asked softly.
"My queen," he replied calmly, "the battle is about to begin. But observe carefully—Arden's assassins. They are perfectly blended into the environment. Waiting for the right moment."
Yume frowned. "Did Arden order them?"
"No," Althric answered immediately. "Unlikely. Arden's pride would never allow such an act. That same pride is why my king respects him—and why he remains the Fourth General. It will either carry him far… or destroy him."
Yume looked back at Ren. "Then what will you do?"
"For now," Althric said quietly, "I will watch."
—
The battle began.
Arden released his power without restraint, drawing fully upon the authority of the Fourth General. The surge was violent, raw, and overwhelming. Shadow energy exploded outward, cracking the ground beneath his feet and sending a shockwave rippling through the area.
Kuro's expression shifted slightly.
"For the first time," he murmured, "someone is adapting shadow power this deeply. He isn't merely using it—he's synchronizing with it."
A violent distortion erupted behind Arden as shadows twisted and condensed.
Then, wings burst forth from his back.
Vast. Jagged. Forged entirely from shadow.
Each feather radiated lethal intent.
For a brief moment, everyone froze.
Even Ren paused.
It had been only minutes since Arden awakened the Fourth General's authority, yet his mastery was already terrifying.
A blade formed in Arden's hand, solid shadow hardened into a lethal edge.
"Ninth King," Arden declared, spreading his wings wide, "this is my new form. My new power. Do not hold back. If you defeated Sivrath, leader of the Shadow Demon Army, then face me with the same seriousness you showed him."
The ground shattered.
Arden vanished.
He reappeared instantly, his blade slashing forward with overwhelming force. Ren closed his eyes and stepped aside, the attack missing him by a hair's breadth.
Arden did not slow.
He vanished again.
Then again.
Gasps rippled through the observers.
"He's using his ability perfectly," Kuro said quietly. "Impressive speed… impressive control."
Arden flashed in front of Ren, unleashing a relentless barrage of strikes. Each slash was fast enough to kill a normal human instantly. Yet Ren dodged every single attack, his movements minimal, precise, as if he had already seen the future.
Arden leapt back, breathing heavily.
"Why are you toying with me? Fight me properly!"
Ren remained silent.
That silence ignited Arden's fury.
He forced his own shadow to merge completely with the Fourth General's power. Pain tore through his body, muscles screaming under the strain—but Arden advanced regardless.
This time, his blade connected.
A shallow cut appeared on Ren's skin.
"Don't blame me if you're killed!" Arden shouted.
Ren smiled faintly.
"Good," he said calmly. "You've finally proven you can be a worthy opponent."
Darkness surged around Ren.
Twin katanas formed instantly in his hands.
"Bring it on."
Ren vanished.
For a moment, Arden lost sight of him entirely.
"Too slow."
A knee slammed into Arden's stomach.
Blood burst from his mouth as his body was hurled backward.
Arden's body skidded across the shattered ground before finally stopping. Dust and broken stone rained down around him as he struggled to breathe, his chest rising and falling unevenly. Pain surged through every part of his body, sharp and relentless, as if his bones themselves were screaming in protest.
Still, he forced himself upright.
His legs trembled. His vision blurred. But his eyes burned with refusal.
"W–What did you do to me… Ninth King?" Arden demanded, his voice hoarse.
Ren stood where he had reappeared, twin katanas resting loosely in his hands. His posture was calm, almost relaxed, as though he had merely taken a step rather than delivered a decisive blow.
"You told me to take you seriously," Ren replied evenly. "So I did."
Arden's breath hitched.
"That strike," Ren continued, his tone unwavering, "was the same one I used against Sivrath."
The realization struck Arden harder than the blow itself.
One strike…
Just one…
His body shook violently as the truth settled in. From a single attack, his internal balance was shattered. His limbs felt unresponsive, his strength leaking away no matter how desperately he tried to summon it.
He's so powerful… Arden thought. From one strike, I'm already on the brink…
"No…" he muttered. "I won't accept this."
Arden clenched his fists, his teeth grinding together as he forced himself to stand straighter. Shadow surged beneath his feet, rising higher than before, twisting violently as if responding to his desperation.
"I… I cannot give up," he said, his voice shaking yet resolute. "I am strong. I can still defeat you."
The shadows responded.
They rose higher and higher, towering above him like a dark storm. The ground beneath Arden cracked further, fragments lifting into the air as his remaining power gathered.
"Ninth King," Arden said through labored breaths, "just one strike from you made me fall… made me unable to stand properly. You are strong."
He lifted his gaze, eyes burning.
"But… I still have an ace."
Above him, shadow condensed into a massive sphere, pulsing with unstable energy. The sheer density of power distorted the air, warping space around it.
Daiki's eyes widened in horror.
"H–He'll destroy everything!" he shouted. "Mr. Kuro, we have to stop him!"
Before Kuro could even move, Althric spoke calmly.
"Trust our king."
The words carried absolute confidence.
The shadow mass continued to grow, expanding until its presence alone threatened the entire area. The village trembled as if sensing annihilation approaching.
"This is insane…" Haru muttered under his breath.
Arden roared, pouring everything he had left into the attack.
"THIS ENDS NOW!"
He released it.
The blast tore through the air like a collapsing star, racing toward Ren with enough force to erase the entire village.
Ren did not move.
He simply raised one finger.
The twin katanas dissolved into shadow and vanished from his hands.
The blast collided with his raised hand—
And disappeared.
Silence followed.
Utter, suffocating silence.
Arden's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Impossible… No one can consume that much power!"
Ren smiled faintly.
"Who said I consumed it?"
Slowly, deliberately, he raised his finger again.
"Try to hold on to the ground."
Then he released it.
What followed was not an explosion—but judgment.
The compressed force Ren unleashed struck Arden directly, overwhelming him before he could even react. Smoke engulfed the battlefield, shockwaves rippling outward—yet the destruction stopped abruptly, perfectly contained within the space around Arden alone.
The village stood untouched.
When the smoke finally cleared, Arden lay sprawled on the ground, completely defeated.
"The fight is over," Haru said quietly.
Ren had won—with ease.
Still, Arden twitched.
With immense effort, he tried to push himself up, his arms shaking violently.
"N–Ninth King… I'm not done yet…"
"That's enough."
Ren's voice cut through the air, firm and final.
"You have clearly proven your strength," he said. "But you are not even close to the level of kings."
Before Ren could continue—
The air shifted.
Shadows detached from the environment.
The assassins leapt.
Ren stopped mid-sentence and turned his gaze upward, already expecting the strike.
Arden's eyes widened in shock.
"Who ordered this?!" he shouted. "Who told you to attack the Ninth King?!"
One of the assassins answered coldly.
"Sir, you have been humiliated. We will take care of him."
They never reached Ren.
A blur faster than sound cut through the battlefield.
In an instant, bodies were slammed into walls and trees—some embedded into stone, others crashing through wooden structures, the impact cracking everything they touched.
Dust settled.
At the center of it all stood Althric.
"My apologies, my king," he said calmly. "I never intended to interfere. But they disrupted the duel, so I placed them in their rightful place."
Ren nodded. "Thank you, Althric."
He turned back to Arden.
"Where was I?" Ren said thoughtfully. "Ah, yes."
"Arden. This battle is over. You have proven yourself strong." He paused. "And as you said… whoever wins, Yume belongs to him."
A faint smile crossed Ren's face—not mocking, but assured.
He turned away.
"Althric," he said, walking forward, "heal him. His ribs are broken. Possibly more."
"As you wish," Althric replied.
Ren walked toward Kuro, Daiki, and Haru.
Kuro studied him carefully.
"Tell me, Ren. How much of the Black Heart did you use?"
Ren blinked, confused.
"Black Heart? I haven't used that in a long time."
Everyone froze.
"All I used," Ren continued calmly, "was my own strength. It's unsealed to 87.5%. I've used it many times—except when I fought Sivrath."
Silence swallowed them.
"I see," Kuro finally said.
Daiki swallowed hard.
"But… Mr. Kuro—"
"He's fine," Kuro interrupted. "His unsealed power already surpasses eight Shadow Kings. And the most frightening part?" He glanced at Ren. "He didn't even use the Black Heart."
Kuro turned toward Arden.
"Let's check him."
Soon, everyone gathered near Arden.
Only Yume remained still.
She stood a short distance away, watching Ren quietly.
"Yume," Ren called softly.
She looked up.
"You told me to come back," Ren said. "I have."
Yume walked toward him slowly, then wrapped her arms around him tightly.
"I'm glad you came back," she whispered. "I'm proud of you."
Ren closed his eyes briefly.
"Thank you."
Then—
The sky darkened.
The air grew cold.
A massive gate tore open in the heavens, appearing out of nowhere. Black clouds spiraled around it as an unfamiliar pressure descended upon the land.
Ren and the others looked up in astonishment.
"What… is that?" Yume whispered, tightening her grip.
Ren's eyes widened.
"This feeling…" he said slowly. "I know it."
The atmosphere shifted violently as figures began emerging from the gate—mysterious soldiers clad in radiant armor, golden energy flowing from their blades. Massive wings stretched from their backs, gleaming against the darkness.
Ren's voice turned cold.
"Who are you… and why have you entered the territory of the Monarch of Shadows?"