The training grounds were silent long after Madara Jin disappeared. Taki's heart pounded as if trying to break free from his chest. The chilling echo of Madara's words clung to his ears.
The world you know is ending…
Master Orgen gripped Taki's shoulder firmly.
"Taki, listen to me. If Madara Jin himself came here, then this is no simple warning."
Taki swallowed hard. "Master… who exactly is he to the Runcandel Clan?"
Orgen hesitated—an unsettling sign.
"Taki, long before you were born, Madara Jin was once an ally of the Runcandel Clan. A genius with unmatched dark spiritual arts. But he… he betrayed us. Killed dozens of clan members. And then vanished."
Taki clenched his fists. "So he has a grudge with my clan…"
Orgen shook his head slowly.
"No. His grudge is with you."
A cold wind blew through the training grounds.
"With me? But I've never met him!"
Orgen took a deep breath.
"Because of your bloodline, Taki. You carry a dormant power that even your clan feared."
Taki froze.
"…What power?"
But before Orgen could answer, the ground trembled violently. The trees shook. Birds shot into the sky in a frenzy.
A circular pattern of glowing runes appeared beneath Taki's feet—bright red, pulsating like a heartbeat.
Orgen's eyes widened.
"No… it's happening already?!"
The runes flared brighter, rising into the air and swirling around Taki. His body lifted off the ground as a burning sensation surged through his veins.
Taki screamed.
His vision blurred.
Energy exploded from his core, expanding in a violent shockwave.
BOOOOM!!
The training hall's wooden walls shattered instantly. Dust and debris flew everywhere. Orgen shielded his eyes.
Taki… is awakening!
Inside the spiraling vortex of runes, Taki saw flashes:
A sword with black flames.
A throne covered in blood.
Madara Jin standing before him, smiling.
A colossal beast chained beneath a mountain.
Then—
A voice spoke inside his mind.
"Child of Runcandel… your seal is breaking."
"Your power… is returning."
"And the world will tremble because of you."
Taki gasped as the energy finally burst outward and the runes vanished. He dropped to the ground, breathing heavily, sweat pouring down his forehead.
Orgen rushed to him.
"Taki! Are you alright?!"
Taki's eyes were different—no longer the soft brown he always had.
Now they glowed faintly… crimson.
"…Master. What's happening to me?"
Orgen stepped back, trembling.
"It's your dormant bloodline. The one your clan feared… and sealed away when you were born."
Taki grabbed Orgen's sleeve.
"Then tell me… what am I?"
Orgen whispered the one truth Taki was never meant to know.
"You…
you are the heir of the Runcandel Demon Lineage.
The bloodline that even Madara Jin once bowed before."
Taki's breath caught.
The world suddenly felt much larger.
Much darker.
And much more dangerous.