The temple lay in uneasy silence.
Reconstruction had begun, but the scars of the previous battles remained. Molten rivers had cooled into blackened stone, forests were charred, and mountains bore cracks deep enough to hide rivers within. The world had survived… but barely.
Kanji walked among the ruins, the black sword at his side. His golden eyes, faintly veined with red, scanned the horizon. Every shadow seemed to whisper secrets, every breeze carried a warning.
Rin and Seiji flanked him, keeping a wary eye on the surrounding mountains.
"Kanji," Rin said softly, "the demons may have fled, but… there's something else. I can feel it in the air… something old. Something we can't see yet."
Seiji nodded grimly.
"Even Ravnos sensed it. When he retreated… he didn't flee out of fear. He fled because he knew it was coming. And he wasn't exaggerating."
Kanji's hand tightened around the hilt of the black sword.
"I can feel it too," he whispered.
"Something darker… older than Ravnos… something that even the prophecy might not have prepared me for."
From the depths of the mountains, a cold wind rose, carrying whispers in a language older than time. Shadows detached from the rocks, twisting into humanoid forms. Eyes, hollow and black, glowed faintly as they watched the temple from afar.
"These are… the Forgotten," Ryou murmured, appearing suddenly beside them. His voice was tense, low.
"Ancient beings cast out long before the rise of demons and mortals alike. They are neither demon nor human. They are… lost powers seeking recognition in a world that has forgotten them."
Kanji's eyes narrowed.
"What do they want?"
Ryou shook his head slowly.
"Revenge… dominion… and perhaps to test the heir. Your use of forbidden magic… your awakening… it has sent ripples across dimensions. The Forgotten have sensed it. They will come for you—and for the world."
Suddenly, a wave of shadows surged toward the temple. The air turned icy, chilling the bones. Trees shivered, rocks split, and the ground quaked beneath the approaching power.
Kanji leapt forward, black sword glowing molten gold and red, chains extending like whips of fire and shadow.
"They won't touch this place," he said firmly.
"I'll protect it… no matter what it takes."
The shadows struck with terrifying precision, moving like a single entity. They struck at the temple walls, shattering wards, and dissipating only to reassemble immediately. Their whispers grew louder, pressing against Kanji's mind, testing his control over the forbidden magic.
Rin and Seiji fought alongside him, bolstering the temple wards, summoning bursts of holy energy, and keeping the initial waves at bay. But the numbers were overwhelming, and even the power of the black sword seemed stretched to its limit.
Kanji closed his eyes, feeling the pulse of the forbidden magic within him, the heartbeat of his demon and wizard blood, and the legacy of his father. He whispered to himself:
"I've faced demons… Ravnos… armies beyond counting… but this… this is something new. I cannot let fear control me. I must face it."
With a roar that shook the mountains, he unleashed a wave of pure molten-shadow energy, pushing the first wave of the Forgotten back. Their whispers became screams as they scattered, but Kanji knew this was only the beginning.
Ryou placed a hand on Kanji's shoulder, eyes grave.
"Prepare yourself, Kanji. The Forgotten are patient. They will study you… test you… and when they strike fully, the world may tremble like never before. Even the Child of Destruction will face trials that could break him completely."
Kanji looked toward the horizon, black sword gleaming, aura flaring with molten gold and red.
"I am ready," he said firmly.
"Whatever they are… whatever they bring… I will not let them destroy the world. I will face them. And I will win."
Above, in the shadows of the mountains, countless eyes glowed faintly, watching, calculating, waiting. The Shadows of the Forgotten had arrived.
And the next war was only beginning.
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