The demonic beast they were hunting had just gained sentience. As such, it was still trying to understand humanity and the world around it—processing thoughts foreign to its kind.
Early the next morning, Itekan, Itoyea, Kutote, and Headmaster Kime made their way to the far side of the mountain range. These mountains formed a natural barricade around Cindergate, like sentinels frozen in time.
Beyond the range lay a deep gorge, perpetually shrouded in darkness—hidden from the sun, a hollow in the world where light dared not venture. This was where the demonic beast had last been seen.
They stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking the shadow-filled gorge, silence heavy in the air.
"I won't be helping you three," Kime said, his eyes firm. "This is your final training under me."
"Got it, Master Kime," Itekan replied as he tied a black scarf around his left arm.
"We'll make you proud!" Itoyea added, running his cloth along the length of his blade. Kutote gave a silent nod of acknowledgment.
"One last thing—its fangs are extremely toxic!" Kime called after them.
With that warning echoing behind them, Itekan leapt first into the abyss. Itoyea and Kutote followed without hesitation, descending like falling stars into shadow.
"Itekan! Anytime now!" Kutote shouted during the fall.
Itekan smirked, eyes narrowed as he fell freely through the dark.
"Ah, fine... Shadow's Hand: Shadow Exchange."
In a blink, all three reappeared safely at the base of the gorge, shadows curling away from their feet like startled spirits.
Seconds later, the faint plink of loose stones reached the ground behind them.
"Kutote, you're up," Itekan said.
"I know." Kutote narrowed his eyes. "Resendo."
Flames burst from his hands, casting flickering light across the ravine. In its sudden illumination, they saw Itekan casually walking ahead, untouched by the dark—his eyes adapted, or perhaps born, for this.
"Hey! Wait up!" Itoyea called, hurrying alongside Kutote to catch up.
They navigated through the gorge for a few quiet minutes, until a dull, rhythmic thud echoed around them.
"Ears sharp," Itekan warned. "Itoyea, tail on your six—dodge!"
Itoyea reacted instantly, launching himself into the air as the creature's massive tail swept by.
Before gravity could reclaim him, Itekan was already there—switched into his position mid-air. He landed on the creature's tail and sprinted across it like a shadow-strider, racing toward its body.
Suddenly, spikes erupted from the beast's back.
Itoyea hit the ground running, Kutote at his side, both charging forward.
Itekan leapt, coating his feet with dense spiritual energy—thick enough to become tangible. He delivered a crushing sweep across a spike, shattering it midair.
Kutote raised both palms. Flames burst forth like bullets, pelting the beast's thick hide. The demonic creature howled in pain.
"S...st...op!!" the monster growled, voice broken and distorted. It reared back, slammed a claw into Itoyea, and sent him hurtling into the ravine wall.
"Get him out of its crosshairs!" Itekan shouted.
"On it!" Kutote dashed toward Itoyea.
'Damn… That thing hits like a mountain,' Itoyea groaned, barely pushing himself up—only to spot a bright blast of raw energy hurtling toward him.
Kutote tackled him just in time, the blast tearing into the ground behind them.
"What were you thinking?!" Kutote shouted.
"Don't yell at me! I got distracted, alright?!"
Itoyea pushed off and dashed back into the fight.
Meanwhile, Itekan was dancing between volleys of jagged spikes, cutting each one down—but they only grew sharper and faster.
"Itekan! Pin it down for a sec!" Itoyea called out.
"Got it! Shadow's Hand: Shadow Tentacles!"
Two tendrils of pure shadow erupted from beneath the beast, latching onto its body and freezing it in place.
"Way of the Wind—Second Style: Thunder Claps!"
Itoyea's sword gleamed with energy as he slashed. A glowing arc shot forward, slicing across the monster's stomach. The beast roared, stumbling back in agony.
Itekan surged forward, flanking its side. Shadow daggers materialized in his hands—he struck with precision, targeting pressure points along the spine, neck, and base.
"GRWAAHHH!! Pl—please... st-stop!!" the beast howled again, slurred and desperate.
"Itoyea! One last push—now!" Itekan called.
"On it!!"
But Kutote stood frozen, distracted by the monster's repeated cries.
It wasn't just speaking—it was pleading. Not snarling. Not threatening. Begging.
Why?
Then the beast turned to him.
"Kutote! Flame—now!" Itekan yelled, but the warning came too late.
"Move it, emo-face!" Itoyea shouted as the beast's massive claw came crashing down.
BOOM!
It struck what appeared to be Kutote and sent him flying into the ravine wall… until the beast realized it had only crushed a massive boulder.
Growling in fury, it scanned for its prey—only to see Itekan holding Kutote several meters away, with Itoyea charging toward it from the side.
Snarling, the beast gave up the fight and vanished into the darkness.
"Damn! We lost it!" Itoyea cursed, panting.
Itekan turned to Kutote, frustration plain in his eyes. "What happened?"
Kutote clutched his side, shaken. "There's something off about that demon. It's… different. Not like the others."
"Yeah, it's sentient."
"No, not just that. It was pleading. And not just out of fear—like it knew what we were doing."
"Of course it pleaded," Itoyea snapped. "We were about to kill it."
"Oh shut up. I'm being serious—there's something strange going on with that thing."
Itekan stared at him, thoughtful.
"Well, we've got two choices. One—we go after that thing right now. Or two—we trust Kutote and give him the benefit of the doubt."
"Argh! Fine," Itoyea groaned. "Let's see what you're so suspicious about."
---
Meanwhile…
Carpathia had already dispatched the ten guards protecting the blood gate.
He stepped onto the high-rise platform, where five empty sockets awaited the placement of the rarest stones in the world: Blood Moon Stones.
Formed in the hearts of dragons during the Blood Moon, these minerals were nearly extinct—hoarded only by ancient families like the royals of Brandish.
One by one, he slotted the stones in.
Onto the first, he inscribed flame runes—representing the fire dragons.
The second bore frost sigils, etched in a glacial script.
The third: a rune of soul.
The fourth and fifth: thunder and poison.
When the final rune was set, Carpathia stepped onto the platform. Around him, he drew a location rune, carefully calibrated—he couldn't risk landing in the wrong corner of what lay ahead.
He knelt, summoned a thin blade of shadow from his palm, and sliced across it, allowing blood to spill onto the stones.
"Terçe Taéh harjã! Buht von Hosling—Black World."
The platform ignited in black fire. The flames devoured the stones and his blood, then consumed him whole—yet he didn't burn.
He simply... vanished.
---
The Black World...
He reappeared on a hellish plain of semi-solid magma. Volcanoes towered in every direction, vomiting fire and ash onto the broken earth. The sky above was deep crimson—the sun, long dead.
Locals called this place Second Hell.
Carpathia gathered his bearings, rose into the bloodstained air, and flew toward the nearest settlement.
---
Elsewhere...
His entrance had not gone unnoticed.
The ancient, ageless creatures of this cursed land stirred. From beneath the scorched earth, a voice whispered—echoing across molten winds:
"Shadow King..."
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Spiritual Energy (SE)
Spiritual Sea (SS)
Spiritual Signature (SST)
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