The rain poured endlessly, as though the heavens themselves sought to wash away the blood and chaos that lingered in the empty empire. The storm was heavy, yet Kazuki stood unfazed, letting the droplets strike his skin. His eyes, burning with determination, locked onto Vareon, who stood drained and defeated.
Kazuki's voice broke through the sound of falling rain, low yet sharp, carrying the weight of truth.
"Your so-called lord—the Demon King—is the one manipulating every string from above. Every war, every betrayal, every death… all orchestrated for a greater event. An event that will force the very cosmos to rise against him. But if things continue as they are now…" Kazuki paused, raising his hand to the sky, letting the water trail down his fingers like threads of fate, "…then he will win. And if he wins, everything ends."
Vareon's brows furrowed. The sharpness in Kazuki's tone was not mere arrogance—it was conviction, unshakable and absolute.
"That's why," Kazuki continued, "I need help. From many people. From allies who can stand against him. That includes you, Vareon. My entire plan for coming here, for challenging you, was never about proving strength. It was about preventing you from seizing South Ryehem and killing my father. If I hadn't stopped you here, you would've crushed him with that twisted intelligence of yours."
He lowered his hand, stepping closer, eyes never leaving Vareon's. "And no, I am not saying this because of my Future Foresight ability. I don't need prophecy to see what kind of man you are. I know it from my own foresight. You've always been unstable—so unstable that you infect others with your chaos. But despite that instability, you could've been so much more."
Kazuki's voice grew sharper, cutting deeper with every word."Tell me, why did you kill your father? Why did you split the empire, seizing half of Ryehem, naming it North Ryehem? It wasn't because of necessity. It wasn't because of vision. It was because of recognition. You always craved it. You wanted the world to see you as more than the shadow of another man. Yet you were weak—weak because you never had enough Spiritual Force, weak because you never had a Spirit of your own. And so, you turned to the Demon King. You sacrificed your potential at the altar of false power."
Vareon flinched, but remained silent. The rain masked his expression, though his fists trembled faintly at his sides.
Kazuki pressed on, his words like blades slicing through the veil of silence."If I've come this far, it isn't just because of strength, nor blessings, nor fate. It's because of my mind—because of every plan I've plotted since the beginning. This… all of this…" he gestured around the shattered empire, "…was only the start. A mere opening move in a much larger game. None of us in this cursed reality are perfect, Vareon. None of us."
Kazuki's gaze narrowed, piercing into Vareon's very soul."Let's take you as an example. You're a man torn in two—half envy, half pride. You've always been jealous of those stronger than you, and yet you drowned yourself in false superiority. The moment you bowed to the Demon King, you abandoned your own path. Your envy dwindled when you killed your father, when you seized your half of the empire… but your pride grew monstrously in its place. And yet… deep down, you regretted it, didn't you? In all these years, you've wondered if you made the right choice."
Kazuki's voice lowered, calm but merciless."I know this not just from Raizen's memories… but from calculation. Every crack in your empire, every flaw in your strategies—it all speaks to your hesitation. To your regret. That is why I could break through your plans. That is why I could replace them with my own."
For a long while, Vareon stood silent. His breathing was heavy, his expression clouded as if old wounds had been torn open. Finally, with a hollow sigh, he muttered, "Well… you might be right."
But Kazuki wasn't finished. He stepped closer, the storm beginning to soften above them, the rain gradually losing its strength."None of us are perfect. We all have weaknesses. And you should understand this better than most. Right now, I know your envy will return… and your pride will begin to wither. That's who you are, Vareon. A man of contradictions. Sometimes you think of betrayal and deception. Sometimes you regret your actions. And sometimes you convince yourself you stand above everyone—everyone except your so-called lord, the Demon King."
As the last drops of rain began to fade into silence, Kazuki's final words cut through the air like judgment itself."And that… is why you lost. You lost against me, and now the only path left to you is to follow my command. I hope you understand… and I hope you choose wisely."
The storm was over, but the weight of Kazuki's words lingered heavier than any rainfall.