In the dim and silent underground headquarters of Nocturne Eclipse...
A man with a mysterious appearance walked slowly through the cold stone corridor, heading toward the main chamber where Neera was organizing intelligence reports.
With a steady and unwavering voice, he spoke,
"I want... to join the Nocturne Eclipse organization."
Neera gazed at him sharply. Her eyes were like thin blades, capable of slicing through lies buried deep in one's soul.
In her mind, she muttered,
"This man's aura... is different. Too calm. Too trained. As if he's lived in darkness for a long, long time."
With a faint, meaningful smile, she replied,
"If you truly want to join, then come again tonight. But this time... you must meet our Master directly."
She narrowed her eyes slightly, emphasizing the unspoken threat.
"And one more thing... You came alone, without referral or shadow signal. That makes you... suspicious."
The man simply nodded once.
"Alright," he said coldly before turning and vanishing into the dark corridor, without a sound.
Meanwhile...
In a secret meeting room of the world alliance's great nations, tension clung to the air between global leaders. The dim light from an old chandelier only deepened the shadows of fear that loomed over the room.
One leader stood and slammed his hand on the table.
"If we let him be, White Reaper will take over this world! There are even whispers that he's... the Demon King, awakened from a long slumber!"
Another leader shook his head slowly, his voice calm yet piercing.
"No... Compared to the true Demon King, White Reaper is still far too 'human.' That figure... is far darker than any legend."
The room froze.
A leader from the eastern nation rose slowly, his smile as cold as frozen mist.
"In that case, let's deploy... the Moonlight Order. They are the strongest shadows of my country. If there's anyone who can cut through White Reaper's darkness… it's them."
"Good idea!" another responded. "Tonight, the Moonlight Order moves. One mission: Erase White Reaper from existence!"
Yet none of them realized...
That tonight was merely a page from an old script. A dark drama written behind the scenes by the very figure they called an enemy...
White Reaper.
Back to Kazuki...
In the quiet academy during the holidays, Kazuki walked casually among the trees, accompanied by Lucien and Rean.
As if the world wasn't trembling in fear.
"Hey, you guys free tonight?" Lucien asked suddenly, his smile mischievous and full of odd ideas.
"Hmm... probably not. We still have to stay in the dorms," Rean replied with a yawn.
"Oh, come on! Just sneak out! Scared of that? Hahaha!" Lucien shouted, slapping Rean's shoulder.
Kazuki stared straight ahead.
"I have personal matters to attend to," he said flatly, his tone cold, hiding thousands of secrets in a single, light sentence.
"Oh well. Just don't go stealing gold coins again, yeah! Hahaha!" Lucien teased loudly.
Kazuki only gave a slight smile. A soft smile that... hinted at something words could never fully explain.
His steps slowly moved away, leaving his two friends still laughing.
But his thoughts… had already drifted far into a darkness only he understood.
A place where Kazuki the ordinary student vanished...
And White Reaper slowly emerged once more, like a shadow rising from the depths of hell.
Kazuki walked alone down the academy's silent corridor...
No sound, only the echo of his footsteps bouncing off the cold stone walls.
"No one in this world can match me…" Kazuki thought silently. His gaze pierced the stretching darkness.
This power...
A power he once only dreamed of in his original world, a world without magic, without mystery, without the darkness he now commands...
Is now in his hands.
And not just any power.
Kazuki stopped.
He stood directly under the dim light of a crystal lantern. His shadow cast across the wall.
He smirked.
"Heh… not just the strongest," he whispered, as if speaking to the darkness itself.
"But... the undefeated."
That shadow no longer belonged to an ordinary boy.
It belonged to someone... who now held the threads of the world's fate.
Day crawled toward night...
Kazuki strolled toward the dorms, his steps steady, unhurried.
"Guess I'll grab some food in the city first…" he murmured lightly.
He looked up at the twilight sky, slowly fading into night.
"Ramen… yeah, ramen sounds good." he said casually, as if the choice meant nothing.
But in his mind...
Tonight. Tonight, the stage will open once again. And he... is the main actor.
Kazuki smirked slightly. His gaze fixed on his reflection in the shop window.
"…because in my organization, there's a spy… awaiting death."
His steps never faltered.
Because tonight...
The real performance begins.