Before Kronoran stood the Creator — a tall man with a clear, eternally youthful face. A light silence hung between them.
"Show me if you are still the one you used to be," the Creator said calmly, though there was a challenge in his voice.
Kronoran didn't hesitate. In a flash, he vanished from sight, his attack slicing through the air. One strike — missed. Another — also missed. He moved like lightning, but the Creator dodged with ease, as if he already knew every movement.
"You've grown slower… you hesitate now, Kronoran," he said, dodging another blow. "Where is the one you once were?"
Kronoran tore off his cloak. His body flared with streams of temporal energy, and in the next moment, he lunged forward — serious now, without doubt. Their movements grew faster, the strikes louder, and then…
The world shattered.
A vision from the past appeared before his eyes — too vivid to be a mere memory.
They stood in the courtyard of the great Palace — five unknown, newborn beings, each one unique and untamed. Before them slowly appeared Him — the Creator.
"I am your creator," he said. His voice was deep and all-encompassing.
Four of them instantly dropped to one knee, lowering their heads in submission. Only one remained standing — Kronoran.
The Creator smiled.
"That's exactly how I designed you to be," he said. "Now I shall give you names."
He pointed to each of them in turn:
"You are Hazgur, King of the Desert.
You — Ksarg, King of Rats.
You — Graknar, King of Death.
You — Zalgrom, King of Destruction.
And you…" — his gaze lingered on the last one, — "Kronoran, King of Time."
"Why did you create us?" Kronoran spoke for the first time. "For what purpose?"
"Simply so you could live," the Creator replied. "Each of you has your own path. But you… you were made in my image. You're special."
Kronoran glanced at the others. He was different. Not like them.
"Now I want to see what you're capable of," the Creator raised his hand. "You four — against Kronoran. Begin."
Everything happened in an instant.
Hazgur launched a sandstorm to restrict movement. Ksarg sent out a swarm of rats, biting at the very fabric of space. Graknar appeared from behind, swinging for Kronoran's back. He barely dodged before—
A strike.
Zalgrom slammed a crushing blow from the side. Kronoran blocked, but the force flung him back several meters. He quickly rose to his feet.
"I will not lose," flashed through his mind.
In the next second, he appeared before Ksarg and struck him in the gut. Ksarg flew back. One hit — Hazgur fell. Another — Graknar followed. But Zalgrom stood his ground, his voice roaring with fury:
"I will destroy you!"
They leapt back from each other — and then, both activated their second form.
Beneath Zalgrom, the ground melted, the air trembled. Beneath Kronoran — everything vanished: matter, sound, time, even existence itself.
The pressure was monstrous. Space twisted. The other three couldn't even stand — overwhelmed by the sheer presence of the two.
The Creator appeared between them.
"Enough."
A snap of his fingers — and all the energy vanished as if it had never existed. Silence returned.
"What you just used…" the Creator's voice was serious. "That was your second form. Remember this: never use it again. It is forbidden."
He looked at each of them in turn.
"And yes… only the two of you have access to this phase."
He slowly turned and vanished… leaving behind a faint smirk on his face.
Kronoran blinked — and returned to the present. The Creator stood before him again, slightly smiling.
"Now I recognize you," he said. "You still remember who you were. Good."
Kronoran and the Creator stood still. The former tossed his cloak back over his shoulders and gave a slight smile.
"So our tradition remains…" the Creator said, looking at Kronoran. "I see a successor in you. But there's another — Akito. And by the way, weren't you planning to observe the humans yourself?"
"Yes. Most likely I'll go to Earth tomorrow… or the day after," Kronoran replied, and without another word, turned and slowly faded into the white clouds that marked the exit from the Hall of the Creator.
Meanwhile…
In a dim basement reeking of damp and blood, Renji knelt. His body trembled, fear frozen on his face, eyes cast downward — too afraid to meet the eyes of those standing before him.
"You betrayed us," said a cold voice. A man in glasses, dressed in a formal black suit, stood over him. His skin was pale — deathly pale — and one of his arms was wrapped entirely in bandages. "You failed to kill—"
"W–Warning… from Akito…" Renji interrupted, speaking in a voice that didn't sound like his own — mechanical, distant. "If you don't stop… I'll come destroy you… myself…"
The man, a woman, and a girl in front of him froze. Silence filled the basement. Renji's gaze shifted — now fully consumed by fear.
"P-please… let me go… I don't know where I am… It's my first time in Tokyo… I don't even know what I did…"
"How pathetic," the man muttered with disgust, stepping back.
"Shall I erase him?" the girl in the shadows asked indifferently.
"No," Miyuki replied, calmly walking up to Renji. Her face bore a serene, almost motherly smile. She stopped directly in front of him and leaned in closer. For a second, Renji thought everything would be okay. A flicker of hope danced in his eyes…
And then it shattered.
One smooth, almost imperceptible motion — a cold slash across the throat. Crimson burst from his arteries, staining the floor and walls. He gasped, body convulsing, desperate for air. But it was no use.
"Get this trash out of my sight," Miyuki said flatly, wiping her hand on the hem of her dress.
From the shadows stepped a girl with pink bows in her hair. At first glance, she looked cute and harmless… until her body distorted, transforming into something else entirely. In a flash, she lunged at Renji and devoured him.
Completely.
Not a drop of blood left behind.
"Got it, sis Miyuki," she said cheerfully, licking her lips.
[Noxveil]
Hey there, reader!
If you've made it this far, thank you so much. I'm writing this story in Russian and translating it into English — so I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Even one small comment gives me huge motivation 💬💙
Let me know who your favorite character is so far!