"Hello, Ren. How are you? My boy, it's been a long time since we last met."
"Master… what are you doing here?"
"Yume called me. She said you were having trouble—and I think she made the right choice."
"Ren, in order to clear their doubts, let them hear from you what happened inside the cave," Yume added.
"Yume… didn't you show the reports to Master?"
"I did," Yume replied, "but he dismissed it as a mere urban legend."
"No. It's true," Ren interrupted, lowering his gaze. "Every legend… everything written in books called legends is true."
Ichiro, the assistant, looked at him in disbelief. "So… you are the Ninth Sovereign? Does that mean you're some kind of king now?"
"You could say that," Ren replied calmly. "But at my current level, I'm still Rank A. First, I have to master it."
"Rank A?!" Captain Haru exclaimed in shock.
"Why were you chosen?" Yume asked softly.
"Actually, both you and Captain Haru were also chosen by the Sovereigns," Ren explained, "but for some reason, you were rejected. It's an honor—only the two of you were chosen from across the world. Do you know why? Your hearts are pure… free of evil."
"Master, I spoke to the Sovereigns," Ren continued, "and they told me I must find four people to help defeat the Shadow Demon."
"Oh, I see. The great Sovereigns have instructed you, so we don't need to waste any time," one elder said.
"Grandfather, what are you talking about?" Yume asked.
"Nothing. Ren and I were just having a private conversation," the elder replied calmly.
"Ren!" the Captain called.
"Yes, Captain?"
"When you came out… what happened to you?"
Ren took a deep breath. "That moment… when the monster was about to kill Yume… I was terrified. My Black Heart took over, unleashing ten percent of its power—far beyond my body's limit. That rage consumed me, and I killed the monsters brutally. I was driven by fear and anger… scared I might lose her."
Everyone fell silent. Yume's eyes glistened with emotion.
"So… you used ten percent of your power, the Ninth Sovereign," Master said.
"Yes, Master."
"When you emitted that power," the Captain continued, "the shadows inside us trembled with fear."
"I… I don't know why that happened," Ren replied softly.
"Can I have a private moment with Ren?" Master asked.
"Wait," Ichiro interrupted. "Ren, can you demonstrate your power for us? We want to see how much you've grown."
"I can only use four percent of my power right now," Ren said, "but I can show you this."
Suddenly, a chill swept through the shadows, forcing them to bow instinctively. Even Yume's shadow seemed to respond to him.
"What… what was that?" Yume whispered.
"I just released a small portion of my power… nothing more," Ren replied calmly.
"If this isn't his full power… what will happen when he unleashes his full strength?"
"Ren has a responsibility that no one else can bear," Kuro said gravely.
"What kind of responsibility?" everyone asked.
"There are two realms," Kuro began. "The Shadow Realm, where humans live, and the Shadow Demon Realm. Long ago, a war broke out between them. The Shadow Demon Realm sought to conquer ours, but the Eight Sovereigns managed to push them back and seal the gate. However, the seal eventually broke, and the demons returned. The King of Demons hasn't come yet, but he will… soon. There's no time to wait."
"How do you know all this?" the Captain asked. "I asked you before, but you ignored me… who exactly are you?"
Suddenly, the room darkened, and an enormous aura filled the space.
"Young man, please remove your hand from me," an unknown voice demanded.
"Who… who are you?" Ren asked.
"I am Grand General, one of the Four Generals. It's an honor to meet you, Ninth Sovereign. But, my King, you must increase your power. At your current level, you cannot win the war."
"Yeah… you're right," Ren admitted. "But how can I become stronger?"
"I have come, my King," the voice declared. "The Eight Sovereigns assigned me to guide you… to unleash your Sovereign power. And you, as the Ninth Sovereign, were also chosen—you have the capability to stand with the King."
"So… where do we start?" Ren asked, one eye glowing with the shadows' power, the air around him trembling.