"Where… am I?"
Ren blinked. Darkness stretched endlessly around him, a void of absolute silence. Not a sound, not a breath of wind — only a suffocating stillness that pressed on his chest.
"What is this place?" His voice echoed back, hollow and alone.
Then, a voice spoke. Deep. Commanding. A voice like a leader addressing his army.
"Who are you?" Ren called out, his tone sharper this time.
"Me?" The voice rumbled like distant thunder. "What do you think, vessel of the Ninth King?"
Ren froze. Vessel?
"What do you mean, vessel? Show yourself!"
From the darkness, a figure emerged — fully armored, cloaked in writhing shadows. The air grew heavy, each step of the figure making the ground beneath Ren's feet tremble. The pressure was suffocating, yet strangely familiar.
"So much power…" Ren's heart raced. "What in the world are you?" he asked, forcing his voice to stay steady despite the chill running down his spine.
"I am the power that lives within you," the figure said, its eyes glowing faintly under the helmet. "And now, after a long slumber… I have awakened."
Ren's breath caught. "What do you mean? I don't have any power."
A low, rumbling chuckle. "You might be right… but there is a slight mistake in that belief. You had powers beyond human comprehension. That is why… I was sealed within you."
Ren's fists clenched. "Who sealed you inside me?"
"Your father. Your mother. They were the last holders of my power."
"My… father?" Ren's voice faltered.
"First, tell me who you are!"
The shadowed knight straightened, towering over Ren like a living fortress. "I am the true form of the Ninth King."
Ren's eyes widened. "The Ninth King? What does that mean?"
"This is the true power of the Ninth King — a power no one can wield… except you."
"Then why?" Ren's voice broke. "If I was that powerful, why couldn't I use it? Why did I live as a weakling all these years?"
"Because your parents sealed it too deeply. So deep that even you could not break it." The knight's voice softened. "But today, the power you now possess has triggered the awakening of your true self."
Ren's stomach twisted. "Wait — you said my last hosts were my parents. How were they involved in this? They're dead!"
"No."
That single word hit Ren like a hammer.
"No… that's impossible," he whispered. "They died when I was just a child."
"You are wrong," the knight said with certainty. "I can sense them. They are alive… though far from this place."
Ren staggered back as if the ground had been ripped out from under him. His heart thundered.
Alive? All this time?
"Then why?" Ren demanded, his voice shaking. "Why did they leave me?"
"They did not leave you on purpose."
Ren's breath hitched. "Then who—"
"There is someone called Ku—"
"Master Kuro…" Ren said under his breath.
"Yes. Him. He knows where they are."
Ren's mind spun. "I have so many questions…"
"Then ask."
"If I was strong, why was my power sealed?"
"When you were born, you carried extraordinary power — power no newborn should have. Had the world seen you as you truly were, they would have called you a monster. Your parents feared for you. So they sealed your power away."
Ren swallowed hard. "Master Kuro once told me… I was a king. What does that even mean?"
"Your parents were successors of the king's line. You were the best vessel for my power. Let me tell you a story…
"I was the Ninth King. I fought alongside the other eight to defeat the Shadow Demon. But I was gravely wounded — too weak to fight again. So I chose a vessel who would inherit my power.
"And after many years… you were born. You, Ren Akatsuki, were destined to become the next king."
The knight extended a massive, shadow-clad hand.
"Take my hand, Ren Akatsuki. Accept the power that is rightfully yours. Become the vessel of the Ninth King — let me become one with you."
Ren hesitated. None of this made sense — yet something deep within him stirred, urging him to trust. Finally, he reached out and grasped the knight's hand.
At that moment, the seal broke.
A surge of energy exploded within him.
—
Meanwhile, in the real world, Ren's body convulsed on the bed. Black veins spread across his skin, pulsing as raw power flooded through him.
Inside his chest, the Black Heart's voice echoed, panicked.
"No… this is impossible! His body… it's reacting! This power is changing him!"
And then, just as suddenly, the veins receded. Silence.
But the Ren lying there was no longer the same boy. His body had grown lean and muscular, his aura darker, heavier. The room itself seemed to shiver around him.
Yume, who had been watching over him, went pale.
"Grandfather!" she cried, fumbling for her communicator. "Something happened to Ren! Please come quickly!"
Master Kuro's voice came through, tense. "What happened?"
"Just come!" Yume begged.
Moments later, Master Kuro rushed into the house. His face turned grim the instant he saw Ren's transformed state.
"What have I done…" he muttered.
"Grandfather," Yume said urgently. "What do you mean? What happened to him?"
Master Kuro's expression hardened. "The power that was sealed by his parents… has been unleashed."
Yume's eyes widened. "Sealed? Why would they do that?"
"To protect him," Master Kuro said quietly. "When Ren was born, he carried a power no child should have. He was chosen as the vessel of the Ninth King."
"A vessel?" Yume whispered.
"Yes. The kings had been watching him, waiting to see if he was worthy of their power. His parents were sent far away to keep him hidden until the time was right."
He looked down at Ren, his voice heavy. "Now, he has proven himself worthy. And if he uses even ten percent of his Black Heart power along with this… he could destroy every living being on this planet."
Yume felt a chill run through her, but alongside the fear came something else — pride. Ren wasn't weak. He was the strongest of them all.
But Master Kuro's words cut through her thoughts. "When he learns the truth, he may resent me. The Ninth King will tell him about his parents. That they are still alive."
Yume's heart skipped a beat. "Ren's parents… are alive?"
"Yes. But far away — beyond this world of hunters."
"Then where are they?" she demanded.
"That is for Ren to discover."
Hours later, Ren's eyes snapped open.
"Father… Mother…" he gasped, sitting up, his breathing ragged.
Yume rushed to his side.
"Ren! You're awake!"
But his face was twisted with fury.
"Where is Master Kuro?!" he shouted. The air around him vibrated as mana radiated from his body.
"Ren, calm down!" Yume cried, grabbing his shoulders.
"How can I calm down?!" His voice cracked. "My parents are alive — and no one told me! For years I thought they were dead!"
Yume hugged him tightly, whispering softly.
"They didn't leave you because they wanted to. You were chosen as a vessel, Ren. To protect you, they had to go. I promised you I would be here when you needed me most. And…" her voice trembled, "I love you. So please, calm down."
Ren froze. Slowly, the rage drained from him, replaced by tears that rolled silently down his face. He buried his face against Yume's shoulder, his body shaking.
"Why… why must all this responsibility fall on me?"
"Because you were chosen," Yume said gently. "But you are not alone. I will stand by you — not just today, but for as long as I live."
With her help, Ren stood and stepped out of the room.
"Master Kuro." His voice was cold, steady.
"Yes, Ren," Kuro said, meeting his gaze.
"Where are my parents?"
As Ren stood there, mana still humming around him, Yume sighed and flicked him lightly on the forehead.
"Ow—hey! What was that for?"
"For shouting like a madman!" Yume said, puffing her cheeks slightly. "You scared me half to death!"
Ren scratched his head awkwardly. "I… didn't mean to."
"Then calm down next time," she scolded.
Inside his mind, the Black Heart burst out laughing.
"Pfft—ha! This is hilarious! A few hours ago you weren't even scared of that dragon, and now one girl's glare has you acting like a scared puppy!"
"Shut up!" Ren snapped out loud, glaring into the air.