Yume stepped forward and quietly asked Daiki to go somewhere private. Daiki nodded, stood up, and extended his hand to Ren.
Kuro entered from behind, holding a steaming cup of coffee.
"Is the battle over already?" he asked.
"Yep," Yume replied. "And Ren won."
Daiki's sharp gaze fixed on Ren. "Are you ready to talk now?"
"Yes," Daiki said firmly. "As I promised, I'm ready. But before I answer any of your questions, I have one for Mr. Ren." He pointed at him.
"If this man is as weak as I once believed, he shouldn't have been able to stand against me. Within mere months, no one should gain so much strength. And what's this I've heard about his power being sealed?"
Ren's expression was calm. "I'll tell you everything. But first… let's talk somewhere private."
"Alright," Daiki said. "Let's go."
All four of them went to Daiki's office and sat down.
"Now," Daiki said, his tone serious. "Tell me everything."
Ren took a deep breath and explained it all — how his true power had been sealed, the battles he had fought, and everything that had happened up to this point.
When Ren finished, Daiki stood silently for a moment, processing his words. Then he gestured toward a machine in the corner of the room.
"Lay down on this device. I want to examine you for myself."
Ren agreed and lay on the machine. Daiki's face grew pale as he studied the readings. Something strange was appearing on the screen — a seal, unlike anything he had ever seen before.
Deep within Ren's body was the world's most powerful seal, yet somehow Daiki's perception pierced through it just enough to glimpse what lay beyond.
And when he saw it, Daiki froze. His entire body trembled. Then he collapsed to the floor, scrambling backward on his hands.
"T-This… this is beyond anything a king should possess!"
Kuro leaned forward. "What do you see?"
"Look at his stats!" Daiki said, his voice shaking. "I managed to peer inside the seal and glimpse his true power. It's… overwhelming. No king has ever possessed such strength!"
He turned to Ren, his face stricken. "Back then, when I first saw him as a child, I wanted to warn everyone — his body was pouring out mana like a broken dam! And now… now he cannot even fully synchronize with the Black Heart!"
A chill ran down Daiki's spine. Then he did something no one expected. He fell to his knees.
"Mr. Ren… will you forgive my arrogance?"
"Huh?" Ren blinked.
Daiki bowed his head, his voice desperate. "Please, King… forgive me. I made a terrible mistake."
Everyone in the room laughed softly. His expression was almost like that of a crying child.
Ren smiled faintly. "Yeah, yeah, it's fine. You helped me test my power after my battle with the high-ranking Shadow Demon."
"Tell me," Daiki asked carefully. "How much power have you actually used so far?"
Ren's eyes narrowed. "Against you? And in the battle just now? I only used 11.5% of my true strength."
Daiki's breath caught. "Only… eleven percent?"
Kuro nodded. "You should also know — Ren fought an upper-rank demon recently. And he defeated it… using the Ninth King's signature attack."
Daiki's head snapped up. "Who was that demon?"
"Schneider," Kuro replied.
"W-W-What did you just say?" Daiki's face went pale. "Schneider… the demon who directly serves the Demon King himself — one of the top ten ranked demons?"
"Yes," Kuro said. "And Ren defeated him easily."
Ren stepped forward. "Listen, Daiki. I didn't come here to punish you or force you to recognize me. I know why you doubted me as the Ninth King. But I swear this — I will protect mankind from the coming war. And when the time comes, I will prove to you that I am worthy."
Daiki's eyes widened. "But… you still haven't inherited the throne."
Ren nodded slowly. "I will take the throne when I am ready — when I truly feel worthy of it. But not yet."
Daiki stared at him, speechless. "This feeling… it's exactly like when the Ninth King himself refused the throne at first, choosing instead to prove himself through action…"
"Mr. Ren," Daiki said hesitantly, "will the Eight Kings forgive me for what I've done?"
Ren sighed. "Of course they will. And besides — you weren't the only one who fought me. The Third General opposed me too. If I hadn't intervened in time, she might have been killed for defying orders. But I stopped it and resolved the matter peacefully."
Daiki lowered his head. "You… really are different from us. While we refused to accept you, you never used force to make us obey. You solved things through words — just like the Ninth King once did… before tragedy struck him."
He knelt fully on the ground and bowed.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Ren. I've made a terrible mistake. From this moment, the Second, Third, and Fourth Generals pledge our loyalty and our lives to our new king."
Kuro and Yume both dropped to one knee.
"Mr. Ren Akatsuki," they said in unison, "you are now our Ninth King. We will help you save humanity from chaos and destruction."
Ren lowered his gaze, his voice calm but resolute. "Thank you for accepting me. I don't mind your mistakes — everyone makes them. If no one ever erred, this world would be perfect… and that is impossible. From now on, together with mankind, we will win the coming battle."
Afterward, Ren turned to Daiki. "We still have time to gain allies. That will be our next step."
"But Ren," Daiki asked, "how will you gain allies if you keep hiding your power in the shadows?"
"That part is your responsibility," Ren said. "You have the world's strongest guild right now, and people admire you. When the organization steps in to help, you will lead them as acting commander."
Ren's expression turned serious. "But before that — we must build shelters and evacuate everyone from danger zones."
"But Ren," Kuro interjected, "those places haven't even been revealed yet. And besides… the gates haven't appeared. Not yet. But strange things have started happening — the caves are all empty, as if the power within them vanished overnight."
Yume's face grew tense. "This isn't good."
Suddenly, her phone rang. She answered, listened carefully, then hung up.
"Ren, we need to go to the organization headquarters immediately."
"Why?"
"The higher-ups want to speak with us."
"Then let's go," Ren said.
Daiki stepped forward. "Can I come with you, Mr. Ren? As of now, the three Generals are under your command. We should go together."
"Alright," Ren said. "But first — you must unlock the Second General's full power."
"What do you mean?" Daiki asked, confused.
Kuro stepped forward. "Follow my lead."
A ritual was performed, unlocking Daiki's full strength. He stood in stunned silence, realizing what had just been granted to him.
"After the ritual, Daiki's entire body began to glow, a deep, ominous light radiating from within. Shadow mana surged out of him like a storm, crackling in the air and making the room tremble."
Once it was done, all four of them headed for the headquarters.
When they arrived, they were surprised to see the world's top hunters gathered there — all awaiting Ren.
They went straight to Ichiro.
"It's been a while since we last met," Ichiro said. His eyes scanned Ren up and down. "Are you really Ren Akatsuki?"
Ren smirked. "What, have I changed that much?"
Ichiro's mouth curled into a grin. "A lot. You're far more muscular, and your aura feels… heavier, more powerful."
"Yeah," Ren said. "A lot has changed."
Ichiro led them into the conference room.
"Sir," he said, "Ren Akatsuki has arrived — with guests."
"Allow them in," one of the higher-ups replied.
Ren stepped inside with the three Generals flanking him like royal guards. He bowed respectfully.
"You summoned me, sir."
"Yes, Mr. Ren," the leader said gravely. "We need to discuss recent events. The demons that were emerging from the gates have suddenly stopped. The caves are now empty — stripped of their energy. Do you know why?"
Ren nodded. "Yes. We came here to discuss this very matter."
"Then tell us," one of the higher-ups said, rising from his chair. "What is happening?"
Ren's voice was calm, but heavy with warning.
"A war is about to begin."
Shock rippled through the room.
"You must be joking," one of them said.
But Daiki stepped forward. "He is not joking. The war with the demons will begin in two to three months at most."
The room fell silent.
One arrogant hunter sneered. "And you, Daiki — the world's greatest shadow-bound — actually believe this man?"
Without hesitation, Daiki drew his blade, but before it could strike—
"Stop, Daiki!" Ren's voice boomed, and a wave of shadow power filled the room.
The hunter dropped to his knees, trembling.
"What are you doing, Mr. Daiki?" one of the higher-ups demanded.
Daiki glared at them. "He's telling you the truth! If not for the shadows, this war would have already consumed us all. Your families, your comrades — everyone would be dead! And yet you dare disrespect the man who saved you?"
The room fell silent.
"You've spent centuries thinking yourselves heroes," Daiki growled. "But you've never fought a true demon. The demons you've faced were nothing but mindless creatures — pawns."
"Enough, Daiki!" Ren's voice thundered, shaking the room.
Ren turned to the higher-ups and bowed deeply. "Forgive him. But you must understand — you have used the shadows for your own gain, while showing them no respect. I will ask you one last time: will you help us in the coming war… or will you doom mankind?"
The room grew deathly silent. Someone muttered under their breath:
"He's… acting like a king."