The faint hum of medical equipment filled the room. The doctor's tone was serious, but calm.
"She was in critical condition," he said, adjusting his glasses. "If you'd arrived even a few minutes later, it could have been fatal."
Ren's stomach dropped. His legs felt weak, and before he realized it, he had crouched down, gripping the edge of the bed.
Too close. Way too close.
The doctor added, more gently this time, "She's stable now. You can relax. There's no immediate danger."
Ren exhaled shakily, only now realizing he'd been holding his breath.
Yume's eyelids fluttered. Slowly, she opened her eyes, her face pale but alive.
Ren moved to her side quickly, pulling her close in a careful but desperate embrace.
"You…" His voice was unsteady. "You scared me. Do you have any idea what could've happened?"
Yume blinked, surprised at his tone. Ren was rarely the one to raise his voice — not like this.
"The doctor said if you hadn't been brought here in time, you might've…" His voice faltered, but he forced the words out. "You might've been gone."
For a moment, silence filled the room. Then Ren sat back on his heels, his head lowered, trying to keep his composure.
"Why did you use that technique again?" His words were quiet but heavy. "You know what it costs you each time. What would happen to me if you…"
The rest of the sentence never came. He just stayed there, head bowed, until a few tears slipped free.
"Yume, I was lost before I met you. I didn't know what I was fighting for. You were the one who made me want to stand back up. So don't leave me. Not like that. Not now."
Yume's expression softened. She rested a hand gently on his head, letting him stay like that for a moment before she spoke.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I wasn't thinking about what it would do to you."
Ren stayed still a moment longer, then nodded.
"Promise me," he said finally, looking up at her. "Promise you won't use it unless you truly have no choice."
She smiled faintly, a tired but genuine smile. "I promise."
When Ren sat up properly, his face was streaked with tears. Yume tried to stifle a laugh, but it slipped out.
Ren frowned. "What's so funny?"
"You look like a kid who just got scolded," she teased lightly.
Ren wiped his face quickly and muttered something under his breath, but a faint smile tugged at his lips.
Unseen by them, Ryojin stood just outside the doorway, having heard everything.
She didn't move for a long moment, staring at the floor.
"So that's who he's been fighting for," she said under her breath. There was no anger in her voice, just a quiet ache.
"I used to think of him as just an F-rank. But at some point, he just became Ren."
Her chest tightened, but she let out a small breath and straightened.
"If this is what makes him happy… then I can live with that. I'll get stronger, not for him — but for myself."
And with that, she walked away.
Later that night, Ren and Yume went out to eat. It wasn't a celebration — just a quiet meal, something to mark the relief that she was still here. For a while, the world felt still.
Then the ground trembled.
Glasses rattled on the tables. A low rumble passed through the streets, growing louder until the entire district shook.
"An earthquake?" someone shouted.
But then the sky darkened unnaturally fast. Clouds swirled overhead, black and heavy, lightning flashing inside them like veins of fire.
Then came the sound — a deep, hollow noise that seemed to pull the air inward.
Ren was already on his feet. Yume followed him outside.
A portal had opened in the sky. Black mist swirled around it, thicker than smoke, swallowing light as if the night itself had split open.
From it came shapes — beasts made of shadow, their forms twisting unnaturally as they crawled into the world.
Ren's instincts screamed. These weren't ordinary monsters. Their presence was suffocating, their power unmistakable.
For a moment, Ren's mind flashed to the worst possibility. The Demon King?
But the Black Heart within him pulsed. No. This is different. Older.
Then the dragon emerged.
Its body was formed of shadows, its wings stretching wide enough to blot out the moon. And standing on its back was a single figure, silent, unmoving.
When he stepped down, the air felt heavier, as if the ground itself feared him.
"Prepare the blast," he said quietly.
The dragon obeyed, forming a sphere of dark energy that crackled with power — then launched it toward the city.
Ren reacted instantly, shadow energy flaring around him as he formed a barrier. The explosion shook the street, scattering debris and leaving the air thick with smoke.
"Yume! Get them out of here!" Ren shouted.
She nodded without hesitation, helping civilians evacuate and calling Master Kuro and Daiki.
By the time the hunters arrived, the news had already spread — a gate, a dragon, a man in black armor — and Ren facing him alone.
Kuro landed beside Yume. "What's going on?"
She caught her breath, quickly explaining everything.
"All available S-ranks, move!" Ichiro barked, already coordinating the teams.
Meanwhile, the figure finally descended fully, stepping onto the ground with quiet, deliberate steps.
"So you are Ren Akatsuki," he said, his voice calm, almost casual. "The ninth king."
Ren froze. He knows who I am.
"Who are you?" Ren demanded.
"The Eight Kings never told you about me?" the man asked. He almost sounded amused. "Of course they didn't. They erased me from history. But I have returned."
He raised his head, his face partially visible beneath the hood of darkness.
"My name is Raviel Noctem. The Fallen Monarch."
Before Ren could react, Kuro rushed forward, sword drawn. Raviel didn't even flinch — he caught the strike with one hand and hurled Kuro back effortlessly.
"Master!" Ren shouted.
Raviel's tone grew serious. "I am not here to fight."
But Kuro struggled to stand, glaring at him. "Don't listen to him, Ren. He betrayed the kings. He started a war against them!"
Raviel's eyes narrowed. "And I would again."
He raised a hand. Spikes of shadow erupted from the ground, striking Kuro and pinning him in place.
Ren's temper finally snapped. His power surged, and he charged, clashing with Raviel in a violent strike that sent a shockwave through the street.
The spikes vanished. Kuro collapsed, breathing heavily but alive.
Raviel studied Ren, almost intrigued. "Stronger than I expected," he said calmly.
Ren stood his ground, eyes sharp. "Leave them out of this. If it's me you came for, then face me."