The aftermath of the battle hung heavy in the real world.
The air still smelled faintly of ash and steel, as though the battlefield's echoes had followed the S-Rank hunters back to the city. In the high-rise headquarters of the Organization, an emergency meeting had been called. The highest authorities sat like marble statues at a long obsidian table, their faces shadowed by the harsh, sterile lights above.
Every S-Rank hunter present—Kuro, Daiki, Yume, Akari, Ryojin, and the rest—could feel the weight of unspoken questions pressing down on the room.
One of the higher-ups, an older man with a hawk-like gaze, broke the silence. His voice was cold but trembling with unease.
"Tell us about the battle with Raviel. That transformation… what was it?"
All eyes turned to Daiki and Yume. The two had been at the heart of the chaos, and everyone knew it. Yume lowered her gaze, her lips pressed tight. Daiki adjusted his broken glasses and slowly rose to his feet.
"Ren," Daiki began, his voice heavy, "helped us unleash our full power. Without him, none of us would be standing here. Even with the boost, we could barely hold the line. He ordered us to leave the battlefield before…" He trailed off, jaw tightening. "Before it was too late."
He sat down, but another higher-up leaned forward, his eyes glinting.
"Daiki. According to our reports, your spine and most of your internal organs were shattered. By all accounts, you should be dead. How are you still alive?"
Daiki adjusted his glasses again, his fingers trembling slightly but his voice steady.
"That's right. I was at death's door. Raviel's final blow would've ended me. But before it struck, Ren saved me… and ordered us to leave him behind."
A murmur of confusion spread through the chamber like a ripple of cold water.
"Talking about Ren," another higher-up demanded, "where is he now?"
"He left," Daiki said flatly. "On his own."
A silence stretched, thick and suffocating. The implication burned in everyone's minds: Ren was gone. The next battle would be fought without him.
The highest official at the table slammed his palm down.
"Is he trying to abandon us?" His voice cracked like a whip. "We thought he was a hero who'd protect humanity. But it seems he's just a coward, running from the fight and leaving us to face these monsters alone!"
Shadows flared around Daiki as he shot to his feet. His aura darkened, eyes burning like coals.
"Shut your mouth!" His voice roared through the room like a thunderclap, making even hardened S-Ranks stiffen. Kuro and Yume moved as if to calm him, but Daiki's fury was a force of its own.
"You think he left you alone?!" Daiki's power surged, shadows spilling across the polished floor. "You're fools—selfish fools—just like we were. That man sold his very soul and went alone to fight demons no one else would face. He sacrificed everything he had to protect this world, and you dare call him a coward?"
The room fell silent, the weight of his words pressing down like an ocean.
Daiki's hands shook as he spoke, but his eyes burned with conviction.
"You want the truth? Fine. I'll tell you."
And he did. He told them of Ren's power, the price he'd paid, the tragedies he had endured. He told them of the man who had walked willingly into hell so that they could all live another day.
"You think Ren betrayed us?" Daiki's voice cracked, but he forced it steady. "In reality, we betrayed him. We left him alone because we were scared, because we didn't trust him. We turned our backs on him—and now, he's gone. And even now, even now, he's risking his life for us while you sit here calling him a coward."
No one could meet his eyes. The air was thick with shame.
"I'm done." Daiki's chair screeched back as he stood. "You don't want to protect humanity. You just want fame, sympathy, and the illusion of being heroes. But you're not. Not if you leave him to fight alone."
He strode toward the exit. Guards moved to block him, but his shadows lashed out like living blades, making them retreat. Without another word, Daiki left.
Kuro and Yume remained seated, their eyes on the table. Daiki's words had pierced them as well. The silence stretched on until, finally, one of the higher-ups spoke, his voice quiet, almost afraid.
"What did he mean—'he sold his soul'?"
Another, younger official sneered.
"Ren is an idiot. He traded his soul for power. He's not human anymore. No fear, no happiness. Just a weapon. But even now—" the man's sneer faltered—"even now, he stands with us, fighting so we can live another day. Sacrificing his life for ours."
Kuro finally rose, his expression like carved stone.
"So tell me," he said, his voice deep and resonant. "Do you want Ren to come back and fight beside you, or will you wait until the demons kill you all?"
He turned to Yume. "Let's go."
Together, they left the room, the doors closing with a sound like finality.
Inside, the remaining S-Ranks sat in silence. No one spoke. No one dared.
Then a voice came from the back of the room. A young guard stepped forward, helmet under his arm. His hands trembled as he asked, "Permission to speak, sir?"
All eyes turned to him.
"What is it?"
The guard swallowed.
"After the incident in the city… a village was attacked by demons. There was no one to save them. But a man wearing a cloak arrived. He wiped out every single demon. He healed the wounded. Then he left—no reward, no trace."
A hush fell over the room.
"These reports," the guard continued, "are coming from many places. All of them mention the same mysterious man."
Akari, an S-Rank seated at the edge of the table, stood abruptly. Her fists were clenched.
"They're right. Because of Ren, we're even alive to sit here. He's the true hero—not us. We're cowards. If Ren hadn't boosted our powers, we wouldn't have lasted a minute against Raviel."
Ryojin, another S-Rank, rose as well. His voice was quieter but steady.
"When I first met him, I misjudged him because of his rank. I insulted him. And he forgave me without arrogance, without bitterness. He saved my life. He saved all of us."
Slowly, one by one, the S-Ranks stood. They exchanged glances. Without a word, they began moving toward the door, following Daiki, Kuro, and Yume.
The higher-ups sat frozen, their authority crumbling like sand.
Meanwhile, in the Abyss.
Ren stood before the Throne Guardian, the air around him heavy with crushing darkness. His army—knights of shadow, beasts of nightmare—waited behind him, silent as the grave.
The Guardian's voice rolled like thunder through the endless black.
"Tell me, Ren Akatsuki… what is a king?"
His eyes glowed like coals beneath his hood.
"A tyrant who rules by fear?" the Guardian intoned. "A savior who bleeds for hope? Or a fool who dies for those who spit upon his name?"
The question echoed, reverberating through the Abyss.
Ren stood still. Shadows coiled at his feet like living serpents. His eyes were dim embers in the dark.
Then he stepped forward, the abyss itself rippling at his approach. When he spoke, his voice was a blade of steel wrapped in thunder.
"A king," Ren said, "is all of them.
A tyrant when he must protect.
A savior when no hope remains.
And a fool who will die a thousand deaths if it means his people may live once."
His voice deepened, each word striking like a drumbeat.
"I left Yume behind.
I bartered my soul to the Abyss.
And still—I protect them.
Knights born of my shadow, beasts forged of my will, and even the humans who mocked and cursed my name.
I am their shield.
I am their shadow.
I am their nightmare.
If the Abyss demands my life, let it take my flesh, let it shatter my bones… but it will never claim my resolve."
The darkness trembled. The Throne Guardian tilted his head, a faint, knowing smile curling his lips.
"You have spoken," he said softly, "not as a man… but as a Sovereign."
He raised a hand. The black flames surrounding the throne flickered and turned from hostile to welcoming, bowing toward Ren like kneeling supplicants.
"Very well," the Guardian declared, his voice a storm breaking across the void. "Ren Akatsuki—take your seat. From this moment forth, you are the Ninth Sovereign… the Dread Monarch of the First Layer."
Ren began walking. His generals fell in behind him, their steps echoing through the abyss. The flames that had barred his way now parted like a path of reverence.
He climbed the obsidian stairs slowly, each step echoing like the toll of a bell.
At the summit, the throne awaited—massive, carved of black stone veined with crimson light. Empty, but not for long.
Ren turned once, his gaze sweeping over his army. Every beast, every monster, every knight bowed low, their loyalty a palpable force pressing against the void. Umbra and Althric knelt at the base of the throne, their heads bowed.
Ren sat.
The throne's power surged into him like a second heartbeat. The Abyss roared—but it was no longer a roar of defiance. It was a roar of welcome.
Ren whispered, his voice low but carrying through the endless dark.
"Now… it's time to conquer the second layer."