After Hitomi's death, the demon lord — whose real name was Kishyo Hamitabo — became a stranger even to his own power. He possessed a unique ability:
> He could gather his energy in one place and release it outward.
But this power had one condition — it could never serve anyone else. It would only awaken for the person Kishyo truly wanted to protect… the one for whom he was willing to sacrifice his very life.
And now?
For him, there had only ever been one such person in the world — Hitomi. And he had lost her… because of his own darkness.
His journey had never been easy. Raised in the house of a sorcerer, people mocked him, calling him "the son of a dishonored woman." Those words settled in his heart like venom. One day, when his patience finally shattered, Kishyo's fury exploded. Using his magic, he took the lives of many.
In rage, the sorcerer cast him out of the house. Turning his back, he said coldly:
"Someone who cannot control his anger… who doesn't value human life… can never become a true sorcerer."
Kishyo tried to take his sister back with him, but the sorcerer refused.
"If she goes with you, this girl will also die," he said in a chilling voice.
Kishyo's heart broke apart, but thinking of his sister's safety, he left in silence.
He chose a new path — the forbidden art of mana-theft. It was a dangerous craft that only those broken from within could master. Kishyo stole the secrets from an ancient book and practiced day and night. By the age of just twelve, he had mastered it… and from that day onward, his reign of terror began.
He made a vow:
"Every human in this world is the same. They pretend to be good, but inside… they're rotten."
His hands were stained red with blood. Mercy was erased from his life.
But one day…
He encountered a man even stronger than himself. Kishyo tried to kill him, but every strike, every spell, the man broke effortlessly. And yet… he never countered.
"Why… why don't you kill me?!" Kishyo roared.
The man simply smiled,
"Because strength isn't only about destroying… sometimes, it's about protecting."
Kishyo was defeated. And with that defeat, for the very first time, he wondered —
"Have I really become the same as my father?"