The sky was black, without moon or stars. The clouds, heavy and purplish, swirled above a field of devastated ruins. The ground, cracked like broken glass, still smoked from the blows of a battle that defied the laws of the world. The trees were charred, the distant mountains ripped open by magical discharges of inconceivable power.
At the center of this chaos, two figures faced each other.
One, gigantic, with skin as black as nothingness, shadowy wings spread across the sky, blood-red eyes, and a crown of black flames on his head. Zephyr, the demon god, master of chaos, embodied the end of the world.
The other, standing despite his injuries, his tattered cape fluttering in the burning wind, his golden eyes vibrating with a dying light: Rhinichiro Silva, the 24th God of this world.
"You're out of breath, Rhinichiro," Zephyr growled, his deep voice ringing through the air like a death knell. "You thought you could stop me single-handedly? Pathetic. Even your divine power is a flash in the pan compared to the eternity of chaos."
Rhinichiro clenched his fists, blood trickling down his arms.
"Perhaps... but I don't need to stop you forever... just long enough for him to be ready."
Zephyr tilted his head slightly, curious.
"You mean your son... That weak kid? The one who screams every night because of the creature he carries? Do you think he'll become your heir? Your worthy successor? He's nothing but an unstable vessel. A ticking time bomb."
"He has what I never had..." Rhinichiro murmured, closing his eyes for a second. A tear slipped from his eye. "...The most powerful demon in the world within him, and a human heart. He can still do what we failed to do. Create a world where gods no longer rule by fear..."
Zephyr raised his hand, a black sphere forming in his palm.
"Enough said. Die knowing your son will be the next to fall."
The sphere exploded in a burst of dark lightning. Rhinichiro raised his arms, crossing his wrists, and a golden barrier rose before him. It shuddered, creaked, then cracked.
Rhinichiro took a step back, gasping. His knees buckled.
"Not yet... not now..."
Memories flashed through his mind.
His son's smile.
The worried gaze of his wife, that sweet half-human.
The stolen laughter between workouts. Rial's cries of pain on the nights Zuma awoke within him...
He couldn't fail now.
With a final effort, Rhinichiro raised his arms to the sky. A golden light exploded from his body, tearing through the darkness.
"By the pact of the gods, by the blood of the chosen... Sanctis Ultima!"
A pillar of light crashed down on Zephyr. The demon god screamed, caught in an ancient seal, his wings burning with divine force.
But he was smiling.
Even in pain... he was smiling.
"You think you can seal me? You sacrifice your soul for a few years' reprieve? This world will fall, no matter how long it takes!"
The ground exploded. A wave tore through the battlefield.
And then... silence.
---
A young boy was running through the rubble. His breathing was ragged, his heart pounding like a drum. He stumbled over a rock, got up, his face covered in dust and tears.
Rial. Fifteen years old.
He reached the top of a hill, just in time to see his father collapse to the ground. The light was fading from his eyes. His divine armor was shattered, his body charred.
Beside him... lay a female figure. His mother.
No... not her too...
"Mom!! Dad!!!"
He ran, screaming, until he fell to his knees in front of them.
Rhinichiro raised his hand slightly. A final spark of magic still animated him.
"Rial... listen to me carefully..."
"Dad, no, don't talk... I'll heal you... I'll—"
"It's too late for me." And for her too... Zuma... is already beginning to awaken, isn't he?"
Rial gritted her teeth, her throat tight.
"I... yes. I'm in pain. All the time. But I can contain it. I'm going to—"
"You mustn't contain it... you must dominate it. This is your path. This world... needs you. You are... the heir..."
Her fingers slowly fell into the dust.
"Dad?"
Rhinichiro's body became light... then disappeared into the wind.
Suddenly, a cold voice echoed in Rial's mind. An ancient, deep... demonic voice.
"So... you're finally alone."
Rial froze.
"Your father is dead. Your mother too. It's just the two of us left now. You can cry... or you can use me."
"Zuma..."
"We have a pact, you and I. You will suffer. You will fall. But if you survive... you will become stronger than any god. Are you ready to lose everything... to gain everything?"
Rial clenched his fists. Tears were still flowing, but his gaze was hardening.
"I will not fall. I will rise again. And I will avenge them all. Including you, you old demon."
"Hehe... funny. You're starting to sound like a king."
The earth shook beneath his feet. Zuma's aura briefly emerged around him: black, burning, swirling.
Rial stood up.
And thus, the demon's heir was born