While the army spiraled into panic,
the King drove Mikail's Spear into the ground.
BOOM!
Golden light burst from beneath the earth.
Three rings appeared around the spear—
each rotating, glowing symbols sliding across their surface.
In the sacred tongue of Aurora:
"Purify, Obey, Seal."
The King's voice rose, blending with the hum of the rings.
> "Stop right there, Koharu!"
His words echoed.
> "Your insolence ends now!" "For a thousand years, Mikail's shield has allowed not a single demon to pass!" "But you… of my own blood… chose treason!"
The spear trembled, spitting golden sparks.
> "If you abandon this attack now…" "As your father, I can forgive you."
> "But if you continue this rebellion…"
"Mikail's blessing is upon me!"
The tip of the spear ignited, the air howling with pressure.
> "And that blessing will erase you from this world, Koharu!"
The three rings momentarily fused,
and a massive pillar of light shot into the sky.
From behind a stone, Koharu held her breath.
Her eyes widened.
> "Father…"
It barely left her lips.
The silhouette lifted its head.
Its eyes dim, voice clear.
> "What nonsense are you spouting?" "I'm Shinju. Not Koharu. Not a demon."
"I'm human… just like you."
The soldiers froze.
That voice…
It didn't feel like a demon's.
It sounded almost—human.
Shinju continued.
> "You call that shield a blessing." "But it's nothing more than a curse."
"Before it appeared, the world was green… peaceful."
"Since it rose, the sky on this side has never brightened once." "Darkness, hunger, and death spread everywhere."
He drew a breath.
His voice deepened.
> "People survived by eating one another." "They lost their minds because of the void."
"While you lived in abundance,
this side knew nothing but death and starvation."
Shinju's gaze locked onto the King's.
> "My enemy is not you." "My enemy is that cursed shield."
"I cultivated for two hundred years because of it."
> "And today…"
"That curse will end."
Shinju took one step forward.
The ground cracked.
It felt as though gravity itself vanished.
No one could breathe.
A low hum spread—
deep, bone-shaking.
Shinju raised his head.
His right eye began to change.
Black…
but not a black anyone recognized—
a void that devoured light.
> "The Absolute Dominion… of Darkness."
The words echoed.
In that instant, everyone's ears rang.
Soldiers collapsed; some screamed.
Even the King staggered.
Then—
Tears streamed from Shinju's right eye.
Black tears.
As if the very essence of the void flowed from him.
A single drop of black blood fell to the ground—
and the earth split.
A growing hum echoed through the sky.
From the top of the celestial dome,
a flood of darkness began to pour downward.
Shadows spread over the golden shield like a veil.
Where darkness touched the gold,
black smoke hissed upward—
yet the darkness did not fade.
On the contrary—
it devoured the light.
Behind the stone, Koharu held her breath.
It was as if the sky itself was closing.
Shinju could barely stand.
His body trembled.
Every breath burned.
But he did not stop.
> "Today…" he said,
his voice fracturing like a broken echo, "this curse…
will end."