Sora and Raijin woke up with the cold morning air brushing against them. Today was different. Today was the day they would head west. All preparations had already been completed the previous night—weapons, supplies, and even their resolve.
Without wasting time, they left the house and headed to the nearby stable. There, they took two sturdy horses, tightly secured their belongings, and within moments, mounted up and rode toward the west.
A dense forest stretched in all directions. Tall trees rose high, their branches covering the sky, with a single straight path cutting through the middle. As they continued forward, they began to see open sky in the distance, shrouded by deep, heavy clouds.
The farther they went, the more the atmosphere changed. The forest slowly withered. Leaves dried and crumbled, the air grew heavy, and soon the land ahead turned completely barren. It was as if all greenery had abandoned this place.
In the middle of that desolate land stood a massive fortress. Black, ominous, and utterly silent.
A faint fear rose in both Sora and Raijin's hearts, but they did not stop their horses. Step by step, they drew closer to the castle.
Suddenly, their horses screamed. They went wild, rearing and thrashing, and in the next moment, broke free and ran away.
Sora took a deep breath.
"Anyone would be afraid in a place like this," he said.
Raijin nodded.
"This was expected. At least we kept the important supplies with us."
Gathering their courage, the two stepped toward the castle.
The moment they entered, their eyes widened. Monsters were everywhere. Different sizes, different shapes, yet all of them shared the same violence-filled gaze.
In the very next instant, all the monsters charged at once.
The clash of metal, roars, and screams echoed throughout the castle. Sora and Raijin cut down the monsters one by one. With every strike, their breathing grew heavier.
While slashing through a monster, Sora muttered,
"If even ordinary monsters are this strong… how terrifying must he be?"
Without stopping or looking back, they kept advancing, clearing the path toward the main hall.
At last, they stood before a massive door.
Raijin pushed it open.
The moment the door opened, both of them froze. Their breaths caught. Their bodies refused to move.
Before them stood Lord.
He was neither human, nor monster, nor wild beast. He was a lion—standing upright like a man. An unnatural pressure radiated from his body. From his back spread countless tails, like waves of darkness.
He floated about ten centimeters above the ground. In his hand was a staff, its tip crowned with a glowing red crystal ball. A dim, shadowy light spread around him, as if everything trembled in fear of his presence.
Only one thought echoed in Sora and Raijin's minds—
Bow down.
Run away.
It was exactly the feeling Takashi had described. They couldn't raise their eyes. Their bodies refused to obey.
Then Raijin heard Takashi's voice echo in his mind—
If you're going to fight him… never fear him.
Raijin shouted with all his strength,
"Don't be afraid!"
His voice tore through the crushing pressure.
In the next moment, both Sora and Raijin rushed forward and attacked Lord together.
This time, the battle was different. The red crystal ball flared brightly, spreading light around them, and Lord released violent waves of wind. The sounds of clashes, metal colliding, and surging energy echoed through the hall.
Sora and Raijin advanced side by side.
In a single instant, both raised their swords and struck at Lord's arms.
But—
Their blades never reached him.
It was as if an invisible wall stopped their attacks mid-air. The metal trembled, yet not even a scratch reached Lord.
Both stood stunned.
Once was not enough. They attacked again and again—fast, relentless, with all their strength. Every strike failed.
Lord released a powerful surge of energy from the red crystal ball. Lightning-like flashes filled the air, and the space around them shook violently. Sora and Raijin were blown back, crashing into the ground.
Both were gravely injured. Sora's arm was severed. Raijin's leg was broken.
They looked at each other. No words were needed.
It wasn't time to give up yet.
Even in their broken state, they stood up once more and continued attacking Lord.
Lord observed them calmly.
"You two… are a little different," he said.
"No one dares stand before me. Yet you're still fighting."
He paused.
"If you accept my servitude, I will spare your lives."
"Never," Raijin answered instantly.
"I will never accept the servitude of a monster like you."
Sora was on his knees, his breathing ragged.
Yet a strange, serious smile spread across his face.
He spoke softly,
"So… I finally got the chance."
Lord noticed that Sora was no longer afraid. The pain and rage hidden within his body had surfaced.
Then Sora said loudly,
"I accept your servitude."
Raijin stared at him, unable to speak. His eyes looked as though a mountain had collapsed upon him.
Lord nodded in satisfaction and turned to Raijin.
"And you?"
"No," Raijin said.
"Never."
Lord looked back at Sora.
In the next moment, the impossible happened.
Sora's severed arm slowly reattached itself.
Raijin's broken leg healed as well, though this time pain and burning surged through it.
Sora's body was fully restored, but a strange bitterness lingered in his mind, as if power had demanded a price.
"If you have accepted my servitude," Lord said,
"then kill your friend."
Sora fell silent. He raised his sword and stepped toward Raijin, his movements filled with both caution and fury.
"Why are you doing this?" Raijin asked.
"We're friends. We've been together since childhood."
Sora's voice was cold.
"Yes. That's what you believe."
The suppressed poison in his eyes finally spilled out.
"But I've hated you since childhood. You were always ahead of me in everything.
The one thing I was good at—swordsmanship—you surpassed me there too."
He paused.
"And the one person I loved… she loved you instead."
He looked straight at Raijin.
"Now tell me, why shouldn't I hate you?"
His voice softened.
"Whatever the case… you were my friend."
"After you die, I'll bury you properly."
In the next instant, his sword pierced Raijin's chest.
Raijin's eyes were filled with questions. Too many questions. But no answers.
He collapsed to the ground.
Sora stepped forward and knelt before Lord.
"From today onward, I am your loyal servant."
Behind him, Raijin lay still, his life already gone.
After some time, Sora turned back.
"Please grant me permission," he said.
"He was my friend. No matter what, I wish to bury him properly."
Lord granted his request.
With his own hands, Sora buried his own past.
The western castle fell silent once more.
But within that silence, a new, deeply suppressed tragedy had been born.
Thank you for reading this chapter.
Author: Mohammad Zaid Saifi