As Lloyd and the Gatekeeper drew closer to the heart of the city,
the heat rose…
Not like the heat of a direct fire,
but like a simmering rage beneath the skin.
The massive structure that appeared before them
wasn't a palace in the usual sense,
but a black stone block
as if carved from frozen volcanic rock.
The doors were open.
And that…
made things worse.
"In the realms of demons… open doors mean the owner can see you," the Gatekeeper said in a low voice.
The two entered.
The Throne That Needs No Guards
The hall was vast,
with a high ceiling,
and black columns carved with ancient fiery symbols.
At the far end of the hall…
stood the throne.
There was no fire on it,
nor any extravagant decoration.
Just one person
sitting relaxed,
as if the whole place had been created to wait for him.
He was in human form.
His hair was a mixture of dark red and black,
falling loose and disheveled,
and his eyes were black… so black that the light around them seemed to be swallowed up.
But what revealed his true nature…
The tattoos.
Dark black lines
wrapped around his neck,
extended down his hand,
and ended at his forehead,
like ancient, indelible seals.
He slowly raised his gaze.
And smiled.
"We rarely have guests… who don't burn instantly."
Riorno
The man stood up from the throne.
With each step he took,
the earth murmured softly,
as if remembering who walked upon it.
"Riorno… the ruler of this kingdom," said the gatekeeper quietly.
Riorno gave a short laugh:
"A ruler? No…"
He moved closer,
until he was just steps away from Lloyd.
"I am what remains when the fire fails to consume everything."
He looked directly at Lloyd.
"And this white light… does not belong here."
Lloyd did not back down.
"Neither do I."
A short silence followed.
Then…
The air trembled.
Rage
Riorno's eyes changed.
The blackness split,
and a terrifying fiery red flowed from within,
as if a small inferno had ignited behind his pupils.
He did not scream.
He did not move violently.
But the entire hall blazed.
The walls glowed,
the pillars cracked,
and black flames began to rise from the floor.
He said in a low… but deadly voice:
"Tell me, Light-Keeper… have you come to fight?"
The white aura around Lloyd intensified spontaneously,
and surged outward like a pulse.
Lloyd said firmly,
"I came to traverse this world… not to rule it."
Riorno glanced at the tattoos on his hand,
then smiled lopsidedly.
"Everyone who's been here… has said that."
The King's Test
Riorno raised his hand.
In an instant,
his body was partially transformed.
He was no longer entirely human,
nor fully demonic.
Short black horns emerged,
his skin partially blackened,
and the tattoos began to glow a dark color.
"I won't kill you…"
He said it calmly.
"I'll see you burn… or survive."
A tremendous wave of fire surged forth.
But it wasn't ordinary fire.
It was the fire of will,
pressing on the mind before the body.
Lloyd felt a terrible weight,
memories,
voices,
losses.
"Not now…" he cried out inwardly.
He planted his feet firmly.
The white aura expanded.
It didn't attack the fire,
but contained it.
Everything stopped.
Riorno opened his eyes in genuine surprise this time.
"...Exciting."
An Unexpected Confession
Riorno lowered his hand.
The fire faded.
He returned to his human form.
He said:
"It's been a long time... I haven't seen anyone stand before my wrath without breaking."
He looked at Lloyd intently.
"You're not a naive light..."
Then, in a deeper voice, he added:
"There's something ancient about you... something like the ruin that preceded this world."
Lloyd clenched his fist.
"I'm looking for someone."
Riorno raised an eyebrow.
"Many search here... few find."
Lloyd said:
"His name is Zebra."
The moment he uttered the name…
The tattoos on Riorno's body hardened.
His eyes reddened again,
but this time…
It wasn't anger.
It was caution.
A Name Not Spoken Lightly
"This name… is not spoken in my kingdom without a price," Riorno said slowly.
He took a step forward.
"How do you know it?"
The gatekeeper interjected:
"Because his path leads here."
Riorno gave a short, sardonic laugh.
"So… the world is indeed beginning to shrink."
He looked at Lloyd.
"If you are walking toward him… know that you are approaching something from which you cannot return."
Lloyd replied without hesitation:
"I no longer seek a return."
A heavy silence fell.
Then Riorno said:
"I will let you pass…"
He stopped.
"But not for free."
Narrator
In the city of red fog,
light met a fire that did not burn easily,
and from this encounter… the balance of worlds began to tip.
Riorno was silent for a long moment.
Then…
He turned his back to Lloyd.
He walked toward the throne,
but this time,
he didn't sit on it.
He said in a quiet, different voice:
"Zebra…"
The name echoed through the hall like a forbidden note.
"I thought that name died with the old worlds."
He turned suddenly,
and looked directly into Lloyd's eyes.
"If you're walking toward him… you're not just looking for an enemy."
He took a step closer.
"But for an end."
Lloyd raised his head.
"Even ends… can be changed."
Riorno laughed.
A short laugh.
A heavy one.
"You resemble me more than you should."
Then…
He extended his hand.
No fire.
No threat.
"My name is Riorno.
King of this realm… and from this day forward… your companion on the road."
Lloyd exchanged a glance with the doorman.
Then he shook his hand.
The moment their hands met… the black tattoos trembled,
and for a moment blazed with fiery red,
then fell silent.
An alliance was forged.