Before leaving the obsidian tomb, Kaizer looked at the kneeling form of the spectral knight he had just dominated. It was no longer a mindless guardian; it was a vessel of his own will, radiating a cold, rhythmic pulse of power.
"You were a Sentinel for a dead age," Kaizer said, his voice echoing in the hollow chamber. "Now, you are the vanguard of the new one. Your name is Malphas."
[NAME ASSIGNED: Malphas] [Rank: Shadow General (Level 1)] [Evolution Complete: The shadow has regained its ancient combat memories.]
The knight's tattered robes knit together into a cloak of shifting smoke, and its violet eyes flared with a fierce, intelligent loyalty. With Malphas and Fenris, Kaizer finally had the core of a royal guard.
The Shadow Forge
Kaizer knelt among the crystalline shards left behind by the Sentinel's defeat. These weren't just mana crystals; they were fragments of the Abyssal Plane.
"Paimon, I can't fight an S-Rank with my bare hands. Not if he has a legion."
"Then craft, my Prince," Paimon whispered, leaning over his shoulder, her breath like winter wind. "Melt the shards with your intent. Shape them into a fang that can pierce the 'Malice' of the Korean dog."
Kaizer closed his eyes, channeling his 16 Intelligence into his palms. The shards began to vibrate, then liquefy into a swirling pool of violet ink. He reached into the liquid, pulling out a solidifying shape—a blade that seemed to drink the very light in the room.
[CRAFTING SUCCESSFUL] Item: The Eclipse Talon Rank: Epic (Growth-Type) Effect 1: 'Soul Eater' - Ignores 30% of an opponent's physical armor. Effect 2: 'Abyssal Bleed' - Wounds inflicted cannot be healed by 'Light' magic for 10 minutes. Description: A dagger-sword forged from the bones of an ancient sentinel. It grows as the Contractor grows.
Kaizer swung the blade. It made no sound. It didn't cut the air; it seemed to erase it.
The Infiltration
With the Eclipse Talon hidden in his shadow storage and his Heart of the Warlord masking his presence to that of a mere 'Zero', Kaizer headed to the Grand Imperial Hotel—the residence of the Korean delegation.
The JAA had S-Rank sensors at every entrance, but they were looking for a "High-C" mana signature. They weren't looking for a "Void." Kaizer walked through the front doors, past a group of A-Rank guards, appearing as nothing more than a delivery boy with a bowed head.
He reached the 44th floor—the Penthouse.
As he stood in the carpeted hallway, the temperature suddenly dropped. The lights flickered. From beneath the double doors of the presidential suite, a thick, oily shadow began to seep out like a slow-moving tide.
"He's here," Paimon hissed, her playful tone gone. "The dog of Balan."
Kaizer activated Abyssal Authority. His vision shifted into the "Shadow Spectrum."
Through the walls, he saw him. Kang-Jun was sitting in a chair, staring at the window. But he wasn't alone. Surrounding him were hundreds of "Wraiths"—twisted, screaming souls of monsters and humans he had devoured. They weren't soldiers; they were slaves, bound by chains of "Pure Evil."
Suddenly, Kang-Jun's head snapped toward the door. His eyes were entirely black, devoid of light.
"Who is there?" Kang-Jun's voice was a rasping chorus of a thousand dead men.
One of the Wraiths—a spider-like shadow—lunged through the door to scout. Kaizer didn't move. He didn't breathe. He used his 24 Agility to press himself into the corner of the ceiling, his Heart of the Warlord making him as undetectable as a piece of furniture.
The Wraith sniffed the air, its face inches from Kaizer's mask. It felt the cold, but it didn't find a soul. After a tense minute, it retreated.
"Nothing, Master," the Wraith hissed inside the room. "Only the wind of this weak island."
Kaizer dropped silently to the floor, his eyes burning. He had seen enough. Kang-Jun had quantity—hundreds of slaves—but his shadows were unstable, fueled by pain. Kaizer had quality—Malphas and Fenris—fueled by sovereignty.
The Eve of the Exchange
Back at his apartment, Kaizer stood on his balcony, looking toward the Rising Sun Guild headquarters.
"He thinks I'm a meal," Kaizer whispered, touching the hilt of the Eclipse Talon in his shadow. "He thinks Japan is a 'weak island'."
"And Rin Kusanagi?" Paimon asked, appearing beside him. "She will be there too. She will see you both. Two shadows in a world of light. She will try to kill you both to save her 'order'."
Kaizer looked at his C-Rank license and threw it onto the table.
"Let her try. Tomorrow, the 'Evaluation' is over. The 'Conquest' begins."