Raizo stood atop a broken skyscraper, surveying the city below. It was unrecognizable—a graveyard of fire and shadows. Entire districts had collapsed, their ruins buried beneath the corpses of those who had failed to escape.

  The stench of death filled the air, and the screams of the dying echoed through the smog-covered streets.

  Tenzir landed beside him, his body covered in cuts and burns, his sword dripping with demon blood.

  "We were too slow," he said, barely above a whisper.

  Raizo didn’t respond. He had seen destruction before, but this?

  This was hell.

  While Raizo and Tenzir witnessed the destruction, Ryuketsu had other plans.

  With a single snap of his fingers, he vanished—teleporting far beyond the battlefield, into a realm untouched by war.

  The Ethereal Void.

  This was the domain of Master Zenmu, the most powerful entity in existence. A place where time, space, and even fate bowed before his will.

  A golden temple floated in the endless void, radiating an untouchable energy. Ryuketsu landed in front of it, his dark aura clashing violently with the divine presence of this sacred realm.

  Inside, Zenmu sat motionless, eyes closed. His very existence was so powerful that the fabric of reality bent around him.

  Ryuketsu smirked. “Zenmu.”

  Zenmu slowly opened his eyes. Golden light burst forth, momentarily blinding Ryuketsu. Even standing in Zenmu’s presence felt like suffocating under a crushing divine force.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  "You dare step into my domain, demon?" Zenmu’s voice was calm, yet it shook the entire realm.

  Ryuketsu didn’t flinch. "I didn’t come to fight."

  Zenmu’s expression remained unreadable. "Then leave. Before I erase you from existence."

  "Erase me?" Ryuketsu chuckled darkly. "You could’ve done that ages ago, yet here I stand."

  Zenmu said nothing.

  Ryuketsu stepped closer. "I know what’s coming, Zenmu. And so do you."

  For the first time, Zenmu’s golden eyes flickered with something… unreadable.

  Ryuketsu continued, his voice steady. "The real enemy is not Raizo. Not me. But something even you fear."

  Zenmu remained silent.

  "If I fall, if Raizo falls—this universe is doomed."

  Zenmu closed his eyes again. "That is not my concern."

  Ryuketsu’s smirk disappeared. "Then I’ll make it your concern."

  With a sudden motion, he crushed a small black cube in his palm. Instantly, a wave of darkness spread through the void—an energy so vile, so forbidden, that even Zenmu’s golden aura flickered for a split second.

  Zenmu’s eyes snapped open, his face now unreadable. "That power…"

  Ryuketsu grinned. "Yes. The only thing that can break your laws. This is not my power… but a gift from what’s coming."

  Zenmu raised his hand—and in an instant, Ryuketsu froze in place.

  The demon king could not move, could not speak, could not even think.

  Zenmu had erased him from existence.

  Or at least, he should have.

  Yet, after a moment, Ryuketsu remained standing. The black energy from the cube still lingered around him, protecting him.

  Zenmu’s eyes narrowed slightly. "You’ve done something unnatural."

  Ryuketsu grinned. "You see now, don’t you? Even you can’t erase this power. If you continue to ignore what’s coming, even you will be destroyed."

  For a long moment, Zenmu simply stared at him.

  Then, finally, he spoke.

  "Leave. Now."

  Ryuketsu smirked. "I’ll take that as a ‘maybe.’"

  With a wave of Zenmu’s hand, Ryuketsu was forcefully teleported back to his domain.

  Back in the burning city, Raizo suddenly felt a shift in the air. A powerful presence had just briefly appeared—and it wasn’t Ryuketsu.

  Raizo’s eyes narrowed. “That was Zenmu’s energy…”

  Tenzir frowned. "You think he’s going to help us?"

  Raizo clenched his fists.

  "I don’t know. But if Ryuketsu is trying to involve Zenmu… then that means even he is afraid of what’s coming."

  And for the first time in his life, Raizo felt something unfamiliar creeping into his heart.

  Doubt.