The next morning, Fifth Nightguard Command Post, Tokyo — Secure Briefing Room
A heavy dawn light filtered through the reinforced glass, painting the briefing room in pale gold. Lucien stood at the front for once. Not Rylen as usual. Lucien his posture firm despite the storm raging in his mind. Before him sat nine of his closest friends: Karu, Rylen, Jason, Emiluna, Ayumu, Kagetsu, Lisa, Cho, and Kisuke. Each wore the standard Corps uniform—scuffed, battle-worn—but their eyes gleamed with curiosity and concern.
He drew a deep breath. He was nervous but he started. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice and no sleep whatsoever," he began, voice echoing against the steel walls. "What I'm about to share is... the most important thing I've ever revealed. If this leaks beyond these nine people in this very room, it could change everything—for me, for the Corps, even for the world. You understand?"
One by one, they nodded. Karu's expression was unreadable behind his visor; Emiluna's jaw set in quiet determination; Jason's fists flexed unconsciously; Rylen's brow furrowed in anticipation. Lucien allowed himself a brief hesitation before plunging forward.
"I was three years old when my world changed," Lucien said, closing his eyes at the memory. "My parents—people I believed loved me—abandoned me on a rainy night in our house in Tokyo."
He paused, letting the weight of that confession settle. Cho's fingers tightened around the edge of her chair; Kagetsu glanced away, swallowing. Even Karu, ever the stoic and calm commander, shifted in his seat.
"I was left in our old house, clutching a teddy bear I thought my granddad had given me at that time," Lucien continued, voice low. "No note, no tear, just... gone. It took days for someone to find me—hungry and thirsty, screaming for a mother who no longer existed." He swallowed hard. "For years and years, I bounced from orphanage to orphanage till there was no orphanage left and when i turned 11 i became a homeless person. I learned to become invisible—until the night time itself froze."
He described the moment: crouched on a cold concrete platform, trains absent, the station devoid of life. "Time stopped. Every flicker of overhead light, every echo of distant footsteps—it all... halted. Then I heard her voice."
He looked up, meeting each gaze. "A voice, not human but not unkind, told me my name: Lucien. And that I was the Vessel of the God of Vengeance. I had no idea what that meant at the time—vigilante? Judge? Executioner? But in that moment, something deep inside me... awakened. Flames of heat surged through my fists. Roads melted. Walls shattered. And then it stopped. Time flowed again."
Raising a hand, Rylen interrupted: "What did you feel? When the world froz? Did it really feel like it froze or did it really froze?"
Lucien's eyes softened. "I don ´ t know if it really froze or not but at that moment, I felt... powerful. But utterly alone."
"And then the same night we found you right?" Emiluna added quietly. "Me, Rylen, and Jason—on our patrol. We saved your life."
Jason gave a wry smile. "Honestly, I was confused when i saw you."
Lucien managed a ghost of a grin. "So... thank you. Without you three, I wouldn't be here, standing before you."
He shifted, stepping closer to the holo-map table at the room's center. "According to the Creator of Gods—the voice that saved me—my birth parents are still alive and are proud of me. She showed me... glimpses of them: They looked older then i could remember, sorrow etched in their faces. I've don´t remember them very well, yet she guaranteed they exist."
A murmur of disbelief rippled through the group. Lisa's eyes went wide. "You... would have a family?"
Lucien shook his head. "I never believed it until she forced it into my mind's eye. I trusted her because she never lied to me. Every limit I surpassed, every enemy I felled—I felt her guiding me through all of it, nudging my soul."
He clenched his fists, remembering the moment he lost control. "You guys know that the higher ups refused to let me in the Nighguard Corps. I happened twice. The first time i... refused. I screamed in rage. The resulting shockwave destroyed the whole universe, killed everyone. It thought it was all over. Then the Creator—her voice firm—reversed time, down to the millisecond before I lost control. She saved the whole universe. Explained that vengeance without control is a god of destruction, not justice."
Karu cleared his throat. "God of Vengeance... dead. Why would she choose you to succeed him?"
Lucien shook his head. "I don't know. She might have told me it but I don ´ t remember. She did say I carry his spark, but also the potential for mercy. She said... she believed I could do what he didn't: protect the helpless, punish the cruel without becoming cruel myself. But I—" He paused, looking at each friend. "—I still doubt it every day."
Kagetsu spoke up, voice stiff and clear: "Lucien, that doubt... might be your greatest strength."
Lucien offered a tired nod in return. "Maybe or maybe not."
He took a step back, drawing a deep breath before he continued. "Not everything I've gained over the past 5 or 6 months came from the Creator herself." He let those words hang before continuing. "Just before Frostjaw Reiken's final assault, I was visited again-, wind stilled and it was at the factory when i was on the run. Out of the darkness stepped a figure in black. Taller than any man, cloaked, face hidden. He offered me power—darker, sharper than Purgeflame or divine essence. Somehting happened to me at that exact moment but I don ´ t know what."
A collective intake of breath filled the room. Cho's hand flew to her mouth; Rylen's jaw worked in disbelief.
"I... hesitated. Fear, maybe. I couldn't trust his offer. He vanished, leaving me... with a seed of power I've never truly accessed." Lucien flexed his right fist, where the infernal seal on his forearm lay dormant. "I believed that figure was an envoy of the Creator—a test, perhaps. But after recent events, I realize the power he offered carries no divine signature. It's something... else."
He paused, voice dropping. "I no longer think it's hers."
Emiluna laid a hand on his shoulder. "Lucien, what are you saying?"
He met her gaze, eyes flickering gold. "The figure in black was... not a messenger of the gods. I believe he was an avatar of something darker. But there´s something else. The King of Hell. One of the sons of the Creato of Gods
Silence stretched thin across the room. Outside, Tokyo's morning bustle seemed impossibly distant.
"King of Hell," Jason repeated, voice hollow. "You're... joking right? You better be joking Lucien."
Lucien shook his head. "I wish I were. He said I'd tasted only a fraction of his power—enough to turn the battlefield inside out. He wants me to succeed him. To become the next King of Hell, to unleash devastation at his command." His gaze shifted between Karu and Rylen. "I saw him in my visions, towering on a throne of obsidian and flame.Yesterday at the mission i was told to choose— the mantle of Vengeance, or the crown of Hell."
Karu finally spoke his mind, voice calm but fierce. "So you stand between two destinies: justice or annihilation."
Lucien swallowed. "Yes. And if I refuse to make a choice soon, he warns the silence will spread. Entire cities. Nations. The world will drown in ash. I have to choose soon—because..." He looked each friend in the eyes. "Because if I don't, the King of Hell will remake this world in his perfect image."
Rylen stepped forward, placing a steady hand on Lucien's arm. "We'll stand with you, whatever you choose."
Emiluna nodded fiercely. "Your choice won't be made alone."
A hush of silence settled over the group. The dying weight of Lucien's confession hung in the air—an enormous gamble that would shape the fate of gods, demons, and mankind alike.
He closed his eyes, summoning the memory. "A couple of nights after Forstjaw i met him, I slept in my bed. I thought I'd dream of chaos… instead, I was pulled into another realm. Not the Creator's light, but a place of molten rock and whispered suffering. A figure stood there—towering, blackand red, 6 horns scorched crimson. His voice rattled my bones."
He opened his eyes. "He claimed to be the King of Hell. He said my first brush with hellfire and my upgraded Cosmic Punch was his doing, not some random shadow i saw the factory. He offered me a power greater than Cosmic Punch: an Infernal Comet Punch that could sunder continents. But I couldn't… control it against Forstjaw. The seal slightly glowed, then went dark. I don't know why I can't use it yet to its full extent—he said something along the lines that I must choose to unleash it."
Karu's brow furrowed. "You mean to tell us two cosmic beings—God of Vengeance and King of Hell—both claim you?"
Lucien nodded, shoulders sagging. "That's the truth."
He paused, letting the weight of it settle for a bit.
"I was also shown their thrones last night," Lucien continued. "I stood on a void plain of ash, between two thrones. One—white gold, cracked by the broken justice of the old God of Vengeance and Creator of Gods. The other—black fire, wrapped in chains, fueled by molten hatred. Both beckoned me. The Creator and the King spoke to me, each promising salvation—but in very different tongues."
Rylen pressed forward. "And the ultimatum?"
Lucien took a shaky breath. "Choose one. Stand as the new God of Vengeance—defender of the weak, avenger of atrocities. Or ascend as the Future King of Hell—wielder of eternal wrath, maker of destruction. If I refuse, they both warned: the echo of my indecision will consume this world. All of you will die because of me."
A stunned hush fell. Jason's fists clenched; Kagetsu's twin daggers glimmered at his sides. Ayumu's gravity-fields wavered; her eyes betrayed tears.
Emiluna whispered, "You mean… you must pick good or evil… or we all die?"
He nodded. "I'm sorry guys. I wish there was another way, a path that only i could make."
For a long moment, none spoke. The air crackled with unasked questions.
Rylen exhaled slowly. "Lucien… we knew you were special from the start and we love that about you. But this…" His voice trembled. "This is beyond anything. Yet you bore it alone this whole time."
Lucien's gaze dropped. "I didn't tell because I—didn't know how."
Rylen stepped close, placing a hand on Lucien's shoulder. "We're your family remember that Lucein. We bear all of this together."
Jason nodded fiercely. "Hell or vengeance—no matter what you choose, brother, we stand."
Cho's tone was steel-soft. "You choose the defender's path, and I'll fight beside you. Or if you go dark… I'll find a way to save you out of that darkness."
Kagetsu's voice cracked. "I can't lose you, you are my rival after all. But maybe we can find another path. Maybe… forge a third way."
Lucien managed a sad smile. "That's what the Creator said—forge your own path. Light and shadow bow to will."
Ayumu's gravity-fields pulsed slowly. "Then we'll hold that space for you—until you choose."
Lisa and Kisuke exchanged a look. "Whichever road you want to choose," Lisa promised, "we will watch your back."
Kisuke grinned through tears. "Demon, angel, or just a normal man—let's just kick some monster ass first."
Emiluna pressed Lucien's hand. "You're not alone Lucien."
Lucien squared his shoulders. "Thank you… all of you. I love you all. But i can't ask you to die for my choice. But I will ask for time. We need to buy hours—maybe days—before the King or the Creator demands my answer."
Karu nodded. "We'll enact defensive protocols: blackout zones, civilian evacuations near any 'echo' sites, emergency shelters. Division One, Two, Three and Four will spread out—contain vanishings, protect lives."
Rylen tapped his gauntlets. "And I'll reinforce chrono-barriers around Tokyo. If the King tries to invade with his little puppets, they'll slow him."
Jason cracked his knuckles. "And I'll train the recruits to punch demons and monsters in half."
Lucien allowed himself a small laugh. "Thank you. But… this secret stays here. Nobody else can know until I choose."
Cho saluted. "Our lips are sealed."
Kagetsu pulled Lucien into a quick hug. "We've got you, buddy."
They formed a circle, hands joined.
"God of Vengeance or King of Hell," Lucien said, voice steady, "I vow to protect this whole universe until that choice is made. If I fail… end my life."
Each nodded, voices firm: "We stand with you." "We'll hold the line." "Your burden is our burden." "We'll buy you the time you need."
He exhaled, relief and dread mingling. He let the circle break, faces alight with determination.
Karu lifted his visor. "Let's get to work."
Lucien pressed a hand to his chest, feeling the faint beat of the Infernal Seal beneath his skin. The Crimson fire was quiet—for now.
He closed his eyes. "I will choose soon," he vowed. "But my will—my path—will be mine alone."
He opened his eyes.
The decision was coming. And the world would tremble under its weight.