The Abyss trembled.
Ren and the Beast had become one — flesh, soul, and fury merged into a single existence. From that union was born something beyond mortal understanding, a being whose presence devoured light itself: the Ultimate King of the Abyss.
Yet even as this fusion took form, the battle seemed already lost. Raviel, the Fallen King of Shadows, had the upper hand. The Dread Monarch — Ren's mortal body — was being crushed beneath the weight of Raviel's blows. Each swing cracked the battlefield, every roar split the air of the Abyss. To all who watched, it seemed that the Monarch's reign had reached its end.
Umbra and Zyra could no longer stand idly by. Their eyes burned with worry as Ren fell to one knee. But before they could move, Althric raised his hand, his expression unreadable.
"Stay back," he said calmly.
Zyra clenched her fists. "But he'll die if we don't—"
Althric's gaze didn't waver. "Watch. The true Monarch doesn't fall so easily. This is far from over."
And then — the Abyss began to shift.
The ground twisted, reshaping beneath their feet. The air grew heavier, suffocating. A pulse of power darker than the void itself erupted from Ren's body, spreading like wildfire through every corner of the battlefield. Even Raviel, the arrogant tyrant who feared nothing, froze mid-strike. His instincts screamed danger.
"What… what is this?" Raviel growled, his voice echoing in confusion.
A pulse of shadow burst outward, engulfing everything. It was like the world itself exhaled its final breath. For a heartbeat, all sound vanished.
Then the power surged.
The Dread Monarch's energy exploded — an overwhelming wave that shattered mountains and tore the very fabric of the Abyss. Obsidian pillars broke apart like sand. The air screamed, thunder roared, and even the endless dark trembled in awe of what was awakening.
Raviel stumbled back, shielding his eyes from the radiance of that black light. Umbra and Zyra crouched behind shattered rocks, barely able to endure the force pressing against them.
Only Althric remained unmoved. His cloak billowed in the raging wind, his old eyes glimmering with ancient recognition.
Zyra turned to him, her voice trembling. "Althric—what's happening to him?"
A faint smile curved on the general's lips.
"Just enjoy the show," he whispered. "You're about to witness the birth of a god."
A roar broke the world apart — not a beast's cry, but something older and far more dreadful. The roar of The Abyssal Beast, echoing across eternity.
Above, the skies of the Abyss tore open as a colossal Phoenix of Shadowfire burst forth, its wings a storm of black flame. Every flap sent shockwaves through creation, and its voice was like molten thunder.
From the ruins below, a silhouette rose — slow, deliberate, unstoppable.
The Dread Monarch stood once more.
But this was no longer Ren Akatsuki.
This was the Beast in full control, the embodiment of primal domination itself. His armor, once cracked, was now reforged — every piece covered in pulsing runes of ancient darkness. Massive horns curved from his helmet, sharper and larger than before. His very existence distorted reality. Space bent. The ground bowed. The Abyss seemed to breathe in rhythm with his heartbeat.
Every soldier stepped back, terror gripping their hearts. Even Raviel, the once-proud King of Shadows, felt a cold shiver crawl down his spine.
"So," Raviel muttered, his grin trembling, "the monster finally awakens."
He charged forward, blade glowing with cursed energy — but his strike was stopped with one hand.
The Dread Monarch caught Raviel's sword effortlessly. The shockwave cracked the ground beneath them. Raviel's eyes widened in disbelief as the Monarch pushed him back, his movement slow, deliberate, almost mocking.
The Monarch began to march forward. Each step radiated a pulse of power, a rhythm of inevitability. His aura was so immense that even his own Shadow Army retreated, feeling the weight of their king's wrath. They knew what was coming.
The Monarch's voice echoed — deeper, heavier, layered with something inhuman.
"Stop."
Raviel froze. That tone was not Ren's. It was the growl of something ancient — the Abyss speaking through flesh.
Raviel sneered, trying to mask his fear. "Who's talking now? The man… or the monster?"
The Dread Monarch tilted his head slightly. "Does it matter?" Shadows slithered around his body like chains, pulsing with power. "You disappoint me, Raviel. I expected a king… but you're just another failure."
Raviel's rage flared. "Watch your tongue, beast!"
"Let's end this," the Monarch said, his blade lowering into stance. "No more games."
Raviel smirked. "As you wish… Monarch."
They charged.
The collision was cataclysmic. The air split apart. Wind screamed across the plains as their blades struck, over and over, each impact shaking the world. Shadow clashed with shadow, flame collided with flame, and the Abyss itself seemed to cry.
Raviel summoned his corrupted shades — monstrous serpents made of black fire — and hurled them forward. But the Phoenix screeched and dove, devouring the shadows whole. The energy of those creatures flowed into the Dread Monarch, empowering him beyond reason.
"Now!" the Monarch commanded. "Phoenix—release!"
The Phoenix obeyed, spreading its colossal wings and unleashing a blast so immense it turned the horizon white. The explosion tore through Raviel's defenses, consuming everything in fire and void. The shockwave rippled across every layer of the Abyss — seen and felt by all who lived within it.
When the dust cleared, Raviel was kneeling, gasping for breath. His armor hung in tatters, his body trembling from exhaustion. He looked up, blood dripping down his chin, and smiled weakly.
"You… think this is enough… to kill me?"
The Monarch tilted his head. "No," he said softly. "But this will."
He raised his sword. Shadows coiled around it like serpents, their hissing voices forming a single chant.
Raviel's eyes widened. "No… not that technique… You can't—"
The Dread Monarch's aura flared. The world dimmed. The sound of his next words cut through everything:
"Stormshatter Cry Burst."
A blinding flash.
A stillness deeper than death.
Then — destruction.
The entire battlefield detonated into oblivion. A storm of black light consumed all sight and sound. For a long moment, there was nothing but silence.
When it cleared, the Abyss was unrecognizable.
Zyra lay wounded among the ruins, her armor cracked. Umbra struggled to his knees, coughing. Althric stood still, his expression heavy and solemn. The soldiers looked around, too shocked to speak.
And there, in the center of the wasteland, stood Raviel.
Unmoving.
For a second, it looked like he had survived. Then, a single drop of dark blood traced down his neck — followed by another.
His body trembled.
And then his head fell, rolling to the ground with a dull thud.
The strongest king of the Abyss… was no more.
Silence blanketed the world.
The war was over. The five layers that had once been ruled by fallen monarchs now belonged to a single being — the Dread Monarch, the Absolute King.
Zyra and Umbra ran to him, their voices trembling with joy and relief.
"You did it!" Zyra cried. "It's finally over!"
But then she stopped.
Ren wasn't there.
The being before them was the Beast — Ren's soul had been consumed, erased completely.
Althric bowed his head. "He's gone," he said quietly. "The man named Ren Akatsuki no longer exists."
Zyra's breath caught. "No… there has to be something left…"
The Beast turned to face them, and though his aura was calm, his voice carried the depth of eternity. "Do not grieve. This is the fate I chose."
He turned away, walking toward the endless dark.
"Where are you going?" Althric called after him.
"I don't know," the Beast replied. "But something calls to me. A power greater than mine… something ancient enough to make even me tremble."
He walked for what felt like hours, through silence and black mist, until he reached the deepest realm of the Abyss — a place forbidden to all.
A vast hall awaited him, carved from the bones of creation. Thrones of darkness lined the sides, and at the top, towering above all, was a single throne — carved from pure shadow stone.
Upon it sat a man.
The figure rose as the Dread Monarch entered. His eyes were ageless, his presence infinite.
"Who are you?" the Beast demanded. "And why did you summon me here?"
The man's voice resonated like the heartbeat of the world itself. "First," he said, "welcome to the Throne of the Abyss — where those who conquered all five layers once sat."
The Beast narrowed his gaze. "How many have done that before me?"
"None," the man said simply. "None… but me."
A chill ran through the Beast. "Then who are you?"
The man smiled. "I am the Abyss itself — the first and the last. I am its will, its voice, its eternal hunger. And now, Dread Monarch… it is time for you to take my place."
The Beast fell silent, the weight of those words sinking in. The Phoenix landed beside him, bowing its head.
The mysterious figure gestured toward the throne. "Sit. Let the Abyss itself kneel before its king."
Without hesitation, the Dread Monarch stepped forward. The moment he sat upon the throne, the Abyss roared to life.
The ground quaked violently. Rivers of darkness burst from the earth. Across every layer, ancient beasts awoke from their slumber. Titans, dragons, serpents, and forgotten gods all rose, their eyes glowing in reverence.
They knelt.
Every creature, every shadow, every soul bowed to the throne.
Althric, Zyra, and Umbra appeared beside their new ruler, their armor battered but their loyalty unbroken.
Althric knelt and said, "We bow before our new King. Our lives, our blades, our souls — all are yours to command."
The Dread Monarch remained silent. His crimson gaze swept across the legions kneeling before him. His power pulsed through the Abyss like a living storm.
A whisper rose from the darkness — soft, trembling, and eternal:
"Long live the King of Shadows."
At that very moment, on the surface world, the sky turned black. Thunder roared, lightning split the heavens, and the earth trembled as the balance between realms shattered.
For one breathless instant, every living being felt it — the birth of a new god beneath their feet.
Then, just as suddenly, everything calmed. The sky cleared, the wind stilled, the world exhaled.
Haru looked up, confusion shadowing his face. "What was that…?"
Yume's hands shook. "It's him," she whispered. "The Abyss has chosen its ruler."
Daiki pressed harder on the accelerator. "We're close! Hold on!"
Kuro stared out the window, eyes dark and distant. "So it's true," he murmured. "The Abyss has knelt."
Daiki turned sharply. "What do you mean?"
Kuro's voice dropped. "The Dread Monarch has claimed the throne."
The car fell silent.
Yume's eyes glistened with fear. "Then Ren…"
Kuro nodded slowly. "Ren Akatsuki is gone. And the King of Shadows has risen."
The horizon ahead burned with twilight, the first whisper of the coming storm.