The faint hum of medical equipment filled the white hospital room. The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor echoed like a fragile pulse holding on to life. The air smelled of antiseptic and fear.
Ren stood motionless, his hands trembling slightly as he stared at the figure on the bed. Yume lay there, pale as snow, a tangle of wires and tubes connecting her to machines that were keeping her alive.
The doctor's voice broke the silence, calm but edged with gravity.
"She was in critical condition," he said, adjusting his glasses. "If you'd arrived even a few minutes later, it would've been too late."
The words struck like blades.
Ren's chest tightened. His knees weakened, and before he knew it, he had crouched beside the bed, gripping its cold metal edge as though he could anchor himself to reality.
Too close. Way too close.
The doctor looked at him again, his tone softening. "She's stable now. You can relax. There's no immediate danger."
Ren let out a trembling breath he didn't know he'd been holding. His gaze slowly lifted back to her.
Yume's eyelids fluttered. A faint groan escaped her lips. Slowly, painfully, she opened her eyes.
She was alive.
Ren was at her side in an instant. Without thinking, he reached for her hand, his grip gentle yet desperate.
"You—" his voice cracked, heavy with relief and fear. "You scared me to death. Do you have any idea what could've happened?"
Yume blinked up at him, startled. She'd seen him angry before, but not like this. His voice wasn't filled with rage — it was trembling, fragile, human.
"The doctor said… if you hadn't been brought here in time…" He swallowed hard, trying to force the words out. "You might've been gone."
For a long moment, the room fell silent except for the steady beeping of the machines. Then Ren's voice softened, his head lowering as he spoke quietly.
"Why did you use that technique again? You know what it costs you every time you do. What would I do if you—"
He couldn't finish the sentence. His breath hitched, and before he could stop it, tears began to fall.
"Yume… I was lost before I met you. I didn't even know what I was fighting for. You gave me a reason to move forward again." His words cracked under the weight of emotion. "So please… don't ever leave me. Not like that. Not now."
Yume's expression softened. Her hand trembled as she lifted it, resting it gently on his head.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice weak but sincere. "I wasn't thinking about what it would do to you."
Ren stayed like that for a while — silent, still — then finally nodded.
"Promise me," he said, lifting his gaze to hers. "Promise you won't use it again unless there's no other choice."
She smiled faintly, her lips curving in that familiar, gentle way that somehow made everything feel right again. "I promise."
Ren sat back, wiping the tears from his face quickly. Yume tried to suppress a giggle, but it slipped out anyway.
He frowned. "What's so funny?"
"You look like a kid who just got scolded," she teased lightly.
Ren blinked, his ears turning faintly red. He muttered something under his breath and crossed his arms, but a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
Neither of them noticed the faint shadow by the door. Ryojin stood there silently, her hand against the wall, eyes downcast.
She had heard everything.
For a long while, she didn't move. Her chest felt tight, her breath shallow. "So that's who he's been fighting for," she whispered. There was no bitterness in her tone — only a quiet ache.
"I used to think of him as just an F-rank… someone who'd never stand out. But at some point…" she paused, a sad smile touching her lips. "He just became Ren."
The thought hurt — but it also set something free inside her.
"If that's what makes him happy," she said softly, straightening her posture, "then I can live with that. I'll get stronger. Not for him — but for myself."
With that, she turned and walked away, the hallway lights dimming behind her.
Later that night, the city was quiet.
The streets glowed under flickering lamplight. The distant hum of cars and chatter of people filled the air. Ren and Yume sat in a small diner, tucked in a corner booth. The smell of coffee and warm bread filled the room, cutting through the tension that had followed them all day.
It wasn't a celebration — not really. It was a quiet meal, a moment to breathe, to remember that she was still here. For the first time in days, Ren allowed himself to relax.
"Feels strange," Yume said softly, tracing the rim of her cup. "After everything that happened… it's like the world just went back to normal."
Ren smiled faintly. "Maybe that's the point. Peace only feels real when you remember how fragile it is."
Yume looked at him, then nodded. "You always sound like an old man when you say things like that."
Ren chuckled quietly. "Maybe I've just seen too much."
For a while, neither of them spoke. The silence wasn't awkward — it was warm, comforting. But then, the ground trembled.
At first, it was faint — a soft vibration that made the glasses rattle on their table. Then the tremor deepened. The lights above flickered violently.
A low rumble echoed through the streets.
"An earthquake?" someone shouted.
But Ren knew instantly — this wasn't natural.
The air pressure changed. The atmosphere grew heavy. He stood, eyes narrowing as the sky outside darkened unnaturally fast. Clouds spiraled overhead like a whirlpool of black mist, lightning crackling within their depths.
Then came the sound — a deep, hollow noise that felt less like thunder and more like something breathing.
Ren's instincts screamed. He stepped out into the street, Yume right behind him.
And then the world split open.
A rift — vast and pitch-black — tore through the night sky, swirling with energy so dense it devoured light itself. Black mist poured from it, spreading across the city like living smoke.
From within that abyss, figures began to emerge.
Shadowed creatures — malformed, crawling, screeching — their shapes bending unnaturally, as if reality itself was rejecting them.
Ren's pulse spiked. These weren't ordinary monsters. Their presence carried something ancient, something older than the Demon King's essence.
The air crackled. The ground split.
Then a roar shook the heavens.
A massive dragon burst from the rift, its scales forged from pure darkness, its wings so vast they cast the city in shadow. The wind from its flight shattered windows and ripped trees from the ground.
And standing upon its head — a man.
His presence was calm, regal, and terrifying.
When he stepped down from the dragon's crown, the air grew heavier. Shadows bent around him, kneeling to his will.
"Prepare the blast," he said quietly. His voice was low, but it carried through the night like a decree.
The dragon's throat began to glow with unstable energy. Darkness condensed into a pulsing sphere of annihilation — then it fired.
The explosion hit with a deafening roar.
Ren reacted instantly. Shadow energy erupted around him as he formed a barrier, bracing himself against the destructive wave. The shock shattered buildings, cracked the streets, and sent debris flying in every direction.
"Yume! Get everyone out of here!" Ren shouted, straining to hold the barrier.
Without hesitation, Yume dashed away, her weakened body pushing past its limits as she guided civilians toward safety. Her voice echoed through the chaos, calling Master Kuro and Daiki.
By the time the other hunters arrived, the situation had already escalated beyond comprehension.
Above the ruined city, the dragon circled, roaring with fury. And at the heart of it all — Ren, standing alone, shadow aura flaring like black fire.
Kuro landed beside Yume, his expression dark. "What's happening?"
Yume caught her breath. "That man… and the dragon. It's like they came from another world. Ren's been holding them back, but…" She trailed off, her voice trembling. "I don't know how long he can last."
"All available S-ranks, move!" Ichiro's voice thundered through the comms. "Evacuate everyone! Ren's the only one capable of stalling that thing!"
The air split again.
The man descended completely, his boots touching the cracked ground with silent authority. The pressure from his presence alone forced weaker hunters to their knees.
"So," he said softly, "you are Ren Akatsuki — the Ninth King."
Ren froze. How does he know that name?
"Who are you?" Ren demanded, voice sharp.
The stranger tilted his head slightly, as if the question amused him. "The Eight Kings never told you about me, did they?"
Ren stayed silent.
"Of course they didn't," the man continued, his tone darkly amused. "They erased me from history. But history has a way of resurfacing."
He lifted his head slightly. Beneath his hood, Ren saw eyes that glowed like dying stars — ancient, cold, and filled with sorrow.
"My name is Raviel Noctem," he said. "The Fallen Monarch."
The words seemed to tear through the air like a curse.
Kuro didn't wait. In a burst of speed, he drew his sword and lunged.
Raviel didn't even flinch. With a single motion, he caught the blade between two fingers and flicked his wrist. Kuro flew backward, crashing into the ground hard.
"Master!" Ren shouted, but Raviel raised his hand calmly.
"I am not here to fight," he said.
Kuro coughed, forcing himself up. "Don't listen to him, Ren! He's a traitor — the one who started the Great War against the Kings!"
Raviel's expression darkened, his voice deepening. "And I would again."
The ground burst open as spikes of shadow shot upward, pinning Kuro in place.
Ren's patience snapped. His aura exploded outward, shaking the air. In the next instant, he lunged, his blade of shadow clashing against Raviel's bare hand. The impact created a shockwave that sent dust and fire spiraling through the ruins.
The spikes shattered. Kuro dropped, gasping for air.
Raviel glanced at Ren, intrigued. "Stronger than I expected," he murmured.
Ren didn't back down. "Leave them out of this," he said through clenched teeth. "If it's me you came for, then face me!"
Raviel smirked faintly, stepping forward. "Good. Show me what makes you worthy of that title."
Above them, the shadow dragon roared, its wings unfurling as if to announce the beginning of something far greater than a simple duel.
Darkness gathered between the two monarchs — one risen, one fallen — their powers clashing like storms across eternity.
The ground cracked. The air screamed.
And as their blades met once more, the night sky itself trembled — for this was not merely a battle between two men.
It was the moment when the past descended upon the present.
The Fallen Monarch had returned.
And the world would never be the same again.