The Promise
A millennium before the age of Rav, when the demon kingdoms still breathed fire into the stone of history, two young demon princes met in the training halls of the Ronin Institute.
It was the only place where the heirs of great clans were thrown.
They were eleven.
Young.
Fierce.
And destined to change one another's worlds before either understood what destiny truly meant.
Their names were Sumal and Saul.
Their families ruled neighbouring domains, divided by a hostile border and a line drawn in sand, sharpened by centuries of rivalry. Their fathers clashed often in words, occasionally in skirmishes, and always in pride. The boys inherited that instinctive heat without being told. They felt it in their bones, in their stare, in the way their fingers twitched when the other entered the room, even before they exchanged a single word.
And so, on the first day of the Institute's entry evaluation, fate orchestrated cruelty with elegance:
The first fight was between Sumal and Saul.
The noble spectators whispered that it must be a sign, some ancient prophecy, or the beginning of a power struggle that would unfold in future decades. Those who knew history expected blood that day. Those who understood children expected chaos.
They were both correct.
The wooden swords clashed with the force of iron and hatred. Sparks of spirit energy crackled with each strike. Teachers watched in stunned silence, not because the fight was fierce, but because it was beautiful. Two prodigies, mirror images of possibility, fought as if the world had wronged them since birth.
The duel nearly ended with a fatal blow. The teachers intervened a heartbeat before blood could spill. The nobles never forgot that moment. And they never underestimated those two boys again. However, destiny, ever fond of irony, wove rivalry into friendship.
In the first year alone, countless small incidents drew them closer together, including a shared punishment for blowing up a training field, a collaborative rescue mission where they barely saved each other from a mountain beast, and a night when they got lost in the Archives and read forbidden texts together until dawn.
By the end of the year, they were bonded in the strange way only warriors can be:
as friends, rivals, brothers, and shadows of each other's strengths.
Every day, on the training grounds, they fought brutally. And off the grounds, they talked, argued, teased, and dreamed.
Years passed. Their bond only deepened. So when Saul was given a mission in the mortal world, he immediately requested Sumal to accompany him.
They travelled through the veil between worlds into Dawnfire, the realm of forests, rich soil, and rivers that sparkled with magic. Even demons knew Dawnfire was a paradise among mortal lands.
The boys were stunned by its beauty, shocked by the abundance their world lacked. Their target had fled to the Hindkand. Together, the princes tracked him through forests, villages, and coastlines until they reached the high vantage point atop the Seventh Hill in the Hindkand.
Standing there, the world stretched beneath them, lush, alive, overflowing with life and hope. It was unlike the harsh demon lands, where resources were fought over like dying embers.
They completed their mission at the summit, but neither left. They stayed for days, hunting, collecting supplies, raiding a nearby village, but leaving them enough to last until harvest. It was a strange blend of cruelty and compassion, typical of young demons as they tasted the mortal world for the first time.
They sent demon bats to find the guide. When their guide arrived and escorted them back to the demon realm, something had changed inside them.
That day, atop the Seven Hills, Sumal made a promise.
"One day, I will bring our demon people to the mortal world.
Not to conquer.
To coexist.
I will build a new country, separate from mortal kingdoms, but peacefully sharing this land."
Saul, moved in a way he did not understand then, placed his hand on Sumal's.
"Then I will stand beside you.
Until we succeed…
or until we die."
Those were the vows of youth. Yet they would echo for centuries.
__________
The Final Place
Now, centuries later, Saul, known among many as The Rival One, stood on the shores of the Sea of Hind, older, bitter, exhausted, and hollow.
He bit the middle of his finger. A drop of demon blood fell into the water.
The sea stirred.
Creatures emerged, sharks, scaled beasts of the deep, forming a path. Then a massive, ancient shark rose with reverence. Its fins glowed with old marks; its gaze reflected centuries of recognition.
Saul placed a hand on the creature's head.
"Inran," he whispered.
The shark circled in the water, showing devotion.
"Let's cross."
The journey took half a day. Saul stood on Inran's back, silent, lost in the weight of memories heavier than the sea itself.
When they reached land, Saul stepped onto the sand.
"Thank you, old friend. This might be the last time. Take care."
Inran circled once more before disappearing into the deep.
Saul walked alone for several days until he reached the top of the Seven Hills. This is where he and Sumal once stood as young, full of impossible dreams.
He closed his eyes, letting the wind hit his face.
"Sumal… my friend.
I failed you.
I couldn't follow your ideals anymore.
Life twisted me. I broke the promise."
His voice trembled.
"But I can at least meet you in the afterlife."
He stepped to the cliff's edge.
He was ready.
__________
The Last Message
A shadow moved beneath him.
A creature of the shadow realm emerged, whispering:
"The boy is attacked by one of the Petal. He plans to torture him before killing him.
The hybrid child of prophecy will not survive."
Saul scoffed.
"Why should I care?"
The creature bowed.
"Please wait. Let me show you something."
It vanished into Saul's shadow, then returned moments later holding a scroll.
"This is from Lord Sumal. He wrote it for you. We failed to give it to you in the throne room. We followed you to deliver it when the time felt right."
Saul's hand trembled as he took the scroll.
"Sumal, you fool. You won't let me die in peace."
He tucked the scroll into his robe.
"Where is the boy?"
"Near a shadow pocket. Travel will take an hour."
The creature opened a small dimension. Saul stepped inside, swallowed by darkness.
__________
The Meeting of Times
As they travelled through the pocket, the creature whispered:
"Do you believe in the prophecy?"
Saul looked ahead.
"I don't know. Maybe meeting the boy will tell me."
"We, Cult of the Returning Fire, are sworn to protect him."
Saul grunted.
"That fool Sumal said the same, on his dying throne."
One single step carried them across what would have been a two-day mortal journey.
They emerged near the waterfall, where the water carried a faint metallic scent.
Blood and a familiar one.
He touched the water, sniffed it.
"This smell,Sumal?"
The shock snapped something inside him. His eyes burned with emotion he had crushed long ago.
He sprinted upstream using spirit leaps. With every bound, he recited an old poem, Sumal's favorite:
"There once was a human who achieved inhuman power,
asked How will you save the world now?
World doesn't need saving, it's beyond saving
At this time, it needs to be corrected
How can you know that?
You don't need to know everything, you just need to start
Dreams will destroy the doubts
War on inequality- doesn't need a win, it needs a start."
He reached the cave hidden below the water flow, but an invisible barrier blocked him.
He didn't care.
He leapt, smashing it apart.
Inside, the Petal torturer snarled, sensing intrusion.
"Testa!" the Petal commanded.
"Kill whoever entered. None leave alive!"
A boy lay on the ground, limbless, half-conscious, breathing only because the Petal kept him alive for pain.
__________
The Attack Spirit
Testa, the Sage's attack spirit, rushed to the entrance.
He saw Saul, a tall, dark figure with cold fire in his eyes.
"Stop right there!"Testa ordered.
Saul didn't raise his voice. He didn't slow his steps.
"Who are you to say that?"
"I serve my lord."
"Which lord?"Saul asked quietly.
"The Sage or the demon inside the cave?"
Testa hesitated, unable to move as an invisible force gripped him.
"My lord, is in the cave," he forced out.
Saul's expression hardened.
"Is that so? Then why is a spirit serving a demon using divine fire and wind magic?"
Anger snapped inside Testa.
He roared:
"Dragonborn: Replica Fire!"
Testa's form expanded into a draconic creature. Flames erupted from his maw, filling the cave, engulfing Saul in a blazing inferno.
For a moment, there was no movement.
The flames roared.
The cave crackled.
The Petal smirked inside.