The morning sky over the temple was a sickly shade of gray, tinged with crimson from the smoldering aftermath of previous battles. The air was heavy, charged with a power older than anything Kanji had faced before.
The shadows of the Forgotten crept closer, dissolving into the ruins of the temple grounds. They moved silently, almost blending into the broken mountains and scorched forests, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Rin and Seiji reinforced the wards as best they could, but even their combined efforts struggled against the creeping malevolence.
"Kanji… they're too numerous," Rin warned.
"Even the demons we faced were nothing like this," Seiji added, voice tense.
Kanji stood at the center of the temple, the black sword pulsing in his hands. Chains of molten light and shadow wrapped around him, energy crackling with anticipation.
"They're testing me," he muttered, golden eyes narrowing.
"They want to see what the heir of destruction can do."
The first wave of the Forgotten erupted from the shadows. Dozens of humanoid forms, skeletal yet humanoid, with hollow black eyes, descended like phantoms from the mountains. Each carried a strange aura, an ancient and oppressive magic that seemed to bend the very air around them.
Kanji's aura flared.
"I won't let them touch this place," he roared.
He swung the black sword, chains extending outward in a storm of molten fire and shadow. The first wave of the Forgotten was blasted apart, their forms scattering into ash and mist. Yet even as the energy faded, more rose in their place—countless forms emerging from the mountains, the forests, and the shadows themselves.
Ryou stepped forward, staff glowing with holy energy.
"Kanji… they are not like ordinary demons," he shouted over the roar of battle.
"These are beings of pure ancient will… every attack, every strike they make tests your limits. You must push your forbidden magic beyond anything you've used before."
Kanji clenched the sword tightly, feeling the pulse of forbidden magic within him—the merging of his demon blood, wizard heritage, and the echoes of his father's power. Chains of molten energy erupted outward, striking hundreds of the Forgotten in one sweep. The ground cracked, mountains shuddered, and rivers of molten shadow spread like veins across the battlefield.
But the Forgotten adapted. They reassembled almost instantly, moving with terrifying speed, striking at Kanji from every direction. Each blow tested his control, each strike threatening to overwhelm his defenses.
A voice echoed in his mind—the familiar, dark whisper of the forbidden magic:
"Heir… the power is yours. Take more… unleash the full potential. Let nothing stand before you."
Kanji's eyes blazed brighter, molten veins spreading across his body.
"I will not lose myself," he whispered, controlling the surge, "but I will use everything I have to protect this world."
With a massive roar, he unleashed a concentrated burst of forbidden magic—a vortex of molten light and shadow that tore through the battlefield, annihilating the first true strike of the Forgotten army. Mountains fractured, rivers boiled, and the shadows screamed as they were flung back into the darkness.
Rin and Seiji shielded themselves from the blast, awed by the sheer destructive power of the black sword in Kanji's hands.
"He… he's controlling it… fully!" Rin exclaimed.
But even as the dust settled, Kanji knew this was only the beginning. The Forgotten were patient, ancient beings who would not give up so easily. Their first strike had been repelled, but it was a warning—a test of his limits and a declaration that the next wave would be far worse.
Kanji looked over the battlefield, molten and shadow energy swirling around him.
"They came for me… to see if I'm ready. Now they'll know…" he said quietly.
"I am ready. And I will face them—no matter how many come, no matter what it takes."
From the distant mountains, countless shadows stirred, eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. The Shadows of the Forgotten were only beginning their assault.
And the true war between worlds—and the heir of destruction—was about to escalate to a level that would shake all of existence.
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