The temple shook long after Kanji's vision ended.
The air tasted like iron.
The sky dimmed, as if the night itself feared what Kanji had seen.
Even the torches inside flickered with unnatural shadows.
Master Ryou was the first to speak.
"Kanji… if the Demon King has awakened, then we have little time."
Kanji stood slowly, the black sword resting against his shoulder.
His aura crackled like unstable lightning—gold shifting into shadow, shadow twisting into fire.
"I'm not strong enough," he admitted quietly.
"He broke the seal without even trying. If he comes for me now… I won't survive."
Ryou nodded grimly.
"That is why we must go. Immediately."
Rin blinked. "Go where? The temple is our strongest protection—"
"No," Ryou said.
"We must travel to the one place where Kanji's power can truly evolve.
A place older than demons… older than wizards… older than the stars."
His expression hardened.
"The Celestial Forge."
Seiji's eyes widened. "It actually exists…?"
Ryou nodded.
"A hidden realm where the first star beings shaped weapons capable of killing gods.
If Kanji is to face the Demon King, the sword he carries must be reforged. And so must he."
The Path of Starlight
The monks led Kanji deep into the forest.
Roots glowed faintly with silver light, marking a path that could not be seen by normal eyes.
Kanji felt the black sword grow heavier with each step, as if resisting.
"It doesn't like this place," he murmured.
Rin stepped beside him.
"That sword was forged by demon royalty. The Forge is its opposite… pure celestial energy. It probably feels threatened."
Kanji tightened his grip.
"Good. It needs to be."
They walked until the trees bent backward in a perfect arch, forming a natural gate.
Ryou raised his staff.
"Kanji. Place your hand on the arch."
Kanji hesitated, then pressed his palm against the bark.
A surge of cold light shot through his veins.
The arch cracked open—revealing a swirling tunnel of silver mist.
Ryou spoke solemnly:
"From here onward, you step into the realm of the Ancients.
The Forge will test you. Break you.
If you survive… you will emerge as something far greater."
Kanji nodded and stepped through.
The Celestial Realm
Light swallowed him.
He gasped.
The ground beneath his feet wasn't earth—it was glowing starlight.
Constellations spun beneath the surface like living rivers.
Mountains floated upside down.
Fragments of broken galaxies orbited silently overhead.
It was beautiful.
And terrifying.
Rin stepped beside him, mouth open.
"It's like walking inside a living sky…"
Then the temperature dropped.
A voice like a thousand chimes echoed around them.
"HALF-BREED."
Kanji turned sharply.
A massive figure descended from the shimmering clouds—
A celestial giant with wings made of broken constellations,
Eyes burning with ancient judgment.
Its presence made the ground tremble.
"You carry the blood of ruin. The blood of the Demon King."
Kanji lifted the sword defensively.
"And also the blood of a wizard. I'm both."
The celestial being's eyes narrowed.
"Exactly why you are dangerous."
Chains of pure starlight erupted from the ground, latching onto Kanji's arms and chest.
Rin shouted, "Kanji!"
Kanji dropped to his knees, gasping as the chains tried to tear the demon half out of him.
"Stop!" he roared, struggling.
The giant gazed down without mercy.
"Prove you are worthy of the Forge.
Prove you are not a monster."
Then the chains dragged him toward the glowing mountains—
toward the heart of the Celestial Forge.
Ryou exhaled deeply.
"He must face this alone."
The Heart of the Forge
Kanji was thrown onto a platform of pure starlight.
The giant raised its hand.
"Your demon blood must be tempered…
Your wizard blood must be awakened…
Your humanity must be tested."
The platform ignited.
Silver flames roared around him.
Kanji screamed as the flames pierced his skin, stripping away illusions, defenses, and hidden fears.
Memories flooded him—his mother's death, the hunters in the forest, the countless demons sent after him, the terrifying awakening within him.
But he didn't break.
He stood, eyes glowing gold and red.
"I'm not a monster," he growled.
The flames intensified.
"I'm not a weapon."
The sword pulsed violently.
"I'm Kanji."
The flames exploded outward.
When the light cleared, the celestial giant stared silently.
Something had changed.
The Reforging
The giant lifted its palm, and Kanji's black sword floated into the air.
The blade melted into raw molten shadow.
Starlight poured over it, reshaping it.
Chains of darkness intertwined with celestial metal.
A new weapon was being born.
The giant spoke:
"This sword shall be your truth.
A fusion of demon and star.
Of destruction and creation."
Kanji felt the weapon pull at his soul.
Ryou and the others watched from the edge of the realm, trembling with awe.
Slowly… the sword solidified.
It was no longer black.
It was midnight blue—
etched with gold veins—
the edge shimmering like the event horizon of a dying star.
Kanji reached out and took it.
The realm shook.
The celestial giant bowed its head.
"Starborn heir…
your true trial begins now."
Kanji lifted his new blade.
And for the first time—
It felt like it truly belonged to him.
---