The world above Kanji's celestial trial had grown darker with each passing moment.
Storm clouds rolled across the mountains, swallowing the moon, and the winds howled with a voice not of this realm. The temple grounds, once a sanctuary, had become a battlefield of tension, as if the very earth knew what was coming.
Rin and Seiji stood at the gates, fear etched into every line of their faces.
"We can't hold him off for long," Seiji said, voice trembling.
Ryou's eyes narrowed. "It's not just the Forgotten. Something darker stirs. He's already moving."
---
The Awakening of the Abyss
Far below the mountains, in the depths of the abyss where the Fallen Demon King slept, the ground cracked.
Obsidian chains splintered.
Dark mist surged outward like a living flood.
The throne of skulls shattered under the weight of his awakening.
The Demon King rose fully, taller and more terrifying than any mortal imagination could fathom. His wings, torn yet radiating raw power, unfurled. His horns spiraled higher than towers. His eyes glowed like twin eclipses, burning into the world with hatred and hunger.
"The Starborn has awakened," he hissed, voice cracking like a thousand storms.
He raised a hand, and the abyss itself obeyed—mountains shifted, rivers boiled, and shadows crawled across the surface world like venom.
"Prepare my generals," he commanded. "The heir must kneel before me… or all will burn."
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The First Strike
Meanwhile, back at the temple, Kanji emerged from the Celestial Forge, the newly reforged sword glowing with midnight blue and golden veins.
Every step he took shook the earth beneath him.
Rin gasped. "Kanji… your aura…"
Seiji stared, wide-eyed. "It's… unstoppable!"
Kanji did not speak. His focus was absolute. He could feel it—the pull of his father's blood, the call of the Demon King, and the distant surge of the Forgotten.
Then it came.
A black meteor streaked across the sky—massive, burning with infernal energy.
BOOM!
It crashed into the western hills, tearing forests to ash and sending shockwaves through the temple.
Kanji gritted his teeth.
"He's testing me," he whispered. "But this ends tonight."
---
Rallying the Monks
Ryou, Rin, and Seiji prepared wards and talismans.
"We cannot win by defense alone," Ryou said grimly. "Kanji, you must take the fight to him!"
Kanji gripped his new blade.
"I know," he said. "And this time, I won't hesitate."
His eyes burned gold, shadows crawling over his skin. Energy radiated outward in waves so powerful that the remaining Forgotten dissolved into ash before even reaching the temple.
Rin and Seiji shielded their eyes.
"He… he's ready," Rin whispered.
---
The Demon King Moves
Far to the north, the Demon King's generals assembled.
Ravik, Xyra, Torren, Moroa, Vesh, and Kaelrith bowed, forming a circle around a black vortex—a portal to the mortal realm.
Kaelrith stepped forward. "My lord, the boy has emerged from the Forge. He wields the reforged blade."
The Demon King's eyes glowed like dying suns.
"Excellent," he said. "Let the world feel my wrath. Send the Forgotten to test him. But hold your strength. I will deal with him personally soon."
The generals nodded. They vanished into the vortex.
In the temple, Kanji felt it—an immense pressure, a cold that threatened to freeze his very soul.
He lifted the sword.
"It's not just a battle… it's the beginning of war," he said.
The ground cracked under his boots.
The air vibrated with raw power.
The first move had been made.
And the Demon King had announced himself.
---