BOOM!
The roof above Ryu and his mother exploded without warning.
King Drakheart reacted instantly—his white dragon aura surged as he raised a glowing shield to protect them. But a blinding bolt of thunder cracked through the sky and shattered the shield like glass.
"Rrrraaaahh!"
The King managed to cover his family just in time, shielding them from flying debris.
When the smoke cleared, a tall, cloaked skeleton floated in the air, dressed in a tattered black robe, holding a massive scythe. His hollow eyes glowed red.
"King Drakheart," the reaper's voice echoed like a thousand whispers, "hand over the child. His soul was meant to burn in hell. He escaped me once—reborn into this world. Now I'm here to collect him."
---
Ryu's thoughts:
What the hell?! Me? Go to hell?
Nooo! That's gotta be a mistake! I mean... okay, I might've done some shady things in my past life... but come on! I'm just a baby now!
This isn't fair! Babies don't even sin!
---
King Drakheart stood tall, fury in his eyes. "You will not lay a bony finger on my son."
The Reaper raised his scythe.
The King dashed forward with lightning speed—clashing against Death in a burst of energy.
A legendary battle began.
White dragon flames clashed with soul-slicing darkness. The entire castle shook. The King summoned his Dragon Spirit, launching waves of divine power—but it wasn't enough.
The Reaper didn't even flinch.
"Impressive… for a mortal," he mocked. "But I am Death. You can't kill what already owns the end."
---
King Drakheart, blood dripping from his mouth, fell to one knee.
Still, he stood between Death and the child.
"He made mistakes in his past life… but now he's innocent. He was just reborn. You can't drag a baby to hell."
---
The Reaper paused.
Behind the King, a faint outline appeared—a massive white dragon, celestial and godlike.
The Reaper's eyes narrowed.
"…So the Dragon God watches over this child?"
He clicked his jawbones and sighed.
"Fine. He's pure now. Hellfire can't burn purity. I'll grant him a second chance."
Then, leaning close, his voice dropped cold and low:
"But Qjiro Konoke… the curse remains. This world is nothing like the one you knew. Be ready."
And with a flick of his cloak—he vanished.
---
Suddenly, the roof reformed. The palace returned to normal.
In a blink, it was like nothing had happened.
Ryu's mother played with him, smiling softly.
King Drakheart sat quietly, as if the battle never occurred.
Only Ryu remembered it all.
That reaper said something about a curse... but what curse?
And why do I feel like… this is just the beginning?