In the forbidden forests to the east of the kingdom, there was a rocky pass covered in mist.
This was where the curse was born. The closest point to Shadow's essence.
No one would go near it… But today, someone was there.
Zero was walking alone.
He had not asked the king's permission, he had not informed anyone.
But a voice inside him…just go.
"If Kai has acquired this power…I must face him."
The forest was ominous. The trees whispered as if they were alive, the ground caved in with every step.
After a while, the sky disappeared—only darkness, cold, and silence remained.
And at that moment…
A familiar voice echoed in his mind.
"You have finally arrived…the bearer."
Zero's steps stopped. His eyes caught sight of movement in the dimness.
A figure appeared before him…a figure.
A pitch-black robe, an eyeless face…but its presence made every cell tremble.
Shadow. The Lord of Shadows.
The origin of the curse within Kai, the master of darkness within Zero.
"I gave you a piece of the power… but you still chain me.
I am… your TRUE potential."
Zero drew his sword.
"I am not your potential. I… forge my own path."
Shadow smiled.
The ground shook as the sky went completely dark.
"Then come. Fight against your own destiny."
The ground shattered.
Zero suddenly found himself in a vast arena covered in shadows.
The field… had expanded. But it was Shadow's Field Expansion, not his.
The Cursed Temple: Infinite Shadow
There was no sky. The ground was like a reflection.
Everything was silent—and then…Shadow was suddenly teleported in front of him.
The first blow came.
Zero dodged at the last moment.
But the attack didn't just leave a physical echo…it left a mental echo.
A whisper sank into Zero's heart:
"Kai's darkness, your devotion to Lyria, your fear of failure… They are all with me."
Zero stumbled but recovered.
"I am strong with these. Not with you."
He activated his ice magic with his left hand.
He created a wall, blocking Shadow's second attack.
But the shadow passed through the ice—without touching it.
"Your rules do not apply here."
Zero understood.
This was not just a physical battle… Shadow's rules applied here.
His mind, his reality, dominated the Field Expansion.
But Zero smiled.
"I know Field Expansion too.
If I open it inside you… this fight will be equal."
Zero's eyes burned like fire.
The power within him trembled.
It was as if it was shouting its existence even under Shadow's pressure.
He stamped on the ground with his left hand.
"Cursed Temple: Eternal Frost!"
Ice and shadow… clashed in the same arena.
The two areas pressed against each other, the sky cracked, the ground exploded.
And the war began.