The battlefield was a graveyard of fallen knights. Hundreds of armored bodies lay scattered, their lifeless eyes staring into nothingness.
Ito sat in shock, unable to comprehend the scale of chaos one man alone had wrought.
Why would someone so powerful even need me?—the thought haunted him, but he dared not voice it aloud. What if speaking out only sealed his doom?
That man, seated casually on the wooden platform meant for Ito's execution, was unlike anything he had ever seen. Time itself had frozen around them. Only Ito and the masked figure were untouched.
Then, with a calm, deliberate voice, the stranger introduced himself.
Not Arre, but Ren.
A strange sense of relief washed over Ito—perhaps because the man had chosen to speak openly instead of ending his life on the spot.
"What do you want from me?" Ito finally asked. "If I accept your proposal… what is our purpose?"
Ren's lips curved into a devilish smile.
"A good question. From this moment on, Ito, you are my First Eye. Together, we are not merely survivors. We are rebels. Our banner… the Black Eye."
Ito's pulse quickened. The Black Eye?
"Yes," Ren continued with eerie calm. "We will tear down the royals… and forge our own empire. The Black Eye Empire."
Ito staggered backward, stunned.
---
Meanwhile, several ornate carriages approached the royal court. Each bore a crest of three concentric circles in different colors—the insignia of the Continental League Knights.
Inside the leading carriage, Minz slammed his fist against the table.
"Who is this masked demon?! He conjured a barrier and snatched Ito from our grasp, while slaughtering countless knights! His bounty was already 1.23 billion CR—do you understand what that means?!"
Chancellor Falselor calmly sipped her tea.
"1.23 billion, yes… a staggering sum. But even so, Minz, we must stay within our limits. To apprehend such a man requires more than brute force. Shouldn't we first investigate before rushing blindly?"
Minz glared at her.
"You think I would release a criminal like that? One who dreams only of chaos?"
Falselor's thin smile deepened, her voice laced with irony.
"My dear, I act only under orders from the headquarters. Mercy? That is not mine to give. Only the Creator himself is capable of such benevolence."
---
Back at the execution ground, Ren rose into the air. The black stakes binding Ito dissolved into smoke, and he collapsed to the ground with a groan. Ren descended gracefully, healing him with a touch.
Then he snapped his fingers. Time resumed.
An oppressive pressure swept across the field—so heavy that Ito fell flat on the dirt while Ren stood effortlessly, watching the chaos unfold.
The Continental League's carriages thundered into the square. Knights and officials poured out, their eyes widening at the sight of hundreds of corpses… and the mysterious figure standing unscathed amidst them.
Civilians rushed forward with crystal-recorders, capturing every detail: the masked man, the shattered execution platform, the blood-stained field.
Minz froze, limbs numb at the sight.
Falselor stepped ahead, her voice deceptively soft.
"And who are you, Masked Man? One eye hidden by hair, the other burning like fire. Should we know the reason for such concealment?"
Her odd words unsettled even the knights beside her.
Ren turned his head slowly, his tone calm yet commanding.
"I am Arre Ren—the founder of the Black Eye Organization."
Minz rose to his feet, trembling with rage.
"Black Eye? What madness is this? Why slaughter all these knights?"
Ren's gaze sharpened.
"They dared to condemn one of my champions with false justice. Such arrogance must be punished."
---
The battle erupted.
Minz charged with his sword, thrusting it through Ren's chest. But his eyes widened in horror—the blade passed clean through, striking nothing but mist. Ren's form shimmered like a ghostly projection.
"What are you?" Minz gasped.
Ren's voice was cold.
"Pitiful mortals… to think you can strike me. Shameful."
An elf woman dashed forward next, her blade flashing. Yet her strike too passed harmlessly through him.
Ren chuckled. "An elf, hm? Intriguing…" His eyes gleamed. "And beautiful, too. Perhaps you could share my bed—"
Minz roared, trying again to attack, but Ren ignored him. He stepped toward the elf—Lady Eliza.
With casual cruelty, he thrust his hand through her chest. Her scream echoed across the field as his fingers closed around her heart.
"ELIZA!" Minz shouted in despair.
And then she fell silent, lifeless.
---
The knights trembled. Reporters faltered in fear.
Ren stood unfazed, his mask gleaming.
Falselor, still calm, spoke at last.
"We will not oppose you. Take Ito and go. If you wish to leave, we shall not interfere."
Minz spun toward her, outraged.
"Have you lost your mind?!"
But it was too late.
A dark portal opened behind Ren. Eliza's body floated within its void. Ito too was pulled inside. And in a single heartbeat, they were gone.
Only silence remained.
---
Elsewhere, in a shadowed office, panic spread like wildfire.
The Advisor turned to Endric.
"This Black Eye… Arre Ren… should we place a bounty on his head?"
Endric's face darkened.
"We have no choice. But do you realize what will happen when the public learns of this? When they see the birth of a devil?"