The room was quiet, almost suffocatingly so. Only the faint crackle of a distant torch broke the silence. Kuro stood near the window, his face half-bathed in moonlight, watching Ren as though he carried a burden too heavy to speak.
"What do you mean, Ren?" Kuro asked finally, his voice deep, weighted with suspicion.
Ren's eyes darkened, shadow creeping over them like a storm passing over the moon. "Why was I chosen by the Kings?" he asked, his tone sharp, his hands clenching. "Why do the two Generals share a bond with you? When a person dies, their shadows should vanish — but mine didn't. They still remain with me… and sometimes, they try to take over." His voice trembled but did not falter. "I thought these questions would be answered after we returned, but maybe… the right time is now."
Yume turned her head slightly, watching him with a mixture of worry and curiosity. She had seen Ren fight, bleed, nearly die — but she had never seen him this serious, this desperate.
Kuro lowered his gaze, sighing softly as though the weight of years pressed down on him. "Listen carefully, Ren." His voice was grave, carrying the weight of a century of secrets. "It all began when the Gate of Shadows was opened once more. The Four Generals forged a bond with the humans who opened the gates and fought against the demons that poured out. At first, those humans feared the bond — they thought they had been cursed. But when the Generals revealed the truth of what mankind had done, they understood. For a century now, our family has served the Eight Kings."
Ren clenched his fists until his knuckles whitened. "Then why does Yume carry a bond with the Third General… while I carry one with the Fourth?"
Kuro's expression hardened, his jaw set like stone. "Because Yume's father — and our bloodline — descend from the four hunters who first opened the Gate. That bond is our inheritance. As for you, Ren…" His gaze sharpened. "…you were a King from the very beginning."
The words struck like a thunderclap.
Both Ren and Yume froze, their bodies tense, their eyes wide.
"What… do you mean?" they whispered together, almost afraid of the answer.
"The Kings have always watched over humanity," Kuro continued, his tone softer now, yet edged with awe. "But the First King… he watched only you. He saw something none of the others could. You and the First King — both were chosen by the darkness at your very first meeting."
Ren swallowed hard. His chest felt tight, as though the air itself resisted him. "Then… why did you accept me, Master?"
"That question," Kuro said gravely, "can only be answered by the Ninth King himself. For now, you must rest. Tomorrow will test you in ways you cannot imagine. Yume, stay with him tonight. Watch what happens to his body when he falls asleep — after all, the darkness is now part of him."
"Yes, Grandfather," Yume replied softly, lowering her head.
Ren gave a weary, almost bitter smile. "Yeah… but what about you?"
Kuro's gaze shifted away, fear flickering briefly in his eyes. "I have… something else to do."
The words left an uncomfortable silence in the room. Ren didn't press further — he didn't need to. Something was coming, something Kuro was too afraid to say aloud.
The Night of Shadows
When night fell, the room grew colder. Moonlight spilled across Ren's sleeping form, pale and quiet, as though the world itself was holding its breath.
Yume sat at his side, hugging her knees to her chest, her usual sharp demeanor softened by concern. Every rise and fall of his chest felt like a fragile miracle.
Then, from the deepest corner of the room, a shadow peeled away from the darkness itself. The Fourth General appeared, her presence a mixture of grace and menace, her voice barely a whisper.
"You must go," she said, urgency lacing every syllable. "Meet with the Eight Kings."
Yume's eyes widened. She knew what this meant. Disobedience would bring punishment, perhaps even execution. But when she turned to look at Ren — sleeping so peacefully, unaware of the judgment looming over him — her heart hardened.
This might be the last time I ever see him… but if I do nothing, he will die.
Without another word, she followed the General through the shadow gate.
The Throne of the Kings
The realm of the Kings was a void of infinite darkness, lit only by the eerie glow of eight colossal thrones. The air itself seemed to crush her, and the sheer weight of the Kings' presence brought her to her knees.
The Third General beside her collapsed as well, both of them trembling, gasping for air under the suffocating aura.
"You dare defy the will of the new King of Shadows?" the voices of the Kings boomed as one, their words like a storm that shook the very ground.
"We declared it already — Ren Akatsuki is the Ninth King!"
The sound of their proclamation reverberated through Yume's bones.
She fell fully to her knees, forehead pressed to the ground. "I… I am sorry, my Kings. I was blind. I could not see your wisdom."
"That is an excuse," the Second King spat, his voice cold and venomous.
The Fourth King's voice was merciless, final. "Third Commander, your crime cannot be forgiven. You went against us. You shall be executed."
"No — please!" she cried, her voice breaking into a scream. "Spare me! I beg you!"
A shadow formed before her, massive and terrible, its shape barely human. It raised a blade of pure darkness above her head, the tip gleaming with death itself.
"Yes… my King," she whispered, her entire body trembling, yet her voice held a strange calm. "If this is my fate… so be it. But please… forgive me, and if possible… forgive me before the Ninth Sovereign as well."
The blade lifted higher. Yume turned her head away, unable to watch.
And then—
"STOP!"
The word rang out like lightning.
The Kings turned in unison, their thrones shaking. "Show yourself! Who dares?"
A figure stepped from the abyss, his form wreathed in swirling shadow, his presence commanding yet wild.
"I am the Ninth King — Ren Akatsuki."
Gasps echoed across the throne room. "Why are you here?"
Ren stepped forward, his steps echoing in the silence, his expression fierce. "When I fell asleep, I met the Darkness. He told me she would be executed. I could not allow it. I asked for his help — and came here."
"Ren—" Yume whispered, stunned beyond words.
"It's enough!" Ren's voice cracked like thunder. "I forgive her. Stop this at once!"
The Kings seethed, their forms flickering with dark energy. "She defied you. She questioned your strength."
"Because she was protecting you!" Ren shouted, falling to his knees. His forehead nearly touched the abyss beneath him. "She did not betray me. She doubted because I am weak — not because her loyalty wavered. She was trying to preserve the honor of the Kings. She could not see what you saw. But that does not make her guilty."
The throne room fell silent. Even the Darkness itself seemed to still.
To save someone… he would beg on his knees rather than raise his sword.
"Please," Ren said, his voice hoarse, raw, desperate. "Spare her."
Silence stretched, heavy and unbearable. Finally, the Darkness spoke, its voice softer than before:
"My King… raise your head."
"Yes," the Kings echoed. "Ninth King, raise your head. We… forgive her."
Ren lifted his eyes, relief washing over him like rain after a drought. "See? She will never betray you. She would die fighting at your side. That is why she doubted me — not out of disloyalty, but out of fear that I was unworthy."
The Kings bowed their heads. "Forgive us, Third General. We misjudged you."
Yume whispered, awe-struck, "My King… you humble yourself for others. You protect them, even when they falter. That is why the Darkness chose you."
The Third General's voice broke, tears streaming down her face. "Ninth King… from this moment on, I will never doubt you again. Forgive me for my blindness."
The Darkness rumbled like distant thunder. "It is time to leave, my King."
"Yes," Ren said, standing. "Allow us to go."
"Goodbye, Ninth King," the Kings said in unison. "We shall meet again."
The Awakening
Yume rushed back through the shadows, her heart pounding.
When she entered Ren's chamber, she froze.
Shadows and darkness swirled around Ren's body like a raging storm, merging into him rather than devouring him. His flesh hardened, his veins glowed faintly with dark mana, and power pulsed through the air.
The darkness was no longer consuming him.
He was beginning to control it.
The Ninth King had awakened.