The battlefield was silent for a moment — too silent. Blood and dust hung in the air like a veil, the smell of burning stone and scorched earth thick in every breath.
Yume's eyes fluttered open weakly, just enough to see Ren kneeling beside her, his body shielding her from the blast that should have ended them both. The sight of his blood-stained clothes broke something in her chest. Her trembling lips parted, and a fragile whisper escaped.
"Ren… I'm sorry. I couldn't protect you…"
Her words barely reached him before she fell limp, unconscious from pain and exhaustion.
Ren's jaw tightened. The quiet fury in his eyes spoke louder than any scream could. Gently, he laid Yume beside Master Kuro, whose breathing was ragged but steady.
"Stay alive," Ren murmured to them both.
Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, he rose to his feet. Shadows began to gather around him like a storm answering its king. With a wave of his hand, a weapon took shape — a sword forged entirely of darkness, its edge humming with quiet, lethal promise.
Across the battlefield, Zen threw his head back and laughed.
"You really think you can face me like this, Ren? You're nothing! That power isn't yours!"
He lunged forward, swinging his blade with all the force of his corrupted strength — but Ren didn't move. The attack was stopped cold, caught on Ren's dark sword as though it were nothing more than a stick.
Zen's grin faltered. "Oh? So you stopped that one… but let's see you stop this!"
He leapt backward, gathering power in his hands until it blazed like a miniature sun, pulsating with destructive intent. The ground split beneath his feet as he unleashed the blast — a wave of annihilation that promised to erase everything in its path.
But the destruction never reached Ren.
Instead, it was swallowed whole by something far darker — a phoenix of shadow and flame that erupted behind Ren, its wings stretching across the battlefield. The blast vanished into its burning maw, leaving not even a spark.
Zen's eyes went wide with disbelief.
"W-what?! That attack— no one has ever survived it!"
His words were cut short by a wet, choking sound as Ren's blade pierced his stomach. Zen staggered backward, coughing blood.
"You might have stolen my power," Ren said, his tone cold and sharp as steel, "but the core of it still lies within me. You don't understand its nature. You don't respect it. Forcing it beyond its limit will only destroy you."
"Shut up!" Zen snarled, spitting blood. "You're nothing but a weakling who never deserved this power! Why would the King choose you?! Hand it over — or I'll tear it from you myself!"
Ren's eyes narrowed, the weight of his next words sinking like chains around Zen's neck.
"This power only chooses those who are worthy. And you… are not."
Zen roared and launched himself at Ren again, swinging wildly, each blow heavier than the last. But every strike missed, every slash was turned aside as if the shadows themselves bent reality to shield Ren.
Fear began to bloom in Zen's chest.
"W-what are you?" he gasped, his voice cracking.
Ren's expression didn't change. His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it — a truth that cut deeper than any blade.
"Oh… me?"
The battlefield seemed to darken as his words echoed, carrying with them a gravity that crushed the air from Zen's lungs.
"I am the night that answers to no dawn.
I am the silence that swallows kings and gods alike.
I am the truth hidden within every shadow.
You may resist, you may deny… but in the end—"
His eyes glowed like twin stars in the abyss.
"I am inevitable."
The words sank into Zen like cold iron, and for the first time, real terror seized him. His body trembled despite himself, his pride splintering under the weight of Ren's presence.
Ren's voice cut through the silence like a final verdict.
"Let's end this. Once and for all."
The ground split as a massive black sword materialized in his hands — a weapon so vast and heavy that it seemed capable of cutting the world itself in half. Its edge radiated an aura that severed even the air around it.
In one clean motion, Ren swung.
Zen screamed as both his legs and arms were sliced away in a single stroke, the wounds crackling with dark energy that refused to let them heal.
"You…" Zen's scream broke into a choked sob as he fell to the ground, helpless. "You can't… you can't do this!"
Ren stepped closer, each footfall heavy with judgment.
"It's over," Ren said quietly. "I forgave you twice. But this time…" His voice dropped to a cold whisper. "…you've gone too far."
With deliberate slowness, Ren placed a hand over his chest and pulled forth the Black Heart.
The heart pulsed, its voice breaking the silence.
"Ren… it's me," it said, trembling. "I was forced into evil. I missed you. Where have you been?"
"Shut up," Ren said firmly, but the hard edge in his tone softened just slightly. "Still… it's good to have you back. Let's put you where you belong."
The Heart pulsed once more before merging back into Ren's chest. Immediately, shadows and light swirled around him, merging in perfect harmony. His power flared — not wild, not unstable, but controlled, sovereign.
Ren raised his sword of darkness one final time.
"This is the end."
With a single, precise strike, Zen's head was severed cleanly. His body crumpled, and the battlefield grew silent again.
A shadow rose from Zen's corpse, taking on the shape of a figure that bowed deeply.
"You are now released from the evil that bound you against the King," it said solemnly. "Rest, at last."
Then it dissolved into the night sky, leaving nothing behind.
Ren stood there for a moment, his chest heaving as the last of his fury faded. The storm of shadows around him began to quiet, like the ocean after a raging tempest.
"Darkness," he murmured.
"Yes, my King?" the ever-present voice of the shadows answered.
"Thank you," Ren said softly. "For standing with me."
"I am honored to remain at your side," the voice replied before fading back into silence.
"Ren…"
The weak voice drew his attention. Master Kuro, still battered but alive, was struggling to sit up.
"Yume… she's badly hurt. Can you heal her?"
Ren nodded. "Yes."
He knelt beside Yume, placing a hand gently over her chest. Shadow energy flowed from his palm, knitting her wounds and easing her pain. Her breathing steadied, though her eyes remained closed.
"I'll take her," Ren said softly, lifting her into his arms as though she were made of glass.
He brought her back to his home. Hours passed as he tended to her wounds, bandaging every cut, cleaning every bruise. When he finally sat down, exhaustion caught up with him — but he refused to leave her side.
That night, in the dim glow of the single lantern, Ren reached for her hand. Her skin was soft, delicate, almost too fragile for the world she had just survived. His throat tightened, and words spilled out in a broken whisper.
"Yume… I can't keep hiding it anymore. I love you. I know I'm not worthy of you, but I want you to stay… with me. Only with me."
Tears slipped from his eyes, landing silently on her hand.
By morning, Yume stirred. Her lashes trembled as she opened her eyes and saw Ren slumped over the edge of the bed, still holding her hand even in sleep. Her heart ached at the sight of him, and a faint smile curved her lips.
When Ren awoke, relief washed over him like a tidal wave.
"Yume… you're awake. Thank the gods," he said, his voice thick with emotion.
He brushed her hair back gently, his touch almost reverent.
"Let me make us breakfast," he said with a rare, warm smile.
Yume nodded silently, her heart beating faster.
Later, as they sat together at the small wooden table, a quiet peace settled between them. Yume looked at Ren, her eyes soft, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Ren… there's something I've wanted to tell you for a long time."
He froze, his chest tightening.
"I love you," she said simply, honestly, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Ren's breath caught. And for the first time in a very long time, a genuine smile broke across his face.