As Saruto flew through the sky, holding the rebel in his arms, the man screamed frantically, flailing about aimlessly: "Let me go, you bastard! Why did you take me so far? Do you intend to torture me?! I won't utter a word, no matter what you do!"
Saruto didn't reply. He continued flying until he knew he was far enough away from the kingdom, from prying eyes, and from any energy that might follow him. He finally landed on a desolate plain, surrounded by silent ruins, then completely concealed his energy, until he was nothing more than a shadow among shadows. He calmly set the rebel down and looked at him with eyes that held not anger, but bewilderment. "Answer me," Saruto said in a low but firm voice. "What is happening here? What happened to those ruined cities? And why do all the inhabitants of the Ten Kingdoms live within a kingdom called Hellis? And who is this emperor?"
The rebel suddenly laughed, a manic laugh filled with bitterness. "Have you lost your mind? What are you talking about?"
Then he raised his head and glared at Saruto with eyes burning with hatred. "You are the cause of all this!"
Saruto froze. "What…?"
The rebel continued, his voice growing louder and louder: "You're the one who destroyed those cities! And you weren't satisfied with that… You destroyed the entire Ten Kingdoms!"
Saruto eyes widened in genuine shock. "That's impossible… I didn't do anything!"
The rebel burst into laughter again: "Look who's talking! The murderer of millions, the cause of ruin and destruction, now feigning innocence!"
Saruto took a step back, as if struck by the words. "I… I don't know what you're talking about."
"Enough!" the rebel roared angrily. "Are you trying to convince yourself you're innocent? Everything that happened is your fault!"
In an instant, Saruto moved. Black stumps of darkness formed, binding the rebel's body and sealing his mouth. Saruto sat down on a nearby rock, his hand on his forehead, analyzing the words he had heard. Slowly, the terrifying truth dawned on him.
Someone was impersonating him. A man who uses his name, his appearance, and the power of darkness to spread destruction, turning kingdoms into hell. "No matter what I say, he won't believe me… so I have no choice but to see the truth with my own eyes," he thought to himself.
He freed the rebel from his restraints and said, "Do you think I'm going to kill you now?"
The rebel looked at him warily. "Isn't that what you intend?"
Saruto shook his head. "No. But I want to know your name."
The man hesitated. "And why does my name matter to you?"
Saruto raised his gaze to him, a look that made the air seem heavy. The rebel swallowed and said quickly, "My name is… Jin."
Saruto said calmly, "I respect your courage, Jin. But you won't believe me, so I'll have to use another method."
Before Jin could object, Saruto placed his hand on his forehead. A silent, dark energy erupted, and memories flooded back. Saruto saw everything: the rebel camp, their suffering, their pursuit, and their leader, Bianca. Slowly, he withdrew his hand. "Now I know everything… thanks to you, Jin."
Jin eyes widened in terror. "What… what have you done?"
Saruto smiled and named the place where the rebels were hiding. Jin collapsed to his knees. "Please! Kill me… leave my comrades alone!"
"Didn't I tell you?" Saruto said calmly. "I'm not that emperor."
Then he continued, "Did that man possess that power? If he had, he would have wiped you out long ago."
Doubt began to creep into Jin mind. "Then… who the hell are you? And why do you resemble the emperor?"
"I am Saruto… the Dark King," Saruto answered firmly.
The two walked together, silence between them. Then Saruto said, "Your goal is to overthrow the emperor because he destroyed kingdoms, but the people live in peace under his rule… why?"
Jin replied bitterly, "Because he killed all the kings and their heirs. What you see as peace is a mask. He despises the inhabitants of other kingdoms and only glorifies the people of his own."
He continued, "He claims that those who possess the power of darkness are the superior race, and the rest are slaves. The area you saw… it wasn't mercy, but a reward for those who betray the rebels."
He paused for a moment, then said, "That day… he enjoyed watching us kill each other."
"How did they capture you?" Saruto asked.
"I surrendered," Jin replied.
Saruto was surprised. "Why?"
"For my family… so they could enter the safe zone," Jin responded.
"You sacrificed yourself," Saruto said with genuine admiration.
"I would have cut out my tongue during the interrogation… to become useless," Jin replied.
Saruto looked at him for a long time, then said, "Well, Jin… let's go to the rebel headquarters."
Jin paused. "Why?"
Saruto smiled, his eyes gleaming with murderous resolve. "I will help you overthrow this false emperor… and in return, you will help me return home."
Jin hesitated a moment, then nodded. And so, together, they headed toward the rebels' headquarters, where the threads of truth began to unravel, and where the fate of this world was about to change.