At this moment, the city's atmosphere was such that it seemed it could swallow the entire world on its own.
The sky was heavy—smoke, fire, and fear intermingling.
Buildings shook, and an uneasy tension hung in the air.
Akuma's eyes blazed with fury.
It was clear—he was burning, boiling over.
"The time has come,"
he said, coldly,
"To avenge blood… with blood."
Far away, three nuclear bombs were advancing toward Yukanda.
Akuma closed his eyes.
In the next moment, his face hardened.
"I can feel them…"
he muttered.
"This world can never be saved.
The war will continue
as long as even a single human survives here."
Elsewhere…
In an unknown, shadowy place,
a figure sat in the darkness.
His eyes glimmered—
as if he were observing an experiment.
"Humans…"
he laughed.
"These creatures exist only on Earth,
and yet they've created weapons capable
of wiping out entire cities."
He rose from his seat.
"If they ever explore the universe…"
his laughter deepened.
"They would create something capable
of destroying an entire cosmos."
Then, a strange glint appeared in his eyes.
"But…"
"on Earth, I've found something… interesting."
His laughter echoed through the void.
The Prison
Elsewhere, in a deep, pitch-dark chamber,
a woman was bound in chains.
Her body was frail,
but her eyes burned with determination.
"Finally…"
she whispered.
"He has awakened."
She pulled at the chains.
The clang of iron rang out.
"But… not yet."
Her breath trembled.
"She isn't strong enough
to face them all alone."
She tried again.
Her hands and arms were torn.
Blood flowed freely.
The chains did not break.
She wept.
"They bastards…"
her voice cracked.
"They will not escape my hands."
Above Yukanda
The nuclear bombs were now dangerously close to the city.
Akuma looked up.
The halo above his head began to glow darker and brighter simultaneously.
"The time has come,"
he said,
"To awaken my dormant powers."
The Leader's Warning
From afar, Sorafin looked at the Leader.
"The humans' mistake…"
the Leader said,
"Using nuclear weapons…"
He drew a deep breath.
"I don't think Akuma will spare anyone now."
His eyes were deadly serious.
"I know him."
"Now, the rivers of blood will flow."
The Name
Akuma gazed at the halo.
"The time…"
"To reclaim my dormant powers… has arrived."
He asked,
"What is your name?"
A voice echoed from the halo.
"I have no name."
Akuma was startled.
"Why?"
"Because you are my master,"
the voice replied.
"I cannot take a name from anyone else.
It would go against my very soul."
A moment of silence passed.
"If you wish…"
"You may give me a name."
Akuma's eyes hardened.
"From today, your name is—
Draven."
"Very well, Master,"
the voice replied.
"Draven stands ready to serve you."
"Tell me,"
Akuma said,
"How long will it take to summon them all?"
"About three minutes."
"Then, stop the nuclear bombs until then."
Draven hesitated.
"I am not powerful enough, Master."
"You only need to buy me time."
"Understood."
Immediately, Draven exited the halo
and vanished into the depths of the sky.
Memories Awakened
Akuma began performing a ritual.
"Twenty-five years ago…"
his voice grew heavier.
"I went to the City of Wisdom."
"That city was a ruin."
The earth cracked.
Four terrifying beasts emerged.
"I thought—today I will die."
Suddenly, light shone upon them.
The beasts, like affectionate pets,
crawled into his arms.
"From today, you will remain with me,"
a mysterious voice declared.
"When you have no other path,
you will call upon them."
Akuma opened his eyes.
"I had forgotten…"
"But now I remember everything."
Time Running Out
Draven had reached the nuclear bombs.
"These…
these are terrifying."
He raised his hands.
"Gate of Abyss!"
The sky split open.
A massive portal formed.
"I can hold them for only thirty seconds!"
Draven shouted.
The bombs were pulled into the gate.
"Master, hurry!"
The Awakening
Akuma awakened the four beasts.
"You must send them into space to stop the bombs."
The four nodded.
With a leap,
they charged toward Draven.
Draven's gate began to crack.
The people of Yukanda watched
in horror as the sky fractured.
Then—
Akuma appeared.
"I will protect you,"
he said.
"Because I have taken the lives of thousands of innocents here."
The crowd trembled.
"If you had not come,
none of this would have happened!"
Akuma remained calm.
"I do this because…"
"my mother also came from Yukanda."
In the crowd, a girl's eyes fixed on Akuma.
She could do nothing but stare.