After winning the final of the competition, Ryu became a well-known name throughout the entire city. But he continued living his life as usual—going to school, training with his katana, and remaining quiet. That morning, he walked to school with calm steps, his thoughts drifting to the Seven Sovereigns he had heard about from his father's stories. He did not know what connection they had to his blue power—but something in his heart told him that they were not benevolent beings.
At the same time, deep within a dome of darkness located in the depths of hell—the main headquarters of the cruel Seven Sovereigns—seven massive figures stood in a circle. They were the greatest villains in the world, beings who had formed a pact hundreds of thousands of years ago not to maintain balance, but to seize all power in existence. Every movement they made caused the dome to tremble, and lost souls screamed in agony.
Zargoth, the Beast Sovereign, stood with his gigantic body, growling as if he wanted to devour all living beings.
Zarthus, the Archfiend Sovereign, sat upon his black throne built from human bones, his wings covering part of his body, his eyes glowing red like eternal hellfire.
Azest, the Aspects Sovereign, floated in the air, his light not illuminating—but instead blinding and destroying everything it touched.
Vesperus, the Gloominess Sovereign, hid within the darkness, his voice like a whisper that drove people to suicide.
Vexia, the Scourge Sovereign, stood with a beautiful yet deadly posture, her snake-like hair always ready to strike and inject venom.
Aetheron, the Void Sovereign, opened a massive black hole in the air, mercilessly devouring everything around it.
Jotunn, the Boreas Sovereign, stood with his frozen body, icy winds pouring from his mouth and freezing everything that came near into solid ice.
Zarthus (his voice thunderous and cruel):
"Hundreds of thousands of years we have waited—and at last, the one we feared, the Owner of the Blue Power, has appeared in the human world. A young boy named Ryu Arion."
Vesperus:
"He is the only one who can defeat us. If he grows stronger, all our plans to dominate the world will be destroyed."
Azest:
"Then we must test his strength now. If he is too weak, we kill him immediately. If he is too strong… we must control him for our own purposes."
Zarthus (smiling horribly, sending chills through the air):
"Very well. I will send one of my strongest subordinates—Ignis the Fire Slayer—to find him and test his power. He will report whether the boy is worthy of being killed… or controlled."
Zarthus opened his palm. A blazing red light erupted with tremendous heat, and a man in a black coat appeared before him. The man was tall, his face hidden beneath a black hat, his hand gripping a black sword whose tip was constantly engulfed in flames.
Ignis the Fire Slayer:
"Your command is received, Lord Zarthus. I will find the Owner of the Blue Power and test his strength until he falls—or until I am certain he can be used."
With that, Ignis vanished in a blazing red light, heading toward the human world with malicious intent.
That evening, Ryu was walking home from school. He passed through a deserted road lined with towering trees. The sun was beginning to set, casting a dark and lonely atmosphere. Suddenly, the wind grew fierce and carried the stench of smoke, and the fallen leaves burned to ashes before touching the ground.
A figure in a black coat appeared before Ryu, blocking his path with firm steps. The figure removed his hat, revealing a pale face with dark red eyes glowing like embers. It was Ignis the Fire Slayer.
Ignis (his voice hoarse and scorching):
"You are Ryu Arion—the Owner of the Blue Power who has made Lord Zarthus uneasy?"
Ryu (calm but alert):
"Who are you? What do you want from me?"
Ignis (grinning horrifically, revealing sharp teeth):
"I am Ignis, subordinate of Zarthus the Archfiend Sovereign—one of the Seven Sovereigns who will rule this world. I was ordered to find you and test your power. Are you worthy to become our enemy… or our slave?"
Without waiting for an answer, Ignis leapt into the air with incredible speed. He drew his black sword, and a dark red aura filled with heat and darkness erupted from his body. Flames ignited along the blade's edge, making the surrounding air unbearably hot.
Ignis (roaring with a deafening voice):
"HELL STRIKE – ETERNAL FLAME ASSAULT!"
He swung his sword down toward Ryu, unleashing a torrent of blazing dark red flames. The heat was so intense that the ground froze for a moment before burning. Ryu quickly leapt aside, narrowly avoiding the attack. The flames struck a tree behind him, instantly reducing it to ash.
Ryu drew his katana, and a dark blue aura erupted around him. The blue aura clashed violently with Ignis' red aura, causing the air to distort and thunderous explosions to echo every time they collided.
Ignis (shocked, yet growing angrier):
"Hah… your power truly is unusual. But it is still not enough to stand against us, Owner of the Blue Power!"
Ignis attacked again, this time with even greater speed. He struck Ryu from every direction, his black sword flashing like chaotic red lightning. Ryu dodged nimbly, occasionally counterattacking with his katana. Every clash of their blades sent massive sparks flying, burning everything they touched.
Suddenly, Ignis leapt far backward. He opened his mouth, and a swarm of lost souls—appearing like small flames—poured out. The souls screamed in agony as they flew toward Ryu, attempting to attack and drain his power.
Ignis:
"LOST SOULS – FLAMES OF DARKNESS ASSAULT!"
Ryu closed his eyes briefly, focusing inward. His dark blue aura intensified, forming a thick protective barrier around him. When the souls touched the barrier, they vanished instantly like burning smoke, unable to reach Ryu's body.
Ryu opened his eyes, now shining with a brighter blue light than before.
Ryu (his voice firm and powerful):
"That's enough of your games, assassin."
He leapt toward Ignis at an unimaginable speed—as if he vanished and reappeared right in front of him. His dark blue aura enveloped his entire body, making him look like a being from a far more powerful world.
He swung his katana downward, slicing through the air before Ignis with overwhelming force.
"DARK BLUE – FULL ASSAULT!"
A massive wave of blue energy surged toward Ignis, smashing into him with enough power to shake the ground. Ignis was sent flying backward, crashing into the earth as burn wounds spread across his body. His red aura vanished instantly, and the flames on his sword were extinguished.
Ignis slowly stood up, his body trembling and wracked with pain. He stared at Ryu with eyes filled with respect—yet also with deeper hatred.
Ignis:
"You win for now, Ryu Arion. But don't celebrate too soon—your power is indeed worthy of being an enemy of the Seven Sovereigns. I will report this to Lord Zarthus, and next time, he himself will come for you."
Without waiting for a reply, Ignis disappeared in a faint red light. Ryu sheathed his katana, and his dark blue aura faded away. He felt exhausted, but also realized that his power was far greater than he had imagined—and that the danger he faced was even greater.
Suddenly, his father—Mikael—appeared at high speed. He rushed toward Ryu, his face filled with intense worry.
Mikael:
"Ryu! Are you alright? I sensed a brutal power of fire and darkness, so I came here as fast as I could."
Ryu (nodding):
"I'm fine, Dad. He was Ignis, a subordinate of Zarthus the Archfiend Sovereign. He tested my strength because they're afraid I can defeat them."
Mikael (serious and uneasy):
"This means the Seven Sovereigns already see you as a major threat. They will come to the human world sooner than we expected. You must learn to fully control your power before that happens—or the world will be destroyed by their hands."
Ryu looked up at the fully darkened sky. He knew his life would never be the same again. The Seven Sovereigns—the greatest villains in existence—had marked him as an enemy, and they would do anything to kill or control him. He had to become strong—far stronger than he had ever imagined—if he wanted to protect himself, his parents, and the entire world.
Far away, within the dark dome of hell, Zarthus listened to Ignis' report. He smiled horrifically once more, his red eyes burning even brighter.
Zarthus (whispering cruelly):
"The Owner of the Blue Power is ready for war. Now it is time for me and the other six Sovereigns to descend upon the human world ourselves. I will see whether he can truly defeat us—or if he is nothing more than a toy I can discard."
END OF CHAPTER 4