The forest was silent.
The echoes of the earlier shock still hung in the air, but now nothing moved.
The wind had stopped, leaves were frozen, the earth felt heavy.
Kaien was on the ground. But he was no longer a child.
A wild, uncontrollable power surged through his body; the seal on his chest had cracked, dark veins spread like roots across his skin. His hair was disheveled, mixed with streaks of gray and black shadows. Dark markings ran like veins across his body.
His eyes… were not human. Within the blackness was a deep void, a hunger.
Kaien staggered to his feet. His muscles were taut with pain, sweat poured down his body; his breathing was labored and uneven.
Eryon's breath caught in his throat. The woman's eyes widened; blood still seeped from her severed arm. Kaien wasn't looking at them. His body refused to obey him; it was clear from his eyes that he was no longer Kaien.
He took a step. Leaves froze midair.
"Kaien… come back to yourself!" Eryon shouted, his voice thick and weak.
Kaien's fist cut through the air.
Gorai reflexively drew his katana—a blade made of metal, resistant to Ruven. But the Ruven bursting from Kaien's body exploded outward like an uncontrollable blast.
One more step… and Kaien struck first.
Gorai stumbled backward. Each step he took scorched the ground, trees bent away, branches snapped.
Eryon, the woman, and everyone nearby were shaken by Kaien's explosion. One of them was thrown into the air, another dropped to their knees, hands covering their face.
"Kaien… what… is happening to you? Control the Ruven inside you!" Zakaryon shouted, gasping. But Kaien didn't hear him. Whatever was inside him had already taken control.
A fist shot forward.
Gorai swung his katana, gritting his teeth, "Uhhg!" But Kaien's body trembled, and the Ruven blast prevented the blade from reaching him. The explosion… it was silent destruction. Trees toppled, the ground cracked, yet there was no sound.
Gorai narrowed his eyes, adjusting his steps. He was sweating. His legs shook—but he stood firm.
Kaien stepped forward again. Gorai's muscles bulged, veins burst, Ruven exploded in response. But Kaien didn't stop. Every muscle, every bone moved against its will.
Eryon and the woman were pushed back beside Kaien, eyes wide. The woman's bloody arm hung limply, her breathing ragged.
"Kaien! This isn't you!" Eryon shouted again. But his voice fell into a whisper, swallowed by the air.
Black veins spurted from the cracks in Kaien's chest.
"Pain… endless pain… it won't stop…" A hoarse voice escaped his lips.
It was not a child's voice. Not a monster's. Only hunger remained.
Gorai took a step back. Frustration and fear coiled through his body.
"What… is… this?!" he said, teeth clenched, a metallic squeal accompanying the motion. But Kaien ignored him.
Another explosion… and Gorai was hurled meters away. Trees splintered. The earth split.
Eryon brushed leaves from his face, trembling as he looked at Kaien. The woman crawled away, her bloodied arm shaking in agony.
Kaien walked on. With each step, the ground blackened, the sky darkened further.
"Kaien… stop…!" Zakaryon shouted again, but his voice couldn't reach him.
For the first time… Kaien's body halted. But his eyes were still black, filled with hunger.
Shigure stepped back a few paces, silently preparing. Those near Kaien were still caught in the shockwave of the forest. Each tried to flee, but Kaien's uncontrollable power slowed them.
It was as if the world itself realized, for a moment, that it was witnessing something wrong.
Shigure sensed it first. His calm expression froze for the first time.
This was not an attack. This… was something approaching.
The sky darkened. Even without clouds, shadows lengthened and thickened as if the sun's light was being consumed.
Shigure squinted. If he didn't intervene now… this thing would tear Gorai apart. But the strange part was—Shigure's first thought was not "I must stop it." It was "How far can this go?" And that thought chilled even him.
Kaien tilted his head. His neck cracked faintly. His bones were still not fully aligned. Black veins seemed to pulse from the cracks in his chest.
And then… Kaien spoke.
"Pain…" he said.
"Endless pain."
One step.
"It won't stop."
Another step.
"The thing inside me—"
Gorai instinctively recoiled.
Kaien said, "—SHUT UP," but his voice was hoarse.
Kaien's gaze locked.
"—It wants blood."
Zakaryon understood. If something wasn't done now—tonight would not be just a fight. A threshold would be crossed. Beyond that… Kaien might never return.
The sky darkened completely. Clouds collapsed in an instant. The moon vanished. The stars fell silent. The wind shifted. Trees bent toward Kaien. Ashmere Forest reacted like a living being for the first time.
Gorai stepped back, conscious.
"Shigure," he said through gritted teeth, "this thing—" he didn't finish, because Kaien moved toward him instantly.
Gorai lunged forward. Every step shattered the earth, every punch crushed the air. Kaien countered—but he had no technique. Only destruction.
When their fists collided—THE AIR EXPLODED. The shockwave ripped through the forest. Trees were uprooted. The cave's entrance collapsed, stones tumbling downward.
Eryon and the woman were thrown to the ground. Shigure leapt back. The edge of his kimono tore.
Gorai grabbed Kaien, lifting him off the ground.
"I WILL CRUSH YOU—"
Black Ruven flared from Kaien's chest. Gorai's grip snapped.
At that moment, Gorai staggered, and the unconscious Kaien was handed into his arms.
"WHAT—?!"
Kaien lifted his head. His eyes were completely black. But at the center, a thin, deep crimson glowed.
Kaien placed his hand on Gorai's chest and pressed. This was no mere push. This was a command.
BOOOOOOOM!! The earth split. A chasm tore through the forest—trees parted, stones flew into the air.
Gorai was thrown meters, his back breaking three trees as he stopped. Yet he did not fall. He planted his feet firmly. Ruven spread throughout his body. His muscles swelled, his veins turned black.
"—this brat," he roared. "Don't underestimate me!"
Gorai lunged. His smile vanished for the first time.
Kaien continued walking. Each step sank the ground beneath him, yet silence persisted. Gorai's ears rang.
This feeling… my body is reacting late—!
Kaien suddenly appeared beside him. But this was not speed. Gorai's shoulders slumped. It was as if something was being drawn out of him. Ruven… his will…
"Shigure!" he shouted. "This thing—this child—!"
Shigure didn't move. But his gaze never left Kaien.
"…I know," he said. "And that's why I'm here."
Shigure interlaced his fingers. For the first time, he made a true preparation.
The air thinned around Kaien.
"What… is it doing?" Gorai whispered, wounded and bloody, stepping back.
Shigure only looked at Kaien.
"…Remember," he said. "The control is inside you. But if you don't allow it… the destruction will consume you too."
Kaien let out a hoarse scream. "A—gh…!" He fell to his knees, hands on his head.
"Shut… shut now… enough…"
But Ruven did not stop.
Shigure closed his eyes. And—he lifted a hand. The air fell. His finger pressed Kaien's chest. No sound was made. Yet—Kaien's eyes went dark. His body shivered. Ruven… was cut off.
Kaien collapsed. His eyes fluttered. The hoarse breaths leaving his lips still weren't a child's, but they had a human tone.
Eryon, eyes brimming with tears, crawled forward to his father.
"Father… is that Kaien?" he whispered.
Zakaryon struggled to his knees, hands trembling.
"Kaien… feel this… control it…"
Kaien's body sank slowly. His eyes closed. His breathing was uneven, but slightly steadier. Ruven had not erupted—but it still churned deep inside.
Shigure stepped back silently. Those near Kaien drew deep breaths. Eryon still tried to recover, and the woman trembled with pain and fear.
Shigure lowered his hand. "He's not dead," he said. "He's just… sleeping."
Gorai was stunned. "Young master… that technique—"
Shigure looked at Kaien. Long. Deep.
"This child… does not have a normal seal inside him."
Kaien's inner voice:
I couldn't feel my body. That was the first thing I noticed. There was weight. Crushing, suffocating weight… but it wasn't mine. My chest rose and fell, but I wasn't the one moving it. It was as if someone else was breathing for me.
Then came the sounds. Hoarse. Fragmented. Intertwined, as if someone cared about me. But I couldn't understand any of it. It was strange.
Panic rose instinctively. I tried to move. I couldn't. My fingers didn't stir. My legs felt nonexistent. I couldn't even open my eyes.
I felt cold on my back. Something solid was beneath me.
Then someone grabbed me. It was as if they lifted me with their arms. Slowly, I began to come back to myself.
A voice sounded right by my ear, hoarse but full. It was angry. Afraid. And… desperate. Yet still—none of the words made sense. A voice shouting. Words breaking apart. I didn't understand. But that voice… for some reason… heavy. As if it had been calling me for years.
As my eyes closed, one thought remained:
Who… am I?