The dust still hovered in the air. Among the rubble, two building walls remained standing, separating the fallen bodies of Revild and Otakura.
On the ground, Otakura lay covered in blood and soot. His body was motionless, but his fingers tried to move in a desperate effort. His eyes, half-closed, fought a battle against exhaustion. Even so, he forced himself to keep them open.
His mind, however, betrayed him… pulling him back… to a month earlier.
---
One month earlier...
The first rays of sunlight passed through the collapsed roof of an old house. Inside, military-grade magical weapons were scattered everywhere. The strong smell of illicit drugs dominated the environment.
In the middle of the chaos, on a pink futon, Otakura slept deeply — a man with crimson hair, tired expression, yet arrogant.
Everything was silent... until:
BANG! BANG!
The door was violently struck.
Otakura awoke with half-closed eyes. He got up with dragging steps and opened the door.
Two men staggered before him, covered in bruises. Blood was running from their faces and arms. One of them collapsed, falling at his feet.
— F-forgive us, boss… — stammered the other, trembling.
Otakura looked at them with contempt. He rubbed his eyes and grumbled, sleepy:
— What is it, you bastards?
The wind passed through the open door, carrying the metallic smell of blood. The conscious man murmured:
— The Blood X… gang...
— Ah, man... get out of here. I'm not in the mood for this now — said Otakura, turning his back and going back to the futon.
— T-they took your sister...
Otakura froze. He slowly turned his face. His eyebrows furrowed, and his expression darkened.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the man by the neck and lifted him into the air. His teeth clenched in fury.
— They said... if the boss doesn't pay... they'll kill her... — whispered the man, almost choking.
The wind blew strongly, making Otakura's red hair sway. His eyes flared. Flames burst from his fists.
Inside him... only darkness remained.
---
Back to the present...
Otakura's eyes opened. The dust was now starting to settle. Coughing blood, he got up, even though he was seriously wounded.
On the other side, among the debris, stood Revild. Motionless. Untouched. His wounds had regenerated. His blue eyes shone with supernatural intensity, and even the lights above the buildings flickered, still feeling the impact of the previous explosion.
But Revild was not looking at the debris.
He stared into the void.
Not physically...
Mentally.
Koloris's words still echoed in his mind:
> — "You're not in a little game. You're in the demon world. And this will cost you your lives..."
He clenched his teeth.
> — "You not only mimicked Ragnoto's demonic essence... you used resurrection as if humans had permission to..." said Koloris smiling, sliding the blade across her throat.
Revild clenched his fists, disturbed.
But, returning to reality, he murmured with eyes on fire:
— Nothing… nothing will stop me from winning.
A twisted smile bloomed on his face. Confidence. Madness. Determination.
---
Kratos's Palace
The architecture was modern, luxurious, with human furniture sculpted in marble and gold. In the center of the hall, Demon King Kratos rested on his throne, wearing a white and red cloak. His long hair swayed softly. His dark red eyes were calm… but his mind, restless.
---
Three years earlier...
Kratos watched from his throne as a portal opened.
From it emerged a man in a white suit — the same man who, on his knees, begged for the elixir that would save his daughter. Kratos refused. Cold. Ruthless.
And expelled him back to the human world.
---
A day later...
At the top of a building, Kratos watched the city. The sky was clear... until a blue magical barrier spread, covering the entire horizon.
He didn't hesitate. He appeared at the top of the city and touched the barrier.
A red glow exploded.
Kratos's mind distorted. His body fell through the air...
But before hitting the ground, he stabilized. He floated. He looked at the barrier with absolute coldness.
---
Hours later...
Kratos was still staring at the barrier. The silence was total.
Slash.
Ereimode appeared kneeling, hooded.
— My king... we don't know what's happening... — his voice was respectful, careful. — We spotted humans walking through the city...
Kratos replied, emotionless:
— It's all fine now. You may leave.
Slash. Ereimode disappeared.
Kratos then began walking through the streets.
And soon saw five humans approaching.
His steps were slow. His cloak billowed in the wind.
One of the humans stood out: a samurai, sword in hand.
— Hey, you're not gonna keep that NPC all to yourself, huh? — the others mocked.
The samurai ignored them:
— Shut up… and watch.
He raised his sword.
— Frozen Tide.
BOOM!
A freezing mist surrounded Kratos. Visibility vanished.
Deadly silence.
The samurai appeared from behind, ready to decapitate him.
But then...
Snap.
Kratos snapped his fingers.
The mist vanished.
The impact of the magic dispersion launched shards of ice in all directions.
Four of the samurai's companions were pierced, falling dead instantly.
The samurai himself was thrown against a wall, spitting blood.
And Kratos's eyes… turned to the sky.
He returned to the present.
---
Palace, present...
Ereimode, Koloris, and Ris knelt before the king.
— Excellent. Let's begin — said Kratos with an icy voice.
— My king... — Koloris spoke, excited, but reverent — I observed closely the human who defeated Ragnoto.
— Proceed — said Kratos.
— I don't know how... but he can use resurrection.
Silence fell over the room.
Kratos's eyes widened.
— That's… impossible. Humans cannot… should never be able to use resurrection!
A sharp wind swept through the hall. The king's aura shifted. His eyes began to shine with absurd intensity.
---
To be continued: Frozen Tide VS The Light