That morning, while the Altherion family was busy with their own affairs…
Kazuki had already returned to his room. The space was tidy and simple—far from what one would imagine a noble's room to be. Just a small bed, a wooden desk, a bookshelf, and a standing mirror in the corner.
But behind one of the shelves, a small secret lay hidden. Kazuki glanced toward the door, making sure no one was watching, then pressed a book titled Fundamentals of First Century Magic.
Click.
The shelf slid aside slowly, revealing a narrow gap leading to a hidden chamber. Inside stood a black wooden box, sealed with high-level defensive magic.
Kazuki stepped in and opened the box.
Inside: a black cloak embroidered with white along the collar, a half-face mask in a classical style, and several sheets of paper containing advanced magic formulas—formulas never before seen in this world.
"Heh… It's not time to use all this yet. But every great power… needs thorough preparation," Kazuki muttered, slipping on a pair of dark leather gloves.
He walked out of his room with light but purposeful steps. In the quiet backyard of the Altherion estate, he made sure no one was around.
Kazuki took a deep breath. Then, with slow motion, he raised his hand forward. The air around him began to tremble, and streaks of violet-black energy swirled into the shape of a rotting flower blooming in midair.
"Skill: Death Bloom," he whispered.
A chilling aura engulfed the area. The ground beneath his feet cracked, and the sky dimmed slightly. It was a force of destruction… strong enough to wipe a city off the map.
Yet Kazuki only gave a faint smile, clenched his hand, and stopped the spell just before it crossed the danger threshold.
"If I got serious… this house would be nothing but ash," he murmured, glancing back at the grand Altherion manor.
His eyes looked far into the twilight sky, the purple in them glowing faintly.
"Tonight… the world will know who I truly am."
"White Reaper… shall rise."
From the outside, he looked like just another eight-year-old boy. But within that small body lay the soul of a man who had once died—and now lived again as a shadow in the dark.
After testing his Death Bloom power, Kazuki wasn't finished yet.
In the still and empty backyard, he began something even more important to him: his debut rehearsal.
Standing tall, he looked up at the faint moon starting to peek through the sky.
With a dramatic motion, he raised the collar of his thin cloak. Then took a deep breath.
"My name is Kazuki… no, no, that's not right…" he said, coughing lightly and fixing his posture.
He bowed his head slightly, then slowly lifted it, changing his expression to something cold and mysterious.
"My name is… White Reaper."
His voice was low and heavy, like a final boss stepping from the shadows.
"Destroyer… of the universe," he added, raising his hand in a signature pose, full of flair.
The evening wind blew gently, sweeping his white hair to the side. Nature itself seemed to support his drama.
He stood still for a moment, then nodded to himself.
"…Cool."
But just a second later, he quickly turned to the bushes.
"Wait—did a servant see that…?"
Reflexively, he leaned against a tree and pretended to sit casually.
"Tonight's debut has to be perfect… I have to appear like a legend—just hearing my name sends shivers down the spine," he thought, grinning slightly.
Kazuki was still in the backyard when the sky blazed orange. Even after hours of testing magic techniques and combining unheard-of elements, his body showed no signs of exhaustion.
With a flick of his hand, he created a small explosion. Then snapped his fingers, halting the energy before it detonated.
"Hm… still not dramatic enough," he muttered, staring at his palm.
Suddenly—
"Kazuki! Where are you!?" came a sharp voice.
Lycia.
Kazuki jolted. He turned quickly and brushed the dust off his clothes.
"Over here!" he called back, half-nervously.
Moments later, Lycia emerged from the trees, an annoyed look on her face.
"Come home! Stop messing around out here, it's almost night!" she scolded protectively.
Kazuki gave a lazy smile, one eye half-open.
"Yeah, yeah… I'll head back… eventually," he replied nonchalantly.
After Lycia left, Kazuki once again looked up at the twilight sky. The night breeze had begun to blow. His white hair swayed gently.
"…If only my power could slice through dimensions…" he whispered.
"…Maybe I could find her again… Hiyori."
His small hand clenched into a fist.
"Tonight… is the first step."
Kazuki turned and walked into the darkness beneath the trees. His voice was barely a whisper.
"The world shall welcome… White Reaper."
And thus, this chapter closes.
And tonight… marks the birth of a legend born in darkness.