The air inside the ancient sanctuary was heavy — thick with the dust of millennia and the sacred residue of the goddess who had once slumbered there.
The domed ceiling shimmered with ancient runes, and every step echoed as if the entire past were listening.
The doors opened with a dry thunderclap.
Malhar entered first, dragging with him the monstrous aura of a Primordial exhausted by wars, schemes, and arguments.
Behind him, still disoriented, Yuta followed — breathing deeply, as if he had been pulled out of a nightmare.
Everyone was already gathered.
Mortals on one side — kings, high mages, guild masters.
Primordials on the other — colossal shadows that shifted shape, living lights, presences so ancient that even the stone trembled beneath them.
The silence cracked when Leviathan, immense and serpentine, lifted his head.
---
■ Leviathan Speaks First
"I will not join this war."
His voice rolled out deep and wide, echoing like an ocean storm.
"As long as humans stop destroying my sea… I will remain at peace.
If they don't… I will drown you all."
A human general slammed his hand on the table.
"This is absurd! We can't negotiate under threat!"
Leviathan bared his teeth — each one larger than a greatsword.
"You've destroyed my home for centuries.
I am offering peace.
It is more than you deserve."
The hall turned cold.
---
■ Tismani Appears
A golden shimmer bloomed in the center of the hall.
Tismani, Goddess of Life's Chains and of Order, manifested with her endless hair flowing like rivers suspended in the air.
Shadow, seated in a corner swallowed by darkness, raised his gaze.
His red eyes sparked with pure hatred.
"Tismani…" he growled, fist tightening. "I'm going to kill you."
Before he could take a step, Malhar released a burst of energy — the floor cracked beneath their feet.
"Not here."
He didn't even look fully at Shadow.
"This sanctuary belongs to the primordial goddess.
Any attack made here… is a declaration of war against the Heavens themselves."
Shadow turned away, furious, but did not advance.
---
■ The Revelation About Hinata
Tismani's eyes fell on Yuta.
Then on Malhar.
Then… on Hinata — who was not yet present, but whose aura echoed faintly in the air.
Malhar crossed his arms, inhaled slowly, and announced:
"Her energy… that girl… Hinata…"
He let his gaze sweep across the hall.
"It is identical to the Mother of All Magic.
There is only one explanation."
The hall fell utterly silent.
A trembling mage stuttered:
"You're saying that… Hinata is…?"
Malhar nodded once.
"The reincarnation of the Mother of Magic."
Chaos erupted.
Mortals shouting.
Primordials murmuring in lost languages.
Tismani tense, eyes closed.
Shadow's eyes widened with fury as he snarled into the empty air.
Yuta froze.
His heart pounded.
The power inside him began to boil.
"H-Hinata…" he whispered, breathless. "The Mother of Magic… She… she's…?"
Black and blue energy bled from his eyes.
"Yuta." Malhar warned, voice firm. "Control."
But Yuta couldn't hear him.
His body began to shift — the ancient curse of his race attempting to take form.
"She hid this from me…" Yuta snarled, losing all control. "Why? WHY?!"
The table shattered in half.
Mortals retreated in panic.
Primordials prepared to restrain him.
But Malhar simply sighed… walked up to him… lifted a single thumb…
…and THWACK!
Tapped Yuta's forehead.
The world seemed to freeze.
Yuta collapsed to his knees, screaming silently as the curse twisted through his body.
Malhar kept his thumb pressed against Yuta's head, unblinking.
"Don't pass out."
"Don't die."
"And don't let that power use you."
Yuta gasped, body nearly tearing itself apart.
Then—
in an impossible moment—
he grabbed Malhar's thumb.
Malhar allowed a faint smile.
"There it is."
The power vanished.
Yuta fell back, sitting on the ground, drenched in sweat, breathing heavily — but conscious.
"You…" he panted. "You brought me back."
"Try not to lose your mind next time."
Malhar flicked the back of his head.
"I don't have spare thumbs lying around to save you every time."
---
■ The Meeting Continues — and Gets Worse
Mortals were shaken.
Primordials were irritated.
Tismani remained solemn.
Shadow laughed to himself.
Leviathan growled as if all this had wasted his time.
And then — tension exploded.
"We do NOT trust the Primordials!" a human king shouted.
"And we do not trust you," a fire entity answered.
"You destroyed the world!"
"You abandoned us!"
Tismani raised a hand.
"Enough. The balance is fragile. Can't you see—"
But Shadow interrupted.
"Balance or not…"
He stood up, arrogant, aura flaring outward.
"I don't want war."
Everyone stared in shock.
Shadow smiled — cruel, amused.
"But no one commands me."
He pointed at the other Primordials.
"Not them."
Then at the mortals.
"Not you."
"Shadow…" Tismani whispered. "Watch your words."
"I don't care." he replied, turning away.
"If you want to fight… then fight.
But don't involve me.
And don't give me orders."
Absolute silence.
The entire sanctuary held its breath.
Malhar closed his eyes, expression unreadable.
"This is only the beginning…"
Chaos had already swallowed the sanctuary.
Shouts clashed against ancient walls, runes flickered as if they could extinguish at any moment.
The revelation that Hinata was the reincarnation of the Mother of Magic had shattered any possibility of peace.
But the final fracture came when the floor split open…
and Lilith rose from the shadows.
Her body was ethereal, mist shaped into a feminine form; her eyes, a nearly–black violet, burned like two dead moons.
"So…" she whispered, smiling slow and predatory,
"…the little pup finally woke up."
Yuta froze instantly.
"You again…" his voice dropped, dark and gravelled.
Lilith laughed.
"Oh, still trying to sound tough. Adorable."
She stepped closer, leaning her face inches from his.
"Let's see… can you handle me now that you know who Hinata really is?"
Yuta clenched his fist.
Lilith's smile widened.
"You lost control over a girl… and you still think you're ready to face me?"
"Lilith…" Tismani warned, "don't provoke him. This is not the time."
"Silence, you toy goddess."
Lilith waved her off like wind.
"Come on, Yuta. Show them all… the monster you're hiding."
Yuta's aura trembled.
Dust rose from the floor.
His curse pulsed beneath his skin.
Lilith stepped closer.
"What's wrong…? Afraid of me?"
That was enough.
Yuta exploded.
"ENOUGH!"
But before he could take a step—
a massive arm blocked his path.
Malhar.
"That's enough."
His voice echoed like thunder.
Yuta was still shaking.
Lilith smiled, satisfied with the chaos she had sparked.
Malhar looked at Yuta with zero patience.
"If you're going to lose your head, then do it somewhere else."
Yuta kept panting, curse burning through his veins.
Malhar opened his hand in the air.
A black portal tore open instantly.
Without warning—
THUD!
He kicked Yuta in the chest.
"Go. And deal with it."
Yuta fell through the portal.
"MALHAR! WHAT THE—"
The ground vanished beneath him.
And then—
thump.
He landed in a vast field, wind cutting through tall grass.
The sky was purple, an eternal sunset.
He stood shakily…
…and heard voices.
Two figures walked calmly in the distance, talking.
Hinata.
Lyra.
Lyra staggered a little — still weak from her collapse — but smiling.
Hinata was serious, gentle, carrying the weight of many lifetimes.
Yuta froze.
"H… Hinata?"
Both stopped.
Hinata turned slowly.
Her eyes were too calm.
Too distant.
Too ancient.
"Yuta."
Her voice held no anger.
No hatred.
Only… distance.
Lyra stepped back when she saw Yuta's unstable aura.
The air shifted.
Clouds twisted.
Grass bent.
The fight was inevitable.
But before Yuta could take the first step—
"Yuta." Hinata raised her hand.
"We don't want to fight you."
"Then why hide the truth from me?!" he shouted, voice cracking.
Lyra tried:
"Yuta, please, we—"
"STAY OUT OF THIS!" he yelled — unintentionally, but too loud.
Lyra recoiled, startled.
Hinata's eyes changed.
"Don't talk to her like that."
Her aura erupted — violet flames circling her like wings of magic.
The Mother of Magic awakened.
Yuta felt the pressure crush him.
"You hid this from me… why?!" he roared.
"Why did you lie?!"
Hinata stepped forward—
—and the world shook.
"Because the world isn't ready."
She tightened her fists.
"And because you aren't ready."
The grass flattened.
The sky cracked with light.
Yuta charged.
Hinata charged.
The fight began.
---
Cut to the Sanctuary — At the Same Time
The meeting had completely collapsed.
Lilith laughed.
Shadow watched in bored amusement.
Tismani fought to hold balance.
Leviathan slammed his tail in irritation.
Mortals argued among themselves.
Until Lilith whispered:
"He's there now… facing his truth."
Tismani narrowed her eyes.
"Malhar… what did you do?"
Malhar crossed his arms.
"Gave him his only chance not to be consumed."
Shadow smirked.
"Or to be killed by his own sister."
Malhar replied without looking at him:
"Don't underestimate that girl. She's far more dangerous than you think."
Lilith licked her lips, thrilled.
"This is going to be fun."
---
Cut to the Field — The Battle Intensifies
Yuta and Hinata collided in the center of the field, energy bursting like collapsing stars.
Lyra called out:
"Yuta! Please! She's not your enemy!"
But he didn't hear her.
Hinata raised her arm — and the entire field shifted, turning into a dimension of ancient runes.
Yuta widened his eyes.
"W-What… is this?"
"The inheritance,"
Hinata answered.
"Of the true Mother of Magic."
Lyra stepped back, overwhelmed.
Hinata continued:
"You didn't inherit just a curse.
You inherited a role."
She raised her hand.
"And if you don't control it…
you'll kill everyone you love."
Yuta rushed forward, enraged.
Hinata blocked him with a single finger.
The same finger Malhar had used.
Yuta froze.
Hinata whispered:
"I learned from him."
Yuta's soul trembled.
Hinata pushed him back with a wave of energy.
"Understand this.
You're not fighting me."
She opened her eyes fully — divine, ancient, terrifying.
"You're fighting yourself."
The sky burst open with light.
Lyra screamed his name.
And Yuta finally felt it—
The weight of the truth.
The fight continued.
The sanctuary was a battlefield.
Runes flickered, ancient columns cracked, and the ground itself seemed to breathe with the echoes of Primordial energy.
Despite the chaos, no one dared leave.
Not with them in the room.
Malhar stood with his arms crossed, looking like a weary guardian.
Leviathan watched impatiently, his serpentine tail slamming against the marble.
Tismani struggled to regain control, while Lilith smiled as if enjoying a private show.
And Shadow…
Shadow was silence.
A silence heavy as death.
He leaned against a fallen pillar, arms crossed, eyes closed — yet everyone in the hall knew he heard every word.
It irritated some.
Terrified others.
And insulted the mortals.
Until finally…
it became unbearable for one of them.
The president of the Asterion Kingdom — an arrogant man with a white beard and a blue military coat — slammed his hand on the makeshift table.
"I will not accept this!"
His voice echoed, and even the Primordials opened their eyes.
He pointed directly at Shadow.
"That… creature is a threat to the entire continent! A monster who has already destroyed entire cities!"
Shadow opened one eye.
Barely.
Malhar muttered:
"President… I recommend you think before you—"
"NO!" the man snapped, nearly shaking.
"We, the leaders of the free nations, will not bow to them! We will not kneel to these gods walking the earth!"
Lilith grinned, intrigued.
Tismani exhaled, anticipating disaster.
Leviathan rolled his eyes.
"Humans and their endless speeches…"
But the president kept going, finger trembling as he pointed at Shadow:
"Shadow! I, in the name of the Alliance of Nations, declare war on your dominion! You will no longer dictate the rules of our world!"
Silence fell so absolute it felt like time itself forgot to move.
Even Malhar froze.
Tismani grabbed her head.
Lilith burst into laughter.
Shadow opened both eyes.
The air grew heavy.
Heavy like a tomb being sealed.
He uncrossed his arms slowly.
The ground cracked under his feet as he stepped forward.
Shadow walked toward the president.
The torches went out in a wave.
Shadows climbed the ceiling like living things.
The president swallowed.
Shadow stopped one step away.
His smile was small.
Controlled.
Terrifying.
"War?" he repeated, almost amused.
The president tried to stand tall.
"I… yes. In the name of the Alliance—"
Shadow raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure?"
The man trembled, even as he tried to appear firm.
Shadow leaned forward, his face inches from the president's.
No one in the room breathed.
Then…
Shadow smiled — the kind of smile that promises pure destruction — and said:
"I accept."
Malhar groaned.
Tismani shouted:
"SHADOW! DON'T PLAY WITH—"
Too late.
Shadow tapped the president's cheek lightly, as if praising his courage — or mocking it.
"I accept the humans' war."
He turned away.
"And I'll show the entire world who rules it."
His shadow swallowed half the chamber.
Lilith snapped her fingers, delighted.
"Now this will be fun…"
Leviathan muttered:
"Idiots…"
Tismani tried again:
"Shadow! Come back! You'll destroy the balance!"
But Shadow was already walking toward the exit.
He lifted a hand lazily, not even glancing back.
"No one commands me… not you, not the mortals."
The doors opened by themselves as the shadows retreated to let him pass.
His voice echoed:
"Tell Kael…
…the age of peace is over."
And he vanished.
Gone like smoke.
Silence filled the sanctuary.
The president collapsed to the floor, pale.
It was only then he realized the size of the catastrophe he had unleashed.
Malhar slapped a hand over his own face.
"Congratulations."
He sighed.
"You've just started the worst war in history."
Tismani's voice trembled.
"Shadow… declared war on humanity."
Lilith swung her legs as she sat on a broken column, amused:
"And with that… the world begins to crumble."
Malhar turned to the mortal rulers, tense:
"You don't understand… Shadow doesn't fight for territory. He fights for pride. And when he fights for pride…"
He stared at the dark doorway where Shadow had vanished.
"…not even the gods can stop him."
The chapter closes with:
Shadow's declaration of war.
The council in ruins.
The world beginning to fall apart.
And Yuta fighting in another dimension, unaware of everything.