---
**[Scene - Somewhere in the Demon Continent - Forbidden Throne Hall]**
Inside a fortress shrouded in endless black mist, the Great Demon Lord Az'Zulgar sat upon a massive throne.
Before him stood a strange man, calm and composed, dressed in white and gold, his face half-hidden by a porcelain mask from the shadows. His eyes gleamed like fractured glass—ancient, calculating.
> "...You're here again," the Demon Lord boomed.
The man smiled.
> "Are you still pretending, Az'Zulgar? You've been dancing like my puppet for decades."
> "You are no god."
> "But I can erase you easily." He raised his hand, revealing a glowing crest—the sacred sigil of the First Summoned Hero.
> "I am the First Summoned."
The chamber trembled. The Great Demon Lord recoiled, not out of fear, but out of a lack of resistance.
> "So what do you want this time?" the Demon Lord asked.
The man whispered.
> "Move your pawns. Use the corrupt priests. Inflame the conflicts between the nations. Then eliminate him."
> "Him?"
> "The true darkness that even the God of Gods cannot kill."
---
**[Scene - Ironwood Kingdom Capital – Academy Library Balcony]**
Princess Alisa leaned against the marble railing, a closed book in her hand. Her golden hair floated in the air.
> "Darkness Lord… you are not a villain," she whispered. "But... why do you fight alone?"
She closed her eyes.
> "Are you justice... or just someone hurt too much by the light?"
Behind her, one of her hero guards approached.
> "Is Your Highness alright?"
She turned away from the stars.
> "Mh-hmm. I'm fine."
---
**[Scene - Around the Kingdom - Ryuto's Investigation]**
Meanwhile, Ryuto continued to scout around Ironwood and nearby towns under his new name, visiting villages, alleys, and black markets.
The search for Shujin was relentless.
But no matter how far he traveled, every trail went cold.
> "Where are you hiding, Darkness Lord…" he recited.
More troubling to him was the question that wouldn't leave his head.
> "Why do I know... that he isn't evil?"
---
**[Scene - Night - Kuro's Dorm Room - Within His Mind]**
Kuro sat cross-legged in his room, silent, eyes closed.
Behind him, dark energies shifted.
The great black clock, Chronael, appeared again—its hands slowly scraping… the twelve hands of ancient fate.
> *Tick... tick... tick...*
Suddenly—
A shadow emerged from a dark corner of his consciousness.
The Dark Doppelganger. Born from hatred, grief, and despair.
It smiled.
> "Do you really think you can control yourself now, Kuro? Without me, you're just the little boy who watched his parents die twice and was too scared to act."
Kuro opened his glowing purple eyes.
> "You don't need to feel pain. You don't need to win."
The doppelganger smiled and stepped closer.
> "Just accept it. Become like me, and you will never know loss again. No fear. No betrayal. The world will be at your feet with raw power."
But Kuro stood firm in his mind. His shadow spread beneath him, growing larger, consuming the space.
> "You are me. But I am your master."
> "I am not *from* the darkness. I *am* the Shadow Lord."
He clenched his fist, summoning the eleventh hand. With a single tremor, he suppressed the doppelganger's restlessness, slowing time within his psyche.
> "Disappear, Memory Of Pain."
The dark doppelganger twisted and shouted before dissolving once more into Kuro's shadow.
For now, it was silent.
---
**[Scene - Midnight - Kuro's Room, Real Life]**
He opened his eyes, covered in sweat, as a soft knock sounded on the window.
A shadow passed through.
> "Are you alright, Master?" Rei floated in gently. "Your presence shifted again. Did something happen?"
Kuro leaned against the wall, breathing calmly.
> "Just remembering what I carry."
Rei nodded.
> "What do we do next?"
Kuro stared at the moon outside.
His eyes narrowed.
> "There is someone behind everything. Demons, humans, gods... I don't know yet whose hand is pulling the strings."
> "But we must find him."
> "Before he finds us."
---
**[Scene - Elsewhere - An Abandoned Temple]**
The mysterious man glanced at the cracked statue of Goddess Elmyria.
He chuckled.
> "You built such a grand false heaven with so much effort, yet your own darkness threatens it all."
> "Get ready, Ryuto," the man said. "Your trial will begin soon."
---
✦ **To be continued...**