The shattered palace trembled under the clash of blades, each strike echoing through cracked walls and broken pillars, as if the very stone groaned beneath the violence. Dust swirled through the air, and sparks of energy burst with every collision, flickering in the dimness like distant stars. In the midst of the ruin, two men fought without mercy, each intent on tearing the life from the other.
Their swords collided one last time, black and violet sparks bursting at the point of impact, before they both stepped back, breathing heavily, their eyes burning with fury and hatred.
The white-haired man stepped forward, his purple armor etched with black patterns that glimmered faintly in the gloom. He brushed his hair back slowly, then raised his sword toward his opponent, a hysterical grin spreading across his face.
"Saruto… you're nothing but a weak human! You dare challenge the Ruler of Darkness… Umbra?" His voice exploded through the air, but the rest of his words faded, as if time itself refused to carry them.
On the other side stood Saruto. His eyes were empty of emotion, cold and hollow, like a dark mirror reflecting nothing but unyielding resolve. His limbs had taken on a dragon-like form, the muscles of his chest and abdomen sharply defined, while a dense cloak of dark energy hung behind him, shifting as if it were a living being. In his hands were two swords, chained to his wrists, the metal humming softly with each movement.
A faint smile appeared on his face as he spoke in a low, chilling voice: "Did you forget that I'm half a ruler as well, Umbra?"
In an instant, he placed his fingers against his forehead, activating instant teleportation. In a flash, he appeared directly behind Umbra, driving both blades toward his neck with lethal speed.
Umbra was caught off guard for a split second, but he smiled, raising his sword to block without even turning. "Is that all you've got?" he mocked, before striking Saruto's blades with a swift counter. The swords were sent flying upward, embedding themselves into the palace ceiling, stuck in place.
Saruto tried to pull them back, but Umbra gave him no chance. He grabbed Saruto by the face and burst forward at incredible speed, smashing through pillars with Saruto body, until he slammed him into a massive wall.
Umbra steadied himself, raised his sword, and shouted: "Blade of Darkness!"
Deadly slashes surged toward Saruto, but he regained his footing quickly, dismissed the swords from the ceiling, and reformed them in his hands, blocking the attack. His body was exhausted, his knees trembling, blood staining the ground beneath him.
He dropped to his knees and whispered hoarsely: "I'm… sorry… Star… Emilia… I couldn't avenge you…"
Before his eyes, Star appeared, holding his hand, blood pouring from a wound where a black blade had pierced her body, while Emilia lay on the ground, a victim of his loss of control over her power.
Umbra stood before him, snapping his fingers as chains of dark energy erupted from the ground, binding Saruto completely, holding him in place like a puppet.
"Did you really think… you could kill me? We rulers… do not die!" He raised his hand as dark energy spiraled around it, forming a deadly vortex of pure black.
"And now… hand it over…" Umbra whispered, but his voice no longer reached him.
Saruto smiled—a cold, resolute smile—and said: "You'll never get what you want."
A dark sphere began to form around him, expanding rapidly, swallowing everything in its reach.
Umbra shouted: "You fool! Is this your choice? After all the plans I've made… a thousand years of work… I won't let you ruin it!"
Saruto replied with a calm that didn't belong to this world: "It's too late."
Umbra roared, but he was already too late.
The black sphere swallowed Saruto completely. A violet glow erupted from his body, cracks of energy spreading across his skin, tears streaming down his face as he whispered:
"I'm sorry… everyone… if I had been stronger… none of this would have happened…"
Then the sphere exploded, unleashing catastrophic destruction.
---
"Master Saruto… wake up!"
He opened his eyes slowly, his breathing uneven. When he looked around, he saw nothing but his familiar room.
"Where am I…?" he asked, his voice wavering between dream and reality.
The servant bowed respectfully: "Master Saruto, today you have your usual training with your father."
Saruto froze for a moment. "My father…?"
He stood up abruptly, rushed to the mirror, and stared at his reflection. His body looked smaller, younger. He raised a trembling hand and touched his face in disbelief.
"Why… do I look younger? What is happening to me… did I go back in time?" he whispered to himself, his eyes reflecting shock, fear, and curiosity all at once.