The inside of the dungeon was a labyrinth of twisting hallways, illuminated only by eerie blue torches. The further they walked, the heavier the air became. It was like stepping into a forgotten world, one where time no longer mattered.
Then, they heard it.
A woman's voice—soft, sorrowful, humming an old melody. It sent a chill through their bones.
Yameri and the others pressed forward, their footsteps echoing in the silent void. As they turned the final corner, they found themselves in a massive chamber of black stone.
At the center stood a throne. And sitting upon it—a woman with raven-black hair, her crimson eyes glowing in the dark.
She was ethereal, her form almost ghostly, as if she were more spirit than flesh. Her aura was suffocating.
And at her feet… lay Amaterasu.
Yameri's blood ran cold. She wasn't moving.
Ikari gasped. "Amaterasu!"
The woman lifted her gaze to them, her lips curling into a smile that held neither warmth nor kindness.
"You've come," she whispered. "Just as fate intended."
Yameri's sword was drawn in an instant. "Who are you?"
The woman let out a soft chuckle, standing up from her throne. Chains bound her wrists, glowing with divine energy.
"I have been waiting," she said. "For the one who carries the darkness within him."
She tilted her head, eyes locking onto Yameri's seal.
"The Child of Darkness… has finally arrived."
The words sent a tremor through Yameri's soul.
Tsuki stepped in front of him, her voice firm. "We're here to take Amaterasu. If you stand in our way, we'll—"
But before she could finish, the woman raised a hand.
A sudden shockwave of energy erupted through the chamber, sending Tsuki and Ikari flying backward. Yameri barely managed to stand his ground.
The woman's chains rattled violently, the divine markings cracking.
"The time has come," she whispered. "The seal… shall break."
Yameri's heart stopped. She wasn't talking about her own chains.
She was talking about his.
A searing pain tore through his chest as his seal began to crack. His vision blurred, his breath came in ragged gasps.
No. No, not now.
But it was too late.
The darkness within him howled in triumph.
And the seal—shattered.