That evening, Akira found himself once again drawn to the rooftop of the school, where the wind howled like a distant echo of his inner turmoil. The city stretched out before him, glittering with the lights of thousands of human lives, each one blissfully unaware of the storm brewing beneath the surface.He closed his eyes, feeling the familiar pulse of the black crystal in his apartment, its dark energy resonating with his own. The temptation to reclaim his full power was always there, lurking at the edges of his thoughts. If he embraced it, he could end this struggle in an instant. He could defeat Ren, scare off any other hunters, and live in peace—at least for a while.But the cost would be too high."Still running away, Demon Lord?"The voice startled Akira out of his thoughts. He turned to see Ren standing behind him, his expression unreadable in the dim light. There was something different about him this time—an edge of seriousness that hadn't been there before.Akira's eyes narrowed. "I'm not running. I just don't want to fight."Ren smirked, though it lacked his usual arrogance. "You're always saying that. But what will you do when the choice is taken from you? When you're forced to fight to protect what you care about?"Akira tensed. "Are you threatening me?"Ren shook his head slowly. "No, I'm warning you. The hunters are coming. And they won't care about your peaceful little life. They'll destroy everything in their path just to get to you."Akira's heart pounded in his chest. "How do you know that?"Ren stepped closer, his eyes gleaming with an intensity that made Akira's blood run cold. "Because I'm one of them. I was sent here to find you, to test you. But now that I've seen what kind of person you are, I'm giving you a chance. You need to prepare, Kurosawa. The others won't show you the same mercy I did."Akira clenched his fists, his mind racing. "Why are you telling me this? Why warn me?"Ren's expression softened, just for a moment. "Because I want to see what you'll do. Will you embrace your power and fight? Or will you keep hiding, pretending to be human? Either way, I want to see how this ends."Akira stared at Ren, a mixture of frustration and fear boiling inside him. He had tried so hard to avoid this—tried to live a quiet, unremarkable life. But now, it seemed that fate had other plans. The hunters were coming, and Akira knew that he couldn't stay hidden forever."Leave," Akira said, his voice low and steady. "If you're really giving me a chance, then stay out of my way."Ren chuckled, but there was no malice in it this time. "As you wish, Demon Lord. But remember, time is running out."With that, Ren turned and disappeared into the shadows once more, leaving Akira standing alone on the rooftop, the weight of his destiny pressing down on him like never before.That night, Akira couldn't sleep. He lay awake in his small apartment, staring at the ceiling, his mind swirling with thoughts of the hunters, of Ren, and of the dark power that still pulsed within him. The black crystal on the shrine flickered ominously, as though sensing his inner conflict.He sat up, gazing at the floating crystal, its deep black surface reflecting his conflicted face. The crystal was a piece of his original power—a fragment of the Demon Lord he used to be. If he reclaimed it, he would become unstoppable, but at what cost? Would he lose himself to the darkness? Would he become the monster that everyone feared?The thought terrified him.But he couldn't stay idle any longer. The hunters were coming, and they wouldn't care about his desire for peace. They would tear apart everything he had worked so hard to protect, and he couldn't allow that.With a deep breath, Akira stood and approached the shrine. His hand hovered over the black crystal, his heart pounding in his chest. For years, he had resisted this temptation, but now… he wasn't sure if he had a choice.I have to protect them, he thought, his mind flashing to Yumi, to the other students who lived their lives unaware of the dangers lurking in the shadows.His fingers brushed the surface of the crystal, and a surge of dark energy shot through him, flooding his senses with power. For a brief moment, he felt the overwhelming strength of his former self—the Demon Lord who had once ruled the Underworld with an iron fist.But Akira pulled back, his hand trembling. He couldn't let the power consume him. Not yet."I'll do this my way," he whispered to himself, his resolve hardening. "I'll protect this world without losing who I am."As the first light of dawn crept through the window, Akira knew that the time had come to face his destiny head-on. The hunters would come, and he would be ready.But he would not fight as the Demon Lord.He would fight as Kurosawa Akira.