Leo's body lay heavy and motionless on the cold stone floor of the Dark Castle. His mind swirled in a sea of confusion and pain, unable to shake the oppressive malevolence of Raizen's gaze. That gaze had burned deep into his soul, freezing his thoughts and rendering him helpless. Slowly, the world came back into focus. His muscles ached, and his breath came in shallow gasps, but Leo forced himself to sit up. Beside him, Luna was already awake, her eyes blazing with fury.
Raizen's mocking voice echoed in her mind, taunting her with memories of the past. "So, you've been hiding here for 2,000 years, Demon Queen," he had said, towering over her with a malicious smirk. The sight of Raizen had triggered something in her that no amount of time could dull. Her heart had raced as her anger surged. And when Raizen asked with a twisted grin, "Is the Demon King here? Can I see him?" Luna's wrath had exploded.
"You killed him!" she had shouted, standing in front of Leo, brandishing the Demon Sword, Destroyer. Her fury was palpable, but Raizen had been indifferent, barely acknowledging her rage. He only claimed he had traced the signal of the diamond necklace—an artifact Luna had given Leo—and had decided to pay them a visit.
Raizen had stopped just inches from them, his presence like a black storm that threatened to devour their very souls. "I left you alive for now," he had said with a sneer. "But don't fool yourselves. You are no threat to me. Do what you want. I'm curious to see what will happen." His evil gaze had settled on Leo before he vanished into the shadows.
Now, sitting in the empty hall, Leo and Luna shared a moment of relief mixed with exhaustion. Luna swiftly silenced the beating of the blue diamond that had drawn Raizen to them. They collapsed to the ground, the emotional and physical toll overwhelming them.
When Leo awoke, he found himself lying in a familiar bed. The soft glow of candlelight filled the room, and the faint smell of herbs hung in the air. Luna stood over him, her face a mixture of concern and determination.
"Rest," she said firmly, her voice soft but unwavering.
Leo, however, was already shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Aunt Luna, but there's no time for rest. We need to do something about Raizen. If we don't act, he'll destroy everything."
Luna sighed, her gaze turning hard. "You can't do anything as you are now. You're not strong enough. If you truly want to stand a chance, you need to train—become stronger than you ever imagined. But that takes time, and you'll need to recover first."
For the next two days, Leo rested and regained his strength. His resolve only grew as he lay there, knowing that every minute wasted was another minute Raizen grew closer to his ultimate goal. By the time he was fully recovered, Luna led him to the war fields of the Nether. The barren landscape stretched out endlessly, with jagged mountains and rivers of lava dotting the horizon.
"Are you prepared for what's to come?" Luna asked, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of hope and sadness. "This training will take three years here in the Nether. But in the human world, that's equivalent to 18 years. Are you truly ready to accept that?"
Without hesitation, Leo nodded. "Yes, I'm ready."
The training began. Day after day, Luna pushed Leo to his limits, honing his swordsmanship and endurance. They trained relentlessly for six months, battling the hostile environment as much as each other. In the rare moments they paused, their conversations often turned to Raizen.
One day, during a brief respite, Leo asked the question that had been plaguing him. "If I keep training like this for three years, will I be strong enough to defeat Raizen?"
Luna's expression darkened. She looked away, her voice filled with regret. "No, Leo. This training will make you stronger, yes, but not strong enough to defeat Raizen. You'd need to train for over 1,000 years to gain half of his power."
Leo's heart sank. The weight of her words crushed his hopes. "Then… what should I do?"
Luna placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't lose hope. There's always a way. We may not know it yet, but we will find it. Just keep training."
Time passed, and Leo's skills with the sword grew exponentially. He became faster, stronger, more resilient. And when Luna finally felt he had reached his peak, she presented him with a gift that would change his life.
"This sword," she said, holding out the Destroyer. "It belonged to the Demon King—your uncle. It was his most prized possession. I want you to take it."
Leo's eyes widened in shock. "No, I can't! It's your husband's memory. I can't take that from you."
Luna smiled softly, her eyes filled with warmth. "If this sword can help you defeat Raizen, then it's worth it. Take it, Leo. It belongs to you now."
With a heavy heart, Leo accepted the sword. It felt impossibly heavy in his hands, not just because of its weight, but because of the responsibility it represented.
Three weeks later, after an exhausting journey through the Nether, Leo and Luna reached the portal that would return him to the human world. As they prepared to part ways, Luna gave him one last piece of advice.
"Remember, Leo," she said, her voice serious. "It's been 18 years in the human world. Everything will have changed. But don't be afraid. Be confident. Don't fight Raizen head-on. You need to be smart—find another way to defeat him. There's no one in this world strong enough to face him directly."
With those words echoing in his mind, Leo stepped through the portal and back into the human world. The sight that greeted him left him speechless. The world had changed beyond recognition. The streets were lined with towering skyscrapers, and futuristic vehicles zipped through the air. Everything was sleek and modern, as if he had stepped 500 years into the future. Yet, it had only been 18 years.
Leo's heart pounded as he tried to make sense of the new world. His old home was gone, replaced by restaurants and shops. He wandered the streets, searching for something familiar, but nothing remained the same. Then, out of nowhere, a hand touched his shoulder.
"Leo?"
He turned, shocked to see his old friend Dan, now a 33-year-old man. Dan's face lit up in surprise, but there was also something guarded in his expression. "Come to my home," Dan said quickly, ushering Leo into an air cab.
They flew to Dan's apartment, an extravagant penthouse on the 300th floor of a shimmering skyscraper. As they sat down, Leo couldn't contain his confusion. "Dan, what happened? How has the world changed so much in just 18 years?"
Dan looked out the window, his expression darkening. "Because of him, Leo. Our world is peaceful now. No borders, no wars. Everyone is happy. But it's all because of him."
"Who?" Leo asked, a sense of dread creeping up his spine.
Dan's voice trembled as he spoke. "Raizen… or as the world knows him, John Raizen."
Leo's blood ran cold. The Raizen he knew, the one who sought destruction, was now the one credited with bringing peace? It didn't make sense. The contradictions churned in his mind, leaving him feeling more lost than ever.
Before Leo could ask more, Dan's face paled. His body stiffened, and his eyes widened in terror. "Leo… he left us alive… because he wanted to kill us in front of you."
Dan's words cut through Leo like a knife. "What do you mean?"
Tears streamed down Dan's face. "I'm sorry, Leo. I can't—" Before he could finish, Dan's body froze, and in a horrifying instant, he vaporized into thin air.
Leo collapsed, his heart breaking as he realized he had failed to protect his friend. He knelt in the empty room, consumed by regret and despair.
The chapter ends with Leo's anguish over the loss of Dan, but his resolve hardening as he prepares to confront Raizen, not just for revenge but to uncover the truth behind the demon lord's mysterious motives.