In the dim hall of the Demon Lord's castle, a heavy silence filled the air. Looking out the window, the aftermath of a great battle could be seen. Soldiers, both from the Demon Lord's side and the Hero's, along with magical beasts, were scattered across the battlefield. Many lay dead, some still fighting, while others had already fallen.

Inside the castle, the Hero and the Demon Lord stood ready for their final showdown. They were poised to fight, but neither made a move. They were both frozen, as if waiting for something. And that something came. A presence entered the room—someone so powerful that the very rules of the world didn't seem to apply to him. His name was Phantom.

A portal opened, and Phantom stepped in, followed by one of his Seven. He walked with a smooth grace, dressed in a suit, his grey hair glowing in the room's light, his crimson-red eyes partly hidden behind a nose mask. One of his Seven, a female who stood still like a maid, waited for orders. Phantom gave a slight bow and spoke. "How are you, Demon Lord? Hero? We've met before, but let me introduce myself again."

The Hero and the Demon Lord both looked at him. They couldn't forget their previous encounters with Phantom. Against him, they had been helpless—mere toys in his hands, unable to do anything.

Phantom's expression darkened. "What's all this?" he said. "Didn't I tell you both to get stronger? And yet here you are, still messing around. 

Phantom let out a sigh, not even looking at them. "This isn't the time for this fight, you know? It's all just so dumb."

The Hero clenched his fists, his voice rising in defiance. "But I'm stronger now!" he shouted, as if his words alone could change his fate.

Phantom, still facing away from them, turned sharply. His crimson eyes locked onto the Hero. "What did you say?" His voice was dangerously calm, as if he were barely exerting any effort to be heard. He let out a light chuckle. "Both you and the Demon Lord are nothing more than entertainment for Heaven and Hell. You think you're strong enough? Fine, forget Heaven and Hell. Just look at this."

A God-tier Grimoire appeared before them, ancient and glowing with unimaginable power. Phantom held it in his fingers and looked at the Hero and Demon Lord. "Do you know what kind of power this Grimoire possesses?"

No you don't, but let me tell you.

This Grimoire has the power to destroy anything with a thought. But to me, it's nothing."

He squeezed the Grimoire slightly, and with almost no effort, it shattered into pieces. The Hero and Demon Lord were left speechless, their bodies frozen in disbelief. The sight of the Grimoire's destruction—something thought unbreakable—left them paralyzed, Then both of them fell to their knees, knowing Phantom could erase them with a mere thought.

"Now do you still think you're strong?" Phantom asked, his voice colder than ever.

The Hero stood frozen, his anger fading into a hollow realization of his own weakness.

Phantom sighed, his gaze turning colder. 'You need to get stronger. Only then will this battle be worth my time.

As Phantom turned to leave, his footsteps echoing in the silent room, he suddenly paused, a smile flickering across his face. "Looks like we have a guest. And from the aura, I'd guess it's Archangel Uriel."

The doors to the castle burst open, and Archangel Uriel appeared, dressed in golden armor and carrying a sword, clearly prepared for battle.

The Hero and Demon Lord were shocked. Archangels were higher beings, rare and often unseen. For one to appear now, something must be wrong. And there guess was Phantom.

Phantom looked at Uriel with a smirk, his gaze dismissive. "What do you want, you pathetic excuse of an angel?"

Uriel, anger flashing in his eyes, took a step forward, but something—an overwhelming sense of dread—held him back. He knew that no matter his celestial status, Phantom was beyond his understanding.

As Uriel tried to speak, Phantom interrupted. "Stop. You're just going to waste my time."

It was as if the world itself obeyed him. Time froze in its tracks, and Uriel stood motionless, unable to move, just like the others. The power that Phantom wielded was so immense, even an Archangel like him was powerless.

One of his Seven asked, "Lord Phantom, why is Archangel Uriel frozen like this? I thought Archangels were above time."

Phantom gave a quiet chuckle. "Not even Uriel understands time. The one who's the Angel of Time doesn't understand it either. But if it were Michael or Gabriel, something as mere as time wouldn't be able to stop them."

With that, Phantom stepped into the portal, his maid following behind. He paused before disappearing entirely, turning back with a smirk. "Let's go back to where it all started," he muttered, his voice carrying an eerie calmness.

When I use to be just Kaito Raizen.

As the portal closed behind him, the world, still frozen, seemed to hold its breath in his absence, as if awaiting his next move in the endless game he controlled.