RYOJIN KUROHANE; THE ABYSSAL MONARCH

The ruins of Solara trembled.

Darius stood at the edge of the crater, his greatblade still radiating golden energy, his breath heavy but controlled. The celestial sigils around him pulsed erratically, as if they, too, sensed the shift in the battlefield.

Because something had changed.

Ryojin rose from the rubble, his form shrouded in abyssal mist, his violet eyes glowing brighter than ever. The wounds on his body leaked black energy, tendrils of the Abyss lashing at the air like living shadows.

He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly. Then, he looked up at Darius—and grinned.

"Now that hurt," he admitted, rolling his shoulders. "I almost felt that one."

Darius didn't respond. He simply raised his greatblade again.

No hesitation. No doubt. That's what makes him dangerous.

But Ryojin was done playing.

Abyssal power surged through his veins, and for the first time in this battle, he stopped holding back.

The air itself darkened.

Shadows spread from beneath Ryojin's feet, consuming the broken street, swallowing the light like a void with no end. The torches that lined the distant walls snuffed out. Even the moonlight above seemed dim, as if the sky itself feared what was about to happen.

Then—

Ryojin vanished.

Not with speed. Not with teleportation. He simply ceased to exist.

Darius's eyes widened—too late.

A slash.

Black flames erupted across his armor, searing through celestial enchantments, carving a deep wound across his chest.

Darius staggered back, blood dripping from the gash.

Before he could react—

Another slash.

This time, across his left arm.

A third.

His thigh.

A fourth.

Straight across his back.

It wasn't teleportation. It wasn't speed.

It was something far worse.

Ryojin was everywhere and nowhere at once. The Abyss had fully embraced him, his existence shifting between reality and something beyond.

Darius's breathing grew heavier. His wings faltered.

But still, he stood.

"I see it now," he muttered. "You aren't just wielding the powers of the Abyss."

Ryojin materialized a few feet away, his katana resting lazily on his shoulder.

Darius's golden eyes burned.

"You're becoming it."

Silence.

Then—laughter.

Low at first, then rising. Ryojin chuckled, shaking his head.

"'Becoming it?'" He tilted his head, amusement flickering in his glowing eyes. "Darius, my friend…"

The abyssal mist flared. The entire battlefield trembled.

"I already am."

The sky cracked. The earth groaned.

And the true nightmare began.

Darius tightened his grip on his greatblade, forcing himself to stand despite the pain burning through his body. The wounds inflicted by Ryojin weren't just physical—they bled deeper. His divine energy struggled to counteract the abyssal corruption seeping into his very essence.

He had fought monsters before. He had battled the wicked and the damned.

But this?

This was different.

Ryojin wasn't just wielding the powers of the Abyss. He was becoming something else. Something even the gods feared.

The air around him was suffocating—not just dark, but empty. As if reality itself was unraveling in Ryojin's presence.

Darius exhaled sharply. He couldn't afford doubt.

Focus.

The sigils around his body pulsed, growing brighter. He called upon the celestial power within, letting it surge through his veins like liquid sunlight. His wings, though battered, ignited anew, flames of golden purity cascading around him.

He lifted his blade.

And charged.

A burst of divine speed. The earth shattered beneath him as he closed the gap in an instant. His greatblade flashed, its runes burning with holy fire, aimed straight for Ryojin's chest—

Impact.

But—no resistance.

The blade passed through empty air.

Darius's eyes widened." Not again—"

A whisper behind him.

"You still don't get it."

Ryojin's presence loomed just a step away.

Darius reacted instantly. He spun, slashing in a perfect arc. His blade cut through Ryojin's form—

Only for it to melt into shadow.

An illusion? No—an afterimage.

Then—pain.

A sharp, precise stab pierced his side.

Ryojin's katana, now wreathed in pure abyssal energy, had found its mark.

Darius gasped, blood spraying from his lips. His vision blurred as the abyssal corruption crawled through his wound, trying to consume him from the inside.

Ryojin leaned in, whispering into his ear.

" Tell me how I can enter the godly realm and I'll spare you."

Darius gritted his teeth, forcing himself to move. He swung his elbow, aiming to knock

Ryojin away—

But his opponent was already gone.

Ryojin appeared a few meters away, examining the blood on his blade with mild curiosity. His violet eyes glowed unnaturally,

his form flickering like a mirage.

Darius staggered, but steadied himself. He couldn't fall here.

Not yet.

His divine energy surged, burning away at the corruption, but it was slower this time. Weaker.

Ryojin sighed. "You're fighting a losing battle, Darius." He gestured to the ruined city around them. "Look at this place. Look at you. The Celestial Order isn't coming to save you. Just tell me how I can enter the godly realm."

Darius remained silent.

Ryojin took a step forward, the ground beneath him cracking. His presence alone seemed to devour the world.

"You used to be stronger than this." His voice was almost... disappointed. "Back when we fought side by side, you didn't need the gods to think for you."

Darius clenched his jaw. "That man is dead. I'll not put the lives of the innocent just to gain power."

Ryojin smirked. "Then let's see how much of him is still buried in there."

The Abyss howled. The shadows twisted, writhing like living things.

Darius raised his blade, even as his vision darkened.

The next exchange would decide everything,

And only one of them would walk away.