"How can this be?! How did that kid break my helmet?! It was forged from the strongest material, boasting the highest magical defense in the world! No human should be able to shatter it! Even the Four Kings couldn't put a scratch on it when it was unprotected. And now, with its full magical defenses at their peak… it still broke! How?!
And that speed… is he one of the Four Kings? No… even if he were their descendant, he shouldn't be this powerful!"
These were the frantic thoughts racing through the mind of the golden-armored man—Kamata, a sub-leader of the Dark Ones. He had just taken a single kick from Baldwin, and his prized helmet was in pieces. Though the armor had shielded his head, the impact still left him reeling.
To the others, the sequence of events had been almost impossible to follow. One moment, Baldwin was standing near Genbata. Before anyone could blink, he was on Kamata's shoulder. In the next instant—Kamata was gone, sent flying outside.
"He's so fast! Kamata was at least 50 meters away... it was like he teleported!" one of the prisoners stammered.
Athan's eyes narrowed. "Wait… what was his name? Say it again."
"He… he can hear us from there?!" another prisoner whispered in shock.
Athan smirked. "Yes, I can hear a lot of things—like your heartbeats. Now, tell me that insect man's name."
"It's Kamata! He's one of the sub-leaders of the Dark Ones!" a prisoner shouted.
Athan sighed. "No need to yell—I can hear just fine."
Athan wrinkled his nose in disgust as he turned toward the remaining armored men. "You lot speak the Norman language, huh? Disgusting. Your faces smell awful too. Disappear from my sight."
He placed a hand on the ground, and in an instant—the armored men vanished.
Athan dusted off his hands and turned to Baldwin, who was staring down at his own foot.
"Hey, what's wrong? You've been quiet," Athan asked.
Baldwin stretched his leg, kicking the air a few times. "Nothing much. I broke his helmet, but it was tougher than I expected. I got a little hurt."
Athan rolled his eyes. "Oh, you got hurt. That's it? Not surprised. I heard the name Kamata—he's a big shot around here."
One of the prisoners turned to another. "Do you understand what they're saying? Can you make sense of their language?"
Before Athan could respond, a dark purple energy erupted from outside the cave.
The pressure was immediate—everyone except Baldwin and Athan was slammed against the hard cavern floor, unable to move.
Balwin clicked his tongue. "Well, Athan, I guess Kamata is about to show us why he's a big deal."
"It's Kamata, not Katama," Athan corrected, his hand glowing with blood aura. "And did you hear what they said earlier? Something about the Dark Ones?"
Baldwin's eyes gleamed. "Oh? Dark Ones, huh? This just got interesting."
Before he could say more, a figure landed before them with a loud thud.
A man with two horns, still clad in golden armor—though now cracked from Baldwin's earlier attack—stood tall, his presence radiating power.
"I knew you were special," Kamata growled. "I was just about to say—"
Baldwin cut him off with a smirk. "Oh yeah, I'm very special. Special enough to be above your so-called leader."
Kamata's expression darkened. "How dare you place yourself above my great leader?! As one of the Dark Ones, I was going to offer you a place in our ranks… but that offer is OVER!"
He clenched his fist. The entire cave trembled. then—he punched.
A tornado-like force erupted from his fist, ripping through the cavern, tearing through rock, and shaking the very foundation.
The prisoners struggled to breathe under the overwhelming pressure.
"He's done for!" one of them gasped. "There's no way he'll survive that!"
"It's too much power! We won't even see his body after this!" another cried out.
"They didn't deserve this… they're just kids!" someone else muttered.
Athan scoffed, unfazed. "Calm down. Yeah, Kamata's strong, but not strong enough to take down Baldwin."
The dust cleared. Baldwin stood there. completely unscathed. Kamata's fist was stopped—by a single finger. Baldwin tilted his head, his crimson eyes gleaming.
"Hey, Kamata, right? You really think I'd follow someone weaker, dumber, and more pathetic than me?" He smirked.
"You're strong, I'll give you that. But not enough to defeat me."
"Did he—did he just stop that attack… with ONE FINGER?!" one of the prisoners stammered, voice shaking.
"That punch could tear through mountains…!" another gasped.
"This isn't a human… it's a monster wearing human skin," a third whispered, terror gripping his chest.
Kamata's breathing hitched. His balance wavered. His ears rang from the impact, his mind screaming in denial. No—this was impossible. The great helmet of the Dark Ones… broken? His strongest shield, shattered by a mere kick ?
"How... How did you block my punch?!" Kamata's voice wavered as fear crept into his thoughts. "My fists have the power to destroy entire mountains! And you stopped it... with a single finger?!"
Baldwin's crimson eyes gleamed. "Did you think wearing some fancy armor made you invincible? Remember this—I am a Demon King. I never consider myself invincible. And I never underestimate my enemies, no matter how small they seem."
Kamata gritted his teeth and leapt backward. His golden armor darkened, taking on a deep purple hue as a malevolent energy surged through it.
"Fine," he growled. "If my fists can't do anything, then this will!"
Dark energy crackled in his palms, forming two swirling spheres of destruction, each the size of a human head. The very air around them twisted as the balls seemed to devour light itself.
"As one of the Dark Ones' left hands, I won't escape from here. If I'm going down… I'll take the threat with me!" Kamata roared, hurling both energy spheres forward.
As they neared Baldwin, shadows erupted from beneath his feet.
A wave of darkness surged outward, engulfing the entire cave. The prisoners and Athan could no longer see anything—only blackness surrounded them.
"What's happening?! Why is everything dark?!" one prisoner shouted.
"I can't see the kid… or Kamata! What is this?!" another stammered.
"Is it some kind of dark power?" a third prisoner whispered in fear.
Athan, however, remained silent, his red eyes fixated on the shadow wall separating them from the battle.
He exhaled slowly. "This... feels like déjà vu. Maybe history really does repeat itself." His voice barely carried past his lips. "I just hope this doesn't trigger your memories, Baldwin. I don't want you to relive that trauma..."
On the other side of the shadow wall, Kamata knelt, his face drained of color.
He looked up at Baldwin—not with anger, but with an eerie, defeated smile.
"Tell me... are you the new Dragon King? Or the leader of the Black Dragon Clan?" Kamata asked.
Baldwin's gaze remained cold. "No, I am not."
Kamata exhaled shakily. "Then what are you? That power... it's shadow magic, but no one should be able to wield it at this level."
Baldwin stepped forward, looming over him. "Be proud. You fought well. You struggled. You never ran away. And you did all of it not for yourself, but for your leader—to uphold his pride."
He raised his head slightly.
"I am Katz Baldwin VI, Emperor of the Red Moon Empire. And we... are from another world."
Kamata's eyes widened. "Another world... That explains it. That explains why your shadow power is this strong. I never would have believed such a thing, but now..." He let out a weak chuckle. "I do."
A moment passed before Baldwin spoke again. "Any last words?"
Kamata smirked, though his eyes held exhaustion. "I have taken countless lives… burned cities to the ground… and yet, in the end, vengeance did nothing for me. I sought revenge for the small, happy family I once had… but I lost myself along the way. It didn't suit me.I was one of the heros" He reached into his armor and pulled out a small, ornate dagger.
"Take it, Emperor. This is a divine artifact—it once belonged to me. Perhaps… if my heroic life had lasted just a little longer, if I had passed away alongside my family… I wouldn't have ended up like this."
He tossed the dagger toward Baldwin. Baldwin caught it effortlessly, examining the blade. His expression softened—just a little.
"A hero, now swallowed by darkness! The world is truly unfair to all—he deserved better, yet fate gave him the worst," Baldwin mumbled to himself.
"Rest in peace, Kamata. Your purpose is fulfilled. Your family is waiting for you on the other side."
"Thank you for stopping me," Kamata said with a soft, choked chuckle.
"Welcome! Once a hero, now a villain—I can only hope God will have mercy on you. You deserved better, yet you were left with nothing but emptiness. Remember, I understand you. Farewell," Baldwin said, his face void of emotion.
From behind Kamata, the shadows rose once more. They engulfed him whole. And just like that—he was gone. The dark energy spheres he had unleashed dissipated into the air, scattering like tiny particles of fading light.