Under the scorching sun, Kuki wiped the sweat off his forehead, struggling to keep up with Escarion's brutal training. The intense regimen had left his muscles sore, but he endured—because he had no choice.
Escarion, the warrior feared by many, stood tall before him. His piercing gaze locked onto Kuki's exhausted form.
"If you want to win a battle, you must fear your opponent as much as you can," Escarion said, his voice like thunder rolling over the battlefield.
Kuki sighed, stretching his arms. "I'm trying my best… but some fighters just laugh when I talk seriously."
Escarion's face remained blank for a moment before he snorted."That's because you're an idiot with zero IQ."
Kuki blinked before bursting into laughter.
Escarion's expression darkened. "I'm talking about you, you sh*t! Why are you laughing?"
Kuki continued laughing, his carefree nature refusing to let the insult wound him. But before another word could be exchanged, a sudden burst of energy erupted near them.
A monstrous, suffocating aura spread through the training ground.
Escarion's sharp eyes flickered toward the source. The air around them thickened. The ground trembled.
A deep, booming voice cut through the smoke.
"You are Escarion, right?"
Escarion's muscles tensed as the smoke began to clear.
His eyes narrowed at the figure standing before him.
Kuki's heart stopped.
His breath hitched in his throat. The silhouette… it couldn't be.
As the last traces of smoke vanished, his eyes widened in pure shock.
A familiar face. A familiar stance. A familiar aura—only now twisted and drenched in darkness.
Daigo.
His childhood friend. The one who had once fought beside him.
And yet, the look in Daigo's eyes was not one of reunion.
It was one of pure, unrelenting malice.
"D-Daigo…?" Kuki stuttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Daigo barely acknowledged him. Instead, he turned to Issey, who stood beside him like a loyal shadow.
"Is this the so-called Escarion?" Daigo's voice carried a hint of disappointment. "His power level is pathetic."
Escarion's brow twitched.
Kuki clenched his fists. "Daigo! It's really you, right?"
Daigo's gaze finally snapped to Kuki. His eyes, once filled with warmth, were now hollow and cruel.
"How dare you say my name so casually?"
Before Kuki could react, Daigo moved.
A blur of darkness—too fast, too overwhelming.
He was already upon Kuki.
But before the impact, Escarion's hand shot out, gripping Daigo's throat in a powerful grasp.
A smirk played on Escarion's lips. "See who's weak now."
For a moment, it looked like Escarion had the upper hand. But then—
Daigo smiled.
A sinister, blood-chilling smile.
"You are trash."
A violent explosion of dark aura erupted from Daigo's body, shattering Escarion's grip.
The very ground beneath them cracked and crumbled.
The air itself screamed under the weight of their clash.
And then—they moved.
Two titans colliding, their fists meeting with such force that shockwaves tore through the landscape.
The elite servants—Issey, Lavender, Ray, and Joe—stood watching, their expressions unreadable.
They didn't move.
They didn't interfere.
They didn't even blink.
Because this was a battle beyond them.
Escarion landed a devastating punch to Daigo's side, sending him skidding backward. But Daigo recovered instantly, his blood-red eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Not bad," Daigo taunted. "But not good enough."
Kuki stood frozen, his mind racing.
Why was Daigo attacking Escarion?
Why did he look at him like a stranger?
His hands trembled. His heart pounded.
But deep down, he knew.
He was too weak to stop this battle.
Escarion snarled, wiping the blood from his lip. "Kuki, stay back."
Kuki clenched his fists. "But—"
"I said GO!" Escarion roared, his voice filled with authority.
Kuki hesitated.
He knew he was too weak.
And yet, his heart refused to accept it.
Before he could decide, Daigo's fist connected with Escarion's gut.
A brutal, earth-shaking impact.
Escarion staggered back, coughing blood.
Daigo tilted his head, his expression completely emotionless.
"Is that all you've got?"
Silence.
And then—
Escarion's body twitched.
His head tilted back slightly.
His eyes burned with something primal.
His lips parted, and a single, trembling word escaped.
"Awa...ken…"
And then—the world shifted.