Zephyr panted, her cold breath hitting the stone floor as she clutched her chest. The underground halls were shrouded in darkness, barely illuminated by the flickering glow of dying torches.
“You…” she coughed, lifting her gaze with a glare. “You monster.”
A soft chuckle echoed through the cavernous halls, slithering through the shadows like a whispering spectre. Then, with a playful bound, Lily emerged into the dim light, her bells chiming behind her as she landed before the huntress in an instant.
“You were looking for me all along, weren’t you?” she purred, bending lower, her smile razor-sharp. “Well... here I am.”
Zephyr gritted her teeth, her breath ragged. She lunged, her blade slicing cleanly through Lily’s form—only to cut through empty air.
Lily’s laugh rang out, and in the next moment, she perched on the edge of the wall, legs swinging playfully. “You’ll have to do better than that, dear,” she mused, tilting her head. “Just give up. Settle down, and find yourself a nice family… this whole movement of yours is finished.”
“Shut up,” Zephyr whispered, forcing herself to her feet. “You actually think that pathetic swordsman can beat Jinni? Please. He’s number one in the world for a reason. His swordsmanship, his gifts—those are what make him—”
She froze. Cold steel pressed against her throat.
Lily stood behind her, their backs almost touching. Her voice was barely a breath against Zephyr’s ear. “This is why I hate playing the nice girl,” she murmured, her tone soft, almost disappointed. “Just because I smile, you think you can say whatever you want.”
Zephyr trembled, unable to move as Lily’s fingers ghosted over her cheek. The huntress flinched as that eerie glow returned to Lily’s eyes. Though she wasn't seeing it, the tension crawled into her skin causing her to shiver.
“I’ll make sure you never make that mistake again.”
Zephyr swung her blade in desperation, but before she could blink—her arm was gone.
Her eyes widened in horror as she watched it spin through the air, blood trailing behind it. A scream clawed its way up her throat, but it never escaped. In the next breath, both her legs were severed.
And finally, her head.
As she fell, the last thing she saw was Lily’s impassive gaze, unfeeling, detached.
Then, everything went dark.
Zephyr gasped, her body convulsing as she collapsed to her knees, hands clutching her head. She was still alive. She could still feel her limbs. “W-Was that… an illusion?” she choked, bile rising in her throat before she doubled over, retching onto the cold stone.
Lily stepped forward and knelt before her, their eyes meeting. Zephyr shuddered.
“Leave this place,” Lily commanded, her voice gentle yet absolute. “And never return… if you value your life.”
Zephyr bolted, her panicked screams fading into the distance as she ran blindly through the corridors, never daring to look back.
Lily sighed, wiping nonexistent dust from her blade before sliding it back into its sheath. “Alright then,” she chirped, her grin widening. “Let’s see how Hady’s doing.”
*
The void stretched endlessly, the suffocating darkness broken only by faint, flickering sparks—mere whispers of light before they erupted into a storm of relentless strikes. Steel clashed against steel, grit met grit, their duel carving ripples into the abyss.
Then, the world sharpened. The howling snow turned grey as two swordsmen danced through the air, their blades cutting through the storm with such force that the very earth beneath them trembled. Hades surged forward, forcing Jinni back. With a command of the wind, he propelled himself higher, the frozen gusts carrying him like an unseen spectre.
Taking a deep breath, he slashed downward. The sheer force tore through the air, roaring toward Jinni. But the swordsman met it head-on, blocking effortlessly before landing lightly on the snow-covered ground.
Hades followed, landing a short distance away. Between them, the storm raged—unrelenting, indifferent.
“How have you been, old friend?” Jinni asked, his voice calm, his sword outstretched. “You won’t speak to me? You simply draw your blade without hesitation? Is that how old friends greet each other?”
Hades remained silent.
Then, he removed his hat, placed it over his chest, and sank to one knee.
Jinni’s eyes darkened, the life within them fading.
“Have mercy on me, Jin,” Hades whispered, his voice laced with anguish, his fists clenched in barely restrained fury. “I couldn't even mourn your departure.” His fingers tightened around his hilt. “But—” he rose to his feet, his gaze sharp as a blade. “Please… allow me to kill this imposter.”
Jinni remained motionless, his expression unreadable. Then, a low chuckle escaped his lips. “This body recalls something quite interesting,” he mused, raising his blade.
A typhoon of weapons swirled around him, their edges gleaming with deadly intent. The storm howled, lightning split the sky, and the ground trembled as cracks splintered through the ice.
He glanced knowingly at Hades before a bolt of lightning struck the earth. The impact sent violent gusts of wind tearing through the field, yet Hades stood unmoved, his hat still in hand.
Jinni’s blade fused with the lightning, its metal crackling with raw energy. His floating weapons did the same, connected by erratic, jagged strings of electricity.
Undeterred, Mr. Swordsman stepped forward, wearing his hat before tying the string. Reaching for Levi’s knife at his waist, he tossed it skyward.
The moment the blade began its descent, he drew his sword and waited. Then, with a precise strike, he grazed the falling knife’s tip.
A single spark ignited.
In the next breath, the spark erupted into a raging inferno, engulfing him in a swirling explosion of flames that tore outward in every direction. The blast consumed the frozen battlefield, melting ice and shattering the terrain.
Yet, Jinni remained still. His coating alone kept the fire at bay, the flames dispersing against his form.
Hades brandished his now-blazing sword, locking eyes with Jinni. Then, in an instant, the two clashed once more. Each strike sent violent tremors through the land, shaking it to its very core.
Jinni’s blade flashed for Hades’ neck, but Hades leaned back, twisting midair with agility. His body spun, his fiery blade carving a wheel of flames as he redirected Jinni’s attack, deflecting the incoming weapons that lunged for him.
Jinni retreated, brushing a hand across his chest where the fire had seared through his defences. A smirk tugged at his lips. “You increased its intensity, didn’t you?”
Hades said nothing.
Jinni’s smirk widened. With a sharp swing, he drove his lightning-infused blade into the frozen ground.
Instantly, jagged arcs of electricity surged across the snow, crackling over the fractured ice. But before the storm could reach him, Hades commanded the wind, launching himself skyward just as the electrified ground shattered beneath him.
Jinni wasted no time. With an upward sweep of his sword, hundreds of electrified weapons shot toward Hades.
Hades’ gaze remained locked on the incoming barrage. Then, with blinding speed, he met each weapon with a series of precise strikes, diverting them one by one.
And then, unexpectedly—he locked eyes with Jinni.
The heavens roared as lightning and fire intertwined, streaking across the sky in chaotic arcs. The very air itself crackled with power, sending torrents of flames and electricity crashing down onto the land. Even from miles away, the people of the Fourth trembled at the sight of the catastrophe unfolding above.
The two swordsmen met midair once more. Their blades clashed, their auras colliding in a devastating explosion of power. The sky darkened beneath their clash, swallowed by the sheer force of their unleashed energy.
Then—
“I’ve had enough of this!” Jinni roared.
He summoned the full force of his floating blades, channelling a massive surge of lightning through them. With one final strike, he brought them down in a colossal beam of energy, slamming Hades into the icy terrain below.
The land quaked and the land shattered, leaving a gaping crater where Hades had fallen.
Jinni descended slowly, his frown deepening.
And then—
A figure stood behind him, adjusting his hat.
“Are you finished?” Hades asked, his voice calm.
Jinni exhaled sharply, his lips curling into a smirk.
“Don’t push me to anger,” he warned causing the clouds to disperse and the very world burning away. “Forty-two.”
*
The dimly lit room flickered with a single spark as Jin let out a frustrated grunt before prying open the furnace. The glow of molten heat bathed his sweat-slicked body, the sheen of his skin glistening under the fire’s light as he slid the blade inside. For a moment, he stood motionless, his forehead resting against the furnace’s edge.
“Damn it!” he roared, throwing his hammer across the room. It clattered against the wall as he turned and kicked the table in frustration. His blade shot into his grasp, his grip tightening as he turned toward the entrance.
A shadow loomed beyond the doorway.
“…Hades?” he murmured, lowering his gaze before sinking into his seat.
The man stepped forward, hammer in hand, and settled beside him.
“Still angry?” Hades asked, glancing at Jinni. “You don’t have to see it that way.”
Jinni ran a hand through his damp hair, exhaling sharply. “The Gift of the Shattered Edge,” he muttered. “Does the universe see my ambition as a joke? A gift meant to sever the bond between a warrior and his weapon… What kind of swordsmith would wish for such”
Hades remained silent, rising to his feet before prying open the furnace and inspecting the blade within. He lingered for a moment before turning back. “You’ve kept this secret for so long,” he said, his voice calm. “And you’ve barely committed to it. Even I wonder if you’re serious about it.”
Jinni’s blade flashed. In an instant, its edge was at Hades’ throat.
“So even you think my dream is a joke?”
Hades didn’t flinch. Instead, he stepped forward, pushing past the steel at his neck. “The gift is perfect for you,” he said, locking eyes with Jinni. “I can’t think of anyone more suited for it.”
Jinni scowled but said nothing.
“A bond between man and blade doesn’t shatter so easily,” Hades continued. “The stronger that connection, the mightier they become in battle. You need to find a way—some way—to make your gift work for you.”
Jinni furrowed his brow and leaned back in his chair. “So, wise man, tell me—how exactly do you expect me to do that?”
Hades smirked. “Other weapons.”
Jinni frowned.
“Instead of breaking the bonds between warriors and their blades, find a way to control the weapons that have no masters,” Hades said. “Strengthen their connection instead. You just have to look for the answer—not sit in the dark, wallowing in frustration.”
He grabbed a pair of tongs, retrieving the burning-red blade from the furnace. The metal pulsed with heat as he lifted it into the air.
“Forge your weapons,” he said, meeting Jinni’s eyes. “Make them stronger. If you know how to sever a warrior’s bond, then you should be able to forge one as well, a stronger one for the warriors of the future.”
*
The world twisted into a distorted blur. The sky shed its familiar form, shifting into something far darker, more sinister. Barren lands stretched endlessly, littered with corpses and shattered weapons.
And in the distance, a cold, unfeeling moon loomed, its silver glow casting an eerie light upon the forsaken battlefield.
Hades kept his gaze locked onto Jinni, who stood unmoving.
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The air was frigid. Too frigid. A biting wind howled across the wasteland, carrying with it wisps of grey sand.
“You have no reason for this,” Jinni whispered, his fingers gliding along the edge of his long sword. “If you were truly comrades with this body once, you would have supported his cause. He made this choice, Hades. Not me. Not Shinari. Him.”
Hades remained silent, his expression unreadable beneath his hat. His garment rippled violently in the wind, but he did not move.
Jinni scoffed. “Don’t tell me you’re in league with the Supreme Being—the very man who slaughtered our friends,” he spat, arms outstretched. “He marked us as sacrifices to feed his pathetic power. Is that the sort of man you wish to serve? Join me, Hades, and we can have our revenge! End all of this and forge a new path by our own will. No longer as mere puppets, but as swordsmen with names! You should be grateful—you’ve finally been given a purpose for that blade of yours.”
Only silence answered him. Then—
The crunch of shifting sand.
Hades took a step forward, his eyes gleaming like molten steel fresh from the forge. His voice was glacial, slicing through the wind like a honed edge.
“They are not your friends,” he whispered. “They are Jin’s friends.”
Jinni’s breath hitched.
“You?” Hades continued, stepping closer. “You are nothing but a puppet. And all you’ve done is stray from your already worthless fate—”
In the blink of an eye, both blades clashed, the impact shuddering through the land, trembling the very earth.
“TELL ME, HADES!” Jinni roared, forcing him back. “Can a puppet do this? Huh?! Can he wield the three powers with perfect mastery?! If anyone’s a puppet—it’s YOU! A slave to your own emotions! Just look at yourself! You call yourself a damn man?!
“They all DIED, and what did you do?! HUH?! You erased them. Every memory, every piece of pain, everything that made you human! And you call ME worthless?! Lily became a disciple to one day avenge her friends and find inner peace! Jin chose to become stronger! And go beyond his limits. And YOU?! YOU'RE A COWARD!
“Don’t call me worthless!”
He drove Hades back as thousands of blades scattered across the battlefield trembled, responding to his call. Like a tidal wave of steel, they surged forward, all aimed at one target.
Hades planted his feet, his stance unwavering. His sword blurred, each strike meeting the storm of weapons with blinding speed. The relentless assault sent sparks scattering into the darkened sky.
But it wasn’t enough.
A surge of explosions erupted across, the shockwaves tearing through the air.
Hades barely had time to react before the force sent him hurtling backwards.
Jinni was upon him in seconds, closing the distance. His strike met its mark. Hades was sent flying, his body crashing against jagged rock formations, shattering them on impact. More weapons soared toward him, intent on finishing the job.
Gritting his teeth, he forced his body to move, seizing command of the wind itself. It roared in response, halting his momentum—but at a cost. Agony tore through his limbs. Every breath felt like fire.
Still—
His grip tightened around his sword. Midair, he turned, blade flashing, cutting down each weapon before they could reach him.
Hades landed, his boots pressing firm against the broken earth. Above him, Jinni hovered like a king enthroned in the sky, his form draped in pristine black and white fabrics—an attire that had materialised within his dominion.
The air around him twisted, and portals unfurled like blooming petals.
From them emerged an army of steel.
Hundreds of thousands of weapons peeked through, blotting out the heavens in a sea of iron.
Jinni gazed down at him, eyes unreadable.
“It’s over, Hades,” he murmured. “I gave you a chance. You may be powerful… but in the end, you’re still human.”
Then, the sky collapsed.
A tempest of blades rained down, axes, spears, knives—an unrelenting purge of steel that sought to erase all beneath it.
Hades moved. His sword became a blur, cutting, parrying, deflecting. Again. Again. Again. Every swing demanded more than the last. His gift was still in his grasp; all he could do was stretch his lifeforce, and push past the breaking point. His mind roared, his vision swam, sweat cascading from his body like a torrential downpour.
A blade grazed his arm. Another carved a thin line across his cheek. His legs burned as steel kissed flesh, deeper, deeper—until a strike sank into his arm, then his legs.
And then—
He stopped swinging.
A sharp chill bloomed in his chest.
Jinni stood beside him, his long blade buried deep into Hades’ heart.
“Goodbye,” Jinni whispered, drawing his weapon free.
He turned, his cloak billowing behind him.
"Son of the Devil."
*
Tankenu Sensei sat cross-legged on his mat, a cup of tea cradled in his hand, his gaze fixed on the young boy before him.
The boy was extraordinary—a prodigy in combat, unmatched among his peers, and possessing a sharp mind to match his skill.
Sakura, ever the lively one, busied himself with lighthearted antics, attempting to crack the boy’s stoic demeanour. But the child remained still, unmoving as stone beneath the weight of his Sensei’s gaze.
He had been brought here by an old man—one even older than Tankenu himself, which should have been impossible.
At first, they assumed him to be the boy’s grandfather. A natural assumption. But the truth lay bare beneath the thin veil of deception.
Tankenu dismissed the boy, sending him outside before turning to Sakura. The warmth in the younger man's expression faded, replaced by something far more serious.
“So that’s him?” Sakura asked, lowering himself onto the mat across from the Sensei. “One of the fallen angels.”
Tankenu nodded. “The child received his gift at birth,” he murmured. “Normally, when one awakens to their gift, they are given all the knowledge that comes with it. But he was too young to comprehend.”
He took a slow sip of tea, the warmth doing little to soothe the weight in his chest.
“There’s something about him…” he admitted, his voice quieter now.
Sakura frowned, sensing the rare unease in his teacher’s tone.
Tankenu turned to him, his sharp eyes clouded with an unfamiliar uncertainty.
“If there’s anyone I fear among my pupils,” he murmured, “it’s that boy.”
*
Jinni stepped forward as the world began to settle, the eerie silence broken only by the steady drip of blood from his blade.
Each step left behind a trail of crimson, staining the once-pristine snow until the ground was nothing but a canvas of red.
Then, the world shifted again.
The landscape twisted into chaos—a wasteland of ruin. The ground beneath him cracked open, releasing plumes of sulfuric steam that coiled into the suffocating air.
Far ahead, volcanoes loomed, their trembling peaks threatening to spew fire and ash at any moment. The wind howled, carrying with it the distant screams of the damned, their voices rising and falling like a dreadful symphony of suffering.
Jinni stopped in his tracks, tilting his head toward the heavens—or what was left of them. The sky had been swallowed by a swirling abyss, pulsating with sickly veins of crimson lightning. No stars, no moon, only a void that gaped down upon the infernal landscape, watching, waiting.
“You’re relentless,” Jinni murmured, turning his gaze back to Hades.
Blades pierced through his back, arms, and legs. His head hung low, blood dripping from his chest before his hat slipped from his grasp, falling soundlessly to the tainted earth.
Fire blazed across the land, and the thick, suffocating air made every breath an agony. But then—
“I understand.”
Hades’ voice shattered the stillness, barely more than a whisper.
“I finally understand,” he repeated, his fingers tightening as he reached for his fallen hat.
Jinni stepped forward, his countless blades still hovering in the air. With the slightest flick of his wrist, they realigned—forming a cage of death, closing in from all sides.
Pain wracked Hades’ body. Heat surged through his veins, his very lifeforce trembling under the weight of his wounds. It felt as if his soul itself was being crushed.
And yet, he felt some kind of peace in this. As if he had been with it since the beginning of his years.
“This gift…” Hades murmured, gripping the blade buried in his shoulder and yanking it free. “This isn’t the gift of wrath... It’s something far more”
Jinni’s weapons shot forward, each one a silver streak racing toward him—only for the world to turn grey.
Hades placed his hat back atop his head as the swords impaled within him loosened, clattering uselessly to the ground.
With a single swing, the remaining weapons were sent hurtling away.
Jinni’s expression twisted. “Why are you still alive? What sort of monster are you, Hades?”
Hades took a step forward, his head still bowed.
“Yes,” he answered, slowly lifting his palms before his eyes.
“I am now complete. That's how I feel. Not like a puppet, a shame, a swordsman with no name. I'm just simply... whole”
Jinni snarled. “Shut up! What do you know? You’re nothing but a coward. I'll kill you over and over again to prove that, just watch me!”
Stretching out his sword, he sneered, “You stand no chance against me, even if you have acquired the third power," he said. "You can't defeat me, I will bring peace to this nation and defeat the Supreme Being"
Hades halted. His voice, low and sharpened like steel, cutting through the air.
“Your ambition is as dull as your blade.” He raised his head, revealing eyes that glowed a deep, blood-red.
“You will die here, impostor.”
The world trembled as shadows danced across the land. A horned beast emerged in the sky, its maw stretched into a hellish grin. And then—more followed. Hundreds of them loomed above, their ghastly eyes locked onto Jinni, their silent laughter heavy with malice.
On the ground, horses cloaked in darkness thundered across the terrain, their hollow gazes weeping streaks of blood.
A shadow curled beneath Hades, writhing like ink before shaping itself into a steed. He mounted it with ease, tilting his hat into place.
Then, in a blur, he rode toward Jinni, striking. He blocked Hades attack with ease.
Hades leapt from his horse, his blade a silver streak against the night. Jinni deflected again, pushing him back into the air—where the shadows wove another steed beneath him, catching him effortlessly.
Hades moved like a phantom, flitting between the darkness, striking from every angle. His blade sang, relentless against the crimson night.
Jinni roared, stomping his foot to the earth. The land itself answered his command—air and stone surged in unison, an upward blast tearing through the battlefield, carrying a shattered rock in its wake. With a single burst, he sent the storm of rocks hurtling forward.
Hades rode his horse through the air, dodging every attack in his path.
Jinni coughed up blood, his throat burning. The air thickened, becoming a suffocating mass of whispers.
He could hear them.
Men. Women. Children.
The voices of the countless he had slaughtered, those whose suffering had stained his hands. They pressed into him, louder, clawing at his mind, devouring him from within.
“No—” Jinni clutched his head, his breath ragged.
He screamed and scratched his face leaving a trail of red on his skin.
Weapons shot forward, swarming toward Hades, who galloped into the attack. His sword flashed, cutting down each one in his path.
The shadows coiled around him, lifting him into the sky.
There, he remained suspended, sword poised beneath the bloodstained moon.
Jinni’s eyes widened in fury, veins bursting red. His own fingers dug into his face, scratching, tearing.
"Die, Hades!!"
Blades distorted—multiplying into millions, an endless tide of steel crashing toward him.
They neared.
Inches away.
One even kissed his chin—
And then—
The very air shattered.
A violent gust roared through the sky, a force so mighty that every blade scattered, shattering to dust as the heavens themselves split open.
And from above—meteors fell.
Hundreds. Thousands. Countless. A storm of divine wrath.
The crimson sky wept fire upon the inferno landscape.
Jinni turned, eyes frozen on the burning descent. His body tensed, willing himself to flee—only to feel it.
The shadows beneath his feet.
Gripping him. Holding him in place.
Mocking him with their hollow, twisted smiles.
Then, the earth erupted.
A blinding explosion consumed the land, swallowing all in its path—
And Jinni was no more.
Or so it seemed.
Hades stepped forward, his movements slow, deliberate. His hand pressed over his chest, fingers slick with his own blood as he covered the wound that slowly covered itself up.
If he had wasted even a second moment to bring up his own realm, then his injury would have been the end of him.
His gaze dropped to Jinni’s charred body, the faintest ember of life still flickering within it.
With a sigh, he knelt, placing a hand over him.
Dark energy seeped from his palm, curling like mist around Jinni. The same technique he had once used on Hudson—but this time, more refined, more precise.
This body belonged to Jin. His mind was simply lost.
Hades exhaled, closing his eyes as he reached into the void within Jinni.
Darkness swallowed him whole.
His body felt weightless, transparent, as though he had become nothing more than a shadow submerged in an abyss. He swam forward, searching—reaching for something, anything.
Nothing.
Hades stilled, concentrating.
If it didn’t want to be found, it wouldn’t be.
His brows furrowed. Then, with a burst of will, he unleashed his energy into the void—an unrelenting, ceaseless surge. A suicidal one.
A burst could only be released at once but this was continous. Like a sacrifice.
It coursed through the abyss, stretching endlessly.
The darkness thickened, pressing against him like water. His lungs tightened, the weight suffocating. But he pressed on.
Jin.
His voice wavered through the emptiness.
You still have a chance. Is this how you want it to end? Is this how you want to be remembered? As a murderer? A tyrant?
Please.
The energy swelled, crackling with desperation.
"Damn it!" he yelled, water escaping into his throat.
Hades poured more of himself into the void, his very essence trembling under the strain. But Jin was still here—he had to be.
I have lost too many friends, Hades thought, eyes blazing with resolve.
Not anymore.
And finally, the void illuminated itself with a comforting light.
Hades opened his eyes.
He was no longer drowning.
Instead, he stood in a dimly lit room, the air thick with the scent of burning coal.
Before him, a furnace crackled, embers flickering like fireflies.
Jin sat beside it, a hot blade in his grasp. He plunged it into a trough of water, steam hissing upon contact. Lifting the blade once more, he placed it on the anvil, hammer in hand.
A sharp clang rang through the room as metal struck metal.
"No more impurities!" Jin grinned, turning to Hades with excitement. His face was unmarred by the weight of war, his hands calloused but steady. "My very first blade! Thanks, Hades! We really did it!"
Hades, standing beside his past self, merely shook his head.
He placed a hand on Jin’s shoulder, his expression softer than usual.
"It was all you," he murmured, offering a rare smile. "I just showed my support, that’s all. And I’m confident this won’t be your last weapon."
Hades watched the memory play out before him.
Then, without another word, he turned away.
*
Hades collapsed onto a gnarled stump within his realm, his breathing ragged. Distant roars and tortured wails echoed across the endless abyss, a chorus of unearthly beings writhing in the shadows. Behind him, a horned beast loomed, its massive frame outlined by the flickering darkness, its glowing eyes locked onto its long-awaited master. Shadows danced across its form, shifting restlessly.
Lowering his head, Hades pressed a hand against his forehead, fingers digging into his skin. Jin had been freed from the curse that had bound him, but full recovery would take time.
He exhaled. His eyes opened, burning with resolve.
Until then, there was one more thing to do.
Two sides. Two rulers. Two forces eternally at odds.
Far across the landscape, nestled among swirling clouds, stood a sea of figures draped in pristine white robes. Thousands of them hovered in divine radiance, halos of pure light cresting their backs.
Hades rose to his feet, his gaze unreadable beneath the curtain of his dark bangs.
Among them, two figures stood out.
Luciela, her golden, starry eyes shimmering with an unspoken comfort.
And beside her—Lucifer. His expression was nothing but hatred.
Yet the one who stood at the forefront eclipsed them both.
A towering presence, a man of pure divinity. The Supreme Being.
His form was akin to a giant, his flowing white beard streaked with gold, his cascading hair gleaming with divine brilliance. A king above all kings. The god of this world.
But across from them, bathed in seething storms and streaks of lightning, lay the other side.
A realm where demons prowled and chaos reigned.
And from its depths, a being emerged.
Shrouded in shadows and swirling smoke, its very form contorted into a sleek, spectral garment. Curled horns crowned its head, and its eyes—void of pupils—burned a sinister crimson.
The Demon King.
A figure as vast and overwhelming as the Supreme Being himself.
Yet Hades paid them no mind.
Instead, he unsheathed his blade.
The moment steel left its scabbard, the darkness behind him surged. Millions of shadows writhed into existence, towering monstrosities taking form. Giant beasts, their bodies composed of molten rock, shackled by heavy chains, growled in unison.
Hades exhaled, his blade lowering slightly. At his silent command, the creatures stilled, waiting.
His voice, when it came, was quiet.
Lethal.
"I’ll say this once."
He took a step forward, his eyes still hidden, his presence suffocating.
"If you cause me any more trouble—"
Another step.
"I’ll kill you both."
A sinister chorus of laughter erupted from the monsters at his back, their grotesque voices rising in maddened glee at their ruler’s words.
The Supreme Being barely had time to chuckle before Hades swung his blade, tearing through the realm and bringing himself back to reality.
He found himself standing in the heart of the hunters’ town.
Or what remained of it.
The once-thriving land lay in ruins, reduced to smouldering ash. A thick, acrid smoke blanketed the sky, shrouding the world in an eerie twilight. The air was heavy and thick with the aftermath of the battle with Jinni.
Hades coughed, his fingers clutching his chest. Despite the pain, a faint smile touched his lips.
"I actually did it," he murmured. "The third power. After all these years... finally"
But his moment of triumph was short-lived. A force struck his senses, familiar but unfriendly.
Heavy footsteps approached, their weight pressing against the frozen earth.
Lily arrived at the town and darted to Jin's side. Her lips trembled, her eyes brimming with tears—yet she swallowed them down, forcing herself to remain composed.
"Take him," Hades whispered, his grip tightening around his blade. "And be quick."
Lily nodded, scooping up Jin’s unconscious form and vanishing into the ashen winds.
Hades' hands trembled as the figure stepped through the dark smoke.
Bloodborne.
His emerald eyes, usually alight with warmth, were now void of life.
"You’re coming with me," he whispered.