The ruins fell silent the moment the voice echoed across the mountain.
Even the ancient creature stopped moving.
Dust drifted slowly through the fractured air while pieces of stone continued collapsing from above. Yet despite the destruction around them, Hiroto could only focus on one thing.
That voice.
Cold.
Controlled.
Unshaken by the monstrous presence beneath the mountain.
A shadow appeared at the edge of the ruined cliff above them.
Tall.
Lean.
Wrapped entirely in black armor that reflected almost no light. The armor itself looked unnatural, as though darkness had hardened into steel around his body.
No face was visible beneath the helm.
Only shadows.
But the pressure pouring from him was enough to make the air feel heavier.
Yui instinctively stepped backward.
Akari's fists tightened immediately.
Kenzaku narrowed his eyes. "So that's him…"
The Black Daimyo looked down upon the ruins silently.
Then his gaze settled on Hiroto.
Even without seeing his eyes, Hiroto could feel it.
Judgment.
"You survived longer than expected," the Black Daimyo said calmly.
Hiroto felt irritation flare instantly despite the fear in his chest.
"You talk too much," he shot back.
To Akari's surprise, the armored figure actually let out a faint laugh.
Not mocking.
Interested.
"That spirit again," he murmured. "Good."
Tamagichi immediately stepped forward, placing himself between Hiroto and the cliff above.
"You shouldn't have come here."
The Black Daimyo tilted his head slightly.
"And yet," he replied, "you already knew I would."
The atmosphere tightened violently.
The ancient creature behind the gate watched silently now, its massive golden eye shifting between Tamagichi and the man in black armor.
Then, unexpectedly—
it growled.
A deep, hateful sound that shook the ruins themselves.
"So," the creature rumbled, "one of the false kings finally appears."
The Black Daimyo slowly turned toward the entity.
For the first time since arriving, his attention moved away from Hiroto.
Silence followed.
Then the armored man spoke again.
"You still live."
The creature's chains trembled violently.
"And you still infest this world."
The pressure between them exploded instantly.
The ground cracked beneath Hiroto's feet as invisible force collided across the ruins. Akari shielded Yui from flying debris while Kenzaku braced himself against the violent shockwaves tearing through the ancient city.
Even Goro's expression hardened.
"These two…" he muttered quietly. "They know each other."
No one answered him.
Because it was obvious now.
This wasn't their first meeting.
The Black Daimyo took a slow step forward along the ruined cliffside above.
"I had hoped your seal would hold longer," he said calmly.
The creature's golden eye narrowed.
"And I had hoped your bloodline would die out entirely."
That sentence changed the atmosphere instantly.
Hiroto looked toward Tamagichi again.
Old bloodline.
False kings.
The creature's words were beginning to connect in terrifying ways.
But before he could speak, the Black Daimyo suddenly raised one hand.
The ruins trembled violently.
Then—
dark energy spread outward from his armor like smoke swallowing the air itself.
Yui froze in terror.
"What… is that…?"
Even the ancient creature shifted slightly at the sight of it.
The Black Daimyo's voice remained calm.
"You've spoken enough."
The darkness around his arm condensed unnaturally.
Then launched downward.
The attack struck the massive gate with catastrophic force.
The explosion shattered entire sections of the ruins instantly.
Chains snapped apart.
Stone erupted into the sky.
And the creature roared.
A roar so powerful the mountain itself cracked.
Hiroto was thrown backward across the ruins alongside Akari and the others. Dust consumed everything as the ancient city collapsed further around them.
"Hiroto!" Akari shouted through the chaos.
He pushed himself upward painfully, ears ringing from the impact.
Then he looked ahead—
and his blood froze.
The gate was breaking open completely now.
The creature was forcing its way free.
And standing above it all, untouched by the destruction, was the Black Daimyo.
Watching calmly.
As though this was exactly what he wanted.
Then, beneath the shadows of his helm, his voice echoed once more.
"Show me," he said quietly.
The pressure in the ruins intensified.
"…whether the blade was worth preserving."
Hiroto's grip tightened around the weapon instantly.
The blade pulsed in response.
And for the first time—
it felt awake.
To Be Continued