Nicat sat on his throne, contemplating his plans to destroy the world. At that moment, one of his loyal demons approached and bowed.
"My lord, we have found a way. We can now open the gates of hell to the world."
Nicat calmly turned to the demon.
"Explain how it will be done."
With a sly smile, the demon continued,
"My lord, the key to opening the gates of hell lies in four magical books. The incantations within these books will allow us to keep the gates open forever."
Nicat raised an eyebrow and asked coldly,
"Where are these books? How many do we have?"
The demon puffed his chest with pride.
"We already possess one of them, my lord."
Nicat rose from his throne and stepped toward him, his voice turning icy.
"And the others? Where are they?"
The demon grew serious.
"One book is hidden in a special chamber within Nahid's temple. Another is located in Nihad's palace."
Nicat paused for a moment, then asked,
"And the last one?"
The demon smiled.
"The location of the final book can only be revealed by combining the other three, my lord. When they are brought together, a spell will emerge that reveals the fourth book's location."
This information pleased Nicat. His eyes gleamed with determination.
"Then our first task is to go to the temple," he said. "You and I will infiltrate Nahid's temple and take the book."
The demon bowed.
"As you command."
Nicat immediately set his plan into motion. On the path to the temple, a silent determination spread among the demons. Step by step, Nicat was turning his vision of opening the gates of hell and conquering the world into reality.
That same night, Nihad, consumed by ambition, once again lost control of his mind. Guilt, paranoia, and the losses of his past were dragging him into darkness. He rose abruptly and ordered his vizier to accompany him to the city square.
The vizier could see the darkness growing within Nihad's mind, but he did not dare oppose him.
When they arrived at the square, Nihad pointed at a man who stood out among a group of civilians. The man fell to his knees in fear as Nihad accused him of being one of Arden's soldiers.
"You are one of Arden's hidden spies!" Nihad shouted, his voice filled with rage.
The man desperately denied the accusation, but Nihad did not listen. Drawing his sword, he executed the man on the spot.
As the crowd watched in shock, Nihad turned to the vizier and gave an order no one dared question.
"There will not be a single traitor left in this city. Search everyone. Leave no suspect alive."
The vizier now clearly saw that Nihad had lost himself to darkness. But he also knew something else—Nahid was alive. Reports had reached him that Nahid had gone to the Monastery of Flames with a student and survived.
But revealing this to Nihad could push the king into complete madness.
That night, the vizier quietly left the palace. Passing through a hidden passage, he reached the old sewer network where Kagehana was hiding. When he found him, Kagehana still bore the marks of his severe wounds. Holding his sword, he remained on guard.
Seeing the vizier, Kagehana frowned.
"What are you doing here? Have you come to find me?" he asked coldly.
The vizier replied calmly,
"I came to talk, Kagehana. I have an offer."
Kagehana studied him carefully. The cunning look in the vizier's eyes told him this was important.
"What offer?" he asked.
The vizier stepped closer and spoke in a low voice.
"Nahid is alive."
Shock spread across Kagehana's face.
"What did you say?"
"I've received information. Nahid went to the Monastery of Flames. He's trying to regain his power. But Nihad doesn't know this—and he's on the verge of madness. He's killing his own people, tearing the city apart," the vizier said.
Kagehana let out a mocking laugh.
"So Nahid is alive. Then he'll return to kill me, just like he killed Arden, right?"
"Maybe," said the vizier. "But there's a bigger issue right now. We must keep Nihad under control. Otherwise, this city will be destroyed."
Kagehana thought for a moment, then looked back at him.
"So what's your plan? What do you want from me to fix this mess?"
The vizier bowed his head slightly, a dark smile forming.
"Before Nahid returns, we must take complete control of Nihad's mind. And you, as a former warrior, can help me with that."
Kagehana laughed, shaking his head.
"You want to pull me back to the king's side on his path to madness, is that it? Or maybe you want me to become strong enough to control him."
The vizier met his gaze.
"If you succeed, I will restore you as the king's right hand. You will regain your former honor."
Kagehana remained silent for a moment, then looked at the vizier and smirked.
"Fine," he said. "But I'm doing this for myself. We both know a throne without Nihad won't stand for long."
That night, with the vizier's help, Kagehana quietly left the city.
When he returned… everything would be different.