The red curtains were drawn open, marking the beginning of the play. The narrator's voice echoed through the hall, painting vivid scenes upon the stage. It was the tale of a boy born with a special gift—born to be strong. As he grew older, something strange occurred. One day, without warning, his pupils changed—shifting into the shape of a cross. His mother's heart swelled with joy at the sight. With trembling hands and tearful eyes, she told him that he had become a god.
Onstage, the woman stepped forward, eyes glistening.
"Oh, my son… you have become a god," she whispered, overwhelmed with joy.
The boy didn't smile. He grinned—wide, arrogant. There was a strange glow in his eyes now. A cross.
"If I'm a god," he said, voice echoing unnaturally, "then kneel."
She blinked, startled. "But… I'm your mother."
"So what?" he barked. "A god sees no family. No blood. All are equal before me. Now kneel—and pray."
The woman hesitated, her hands trembling.
"Kneel…" his voice sharpened. "…or I'll kill you."
A gasp rippled through the crowd.
The woman took a step back—still hoping to reach him.
But the boy struck. She fell.
The narrator's voice returned, colder now, carrying centuries of grief.
"The boy killed his own mother. And with his newfound power, he seized control of this kingdom—once prosperous, now reduced to a dying ruin," the narrator spoke, her voice carrying across the hall like a haunting echo. "The god who sits upon that throne has forgotten us, just as he once forgot his own mother."
She stepped onto the stage, her presence heavy with sorrow. "We, the people of Duril, have long been abandoned. There is no judge above us. The one who rules is nothing but pure evil… and now, we are forced to become our own judges," she declared, her voice laced with despair, trembling with the pain of the forgotten people.
The crowd watched in silent awe.
Until—
THUD!
A body collapsed on stage. No scream. No warning. Just silence… and death.
Gasps erupted. But there was no blood. No sign of a strike. Nothing.
Kuro's eyes snapped wide. Instinct took over. He shoved Artoria away and leapt to his feet.
Nothing behind them.
Then—a voice. Sinister and smooth.
"You were told not to move."
All eyes turned.
A man stood before the stage.
Jet-black hair. Elegant robes drenched in regal crimson. His face angular, refined—and utterly inhuman. His eyes glowed a terrifying shade of red, as if blood had pooled behind them.
"I am Vallis," he declared, his voice shaking the pillars of the dome. "First Divine Knight of my Lord."
Panic erupted.
Screams tore through the crowd. Dozens rushed for the exits.
Vallis raised a single hand.
Blood curled up from the floor, shaped like knives. With a flick—
SHNK!
Screams turned into silence. Bodies fell like puppets with their strings cut. Blood coated the floor. A few escaped. Most didn't.
Arthur pulled Dian behind cover. Artoria and Kuro ducked behind a shattered wall. Kuro stared, heart pounding, eyes reflecting the carnage.
"You… you monster," he shouted, voice raw. "Why did you kill them? What did they do to you?"
Vallis didn't blink. His voice was flat. Detached.
"They insulted my Lord. That is sin enough."
Arthur didn't hesitate. His silver eyes gleamed, gravity pulsing around him. In a flash, he was next to Vallis, throwing a punch like a meteor.
CRACK!
It stopped short. A wall of blood materialized, absorbing the blow.
SNAP.
Vallis clicked his fingers. The blood wrapped around Arthur's arm like a serpent. He winced, jumped back, tearing away before it could trap him further.
"You think you're safe here?" Vallis said, eyes gleaming brighter. "This dome… it's my domain now."
Arthur looked down—his legs bound by crimson chains. He looked around. Blood was everywhere, seeping into the cracks, slithering like it had a will of its own.
Kuro dashed to him. The cross in his pupils sparked a warm brown light. He slammed his fist into the stone beneath Arthur, shattering it, giving the blood somewhere else to go. Arthur was freed. The two leapt to higher ground.
Vallis only laughed.
"I warned you," he said. "The girl will pay the price for your defiance."
Kuro turned—his heart stopped.
Artoria was caught. Red tendrils coiled around her, one sharp point hovering just beneath her throat.
Damn it—what can I do? Think, damn it! Kuro's thoughts spiralled in panic, his mind racing for a solution. But before he could react, a pointed cone of blood shot from the shadows behind him. Arthur noticed it in the last second—he lunged forward, shoving Kuro out of the way.
The attack barely missed—but not completely.
The blood-spike grazed Arthur's side.
"AAAGH!" Arthur screamed in agony. His own blood twisted against him, lashing like countless needles beneath his skin, and within seconds, he collapsed—to his knees.
Kuro stood frozen.
His breath caught in his throat, heart thundering like a war drum in his chest. The chaos around him dimmed to silence.
"This is... this is so f**ked up," he whispered, the words escaping him like a breath he didn't know he was holding.
He clenched his fists, teeth gritting. "We couldn't even make him move from his place…" His voice cracked as his gaze dropped to the ground—crushed beneath the weight of helplessness and despair.
BOOM!
A wall exploded. A cloud of dirt and smoke swept through.
A stranger emerged—tall, cloaked, face hidden, commanding.
"Follow me."
Without hesitation, Kuro rushed forward. A blood spear tore through the fog, aiming at Artoria.
STAB!
Kuro intercepted it—his shoulder pierced clean through.
"Go!" he barked. "Take Dian and RUN!"
Artoria grabbed Dian and vanished into the smoke.
Kuro, bleeding, dragged Arthur with him.
Behind them, Vallis's voice, hollow and cruel.
"You may go," his voice echoed. "I came only to deliver a message."
The dome fell silent.
"In three days, you two are summoned to the Temple. My Lord awaits."
And then—he was gone.
Like blood vanishing into the soil.
They followed the stranger through back alleys and crumbling streets, winding through Duril's forgotten heart. Eventually, they stopped—before a crooked alley of shattered buildings.
The stranger turned.
A scar ran down his face, from brow to chin, like a river carved in flesh.
He looked at Arthur, then back to Kuro.
"Leave him," he said simply.
Arthur nodded, pulling his weight off Kuro's shoulder.
"Now go away," the man said coldly. His voice was sharp, final. There was no doubt whom the words were meant for—Kuro.
Kuro stepped forward, confused and wounded. "Why? What did I do?" he asked, his voice low,
The man turned slightly, just enough for the scar on his face to catch the fading light. "I have no place for the likes of a god," he said, the word god leaving his mouth like a curse. "It doesn't matter if you're weak or strong… a god is still a god."
There was silence between them—thick, heavy, unspoken.
"The power… the status… it always corrupts," the man continued, eyes darkening. "It turns men into monsters."
"Sorry, take the little ones, but I will go with him" Arthur said gasping,
The man sighed then with hesitation he moved forward, "If that's what you want, come on follow me" his voice fading as he walked inside a tattered building, vanishing into darkness.