Wind screamed through the demon realm's black canyon, carrying the scent of ash and the whispers of past kings.
Megumi stood in the center, chest heaving. His black and white wings trembled behind him. Sweat poured from his forehead, and his knuckles were split open from impact after impact against a creature of stone and shadow—one of Leonidas' constructs.
It charged again.
Megumi raised his arms, blocking the strike with a grunt. The ground beneath him cracked. His aura flared, but not fully. Not like before.
"Too slow," Leonidas' voice boomed across the canyon. "Too cautious."
Megumi's eyes narrowed. "I'm not cautious. I'm holding back."
Leonidas stepped from the ridge, floating down until he landed a few paces away. "Exactly."
He waved a hand, and the construct vanished into smoke.
"You fear your own power, Megumi. You fear what will happen if you truly let go."
Megumi's fists clenched. "Because I don't know if I'll come back."
Leonidas walked closer, shadows shifting behind his cloak like living smoke. "Control doesn't come from fear. It comes from resolve. What you fight for must outweigh what you fear."
Megumi's black halo pulsed. "I fight to protect Ava. To avenge Chloe. To stop Lythic."
"Then show me," Leonidas said.
Without warning, he raised a single hand—and a column of shadow erupted beneath Megumi, sending him flying into the air.
Megumi twisted midair and landed hard, cracking the obsidian ground.
Leonidas was already in front of him, striking with inhuman speed. His palm connected with Megumi's chest and sent him tumbling back.
"Again," Leonidas commanded. "Fight me as if I were Lythic."
Megumi coughed, forcing himself upright. "You're not him."
"No," Leonidas said. "But I'm the closest thing you have. And you won't survive the real fight if you hesitate."
Megumi screamed, wings snapping wide. Lightning crackled from his aura as he charged forward.
The canyon exploded in light.
⸻
Hours Later – Demon Realm Citadel
Megumi sat on a jagged ledge overlooking the burning horizon, arms resting on his knees. His breathing had slowed, but exhaustion pulled at every fiber of him.
Leonidas approached, silently.
"You did better," he said.
"Still not enough," Megumi muttered.
"Not yet," Leonidas agreed. "But you're closer."
He sat beside him, gaze fixed on the sky. "The form you awakened on Olympus—the Fallen King—is not a destination. It's a doorway. You've only stepped through it. What lies beyond will take more than rage to control."
Megumi looked at his hands. The scars on his knuckles were already healing. "So what will it take?"
Leonidas was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "You must embrace who you are. All of it. The boy who lost everything. The friend who protects. The king who conquers. Only then will the true form awaken."
Megumi nodded slowly, but his eyes drifted elsewhere—beyond the realm, to a girl he hadn't seen in days.
⸻
Meanwhile – Earth
Ava Takabi stared out the window of her apartment as rain tapped softly on the glass. School had reopened, but nothing felt normal.
Not after what she'd seen.
She touched the necklace around her throat—a small charm Chloe had given Megumi, which he'd dropped during their battle. She'd kept it close, like a tether.
Her phone buzzed.
[Unknown Number: You still dream about him, don't you?]
Her blood ran cold. She stared at the message, then typed:
[Who is this?]
No response.
She stood abruptly, heart pounding. Outside, across the street, a man in a black cloak stepped into the alleyway and vanished into the shadows.
Her hands shook.
⸻
Back – Demon Realm
Leonidas' eyes opened. "Someone is watching her."
Megumi stood in a flash. "Ava?"
Leonidas nodded. "They're drawing her into the game."
Megumi's aura surged. "I need to go to her."
"You're not ready."
"I don't care."
Leonidas stepped in front of him. "Then you'll die. And she will too."
Megumi gritted his teeth. "Then train me harder."
Leonidas smiled grimly. "I intend to."
⸻
That Night – Demon Realm
Megumi stood in a chamber of mirrors, each reflecting a different version of himself.
The weak boy. The broken brother. The god-slayer. The winged monster.
Leonidas' voice echoed around him.
"Choose."
One mirror glowed brighter than the rest. In it, Megumi stood not with wings of light and shadow—but cloaked in flame, with a crown of fire and sorrow. His eyes held peace and fury at once.
Megumi walked toward it—and stepped through.
The chamber vanished in a blaze of light.