Chapter 7:The Path of Power

Kuragami sat in the darkness of his own mind. The remnants of his dream still clung to him—the battlefield, his mother, Alexandra, and the gods who sought to destroy her. The weight of the past and the horror of his own weakness gnawed at him.

"If I had power… I could have stopped them."

He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. His rage, frustration, and helplessness boiled inside him like a storm waiting to break free.

And then, that voice returned.

"Do you truly desire power?"

The Demon God.

Kuragami took a deep breath. "Yes."

The voice chuckled, its sound like whispers in the wind. "You accepted my blessing before, but that was merely a fragment of my strength. If you wish to stand against the gods, you will need much more. Are you willing to pay the price?"

Kuragami's heart pounded. He had already accepted the darkness once. He had already stained his hands with the blood of his enemies.

What was one more step?

"I don't care about the price. Give me power."

The air around him grew thick, heavy. A dark mist began to swirl, wrapping around his body, seeping into his skin. His veins pulsed with an overwhelming energy—one that sent both agony and ecstasy through his entire being.

The Demon God laughed. "Good… Good! Then let us begin."

Suddenly, Kuragami felt himself being pulled into another vision.

The Demon God's Realm

Kuragami opened his eyes and found himself standing in an abyss. There was no sky, no ground—just an endless void filled with floating black and red mist.

And before him stood a massive throne, carved from black stone and pulsing with dark energy.

A figure sat upon it.

A being cloaked in shadows, its form shifting and twisting as if it wasn't bound to a single shape. Two piercing red eyes gleamed from the darkness.

The Demon God.

Kuragami stared at the god-like entity before him. He could feel its overwhelming power—stronger than anything he had ever felt before.

The Demon God leaned forward, resting its clawed hand on the throne. "Tell me, Kuragami… What do you think it means to have power?"

Kuragami hesitated. "It means having the strength to protect those I care about."

The Demon God laughed. "Protect? Foolish child. Power does not protect. It dominates. It destroys. Only the strongest survive in this world. And right now, you are nothing but an insect crawling in the dirt."

Kuragami clenched his fists. "Then make me stronger!"

The Demon God's red eyes glowed brighter. "Very well. But to gain true power, you must embrace the darkness. You must become something more than human, more than demon. You must cast aside all weakness."

Kuragami's heart pounded. "What do I have to do?"

The Demon God rose from its throne. "Survive."

The darkness around them began to twist and shift, forming monstrous creatures with glowing red eyes and razor-sharp claws.

Hundreds of them.

Kuragami barely had time to react before the first one lunged at him.

The Trial of Darkness

The first creature swung its claws at Kuragami. He barely managed to dodge, feeling the wind of the attack brush past his face. Another came from behind, forcing him to twist his body to avoid being skewered.

There were too many.

He tried to summon his dark energy, but it felt sluggish, like something was suppressing it. This was part of the trial.

"If you cannot even defeat these weaklings, you are unworthy of my power," the Demon God's voice echoed in the abyss.

Kuragami gritted his teeth. "Damn it!"

One of the creatures pounced. This time, he couldn't dodge.

SLASH!

Its claws raked across his chest, pain searing through his body. He staggered back, blood dripping onto the ground.

Another came at him.

Then another.

And another.

The pain was unbearable, but Kuragami refused to fall.

"Is this it?" the Demon God taunted. "Will you die here, like the weakling you were in your past life? Just like when you failed to protect your sister?"

Kuragami's body froze. The memory of his sister's suffering flashed in his mind.

The betrayal. The pain. His own helplessness.

His vision turned red.

"No… Not again."

Something inside him snapped.

A dark aura erupted from his body, sending the creatures flying. His pain disappeared, replaced by a burning rage.

Kuragami's eyes turned completely black, his red pupils glowing like embers. His body felt lighter, faster, stronger.

One of the monsters lunged at him—this time, he didn't dodge.

He grabbed it by the throat.

The creature struggled, screeching, but Kuragami crushed its neck with his bare hand.

Another came at him. He twisted his body, ripping through its chest with a single punch.

More swarmed him.

It didn't matter.

He tore through them like they were nothing.

Flesh. Bone. Blood.

Everything crumbled before his newfound power.

He was no longer fighting. He was slaughtering.

Within minutes, the battlefield was silent.

Kuragami stood in the middle of the carnage, his body drenched in blood, his breathing heavy.

He looked at his hands—hands that had destroyed everything around him.

He had won.

The Demon God's laughter echoed through the abyss. "Magnificent. You are finally starting to understand. This… is true power."

Kuragami exhaled, his black and red aura still swirling around him.

"Give me more."

The Demon God grinned. "In time. You have passed the first trial, but there is much more to learn. For now, return to your world. The real battle is just beginning."

The darkness around Kuragami faded.

Back to Reality

Kuragami opened his eyes.

He was back.

His body still tingled with power, his mind sharper than before. He clenched his fists—he could feel it. The strength. The darkness.

He turned his gaze upward.

The war between gods and demons was still raging. His mother was still fighting. Alexandra was still battling Thor.

And Zeus… was still coming.

Kuragami stood up. No more running. No more weakness.

He had made his decision.

If the gods wanted a war…

Then he would give them one.

To be continued…