Chapter 12: The Forgotten God’s Offer
Darkness stretched endlessly around Kuragami, an infinite void with no beginning and no end. The swirling black and gold sky pulsed like a living entity, humming with an ancient power beyond his understanding.
Before him stood a mysterious figure—tall, cloaked in shadows, with piercing golden eyes that seemed to stare into his very soul.
"The Forgotten God?" Kuragami whispered, his voice barely more than a breath.
The figure smiled.
"Yes. That is what they call me."
Kuragami took a cautious step forward. Something about this being felt… different. Unlike the gods he had fought, unlike Zeus or the demons—this presence was something else entirely.
"What do you want from me?" Kuragami asked, his voice steady despite the chaos in his heart.
The Forgotten God's eyes gleamed.
"The real question, child, is what do you want?"
Kuragami clenched his fists.
"I want power."
The air around them rippled at his words.
"I want to save my mother. I want to destroy Zeus. I want to end this war!"
The Forgotten God chuckled, his voice deep and ancient.
"Such bold desires. And yet, you do not even know the full truth of this world."
Kuragami narrowed his eyes.
"What truth?"
The Forgotten God took a slow step forward, his golden eyes burning even brighter.
"The war between gods and demons… is nothing but a lie."
Kuragami's breath caught in his throat.
"What do you mean?"
"You have been told that the gods and demons are at war. That they are enemies. But the truth is much darker than that."****"The gods created the demons. They are not two separate forces—they are one."
Kuragami froze.
"That's impossible. My father—"
"Your father is the strongest demon king to ever exist. But even he was once a creation of the gods. The gods control everything, including the demons. Even the war you see… is just a game to them."
Kuragami's mind spun.
If what this entity was saying was true, then… everything he knew, everything he had fought for, was a lie.
The gods and demons were just different sides of the same coin.
"Then… what am I supposed to do?" Kuragami asked, his voice shaking slightly.
The Forgotten God's smile widened.
"You must break free from the chains of this false world."
Kuragami's pulse quickened.
"You must become something greater."
A sudden shockwave of energy erupted from the Forgotten God, and Kuragami felt himself being lifted off the ground.
His body burned—but it wasn't pain. It was power.
Unimaginable, overwhelming power.
His black and gold aura swirled violently around him, surging like a storm. His very blood boiled with an unfamiliar force.
"You are not just a demon."
"You are not just the son of Rimuru."
"You are something far more powerful."
Kuragami gasped as visions flooded his mind.
A golden throne bathed in darkness.
A battlefield where gods, demons, and humans knelt before a single figure.
A world where the balance of power was shattered, replaced by a new ruler.
A ruler that was neither god nor demon.
A ruler that was something beyond both.
And in that vision—he saw himself.
Kuragami's breath caught.
"What… am I?"
The Forgotten God's voice echoed through the void.
"You are the one who will surpass them all."
"You are the harbinger of a new era."
"You are the one who will bring the end of gods and demons alike."
Kuragami's eyes widened.
The Forgotten God extended his hand.
"Take my power. Become the force that will rewrite this world."
Kuragami hesitated. His heart pounded.
This was it.
This was the moment that would change everything.
His mind flashed back to his mother. To Alexandra. To the people who had fought for him.
To his sister, whom he failed in his past life.
He wouldn't fail again.
He would become stronger. Stronger than the gods. Stronger than the demons.
Stronger than anything.
Slowly—he reached out his hand.
Their fingers met.
And in that moment—
Kuragami's world exploded into darkness.
---
The Awakening
On the battlefield, Alexandra and the demons watched as Kuragami's body convulsed.
Dark, golden energy swirled violently around him, forming a massive vortex in the sky.
Lightning crackled. The ground shook.
Alexandra's eyes widened.
"This is… impossible."
One of the demons beside him gasped.
"What's happening to the prince?"
Alexandra clenched his jaw.
"He is awakening."
The dark vortex in the sky intensified, and suddenly—
Kuragami's eyes snapped open.
But they were no longer red.
They were gold, glowing with an unholy light.
His aura had changed. It was no longer the aura of a demon, nor that of a god.
It was something beyond both.
Something that had never existed before.
Kuragami slowly rose to his feet.
A smile formed on his lips.
He could feel it now.
The power.
The truth.
He was no longer bound by the limits of gods and demons.
He was something new.
Something unstoppable.
And he was ready.
"Zeus… wait for me."
To Be Continued…