Chapter 18: Shadows of the Past

The abyss was silent.

No wind. No sound. Only darkness.

Kuragami stood in the void, his breath slow, his heartbeat steady. The weight of his past victory still lingered on his soul. He had killed Hiro, the one who had betrayed him in his past life. But something inside him still felt hollow.

"What now?" he whispered.

Suddenly, the air shifted.

A golden portal cracked open in the darkness, spilling out a warm glow. Soft whispers filled the void. Voices he recognized.

"Kuragami… my son…"

His eyes widened.

"No… it can't be…"

From the golden light, two figures emerged. His mother. And his sister.

Their faces were exactly as he remembered—kind, gentle, full of warmth.

His mother wore her royal dragon-goddess robes, shimmering with celestial energy. His sister stood beside her, dressed in the same school uniform she had worn on the night she was…

"Brother…" she whispered, tears in her eyes.

Kuragami took a step back. This was impossible.

"You're dead." His voice was cold, but inside, his emotions raged like a storm.

His mother smiled sadly.

"No, my son. We are here. We never left you."

His sister reached for him.

"Come back to us, Kuragami. You don't have to fight anymore."

The Manipulation Begins

The warm golden light wrapped around him, filling him with a strange sense of peace.

He felt… weak. Vulnerable.

"This isn't real…" he muttered, gripping his head. "You both died!"

"We never left you, son." His mother's voice was soothing, hypnotic.

"Come home, brother. Be with us. Stop fighting."

Kuragami trembled.

A small part of him wanted to believe them. Wanted to let go of the endless struggle, the pain, the suffering.

"You have nothing left, my son." His mother's eyes darkened slightly. "You fight for people who will betray you. For a father who abandoned you. For demons who use you."

His vision blurred. His mind spun.

"No… I fight for myself!" He gritted his teeth, but his mother simply shook her head.

"No, you are just a tool for war. Let go, my love. Rest in peace. Join us in the embrace of the gods."

His sister stepped forward, placing her hands on his chest.

"Or… if you cannot rest, then fight for them."

Suddenly, the golden light intensified. The warmth turned into pressure, crushing down on his soul.

"Give yourself to the gods, Kuragami." His mother's voice turned more forceful.

"They will heal you. Protect you. Give you power beyond even the Demon King."

Kuragami clenched his fists. His mind was clouding.

Was this truly the right path?

Had he spent all this time fighting for nothing?

Would it be easier to just… give in?

The Moment of Weakness

Kuragami fell to his knees.

He saw visions in the golden light.

Himself, dressed in celestial armor, standing beside the gods.

The Demon King kneeling before him in defeat.

His mother smiling proudly. His sister safe and happy.

"This is the future you could have." His mother's voice was gentle, but filled with authority.

"All you have to do… is take my hand."

She extended her hand toward him.

Kuragami stared.

He wanted to reach for it.

He almost did.

Then—

A shadow flickered behind his mother.

A shape, barely visible. Watching.

His eyes narrowed.

"This… isn't real."

His mother's smile faltered. Only for a second.

But it was enough.

The Awakening of Truth

Kuragami's vision sharpened.

The golden light around him started to crack.

"You're not my mother." His voice was cold.

The warmth vanished.

The golden palace around him shattered.

His mother and sister's forms twisted. Their soft eyes turned hollow.

Their bodies warped, revealing their true forms.

Manipulators.

The golden light turned dark and sickly, filled with writhing, cursed energy.

"Clever boy." The creature that had once been his mother smirked.

"You almost fell for it," the fake sister whispered. "Almost."

Kuragami rose to his feet, his energy surging.

"You tried to use my greatest weakness against me." His hands trembled, but not in fear. In fury.

The creatures hissed.

"It's not too late, Kuragami." The fake mother's voice turned sharp, desperate. "Join the gods! If you keep fighting, you will suffer endlessly!"

Kuragami smirked.

"Then let me suffer."

He raised his blade.

The Wrath of a Son

Dark and light energy swirled around him, merging into something new.

The blade in his hands changed.

No longer the Demon King's sword. No longer a weapon of gods or devils.

It was something greater. Something that belonged to only him.

"Die."

With one final slash, the creatures screamed.

Their forms burned away, their illusions crumbling into nothingness.

The golden light vanished.

And Kuragami stood alone in the abyss once more.

As the last remnants of the illusion faded, a voice echoed in the distance.

A voice that sent shivers down Kuragami's spine.

"Well done, my son."

His breath caught.

His entire body froze.

It wasn't the voice of a manipulator.

It wasn't a god or a demon.

It was real.

Slowly, Kuragami turned.

A dark figure stood at the edge of the abyss, watching him with piercing, golden eyes.

A man dressed in royal black robes, a familiar aura of overwhelming power surrounding him.

His father.

The Demon King Rimuru.

A smirk played on his lips.

"You're finally ready to meet me."

To Be Continued…