Chapter 19: The Demon King's Shadow

Kuragami's breath was shallow.

The figure before him exuded an overwhelming aura. It wasn't like the gods' divinity, nor was it like the demons' chaotic energy.

It was something greater.

The Demon King Rimuru.

His father.

Kuragami clenched his fists. So many emotions surged through him.

Anger. Confusion. Fear.

"You're finally ready to meet me."

His father's voice was calm, almost amused. But behind it was an undeniable authority.

Kuragami's body tensed, every instinct screaming at him to prepare for battle.

"What do you mean?" Kuragami asked, his voice colder than ice.

Rimuru smirked. "You've grown, boy. I expected no less."

The abyss shifted. The darkness curled around them, whispering in ancient tongues.

Kuragami felt a pressure unlike anything before.

This was not just power.

This was domination.

A force that made gods tremble.

A power that had ended wars, crushed empires, and rewritten history.

And now… it stood before him.

Watching.

Testing.

Waiting.

Kuragami's heart pounded.

"You abandoned me."

His words were sharp. Accusatory.

Rimuru's expression didn't change. "Did I?"

Kuragami's hands shook with rage.

"You left my mother alone. You let Zeus take her. You—"

"Silence."

Rimuru's voice wasn't loud. But the moment he spoke, the entire void trembled.

Kuragami's body locked instantly, frozen in place.

Not by magic.

Not by force.

But by sheer will.

His father's will.

"You know nothing, child."

Kuragami gritted his teeth.

"Then tell me the truth."

Rimuru exhaled slowly. His golden eyes gleamed with something unreadable.

"Very well."

The Truth of the War

The void shifted.

Images flooded Kuragami's mind.

The past. The true past.

He saw his mother standing atop a burning battlefield, her dragon wings spread wide, blood dripping from her blade.

Demons and gods alike lay dead around her.

She wasn't a victim.

She wasn't a helpless goddess.

She was a warrior. A queen.

"Your mother did not need my protection." Rimuru's voice was even. "She fought beside me. She was feared by all. She killed thousands of gods and demons alike."

Kuragami's eyes widened.

He had never seen this side of his mother.

He had only known her as a gentle woman, filled with warmth and kindness.

But in these visions, she was merciless. Unstoppable. A monster in battle.

"Then why did Zeus take her?" Kuragami demanded.

Rimuru's expression darkened.

"Because she betrayed the gods."

Kuragami froze.

"Your mother was created by the gods to kill me."

A sharp pain stabbed into Kuragami's chest.

"That's a lie!"

Rimuru shook his head. "No, it isn't."

The visions changed.

Kuragami saw his mother standing before Zeus, kneeling in chains.

Zeus' face was filled with rage.

"You were made to be our weapon! Not his whore!" Zeus' voice thundered across the heavens.

Kuragami's mother smiled.

"I choose him."

Kuragami saw Zeus raise his hand— and the sky shattered.

His mother was struck down, bleeding, screaming.

Kuragami's chest tightened.

"She chose me," Rimuru said quietly. "And she paid the price."

The Chains of Fate

Kuragami's breath was uneven.

Everything he had believed…

Everything he thought he knew…

It had all been a lie.

His mother had once been a tool of the gods.

She had been made to kill his father.

And yet—she chose love.

She chose family.

And now… she was suffering because of it.

Kuragami's fists trembled.

"Why didn't you save her?" His voice cracked, filled with rage and pain.

Rimuru's expression remained unreadable.

"Because I couldn't."

Kuragami froze.

"Liar!" he roared. "You're the strongest being in existence! You could have destroyed the gods!"

"And what then?" Rimuru's gaze was piercing. "Start a war that would destroy the entire world? Kill billions?"

Kuragami's rage faltered.

"I am not a hero," Rimuru continued. "I am not a god. I am not a savior. I am a king. And kings make sacrifices."

Kuragami's body shook.

The weight of his father's words crushed him.

Because deep down… he knew Rimuru was right.

There was no easy answer.

No simple path.

No good or evil.

Only power.

Only choice.

The Test of Strength

Rimuru took a step forward.

"Now…" he said, his golden eyes flashing. "Show me if you are truly my son."

Before Kuragami could react, Rimuru moved.

Faster than light.

Faster than thought.

A fist slammed into Kuragami's gut.

Kuragami gasped. His body crashed through the void, spiraling into darkness.

He barely managed to regain balance before Rimuru appeared behind him.

A blade of pure energy sliced toward his throat.

Kuragami barely dodged. Too slow.

A kick slammed into his ribs, sending him flying again.

Blood spilled from his mouth.

"Is this all you are?" Rimuru's voice was calm. Disappointed.

Kuragami gritted his teeth.

He summoned his own blade.

Darkness and light swirled together, forming a weapon unlike any other.

"I am not weak!" Kuragami roared.

He charged.

Their swords clashed, shaking the very foundations of the abyss.

Rimuru smiled.

"Good."

Kuragami attacked with everything he had.

Flashes of black and white energy illuminated the void.

He moved faster, struck harder, pushed himself beyond his limits.

But no matter how strong he became…

His father was always one step ahead.

Kuragami swung down with all his might—

And Rimuru caught the blade with two fingers.

Snap.

Kuragami's sword shattered.

His knees buckled.

Rimuru's hand gripped his throat.

Kuragami couldn't breathe.

"Pathetic," Rimuru whispered.

Kuragami's vision darkened.

He was going to die.

But then—

A faint memory resurfaced.

His mother's voice.

"Do not let fate decide your path. Break it. Shatter it. Forge your own destiny."

Kuragami's eyes snapped open.

The darkness and light within him surged.

A new power—one beyond gods and demons.

He grabbed Rimuru's arm and shattered it.

For the first time—

Rimuru's eyes widened.

Kuragami smiled.

"Not so pathetic now, huh?"

To Be Continued…