Chapter 40 – The Dark Ascension of Saphira

The moon hung high above the cursed lands, its pale light casting an ethereal glow upon the Forest of Hell. The air was thick with the scent of blood and ash, the remnants of battle still lingering in the atmosphere. A chilling silence had fallen upon the land, broken only by the faint crackling of embers and the distant howls of tormented souls.

Kuragami stood atop a jagged cliff, his piercing violet eyes scanning the horizon. The darkness around him pulsed like a living entity, twisting and bending in response to his presence. Beside him stood Saphira—reborn, transformed, and perfected.

Her golden hair had darkened into the deepest shade of black, flowing like liquid shadow in the night wind. Her once-golden eyes now gleamed with an abyssal darkness, mirroring the depths of forgotten nightmares. Her skin, now smoother and flawless, carried a haunting allure that made her seem both divine and demonic. Her body had become sculpted to perfection—her curves sharper, her frame stronger, exuding an overwhelming presence that demanded both reverence and fear.

Kuragami turned his gaze to her, studying her with a calculating expression.

"You have become perfect," he murmured, his voice a blend of satisfaction and authority. "Your transformation is complete. No longer are you merely the daughter of Alexander… You are now Saphira, my most trusted blade in the darkness."

A smirk played on Saphira's lips, a mixture of pride and anticipation gleaming in her eyes.

"And yet, my journey is far from over," Kuragami continued. "I still need to gather the remaining nine demons—the strongest warriors who will stand by my side when the time comes. And among them, I should defeat or kill 7 strongest demon who remain must be conquered "I have killed 3 strongest demon only 6 remaining". Only then will I stand before the Demon King himself."

His words carried the weight of an unshakable destiny, a path paved with endless bloodshed and calculated deception.

Saphira crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly. "And how do you plan to find them, Kuragami? Do you intend to seek them out one by one, or will you draw them to you?"

Kuragami's lips curled into a smirk. "They will come to me. Power calls to power. And I will ensure that my presence is impossible to ignore."

With a flick of his hand, the ground beneath them trembled. The shadows coiled and twisted, forming an intricate network of cursed sigils that stretched across the battlefield. The air became suffocating, the very essence of despair and destruction bleeding into reality itself.

"I will awaken the lost echoes of the abyss," Kuragami declared, his voice resonating with an ancient force. "The remaining demons will feel my call, and those who are wise will come willingly. Those who resist…"

He trailed off, his smirk widening.

Saphira chuckled darkly. "Will be destroyed."

Kuragami turned toward her, his gaze burning with the fire of conquest. "Exactly."

A pulse of energy surged outward, traveling across the demonic realm like a tidal wave of darkness. It carried a message—an unspoken declaration of war.

A challenge.

A call to arms.

A warning to those who still dared to stand in his way.

The world trembled beneath the weight of his ambition.

Saphira stepped forward, her presence as intoxicating as it was terrifying. She no longer carried the aura of a mere warrior. She was something more now—something beyond mortal comprehension.

Kuragami's eyes flickered with something unreadable as he watched her. He had sculpted her into this, forged her anew from the fires of battle. And yet, for a brief moment, he wondered—had he created a weapon too dangerous even for himself?

No.

There was no such thing.

The night stretched before them, endless and unforgiving.

Kuragami exhaled, the weight of destiny settling upon his shoulders once more.

"The real hunt begins now," he murmured.

And with that, they vanished into the abyss, leaving only whispers of nightmares in their wake.

To be continued…