Chapter 43: The Naming of Shadows

In the darkened hall of his domain, Kuragami sat upon his Forgotten Throne, his piercing purple eyes glowing like twin amethysts in the abyss. Shadows coiled around him like living entities, whispering in a tongue only he understood. Before him, the four resurrected demons—the 10th, 9th, 8th, and 7th strongest—knelt in absolute obedience, their once-defiant souls now shackled to his will. Beside them stood Demoness of Greed, Saphira, and Alexander, their expressions unreadable.

A cold silence filled the hall. Then, Kuragami spoke.

"I will take everything from my father. His kingdom. His name. His power. And above all... his throne."

His voice carried the weight of an inevitable prophecy.

The four demons before him—once among the mightiest in hell—lowered their heads. They had been warriors, rulers of their own domains, yet now they were merely shadows under his dominion. Kuragami had slain them and bound their souls, twisting their very essence into something beyond demons. They were no longer what they once were.

And so, they would be reborn.

Kuragami raised his hand, and a black sigil formed above his palm, swirling with abyssal energy. The act of naming was not just a formality—it was an act of absolute dominion. To name something was to shape its very existence.

He turned to the 10th strongest demon, the one who had first fallen before him.

"You are no longer who you were," Kuragami declared. "From this moment, you are Xal'Thiran, the Abyss Walker."

A pulse of dark energy erupted from the sigil, branding itself into the demon's flesh. Xal'Thiran gasped as his form twisted, the abyss itself reshaping him into something far more terrifying.

Kuragami moved to the 9th strongest. "You are Veydris, the Thousand Eyes of Despair."

Another wave of power surged, burning the name into reality.

Then the 8th. "You are Ormuth, the Soul Reaver."

And finally, the 7th. "You are Nyz'Rath, the Hollow Tyrant."

The four demons shuddered, their newly given names altering their very existence. Their aura darkened, sharpened, twisted—as if they had been reforged into something even more monstrous than before.

Kuragami's purple eyes glowed brighter as he looked upon his new generals.

"You are not merely demons anymore. You are my heralds. My shadows. The instruments of my will."

The four demons—once rulers of their own domains—now knelt before him, their voices united in unholy devotion.

"We are yours, Lord Kuragami."

A twisted satisfaction curled in his chest. This was only the beginning.

Alexander's Concern

Kuragami turned his gaze to Alexander, who had been silently watching the entire process. Unlike the demons, Alexander was not kneeling—he was staring at his daughter, a look of unease in his golden eyes.

"Prince Kuragami," Alexander spoke carefully, his tone betraying a father's concern. "What have you done to my daughter?"

Kuragami's expression remained unreadable. "What do you mean?"

Alexander clenched his fists. "She has changed. Look at her. Her hair, her eyes—her very presence has shifted. She was once full of light, always smiling. Now... she is something else."

Saphira stood beside Kuragami, silent. She did not flinch at her father's words.

Her once golden hair had turned jet black, flowing like strands of silk woven from the night itself. Her golden eyes had turned pitch-black, their depths unreadable. Even her skin had become more flawless, almost inhumanly perfect. She radiated an aura of sheer, suffocating dominance.

And most of all—she no longer smiled.

Kuragami's voice was calm, yet absolute. "You told me to take her with me. To train her. I have done exactly that."

Alexander's golden eyes flickered with something close to rage. "You have turned her into a monster."

At this, Saphira finally moved.

Her black eyes locked onto her father's, and for the first time, she spoke.

"I am not a monster. I am his sword."

Her words were sharp, carrying no hesitation. Alexander's expression darkened, but before he could respond, Kuragami spoke again.

"She is no longer the daughter of Alexander. She is Saphira—my sword, my shadow."

Saphira blushed.

She did not know why. A warmth spread across her chest, unfamiliar yet undeniable. She quickly turned away, gripping the hilt of her weapon to steady herself.

Kuragami noticed but said nothing.

Alexander exhaled sharply. "I only hope you do not regret this, Prince Kuragami."

Kuragami's gaze did not waver. "Regret? No. This is only the beginning."

The Gathering of Shadows

With the naming ceremony complete and the tension between Alexander and Kuragami settled for now, the hall once again fell into silence.

Kuragami turned his eyes toward the horizon of hell.

There were still six strongest demons left to defeat.

And after that...

The Demon King Rimuru awaited him.

A dark smirk formed on Kuragami's lips.

"We are far from done."

End of Chapter 43