As James stepped onto the teleportation array, he made his decision.
He had disappointed many people in his life, and he had been disappointed by many.
This time, he wouldn’t let Instructor Michael down.
Life was full of illusions.
One such illusion was the belief in free will.
In the face of fate, not everyone had a choice.
After James was transported to the Fifth Abyss, the interdimensional passage opened behind him, unleashing a torrent of demon creatures into the Ninth Abyss.
As for James?
A demon Lord snatched him, tossing him aside like a rag doll. James was powerless to resist.
Every tactic, every strategy he had prepared for this moment… useless.
He was like a used condom, discarded without a second thought.
Surrounded by a sea of gnashing teeth and claws, a lone General tier human amidst a demonic horde, even struggling seemed pointless.
Clutching his blade, a ridiculous question popped into James’s mind.
If he could go back in time, could he defeat Mike?
As he pondered this, a ferocious demon creature lunged at him, its jaws agape, ready to tear him limb from limb.
*Whoosh*
A shadow flickered before his eyes, and every demon creature within a ten-meter radius was instantly obliterated.
A menacing figure, its eyes glowing crimson, stood protectively before James.
“I am… Draco.”
The shadowy figure, its features blurred and indistinct, glanced back at James, its gaze filled with malice.
Its consciousness seemed hazy, disoriented.
Yet, there was something familiar about its blurred visage.
“By Shadow Nine’s command… protector… of the human… lone wolf…” the crimson-eyed shadow mumbled, its words slurred and barely coherent.
A blood-red long knife flashed, intercepting the oncoming demon horde. A flurry of blade strikes bought James a moment of respite.
As Draco fought, it repeated a single phrase, its voice a monotonous drone.
“The Shadow never dies, the Lone Wolf never falls.”
…
In the Ninth Abyss, at the Demon Emperor’s Hall, Mike and his companions stood before the Ninth Demon God.
The tension was palpable. Shadow Three and the Ninth Demon God clearly had some unfinished business.
“So, you call yourself Shadow Three now? No wonder you looked familiar…”
The Ninth Demon God had encountered Shadow Three before, during their meeting with the Second Demon God’s projection.
However, projections possessed limited power, making it difficult to discern Shadow Three’s true identity.
This time, it was different.
Shadow Three had willingly entered the Ninth Demon God’s domain, revealing himself.
His true nature could no longer be concealed.
“Shadow Three, what a ridiculous name,” the Ninth Demon God sneered. “You seem to have grown weaker over the years.”
Shadow Three remained impassive, his expression unreadable. He even yawned, as if bored by the Demon God’s taunts.
Turning his attention to Mike, the Ninth Demon God raised an eyebrow. “Why would Shadow Nine send Shadow Three to protect you?”
“Would you pay for that information?” Mike asked bluntly.
“No.”
The Ninth Demon God shook his head.
The demonic energy swirling around his throne coalesced, taking the form of a young man clad in black robes. He was short in stature, with a prominent scar marring his face.
Having assumed his human form, the Ninth Demon God descended from his throne, approaching them.
With each step, the pressure intensified.
The demon creatures within the hall prostrated themselves, trembling in fear.
Only Mike and his companions remained standing.
When the Ninth Demon God was nine steps away from Mike, Shadow Three spoke.
“That’s far enough.”
This was the closest he would allow the Demon God to approach.
Any closer, and he wouldn’t be able to protect Thor.
The Ninth Demon God chuckled. “So, even you fear me?”
“Well… it’s a lovely day for a picnic,” Mike said, trying to defuse the situation. “If there’s
nothing else, we’ll be on our way.”
They had seen the Ninth Demon God. Time to leave.
Staying any longer would be pushing their luck.
Mike valued his life too much to take unnecessary risks.
“Don’t be hasty,” the Ninth Demon God said, waving a dismissive hand. “The show’s just getting started. My fifth brother will be here soon. Staying here or leaving, it makes no
difference.”
The Fifth Demon God had no interest in the Ninth.
His target, from the very beginning, had been Thor.
As Mike contemplated their escape, Shadow Three spoke again. “Shadow Four has returned.”
Shadow Four had been sent on a mission.
It seemed he had found something.
“What’s the point of calling him here?” Mike asked. “He’s no match for the Ninth Demon
God.”
“Oh.”
Shadow Three pondered this for a moment, then raised his right hand, punching the empty
air.
The void shattered, space itself tearing apart.
This display of power made even the Ninth Demon God wary.
“After all these years, you’re still the Abyss’s favored child…”
Shadow Three was at his strongest within the Abyss.
Shadow Four stepped through the spatial rift.
The two shadows faced each other.
“Thor said you shouldn’t come,” Shadow Three repeated.
He moved to close the portal.
“Wait!”
Mike stopped him, calling out to Shadow Four before the connection was severed.
“Did you find anything?”
“Yes. Richard Sterling isn’t at the Shadow Fortress. His file is a forgery.”
Files could be forged, memories could be altered.
But with enough effort, the truth could be uncovered.
And Shadow Four was an expert at uncovering the truth. In just one day, he had unearthed a
trail of clues.
Richard Sterling, James’s father, was listed as a General who had died in the Blood Sea Abyss. After joining the Guardian Shadow, he had performed protection duties for a while before his residual will weakened, forcing him into slumber.
“I checked the Mystic Market records,” Shadow Four reported. “Richard Sterling didn’t die in the Blood Sea Abyss battle. His true cause of death is unknown…”
Mike frowned. Unknown cause of death?
The spatial rift was closing. Time was running out. He would have to save his questions for
later.
“Anything else?”
“Richard Sterling performed admirably within the Guardian Shadow. At his peak, he was
among the top-ranked Chiefs.”
Shadow Four paused, then continued. “Before entering slumber, he began transforming into
a Blood Shadow.”
“Blood Shadow?” Mike recalled Shadow Four mentioning this before.
Many Guardian Shadows couldn’t adapt to their new roles. Their residual will would falter,
leading to a loss of control.
This state of instability was known as a “Blood Shadow.”
If they succumbed completely, they would become mindless monsters, driven by a thirst for slaughter and destruction, their sanity lost forever.
“What was Richard Sterling’s rank among the Chiefs before his transformation?” Mike asked.
“Third!”
Shadow Four’s voice was grave.
“According to the records, the third-ranked Chief was named… Draco.”
“Heh…” Mike let out a humorless chuckle.
“Shadow Ten just informed me that the Guardian Shadow protecting James… calls himself
Draco.”