"Who are you?"
The voice was gentle, yet carried a sacred power.
A pale green glow slowly rose within the crimson furnace.
A touch of green amid the crimson-a manifestation of life.
"Shouldn't you introduce yourself before asking who someone else is?"
The King of the Underworld watched the change calmly.
His voice was quiet, yet carried an unmistakable authority.
Like a demon god from the Endless Abyss, his divine, intimidating presence overwhelmed everything around him, towering over mountains and rivers.
"What a powerful presence!"
A startled cry came from within the green glow.
A moment of silence passed.
The green light took on a human form.
It was a woman with long, straight, jet-black hair, clad in red battle armor with a sword at her waist.
She was beautiful, not in a delicate way, but with a bold, heroic grace.
"Between heaven and hell, I have no right to choose, only the fate of being chosen."
"I am Sō, the guardian priestess of this Horai Island."
The woman spoke, though her attire already marked her as a priestess.
Sōki looked at the King of the Underworld standing amid the sea of fire, and surprise flickered in her crystalline green eyes.
She had guarded Horai Immortal Island for years and had seen many powerful demons.
Yet the King of the Underworld before her was undoubtedly the strongest demon she had ever encountered.
He was even more terrifying than Tōga had been back then!
"You may call me the King of the Underworld."
The King of the Underworld raised his eyes slightly. Deep as an abyss, they seemed to hold a divine light that saw through everything about Sōki.
"The King of the Underworld?"
Sōki considered the name. Demons' titles all reflected something of their nature.
And the King of the