Donnnn.
The first bell rang across the kingdom.
Donnnn.
The second followed.
Donnnn.
Then the third.
One by one, ancient bells hidden in temples, mountains, villages, and forgotten shrines began to ring.
No hands pulled their ropes.
No wind moved them.
They rang by themselves.
The sound traveled across the snow-covered kingdom.
Every village heard it.
Every warrior stopped.
Every priest looked toward the mountains.
And every dragon opened its eyes.
Musha stood frozen in the valley.
The crack across the stone inside her chest had grown.
A thin black line.
Pulsing.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Kaito stared at it.
"What did you do?"
Musha shook her head.
"Nothing."
Aiko stepped forward.
"Musha, don't move."
"Why?"
"Because the throne is waking."
Musha's eyes narrowed.
"You keep calling it a throne."
"Yes."
"What does that mean?"
Aiko looked toward the mountain.
"The Hollow King was never the ruler."
Musha waited.
"He was the guardian."
Kaito frowned.
"Guardian of what?"
Aiko looked at Musha.
"Of the throne."
A violent tremor shook the ground.
The snow rose into the air.
Musha heard something beneath her.
Not a voice.
Not a heartbeat.
A whisper.
Her own voice.
Come home.
She stepped backward.
"No."
Aiko grabbed her hand.
"Musha."
"What is happening?"
Aiko's fingers tightened around hers.
"The throne is choosing its next guardian."
Musha pulled away.
"I don't want it."
Aiko's expression broke.
"I know."
"Then stop it."
"I can't."
"Why?"
Aiko looked at her chest.
"Because it has already chosen."
The White Dragon descended.
Its enormous body landed between Musha and the mountain.
Snow exploded around it.
The dragon lowered its head.
Musha reached out.
Her hand touched its scales.
Immediately—
she saw another vision.
A kingdom burning.
Dragons filling the sky.
Thousands of warriors kneeling before a woman.
A woman wearing a white mask.
Musha.
But older.
Her hair was long.
Her eyes were completely white.
And behind her stood a black throne.
The Hollow King knelt before it.
Musha pulled her hand away.
She gasped.
Kaito caught her.
"What did you see?"
"A throne."
Aiko closed her eyes.
"You saw the future."
Musha looked at her.
"Was that me?"
"Yes."
Musha's voice trembled.
"Did I become the Hollow King?"
"No."
"Then what did I become?"
Aiko whispered:
"His master."
Musha stepped away.
"No."
The dragon lowered its head.
Musha looked at it.
"You showed me that?"
The dragon remained silent.
Then it opened its mouth.
A single white scale fell onto the snow.
Musha picked it up.
The moment her fingers touched it—
the world disappeared.
She stood inside darkness.
No mountains.
No snow.
No wind.
Only the sound of breathing.
Musha turned.
Someone stood behind her.
Kuroda.
His armor was broken.
Blood covered his face.
His eyes were still white.
"Father?"
He looked at her.
"Don't trust the throne."
Musha stepped closer.
"Are you alive?"
"For now."
"What happened?"
"Kuroda" looked behind him.
"The Hollow King isn't trying to escape."
Musha frowned.
"Then what is it doing?"
"Waiting."
"For me?"
"Yes."
Musha shook her head.
"I won't become its vessel."
Kuroda stepped closer.
"You never were."
"Mother said I was born to replace it."
Kuroda's expression changed.
"She told you that?"
"Yes."
"Then she lied."
Musha froze.
"My mother lied?"
"Not about everything."
"What did she lie about?"
Kuroda looked at her.
"The throne doesn't choose its guardian."
Musha waited.
"It creates one."
A cold wind passed through the darkness.
"How?"
Kuroda whispered:
"By taking everything they love."
Musha's heart stopped.
"What?"
"The throne feeds on grief."
He looked directly into her eyes.
"Every loss makes it stronger."
Musha thought of her mother.
Her childhood.
Her blindness.
Her silence.
Kaito.
Raiden.
Katsurane.
The Crimson Shadows.
All the people she had lost.
Kuroda continued.
"That's why it wanted you afraid."
Musha shook her head.
"But I defeated it."
"No."
Kuroda's voice was gentle.
"You survived it."
"What is the difference?"
"The Hollow King doesn't need to defeat you."
He stepped closer.
"It only needs you to suffer."
Musha's chest tightened.
"Then what do I do?"
Kuroda looked toward the darkness.
"Don't let pain become your master."
Musha lowered her head.
"I'm angry."
"I know."
"I hate you."
"I know."
"I don't trust Mother."
"I know."
"I don't know what I am anymore."
Kuroda smiled sadly.
"That is why you must decide."
"Decide what?"
"Whether you're going to become what they created…"
He touched her chest.
"…or become what you choose."
The darkness began collapsing.
Musha reached for him.
"Father!"
Kuroda stepped away.
"Musha."
"Yes?"
His eyes softened.
"I'm sorry."
The darkness swallowed him.
Musha screamed.
"FATHER!"
Musha opened her eyes.
She was lying in the snow.
Kaito knelt beside her.
"Musha!"
She sat upright.
"Where is he?"
"Who?"
"My father."
Kaito looked confused.
"He isn't here."
Musha stared toward the mountain.
"He spoke to me."
Aiko stepped closer.
"That wasn't a vision."
Musha looked at her.
"Then what was it?"
Aiko's face became pale.
"A memory."
"Whose?"
"Kuroda's."
Musha stood.
"He's alive."
Raiden shook his head.
"You can't know that."
"I heard him."
"Musha—"
"I heard his heartbeat."
Raiden became silent.
Musha looked at the mountain.
"He's trapped down there."
Kaito nodded.
"Then we go back."
Aiko grabbed his arm.
"No."
Kaito turned.
"Mother."
"If you go back, the Hollow King will use you."
Kaito pulled away.
"He's my father."
"And you're my son."
Aiko's voice broke.
"I've already lost one child."
Kaito froze.
Musha looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
Aiko looked down.
"I thought I lost Kaito."
She touched his face.
"When your father took you away, I believed you were dead."
Kaito's expression softened.
"I survived."
"Barely."
Aiko looked at Musha.
"And then I had to leave you too."
Musha's eyes filled with tears.
"You could have told me."
"I was afraid."
"Of what?"
"That if you knew how much I loved you…"
Aiko's voice broke.
"…the Hollow King would use it against you."
Musha looked away.
"I don't want to live without love just because someone might use it against me."
Aiko stared at her.
Musha continued.
"If pain makes me stronger, then I'll carry it."
She looked toward Kaito.
"I won't become a monster because I loved someone."
Kaito smiled.
"That sounds like you."
A horn sounded from the valley.
Everyone turned.
A massive army stood on the ridge.
Not Crimson Shadows.
Not soldiers.
Monks.
Thousands of them.
White robes.
Black masks.
Each carrying a long spear.
At their center stood an elderly woman.
She removed her mask.
Raiden's expression changed.
"The Moon Guardians."
Aiko stepped forward.
"That is impossible."
The woman smiled.
"We have been waiting for you, Aiko."
Aiko raised her hand.
"How many survived?"
The old woman looked around.
"Enough."
Musha stepped forward.
"Who are you?"
The woman bowed.
"My name is Hana."
She looked at Musha.
"And you are the girl the prophecy warned us about."
Musha frowned.
"I'm tired of prophecies."
Hana smiled.
"Good."
Musha blinked.
Hana walked toward her.
"The prophecy has been misunderstood for centuries."
Aiko looked at her.
"Hana…"
"You know I'm right."
"What does it say?"
Hana looked at Musha.
"The White Shadow will not destroy the kingdom."
Musha waited.
"She will decide whether it deserves to survive."
Katsurane frowned.
"That makes no sense."
Hana's eyes moved toward the mountain.
"It will."
A deep rumble came from beneath them.
Everyone turned.
The mountain split.
A black pillar rose from the earth.
Then another.
Then another.
The entire valley began transforming.
Ancient stones emerged from beneath the snow.
A circular platform appeared.
And in its center—
a throne.
Black.
Massive.
Covered in white dragon bones.
Musha stared.
Her stone burned.
Hana lowered her head.
"The throne has risen."
Kaito raised his sword.
"What happens now?"
Hana looked at Musha.
"Now it chooses."
Musha stepped toward the throne.
Aiko grabbed her wrist.
"No."
Musha looked back.
"Mother."
"If you sit on that throne…"
Aiko's voice trembled.
"…you may never come back."
Musha looked at the throne.
Then at Kaito.
Then at Raiden.
Then Katsurane.
Finally—
she looked at Aiko.
"I've spent my whole life being afraid of what I might become."
She gently removed Aiko's hand.
"I'm not anymore."
Musha walked toward the throne.
The White Dragon followed.
Kaito shouted:
"Musha!"
She stopped.
He ran toward her.
"What?"
Kaito smiled.
"If you sit on that thing…"
He raised his sword.
"…I'll pull you back out."
Musha smiled.
"Deal."
She stepped onto the platform.
The throne began glowing.
White light surrounded it.
Black smoke crawled across its surface.
The two forces collided.
Musha stood between them.
The bells rang.
Donnnn.
Donnnn.
Donnnn.
Musha reached toward the throne.
Her fingers touched it.
Everything went black.
When she opened her eyes—
she was sitting on the throne.
The kingdom stretched beneath her.
Thousands of dragons flew through the sky.
Warriors knelt.
The mountains floated.
And beside her—
stood the Hollow King.
But it wasn't a monster anymore.
It wore black armor.
A crown rested on its head.
It bowed.
"My Queen."
Musha stared.
"No."
The Hollow King smiled.
"You finally understand."
Musha stood.
"I will never be your queen."
The creature laughed.
"You already are."
Musha looked down.
Her clothes had changed.
White robes.
Black markings.
Two swords at her waist.
And on her chest—
the stone was gone.
In its place was a black-and-white symbol.
The Hollow King whispered:
"The throne has accepted you."
Musha looked at her hands.
Then she heard a voice behind her.
"Musha."
She turned.
Kaito stood in the distance.
But something was wrong.
His eyes were red.
"Kaito?"
He raised his sword.
"I'm sorry."
The Hollow King smiled.
Musha stood.
"What did you do to him?"
The creature answered:
"Nothing."
Kaito charged.
Musha drew both swords.
Their blades collided.
CLANG!
Kaito's face twisted with pain.
"Run!"
Musha froze.
"What?"
"RUN!"
His red eyes flickered white.
For one second—
her brother was back.
Then the darkness returned.
The Hollow King whispered:
"Choose."
Musha's heart shattered.
"Choose what?"
"Your brother…"
The throne began cracking beneath her.
"…or the kingdom."
Musha stared at Kaito.
Then at the burning kingdom.
Then at the throne.
And finally—
she smiled.
The Hollow King stopped laughing.
"What are you doing?"
Musha raised both swords.
"I refuse."
The white flame ignited.
The black flame followed.
"I won't choose between them."
She crossed the blades.
"I'll save both."
The throne screamed.
The kingdom disappeared.
And somewhere beneath the real mountain—
Kuroda opened his eyes.
His pupils were no longer red.
They were white.
He looked toward the ceiling.
And whispered:
"She finally understands."
Behind him, a figure emerged from the darkness.
Queen Aiko.
But this time—
her face was not human.
Kuroda slowly raised his sword.
"Aiko…"
The woman smiled.
"No."
Her face began changing.
"I am the thing that wore her face."
Kuroda's expression hardened.
The creature stepped closer.
"And now…"
Her eyes turned black.
"…we can finally talk about our daughter."
The mountain shook.
And the real war began.