Zenji's dream continued to unfold in vivid, unsettling detail. In the depths of that half-awakened state, he heard the deep, echoing voice of Shadow once again. "Your new title is Lord of Spirits, and your first stage is unlocked—called 'Shadow'." As if in response, a dark figure appeared before him. Shadow slowly raised his hand and then stepped back, saying, "Now you can control shadows."
Zenji, still fighting the remnants of sleep and uncertainty, managed to ask, "For what purpose, and what is your advantage in it?" The shadow's tone was matter-of-fact, almost indifferent: "There is nothing for me—I exist only to fulfill my lord's wish."
Then, his voice shifted as he began to recount the history of their mysterious universe. "Let me tell you about the world's origins. In the beginning, there was only one lord—what we call the 'Solo Lord.' All the powers of the universe belonged to him. He was in search of a perfect universe, so he started this world cycle. When the main world is destroyed, his own existence will end. To balance the forces, he split his power into eight pieces. When chaos reaches its limit, the eight lords must all agree to destroy the world. After the destruction, those eight powers split further into 16 elements. Each element then divides into three stages, which carry over into new worlds. But in the present time, these lords have divided into two teams—one that seeks to destroy the world, and another that wishes to preserve it."
Shadow paused, and then continued, "All lords are immortal and cease aging after the age of 30. There is one rule: only one lord can kill another. If you kill a lord with the same element stage as you, you can use his powers. But if you kill a lord with a different element, you can only store his powers—you must transfer them to another person to use them." Tiredly, Shadow added, "That is enough for today. I will transfer all the necessary stages to you and then vanish as if I never existed. We will practice your powers in dreams where no other lord will know of you. In five years, you will be fully ready. And one last thing—the lords have inherited memories of their previous lives, except they cannot access the memory of the Solo Lord."
Zenji's mind whirled with the revelation. "So, that means when I destroy the world, there is a chance I will meet her again in the next world?" he asked with hopeful desperation. "Yes," replied Shadow, "at a low level it is possible. But also remember, you are chosen by the Solo Lord—you must carry his wish."
Before Zenji could ask another question, the shadow disappeared from view. Confused and trembling, Zenji shouted, "What can I do here? How do I wake from this?"
Then, Shadow reappeared briefly and said, "Sorry, I forgot to mention one more thing about this world. Once you touch the first person you encounter, you will be able to study his memories and mindset. This gift is only for the first time, to help you understand the world."
Zenji's thoughts flickered to his recent memories—and somewhat humorously, he whispered, "I think I touched a banana first, then my brother Yume." Shadow's voice replied softly, "You are still immature. We need time for you to mature in both mind and strength. Now, I will release you from this dream."
Abruptly, Zenji woke up in his bed. His room was a mix of disarray and lingering echoes of the surreal dreamscape. He looked around, bewildered, and mumbled, "What a mess… I see four memories swirling around me: Yami, Zenji, Yume, and Shadow. I need to understand each one, one by one."
Shaking off the remnants of sleep, Zenji rose from his bed. It was early in the morning—around five o'clock—when he stepped out into the garden, his mind still heavy with thought. He recalled, with a bittersweet clarity, a memory of being held tightly on a horse. He remembered that someone had tried to attach him to the horse, and then something hit that person's head. The last thing he remembered from that time was the horse galloping off, and then rain pouring down as he fell onto the ground.
Tears welled up in Zenji's eyes as the memory came into focus. "Yami's family was also killed by someone…" he murmured. He considered the uncanny similarity—having been reborn in this world and suffering a similar loss of family—and vowed with grim determination, "I promise myself that I will kill the killers of the Yami family first, before I destroy this world."
Just then, a gardener approached, breaking Zenji's reverie. "Here you are, Yami, sir. How are you feeling now? Are you crying?" the gardener inquired kindly.
Zenji quickly wiped away his tears and said softly, "No, it's nothing—I'm fine." The gardener added, "Lord Yume is calling you for breakfast. Please, come with me."
"Okay," Zenji replied, trying to hide his inner turmoil.
Inside the house, Zenji found his brother Yume already seated at the breakfast table, waiting patiently. "I'm sorry I'm late," Zenji apologized as he joined him.
Yume smiled and said, "No worries, just sit here. How are you feeling now? Are you okay?"
Zenji reassured him, "Yes, I'm feeling fine now—I'm completely fine."
They ate bread and drank juice together. After finishing his meal, Yume said, "I'm going to a meeting. I'll be late today, and I've delayed your school test because of your health, so please rest for now. There are some workers in the house—just ask if you need anything. I'll be back soon."
Zenji nodded, "Okay, goodbye, brother."
Later, as Zenji sat alone on his chair, a worker approached and introduced himself, "Hello, Lord Yami, I'm Ronin Taya, a butler. If you need anything, just call me. May I help drop you off to your room?"
"No, no worries—I can manage by myself, thank you," Zenji responded politely.
He then wandered to his room, feeling a touch of boredom. Staring out of the window, he watched as a gardener carefully shaped the plants in the yard, and other workers went about their tasks.
In his room, Zenji noticed several books. He picked one up and began reading, losing himself in its pages. Near the end of the book, there was a quiet knock on the door. A butler's soft voice came in: "Hi, Lord Yami. Please come downstairs for lunch, or if you prefer, I can bring it to your room."
"No, thank you—I'll come downstairs," Zenji replied.
During lunch, as Zenji sat at a huge table, he couldn't help but compare the scene with memories from his old life in the castle. "I used to eat alone most of the time…, sometimes only my mother would join me," he thought sadly.
After finishing his lunch, Zenji stood up, feeling the weight of loneliness and the bittersweet memories of his past. He returned to his room, climbed onto his bed, and eventually fell into a restless sleep, his mind still churning with the many emotions and thoughts of the day.