The old man held the tip of his katana toward Mazuki with unwavering precision.

Mazuki: "Hey, you fool... do you really want me to fight you?" Old Man: "You hit the nail on the head." Mazuki: "I don't want to fight you. I want you to fight beside me!" Old Man: "It isn’t that simple, young man."

Mazuki realized he couldn't change the situation, so he accepted the old man's challenge. Mazuki: "Fine, I accept. But I don't have a sword. How are we supposed to fight?" Old Man: "You don't need a sword, Mazuki. You know that better than anyone. Enough talk... come at me, Mazuki, son of Suzuki!"

Mazuki charged at the old man. A high-speed clash ignited instantly. As Mazuki attempted to land a punch, the old man parried with the hilt of his katana and drove the pommel hard into Mazuki’s stomach. Mazuki doubled over from the impact. The old man rushed him immediately, but just as he closed the distance, Mazuki leaped into the air. The old man’s blade sliced through nothing but empty space.

Old Man: "You're more agile than you look." Mazuki: "You haven't seen anything yet!" Old Man: "That’s exactly what I’m hoping for."

The old man became even more aggressive, moving faster than before. Before Mazuki could even register the movement, the old man had already vanished past him. Suddenly, a searing pain flared in Mazuki’s abdomen. The old man had slashed him across the stomach in a split second. Mazuki’s vision began to blur. He touched the wound, his fingers coming away stained with blood. Suddenly, flashes of his family and memories of the night Suzuki died flickered before his eyes—memories he had never seen so clearly before.

Mazuki: "You bastard... how could you..." Mazuki’s head began to spin. Losing consciousness, he collapsed to the ground. Mazuki: "I can't die here... not yet..."

While Mazuki was fading away in the inner world, his body in the real world was in critical condition. Ren and Nero had rushed him onto a stretcher; Mazuki was suffering a cardiac arrest. Nero: "Sasha! Do something!" Sasha: "Ren, get the sedative ready!" Ren: "Will this be enough for him?" Sasha: "I’m not sure, but it’s our only choice!" Ren injected the sedative. In the Void, things took a darker turn. Mazuki’s eyes drifted shut as the old man stood over him.

Old Man: "You're not ready, young man."

Mazuki heard a voice calling to him—"Mazuki... Mazuki..." It was that dark power inside of him. Mazuki opened his eyes in a dark abyss and saw a humanoid shadow. The figure placed its hand on Mazuki’s shoulder. Mazuki: "Who the hell are you?" Dark Entity: "Who am I? A lowly human like you cannot comprehend my existence!" Mazuki: "I asked who you are, you bastard! Answer me!" Dark Entity: "Fine... I am a trapped soul. That old prick trapped me here, Mazuki. He slaughtered my family. And it was that old geezer who killed your father."

Time stopped for Mazuki. He felt a cold void within. Mazuki: "You're lying! Apex killed my father. And my mother and siblings..." Dark Entity: "I am sorry for your mother and siblings, but your father was killed by this man called Star X." The entity snapped its fingers. In a smoky vision, Mazuki saw Suzuki in the flames after the explosion with Takeda. Suzuki was calling for help, but the old man stabbed him with a sword. Mazuki began to cry—not from sorrow, but from pure, burning rage.

Dark Entity: "I am here now. We will take our revenge on everyone who hurt us." Mazuki: "But how can I trust you? What if you betray me too?" Dark Entity: "As I said... I am you. I will be your closest comrade. Now, we must perform an ancient ceremony." Mazuki: "Fine... but at the slightest mistake, this partnership is over!" Dark Entity: "Excellent! Now, place your hand over my heart, and I will place mine over yours."

They sealed the pact. The entity turned into smoke and merged into Mazuki. In the Void, the old man turned to leave, but Mazuki grabbed his leg with a grip so strong it shattered the bone. Old Man: "I was expecting exactly this. A bit late, but it will do." Mazuki (In a demonic voice): "You bastard!! I will kill you!"

Mazuki moved with terrifying speed, overwhelming the old man. He pinned him down and rained blows upon him. The light in Mazuki's eyes was gone, replaced by absolute darkness. The old man realized he had no choice. He vanished and reappeared behind Mazuki. Old Man: "Congratulations, Mazuki. You won." Mazuki, lost in rage, charged again. The old man drew a sword of brilliant white light and plunged it into Mazuki, dispelling the darkness. Old Man: "Your work here is done."

Mazuki opened his eyes in the real world. Sasha was standing over him in tears. Mazuki: "Sasha..." Sasha: "He's awake! Mazuki is awake!" Mazuki: "Ah... my ear..." Ren: "Let's just say you had a little crisis."

Mazuki had fallen ill. Sasha brought him a medicinal tea she had prepared. Mazuki was huddled under a blanket, sneezing. Mazuki: "Thanks, Sasha." Sasha: "No problem. But what happened to you back there?" Mazuki: "I don't know. I don't remember anything."

As he sipped his tea, Sofia came running, shouting from a distance. Sofia: "MAZUKIII!" She threw her arms around his neck. "Oh, my poor Mazuki! Are you sick? I’m going to give you a wonderful treatment right now!" Mazuki: "Settle down, Sofia. I’m fine. Sasha made me some tea." Sofia: "Forget that tea! I’m going to apply a treatment from our own traditions." Sofia leaned in, closed her eyes, and kissed Mazuki on the lips. Sasha turned bright red with fury. Mazuki: "Sofia! What are you doing?" Sofia: "This is our healing method. If a man is wounded or sick, you heal him with a kiss." Mazuki: "Clearly, it’s not working. I’ll stick to my tea." Sofia: "Hmm, maybe I did something wrong. Let me try again." Sasha: "That’s enough, Sofia! Don't forget where you are!" Sofia: "Oh, right. Sorry. Come on, Mazuki, let’s go somewhere private." Sasha: "No! Mazuki is staying here to drink his tea and get well!" Sofia: "Are you calling my method perverted?" Mazuki: "Hey girls, please, calm do—" Sofia & Sasha: "SHUT UP, MAZUKI!" Mazuki was too terrified to open his mouth. Just then, Ren and Gin entered the room.

Gin: "What’s all this noise? Are you fighting over Mazuki?" Gin smirked and gave Mazuki a thumbs-up. "Well done, Mazuki!" Mazuki: "Dammit..." Gin: "Alright, that’s enough. Mazuki, are you sick?" Ren: "Yes, Father. He caught a bit of a cold." Gin: "How did that happen?" Ren: "We were doing Vayen training... and he had a small cardiac arrest." Mazuki: "A cardiac arrest? I don't remember that!"

Gin’s expression turned grave. "Mazuki, I need you to answer my questions. When you first made contact, where were you?" Mazuki: "In a dark void." Nero: "Darkness?" Hao: "When you connect with your Vayen, you wake up in a void the color of your Vayen. If what you're saying is true... your Vayen is Black!" The room went silent. Everyone was shocked. Sofia: "How is that possible?" Hao: "I don't know, but if it's true, the situation is more dangerous than it looks." Eleni: "We should kill him then." Mazuki: "Can you actually talk? Also, that’s a bad joke." Eleni: "I wasn't joking."

Gin: "Enough. I will tell you an ancient story." Everyone sat down as Gin began: "Centuries ago, in a village called Yukuta, lived a priest with two daughters. One day, his youngest fell deathly ill. Desperate, the priest went to a wizard in the forest. The wizard gave him two engraved metal pieces—a Star and a Crescent Moon. He told him it was a seal, and the entity inside could grant one wish if a blood ritual was performed under a full moon."

"Two nights later, the priest went to a high hill and began the incantation: 'From where the sun is buried, until the moment the blood falls silent... Flesh to flesh, bone to bone, hatred to eternity! I erase the seal with my blood, I plant my shadow in your soul. Now two bodies, one revenge; AWAKEN, MIGHTY VESPER!'"

"The ground shook. The symbols spun in the air as clouds gathered. A black entity emerged, merging into a single form. Vesper: 'Who are you?' Priest: 'Lord, I am the one who summoned you.' Vesper: 'So you freed me. Why are you praying? Your God is before you now.'"

"Vesper healed the daughter, but two days later, he demanded his price. Vesper: 'I want you as my sacrifice. Not to kill you, but as a host. My kind dwells within the bodies of those loyal to us, acting as a helping hand in dark times.' The priest, thinking Vesper was good for saving his daughter, accepted. Vesper turned into black smoke and entered the priest’s body through his mouth. Amidst thunder and rain, the priest stood there, but behind him was a terrifying dark presence with glowing red eyes. Vesper screamed to the heavens: 'I AM FINALLY FREE!' followed by a demonic laugh."

[End of Episode 9]