Lunara clutched her necklace, and her eyes glowed faintly.
"Then we move from the shadows first. Hit the heart. Quietly."
"What's your plan?" Yumi asked, standing beside Ryker.
"Tonight, during the High Council's midnight assembly," Lunara said. "Only the core nobles attend. If they're involved—we'll know."
Ryker's voice turned cold.
"And if they are?"
Lunara met his gaze.
"Then they don't leave that chamber alive."
Later That Night – The High Council Chamber
The air was tense. Lunara walked in, cloaked in royal robes. Behind her, Ryker and Yumi moved through secret tunnels, guided by a guard who still believed in justice.
Inside the chamber, voices echoed—nobles laughing, whispering, plotting.
Ryker whispered to Yumi, "We expose them first. Then I take their heads."
Yumi's eyes narrowed. "Only if they're guilty."
Ryker nodded. "They are."
Castle Tunnels – Beneath the Council Hall
Ryker, Yumi, and the loyal guard moved silently through the stone corridors lit by faint torchlight. Faint echoes from above hinted that the council was already gathering.
Suddenly, the group halted.
"What is this…?" Yumi whispered, eyes wide.
They had entered a small hidden chamber—rows of cages lined the walls. Inside were children, weak and trembling, some too tired to cry. All bore signs of mistreatment.
Ryker's fists clenched. "They kept this right under the throne…"
"We need proof," Yumi said, stepping closer to a crying boy.
"We don't need proof," Ryker muttered, fury in his voice. "We need justice."
He turned to the loyal guard.
"Free them. Get them somewhere safe. When the council dies tonight, the people will need to see what they were protecting."
The guard nodded and ran off.
Above – The High Council Chamber
Lunara stood at the center of the grand chamber, her voice calm but firm.
"Before we begin, I'd like to bring forth a guest."
The nobles looked around, confused—until the heavy doors creaked open.
Ryker and Yumi walked in, bloodstained and serious.
Gasps erupted.
"You—!" one councilman shouted. "You were banished!"
"I returned," Ryker said, stepping forward. "With evidence. With truth."
He threw down a noble's ring—taken from one of the men guarding the children below.
"Your secrets are dead. Your kingdom is next."
Throne Room
Ryker stepped forward, sword drawn, eyes locked with the King. The guards dared not move—everyone felt the tension tighten like a noose.
"I will destroy you," Ryker declared coldly, his voice echoing across the marble floor.
The King stood slowly from his throne, regal and composed. With a flick of his hand, a blade of ancient design appeared in his grip.
"Then come," the King said, "and try."
Steel clashed as Ryker lunged forward, their swords meeting with a crack like thunder. Sparks danced from the blades as they exchanged blows—Ryker's ferocity against the King's unmatched precision.
chandeliers above shook from the sudden burst of magic. Guards stood frozen. Yumi and Lunara watched from the side—helpless but wide-eyed.
Ryker stood tall, black coat swaying, a silver sword in hand glowing faintly with ancient energy. His eyes, cold and determined, locked onto the man before him.
The King, cloaked in crimson royal robes, drew his sword—a massive, rune-covered blade passed down from the first rulers. His aura—thick, suffocating—pressed down on the room like a mountain.
"This ends here," Ryker said.
"Only if you survive," the King replied.
CLANG
Steel met steel.
Ryker struck first—fast, brutal. The King blocked with one hand, his strength overwhelming. The floor beneath them cracked.
Ryker ducked low and swept his leg. The King jumped, flipping backward, landing perfectly.
WHOOSH
The King slashed, releasing a wave of golden energy. Ryker raised his arm, blocking with a shield of wind, sliding back.
Ryker whispered: "Time Shift: Second Gear."
In an instant, he disappeared—reappearing behind the King. He slashed—
CLANG! The King blocked without turning.
"I see you, even beyond time."
They clashed again.
Blades sparked.
Magic burned the air.
Each move a battle of speed vs. strength.
Ryker jumped, spinning in midair, sword glowing with dark-blue aura. "Wind Fang Slash!"
The King countered with a ground slam, sending pillars of stone erupting.
Dust filled the room.
Suddenly, Ryker emerged from above, sword raised high.
The King looked up.
"Too slow!" Ryker roared.
BOOM
The impact shook the hall. A crater formed. The King coughed, blood on his lip—but still stood.
"You've improved," the King said, eyes glowing. "But now, I'll show you why I'm King."
He raised his sword to the sky. Lightning crackled. The blade turned gold.
"Royal Art: Divine Execution."
Ryker narrowed his eyes. "Come."
Both charged
A final clash.
Light vs. Shadow.
Hero vs. King
throne room was quiet—too quiet.
Ryker, sword still in hand, stood across from the King, both of them bleeding, exhausted, and alive.
"I told you I'd destroy you," Ryker said, voice like steel.
The King wiped blood from his mouth and gave a dark smile.
"You're not the only one with a plan, Ryker."
From the shadows, Aira stepped forward, his face blank. Behind him came a tall, masked man—and between them, held tightly by the arm, was the little girl Ryker and Yumi had saved earlier.
"You…!" Yumi gasped, stepping forward. "What are you doing?!"
The girl looked terrified, her small hands trembling as she struggled.
"Sis… help me…"
Ryker's eyes widened. "Let her go. She's just a child!"
The King raised a hand, silencing the room.
"You want to break the kingdom? Fine. But know the cost. This girl… was always part of my design."
"No…" Ryker took a step forward.
"You still don't get it, do you?" The King gestured to the masked man. "Do it."
"STOP!" Yumi screamed.
But the blade was already moving.
It wasn't a single strike.
The masked man didn't just kill her—
He butchered her.
One slice.
Another.
Another.
Blood painted the throne room.
"Big… brother…" she whispered one last time before her voice was lost.
Her small body collapsed in pieces, torn apart before their eyes.
The silence that followed was unbearable.
Yumi fell to her knees, trembling.
Ryker stood still—his face hollow, his hands dripping with rage.
"You…" Ryker said quietly. "You killed… an innocent girl…"
The King looked down at the blood with no remorse.
"This is power, Ryker. This is what you challenged. This is the kingdom."
Ryker's sword cracked from the pressure of his grip.
His aura exploded, shaking the palace. The temperature dropped.
Yumi looked up, tears in her eyes.
Lunara stood frozen in the doorway, unable to breathe.
"You just made a mistake," Ryker whispered. "You made me your enemy."
The King walked forward, his boots echoing in the bloodstained hall. He looked down at Ryker, whose trembling fists were clenched tight, eyes burning with fury.
"In every world…" the King said with a calm, twisted smile, "there's always a king like me."
Ryker didn't speak. His silence was sharper than any sword.
"You think this world is different?" the King continued. "You think your world has hope? Justice? Peace? No. In your world, there's a king like me. Always has been."
He stepped over the shattered pieces of the little girl's body like they were nothing more than leaves in his path.
"Kings don't exist to bring peace. They exist to rule. We take. We crush. We survive."
Yumi's voice cracked.
"You're a monster…"
The King looked at her, amused.
"No. I'm the truth your world refuses to accept."
He turned to Ryker one final time.
"If you're here to change that truth… then show me your resolve. Show me the kind of king your world needs."
Ryker slowly lifted his head, his voice quiet—but filled with thunder.
"I will."