—
After congratulating the kids and leaving with a few gifts for the kids to use at a later date, the crowd of beast kings started dispersing back to their own territories.
While leaving though, there was an electric hype in the air as they all murmured about the upcoming death battle that Rudra had put into motion 2 years ago at their heir announcement.
Rudra and Iris step away from the platform and into the quiet of a cliffside path overlooking Mount Kyko's distant peak. The place their next challenge lay.
The wind howls faintly. Their bodies are still bruised from the Dragonheir trials. The tension between them lingers—heavy, unspoken.
Rudra broke the silence first, his voice hoarse but steady.
"…You nearly shattered my spine, y'know."
Iris turned, her expression cold at first—but then softened as her eyes met his. "You tried to rip my throat out…with your teeth."
