The White King raised his hands, and instantly the Red Knights fell to their knees with unwavering devotion. "Now, follow the White Knights," he commanded, his voice calm yet filled with authority. They retreated back toward the palace, moving with precision, as if the very air bent to his will... As they follow his order.
Adam hesitated, stepping forward, but the King's barrier flared suddenly, stopping him in his tracks. A luminous wall of energy shimmered in his vision. "Do not come near me," the White King said, voice heavy with warning. "I have been corrupted."
Adam raised his hands, frustration pressing at his chest. "Then why not give it to me?" he ask. Doubt flickered in the White King's eyes. After centuries of existence, few had ever approached him for the sake of kindness alone. Most sought power, wealth, or conquest.
"I do not wish for another Ascended One to meddle with my kingdom," the King replied, eyes cold yet weary. "Now go."
A white light erupted over the kingdom, scorching the land and carving a massive crater where the void had been leaching through, consuming and destroying all in its path. With a powerful flap of his massive wings, the White King rose, heading straight for the nearest breach.
Below, a towering knight, ten meters tall, bulging with muscle and encased in polished white plates that gleamed like the King's own armor, wielded a colossal white axe. Every swing cut through the wryms as if they were nothing but butter. The platform beneath him trembled under the weight of his steps.
Beside him, another monstrous bug roared, its gaping jaws snapping at the air. A female champion, arrayed in white with a flowing cloak, brandished a massive rapier while a secondary energy sword flickered along her other arm. "Dammit," she muttered through gritted teeth, "I can't believe there are monsters bigger than you, Iziemer…" Her expression remained blank as flying insects loosed molten acid at them, and Iziemer quickly hurled a shattered wall to block the attack.
He panted heavily, voice sharp with focus. "Concentrate on the mission, Hera. We are champions of the King. Do not waste your will on distractions." She leapt, slashing through the air with precise movements, cracking the moving platforms beneath them. Mechanical levers pulled at the city's center, their movements synchronized with the chaos around them. Hera exhaled sharply, dispersing like fragments through the air, cutting down every flying bug in her path.
The White King landed beside them, his presence commanding and absolute. With a wave of his hands, light expanded outward, melting the wryms and searing through the insectoid threats. The champions knelt before him, voices reverent.
"My citizens?" the King asked, his tone calm yet heavy.
"They have been evacuated," Hera replied. "According to your almighty power, my King."
Suddenly, a massive roar shook the undergrowth of the termite-like kingdom. From above, the top of the gemstone-encrusted dome and the intricate machinery holding the moving platforms crumbled in an instant. The voice of a young man rang out from the chaos:"DANCED! WITH THE KING!!!"
Kaloterm has been completely destroyed
The champions could only watch as the White King's wrath ignited. His aura surged, light and dark that hide from his light, untamed power. Every shred of darkness that had tried to consume him now fed his fury,being completely livid.
"FOR HIS SHINE WILL END! SHOW THEM MY WORTH… AND THE BEST STORY!" a figure screamed from the sky—a human floating with a massive comical mask, shadows of cloaked figures orbiting around him.
Adam squinted, barely able to see over the storm of light and energy. The White King's aura collided with the champions' power, forging an unstoppable force of superhuman strength. They slashed and dashed through the air, each movement precise yet devastating.
Another champion appeared—a knight arrayed in brilliant white, helmet crowned with thorns, sword gleaming with radiant energy. Hundreds of energy swords erupted from him, flying toward the masked figure. Yet the man teleported effortlessly, shrouded in darkness. The sky itself turned red and gold under the clash of energies, his body cloaked in pulsating purple light as he darted and weaved against the King.
With a swing that could cleave mountains, the White King thrust his fist sideways, colliding with the masked man's sword. Light exploded outward, energy cascading across the battlefield. The masked figure laughed, his body writhing under the white light.
With a flick of his finger, the White King sent a scorching, unsmoldering fire racing through the man's core. "HAHA… THIS IS—"
The champions were suddenly ensnared by writhing tentacles of darkness, each limb leeching at their strength, tearing through their armor as if it were paper. Shadows twisted around them, sapping their resolve, threatening to swallow them whole.
From above, the cloaked figures retreated, fading into the sky. Adam, eyes sharp and unwavering, teleported instantly, flicking his fingers with precise control. In a heartbeat, the tentacles were sliced apart, dissolving into nothingness.
A massive fireball, red and furious, rose against the sky—an inferno the size of an asteroid, smoldering and incandescent. And then the king's light stretched across the city like an unbreakable barrier. The White King's presence radiated through it, his energy so intense it seemed to warp reality itself....
With a sweep of his arms, the champions were forced to retreat. From the heights of the city, only three Ascended beings remained, locked in battle against the chaos. The unsmoldering flame tore through the circus-masked adversary, scorching him as he shrieked and writhed. Strands of yellow hair peeked from beneath his hood, wild and blazing. "YOUR POWER… I WILL HAVE IT!!!" he screamed, laughter twisted and manic.
Adam, with a calm flick of his fingers, disintegrated the red fireball entirely. He exhaled, a bittersweet smile forming on his face. "Ugh… dammit… better… again," he muttered, watching the last remnants of flame vanish.
The inferno that had consumed the kingdom faded, leaving only the pulsating energy of the sky. The White King raised his hands once more. The shadows that had expanded across the kingdom floated toward him, attempting to seep into his body. But the darkness could not overcome him. It clung and writhed, absorbed into the cracks of his armor as he fell through the sky, exhausted and battered.
[So this is what happened… at the beginning.] Rehan's lips curved into a small, knowing smile, finally piecing it all together.
Yuruki's POV
From afar, Yuruki watched alongside Shade and the purple-haired companion. Across the kingdom, people dashed frantically, shadows of the circus-masked figures flitting through the chaos. Panic and urgency painted the streets as the remnants of the battle sprawled beneath the sky, the aftermath of light and darkness colliding etched into every shattered stone and scorched platform.
As she could hear the call of the void agains't the wind...