Jongwon's family and advisors rushed after him. By the time they reached the main gate, Chuya was already struggling to stay upright, her sword impaled in the ground, supporting her weight. Though not yet fully matured, she was still Jongwon's eldest, and three wounds marred Hwan's arms and legs. Chuya's helmet lay abandoned in the dirt, and she blinked repeatedly, her vision blurred by blood. She tried to rise, but her knees buckled, and she collapsed.
Chuya's labored breaths mingled with the gasps of the onlookers. Her eyes, filled with pain, met her parents' as they rushed towards her. Hwan, sensing their shock and fury, strode towards the fallen Chuya. His blade, merciless, plunged between her shoulder blades. Yahng'ha screamed, her hands flying to her mouth as she sank to the ground. Chuya, already barely clinging to life, didn't even groan. She blinked once, a silent apology to her parents, then breathed her last.
Hwan pulled his sword from Chuya's body and turned to face Soh. Blood splattered across his face, mirroring the fury burning in Soh's eyes.
"Was this your plan?" Soh growled, his voice shaking with rage.
"Not intentionally," Hwan replied calmly, "but it seems things have unfolded this way. I didn't expect you to raise your child with such a fiery spirit."
Soh's lips curled into a sneer. "A schemer raised among schemers. It's my mistake for misjudging you."
He closed his eyes for a moment, and the crowd held their breath, anticipating the eruption of his fury. When he opened his eyes, his gaze fell upon Yahng'ha, who nodded silently, her lips pressed tightly together.
"I will stake everything on this revenge," Soh declared. "So you will too. Including your pregnant woman."
He gestured towards Yirahng, who stood among the crowd.
"You'll take her if I lose?" Hwan asked.
"No. I'll kill her," Soh corrected him, his voice cold and merciless. "Your woman, your crew, all of them."
Hwan's resolve wavered. He didn't care about his crew; they were expendable. But he couldn't bear to see the fear in Yirahng's eyes. Does she still trust me? He was wounded, and his opponent was a formidable warrior, fueled by rage. Death had never felt closer.
"Do you accept?" Soh pressed.
"I accept," Hwan replied.
Jongwon's soldiers immediately seized Yirahng and forced her to kneel. Soh sneered.
"So you've finally found your demise. I, Jongwon Soh, will avenge my daughter, Chuya, the eldest child of myself and Yahng'ha, by slaying Cheon Hwan. Draw your sword."
As Hwan gripped his blood-slicked sword and lowered his stance, Soh strode towards him.
"No!" Yirahng screamed. "This isn't fair! Hwan is injured from his previous fight! You're a coward!"
Soh looked at Hwan and retorted, "A coward? And accepting a duel from a mere child was honorable?"
"You're the one who armed your mere child and sent her out into the world," Hwan shot back.
His words pierced Soh and Yahng'ha's hearts. It was their ambition and anxiety that had driven them to push their eldest daughters into the world so early. Soh was strong, but like many kings, his life could be extinguished in an instant. They had been determined to prepare their children for that possibility. Have we been too hasty? Yahng'ha's hands, clasped around Chuya's lifeless form, grew cold. Soh's jaw tightened.
"Shut up and draw your sword," he growled.
Jeong'wu, unable to bear the sight any longer, stepped forward from the crowd of onlookers. "This duel cannot happen, even with the death of your eldest," she pleaded.
Jahan quickly intervened, grabbing her arm. "If Hwan isn't killed today, his authority will be challenged tomorrow," he hissed. "Trust our king. In his current state, Hwan cannot win."
"That's precisely my point!" Jeong'wu retorted. "Do you intend to make our king a sinner in the eyes of Sahngjon?"
"As long as the remaining one in Birahng becomes our ally, what does it matter?" Jahan countered.
The soldiers gagged Yirahng, silencing her desperate cries. Soh, ignoring the anxieties of his advisors, tightened his grip on his sword, and the duel began. Their eyes locked, and in the moment Hwan's wounded leg twitched, Soh launched his first attack. Though as small in stature as Hwan, his force was like a hurled boulder. Hwan parried the diagonal strike, but the sheer force of it sent him stumbling backward. Soh pressed his advantage, his eyes burning with fury. Hwan deflected the blade and twisted his body, narrowly evading the attack.
Soh, relentless, attacked again. Hwan, his movements fluid and agile, deflected each blow, his strong legs providing a firm foundation for his swift maneuvers. He had quickly assessed his opponent's style during their first exchange. Soh struck again, a downward diagonal slash. As Hwan dodged, Soh twisted his blade with all his might, the sharp edge tearing into Hwan's left shoulder. The wound deepened as Hwan spun away.
Hui, who had crossed over from Seomy and was watching the duel from within the crowd, couldn't help but cry out. Both Hwan and Soh turned towards him.
"So that's the rat you set loose in Ju," Soh sneered. "Seize him too."
Hui was bound and forced to kneel beside Yirahng. He thrashed against his restraints, his heart aching for Hwan. If only he could reach him, he could stop the bleeding.
Hwan stood, catching his breath. Though right-handed, his wounded left shoulder drained his strength, making it impossible to wield his sword with both hands. Soh, sensing his weakness, pressed his attack. Hwan twisted his body as before, but Soh anticipated his move and aimed for his left side. Hwan blocked the blow with his left arm, his right hand swiftly drawing a dagger and plunging it deep into Soh's thigh. Soh staggered back in surprise.
Blood gushed from the wound, staining the ground crimson. Hwan's left arm, nearly severed, hung limp. Soh, ignoring the pain, lunged again. Hwan, unable to execute his acrobatic maneuvers, was vulnerable. Soh's blade slashed across his calf and waist, and Hwan collapsed to his knees.
Soh stood over him, the sound of Yirahng's desperate cries echoing in his ears. "The Isleless King's reign ends here," he declared.
Hwan knew his end was near. His final gamble, his desperate attempt to escape his fate and cross the sea, had failed. Perhaps it is inevitable, he thought. With one Guardian chosen and awakened, the other shadow has to be extinguished. A bitter laugh escaped his lips. But only one of them had to disappear.
"I still have the strength for a few more strikes," he said, his voice strained. "If we continue, we'll both die. But that boy kneeling beside Yirahng has the power to save you."
He looked up at Soh. "I'll yield. Kill me, and let them go."
Soh shook his head. "No. You'll die knowing the pain of losing your own flesh and blood."
He turned and walked towards Yirahng. Hwan's face paled.
"I told you," Soh said, glancing back at him. "The shackles of blood are heavier."
Soh's sword rose, aimed at Yirahng's slender neck. Hwan, summoning his remaining strength, lunged towards Soh, his blade aimed at his back. Soh swiftly turned, deflecting the blow. The deflected blade, its momentum unchecked, plunged into Hwan's heart.
Hwan stumbled, his knees buckling. Yirahng and Hui, their mouths gagged, let out muffled cries of despair. Hwan's gaze fell upon Yirahng.
"Yirahng, I'm sorry..." he gasped.
His weight sagged against the impaled sword. Soh attempted to pull it free, to end the duel, but it wouldn't budge, as if caught on something. He gripped the hilt with both hands, and the blade suddenly began to glow red hot. The heat quickly spread to the hilt, forcing Soh to release his grip.
A blinding flash erupted, accompanied by a deafening roar. The onlookers shielded their eyes, momentarily blinded. As Soh's vision cleared, he saw Hwan standing amidst the fading afterglow. The sword that had pierced his heart had vanished, disintegrated into dust. The bleeding wound was gone, as were the gashes that had marred his flesh. Hwan stood tall, a triumphant laugh escaping his lips.
"So this is the key," he said.
The crowd was frozen, some even prostrating themselves before him. Hwan raised his hand, his gaze fixed on his palm. A flame, like lightning, ignited in his hand, quickly engulfing his entire body, incinerating his clothes. He laughed, his shoulders shaking with exhilaration.
Soh sank to his knees. Hwan, wreathed in flames, walked towards him. Soh, mortally wounded, was weakening with every breath.
"Relinquish your title," Hwan commanded, looking down at him. "Forget your anger over Chuya's death. If you can do that, I will spare you and grant you a place of honor under my rule."
"Guardian of the Azure Scripture," Soh rasped. "King of Cheon-Wi... King of the Hundred Isles..."
Hwan's eyes narrowed, waiting for him to continue.
"I have already given my answer," Soh said firmly. "I wasn't born to become a loyal subject."
Hwan nodded once, then unleashed the full force of his flames, engulfing Soh. The King of Ju vanished without a scream, reduced to ashes. Those who had remained standing, witnessing this display of power, fell to their knees, pledging their allegiance to their new king. Tears of relief streamed down Yirahng's and Hui's faces.
Hwan turned towards Chuyahng, who was cowering in the crowd. "Bring the traitor, Jongwon Chuyahng, before me," he commanded.
Chuyahng looked up in surprise. The soldiers, though confused, obeyed, dragging her forward.
"What is the meaning of this?!" she cried.
"I do not tolerate betrayal," Hwan replied coldly.
Yahng'ha, facing the loss of her husband and two children, let out a wail. "What are you saying?! Chuyahng a traitor?!"
Hwan, looking at Yahng'ha, recounted Chuyahng's actions. "Jongwon Chuyahng sought me out and offered to provoke her sister, Chuya, into a duel, urging me to kill her. She claimed she would accept even the death of her own father if it meant achieving her goal. It is thanks to this fool's betrayal that I survived and was reborn. But as the Guardian of the Azure Scripture, tasked with upholding justice, can I allow Jongwon Chuyahng, who committed such a heinous act of filial impiety, to live?"
Chuyahng, her face pale, stammered, "What are you talking about?! Baekan Yujeong was going to send that letter anyway! You said yourself that this would have happened regardless!"
Hwan addressed Yahng'ha directly. "Before Sahngjon and the people of Ju, I ask the mother of this traitor: what should be done with Chuyahng?"