King Solomon (cutting him off, voice booming): Then where is she, Goro? WHERE. IS. THE. GIRL?!
Haru: Forgive me, my King… I—I went to prepare my daughter for her duty.
Queen Abiel (smiling faintly, voice silken): Prepare her? Or… hide her? It's curious how the Chief's wife arrives without the offering herself. Almost as if she doubts her King's divine right.
A few courtiers exchanged terrified glances. Goro froze — his face white as ash.
Chief Goro: My Queen, no! She would never—!
King Solomon (slamming his fist against the armrest): ENOUGH! I've heard enough excuses from trembling tongues!
He stood — towering, shoulders wide and blazing with barely contained rage. His spiritual energy radiated through the room like fire — oppressive, suffocating.
King Solomon: Guards! Bind the Chief and his wife. I will not have insolence under my roof!
Two armored soldiers rushed forward, grabbing Goro and Haru by the arms. Goro struggled, desperate.
Chief Goro: My King, please! We meant no disrespect! My daughter—she will come! Just grant us a moment—
King Solomon (coldly): I've granted enough moments. The gods see your fear. Perhaps a night bound in front of the court will remind you who commands this realm.
Queen Abiel (softly, almost purring): My King, such mercy in your judgment. Truly, your patience humbles even the gods.
Her lips curled into the faintest smile — satisfied as Goro and Haru were dragged away.
The sun blazed overhead, beating down on the open square of the settlement. The crowd gathered, hundreds of villagers kneeling in the dust — their eyes wide with disbelief as the Chief Goro and his wife Haru were dragged out, bound in thick ropes, faces bruised and smeared with shame.
Whispers cut through the crowd like wind through dry grass."Why are they tied?""Did the Chief betray the King?""What crime could they have done?"
No one dared to speak louder than a breath. The moment the King appeared — tall, broad, his chest gleaming under the sun, the massive bull behind him snorting steam — silence fell.
King Solomon (booming): People of the Sapien Kingdom! It seems your Chief has forgotten how to treat his King.He kept me waiting, and his insolence grows with his age!Tell me, should a King wait for anyone?
The crowd froze. No one spoke. Even the wind seemed afraid to move. Mothers clutched their children. Men looked to the ground.
The King sneered, his voice growing sharper, louder.King Solomon: Speak! Or have your tongues gone rotten like your loyalty?!
Still—nothing. Only trembling silence.
King Solomon (gritting his teeth): So be it. Let your silence be your answer. Then as punishment—I declare your Chief sentenced to dea—
"STOP, SOLOMON!"
The voice tore through the still air like thunder splitting the sky.
Everyone turned — heads snapping toward the sound.The guards froze mid-step.Even the bull stomped nervously, snorting clouds of steam.
From the edge of the road, two figures approached — one draped in the shimmer of morning light.
The first, a young man with snow-white hair and eyes glowing faintly blue, walked with calm, unbending confidence — his very presence bending the spiritual energy in the air. Ryuma.
The second, walking slightly behind him, was a girl the villagers knew — but none had ever seen her like this.Hana.
Her hair was woven with wildflowers; her dress, made of white stitched silk and leaf threads, fluttered softly in the breeze. The morning sun kissed her skin, turning it gold. Her eyes — bright, soft, filled with both fear and defiance — fixed straight on the King.
The murmurs rose again."That's the Chief's daughter!""Why is she with him?""Is that… the deity?"
King Solomon's expression twisted from anger to disbelief, and then curiosity.He looked at Hana, then at the white-haired stranger beside her — the one who dared speak his name aloud.
King Solomon (coldly): Who are you to address your King by name?
Ryuma stopped just a few steps from the bound Chief. His blue eyes burned like twin flames.The wind carried his voice steady and clear — almost divine.
Ryuma: The one who'll make you remember what it means to be one.
The crowd gasped. Even the Queen, sitting on her seat beside the bull, leaned forward with a sharp smile.
Queen Abiel (whispering to the King): Oh, my dear… it seems the gods have sent you a fool with a death wish.
The King rose from his seat, cracking his knuckles, his spiritual aura swelling like a storm.
King Solomon (grinning, dangerous): Then let's see, stranger—whether your tongue can still speak once your head's in the dirt.
King Solomon (snarling): Guards! Seize the boy. And bring the girl… to me.
Two elite soldiers — massive men, trained killers — charged forward without hesitation. Their armor rattled, their heavy boots thundering against the ground as they drew their spears.
But Ryuma didn't even flinch.He didn't blink.He didn't move.
His eyes stayed locked on the King — calm, unblinking, almost bored.
Hana (panicking, stepping back): Master!
One of the guards lunged toward Ryuma with his spear —But before the weapon even touched him—
CRACK!
A flash of white light and a shockwave exploded through the square. The guard's body flew backward, smashing through the wooden wall of the inn behind him. The whole structure trembled, dust raining from the roof.
The second guard — the one reaching for Hana — didn't even make it halfway.
Ryuma's fist connected with his gut — a single, precise punch.No aura. No magic. Just raw, alien power.
The guard's armor crumpled inward like paper.His body slammed into the dirt, leaving a crater beneath him.
The entire square went silent.
Even the bull behind the King stepped back, snorting nervously.
Ryuma stood there — eyes still fixed on Solomon, shoulders relaxed, the air around him shimmering faintly with heat.
Ryuma (coldly): You should teach your men not to touch what doesn't belong to them.
Hana stood frozen behind him, her hands shaking. She didn't know whether to cry or hide — but her eyes couldn't look away from his back. For the first time, she saw the terrifying side of him… the one that wasn't human at all.
King Solomon (rising from his throne, fury in his voice): You dare strike my guards? In front of me?!
Ryuma (smirking faintly): I only defend what's mine.
The crowd gasped. Even the Queen's lips parted in amused disbelief.
Queen Abiel (leaning to the King, whispering): Oh, my love… I think this one just declared war.
The King clenched his fists — veins bulging in his arms — as the ground beneath him began to crack from his aura.