Chapter 13 – The Council of Kings
The great council hall had not been this full in decades.
Kings, queens, and high sovereigns from every major realm sat around the circular chamber, their banners hanging heavily from marble pillars. The air itself felt tense—thick with ancient magic and unspoken fear.
At the center of the hall hovered a massive arcane projection.
A single name glowed within it.
Kurogane Arin.
Murmurs spread like wildfire.
"That power surge during the tournament…"
"A legendary weapon awakening on its own…"
"It hasn't happened since the Age of Calamity."
One of the kings stood abruptly.
An older man, clad in royal crimson and gold—the king of the kingdom that had once summoned, judged, and exiled a boy they deemed useless.
His face was pale.
"…It's him," he said quietly.
The hall fell silent.
"I recognize that presence. That hero—no, that boy—we cast him out before his power awakened."His fists clenched. "We thought the summoning had failed."
A high mage struck his staff against the floor.
"If a Hero has awakened this deeply," the mage said grimly, "then there is only one explanation."
The projection shifted.
Ancient symbols ignited across the chamber walls.
THE DEMON LORD'S CYCLE HAS BEGUN.
A queen rose slowly from her throne.
"When a true Hero awakens," she said, voice steady but cold,"the Demon Lord does not remain dormant."
Another ruler finished the sentence:
"He is either reborn…or already awakening."
The realization struck like thunder.
This was not coincidence.Not fate gone astray.
This was balance correcting itself.
"The legendary weapon did not choose Arin by chance," a sage whispered."It answered him. Teleported to him. Recognized him."
Several kings exchanged uneasy glances.
"A Hero whose power even his own companions don't fully understand…""And a Demon Lord stirring once more…"
The exiling king lowered his head.
"We tried to erase him," he said."…and instead, we forged the greatest variable this world has seen."
The council's decision was swift.
Scouts were dispatched.Armies quietly mobilized.Ancient seals were inspected for cracks.
And above all—
Eyes turned toward the arena.
Toward a young man who still believed he was fighting only for his future.
Unaware that the world had already begun preparing for war.
Because when a Hero truly awakens—
The Demon Lord is never far behind.
And destiny…has started moving again.