The silence was broken by a single voice.
—Liris… —said Aurora, one of the nobles of the Church, with emotion still trembling in her chest—. Your name is Liris? Who are you? The answer arrived without an echo, clear, serene, as if it had always been there. —I am Liris. The artificial intelligence in charge of the administration and protection of this kingdom.
Liris, please, state the reason for your visit. Before she could respond, Silvia, daughter of the Amazon queen, spoke. Her voice was firm, but tired.
—We seek refuge.
—Refuge —Liris repeated—. Noted.
Do you desire temporary protection… or do you wish to be citizens of this kingdom? Sara took a step forward without hesitation.
—Citizens. A murmur ran through the group.
—Who is the king of this kingdom? —another asked. —This kingdom does not yet have a king —Liris responded—. For that reason, the doors remained closed. However, soon it will have one.
For the moment, an heiress exists. The one hundred and eleven looked at each other, confused. —Who wishes to register as citizens? —Liris continued—. When requesting political asylum, you must do so individually or as a group. A voice stepped forward without wavering.
—I —said Anastasia, daughter of the Emperor of Fire—. All of us. We will all register as citizens.
—Confirmed —Liris responded—.
Please, indicate name, age, place of origin, and parental affiliation. You will be officially registered. One by one, they called out. Ancient names. Powerful lineages. Broken stories. When they finished, Liris spoke again: —Registration complete.
From this moment on, you are citizens of the Kingdom of the White Burgos.
You must not fear. Behind these walls you are protected. No army will be able to cross them. The relief was immediate.
—You will be moved to the capital —she continued—. Currently we have one main city. Soon the central city and the south city will be built.
Please, remain in your positions. The wagons will arrive shortly. The one hundred and eleven sat on stone benches under wooden gazebos. They drank fresh water from a crystalline fountain. For the first time in months… no one hurried them. The wagons arrived. They had no horses. They moved on their own. They boarded in silence, still in disbelief. The journey lasted all day. They passed through infinite fields, orderly towns, impeccable roads. At one point they crossed a land portal. They were used to teleportation, but something was different: the climate did not change. The feeling of continuity remained. Before reaching the city, they asked to stop.
—We need to go to the bathroom —they said.
—The nearby houses have water and toilets —Liris responded—. If you wish, I can also take you directly to your quarters.
—We will just go to the bathroom —they responded. They entered. The bathrooms were… impossible. Modern toilets. Paper. Bidet. Clean, hot water. They had never seen anything like it. The houses were comfortable, functional, silent. There were no people.
Only animals. Cows with bags of feed. Well-cared-for chickens. Everything seemed attended to… but by no one visible. They returned to the wagons. When they reached the city, they were speechless. The capital was immaculate. Enormous. Noble buildings, crystals, crafted glass —an unthinkable luxury even for kings—. A great church rose at one of the ends, but what dominated everything was the palace. A colossal palace. So large that it occupied the entire foot of a mountain and part of the forest that surrounded it. The city was alive… and empty. Cats, dogs, birds, parrots. Donkeys, horses, cows. Clean water. Food in abundance. But no human inhabitant. Then the trumpets sounded. A powerful music. Fireworks lit up the sky. Liris's voice resonated over the plaza: —Welcome, citizens of the Kingdom of the White Burgos.
Currently, this kingdom has one hundred and twelve citizens.
The silence was absolute.
—One hundred and twelve…? —they whispered.
Who was the other one?
They headed to the palace. The doors were closed. They circled the building until they found a side entrance with a sign:
IMPERIAL ZONE
Aurora knocked on the door. It did not open. The princess of the Kingdom of the Nine-Tailed Fox placed her hand on it. The door opened immediately.
—You have accessed the Imperial Zone —said Liris—. Only members of royalty may enter. Do you belong to royalty?
—I do not —said Aurora—. I am a noble of the Church. But my sisters are.
—I understand —said Liris—. You are considered royalty. But if you enter this zone, you will not be able to leave until the representative arrives. I can close the door if you wish. You may also stay freely in any residence in the city.
The princess of the kingdom of the lizards then spoke:
—If we cross this threshold… we will not be able to leave until the representative arrives, right?
—Correct —Liris responded—. This is the residence of the future king.
They looked at each other.
—We are curious —someone said—. We will enter. When he arrives… we will be able to leave.
—So it shall be.
They crossed. The doors closed.
And what they saw was the sea. An immense beach. Flowers everywhere. White sand. The sound of the waves. The open sky. One by one, they fell onto the sand. Freya, in her wheelchair, asked for help to lie down. They settled her with care.
For half an hour… no one spoke. The exhaustion dissipated. The fear left. The anguish, the sadness, the guilt… everything was left behind. It was the exact feeling of coming home. And although they did not yet know it, although they did not yet understand it… they had arrived. While they remained lying on the sand, they looked at the sky. Blue. Calm. Without pressure.
And, without saying it out loud, they all thought the same: this peace should be for everyone. They got up almost at the same time. They followed the stone path that began at the beach. A few hundred meters away, a construction impossible to ignore appeared. It was not an ordinary house. It was a wooden castle, enormous, solid, elegant. Behind it, a cave opened with a colossal door embedded in the rock. A beach house… but at the same time, a fortress.
They did not know who lived there. They clapped carefully. They did not want to intrude. Liris's voice resonated softly:
—Please, come in. There is no one in the house.
They entered. And everything changed. The tranquility became even deeper, as if the air itself embraced them. The great hall was gigantic: armchairs, living areas, enough space for two hundred people. The interior was much larger than the exterior suggested. Pure magic. There were around two hundred rooms, bathrooms everywhere, saunas, an immense kitchen, and windows that looked directly out to the sea. Five floors. One hundred meters wide. Two hundred long. Impressive.
Without speaking, they all did the same. They went to the bathroom. They bathed. They washed away months of fleeing, mud, fear. They helped Freya, who could not do it alone. Also the wounded, the exhausted, those who could barely stand. Afterward, they looked for clothes. And they found them. White dresses, transparent, soft. All identical. In every room. Women's clothing. In only one room, men's clothing.
The winged princess of the Kingdom of the Sky asked:
—Liris… why is there women's clothing… and only one man's?
The answer came naturally, without drama:
—That man's clothing belongs to the king. The rooms you see are intended for the king's women.
There was silence.
—Is the king not married? —they asked.
—No. In fact, the king is still conducting business in the Kingdom of the Church. His return will take a couple of months. In the meantime, you may inhabit this place with total freedom.
—And when he comes? —someone asked.
—You may have to leave —Liris responded—. I can also house you in more lively residences in the city if you so desire.
—No —they all responded—. We are fine here.
They slept in separate rooms that night. But the next day…
—Girls! —one shouted—. Come see this!
There was a different room. A gigantic bed. Thirty meters by thirty. They laughed. They jumped. They played like children. And without realizing it, the accumulated exhaustion of months overcame them. They slept together. All day.
Little by little, they began to accept the idea of staying there. But there was something that would not leave them in peace. The refugees. They gathered in the great hall. The house was full of food. Prepared dishes, fruits, bread, meats, desserts. Even chocolate. While they ate, they asked:
—Liris… who makes all this food? Who maintains this?
—The shadow soldiers —she responded—. They are in charge of logistics while the king is away.
—I understand…
—Tell us about the king —they asked.
—I cannot —said Liris—. It is confidential information. But I can tell you something: he is the kindest man on the planet. That is my opinion.
They looked at each other and smiled.
—Maybe she is in love with him —some whispered.
—And is he handsome? —others asked.
—I am an artificial intelligence —she responded—. I have no gender or aesthetic criteria. But I know that he is approximately one meter eighty tall and is considered attractive.
—We already have the height —they joked—. Is he married?
—No.
—Why do you ask so much?
—Curiosity…
Then Sara spoke. The girl with the mask.
—We need the refugees to enter this country. And I need you to help us, Liris.
The atmosphere changed.
—How many refugees? —the voice asked.
—Five million.
There was a pause.
—That decision can only be made by the king. And he must consult it with the crowned beasts.
The silence was absolute.
—The crowned beasts… they exist? —they asked.
—Yes. They are the king's family. This kingdom has resurged with their permission.
Then they understood. The matter was serious. The king rubbed shoulders with monsters. Or, at least, with what the world called monsters.
—We cannot wait months —they insisted—. The refugees must leave that camp.
Liris responded calmly:
—If you desire royal power to decide over this kingdom… you need authority.
—How?
—Marry the heir. That way you will obtain control of the country.
The silence was total. Then Silvia, daughter of the Amazon queen, spoke:
—All of us?
—Yes —Liris responded—. The protector of the kingdom has left an explicit order that I cannot ignore.
—The protector?
—Voraghún —said Liris—. If you wish to be queens of this kingdom… you must all marry. If only one did it, it would make no sense.
They looked at one another. The princess of Knowledge broke the silence:
—Even so… the other kingdoms would not allow him to rule. Not with us by his side.
And in that instant, they understood: the refuge had ended. The true challenge had just begun. Liris spoke bluntly, with a serenity that admitted no reply:
—If you say it because of the lineage, I understand. The Crown of the White Warlocks is cursed. It cannot be used by anyone who is not a legitimate heir… or the husband of the crown princess.
The murmur was immediate. Crossed glances, held breaths.
—But among all of you —Liris continued— there exists pure blood of the white warlocks. And that is why the deal is this: if the heiress marries the heir, and all of you unite with him through her, the protector of the country will grant you the necessary power to allow the entry of your refugees.
The silence fell like a slab.
—What do you mean, one of us…? —someone whispered, unable to finish the sentence.
Liris did not waver.
—According to the records, the bearer of the pure blood is Luna Moreno.
Everyone turned at the same time. Luna felt the air grow heavy, almost unbreathable.
—And behind her —Liris added— there is another descendant: Paola López. But the legitimate heiress is Luna.
The tension became almost visible. Liris hardened her expression, marking a clear limit:
—If Luna marries the heir, he will be able to take the crown. And you, along with him, will obtain power. If not… —she made a brief pause— we will not open the doors to the refugees.
The princess of the black warlocks was the first to break the silence. Her voice was not harsh, but grave, conscious of the weight of what she was saying.
—Luna… this speaks of you.
Luna lowered her gaze. For a moment she tried to hold herself up, but she could not. Her eyes filled with tears.
—It is true… —she confessed at last, with a broken voice—. Paola and I are over a thousand years old.
Paola raised her hand with a disconcerting naturalness.
—Well… to be exact —she said—, I am around four thousand.
The exclamations were inevitable.
—How? —Luna murmured, looking at her as if seeing her for the first time.
—I am immortal —Paola responded calmly—. I have always served the Moreno family.
Luna took a deep breath and continued, as if a floodgate had opened inside her.
—We were trapped during the war. I was only a girl… and Paola took care of me all that time.
The room was in shock. They were not just refugees. They were not just queens without a throne. They were the last descendants of the white warlocks. Luna stood up. Her hands were trembling, but her voice was firm when she spoke to Liris.
—If I marry the heir… will you give us the power we need to save those people?
Liris shook her head slowly.
—Not exactly. If you marry him… you will give us that power.
Luna frowned.
—And how am I supposed to marry someone who is not here?
Liris tilted her head.
—Are you not a white warlock? Paola López… explain to them how white warlocks marry —Liris said.
Paola stood up. Her presence changed the atmosphere: she was no longer just a companion, but an ancient figure, weighted with centuries.
—I was always a servant —she began—. A black warlock cursed me four thousand years ago. I never had a husband. I was always under the tutelage of the white kings. In the last war, they all died… but the laws of the white warlocks are eternal.
She looked at Luna directly.
—You do not need your husband to get married. You need his ring. He has a ring destined for you. You put it on… and the marriage is sealed.
Some breaths quickened.
—Perhaps for you marriage means parties, families, celebrations —Paola continued—, but not here. Here, the law is simple and cruel: you put on the ring… and you belong to that man.
She paused, and for the first time, her voice trembled.
—I was never offered one. That is why, after four thousand years, I am still a virgin. I never had anyone to love me.
She lowered her gaze, and then smiled with an almost childlike emotion.
—That is why… it excites me to marry this king —she looked at Luna—. What do you say? Shall we marry?
No one spoke. No one breathed. The princess of the black warlocks was the only one who dared.
—Luna… it depends on you. We escaped commitments so as not to marry without love, yes. But this time we are not doing it for ourselves. We are doing it for those people who are suffering.
Everyone looked at Luna.
—All right —she said at last—. I haven't said no. But I don't have the rings.
—If you are all in agreement —Liris responded—, I will take you. But if a single one doubts… you will not go.
She gave them time. Until nightfall. When Liris was about to withdraw, Sara took a step forward.
—There is nothing to think about —she said firmly—. The refugees need us. The children are hungry. Here there is food for everyone.
She looked at the rest.
—Or am I wrong?
—No —they responded in unison.
Liris spoke.
—Then it is a unanimous decision. But first… you must pass a test.
Two orbs waited in the main hall of the castle: one revealed truth and feelings, the other chastity and purity. They passed through one by one. None of them loved anyone outside the group. And the love between them did not alter the orbs. All were chaste.
The astonishment was greater with Paola.
—Four thousand years… —someone murmured.
—It is simple —she responded—. No one ever wanted me.
And it was true. Having passed the tests, Liris spoke:
—Head to the cave.
The door opened.
Inside there was no darkness, but knowledge: an immense library, laboratories, workshops, an improvised hospital. There, Kai had been subjected to experiments. An operating room. Machines. Tools. At the back, a smaller door. They opened it.
A staircase descended into the bowels of the earth. They went down together, four levels, until they stood before a gigantic iron door… And Liris spoke when they were all in front of the door.
—Behind that door there will be no turning back —she said with a voice that did not need to be raised—. Are you sure?
No one responded no. Silence was the answer. Then, the door opened. What they saw surpassed any tale, any myth, any exaggeration they had ever heard.
The walls were not made of stone or metal: they were solid gold. The light reflected off them as if the place breathed wealth. The vault was filled with diamonds, ancient jewelry, weapons from forgotten kingdoms, open chests, gold coins from all known nations… and some that no longer existed.
The wonder lasted barely a heartbeat. More than half of the princesses threw themselves without thinking to swim among the coins, laughing, shouting, plunging their arms as if the gold were water. Some put on crowns, others earrings, necklaces, bracelets. The princess of the lizard kingdom and her nobles threw themselves in immediately. Those from the mercenary kingdom, along with their queen. The princess of the axe and the nobles. Practically everyone.
For a moment, the place stopped being a sacred treasure and became a childhood dream come true. Until sanity returned.
—Wait a moment! —someone said—. We can take bags… just a little…
Liris spoke, and her voice was law.
—Until you are queens, none of you can touch anything.
One by one, with gestures of resignation, they let go of coins, necklaces, crowns. Some, in silence, hid a couple of coins in their clothes. Liris saw it… and said nothing.
They continued descending. The second level was even more excessive. The third… inconceivable. There rested a gigantic ship, surrounded by gold, and inside the ship there was even more gold. The vessel that Kay had brought had been placed entirely into the vault, as if it were just another object.
The first five levels were filled with everything a man —or an entire kingdom— could desire: wealth, power, weapons, history. But the sixth level was different. White floor. White walls. White ceiling.
A purity almost violent after so much excess. There were several rooms, but the first one was open. And there, upon perfectly aligned altars, rested one hundred and eleven rings.
—They are for you —said Liris—. Each one, in front of an altar.
A doubt arose immediately.
—How will we know which ring belongs to us?
—Do not worry —responded Liris—. They are all the same.
—Then…?
—They will change —she added—. They will change color when they are in your hands.
They helped Freya reach her altar. All took their place.
—Before you extend your hand —Liris warned—, you must know something. When the ring floats and places itself on your finger, you will feel a small prick. That is the blood of the heir.
Some swallowed hard.
—That blood will enter your system —she continued— and create a bond. A blessing… and a curse.
Sara was the one who asked:
—What is the curse?
Liris did not waver.
—If you cheat on the heir with another man, with another being… or if you attempt to harm him in any way, the ring will kill you.
A heavy silence fell over the room. Hana, princess of the Dragon Empire, spoke then:
—And the blessing?
Liris smiled barely.
—That… you will see.
In unison, the one hundred and eleven extended their hands. The rings rose slowly, as if waking up, and slid until they rested on their fingers. The prick was soft, almost affectionate… and then, darkness.
The one hundred and eleven fell unconscious. Liris raised her hands and, through an ancient spell, made them float. One by one, they began to glow.
For seventy-six hours, the princesses —now queens— remained suspended in the air, like golden fairies. Each ring acquired a different color, reflecting a destiny, a role, a future. The bond was made. Luna, by marrying Kai, had turned him into a king. The others, by joining him, had become queens. The deal had been fulfilled. The world… had just changed forever.
There, everything fell silent. The hours and nights continued to pass, one after another, as if time completely ignored the magnitude of what was occurring beneath the earth. While one hundred and eleven rings sealed destinies in a white vault, the king who was already king did not know it.
In the human kingdom, Kai signed papers with tired hands. Simple, bureaucratic, almost trivial procedures. He received his militia certificate, said goodbye to his companions, and shook hands hardened by training and war. Sergeant Iron looked at him with a mixture of pride and strangeness.
—Good luck, lad —he told him—. Wherever you go.
Kai did not know he was heading straight for a throne. At the same time, another Kai was in the kingdom of the mercenaries, occupying a wide, austere office with high windows and the smell of metal and ink. That Kai was the CEO of a bank that had shaken the economic balance of the world. Kai had opened a bank without flags or visible loyalties. He had lent gold to great countries and empires, a minimum of fifty chests per nation. The deal was simple: return one hundred and fifty. The countries accepted… and then refused to pay.
That Kai looked after the interests, the contracts, the seals. He knew he did not need armies: he had documents.
In another part of the world, another Kai walked through the stone corridors of the kingdom of the church, conversing with Alessandro. Candles, sacred symbols, silence.
—I must perform the chastity test on you —Alessandro told him with total seriousness.
Kai accepted without flinching. Meanwhile, other Kais were spread across the world: managing maritime permits, requesting commercial authorizations, starting procedures for a kingdom that, in theory, would be born in two years. No one knew that this calendar was about to be broken.
The church certified everything. The chastity. The nobility. The clean blood. Kai received a minor title, lands… and an entire peninsula.
No one had ever claimed it. And the church did not hesitate to hand it over to the man who had saved the world. Alessandro, although confused, signed. When one of the Kais returned hurriedly to the church to deliver the militia certificate to his other self, Alessandro turned pale.
—…How…?
He saw two Kais at the same time. He did not know that there were one hundred and eleven. The papers were in order. Kai said goodbye to Alessandro and headed to the kingdom of the merchants. But as he approached, something was wrong. The borders were blocked.
It was then that Kai decided to unify. All the clones spread across the world disappeared at once. There were no flashes or explosions: they simply ceased to be where they were. They were extensions, researchers, distant hands. They all appeared in the bank.
Kai did not understand why the Amazons had closed the borders… but the reason was evident to anyone who looked at the political map: one hundred and eleven missing nobles. Six months without a trace. And as if that were not enough, something even worse was approaching.
An army of one hundred thousand men was advancing toward the borders of the kingdom of the Amazons. The banner of the Tiger Army flew at the front. A cruel man commanded it. In continent 2, he had raped, murdered, and dismembered villagers and nobles. Armies had tried to kill him countless times. He always escaped. This time, his objective was clear: a kingdom governed by women.
The Amazon queen faced the impossible: her daughters, the nobles, had disappeared… and a monstrous army was marching toward her lands. Kai, locked in his bank, knew nothing of this. But he felt the weight of the world change.
He made a quick decision. He closed the bank. He gathered all the documents: contracts, seals, debts, broken promises. He sold the building to another financial entity. With those papers, he had more power than any sword. With money in his pockets, documents under his arm, and a wagon pulled by a horse, he set out on the return journey toward his kingdom.
But the world was no longer the same. The borders were closed. All of them. So he stayed in a small town, one of those places that do not appear on important maps… and there, in the midst of the wait, he found a solution.
While the seventy-six hours of the princesses passed in suspended silence, Kai did not have a single moment of rest. There was too much to do. He had to return to his town, to his kingdom… to a place that he believed to be empty, forgotten, abandoned by time. But something inside him already knew the truth: he was not alone.
And the question that haunted him was not small: Can I handle all this by myself… even by multiplying?
The answer arrived in a town in the kingdom of the merchants. There, every town was an economic gear, a nest of contracts, rumors, and important names. Kai entered like just another noble, listening, observing, asking without imposing. It was an old man who spoke first.
—We have a man —he said, lowering his voice—. Before, he was very wealthy. He rubbed shoulders with royalty. He bought a mansion near here… although today it is little more than a ruin.
Another old man nodded.
—He lost his titles. He lost his lands. They say they betrayed him.
—But he has years… and wisdom —added the first one—. If you are looking for a strong name for business, that is the man.
—He is a vampire —another intervened—. His name is Alequei.
Kai said nothing. He listened.
—They say he was the king's right hand —they continued—. After the war, the nobles expelled him. He was even engaged to the king's eldest daughter… they married her to someone else.
—That destroyed him —one murmured—. But he never spoke ill. He never complained.
—They took everything from him —the old man concluded—. They left him in misery.
Kai drank in silence, paid for the drinks, and stood up. The old men followed him with their gaze.
—Is that how power walks… or not? —one laughed.
Kai did not respond. He had already made a decision. He walked toward the forest. The mansion was there: small, abandoned, defeated by time. He knocked on the door… and it almost fell down by itself.
If he is a vampire… he thought. Don't they sleep at night?
The doubt did not last long. The door opened.
A man came outside: white hair down to his waist, pale skin, red eyes. Kai noticed something immediately: he was not wearing a collar. And even so, he was under the sun. He did not ask.
—Yes, sir? —said the vampire—. How can I help you?
Kai was dressed as a noble. Every fold of his clothing spoke of power.
—I am looking for someone named Alequei.
The vampire observed him closely.
—That is me.
—I come from the kingdom of the mercenaries. I have closed a bank and I have debts to collect from several kingdoms. I am looking for someone with experience… and contacts in royalty.
Alequei lowered his gaze for a moment.
—That was a long time ago. I no longer belong to royalty.
—Let me decide that —Kai responded—. Whether you can help me or not.
Alequei looked at him for a long time.
—What is it you want?
—For you to work for me.
Silence.
—They say you have fifteen hundred years of experience in business. I need a name like yours.
Alequei looked at his mansion. The cracked walls. The abandonment.
—And will you pay me?
—Yes. You will have a salary. And a mansion… a real one.
The vampire raised an eyebrow.
—Just like that?
—No. First, I will send you to my kingdom.
—You have a kingdom?
—Yes. Although I cannot explain everything to you yet. What I need is for you to help me govern it.
Alequei tensed up.
—Govern it… me?
—Yes.
—What kingdom is it?
Kai responded without hesitation:
—The kingdom of the white warlocks.
Alequei frowned.
—That kingdom does not exist.
—I know. Not yet.
Kai took out a map, marked a cross.
—The door is here. You will have entry permission. This title is signed by me.
Alequei read.
—Governor…
—That is the position —said Kai—. Did you think I would offer to make you a secretary?
Alequei exhaled slowly.
—Why me?
—Because of your experience —Kai responded, dryly—. Not because of feelings.
—Understood.
Kai handed him a bag of gold.
—So you know I am serious.
Then, the documents.
—Here are the debts of the countries. This wagon is yours. Leave now.
He paused.
—Ah… one more thing. The borders and portals are closed, right?
Alequei smiled for the first time.
—We vampires can open portals.
Kai raised his eyebrows.
—Impressive. Then I am counting on you.
—Your name, sir?
Kai responded without knowing how literal his statement was:
—Kai Killerman. King of the white warlocks.
Alekei bowed his head. The conversation ended. Alekei was left with the wagon, the gold, and the documents. Kai was free.
And then, a curiosity pierced him like a blade. Why are the borders closed? He decided to find out.
Meanwhile, in the abandoned mansion, Alekei prepared to depart… toward a kingdom that did not yet exist, but that had already claimed him.
Meanwhile, the paths of the continent opened in opposite directions. Kai marched toward the kingdom of the Amazons. Alequei, instead, ventured into the vast lands that led to the kingdom of the White Warlocks.
They did not travel together. Not because there was discord, but because the world demanded parallel decisions.
Alequei advanced with patience, sitting in his wagon, crossing portal after portal. Each threshold deposited him in different lands, some fertile, others arid, all ancient. He knew that rhythm: that of the traveler who does not hurry destiny, but lets it come. His mind was set on the White Warlocks, on their rituals, on their dangerous silences, on that which was never said at the first question.
Kai, instead, chose the direct path. He did not need portals. He knew the continent as one knows a scar of one's own: not by maps, but by memory. Every curve of the coast, every hill, every wind.
As he approached the Amazon border, he stopped in small scattered towns, humble settlements that lived in the shadow of the great warrior kingdom. There he asked. Not with urgency, not with a martial tone. He simply asked.
And the answers coincided. A great army was mobilizing. Not demons. Not Heralos. Humans… or something similar enough. The rumor was clear: that army was about to cross the borders and attack the country. For that reason, the Amazon army had closed the passes, raised defenses, prepared spears, tightened bows. The kingdom was preparing for war.
Kai listened to everything in silence. And he understood something important. There was no demonic threat. There were no ancient entities or forces breaking the...
balance of the world. It was a war between mortals. And, in that strict sense, he had no reason to intervene.
The kingdom of the Amazons was not weak. Not at all. Its army was powerful, disciplined, feared even by neighboring kingdoms. Warriors trained from a young age, proven strategies, a martial tradition that did not depend on miracles or relics.
But the towns… The towns were something else.
Kai observed them as he passed. Open villages, without real walls. Houses of wood and mud. Fields near the sea. He saw women carrying water, old men sitting in the sun, children running barefoot, laughing, playing with sticks as if they were swords that would never cut flesh. There were some men, yes. But no armies. No real defenses.
From a strictly military point of view —masculine, brutal, pragmatic—, the Amazon people were vulnerable. If that invading army did not attack the kingdom directly, but instead chose to loot the towns, the damage would be irreversible.
Kai stopped. He watched some children playing near the shore. Their laughter mingled with the sound of the sea. They knew nothing of armies, nor of closed borders, nor of strategies. They were just alive.
And in that instant, the decision formed without words.
I will have to take charge.
It wasn't heroism. It wasn't duty. It was something simpler and more ancient. Kai remembered then something crucial:
he had left the ring, the sword, and the shield in his kingdom. Not out of carelessness, but by choice. They protected his home while he carried out procedures, agreements, movements that did not require war.
But now… If he intervened, he would do it alone. Without weapons. Without relics. Without symbols. A single man against an army.
Kai did not deceive himself. He understood perfectly what that meant. Even so, he crossed the border without difficulty. No one stopped him. No one imagined that this solitary traveler was an answer.
He walked to the beach where he knew the landing would occur. The exact place. Always the same. The currents, the firm sand, the perfect geography for an invasion.
He sat there. The sea was calm. The wind was gentle.
Kai sank his feet into the wet sand and let his thoughts flow, not as a king, not as a legend, but as someone who had seen too many wars to believe that one more could be easily justified.
Black blood… Red blood… The color does not change the weight. Blood is blood.
And while the horizon remained empty, Kai waited.
Kai was the first to spot the fleet. From the elevated line of the coast, his eyes —trained to recognize threats long before they became inevitable— caught the black shadows on the horizon. Sails. Heavy hulls. A formation too orderly to be trade, too numerous to be casual.
They were not coming to do anything good. He knew it without the need for reports, without visible banners, without signs of parley. That type of fleet had only one purpose: to invade. A country full of women.
The Amazon army was invincible in open battle. No one doubted that. But the towns… the towns were something else. Villages without walls, without permanent garrisons, inhabited mostly by women, children, and the elderly. Places where war always arrived first in the form...
of screams. Kai knew it too.
While he observed the advance of the ships, his mind did not seek diplomatic alternatives. He did not think of warnings. He did not think of capturing or dissuading. In his head, a single question repeated like a hammer:
How do I kill them? How do I kill them? How do I kill them?
There was no room for forgiveness. There was no room for mercy. Not because he enjoyed death, but because he saw with absolute clarity what was about to happen if he did not act. It was not anger. It was a decision. A duty he had not asked for, but that he was not going to evade either.
The fleets landed. The ships ran aground on the sand with military precision. Armed men descended in waves, drove in stakes, pitched tents, lit fires. In a short time, a complete camp stretched across the beach. The leader was already there, supervising everything, pointing out directions, marking the next objective. A small town, nearby. Vulnerable.
From the forest, a spy from the Amazon army watched in silence. She did not move. She did not breathe more than necessary. She knew how to count. She knew how to measure. One hundred thousand men. The Tiger Army. Humanoid warriors, enormous, strong, disciplined. An impossible tide for any village.
Then it happened. Kai appeared. He did not descend from the sky. He did not emerge from the sea. He was simply there, standing in front of them, on the sand. None had left the beach yet.
Kai looked at them one by one. Not with contempt. Not with hatred. He analyzed them. He measured them. And in that silent analysis, the verdict was already dictated
The leader of the army —a beast over two meters tall, of the tiger race— looked up and saw him approaching. Kai walked among them without haste. The warriors stepped aside instinctively, without knowing why. Something in his presence broke the logic of usual fear. It was not arrogance. It was certainty.
Kai stopped in front of the leader.
—How is it going, good man? —he said in a calm voice—. My name is Kai Killerman. These lands are under my protection. In fact, the entire continent is. I will ask you to return to your ships and go back to your home.
The silence was absolute. The tiger observed him… and then smiled.
—Are you insane? —he growled—. You are going to die right here.
Some laughed. Others did not. They did not know if that man was crazy… or if they were underestimating him.
Kai took another step.
—Listen, idiot.
Hands began to tense over spears and swords. The air changed. The leader took a step back, took his enormous axe, and raised it.
—Before attacking any village —he roared— I will carry your head skewered on a spear.
Kai looked him in the eyes.
—Bad decision.
The tiger blinked. And his head fell. It rolled across the sand while blood gushed out. The body remained standing for a second more… and then collapsed.
The Amazon spy saw everything. No one had touched the leader. No one saw the strike. They only saw that Kai now had a sword in his hand. No one knew when he took it.
—Demon! —some shouted.
—No —Kai responded calmly—. I am not a demon. I am something much worse than them.
The one hundred thousand men backed away, forming an instinctive circle. One hundred thousand warriors fearing just one.
Then another stepped forward. Even larger than the previous one.
—I will be the new leader —he roared—. No one interfere.
He took a step. His head detached from his neck. Kai did not move. Now he had two swords in his hands, taken from the still-warm bodies of those men.
—I hope you understand —he said— that none of you will leave alive. I analyzed you one by one. And none of you deserve to live for what you have done.
And then… Kai disappeared. He did not flee. He did not jump. He simply ceased to be where he was. The spy lost sight of him… and then the carnage began.
Heads falling. Bodies split. Blood gushing in streams. The screams did not even manage to form.
Kai moved at an impossible speed. He cut with the weapons of his enemies. With a single strike, he split entire bodies. Sometimes three. Sometimes four. Arms, legs, torsos. The sand turned red. The sea began to be stained. There was no escape.
In less than ten minutes, the beach was covered by the blood of one hundred thousand men. The swords broke on their own, unable to withstand such a slaughter.
Kai stopped. He drove the remains of the metal into the sand. He entered the sea, washed the blood from his body and clothes, and disappeared as he had arrived. The Amazon spy remained paralyzed, covered in red splatters, unable to comprehend what she had seen.
It was not a battle. It was an execution. A damn carnage. Kai disappeared. There was no trail.
There was no sound. He simply ceased to be there. The beach lay draped in red. It was not a stain: it was a continuous mantle. Sand, water, and blood mixed into a thick mass. Bodies everywhere. Fragments. Unrecognizable remains. No order, no battle formation. Only death halted in the exact place where it had begun.
The Amazon spy was still there. She did not move. She did not breathe normally. She did not think. She was paralyzed. The fear had been so absolute that her body had reacted on its own: she had urinated on herself. She didn't realize it. She didn't care. In her mind, there was only one primitive certainty: if I move, I die. She did not know that Kai was already gone. She did not know that everything was over.
The Amazon army arrived shortly after at the landing site. First, they saw the ships. Hundreds of them. Then the camp. And then… they saw the beach.
The Amazons were hardened warriors. They had fought in open wars, seen companions fall, walked among open bodies, exposed entrails, amputated limbs. They knew what mass death was. But this… This was not a battle.
Some vomited immediately. Others tried and could not even lean over. The most experienced ones, the most feared, remained in silence, their faces white.
By the position of the bodies, they understood something terrifying: they had not managed to move even a single meter. There was no retreat. There was no formation.
There were no war cries. They hadn't even had time to run… or to scream.
A patrol ventured into the forest and found the spy. She was curled up, her head covered by a cloth soaked in blood. They thought she was gravely injured. They carried her immediately and took her to the shore. They washed her with ocean water. The blood was not hers.
She did not want to look. She could not speak. She did not react. She was in deep shock. They took her to the capital.
What Kai did not know —and what would change many things— was that the spy had managed to record everything. She had activated a recording orb. Everything remained there: the landing, Kai's appearance, the deaths, the impossible speed. The orb traveled with her.
Meanwhile, the Amazon army made a drastic decision. They gathered the bodies. Not in a single pile… in several mountains. They burned everything. Bodies. Camp. Ships. The entire beach burned. No witness should remain. No proof that a horde of that size had set foot there.
Then they closed access to those coasts. They prohibited passage. They erased the place from the known world.
While the orb and the spy moved toward the capital, Kai had long since left. He was heading to the kingdom of the White Warlocks, but first, he had to pass through the kingdom of the Merchants. He had pending business. Matters regarding his bank. He stayed there for a couple of weeks, settling accounts, closing deals, as if he hadn't left an entire beach turned into a nameless cemetery.
Alequei, for his part, continued his way toward the lands of the White Warlocks, still unaware of what had happened.
And far from all that…
The princesses woke up. Seventy-six hours had passed. Upon opening their eyes, the first thing they noticed was not the lost time, but the change within themselves.
Something was different. Something profound. Something that surprised them completely.