The grand iron doors of the Council Room screamed open, and a cloud of dust formed in front of the door.
A storm of darkness walked straight into the hall with immense pressure. A towering warrior entered. His shoulders were broad, his armor forged from obsidian and his eyes glowed like blood, and his aura suffocated everyone in the hall.
Every step he took entering the hall was increasing the pressure like gravity pushing the nobles down to earth.
He was Dyrroth, the Second General of Malgrithal, Slayer of Kingdoms, Devourer of Hope. A monster who served the demon king named Malgreth, the Dark Lord.
Captains trembled, kneeling with their hands on the swords. Generals stepped back instantly with their instincts warning them not to interfere. Even war veterans shook and were scared seeing the walking calamity in the hall.
Dyrroth stopped at the center of the throne hall. He looked at the soldiers, vice captains collapsed unconscious and captains, generals trembling from fear, and laughed a mocking smile at everyone.
He raised his head, looking directly into the king's eyes.
"I carry the will of my master." Dyrroth announced to the entire hall. "King Malgreth of Malgrithal."
No one dared to speak in front of Dyrroth.
"Surrender the Crown Princess of Solaris," Dyrroth commanded, pointing a finger at Seyana, "or the darkness will rise and devour the Middle East. Every city, every village, every child. Everything will burn."
King Raezon stood from his throne. His fire mana flared with rage, and his eyes shimmered with orange light.
"I will never surrender my daughter to a monster!" Raezon denied the proposal. "If your King wants a war, tell him Solaris will not run! We will defend our own until the last drop of blood turns the ground red!"
It was a declaration of war against a legend. Even the generals who never feared anything felt fear now.
Dyrroth smiled like a predator.
"So be it" the demon general whispered.
He slowly held his hand back and everyone felt the murderous intent before he reached the sword hilt.
SHHHHHHHIKKKKK.
He unsheathed his cursed greatsword.
Darkikor, The Blade of Black Ichor.
It was a weapon built strong by consuming the blood of slaughtered kings. The air in the room was changed instantly. Frost began to form in the pillars and torches blinked off.
Seyana trembled from the fear of suffocating pressure. Dyrroth swung the sword casually with one hand, but it was a life-taking slash. "Die."
It's an unnamed slash, but it was too powerful a wave of devouring darkness aimed straight for the King Raezon. It tore up the carpet, shattered the floor tiles, and screeched to kill Raezon instantly.
General's legs were frozen by the magical pressure. Captains couldn't breathe. Even the Queen froze in terror.
Seyana screamed. "FATHER!"
The darkness rushed forward. Raezon raised a hand to block, but his fire magic was too slow to defend. But before the attack reached the King, someone moved.
From the shadows of the pillar, a motion flickered forward.
Kairos sprinted forward without thinking, without hesitating, moving faster than he ever had.
He grabbed the sword of a nearby paralyzed soldier, a rusted training sword, barely sharp enough to cut wood.
"Forgive me!" he whispered and moved fast.
Dyrroth smirked, seeing the boy charge. "A child with scrap metal? This kingdom truly is pathetic."
Kairos rushed between the King and the darkness. He concentrated the mana into the rusty sword to block the attack.
SWING.
CLAAAAANG!
The hall shook. The rusted sword collided with the destructive wave. With that collision, a shockwave outburst and dust cloud formed due to the shockwave.
Light and darkness clashed for one second, and the darkness shattered, instantly leaving Dyrroth in shock and disbelief
The silence fell in the hall because no one had an idea about what they had witnessed. An ordinary boy... with a rusted sword... had stopped a Demon General's killing blow. This single thought moved across the floor.
Everyone looked with mouths open in shock. Dyrroth's eyes widened for the first time in centuries. He lowered his sword. "…Impossible."
Kairos remained standing in the center of the hall, still. He was breathing calmly, a few drops of sweat dripping from his nose. The rusted sword in his hand shattered into dust, unable to hold his power.
He stood unarmed before the monster.
"I won't let you harm the King" Kairos said quietly.
Seyana stared at Kairos in silence. He protected my father… without thinking of his life first.
Dyrroth narrowed his eyes. "You have spirit, boy. I will enjoy breaking it."
He raised Darkikor for a second strike. This time, the aura was ten times heavier.
But before he launched a slash, a voice roared through the court. "DYRROTH! RETURN!"
Everyone in the hall froze. The voice trembled them more than anything. It was Malgreth.
"The time of silence has ended..." the voice continued. "The war begins now. I will conquer the Solaris Empire myself, and when I do, you may take your revenge on that boy."
Dyrroth paused. He sheathed his sword.
"Remember me, child," Dyrroth groaned with anger. "Because I will kill you next time, and I will make it slow."
A dark mana portal opened beneath his feet. With a single step into the void, the Demon General vanished.
King Raezon slowly lowered his hand. He looked very scared by seeing death nearby for the first time. Then he turned toward the boy who saved him.
"You," Raezon called, his voice shaking slightly. "Step forward."
Kairos dropped to one knee, bowing his head.
"Who are you?" Raezon asked. "How did you do that?"
"I am Kairos Vedaryan" he replied, his voice calm and steady. "from the village of Frostmere in the Zephyros Kingdom. My father is a general of Zephyros."
"Zephyros..." Raezon whispered and continued, "and why did you come here, Kairos Vedaryan? You are not a diplomat."
Kairos inhaled deeply. He looked at Seyana for a second and turned his head towards the king again. "I came with a proposal, Your Majesty."
"A proposal?" the King asked. "Speak."
Kairos lowered his head again. "I wish to marry your daughter, Princess Seyana."
For a moment, the hall stared at Kairos in anxiety, that a mere peasant who stopped a demon's destructive slash just before and dared to keep a marriage in front of the King.
Raezon's face became pale with anger.
SHING.
He took and unsheathed his sacred blade.
Vitesse - the Sword of Royal Judgment.
He pointed the flaring sword at Kairos' neck.
"How dare you?" Raezon whispered, the fire mana flaring up. "How dare a boy from a remote village stand in my court, after a demon attack, and request the hand of my daughter? Answer me before I slaughter you without any generous gratitude."
Kairos wasn't scared.
"I love her with all my heart," Kairos said. "I can protect her. I just proved it. Even if it costs me my life, I will stand between her and the threat. That is my reason."
He paused, seeing the King with a desperate expression. "I have no intention to insult you, Your Majesty. Acceptance or rejection is your choice. I only spoke my truth."
For a long moment, Raezon stared into the boy's eyes, searching for fear, but he found only iron will.
Slowly, Raezon lowered Vitesse.
"Now is not the time to discuss marriage," the King said coldly, "the Dark Lord has declared war. We fight for survival."
He sheathed his sword. "If you want to prove yourself, Vedaryan... stay in Solaris. Train with my brother's sons. Fight in the war. If your strength proves worthy... your proposal will be reconsidered."
Kairos bowed deeply with relief. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
As guards guided him out of the hall to the guest barracks, he turned for a brief moment. His eyes met Seyana's. Two hearts spoke louder than any other. I am here. Don't worry.
Right after Kairos proposed, while the entire hall was frozen in disbelief, one person reacted before anyone else. Until now, he had stood silently beside the generals. Brandon was calm and composed until now. But the moment Kairos said, "I wish to marry your daughter." Brandon's expression changed.
First, he was confused, but he exploded with anger, flaring up in his eyes.
He gritted his teeth in sheer anger, and he stepped forward instinctively, his voice suddenly came out. "…How dare he?"
His whisper was too quiet for most ears, but not for Seyana's. She heard it and looked at him. For the first time since her childhood… Seyana felt fear from Brandon.
His eyes were usually warm and calm, but now they were filled with a terrifying possessiveness. He stared at Kairos's retreating like a predator. When Raezon pointed the sword at Kairos's throat, Brandon watched with a hunger, wishing the King would swing the blade and cut him.
In that moment, Seyana understood.
Brandon did not love her. He just wanted to own her. Because she was the Crown Princess. Because she carried divine power. For that moment, Seyana felt fear from Brandon more than Malgreth.
****
One week later.
The messengers returned with replies. Some kingdoms refused to join, afraid of provoking Malgreth. But five banners answered the call of Solaris.
Zephyros (Wind)
Sylphyros (Storm)
Drakhalmere (Earth)
Pyrosend (Fire)
Xynoria (Mystery)
Princes, Crown Heirs, Supreme Generals, and Elite Warriors traveled to Solaris to prepare for the coming war. The city is filled with everyone of them.
Still, King Raezon in the war room, murmuring to himself. "Where are the Five Monarchs…? Without the High Kings… the world's balance is broken."
To command the massive armies of the five kingdoms, the strongest generals were needed, so King Raezon announced an arena competition. "The Strength Competition of Solaris will decide the commanders of the allied forces. Rank and division will be determined by strength and mana power alone. No nobility will save you in the arena."
It would be held inside the Solaria Royal Arena of three colossal battlegrounds.
* Arena 1 – Luminary Colosseum (Light & Fire)
* Arena 2 – Infernal Colosseum (Dark & Earth)
* Arena 3 – Crystal Colosseum (Water & Wind)
Kairos stood in the training yard, listening to the announcement. He tightened his fist, wind mana surging through his veins.
"If I stand above everyone," he whispered to the empty yard, "no one will call me unworthy of her again."
High above in her chamber, Seyana watched the banners and whispered into the night. "Kairos… I will be watching. So win no matter what."
The war was not yet begun… but the battles were about to begin.