Chapter 118: The Betrayal
Two minutes earlier...
Deep beneath the glittering city of Playmore, hidden below layers of wealth, politics, and luxury, the Underground Auction had already descended into complete chaos.
The lavish hall that had, only moments ago, been filled with influential nobles, politicians, merchants, and wealthy collectors eagerly bidding on priceless artifacts had become almost unrecognizable Marble pillars lay shattered across the floor. Crystal chandeliers had crashed from the ceiling, exploding into thousands of glittering fragments that now reflected the flames spreading throughout the room. Thick clouds of smoke poured from ruptured walls as the once-pristine auction chamber echoed with terrified screams.
Panic spread like wildfire.
Members of the elite shoved one another aside in desperate attempts to escape while security forces struggled to maintain order, dragging influential guests toward emergency exits that were rapidly becoming blocked by collapsing debris Gunfire, explosions, and the grinding groan of twisting steel drowned out every command shouted by the guards.
Luxury had become a battlefield, and standing at the very center of that battlefield were two men.
Fwoo.....
Champagne and Zachia.
They stood back-to-back, weapons ready, their breathing calm despite the overwhelming pressure surrounding them.
Every direction they looked was filled with enemies. Royal Guards tightened their formation with disciplined precision. Members of The Stars slowly closed the distance, their expressions devoid of fear.
Savages watched with bloodthirsty anticipation. Professional killers silently searched for openings. Bodyguards prepared to sacrifice themselves without hesitation. Hundreds of hostile eyes were fixed upon the pair.
Then, through the crowd, two figures calmly stepped forward.
THUD!
The Boss.
STEP!
The King of Playmore.
The atmosphere itself seemed to grow heavier.
Champagne slowly rolled his shoulders before tilting his head until a satisfying CRACK... CRACK... echoed from his neck.
"...Yeah..."
He let out a slow breath before glancing sideways.
"...This ain't looking too healthy."
Beside him, Zachia tightened his grip around the hilt of his sword, his sharp eyes never leaving the enemies closing in around them.
"You think?" as neither of them smiled.
The Boss adjusted his expensive sunglasses with visible annoyance before speaking in an almost bored tone.
"Enough games."
His gaze locked onto Champagne.
"Where did your friend hide the briefcase?"
Champagne shrugged as though discussing the weather.
"Damn if we know." A grin spread across his face.
"That teleporting crackhead could've taken it anywhere."
For a brief moment.. there was silence.
Fwoo...
Then the King calmly reached inside his long coat and produced a sleek metallic device no larger than a smartphone.
Its surface illuminated with streams of blue light.
BEEP... BEEP... BEEP...
Countless symbols scrolled across the display as the machine analyzed invisible energy lingering throughout the auction hall.
Spatial distortion.
Teleportation residue.
Residual frequency signatures.
The unique traces left behind by Mardale Aranos' abilities.
The King's eyes followed the readings for only a second before the corner of his mouth lifted ever so slightly.
"...Found it."
Immediately, every head in the room turned toward him.
"It's in the Political District."
He glanced toward the eastern side of the city displayed on the scanner.
"East Side of Playmore."
The Boss' expression changed instantly as his relaxed smile disappeared.
At exactly the same moment...both men realized the same truth neither trusted the other.
The King slowly lifted his eyes toward the Boss. The Boss returned the stare.
For several long seconds..neither spoke and neither moved.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The entire underground complex shook violently as terrifying waves of Savage Energy erupted from both men simultaneously.
The pressure alone cracked marble flooring as walls fractured. Windows throughout the underground facility exploded outward. The surrounding Savages instinctively stumbled backward as overwhelming power flooded the battlefield.
Champagne narrowed his eyes.
"...Guess we're doing this."
Without another word, greenish-blue dragon energy erupted violently around his body.
FWOOOOOOOOOM!!
"Mystic Dragon Form."
Brilliant greenish-blue energy spiraled upward like the awakening of an ancient dragon. Powerful currents wrapped around his arms, chest, and legs as glowing veins illuminated beneath his skin. His muscles tightened, dragon-shaped aura coiling around him while an overwhelming roar echoed through the chamber.
The very air trembled beneath his presence. Beside him, thick smoke suddenly burst from beneath Zachia's feet.
FWOOOSH!!
"Ghosts of the Seven Samurai."
Old armor materialized piece by piece around his body, steel greaves, spectral shoulder guards, and a flowing armored cloak.
His katana slowly slid free from its sheath as seven translucent samurai appeared behind him like silent guardians from another age.
Their ghostly blades shimmered with cold blue light. The spiritual pressure flooding from them was enough to make even hardened Savages hesitate.
Across the battlefield, the Boss smiled.
"Cognitive Subjugation."
Nothing appeared to happen for half a heartbeat.
Then, the underground seemed to bend. The surrounding air distorted as though reality had suddenly become liquid. Invisible pressure crashed into everyone's minds simultaneously.
FWOOOOOOOOOM!
Thoughts slowed, vision blurred, and movement became sluggish.
Several weaker Savages immediately screamed, collapsing onto their knees while clutching their heads.
"AAGGHHHH!!"
"My... my head!"
"I can't think!"
Some never even managed to stand again.
Then...the King calmly stepped forward.
"Iterative Amplification."
Golden light erupted from his body in expanding rings.
WHOOOOOOOOOM!!
Each pulse washed across the battlefield like a living tide.
His muscles visibly adjusted. His breathing became smoother. His heartbeat synchronized perfectly.
Every movement grew sharper and more efficient.
Every punch, every step, every breath improved his body in real time as though evolution itself had accelerated inside him.
He wasn't simply becoming stronger, he was becoming better, continuously, relentlessly for every second.
At that exact moment... the entirety of Playmore felt it.
People walking through the streets suddenly froze. Shopkeepers looked toward the sky in confusion. Savages stopped mid-conversation. Even distant Freakers lifted their heads before releasing uneasy growls into the night.
Something monstrous had awakened beneath the city.
Power.
Pure...overwhelming...Power.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The Underground Auction exploded.
* * *
An entire side of the massive structure detonated outward as stone, steel, and shattered glass erupted into the streets above.
Buildings trembled. Windows shattered across the district. Entire sections of the underground facility collapsed inward.
SHWOOOSH!
Four figures burst through the collapsing walls at unimaginable speed.
The King.
The Boss.
Champagne.
Zachia.
Their bodies collided almost instantly.
No alliances, no strategy, and no hesitation.
A complete free-for-all.
The boss was the first to betray the temporary alliance. Without warning, he twisted in midair and drove a devastating punch directly toward the king.
POW!
"YOU SNAKE!"
The king reacted instantly.
"You planned the same thing."
BOOOOOOOOOM!!
His amplified fist met the Boss' attack head-on.
BRRRMMM!
The resulting shockwave tore through the building like a hurricane.
An entire tower section split apart as chunks of reinforced concrete rained into the streets below.
Champagne ducked beneath the collapsing debris, dragon energy spiralling violently around his arm.
"MYSTIC DRAGON PALM!!"
BAAAAAAAAAANG!!
His strike landed squarely against three members of The Stars at once.
The impact folded their bodies inward before launching them through multiple reinforced walls, disappearing into the smoke with explosive crashes.
Elsewhere, Zachia vanished.
FWOOSH!!
Only drifting smoke remained.
Then—
SHIIIIING!!
A silver arc flashed through the battlefield, then another.
SHWIIING!
Then, finally, another.
Royal guards froze in place.
For one horrifying second...Nothing happened.
Then blood sprayed into the air as their bodies collapsed in perfectly clean pieces.
One of the king's elite bodyguards charged directly toward Zachia with a battle cry.
Too late.
Seven spectral samurai materialized behind him simultaneously.
Their swords descended together.
SHRAAAAAK!!
The bodyguard stood frozen as his eyes widened.
Then, his body quietly separated before crashing to the ground. Blood painted the shattered marble floor.
The battle had only just begun... yet the Underground Auction was already becoming a graveyard.
to be continued.....