The sky above Elarion had turned golden.
Six purple symbols remained frozen among the clouds.
At the center of them stood the Celestial Emperor.
Six enormous wings spread behind his golden armor.
His sword pointed directly at Ryu.
The pressure coming from him was overwhelming.
Even the mountains around Elarion began to crack.
Ryu stared upward.
The system activated.
[Scanning…]
[Target: Celestial Emperor]
[Analysis: Restricted]
[Threat Level: ???]
[Warning.]
[Current power gap: Extremely high.]
Ryu smiled.
—So even you think I’m going to lose?
[Probability of victory: 7.3%.]
Ryu’s smile disappeared.
—That’s…
lower than I expected.
Kael stepped beside him.
—Then don’t fight him alone.
Ryu looked at him.
—Kael—
—I said I’d follow you.
The Shadow Wolf growled and stood beside them.
Caelum slowly raised his sword.
Morvath cracked his neck.
Lyra remained silent.
Ryu looked at everyone.
Then he smiled.
—Fine.
He looked toward the Emperor.
—Let’s fight together.
The Celestial Emperor slowly raised his sword.
“You gather allies just as you did before.”
Ryu narrowed his eyes.
—You knew me?
“I knew the King.”
The Emperor pointed his sword toward Ryu.
“You are merely the shadow of him.”
Ryu’s expression hardened.
—Then I’ll show you what this shadow can do.
BOOOOOOM!
Ryu disappeared.
The Emperor swung his sword.
CLANG!
Ryu blocked it.
The impact sent a shockwave across the city.
Ryu’s arms trembled.
—He’s strong!
The Emperor pushed him away.
Ryu spun through the air.
The Shadow Wolf attacked from behind.
SLASH!
Its claws struck the Emperor’s armor.
The Emperor barely moved.
He turned.
A golden wave exploded from his body.
BOOM!
The Shadow Wolf was sent flying.
—Wolf!
Ryu appeared beside it.
The wolf slowly stood.
It wasn’t seriously injured.
Ryu smiled.
—Good.
Kael suddenly appeared above the Emperor.
—Abyssal Chains!
Hundreds of black chains wrapped around the Emperor’s wings.
The Emperor looked at them.
“Primitive magic.”
Golden energy exploded.
CRACK!
Every chain shattered.
Kael was thrown backward.
Caelum caught him.
—Are you alright?
Kael nodded.
—Barely.
Morvath stepped forward.
—Move.
Purple flames erupted from his body.
The Emperor looked at him.
For the first time, his expression changed.
“First Abyssal.”
Morvath smiled.
—You remember me.
“I remember the creature who betrayed the Abyss.”
Morvath’s smile disappeared.
—You still believe that lie?
The Emperor raised his sword.
“I witnessed it myself.”
Morvath’s eyes became cold.
—Then you witnessed a false history.
Ryu looked at him.
—What are you talking about?
Morvath didn’t answer.
He charged.
BOOM!
Morvath and the Emperor collided.
Purple and golden energy exploded across the sky.
Ryu watched them.
Then the black crown on his forehead began glowing.
[Ancient King’s Will activated.]
[Authority synchronization: 12% → 17%.]
Ryu felt an enormous power awakening inside him.
His vision changed.
He could suddenly see energy flowing through everything.
The Emperor’s body.
Morvath’s core.
Kael’s magic.
Even the six Thrones above the sky.
Ryu stared.
—So that’s what my old self could see…
The Emperor suddenly turned toward him.
“You have awakened.”
Ryu smiled.
—Looks like it.
The Emperor disappeared.
SWOOSH!
He appeared directly in front of Ryu.
His sword came down.
Ryu raised his arm.
CLANG!
The sword stopped.
Ryu had caught it.
Everyone froze.
The Emperor’s eye widened.
Ryu’s purple eye glowed.
—Seven percent wasn’t accurate.
The system responded.
[Correction.]
[Ancient King’s Will has increased.]
[Current synchronization: 21%.]
Ryu pushed the sword away.
BOOM!
The Emperor flew backward.
Ryu disappeared.
—King’s Shadow Step!
He appeared above the Emperor.
—King’s Abyss Breaker!
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The attack struck the Emperor directly.
Golden armor shattered.
The Emperor fell from the sky.
CRASH!
He created a massive crater.
Silence.
Ryu landed.
Kael stared at him.
—You actually hurt him.
Ryu looked at his hand.
—I’m getting stronger.
But Morvath wasn’t smiling.
He was staring at the crater.
—No.
Ryu looked at him.
—What?
Morvath shook his head.
—He’s not defeated.
The crater suddenly glowed gold.
A hand emerged.
Then another.
The Celestial Emperor slowly stood.
Several pieces of his armor were broken.
But his body remained untouched.
Ryu’s smile disappeared.
The Emperor looked at him.
“Now I understand.”
His golden wings expanded.
“Your old power is returning.”
The six symbols above the sky suddenly began glowing.
The Emperor raised his sword.
“Then I will not allow you to awaken completely.”
Six golden pillars descended from the heavens.
BOOOOOOM!
Ryu’s body suddenly became frozen.
—What?!
He couldn’t move.
[Warning!]
[External suppression detected.]
[Ancient King’s Authority is being sealed.]
Ryu gritted his teeth.
—System!
[Unable to override.]
The Emperor slowly walked toward him.
“Three hundred years ago, we made the same mistake.”
He raised his sword.
“We allowed you to become too powerful.”
Ryu’s purple eye burned.
—Then you should have killed me back then.
The Emperor stopped.
For a moment—
Silence.
Then he answered.
“We tried.”
Ryu’s eyes widened.
The Emperor raised his sword.
“But someone saved you.”
Ryu froze.
—Who?
The Emperor looked directly at him.
“Your sister.”
Ryu’s heart stopped.
He turned toward Lyra.
She was standing silently beneath the palace.
Ryu’s eyes widened.
—Lyra…
Lyra looked at him.
Tears were slowly forming in her eyes.
—I’m sorry.
Ryu stared.
—For what?
Lyra lowered her head.
—For bringing you back.
Ryu’s expression changed.
—What?
Lyra looked toward the sky.
—Because I knew what would happen.
The Emperor’s sword began glowing.
Lyra whispered—
—And I knew…
She looked at Ryu.
—That if you returned…
Her voice trembled.
—The world would burn again.
Ryu’s eyes became cold.
—Then I’ll make sure it doesn’t.
His aura suddenly exploded.
The golden pillars cracked.
CRACK!
The Emperor’s expression changed.
[Ancient King’s Will…]
[Synchronization: 21%…]
[30%…]
[42%…]
Ryu’s entire body became surrounded by blue-black-purple flames.
The Old King’s voice echoed inside his mind.
“Let me take over.”
Ryu closed his eyes.
—No.
The voice became silent.
Ryu opened his eyes.
—You can lend me your power.
His purple eye glowed.
—But this is my body.
The synchronization stopped.
[Ancient King’s Will stabilized.]
[New Skill unlocked.]
[Skill: King’s Awakening]
Effect: Temporarily merges the current Ryu’s will with the power of his previous existence.
Ryu raised his head.
The golden pillars shattered.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The Emperor stared at him.
For the first time—
He looked uncertain.
Ryu floated into the air.
—Celestial Emperor.
The Emperor raised his sword.
Ryu’s aura spread across the entire kingdom.
—You wanted to see the old King?
His blue and purple eyes burned.
—Then look carefully.
The Emperor’s wings expanded.
“Come.”
Ryu smiled.
—Gladly.
The two disappeared.
A golden flash collided with a blue-black one.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The first battle between Ryu and the Seven Thrones had begun.
But far beneath Elarion…
Someone was watching through an ancient mirror.
A man slowly placed his hand on the glass.
His face remained hidden in darkness.
He smiled.
—So…
His voice was calm.
—He’s finally remembering.
The man turned away from the mirror.
On the wall behind him was an ancient symbol.
A name was carved beneath it.
AZAEL VEYRON
The man smiled.
—Let them fight.
—Every battle will bring him closer to me.
And then he whispered—
—Just as I planned three hundred years ago.
To Be Continued…