The sky had become black.
Seven enormous eyes watched the capital from beyond the clouds.
The first Sovereign descended.
Its body was covered in golden armor, and six wings stretched from its back.
Every step it took caused the earth to tremble.
The royal knights couldn't move.
Some dropped their weapons.
Others fell to their knees.
Even the king looked pale.
Kael stood alone in the courtyard.
His sword rested against his shoulder.
The Sovereign looked down at him.
"You intend to fight me with that?"
Kael glanced at his sword.
"Apparently."
The god laughed.
"You possess the Absolute Authority. Why restrain yourself?"
Kael's expression became serious.
"Because I want to know how strong I am without it."
The Sovereign's smile disappeared.
"Then die."
It vanished.
A fist appeared directly in front of Kael.
BOOM!
The courtyard exploded.
Stone flew in every direction.
"KAEL!"
Liora screamed.
The dust slowly cleared.
Kael stood in the center of the crater.
His clothes were torn.
Blood ran down his cheek.
But he was smiling.
"That actually hurt."
The Sovereign stared at him.
Impossible.
It had struck with enough force to destroy a mountain.
Yet the boy was standing.
Kael wiped the blood from his face.
"Now it's my turn."
He disappeared.
The Sovereign barely raised its arm.
CLANG!
Kael's sword struck its armor.
The god was thrown backward.
It crashed through three towers before stopping.
The soldiers stared.
Kael had done it without using Absolute Authority.
The Sovereign slowly stood.
A crack ran across its golden armor.
For the first time, its expression changed.
"You..."
Kael pointed his sword at it.
"You're not invincible."
The Sovereign's eyes burned.
"Neither are you."
Six other eyes opened in the heavens.
Kael looked upward.
The remaining Sovereigns were watching.
One spoke.
"Interesting."
Another answered.
"He has inherited the Authority, but not the body of the previous successor."
A third whispered:
"Then perhaps he can be broken."
Kael's expression hardened.
"Stop talking about me like I'm not here."
The seven gods fell silent.
Then the largest eye turned toward Liora.
Kael noticed.
His smile disappeared.
"Don't."
The Sovereign smiled.
"Ah."
Its gaze remained fixed on her.
"So that is your weakness."
Kael's fingers tightened around his sword.
"She's not my weakness."
Liora looked at him.
"Kael..."
He stepped forward.
"She's the reason I have one."
The Sovereign raised its hand.
A golden spear formed in the sky.
It pointed directly at Liora.
Kael moved.
But he stopped himself.
His hand began glowing black.
He could erase the spear.
He could erase the god.
He could erase the entire battle.
But he remembered the price.
The emptiness.
The missing pieces of himself.
He couldn't do it.
Not again.
Kael lowered his glowing hand.
Instead, he moved with his own body.
He crossed the distance between himself and Liora in an instant.
BOOM!
The spear struck.
Kael caught it.
The impact drove him through the ground.
"Kael!"
Liora ran toward him.
Smoke covered the courtyard.
Then Kael slowly stood.
His hands were bleeding.
The golden spear was broken.
He had stopped it without Absolute Authority.
The Sovereign stared.
"Impossible."
Kael looked at his hands.
He was shaking.
Not from fear.
From exhaustion.
He smiled.
"That's better."
The Sovereign's expression became furious.
It descended at full speed.
Kael raised his sword.
The two collided.
Once.
Twice.
Ten times.
Hundreds.
The battlefield became a blur.
Every strike created thunder.
Every movement shattered stone.
Kael was getting faster.
Stronger.
Sharper.
The Sovereign was beginning to lose ground.
Then—
Kael's sword broke.
The god's fist struck his chest.
CRACK.
Kael flew across the courtyard.
He landed on one knee.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
Liora ran toward him.
"Enough!"
Kael looked at her.
"I can still fight."
"You don't have to prove anything!"
Kael smiled.
"Maybe not."
He stood.
"But I need to learn something."
"What?"
Kael looked at the Sovereign.
"Whether I can become strong without becoming something else."
The Sovereign attacked again.
Kael raised his broken sword.
The black mark on his palm began glowing.
The system appeared.
[Absolute Authority available.]
[Probability of victory: 100%.]
Kael stared at the message.
Then another line appeared.
[Emotional erosion from full activation: Unknown.]
Kael closed his eyes.
"No."
He dismissed the system.
The Sovereign charged.
Kael opened his eyes.
He wasn't afraid.
But he wasn't empty either.
He was tired.
Angry.
Determined.
Human.
He stepped forward.
And for the first time, Kael fought not as the successor to an ancient god—
but as Kael Ardyn.
Their fists collided.
The shockwave tore across the capital.
And beneath the city...
something answered.
THOOM.
A heartbeat.
Everyone froze.
THOOM.
Another heartbeat.
Kael slowly looked toward the ground.
The Sovereign's face turned pale.
"No..."
Kael frowned.
"What?"
The god whispered:
"The Seventh Sovereign."
The earth split open.
A gigantic black hand emerged beneath the capital.
Then another.
Then a massive figure began rising from the darkness.
Kael stared at it.
The creature had no face.
No armor.
No wings.
Only a black crown floating above its head.
And somehow—
Kael recognized it.
His breathing stopped.
The voice came from inside his mind.
"You took my throne."
Kael's eyes widened.
The creature raised its head.
"Now you will return it."
Kael whispered:
"...Who are you?"
The creature answered:
"I am what remains of you."
The entire capital went silent.
TO BE CONTINUED...