CHAPTER 41: THE SOUL'S FORGE
"Then let's finish this, DRAGOOON! Come, Flower. Come and die!"
Flower held his ice dagger straight, aimed directly at Dragon's heart. A final thought, like a farewell, passed through his mind: I will probably die after this attack. But I will take him with me. This sacrifice is enough for my kingdom.
Dragon seethed inside: They killed my soldiers, my brothers. They deserve to be erased in the most savage way.
And both of them, at the same time, lunged forward with their last strength. They were about to deliver their deadly strikes.
At that moment, an explosive white light erupted between them. It was so powerful it turned night into day, vaporized the rain, and blinded everyone on the battlefield for an instant. A sound like thunder shook the valley's rocks.
Dragon and Flower stopped their attacks in shock. The light seemed to swallow their techniques, their intentions, even their rage. It was as if the power in their hands had suddenly drained into a void.
When the light faded, the lethal strikes they had prepared were gone. Standing between them, with a faint, fading glimmer, was one person.
It was Kai.
When the dust cloud completely dissipated, Dragon and Flower had taken a few defensive steps back, panting as they stared at each other. The soldiers fighting nearby had also stopped, watching this newcomer in astonishment. The noise of combat had been replaced by a strange silence.
Kai straightened up completely, throwing his shoulders back in a tense stance, and began to speak in a booming voice that reached every corner of the valley:
"My name is Kai."
The moment he spoke his name, Hunter Gong's eyes, standing beside King Arthur, widened in recognition. He realized with an icy clarity: So this is him... That boy.
Kai continued, his voice cold and resolute:
"I came here to put an end to this war. Enough people have died. This is enough. I will not allow any more blood to be spilled."
In the distance, an Ice Kingdom soldier shouted in confusion and anger:
"Who are you to interfere with this war?!"
Kai turned his head with a slight, confident smile. His answer fell over the soldiers in the valley like a shockwave:
"King Arthur is henceforth my ally. If anyone still wishes to fight, they will find me standing against them. Mark my words."
These words caused a murmur to ripple through the crowd. The Ashura soldiers were bewildered, the Ice soldiers looked at each other with suspicion.
After these words, Flower, his eyes wild with rage, was about to lunge forward when the three hunters materialized in front of Kai like a gust of wind. They stood like a wall.
Flower immediately stepped back, an instinctive caution taking over. These were the envoys of the World Government.
Hunter Gong spoke in an icy voice that carried to everyone:
"This young man speaks the truth. This war is now over." He then turned his head and called out to the distant ridge where King Task stood: "Hey, King Task! Withdraw your army! This war has ended! This is the absolute command of the World Government!"
On the ridge, King Task smiled. The thought running through his mind was filled with victory: I already got what I wanted. Not because you came, but because of my plan. Then, as if wanting the entire valley to hear, he shouted:
"Alright! I accept! We cease the fight!"
This answer left King Arthur stunned. He frowned, thinking to himself: But he was the one who wanted to fight, who attacked! There's something wrong here... We'll find out soon.
Hunter Gong now turned to King Arthur, his tone official and distant:
"King Arthur, as you can see, the Ice Kingdom side has complied with the World Government's command. From now on, this war cannot continue. And this war has no victor."
Hearing this, King Arthur jumped up in anger:
"What are you saying, Gong? My army crushed them! Ashura won this war! That is an undeniable fact!"
Gong's face showed no emotion. He replied like a machine:
"I'm sorry, King Arthur. This is the World Government's final decision. We cannot oppose it. The losses... are mutual."
King Arthur's fists clenched, veins throbbing in his neck. He swallowed. For a moment, he considered resisting, but he knew the power of the World Government. Gnashing his teeth, he answered in a defeated voice:
"Fine... For the sake of the World Government... I will accept this."
Just then, Commander Poirer stepped forward, his face red with fury and pain:
"B-But, Your Majesty! Did we fight this war for nothing?! Did our brothers die in vain? We clearly crushed them! Don't accept this, please!"
King Arthur looked at Poirer. There was shame and helplessness in his eyes. His voice was tired and heavy:
"Poirer... You're right. But there's nothing to be done. We are bound to the World Government, after all. And they have deemed this appropriate. It is not for us to say otherwise. I'm sorry... There's nothing I can do."
Poirer lowered his gaze. A seething anger and deep disappointment churned within him. But his loyalty to his king weighed heavier. His voice trembled as he replied:
"Alright... Your Majesty."
Hunter Gong addressed the entire valley once more, his voice final and decisive:
"The war is over! Kings, gather your armies and return to your lands!"
Dragon turned to King Arthur, giving him a questioning look. Arthur shook his head wearily in approval. Dragon took a deep breath and shouted the order:
"All Ashura Army, regroup! Aid the wounded! Collect the bodies of our heroes, our brothers, with care! We are returning to Ashura! Hurry up, MOVE!"
Simultaneously, King Task gave his order, a hidden satisfaction in his voice:
"Aid our wounded! Take the bodies of our martyrs! We are returning to the Ice Kingdom!"
As all this happened, Kai began walking toward the ridge where King Arthur stood, a sense of calm accomplishment guiding him.
Meanwhile, Hunter Gong's eyes never left Kai. He quietly gave an order to the two hunters beside him:
"Hawk."
"Sir, Gong?" Hawk replied.
"You, deliver the news to King Task that the Ice Kingdom has been officially expelled from the World Union. Raveon and I... will hunt Kai."
Hawk flinched in surprise:
"But Gong... we didn't receive such an order? You can't do this! He's just a youth, just because he interfered..."
Gong cut him off with a dangerous smile:
"Our master Gunn-Lee placed me in command of all operations in this region. That means I am responsible for you. You are obligated to obey. Don't delay. Go, inform King Task of the World Government's decision. Let them know they are no longer a protected kingdom."
Hawk hesitated for a moment, then bowed. "Understood," he said and moved away.
By this time, Kai had reached King Arthur's side.
"Greetings, King Arthur," he said calmly.
But Arthur's anger had not subsided. He narrowed his eyes at Kai:
"Kai! Why? Why did you interfere with this war? Why did you try to stop it? We were moments away from finishing them!"
Kai answered calmly:
"Hey, Arthur. Calm down. Even if I hadn't stopped it, the hunters had already arrived. They would have stopped it. They were the ones who drew the final line. After I finished speaking, Flower was about to step forward to fight me, and that's when the hunters intervened. So it was the World Government that stopped this war. I just... bought some time."
After these words, King Arthur calmed down a little. He turned his gaze to the scene in the valley. Everywhere there were craters, corpses, groaning wounded, ominous hills of the dead, and a lake of blood beginning to dry. His voice came out tired and thoughtful:
"Kai... Then why did you announce to everyone that we are allies? You are wanted by the World Government, are you aware? And I am the king of a kingdom bound to them. If the hunters report this, it will bring immense trouble upon me."
Kai smiled slightly, a confident expression on his face:
"Don't worry, Arthur. I will handle this."
Arthur was surprised:
"How?"
A dangerous glint appeared in Kai's eyes:
"They will definitely follow me. They will try to hunt me. And I will show them... who they're dealing with. How much stronger I've become, everyone will see soon enough. Have no doubt about that, Arthur."
Arthur paused, sighing inwardly:
"Kai... Is it right for you to tell me this? After all, technically, they are also my allies."
Kai tilted his head slightly, his tone becoming more serious:
"'King Arthur,' he began. Do you think they truly see you as an ally? In my opinion, if you hadn't stopped the war, they were prepared to use force. So don't be so sure about them."
Arthur pondered Kai's words. He nodded slightly, as if conceding the point:
"You're right. They threatened to 'use force.' Anyway... Do what you want with them. But remember, I will do anything to protect my kingdom."
Kai gave Arthur a friendly pat on the shoulder:
"I won't forget. Now, I need to return to Nexan."
As soon as Kai left the valley, Raveon whispered to Gong:
"Hey, Gong. Kai is on the move."
Gong's eyes lit up. Without wasting a moment, he and Raveon set off after Kai. Like shadows, they began tracking him, maintaining their distance.
On a distant ridge, King Arthur watched what was happening. He murmured with a slight smile:
"You were right, Kai..."
For a while, Gong and Raveon followed Kai. Kai walked calmly, deeper into the forest, pretending to be unaware of their presence. Finally, Gong decided the right moment had come. The two hunters burst from between the trees, attacking Kai simultaneously. Gong held a concentrated energy blade, Raveon had glowing chains.
But Kai was expecting this. He easily evaded Gong's first strike with a graceful movement of his head. After deflecting the attack, he calmly planted his foot on the ground and began to speak, without turning around:
"I was waiting for you..."
Gong halted in sudden surprise, freezing in his attack stance:
"What... What do you mean?"
Kai slowly turned around. The calm expression was gone from his face, replaced by a sharp, dangerous seriousness. His eyes gleamed with a cold blue light:
"If you're so curious... Then come and see."
This insolence was the last straw for Gong's patience. He screamed in rage:
"You insolent brat! Raveon, NOW!"
Both hunters attacked Kai with all their speed and power at the same time. The air groaned under the pressure of their assault.
Kai looked at them. There was no fear, no panic on his face. Only a slight, almost sorrowful smile appeared on his lips.
"Too late," he whispered.
Then, he slammed his fist into the ground.
"DOMAIN: EXPAND - 'REALM OF SOULS'."
Instantly, everything froze. Gong and Raveon's lethal strikes were cut off mid-way. The air around them was enveloped in a translucent, purple-tinged sphere. Inside this sphere, time and space seemed to lose their meaning. Gong's eyes rolled back, Raveon's mouth hung open in shock. It was as if all their life energy, their will, was being instantly siphoned away.
Five seconds.
Only five, long, eternal seconds.
Kai closed his eyes and uttered a single word:
"Close."
The purple sphere instantly dissipated, creating a blast of wind that exploded with the released pressure.
The scene was horrifying.
All that remained of Hunter Gong and Raveon were two bodies sprawled on the ground. The bodies were lifeless, breathless, and their eyes completely empty. There was no light, no recognition, no will left within them. Their souls, their consciousness, had been ripped out. Only empty shells, piles of flesh and bone remained on the ground. Dried up, pale, soulless.
Kai gave them one last look, no triumph on his face. Only a deep, heavy responsibility.
"Unnecessary," he murmured to himself. Then he turned and walked away into the darkness of the forest, his steps silent.
Leaving behind two living dead.