CHAPTER 43: THE STRINGS TIGHTEN
Nexan Capital, Urug: A knock came at the heavy stone door of the palace council chamber.
"Enter," commanded Swain, his voice tired and strained.
The door opened. The one who entered was Kai, trying to stand tall, but the weariness on his face and his staggering steps told the true story. His clothes were covered in dust, his face pale, his eyes sunken deep—clear signs he had been pushed to his absolute limit.
Swain leaped from his throne the moment he saw Kai. Worry mixed with anger on his face.
"Kai? What's wrong with you? What happened?"
Kai stumbled to the very center of the hall. He looked at Terex, Po, and finally Swain. He seemed to have trouble even focusing his eyes. Then, in a hoarse, exhausted voice, he began to speak:
"Swain... asking about my condition? Fine, let me tell you. Two hunters came after me. To finish their business quickly... I opened my Domain. Five seconds. It took only five seconds for their business to end." He paused, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "But as you can see... nearly all my energy is gone too. I... barely made it here."
Swain took a step forward, fists clenched. His voice rose, echoing off the stone walls:
"Do you have any idea what you've done, Kai? The people you killed were World Government hunters! Agents! If they found out for certain it was you, you'd be finished! You, me, this entire kingdom!"
Kai shook his head slightly, a failed attempt at a smile on his lips.
"Lucky for me... your intelligence division saw our fight and cleaned up the bodies after I left. Right?"
Swain's anger seemed to subside a bit, but the tension on his face remained. He nodded sharply:
"Yes. They sanitized the area. Left no evidence. But that doesn't exonerate you, Kai. It only buys you... a little more time."
Kai took a deep breath, as if even drawing air into his lungs was a struggle.
"Hah... King Swain. I owe you yet another debt. But..." He fixed his eyes on Swain, his gaze growing serious. "There's something else you need to know."
Swain was surprised, his brows furrowing:
"What is it?"
"The hunters were a group of three," Kai answered, his voice low and clear. "Which means the third one is still alive. And he must know the other two came after me. So... making those two bodies disappear won't help at all. The third hunter will report that they're dead and that I did it. There's just no physical proof."
Swain froze for a moment. Then, he slowly walked back to his throne and sat down. The anger and panic on his face had been replaced by an icy, dangerous calm. He tapped the armrest with his fingertips.
"Kai..." he began, his voice low and emphatic. "I don't think you grasp the gravity of the situation. The World Government will now do anything to capture you, or destroy you. To them right now... you're no different from Morde. Do you realize that? You're no longer just a fugitive. You are a dangerous 'entity' that has challenged their authority."
Kai digested Swain's words. He squared his shoulders, trying to stand straight.
"King Swain... you're worrying too much. If something is meant to happen, it will happen. No need to stress so much. Fear won't get us anywhere. You should know that better than I do."
Swain looked at Kai's naive courage with momentary surprise, then shook his head slightly.
"Alright, Kai. Have it your way. Just... be careful. You never know where the World Government's eyes and soldiers might be." He paused, then changed the subject. "And one more thing I want to ask."
"What is it?"
"I sent Sun to receive you. How did you get here before him? Did he not find you?"
Kai gave a simple answer, a hint of annoyance on his face:
"I'm fast, that's why. By the time he went out looking, I was already on my way. We took different routes."
Swain wasn't entirely convinced by the answer, but he didn't press further. He accepted the situation.
"Alright. Kai, go to your room. Rest. When you've fully recovered and regained your energy... we'll talk about our plans."
Kai nodded in agreement, turned without another word, and left the room. As he disappeared down the corridor, he left behind a heavy silence and a lingering anxiety.
FORT LEVIATHAN - MAIN NAVAL BASE:
A marine soldier ran breathlessly down the metallic corridors toward the main strategy room. He knocked on the door and barged in without waiting for permission.
Inside, around a massive holographic map table, sat the admirals of the world's most powerful naval force: the fiery and impulsive Admiral Terizla, the calm and strategic Admiral Shim, the cool-headed Admiral Ferex, the experienced Admiral Ois, and above them all, sitting at the head of the table, Fleet Admiral Kaizen.
The moment the marine entered the room, he involuntarily knelt under the intense aura and pressure of the occupants.
Kaizen turned his piercing grey eyes toward the marine.
"Speak," he commanded, a single, sharp word.
The marine immediately began to speak, his voice trembling:
"Sir! The war between the Ice Kingdom and the Ashura Kingdom has ended!"
All the admirals, including Kaizen, stood up simultaneously. The air in the room crackled.
"WHAT WAS THE RESULT?" they thundered in unison, their voices echoing.
The marine shrank a little more in fear:
"S-sir... there is no victor. The World Government hunters and a man named 'Kai' intervened, halting the war. But according to reports... if the war hadn't stopped, the Ashura Kingdom would have been clearly crushing the Ice Kingdom."
Kaizen's brows furrowed. He leaned over the holographic table toward the location of Layern Valley.
"Kai... What business did he have there?" he murmured, his voice dangerously low.
The marine answered promptly:
"We don't know, sir. But... there's something else."
Kaizen looked up, surprised:
"It's not over? Alright. Speak."
The marine couldn't speak for a second or two, cleared his throat, swallowed. Then, almost in a whisper, he said:
"S-sir... according to the information we received... two hunters went after Kai. Hunter Gong and Hunter Raveon. But... neither of them returned. Hunter Hawk returned to the Holy Lands alone."
A moment of shocked silence.
Then, Kaizen's fist came down on the solid metal-coated table with such force that a crack appeared. His face flushed with anger.
"WHAT? Are you saying Kai killed Gong and Raveon alone? You?" The anger in his voice nearly nailed the marine to the spot.
The marine began to tremble and sweat:
"S-sir... we don't know. But... the information points that way. Both of their life signals vanished. And Hawk's report..."
Kaizen stopped listening to the marine. He turned his back, looking out the room's wide window at the endless ocean. His silence increased the tension in the room.
Then, without turning, he issued a clear order:
"Update Kai's bounty poster. Increase the reward... to one hundred million Beli."
The other admirals looked at each other in shock.
"Kaizen... are you sure about this?" asked Admiral Shim, hesitation in his voice. "That's a king's bounty level. It officially puts him on the list of the world's most dangerous criminals."
Kaizen continued to stare out the window, as if gazing into the depths of the silent ocean.
His answer froze everyone in the room:
"More sure than I've ever been."
ICE KINGDOM SOUTHERN BORDER - CAMP OF THE FREE FORCES:
A border scout hurried into the largest tent in the center of the camp, Admiral Ampilo's headquarters. He entered without waiting for permission.
Ampilo was sitting tense on a fur pelt, studying a simple map before him. His gray beard blended with the deep scars on his face. He looked up as the scout entered.
The soldier immediately bowed:
"Sir! I bring vital information!"
Ampilo commanded, "Speak," his voice as sharp as a blade.
"Sir, the war between the Ice Kingdom and the Ashura Kingdom is over."
Ampilo's eyes instantly widened, fixing on the spot. He slowly rose to his feet, his massive frame filling the tent.
"Who won?"
"Sir... there is no victor. The World Government and a man named 'Kai' intervened. The war ended inconclusively."
"Kai?" Ampilo's brows furrowed. The name touched a memory somewhere. Then he shouted, raising his voice: "TIMPS!"
The tent flap opened swiftly, and his loyal aide Timps entered. "Command me, sir."
"Bring me that bounty poster. Now."
Timps immediately left the tent. A few minutes later, he returned with two folded, worn bounty posters and placed them on the table before Ampilo.
Ampilo looked at the poster on the right. On it was the face of a young man with a determined gaze. Kai.
The scout pointed a finger at the poster: "That's him, sir. The man who intervened is this one."
Ampilo thoughtfully stroked his blue-black beard. A glimmer of strategy lit up his eyes.
"So... This man... could be of help to us in overthrowing the Ice Kingdom." He turned to Timps. "Send him a message. Have him come. Let's talk as friends. If he's not convinced... tell him our goal. Let him know we have a common enemy."
Timps nodded: "As you command, sir." He left the room to carry out the order.
Meanwhile, King Task and his army had finally returned to the Ice Kingdom's capital, the heart of the frozen realm. As they entered through the city's main gate, the people who saw them were at first about to erupt in cheers of joy. But that anticipation instantly turned into a stunned shock.
The army's condition was wretched. Armor shattered, faces covered in dust and blood, many were wounded or walking with support. And worst of all... in front of a soldier carrying Commander Tamps' massive mace was a stretcher with a covered corpse.
The silence shattered abruptly. A murmur, then shouts rose from the crowd.
"My King! My King! What is this state? Did we lose the war?"
"Why is Commander Tamps dead?"
"What happened on the battlefield? Tell us the truth!"
Task sat on his horse, standing tall amidst this chaos. His face showed no regret or defeat. He coolly surveyed the people. Then, he spurred his horse forward and shouted in a voice that drowned out all the noise:
"SILENCE!"
His voice echoed off the icy streets, freezing everyone.
Task continued, his voice reassuring yet authoritative:
"My people! Do not worry! We did not lose the war! The war... ended inconclusively. And rest assured, the condition of the other side is far, far worse than ours! Be at ease!" He paused for a moment, then spoke more emphatically: "The Ice Kingdom... has achieved its goal. Everyone, remain calm. Return to your duties!"
Upon these words, a wave of doubt and panic still rippled through the people, but the King's decisive attitude calmed them. Slowly, whispering and with worried glances, they began to disperse, returning to their homes and work.
A while later, King Task, Flower, and Flem reached the throne room through the glacial corridors of the main palace. When they pushed the door open and entered, the sight that greeted them shocked them.
Morde was already there. But that wasn't the problem.
The problem was that Morde was sitting on the majestic, imposing Ice Kingdom throne at the far end of the room. He was lounging comfortably, one arm resting on the armrest, as if waiting for them.
Seeing Task arrive, Morde slowly rose to his feet. His face wore that familiar cold, soulless expression.
"King Task... you've finally arrived. What's with this state? Did we..." His eyes scanned Task's worn appearance. "...lose the war?"
As Morde asked this, Flower could no longer contain himself. His rage overcame his fatigue.
"Who do you think you are, sitting on King Task's throne?!" he roared.
"Frozen Step!"
In an instant, with near-invisible speed, he appeared right behind Morde. His ice dagger was descending toward Morde's neck.
But it was futile.
Morde, with his "Dark Leap" technique, slid like a patch of darkness to Flower's own back. The move was so fast and unexpected that Flower, already drained of most of his power from the war, couldn't react.
Morde, without using any special power, struck with pure physical force—a simple but devastating punch.
BOOF!
The punch landed squarely on Flower's back. Flower shot forward like an arrow, flying across the main hall toward the heavy stone door on the opposite side. He crashed into the door, wood and metal groaning upon impact, then slumped to the ground.
Morde, without moving from his spot, began to speak, his voice icy:
"Flower... I am not the Morde you first found, the one you controlled. Please understand this. If you attack me... you will pay a heavy price."
Flower struggled, groaning, to his feet. An immense pain radiated from his back, but the anger in his eyes hadn't died. He prepared to assume a fighting stance again.
At that very moment, King Task took the massive mace of ice and steel from his back and slammed it into the ground with all his might.
CRAAACK!
The glacial floor cracked like a spiderweb. The sound created a shockwave in the room. Morde flinched. Flower froze.
Task turned first to Flower, his eyes burning with anger:
"FLOWER! Do not attack anyone again without my order! Understood?!" The authority in his voice was undeniable.
Flower gritted his teeth, lowering his gaze to the floor. "Understood, My King."
Then Task slowly turned to Morde. His anger had vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating seriousness.
"Morde... as for you. I have a new mission for you."
He turned his back and walked to the massive map table in the center of the room. He tore off the covering, revealing a complex, detailed world map. Morde, Flem, and Flower slowly approached his side.
"What's the plan, King Task?" asked Morde, looking at the map with interest.
Task didn't hesitate. He pointed his finger directly at a prominent spot in the center of the map.
"Do you see Nexan?" His fingertip traced the kingdom's borders. "You will... kill the border guardian there. And then... our invasion of Nexan will begin."
Morde, Flower, and Flem all looked at Task in surprise simultaneously.
Flower immediately interjected, worry in his voice:
"But My King! We just came out of a war! How can we immediately enter another one? The army is exhausted, our losses are heavy!"
King Task smiled slightly, pleased with the cunning of his plan.
"That's exactly the point, Flower. They won't think we'll attack immediately. Just as we couldn't anticipate King Arthur moving before us... That's why we almost lost that war." He then turned to Morde. "Besides, Morde... you can create soldiers from shadows, right? If you can do that on a much larger, more permanent scale during a war... you can essentially create your own army." Task's eyes gleamed. "So, two armies against one. An almost certain victory. If you succeed in killing the border guardian, we can enter Nexan easily, with minimal losses. Do you understand me?"
A slow, psychopathic smile spread across Morde's lips. His eyes shone with pure battle lust.
"King Task... you really do know what I want. This... will be very good. I haven't fought in a long time. This warm-up before the war... will be very good."
King Task laughed with him, but his eyes were icy and planned.
"Then... set out, Morde. And bring me... the news I want."
Morde nodded slightly. He turned and began to leave the room. As he approached the door, he let out an audible, psychological laugh. The sound echoed down the glacial corridor and faded away.
Flower looked at King Task with concern. Another question was on his mind.
"My King... why didn't you tell him about Kai's intervention? If we mentioned his power, maybe Morde would be even more motivated."
Task laughed with great pleasure at this question.
"AHAHAHA! Flower, you've touched on a very good point! If I had told him that... Morde would have questioned why he wasn't on that battlefield. 'I'm stronger, if I were there...' etc. That could have created unnecessary questions and ambitions in his mind. He could have slipped from our control." Task's eyes fixed on the door Morde had exited. "He seems very fired up right now. No one can stop him now. And that... is exactly what we want."
Then, he looked at Nexan on the map. He tapped it lightly with his fingertip.
"And so... it finally begins. The Nexan War..."