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An Ultimatum Of Blood
The morning sun pierced through the gaps in the wooden shutters, casting a warm golden hue across Fubao’s visage. The youth slowly parted his eyelids. It took him several heartbeats to realize his back was no longer pressed against the freezing, blood-stained stone of a dungeon floor, but rather sinking into a plush, comfortable mattress. He turned his head swiftly, his breath catching as he found his mother and little sister still deep in a peaceful slumber within the same room.
He rose soundlessly and hastily stepped out of the humble wooden dwelling. His sharp eyes swept the surroundings, confirming the reality before him. The villagers went about their day in absolute tranquility, the air was pristine, and there were no agonizing screams of torture echoing in the distance. He was truly in a safe haven. Realizing they had touched down in the Siama Alliance, Fubao hurried back inside and gently squeezed his mother’s shoulder.
”Mother… wake up. We are already in Siama Village,” Fubao whispered, his voice trembling as he suppressed a tidal wave of emotion.
The middle-aged woman opened her eyes slowly, blinking against the light. “T-truly, Child?” she asked hesitantly, as if terrified this was merely a cruel, beautiful dream conjured amidst her endless torment.
”Yes, Mother! Rest assured, we are absolutely safe here,” Fubao stated, a broad smile blooming across his visage—a smile that had been stolen from him years ago.
She sat up, her weary gaze scanning the tidy room. “Whose… whose home is this, my child?”
”I am not entirely certain, Mother. I will seek out Master and ask him,” Fubao replied, straightening his robes and preparing to head out. “Rest for now, Mother. I shall return shortly.”
Just as Fubao pivoted toward the door, the space before him rippled softly. The pitch-black cloaked figure he had encountered the previous night manifested from the absolute void, standing as silently as a phantom.
”I have come to deliver these,” the shadow stated flatly, presenting several sets of clean, warm garments.
”The Lord has also left a message; this dwelling is now officially yours. And everything stored within your Spatial Ring… you are free to utilize for your needs,” the shadow continued. Before Fubao could formulate a response, the figure dissolved back into the ether, vanishing without a single trace.
Fubao accepted the garments in profound awe. “Very well… thank you,” he murmured to the empty air.
He turned back to his mother, his eyes sparkling like stars. “Mother! Did you hear that? This house has been gifted to us! We finally have a home!” he exclaimed, beaming with pure, unadulterated joy.
His mother wiped away a stray tear. “Yes, Child… Lord Ken’s benevolence is as vast as the ocean. You must never forget to express your gratitude, and you must serve your Master with every fiber of your being, understand?” she advised, her voice gentle yet layered with iron resolve.
”Absolutely, Mother! I swear I will never forget it,” Fubao answered brightly.
I can utilize everything inside the Spatial Ring? Fubao recalled his Master’s decree. Piqued by curiosity, he focused a sliver of his mental energy into the dimensional space of the silver ring adorning his finger.
Fubao’s eyes instantaneously widened into perfect saucers. Hah!… What is this?! There are several pieces of pure gold inside?! Wahhh… Thank you immensely, Master! he screamed in joyous ecstasy within his mind, realizing the small fortune Ken had secretly slipped in to secure his family’s livelihood.
”Mother, in that case, I am going out to buy us a delicious feast!” Fubao announced eagerly.
”Yes, tread carefully, my child,” his mother replied, watching her son depart with an indescribable, profound relief.
Meanwhile, hundreds of li away, within the capital of the Sky Kingdom.
In the grand throne room, King Zi—whose very presence radiated the heavy burden of the past and profound wisdom—stared at his most trusted general. He had just issued an absolute edict that ignited a fierce dispute.
”Akara, prepare yourself. We are departing for the Siama Alliance this very day,” King Zi declared, his tone brooking no argument.
General Akara flinched from his rigid posture. “Hah?! You mean… that rebel faction led by the mysterious youth, Your Majesty?” he asked in utter disbelief.
”Yes… indeed. We are going to meet him in person,” King Zi elaborated, his gaze drifting far beyond the palace walls.
”For what purpose, My Lord?! You are the Supreme Sovereign of the Sky Kingdom! It is entirely beneath the dignity of a King to demean himself by descending upon the headquarters of such a petty faction!” General Akara protested vehemently, attempting to remind his sovereign of absolute royal protocol.
King Zi’s eyes narrowed dangerously. The tyrannical aura of an emperor detonated, crushing the air around General Akara. “Akara… I summoned you here not to engage in a debate, but to issue a decree. I am commanding you to escort me to the Siama Alliance. Now.”
Feeling that suffocating absolute pressure, General Akara instantly froze, acutely aware of his insolence. “U-understood, Your Majesty,” General Akara replied, bowing his head deeply.
Shortly after, King Zi and General Akara tore through the clouds, heading straight for the Siama Alliance. Within King Zi’s heart, a towering inferno of curiosity regarding the rumors of Ken burned wildly. Conversely, General Akara merely escorted him with a hardened visage, suppressing a heavy heart over the perceived trampling of their kingdom’s pride.
Simultaneously, within the Main Hall of the Siama Alliance.
The division commanders and faction elders had gathered before Ken. Their visages were painted with deep concern regarding logistical crises. The legend of the Siama Alliance as a sanctuary capable of annihilating a Sky Kingdom Commander had spread like a plague across the continent. Consequently, a ceaseless, torrential flood of refugees escaping slavery poured into the village borders.
”Greetings, Supreme Leader!” the upper echelon declared in perfect unison, bowing in profound reverence.
”My Lord, there are several internal crises we must urgently bring to your attention,” Chief Darma began the report.
”Proceed, Uncle. Speak freely,” Ken answered, reclining casually upon his throne.
”The population of our village continues to multiply massively with each passing day, My Lord,” Chief Darma reported, his brow furrowed in distress.
”That is excellent progress, Uncle. Was it not our primary objective to gather those who require our aegis?” Ken responded flatly.
”Indeed, My Lord… But the holding capacity of our land has reached its absolute limit. We no longer possess vacant space to erect housing, let alone fertile soil to sustain our agricultural sector,” Chief Darma lamented, laying bare their harsh reality.
”Aside from the territorial constraints, what other obstacles exist?” Ken pressed, meticulously gathering intelligence without displaying a single ripple of panic.
”Over the past few days, the border sentries have detected numerous unidentified shadows and spies monitoring this village from just beyond the radius of our protective dome, My Lord,” Darma added. “I believe those are the two most critical matters demanding immediate resolution.”
Ken tapped the armrest of his throne rhythmically. “Very well, Uncle. Regarding the territorial crisis… Asikin and I have actually prepared a new spatial dimension that is a hundred times vaster and infinitely more fertile than this village,” Ken revealed, exposing one of his hidden cards. “As soon as possible, I shall translocate all the infrastructure and the entire populace into that realm.”
Chief Darma and the elders’ eyes widened drastically. A territory a hundred times larger?!
”And as for the spies lurking beyond our walls… you need not waste a single breath worrying about them. Rest assured, not a single one of those hounds will draw breath long enough to report back to their masters,” Ken added with glacial coldness, heavily implying the silent massacre he had already ordered.
”Hah!… U-understood, My Lord,” Chief Darma swallowed hard, stunned yet overwhelmingly relieved to receive two absolute solutions from his sovereign. “Since all crucial matters have been resolved, we beg leave to return to our duties, My Lord.”
”You may go, Uncle,” Ken nodded.
However, just as Chief Darma and his ranks stepped out of the hall to resume their tasks, a massive commotion erupted at the village’s main gates. Two figures exuding terrifying auras had descended. King Zi and General Akara had arrived.
Chief Darma, instantly recognizing the identities of these exalted guests, sprinted to welcome them, his heart hammering against his ribs.
”W-welcome, Your Majesty,” Chief Darma greeted, bowing as low as humanly possible.
King Zi returned the gesture with an authoritative nod. “Am I permitted to enter and meet with the leader of your faction, Darma?”
”O-of course, Your Majesty,” Chief Darma replied, his voice laced with nervousness. He never imagined his humble village would be graced by a supreme sovereign. “Please follow me, My Lord,” he continued, clearing the path and guiding King Zi through the village streets toward the main hall.
Throughout the walk, King Zi’s ancient eyes meticulously analyzed every corner. “Your village appears exceedingly overcrowded. Why haven’t you expanded the perimeter boundaries, Darma?” he inquired.
”Regarding that matter, we have just concluded a discussion with the Supreme Leader, Your Majesty,” Chief Darma answered politely.
King Zi continued to observe the interactions of the commoners. “The people in this village move without the invisible chains of burden. They appear to be living in genuine happiness,” King Zi noted, a warm smile gracing his lips as he watched children running freely without an ounce of fear. “Thank you, Darma. You all must have bled and sweat to forge a sanctuary as safe as this.”
”Umm… the guards and I merely contributed a fraction of our strength, Your Majesty,” Darma replied humbly. “The rest… the very foundation of everyone’s lives here rests entirely upon the Supreme Leader. He personally backs and provides nearly all the absolute necessities for the villagers single-handedly,” he explained, bursting with pride.
King Zi raised an eyebrow in sheer amazement. “Is that so? In that case, your mysterious leader is truly a peerless benefactor. I am growing increasingly intrigued to meet him. Hahaha!” King Zi expressed with a light chuckle.
”That is indeed the absolute truth, Your Majesty,” Chief Darma replied. Their footsteps finally halted before the grandest wooden structure. “Your Majesty… we have arrived. This is our Main Hall. The Leader is awaiting within, please enter.”
Darma pushed the heavy doors open, stepping ahead of King Zi to announce his arrival. “Lord Ken, His Majesty King Zi of the Sky Kingdom has graced us with his presence and wishes to speak with you.”
From atop his throne, Ken stared dead ahead at his exalted guest. His eyes narrowed coldly. “Yes… Uncle Darma, you may leave us now,” he commanded with an unfathomable tone.
Chief Darma instantly understood there were heavy secrets in the air he was not meant to hear. “As you command, My Lord,” he said, stepping backward and pulling the double doors tightly shut.
The moment the three of them were isolated within the hall, King Zi raised his sovereign staff. A ripple of profound energy rapidly expanded, erecting a high-tier Sound-Isolating Spatial Boundary, guaranteeing that not even a falling leaf outside could eavesdrop on their exchange.
Observing this highly protective measure, Ken did not even bother to stand and offer a martial salute. He remained casually reclined and spoke with razor-sharp insolence, “What business does an old fossil like you have to trouble yourself with descending the mountain to seek me out?”
Hearing that vile insult, the veins on General Akara’s neck instantly bulged. “Young man! Correct your insolent tongue before the King!” General Akara threatened, his aura detonating, fueled by blazing fury.
”Hahaha…” Ken laughed disdainfully, his gaze piercing like lethal daggers. “What is it, General? Are you still itching to resume our postponed duel from the other day?” Ken challenged, overtly provoking the God King.
”Had you not cowered behind the coattails of your master—who merely happened to possess god-tier strength—I would have severed your head to teach you a lesson in basic etiquette!” General Akara snarled, his fists clenched tight enough to draw blood.
A cynical, mocking smirk curled the corners of Ken’s lips. He chuckled softly, his laughter echoing with a dense, oppressive intimidation. “Cowered? Hah! Hahaha… The two of you have truly devolved into blind, useless ancient relics,” Ken berated without a shred of mercy.
That insult snapped the very last thread of the General’s patience. “Insolent! You are far too arrogant, Brat! Today, even if your master descends from the heavens to save you, I will not spare your life!” General Akara roared. His breathing grew heavy, his cultivation energy peaking to its zenith, ready to unleash absolute annihilation.
Yet, amidst the violently escalating tension, King Zi merely offered a faint smile. He placed a gentle hand upon his general’s trembling shoulder.
”Akara… do you truly wish to kill your little Aruk?” King Zi murmured softly, yet the impact was akin to a heavenly tribulation lightning bolt striking in broad daylight.
General Akara’s lethal assault halted in mid-air. “A-Aruk…?” His eyes widened into perfect circles, his pupils quivering violently. He staggered a step backward, as if his chest had just been caved in by a colossal hammer.
”Did you not sense it from the very beginning, Akara?” King Zi stated, validating the lunatic theory that had been haunting his mind since their first encounter.
Instantaneously, fragments of ancient memories violently crashed into the general’s mind.
‘Uncle Akara! Will I be able to become as unfathomably strong as you and Father one day?’ The innocent laughter of a young boy echoed from the depths of his past.
‘Hahaha! Yes… absolutely! One day, you will inevitably grow far stronger than the both of us, Little Prince,’ General Akara had thought all those years ago.
General Akara’s knees gave out. His hardened, stoic visage crumbled completely. “F-forgive me, Prince!…” General Akara threw himself onto the floor, kneeling and violently clutching his chest, which was suffocating under the weight of unfathomable regret.
From atop his throne, Ken slowly rose to his feet. His expression froze into an absolute mask of ice. He averted his gaze, turning his back to them and staring out through the gaps in the window. “Prince? … What phantom of the past are you blabbering about?” Ken denied, his voice as frigid as eternal winter.
”Aruk… You may be able to cast an illusion technique to deceive the eyes of the realm, but you can never deceive the bloodline connection of your own grandfather, Child,” King Zi spoke, his hoarse voice overflowing with profound yearning.
”The person you speak of was likely torn to shreds and devoured by monsters long ago, Old Man. That child has absolutely nothing to do with me,” Ken hissed lethally, still refusing to turn around.
King Zi lowered his head in sorrow, perfectly understanding the impenetrable defensive walls his grandson had erected. “Very well… If you refuse to acknowledge it today, so be it. But at the very least, hold your silence for a moment and listen to my testimony.”
”What more useless drivel do I need to hear from a man who spectacularly failed to protect his own flesh and blood?” Ken sneered harshly, fighting a desperate, agonizing battle to prevent his emotional dams from collapsing.
”This is regarding my tragic granddaughter… Regarding your little sister… Siana,” King Zi uttered, his voice shaking violently to hold back his tears.
Upon hearing that sacred name, Ken’s absolute defenses shattered into a million pieces. The ambient air around him churned violently. He spun around with feral intensity. “Hah!… What happened to her?!” Ken demanded, his blazing eyes demanding an absolute explanation from King Zi.
King Zi’s ancient eyes brimmed with tears. He stared intently at Ken’s visage and began unearthing the bloody history. “That night… Akara and I were too late to breach the encirclement to save you all. When we arrived at the slaughterhouse, I only found your severed left arm drenched in blood. All the imperial guards had been butchered, and we assumed your corpse and Siana had been dragged away and entirely devoured by feral Star Monsters,” King Zi recounted, his voice dragged down by a crushing abyss of grief.
Ken stood petrified, forced to listen to every excruciating detail of his torment being replayed.
”However… some time later, my intelligence network brought word that Siana had been taken away by King Lewa and his legion of executioners,” King Zi continued. “Without a shred of hesitation, I led a full-scale invasion into the Fire Kingdom. In that war, King Bawigan of the Ice Kingdom and King Hang of the Water Kingdom—who were your late father’s sworn brothers—joined the vanguard to exact vengeance. Initially, our alliance successfully cornered them…”
King Zi drew a heavy, agonizing breath. “…Yet, at the precise moment we were about to claim Lewa’s head, two mysterious entities wielding absolute power descended from the heavens to shield the Fire Kingdom. We were ruthlessly butchered and forced to retreat with catastrophic injuries.”
”Then what of Siana?!” Ken interjected fiercely. “So Siana is still in their clutches? Is she still breathing?!”
King Zi stared into his grandson’s desperately hopeful eyes, before delivering a merciless verdict. “Amidst the chaos, I managed to reclaim her. But by the time King Lewa had taken her, her frail body… she was already dead, Child. The Fire Kingdom had already murdered her, merely intending to utilize her corpse to extract and research the bloodline of our Giant Gold power.”
”What…?!” Ken’s hands trembled violently. It felt as though an invisible, colossal hand had crushed his heart. Unable to suppress it, a single, searing tear escaped the corner of his eye, sliding down his rigidly tense cheek.
King Zi swallowed hard, pressing forward with his most agonizing confession. “When I brought her back… I exhausted every heaven-defying method in existence to salvage the remaining embers of her soul. Because her mortal shell was utterly beyond salvation, I chose to risk everything and execute a god-tier forbidden technique. I transferred and fused her soul into the ‘Ancient Sky Dragon Fossil’, our kingdom’s most sacred, concealed relic.”
”Hah!… You mastered that forbidden technique?!” Ken was jolted from his grief. “Then what transpired after her soul was transferred?!”
”Yes… by sacrificing the vast majority of my own life essence, I successfully awakened the primordial dragon with your sister’s soul residing within it,” King Zi explained. “However… my efforts were in vain. A mere few days after its resurrection, the Fire Kingdom’s spies sniffed out the relic’s existence. They breached our defenses and… ripped it from my grasp once more.” The King’s head hung low, crowned with an endless expanse of shame and eternal regret.
So… that soul-transfer incident and the subsequent invasion were the catalysts that caused this old fossil’s cultivation foundation to plummet so drastically, Ken deduced inwardly, finally piecing together the puzzle behind the Sky Kingdom’s catastrophic decline.
”During that second invasion, my power level had already plummeted drastically to that of an ordinary king. Despite the reinforcement of your Uncle Lukah and Akara, our defensive walls were shredded like wet paper…” King Zi lamented. His voice was saturated with pure vengeance. “All because the Fire Kingdom once again dispatched those two demonic entities to seize it! Their power exists in an entirely different dimension, Child… They have breached the absolute boundary of a 1-Star God King, with the engravings of ten pure Golden Star Seals wrapping around their arms!”
Hearing the unfathomable scale of the enemy’s might, Ken froze, his mind rotating at breakneck speeds to process the intelligence. Then, a dark question that had long festered within him slipped from his lips. “The night of the massacre… Did you actually know beforehand that they were marching upon the village where my family was in hiding?” Ken asked with deadly seriousness. He clenched his fists so tightly his nails bit into his palms, his tears flowing ceaselessly.
King Zi flinched violently. A mountainous guilt slammed into his conscience, and he could no longer cower behind his lies. “Yes… I knew,” he confessed with a shattered voice. “But at the time, those bastards swore to me they merely wished to open a dialogue and would not harm a single hair on the royal family’s heads! But they manipulated me. They betrayed the pact!”
King Zi stared at Ken with absolute despair. “So… if you truly despise me with every fiber of your being, unleash your wrath upon me, my Grandson. Scream at me! As a sovereign of this continent, as a biological father, and as your grandfather… I am truly useless trash. I lacked the absolute power to protect you all when it mattered most!” The shoulders of the old man who ruled a continent quivered violently as he broke down in tears, cursing his own pathetic weakness.
General Akara, who was still kneeling, could no longer hold back his own tears. He pressed his forehead against the wooden floorboards. “Sentence me to death, Prince! When we crossed paths the other day, I failed to recognize the flesh and blood of my own lord and even intended to slaughter you… Forgive my crippled eyes!” the general wailed, begging for absolution.
Ken shut his eyes tightly, forcefully suppressing the apocalyptic storm of hatred raging within his chest. He drew a long, deep breath, attempting to make peace with destiny.
”Hating you until the end of days will never reverse the flow of time and resurrect my family, Grandfather,” Ken declared with absolute finality. His tone shifted, becoming profoundly mature, reflecting his deep understanding of the vile, nauseating political intrigues of the cultivation realm.
He then shifted his gaze to the general kneeling at his feet. “Rise from the floor, Uncle Akara. Cease your ridiculous weeping.”
Although a small corner of Ken’s heart had begun to forgive his grandfather’s blunders and powerlessness, his absolute hatred for the Fire Kingdom had now boiled over, completely shattering the boundaries of sanity.
”Tell me… Did you ever manage to unearth the true identities of those two 1-Star God Kings protecting the Fire Kingdom?” Ken interrogated, his eyes leaking a suffocating, dense killing intent.
”After those bastards tore Siana’s soul away along with the Dragon relic, I was forced to seal myself in secluded cultivation just to desperately cling to my dying breath,” King Zi explained, wiping the tracks of his tears. “Even to this precise second, my aura has never fully recovered. Consequently, my intelligence network was paralyzed, and I never uncovered a single shred of their identities. Even your Uncle, who ascended the throne in my stead, ran into an absolute dead end.”
So aside from the ten demonic commanders they so proudly parade, the Fire Kingdom still conceals legendary monsters behind the veil, Ken analyzed inwardly. He locked eyes with King Zi. “If the kingdom is incapable, then allow me to personally step in and excavate their identities,” Ken proclaimed with ironclad certainty. “Then, what did the Fire Kingdom do to the Ancient Dragon harboring Siana’s soul, Grandfather?”
King Zi fell silent for a heartbeat, as if the words he was about to speak were poisoned thorns lodged in his throat. “That vile King Lewa… he did not destroy it. He utilized the dragon’s spirit—Siana’s soul—as a vessel to condense his Second Star Seal. That absolute absorption abnormally bestowed Lewa with two sets of Star Seals within a single mortal shell. His current combat prowess has shattered the limits of logic, placing him exponentially higher than the combined absolute might of the other five kings of the continent.”
You bastard, Lewa! I swear upon the heavens and the earth, I will never let you live, and I will personally rip your heart out with my bare hands! Ken roared within his soul, a sliver of his tyrannical Giant Gold killing intent leaking into the hall.
”Aruk… come home. Return with me,” King Zi pleaded, his gaze overflowing with desperation. “You can bring the entire legion and populace of your Siama Alliance. Return to the capital and ascend as the Supreme Sovereign of the Sky Kingdom!”
”That is an impossible demand. I do not harbor a single speck of desire to sit upon a blood-soaked throne,” Ken rejected him outright, stepping closer to his grandfather.
”Hah! Why do you refuse, Child?! Your Uncle would absolutely rejoice in surrendering that crown to welcome your return!” King Zi coaxed, still desperately hoping to embrace his grandson once more.
”There are still far too many oceans of blood I must cross, and far too many scores I must settle with my own two hands,” Ken stated firmly, renouncing all royal privileges. “I only demand that you meticulously lock away the secret of my true identity today. Consider this conversation as having never transpired.” Ken stared piercingly into his grandfather’s eyes. “One last thing. The Prince Aruk you knew died, torn apart by monsters on the night of that massacre. The man standing before you now, and for all eternity, is Ken.”
King Zi was stunned by the absolute proclamation. “Hah!… Is… is this path you have chosen for the sole purpose of enacting direct, absolute vengeance upon the Fire Kingdom?” he guessed anxiously.
”Naturally. I shall become the absolute nightmare that devours them alive. I will not spare a single soul involved,” Ken answered, a sociopathic smile curving his lips that would freeze the blood in anyone’s veins.
”Do not act recklessly, Child…” King Zi sighed heavily, the phantom of past deaths returning to haunt him. “Losing you all in such a tragic manner completely shattered my sanity for years. Seeing you still breathing and standing this unfathomably strong now… I beg of you, do not embark on that suicide mission again, my Grandson.”
”Grandfather… the absolute sole ember keeping my heart beating is my oath to eradicate their very existence from this realm!” Ken snarled, his wrath boiling over to silence his grandfather’s pleas. “So, whichever god dares to stand in my way, I will not retreat a single inch!”
”But you must view reality! Even if you possess an anomalous power, and even if you are backed by your mysterious master… the two of you combined will never be able to withstand the wrath of a Golden Star God King!” King Zi pressed, the sheer panic and love of a grandfather commandeering his voice.
”Power, you say?” Ken flashed a faint, disdainful smirk, then leaned in and whispered a profound secret regarding his cultivation dimension—a revelation that caused his grandfather’s eyes to bulge in absolute disbelief.
”…Therefore, step aside and cease your worrying. From this moment forth, allow me to take the helm and reap all of their lives, Grandfather!” Ken finalized.
King Zi, who had been overwhelmingly protective just moments ago, was now silenced by the terrifying reality of the secret he had just heard. Even though his mortal reasoning rejected Ken’s path of absolute vengeance, he realized his grandson’s resolve was as impenetrable as cosmic steel. It was futile to restrain a dragon that had already decided to unleash apocalypse.
”Very well… if that is truly the path of the sword you have chosen,” King Zi replied with a resigned smile that radiated a profound, towering pride. “…Seeing the inferno in your eyes reminds me of the absolute arrogance of my own youth. Hahaha,” he added with a soft, wistful laugh.
King Zi pivoted his body, preparing to depart. “In that case, Uncle Akara and I shall return to the capital. Remember this one thing: always sleep with one eye open, Child.”
”I beg my leave, Prince. My life shall forever await your decree,” General Akara stated, bowing deeply before following his sovereign.
King Zi and General Akara departed, carrying home a profound relief heavily intertwined with the colossal burden of the secret regarding Aruk’s existence within the Siama Alliance.
The moment the heavy hall doors clicked shut, Ken did not waste a single heartbeat.
”Did you hear that? Cast your intelligence net wide and gather every speck of dust regarding the true identities of the two 1-Star God King entities my grandfather mentioned,” Ken commanded to the empty air beside him.
The black-cloaked shadow manifested at his side, bowing in absolute servitude to the phantom decree, before vanishing to execute the mission.
Ken turned his gaze back out the window, staring at the northern sky heavily veiled by snowy clouds. Perhaps… it is time I make a move to find her first, before I execute the Fire Kingdom, Ken mused, his mind drifting across the boundaries of space and time.
‘My Ice Princess… why do you call me by such a bizarre name?’ The memory of a young girl’s pure, innocent voice echoed from the deepest abyss of his mind.
‘It’s just… I believe your power and aura signify that you must be a runaway princess from the Ice Kingdom. So, as long as your brain still can’t recall your true name, I will continue to call you my Ice Princess!’ the young Ken of the past had replied with a radiant, cheerful laugh.
‘Umm… Very well, if you insist. Truthfully… I am quite fond of that name,’ the little girl admitted in that sweet memory, which now felt so excruciatingly painful.