Chapter 17 — The Battle in the Palace
The throne hall of the DX Kingdom was filled with blood and smoke. The king trembled as he stood behind the throne while Hyugi spun his dark script in the air. His eyes burned with both hatred and arrogance.
"Run away or die," Hyugi said in a deep voice. The king glanced at his guards, trembling, and bowed his head.
At that moment, the palace doors swung open with a loud bang. The three Royal Scriptors—Hina, Rina, and Otoki—entered. Hina opened her script, and its glowing power floated in the air.
"Stop, Hyugi!" Hina shouted and attacked with her power. But nothing happened; Hyugi didn't even flinch. Instead, his dark aura grew even denser.
Rina gritted her teeth and ignited her script. Her power struck directly at Hyugi, causing a loud explosion. But only a faint mark appeared on Hyugi's robe.
Hyugi laughed. "You think you can stop me? Hah!"
Then he unleashed a huge ball of dark energy from his script and hurled it at Hina and Rina. Both of them froze in shock, but Otoki stepped in between them just in time.
"I'll protect you!" Otoki roared, opening the pages of his script and forming a shield. The energy blast hit the shield and shattered with a thunderous boom. Otoki took a deep breath and focused his power on Hyugi.
"Now it's my turn!" Otoki yelled and released a flame-like energy wave from his script toward Hyugi. Hyugi blocked the attack, but for the first time, his smile seemed a little weaker.
A fierce battle erupted between the two. Otoki's flames clashed against Hyugi's dark energy. With every strike, the palace walls trembled.
Hyugi fired multiple dark attacks at Otoki, but Otoki refused to back down. He countered every blow using the power of his script.
"You think you can take this palace? As long as I live, that's impossible!" Otoki roared, attacking with lightning-like strikes. Hyugi staggered back but sent out dark shadows that wrapped around Otoki's energy.
Their fight grew even more intense. Every blow shattered more walls, and the palace itself seemed ready to collapse.
---
Down below, in the lower part of the kingdom, Team 7—Kitsui, Nensudo, and Bokuro—were locked in battle with fierc kairo
Kairo stomped the ground, shaking everything around him. But Bokuro clenched his fist and shouted,
"You will pay for bullying these people!"
His eyes burned with fury. He charged directly at Kairo.
"I'll kill you at any cost—for Haiko and for these people!" Bokuro roared.
Nensudo spun his script in the air and glared at Kairo. "You were a low person, Kairo!"
Kairo laughed loudly and countered with his heavy weapon, but Kitsui stepped in.
"I will not die in this fight! Never!" Kitsui shouted, creating a shield with hes power.
Team 7 was exhausted, sweat dripping and breaths heavy, but their feet didn't retreat. Their eyes still blazed with determination.
---
Elsewhere, deep inside a cave, Yusugo and Haiko sat near a dim fire. The glow was weak, but the weight of their conversation was heavy.
Yusugo asked seriously, "Tell me, Haiko, this king… is he really a good person?"
Haiko stayed silent for a moment, then replied with tears in his eyes, "Yes… the king is a great person. He always thought about his family and the good of the kingdom. But... but..."
Haiko's voice broke. "But he always worried about his family first. Still, he wasn't a bad man."
Yusugo looked into his eyes and then softly asked, "And this plan… to 'destroy the Ink'? Tell me about it."
Haiko was stunned. The shock was clear on his face, and tears rolled down.
"I know it's wrong… but what could I do I had no choice," Haiko cried.
Yusugo gently placed his hand on Haiko's shoulder. "Don't cry. Crying won't help now. Tell me everything you know—clearly and right now."
Haiko nodded, trembling.
---
Meanwhile, back in the palace, the scene shifted again. The king had been secretly sent away through hidden passages for his safety.
But the battle inside the palace was far from over. Otoki and Hyugi's clash had only grown more violent. Otoki's breath was heavy, but his eyes showed no sign of giving up.
Suddenly, a new group entered through the palace gates. It was Team Kaji. They looked around at the ruined palace—broken walls, dust, and blood everywhere.
Their leader roared, "We're late… the attack has already happened."
Without wasting a second, they drew their scripts and joined Otoki, charging straight at Hyugi.
Now, Hyugi wasn't facing Otoki alone—he was up against Otoki and Team Kaji together. The battle became even more fierce.