Areis sat atop a mountain of corpses like it was his rightful throne, one cheek resting lazily against his palm.
"The mosquitoes have been dealt with." His fist clenched tight, knuckles turning pale. "But at what cost?"
Zathan had never been a land of beauty. It had no fertile soil, no gold mines, no lush forests. All it had was an endless stretch of desert.
That was until Areis crushed the Tribal Chiefs to become Zathan's first King.
"I have sacrificed everything all for the sake of uniting the people of the Red Dessert as Zathan's one true king," He muttered, voice low. "Even the blood and sweat of my comrades." His tone sharpened. "And now those cowards who call themselves Sovereigns can't stomach the fact that the nation they always looked down on is strong enough to rival the Six Empires of the Western Continent."
His fist squeezed so hard his palm bled. A slow drop of red hit the ground. "They'll regret this..." His voice was filled with poison. His violet eyes burned with fury. "They will drown in their own blood."
The shadows around his feet rippled like water. A figure emerged without a sound-A woman clad in crimson and black ninja attire emerged in like a phantom.
The False Sovereign was not alarmed. "Zera," he muttered not turning around. He had sensed her the moment she stepped within range. "I see you have dealt with the enemies from the North."
She knelt gracefully. "Yes, my Liege. And I bring news from the Eastern and Western Fronts."
"Report.".
"Warlord Kael joined the fight at the boarders. He played a crucial role in turning the tides of the battle bringing the Lycan army of the Beast Sovereign to their knees. He also beheaded the opposing army's Commanding general."
Some of the tension in Areis's shoulders eased. He had rushed back to defend Rease when news of the siege reached him. But the relief didn't last.
"The Eastern front isn't holding up," Zera continued. "Warlord Theron went missing after clashing with the Dragon Sovereign. If we don't send reinforcements now, we could lose the territory."
"Send word to our southern border. Warlord Avis is to head for the Eastern front immediately. You'll meet him there with a support unit. With his speed, he should arrive by nightfall. Do not engage the Dragon Sovereign until you're both together. I'll join you once I finish matters here. Hold out until then."
"As you command, my Lord." Zera vanished into the shadows once again.
Areis stared ahead, voice cold. "Now that we're alone… why don't you come out already?"
From behind another pile of corpses, a man stepped forward. His gold armor gleamed under the dying moonlight.
"Dare I say, False Sovereign...I have been using stealth magic to stay hidden, yet you were still able to sense my presence. As expected of the man who united the Tribes of the Red Dessert.Areis Areis Azazael, The Hollow King. Conqueror of the Red Desert himself. You've shaken the world these past ten years."
Areis stares at the man with a blank expression. "And who are you supposed to be?"
The man smiled. "At fifteen, you toppled your nation's rulers. In five years, you turned a desert into a thriving empire. By the sixth year, you slew the Blade Sovereign in single combat."
Areis narrowed his eyes and scoffed. "I did not ask for my biography. But since you know so much about me, you must know that I am not someone whose patience is to be tested." A cold, dark miasma oozes out of him, "Do not make me repeat myself- Who the fuck are you!?"
The man stepped forward, boots echoing against the blood-slicked stone as he entered the pale moonlight. He halted just a few steps from the throne of corpses.
Areis froze. His eyes widened.
"...It has been a while," the man said.
Areis staggered back. His heel slipped on the wet stone. His breath hitched as if he had seen a ghost.
"B-but... I watched you die..."
Memories crashed through his mind—before the crown, before the guild, before the war against the Tribal Chiefs. Back when he shared a cramped, crumbling home with ten other children… and the old caretaker who raised them.
He whispered, "...Fergh?"
The man gave a faint smile.
"No, brother. That name belongs to another life. I am Felgrand Litcht now—Successor of the Blade Sovereign and Emperor of Durian."
Areis jumped down from the corpse mound, landing a few feet away. In one swift motion, he raised his scythe and pointed it at Felgrand's neck.
"Not another step."
Felgrand raised his hands in a calm gesture.
"Is that truly necessary? It has been eighteen years, brother."
Areis narrowed his eyes.
"You might wear his face, but you are not Fergh."
He cast a glance at the smoldering remains of Rease. His voice dropped, low and cold.
"You did this."
There was no doubt. The man before him had led the invading army that razed his city.
"I did not come to fight you," Felgrand said.
"Spare me the lies!" Areis snapped. "You burned our home to the ground!"
"A necessary sacrifice. A means to an end."
Areis took a step closer, blade still raised.
"Choose your words carefully. If you think I won't strike you down, you're mistaken."
Felgrand's expression remained composed.
"I am not like the other Sovereigns. I did not come to mourn those who fell in battle—they knew the risks. This is war."
"Then stop talking and say what you came to say."
Felgrand extended a hand. His voice, calm and resolute, echoed across the broken field.
"Join me, Areis. Together, we can unite the Continent beneath a single banner. Our banner."
Areis didn't blink.
"Not a chance."
Felgrand exhaled softly, almost disappointed.
"I expected as much."
A golden aura sparked around him. He reached for his sword and unsheathed it in a single, smooth motion.
"In that case, you leave me no choice. If you will not stand beside me, then you stand in my way… and like all obstacles, you must be removed."