Arius looked at Kane with eyes overflowing with guilt, attempting to speak from behind the veil, but his voice came out muffled. Meanwhile, Kane whispered with burning anguish: "Never mind, my boy... I am ultimately the cause." Arius interrupted him with a broken gaze, to which Kane replied with a trembling voice: "No, not you... it is rather..."
Kane cut his words short as he saw Nahira rise from her throne with vanity, advancing toward the edge of the golden platform. An absolute silence prevailed, then her voice rang out through the power amplifiers to fill all corners of the capital:
"My great peoples! Today, a matter has been achieved that I do not view as an accomplishment, but rather as an axiom that must be realized in every time and place. Today, the traitors will be executed! Yes... traitors who thought they were clever, and that their cleverness would save them from my wisdom and infinite authority. Traitors whom I thought I would never have to consider as such... but they defied me, and by this act of theirs, they have fallen into my hands, and under my judgment which will erase them from history!"
She raised her hand toward the sky as she continued in a theatrical tone overflowing with narcissism: "Today I speak on behalf of every mother and father who lost their children because of scum who call themselves 'rebels'! Those who brainwashed your youth and made them believe in a terrorist idea, which is rebellion against your mistress. For this special day, I have decided to end this threat to our security.. so enjoy the show!"
Suddenly, the sky ignited with giant screens displaying a live broadcast of the rebels' secret hideouts across various parts of the planet. Explosions began collapsing the ground, and Ryzo projectiles rained down on the shelters, bombarding them with brutal violence. Arius watched in a shock that paralyzed his limbs, while Kane fell to his knees, screaming silently as he saw the villages and hideouts being completely wiped out.
Kane whispered in a faltering voice, tears carving their paths down his pale face: "Damn it... in those hideouts are children, the elderly, and women... youth who were raised on good values. Why is this world not fair? Why?"
Kane's words pierced Arius's consciousness like heated blades. He felt spite boiling in his veins like volcanic lava, an internal melting of his soul as he watched the massacre being displayed as an entertainment movie for the cheering crowds. He remained silent, but the Ryzo aura inside his body began to fluctuate violently beneath the insulators, and his energy soldiers deep within him (Rynos, Dark, and Jilin) began to roar with a sound that almost exploded his consciousness, sensing the breakdown of their master and his anger that exceeded all limits.
Nahira looked down at Arius, smiling triumphantly as she saw the brokenness in his eyes, while Clarice observed the scene from a dark corner, placing her hand over her heart, waiting for the moment when this spite would turn into an explosion that changes the face of the universe.
All cameras and giant screens suddenly turned to cast their searchlights on Arius and Kane inside the pit, their images now being displayed in every corner of the planet. Nahira stood tall and pointed her hand toward them, saying in a resonant voice: "Do you see these two? These two are among those most responsible for that terrorist group!"
Commotion and chaos prevailed among the ranks of the crowds; the majority of the people used to look at Arius as the wise leader and trusted right hand, but the propaganda led by Nahira turned him in a single second into a traitorous monster who exploited their trust. Jeers and whistles of anger began to pour down on them like rain, and insults hurled from every direction.
Kane closed his eyes in pain and whispered: "I am sorry, Arius..." Arius replied with a terrifying calmness as he observed the angry faces around him: "It is fine.. I am used to this anyway, especially in this place, so do not care." Kane looked at him with sadness, for he knew that Arius's past was full of rejection and hatred; nevertheless, it pained him to see the young man bear this weight again.
The two were dragged violently to stand before Nahira's platform. Nahira descended from her throne slowly, holding an energy sword that radiated a terrifying white light, her steps upon the marble playing the melody of death. The crowds roared in celebration, as if they were at a national festival and not in an execution square.
When Nahira stood before them, Arius turned toward Kane and said with a faint smile: "I am very pleased to have known you, Uncle Kane." Kane replied with an unshakeable dignity: "Rather, the honor is mine to stand by your side at this moment."
Nahira stood between them and asked with narcissistic coldness: "Any last words?" Arius laughed bitterly, while Kane asked in a faltering voice: "Tell me... did you really kill my family?" Nahira glanced at him with disgust and said: "Did you think I was joking? Or that I would leave anyone alive just for your sake?"
Nahira raised the sword, then directed her gaze to Arius and said: "Look at me, Arius.. I will offer you a beautiful proposal." Arius raised his head, which was heavy with wounds: "A proposal?" Nahira said slyly: "Yes, I will overlook your life, and in return.. you will kill this old man with your own hand! Then I will be certain that you are still on my side, and I will overlook your crimes and treason."
An absolute silence prevailed. Moments passed that seemed like eons; Arius looked at Kane, then at Nahira, and suddenly.. a muffled laugh began to escape his chest, then he spat in her face with all the strength he possessed and shouted: "Go to hell, you damned whore!"
Nahira's eyes ignited with an unprecedented madness, and she kicked Arius with a kick that threw him far away to crash against the wall of the pit, then she gripped the hilt of the sword with her hand that trembled with rage. With a swift, brutal movement, the sword came down to sever Kane's head before Arius's eyes! She did not stop at that; instead, she raised her foot and crushed his skull upon the ground without a shred of mercy, and blood splattered to cover Arius's stunned face.
A funereal silence prevailed throughout the square, broken only by the sound of Kane's blood droplets hitting the ground. Arius lay on his back, staring with vacant eyes at the head of the man he considered a father to him as it turned into wreckage beneath Nahira's foot. He did not scream, he did not cry; shock had completely paralyzed his soul.
Nahira approached him slowly, crimson blood staining her beautiful face like a diabolical mask. Her breath was rapid from excess rage, and the glow of her energy sword grew sharper. She stood over him and spoke in a voice trembling with malice: "You have insulted me, boy.. you spat in the face of your queen before everyone? I will make you wish you had never been created."
She raised the sword high to plunge it into his chest, so Arius closed his eyes weakly, lowering his head in submission to the darkness of fate, and whispered in a dead voice: "So.. this is my end. Even after all I have been through, I achieved nothing.. damn this world. You were right, Uncle Kane.. life is never fair."
And as the sword was coming down to split his chest, a sharp, calm voice pierced the noise of the silence that hung over the crowds: "Stop, Nahira!"
The sword froze millimeters away from Arius's heart. Nahira turned her head very slowly, her eyes burning with a deadly spark, to see Clarice descending the royal stairs with absolute coldness and elegance, everyone clearing the way for her in astonishment.
Nahira said in a tone dripping with poison: "Excuse me.. what did you just say?" Clarice replied as she continued her advance until she reached the center of the pit: "I told you to stop right now. You agreed to my request in the throne room, and now.. this boy has become mine."
Amid the shock of thousands of onlookers, Clarice knelt before the shattered Arius, and with a swift movement of her fingers, she broke the energy shackles and chains that bound his hands and feet as if they were flimsy threads. She took his hand and lifted his exhausted body, which was unable to walk due to Nahira's vicious kick, and leaned him against her shoulder.
Clarice looked at her frowning sister and said in open defiance: "Your show is over, Nahira. I am taking him with me now."
Clarice began walking and leaving the square, dragging Arius behind her, amid the gazes of the servants and soldiers, none of whom dared to obstruct the path of the "Wise Ruler." As for Nahira, she stood in her place, and the sound of the energy sword shattering in her grip from the intensity of anger echoed like thunder throughout the place, while the veins of her neck throbbed with madness as she saw her favorite toy being stolen from her before everyone's eyes.
In her luxurious private suite, where the atmosphere was redolent with the scent of royal incense and a sinister calm, Clarice sat beside the exhausted Arius. She was wiping his wounds with cotton soaked in a healing solution with a tenderness Arius had never experienced from her before.
She whispered as she looked at the bruises left by Nahira's army: "How did that wretched woman dare do this to you? I told her to be gentle in her reaction..." Arius furrowed his eyebrows in pain and lack of understanding: "Excuse me.. why are you talking to yourself? And what are you talking about?"
She turned to him quickly, a faint smile appearing on her face: "Nothing.. nothing at all. I just feel sad for what happened to you, and for that person (Kane)." At the mere mention of Kane's name, the dam of endurance collapsed in Arius's eyes; tears began to stream profusely as he imagined the scene of the skull of the man who supported him being crushed. Clarice approached him and wiped his tears with her soft fingers, and in an unexpected moment, she pulled him toward her and embraced him tightly.
She whispered in his ear: "Do not worry.. I know you are a poor soul, and now come, calm down while I take care of you." Arius felt a strange comfort he hadn't felt in a long time, but behind this comfort was a voice warning him; for this woman is Nahira's sister, and from the same lineage that destroyed his life.
She stepped back a little and looked into his eyes seriously: "Look at me.. from today, you will not return to that cell, you will never be executed, and you will not go to Nahira again. From now on, you are under my protection.. do you understand that?"
Arius said in a hoarse voice: "Thank you, miss.. but if your words are true and you pity me, then it is better that I leave from here definitively. I promise you that I will not return and will not think of revenge.. I will depart in peace and you will not see me before you again."
Clarice looked at him with a gentle coldness, and said a single word that cut off his hopes: "No." Arius took a step back as he remembered her threats in prison, for she added in a tone carrying a lot of obligation: "In fact, I suffered greatly to convince my sister not to execute you.. I sacrificed a lot for you to remain alive, Mr. Arius, you must appreciate that."
Arius said bitterly: "And the price of my survival is the deprivation of my freedom, correct? I will be a prisoner in your suite instead of the basement?"
Clarice stood up with all cunning, moving around him like a smooth-to-the-touch snake, and said: "Never.. never.. I did not say that. All there is to it is that I want only one thing from you, a matter that will not strip your freedom and will never oppose your plans.. believe me."
Arius asked in a tone full of suspicion: "And what is the matter that you want?"
Clarice turned to him, and began to walk around him slowly as if cornering him with her words: "Well.. I want one thing from you, but you want many things from me, is my speech not correct?" Arius answered her sharply: "What I want now is for you to tell me what you want from me only!"
Clarice smiled as she turned toward the window overlooking the capital and the outside, and said in a tone dreamy and terrifying at the same time: "What I want is a request that will change our lives together.. do you understand me?" Arius shouted: "And what is it? Speak!"
She turned to him with a side glance, and with great comfort said: "What I want.. is for us to become husband and wife to each other."
Arius froze in his place, his eyes widening in a shock he had not imagined in his worst nightmares. "What nonsense are you uttering, girl?!" Arius shouted as he rushed toward the room door to open it and escape, but he collided with a transparent and impenetrable energy barrier. He tried to punch the barrier with all his might, but it was harder than steel.
Clarice said coldly as she watched him: "It is no use.. it is made of energy, so do not try." Arius grew furiously angry, and in a moment of despair, decided to attack her directly to force her to open the door, but as soon as he thought of the attack, he felt a spark of existential terror explode inside his body. He fell to his knees immediately, trembling like a small child facing an indescribable monster; it was not just energy, but he felt as if billions of screams were being generated from the depths of her power, as if she carried a hidden hell behind her beautiful face.
She approached him and sat near him on the ground, stroking his hair with a terrifying gentleness: "Did you feel my power, my dear? Was it beautiful?" Arius looked at her while panting, panic possessing him: "Who.. who are you really?" She smiled with a face overflowing with artificial kindness and said: "Your beloved wife."
On the other side of the palace, Nahira was speaking to her assistant Smith in an angry tone, when Gelius entered the hall. He had received treatment, but his arm that Rynos had burned did not return; Rynos had vaporized it with his special Ryzo energy forever.
Nahira looked at him with contempt and said: "It is good that you are healed, but you will be punished for your negligence. How can an energy insect belonging to a weak person like the traitor Arius defeat you?" Gelius felt an insult that stabbed his pride as a ruler, so he clenched his sole remaining fist and said in a voice trembling with malice: "My lady.. I request to see Arius now. I want to take revenge on him and tear what remains of his body with this hand of mine!"
Nahira laughed mockingly: "Arius is no longer under my authority currently.. Clarice took him, and if you want to reach him, you must face her first."
While the universe was igniting with conflicts in the upper palaces, life in the sixth world, specifically on planet Earth, was proceeding at a calm and stable pace, as if isolated from the hell that Arius was living.
Raymos emerged from the advanced training room designed for him by "Wang"; his sweat was pouring and his body looked more solid, for he had taken training as a sanctuary to vent the energy of anxiety that had inhabited him since the departure of his brother-in-law and lifelong friend. As for Lina, she proved the strength of her resolve, as she became the main driver of the family economy, managing their company with intelligence and firmness, turning her sadness into a brilliant practical success.
As for Yuna, she was the pleasant surprise for everyone; she regained the sparkle in her eyes and was no longer that psychologically shattered mother, but rather began to practice her life normally, as if she believed in the depth of her soul that Arius is in some place, forging his way with strength.
In those moments, Wang's steps landed quietly, and he entered the vast garden of the house. He found Yuna sitting, sipping tea with dignity, her eyes fixed on Raymos who was directing precise Ryzo strikes into the air.
Wang offered greetings with reverence: "Hello, Lady Yuna.. how are things today? I hope you are in the best condition." Yuna turned to him, and a bright smile formed on her face that dispelled the clouds of anxiety: "Oh Wang! I am perfectly fine.. how are your conditions? A long period has passed since you last visited us."
Wang sighed with a tired smile as he wiped his face: "Excuse me, Lady Yuna, but Lady Arlin is very negligent as you know. I am the one who carries out all governance work, and on top of that, I spend my time cleaning the ruin she leaves behind on our planet because of her recklessness."
Yuna laughed a clear laugh and said: "It seems she is a truly lazy ruler!" Wang smiled as he sat beside her: "Very much so.. were it not for my presence, the administrative system in the sixth world would probably have collapsed in a single day."
Wang took a cup of tea and began to observe Raymos with interest. He noticed that Raymos's movements had become more lethal and swift, and that his power number had begun to rise noticeably. A short silence prevailed, before Wang whispered to Yuna as he watched Raymos: "He trains as if he is preparing for a major war.. does he feel something we do not know? Or is he trying to reach a rank that allows him to cross the borders and become the new ruler of this world?"
Yuna asked with curiosity and anxiety: "What do you mean, Wang?"
Wang placed the teacup quietly and looked at Raymos, who was directing an aerial kick that cracked the sound barrier, then said in a low voice: "In fact, Lady Arlin and I have been preparing Raymos for long months to become the new ruler of the sixth world. Lady Arlin has decided to retire and live far away from destruction and responsibilities, and we found no one possessing the determination and right spirit to protect this world except Raymos, and that is why he trains as if he is fighting death itself."
Yuna nodded her head with understanding and said in a faint voice: "So that is it.. a heavy burden awaits him."
At that moment, Raymos stopped training, wiped his sweat with his hand, and turned to find Wang, so he headed toward them with confident steps and sharp looks. Wang initiated the conversation: "Hello, Raymos.. it seems you are working with exceptional diligence today."
Raymos replied in a serious and stern tone: "Yes, Wang, for I am the protector of this world now. And from this moment, we will not be just a marginal world; we will become the world that surpasses the other nine worlds. I will not allow anyone to underestimate us again, especially after that cursed tournament.. we were on the verge of perishing because our world's classification was among the lowest."
Wang tried to calm his intensity, saying: "But we won and came out alive, and on top of that, our fight in the last tournament against the first world raised us to the third rank, which is an excellent rank we did not dream of previously."
Suddenly, Raymos struck the table with his fist with a force that made the teacups shake, and shouted bitterly: "But I presented nothing at that time! The victory and the ranking were not because of me.. rather they were because of that person (Arius)."
Silence hung for a moment, so Wang looked at him with expert eyes and said: "Yes, his achievements can never be forgotten.. but you will be our next winning card, and the rest will stand behind you."
Raymos did not seem convinced; instead, he grabbed the water bottle and drank from it with intense thirst, as if a fire was burning in his chest that all the waters of the earth could not extinguish. His power number, which appeared on the small measuring device on his wrist, was rising slowly, but to him, it was still "weak" compared to the giant he left behind.
Wang's tone changed suddenly to become lower and more dangerous, and he said while looking around cautiously: "Well, listen to me well, Raymos.. I noticed a strange matter upon my entry into the planet's atmosphere. I saw things hovering around Earth, things that do not belong to this system.. exactly like those strange insects we caught one day."
Ray.