The First Prince surfaced through the Crowned Avatar and listed everyone he blamed for becoming irrelevant.
"Our father measured me against blood that would not answer," he said from beneath the cracked helm. "You fled, then became more valuable, Didi, while Hajin arrived with stolen divinity and received my deserved awe."
Didi remained planted ten paces inside the royal shield while her protected line waited behind her. The silver line stayed open without assigning anyone as subject.
Blood continued leaving her palm as the Court tested that refusal. Ferra's mundane bandage slowed the wound but could not heal it inside the active shield.
Didi carried the cost without presenting pain as proof that her argument deserved acceptance. The refusal had to stand even if nobody praised it.
While she held the frost line, Hajin steadied himself with a slow scroll through the system shop. He browsed only, buying nothing, letting his eyes move across the listings.
