Jose was weak, leaning heavily on Emilia as we stepped forward. The air grew colder with each step, the oppressive aura around the throne palpable. Sitting there was a figure cloaked in tattered robes, its head bowed as if in slumber. But the second we approached, its head rose, revealing hollow, glowing eyes brimming with hatred.
The multos that had been lingering, their translucent forms shifting nervously, vanished the moment the figure lifted its hand in a commanding gesture. The action sent a shiver down my spine, their disappearance an ominous sign.
The figure rose from the throne with deliberate slowness, its movements heavy with malice. Despite his ragged appearance, his presence was suffocating. His voice was deep and resonant, carrying centuries of pain and anger.
"Why…" he began, his gaze fixed squarely on me. "Why do you carry his blood?"
"Whose blood?" I managed to ask, though my voice trembled.
"The blood of the king who abandoned his people!" he roared, the walls of the chamber vibrating with his fury.
Emilia flinched, gripping Jose tighter. My body tensed as the figure stepped closer, his shadow stretching unnaturally across the room, like it was alive and hungry.
"I was supposed to be a guardian," he continued, his tone shifting, becoming almost mournful. "A protector of the weak. A shield for the innocent. That was my vow. And for years, I kept it. I stood against the tides of darkness, a beacon for those who had none."
His glowing eyes dimmed slightly, as though lost in memory, before flaring brighter with rage. "But what did it amount to? My king, the one who swore to lead us into a better age, turned his back on us! He made promises of salvation, of a future where we would no longer live in fear. And then… he fled. He took the power meant for our people and abandoned us to ruin!"
He took another step, and I felt an invisible force press against my chest, like a blade poised to pierce my heart. "And now, after all these centuries, someone with his cursed blood dares to stand before me? Does he think I've forgotten? Does he think I've forgiven?"
His voice dropped to a venomous whisper, "I will not be ignored again."
With a flick of his wrist, I felt a sharp, invisible force graze my neck, knocking me to the ground. My breath hitched as I clutched my throat, the sting of near-death searing through me.
"You have no idea what it feels like," he said, his voice trembling with a mix of fury and anguish. "To give everything, to sacrifice your body, your soul, for a cause… only to be left behind. To watch your people starve, your lands burn, while the one you trusted most vanishes into the night."
Using Phantom Prowl Steps, I dodged as another invisible force sliced the air where I had been. My movements were sluggish, my body still aching from the fight with Jose, but I couldn't afford to falter.
"You think I wanted this?" he continued, his voice rising again. "To become this twisted shadow of myself? The malice you feel, it isn't mine. It's his! It's the legacy he left behind, a curse that festers and consumes. All I am now is a reminder of his betrayal!"
"I don't even know who you're talking about!" I shouted, evading another strike.
"Lies!" he bellowed. "If you carry his blood, you carry his guilt!"
I needed a plan, fast. My movements were draining my Qi reserves, and every blow from the figure felt like it carried the weight of his centuries of resentment. Emilia and Jose were in no condition to help, and the figure was relentless.
"Stop this!" I tried to reason with him, keeping my distance. "You're angry at him, not me! I'm not your enemy!"
But he wouldn't listen. His hatred had consumed him so completely that logic and reason were drowned beneath its weight.
"You are the only connection I have to him," he snarled. "And I will destroy that connection with everything I have!"
I readied myself, focusing what little Qi I had left. If he was determined to vent his rage on me, I would fight back with everything I had.
But as I moved to counter his next strike, I caught a glimpse of his face of the anguish etched into his every feature. He wasn't just a villain. He was a man broken by betrayal, consumed by a pain that had festered for lifetimes.
And somehow, I had to find a way to end this fight without becoming another victim of his wrath or worse, without letting his rage claim me as its next vessel.
The figure's attacks came in a relentless torrent, each movement a blur of shadows and malice. His strikes carried an almost imperceptible force, as though the air itself turned into blades slicing through the chamber. I twisted and turned with Phantom Prowl Steps, narrowly evading his onslaught, but my legs burned with exhaustion, and my Qi reserves were running low.
"You cannot escape justice, child of a betrayer!" he bellowed, his voice reverberating like thunder. "Every breath you take is an insult to the people he left behind!"
I ducked under another strike, the invisible force ruffling my hair as it missed my head by a fraction. "I'm not him!" I shouted back, summoning my Flame Fist Technique and igniting my hands with blazing energy. "And I'm not going to let you take out your anger on me!"
With a roar, I charged forward, driving a flaming punch toward his chest. The room brightened as the flames illuminated his dark figure, casting eerie shadows on the ancient walls.
But he caught my fist with ease, his clawed hand gripping so tightly that I felt the flames falter. "Is this the best his bloodline can muster?" he sneered, tightening his grip until I thought my bones might snap.
I gritted my teeth, twisting my body and disengaging with a Phantom Prowl Step. As I retreated, Emilia leapt into the fray, her spear glowing with an icy-blue light. She struck with precision, aiming for his flank.
Her spear connected, a burst of frosty energy erupting upon impact. The figure staggered back, his blackened robes hissing as they absorbed the frost. "You dare meddle in matters beyond your comprehension, girl?" he snarled, his glowing eyes locking onto Emilia.
"I don't care about your vendetta," Emilia snapped, her voice steady despite the danger. "But you're not taking him down while I'm here!"
The figure waved a hand, sending a shockwave toward her. She braced herself, but the force hurled her across the room. She hit the wall with a pained grunt and slumped to the floor.
"Emilia!" I shouted, my heart pounding. But she forced herself back up, using her spear for support. "Don't count me out yet," she said, her voice hoarse.
I turned back to the figure, fury building in my chest. My Qi flared brighter as I activated the Shadow Flame Spiral, merging the Phantom Prowl Steps and Flame Fist Technique into a seamless dance of flames and shadows. I darted around him, my movements creating spiraling trails of fire.
With a burst of speed, I launched myself upward, spinning mid-air and delivering a powerful kick wreathed in flames. "Take this!" I roared, the impact sending a shockwave through the chamber.
The figure staggered, his dark aura flickering. "You... fight like him," he muttered, almost to himself. His gaze grew more intense, his hatred renewed. "But you'll never be like him. He was a coward. You'll fall as he should have!"
He lunged at me, his attacks even more ferocious. I barely managed to parry his strikes, each blow sending painful vibrations through my arms. I glanced at Emilia, who was circling behind him.
She thrust her spear toward his back, and this time, it pierced through the shadows. The figure howled, his form flickering. "You insolent..." He swung around, but I seized the opening.
"Shadow Flame Spiral!" I shouted, unleashing a barrage of fiery strikes. Each hit landed with a resounding thud, forcing him to stumble back. But the more we pushed him, the stronger his rage seemed to grow.
And then, unexpectedly, Jose stirred. His weak voice was barely audible amidst the chaos. Emilia noticed first, her eyes widening. "Jose!"
The figure turned his head sharply toward Jose, his glowing eyes narrowing. "What did you say?" he asked, his voice quieter but no less menacing.
Jose's lips moved again, forming words we couldn't hear. His voice was faint, almost lost to the charged air around us.
The figure froze, his hand mid-swing as if gaining clarity in his clouded mind. His fiery eyes widened, the glow dimming slightly. "I see," he said softly, his tone shifting from rage to something almost contemplative. "So the time has come."
His dark form began to dissolve, his outline shimmering like a mirage. The oppressive aura that had filled the chamber lifted, leaving behind an eerie silence.
"I have waited for centuries for this moment," he said, his voice resonating in my mind. "The debt of the past still lingers, but it is not your burden to bear, child. You may not know it yet, but the path you walk is intertwined with his."
With that, his presence faded completely. The air shimmered, and an ancient garment appeared, floating gently before me. Its intricate fabric glowed faintly with a soft, golden light. The moment I touched it, a surge of energy coursed through me, as though it carried the wisdom and strength of countless generations.
Jose collapsed again, and Emilia and I rushed to his side. "What… just happened?" Emilia asked, her voice trembling.
I looked at Jose, then at the garment in my hand. "I don't know," I said, my voice heavy. "But whatever it was… it's far from over."