As he advanced, his movements slow and deliberate, the mana around him rippled, drawn to him as if commanded by some unseen force. Airo's breaths grew shallower, his blood pooling around him in dark, glistening streaks. Every feeble spell he tried to conjure fizzled out the moment the energy left his body, siphoned away by Arthur's sheer proximity.
Arthur's voice, low and guttural, shattered the oppressive silence. "You're messing with power you don't understand, Airo. Clawing at scraps, begging for mercy from a force you can't hope to match."
Airo's lips curled into a snarl, masking the fear gnawing at his core. "You… You threw away the kingdom's legacy. You could have been-"
"A pawn." Arthur interrupted, his voice a growl laced with disdain. "I could have been a tool for a king's lies."
