In the depths of Riei's domain, silence reigned.
Not the peaceful quiet of a lazy afternoon, but the suffocating stillness before a storm.
Riei coiled in her central chamber, golden scales shimmering in the light of flickering spirit flames.
Her eyes, usually warm and inviting, now held a sharp, calculating gleam.
"Migi," she called softly, her voice barely above a whisper yet carrying easily through the tense air.
The fox spirit materialised from the shadows, her multiple tails swishing nervously.
"Yes, Riei?".
"Have all the spy insects been found?"
Migi's ears twitched, a sign of her unease.
"We've swept every corner, every crevice. But..."
"But?"
"There's no way to be certain we've caught them all. The Wraith's technology is... insidious."
Riei's tongue flicked out, tasting the air. "And Ryan? Where is our illustrious Spirit King?"
A flicker of something – worry? frustration? – passed across Migi's face.
"I... I can't sense him nearby. He was here just a moment ago, helping with the preparations, and then..."
Realization dawned on both their faces simultaneously.
Riei's coils tightened, her scales rasping against the stone floor.
"That reckless fool," she hissed, more exasperated than angry. "He's gone to face them alone, hasn't he?".
"I don't think he'd…" Migi's eyes widened, "Of course he did".
....
Miles away, at the very edge of the underground city, Ryan Hanley stood in solitary defiance.
His crimson eyes surveyed the army of shadows before him, a sardonic smile playing on his lips.
The weight of expectation pressed down on him, heavier than any physical burden.
'So this is what it means to be the Spirit King,' he mused, a wry chuckle escaping him. 'Standing between an army and its prey. How... inconvenient.'
As the Obsidian Wraith's forces drew near, a figure detached itself from the mass of shadows.
Chung, the ice spirit contractor, approached with measured steps.
Frost spread beneath his feet, creating intricate patterns on the cavern floor.
"Spirit King," Chung's voice carried easily across the space between them, dripping with cold disdain. "I expected... more."
Ryan cocked an eyebrow, his posture deceptively relaxed. "Sorry to disappoint. I left my crown and scepter in my other pants."
Chung's eyes narrowed, ice crystals forming in the air around him. "You mock what you don't understand, boy. The power you wield—".
"Is mine to wield as I see fit," Ryan interrupted, his eyes hardening even as his smirk widened.
"And right now, I'm thinking it might be fun to see how an ice spirit fares against a little heat."
As he spoke, the air around Ryan began to shimmer.
His red aura pulsed, pushing back against the encroaching cold.
The two forces met in the space between them, creating a swirling mist that danced and eddied in mesmerizing patterns.
Chung's lips curled into a cold smile. "You're alone, Spirit King. Where are your loyal subjects? Your precious Riei and her household? I surely hope you weren't stupid enough to come here by yourself".
A twinge of guilt tugged at Ryan's conscience, quickly buried beneath layers of bravado and reckless determination.
He'd slipped away while they were preparing, driven by a desire to face this threat head-on.
To prove to himself, more than anyone, that he was worthy of the title thrust upon him.
"Oh, you know how it is," Ryan shrugged, masking his inner turmoil with nonchalance.
"Good help is so hard to find these days. Thought I'd save everyone the trouble and handle this myself."
As the two powerful spirits faced off, the very air seemed to vibrate with tension.
Chung's ice clashed with Ryan's heat, creating a misty battleground between them.
The armies of spirits, light and dark, good and corrupt, readied themselves for the clash.
And at the center of it all stood Ryan Hanley, the reluctant Spirit King with a penchant for trouble.
His red aura flared brighter, a beacon in the misty cavern.
As Chung raised his hand to signal the attack, Ryan's grin turned feral.
"Well then," he murmured, mostly to himself, "let's see what this Spirit King can really do."
Baam-!
Chung dropped his hand.
The monsters all charged forward, speeding towards Ryan like hungry monsters.
With his grin still hitched on his face, Ryan clenched his fist.
A single step-
Boom-!
And Ryan had gotten right in front of the first line of monsters, energy whirling around his body.
Innocent people who were not involved in the fight, all began running away. Not many wanted to be a part of a war.
And what was worse- Chung was present.
Ryan grabbed the head of a monster, smashing its head to the ground. It exploded upon impact, blue blood spilling everywhere.
Almost immediately, Ryan Hanley had charged to the left side of the field, where more monsters seemed to be charging from.
He grinned.
'Well now, isn't this wonderful!'.
His hands sprung forward and blue energy balls appeared around him, each one shooting powerful energy attacks at the enemies charging towards him.
Chung, standing at the back of the whole battle, watched with his hand tucked.
"So? He is really the same Spirit king you saw?" He asked, his eyes never leaving Ryan's form.
"Yes my lord." Jun replied.
She was standing right beside Chung, where she had always been. By the side of the man who saved her.
"His aura is impressive as you said… I'm impressed… Even so, I want to see him brought dead or alive." Chung smirked a bit.
And he wasn't wrong.
The aura of the spirit king has always been different. The vibrant colour Red. The colour given to the man who attained the level of Spirit lord.
The highest any have ever gotten was the colour purple, given to the Grand master Contractor level.
A level unattainable to all Contractors and spirits.
Was now being welded by the man who separated himself from the world 1000 years ago.
The man who reappeared to visit the world he had once left behind… in flash and reborn as a new force of nature.
The Spirit King of Origin, Ryan Hanley.