"Good, I look forward to seeing your growth." Shortly after these parting words, Arias's figure vanished completely, leaving Kara feeling a mix of both fear and relief. She could only wonder what his "help" would entail.
Meanwhile, Arias had reappeared in his room on the yacht, as if he had never left. A smile remained on his face as he made his way to his bed, sat at its edge, and soon fell back, letting out a satisfied sigh as he shut his eyes.
*Beep.*
His eyes reopened as the alarm he had set on his digital watch rang mildly in his room. Following the ringing, a resounding knock could be heard at his door.
"Finally here." Arias rose and took a deep inhale before his eyes shone with vigor. Wasting no time, he left his bedroom and opened the door to find a smiling Cheshire waiting.
"We're here, boss—sort of," she cryptically revealed while crossing her arms.
"Sort of?" Arias repeated, a look of curiosity appearing on his face.
"We're being denied entry into the port to dock," Cheshire explained while shrugging her shoulders, unsure herself what exactly was happening.
But rather than look upset, a smile crept up on Arias's face as he asked, "On whose orders?"
…
At the same time, within the luxurious interior of Markov Castle, two figures could be seen meeting inside a grand dining area. On one side of a long rectangular table sat a smiling Fredrick Delamb, the current regent of Markovia. On the other side sat a stoic Vandal Savage, whose imposing demeanor demanded respect from most who saw him.
As the two were dining, an imperial guard rushed in and immediately came to Fredrick's side, whispering some information into his ear. This caused him to widen his eyes, a look of concern etching across his face.
Fredrick quickly turned his gaze toward Vandal Savage and spoke with visible worry, "Arias Markovic is requesting to dock. Should I allow it?"
Vandal Savage swirled the glass of fine wine he'd been drinking, a small smile appearing on his face. "Now why would there be a need to do that? Regardless of what he's done for Markovia, he must still follow its laws. Or do you think he now represents the Light?"
As Savage asked this, he calmly placed his glass on the table and met Fredrick's gaze, making the man feel nothing but fear inside. He gulped nervously before chuckling and shaking his head.
"Aha, of course not. I wouldn't dare make such a bold claim. You, tell Arias Markovic—or whoever else requests special entry into Markovia—that I, Fredrick Delamb, forbid it, as I am entertaining a very important guest at the moment."
Fredrick spoke with great confidence and quickly shooed the guard away before turning his attention back to Vandal Savage. "So, about Tara... I've done my best to try and convince her, but she will no longer even take my calls. Do you think she spoke of this matter to Arias?"
"It's highly possible," Vandal casually confirmed, his gaze emotionless. This nonchalant attitude toward a not-so-easy opponent left Fredrick surprised. "Are you not worried he'll retaliate?"
Although a good question to ask, Fredrick received a light laugh from Vandal in response, as if he were a fool. Vandal then looked at Fredrick sternly and spoke.
"I'm beginning to grow tired of everyone's amazement toward this… child. You may look at what he's done as victories, but I—who have lived through numerous eras and seen many like him die—am not impressed. He's served the Light well, but he is starting to overstate his role. That is why I've decided to intervene and remind him just who holds the reins here."
Vandal's voice was as terrifying as it was imposing, leaving Fredrick no doubts as he nodded along nervously.
"Oh, you're absolutely ri—" Before Fredrick could finish, a loud shattering echoed in his ear as the large arrangement of windows on one side of the room broke with immense ferocity.
*Pa!*
Before he or Vandal could react, several bodies of imperial guards smacked against the wall opposite the window like flies, becoming a bloody paste of bone and organs instantly.
Vandal Savage frowned at the sight but maintained his composure, while Fredrick's mouth gaped in disbelief, completely speechless.
Following the incident, the doors to the dining area swung open as Arias's solitary figure walked in, his expression bearing a casual smile, with his hands nonchalantly in his pockets.
"Forgive the mess. These men seemed to forget who was really in control. Funny, wouldn't you agree, Fredrick?" Although smiling, Arias's tone and gaze were frighteningly cold, as if he could kill at any moment.
Unlike Fredrick, who became a bumbling mess, Vandal Savage remained calm and met Arias's gaze. "I think it is you who has forgotten who's in control."
Hearing this from Vandal, Arias broke into mild laughter as his gaze began to glow with an eerie light.
"Why don't you remind me?" As Arias said this, the entire castle shook at the force of his voice, rupturing the eardrums of those too weak to bear it. Even the once-composed Vandal showed a bit of concern as he stood up and faced Arias with a frown. "It seems I have no choice but to do just th—"
Vandal couldn't even finish his sentence before Arias's figure flashed right in front of him, fist closed and ready for impact. He couldn't react as Arias viciously punched him in the gut with such tremendous force that everything behind Vandal Savage was obliterated—walls, people, objects—everything.
Rather than the air leave his lungs, the immense pressure on them caused them to burst like overblown balloons, leading Vandal to cough blood as he fell to his knees, his eyes flickering in shock and disbelief.
He slowly raised his head to look at Arias's towering figure, whose face wore a large smile as he asked, "Well? Where's my reminder?"
Vandal was absolutely bewildered. He wasn't even given the chance to answer the rhetorical question before Arias grabbed his face and slammed him into the ground, shaking the entire castle as Savage's body fell through multiple floors.
Upon finally reaching the bottom, Vandal's entire body was disfigured and riddled with wounds, but he could still move, struggling to get up. His efforts, however, were met with a vicious kick to the face that sent him flying through multiple foundations of the castle.
"I asked you a question, Vandal." Arias repeated, his figure consistently appearing near Vandal with each successive attack.
Vandal's vision blurred, but Arias approached, holding him by the collar without remorse, looking at him pitifully.
"Where's my reminder, Vandal? We're not done here until I see it… or you die. Which do you think will come first?"