The guests filed in orderly, their footsteps were muffled by the carpeted floor; each paused briefly to bow before Nioh, then moved toward the altar to pay respects to the late heir.
"Council Elder Myros, offering condolences," whispered Iris as the first elder stepped forward. Nioh inclined his head, acknowledging the elder, who returned the gesture with solemnity before proceeding to the altar.
The procession continued smoothly. Iris introduced each group or individual in a low voice, ensuring Nioh was prepared to greet them appropriately.
Next came dignitaries from various allied houses. They offered formal condolences, some adding short remarks about the deceased heir's legacy. Nioh responded respectfully but kept his words brief, maintaining the tone of the ceremony.
A group of military officers entered next, their uniforms crisp and medals gleaming. They saluted Nioh before bowing to the altar.
"Commander Joras, representing the Northern Division," Iris informed him.
"Commander, your presence honors my brother," Nioh said. The officer gave a stiff bow and proceeded.
As the hall filled, the guests formed a silent line before the altar, each paying their respects before stepping aside. Behind Nioh, Leon and Patrix stood quietly, observing the proceedings with newfound restraint. Kalix remained further back, subdued but present.
When the final guest entered, the room grew still. Nioh stepped forward, clasping his hands together in a gesture of unity.
"Thank you all for coming to honor my brother," he said, his voice clear and steady. "Your presence here speaks to the respect and bond shared with our family. Let us remember him with dignity and strength."
The room remained silent as the final prayers were offered with the ceremony proceeding without interruption.
--
In the throne room, the monarch and the empress were listening to the report from the attendant on the proceeding of the funeral.
"He choked, Kalix? really unruly! Not knowing any manner" the Monarch said with a smile on his face. He was clearly happy but scolding away his son.
The rest of the members of the monarch faction present, were feeling a headache coming. The dukes would not let this humiliation pass. This new prince would have to suffer a little bit.
"At least he know how to honor his older brother. Tell him to proceed to the burying ceremony. We will not be assisting. It not a good omen for a parent to bury his child" the emperess declared.
"We decree a week of territorial mourning starting today." the monarch declared. Court is adjourned.
--
As time passed, the crowd in the burial hall thinned as attendees finished paying their respects. Nioh couldn't help but notice the absence of envoys or public condolences from other monarchs. "It seems the situation is worse than I expected," he thought grimly, pacing the hall to coordinate the final stages of the burial ceremony.
A woman he had never seen before approached him in an unhurried manner. Frowning, he turned to Iris to inquire about her identity, only to realize he had wandered too far from his security detail. His eyes widened in alarm as he yelled, "Ex!"
The sudden outburst startled everyone present. A void portal opened directly behind him, and before anyone could react, the woman grabbed Nioh and pulled him through with a sinister smile.
X's inhuman reflexes took over as he hurled his sword with incredible speed. The blade slipped through the closing portal just before it vanished.
In front of the stunned crowd, the new prince had been kidnapped. Chaos erupted in the hall. "Marsai, lock the doors! No one moves until the prince is found!" X commanded, his voice sharp and authoritative.
Turning to the remaining guards, he growled, "If he's dead, prepare to follow him." He tapped his communication device and issued rapid orders:
"Seal all palace exit points. Ground all ports and flying vehicles. If anything moves, blast it to oblivion. Tag my knife—we need to track it immediately. Starting today, we might be at war."
A voice crackled in response. "Five minutes to pinpoint the exact location. The energy signature is still within the palace, according to Xenah."
"Good," X muttered, already moving. "I just hope the young master survives that long."
-
On the other side of the portal, Nioh reappeared in an enclosed space—a bunker or vault, judging by the reinforced walls. X's sword followed him through, embedding itself into the skull of the woman who had kidnapped him.
"The old man still has perfect aim," Nioh mused, freeing himself from her lifeless grip.
He surveyed his surroundings. "Not far from the burial hall," he deduced. "They've been planning this for a while. Who's the leak? Marsai? Or... X?"
Ten masked figures stood waiting for him. The leader stepped forward, his voice calm but menacing. "Prince Nioh, someone paid for your head."
"I suppose you're here to collect it," Nioh replied, pulling the sword from the dead woman's skull. He smirked darkly. "But tell me, how do you plan to take it with your ride home dead?"
"We came prepared to die," the leader answered coldly.
Nioh's grin widened into something almost feral. "Good. Very good. I've been in a murderous mood lately."
With that, he activated his partial morph. Black, horned armor and an exoskeletal suit materialized around him, the transformation smooth and deliberate. His biocore energy surged, filling the room with an oppressive aura.
"Come," he taunted, his voice amplified with Ekoh's influence. "Quench my anger."
The assassins hesitated, but only for a moment. Then, as if bewitched, they charged toward him like moths to a flame. The leader barked, "Stop! Hold your formation!" but it was too late. Nioh's voice, imbued with absolute command, had broken their will.
Ekoh, now fully integrated with Nioh, manipulated the surrounding gravity, reducing it to make Nioh feel weightless. With a single leap, Nioh soared high above the charging assassins.
Mid-air, he took a deep breath and reappeared in the middle of the group. The instant he landed, he unleashed a deafening, amplified cry—Ekoh's "Canary Cry"—that reverberated through the room in a sonic explosion.
The wave wasn't meant to kill, only to disorient. The assassins staggered, clutching their bleeding ears, completely vulnerable. Nioh didn't hesitate.
He drove X's blade through the nearest assassin, slicing through him effortlessly. The sharp blade, still carrying remnants of heat from X's earlier use, hummed with power. Ekoh amplified the lingering energy, turning the sword into a flaming weapon.
Nioh swung it in a wide arc, cleaving through three more assassins in a single motion. As the leader attempted a backstab, Nioh barely dodged, thanks to Ekoh intensifying the gravity around the incoming dagger. The attack missed by mere inches.
Nioh countered with a backflip, aiming a retaliatory kick at the leader, but the man's body turned intangible, slipping into the ground like a phantom.
With the leader momentarily out of reach, Nioh refocused on the remaining assassins. He hurled the flaming sword, impaling one through the abdomen, then reappeared above another.
This time, Nioh unleashed another Canary Cry directly at the assassin. The concentrated soundwave caused the man's eyes and ears to bleed before his skull distorted and finally exploded.
"Who's next?" Nioh growled, his voice dripping with malice as he prepared for the next wave.
Nioh stood tall after landing, extending his left arm as the flaming sword flew back to him like it had never left. He cracked his neck, first to the left, then to the right, his movements deliberate and unnervingly calm. His blood-soaked black exoskeleton gleamed in the dim light, and his horn pulsed with a sinister green glow, like a heartbeat in the darkness.
In just two minutes, half the assassins were dead, their morale shattered. The survivors hesitated, their eyes wide with fear, as if they were witnessing something beyond human comprehension. The leader's composure faltered as he assessed the situation.
"You hid your strength well, Prince Nioh," the leader said, his voice trembling slightly as he tried to steady himself. He gestured frantically to regroup the remaining assassins, but Nioh had no intention of giving them the chance.
The air around Nioh shifted as his aura surged, heavy and oppressive. His horn flared like a small star, its light casting long shadows that danced across the walls. The assassins froze, paralyzed by the weight of his presence, their instincts screaming that something terrible was coming.
"Kneel!" Nioh commanded, his voice resonating with an otherworldly power.
The assassins, expecting a lesser attack, leapt to resist the command. But Nioh's lips curled into a cold smile.
Simon says… die.
The heat from the flaming sword spiked, and with a single swing, a wave of fire erupted outward in a perfect ring. Everything within its path was reduced to ash, the inferno consuming all it touched. The remaining assassins crumbled, their screams swallowed by the roar of the flames.
The effort drained Nioh completely. His energy reserves depleted, and Ekoh slipped into hibernation. The exoskeleton receded, exposing his face, serene and unscathed, despite the carnage around him.
The leader reappeared behind Nioh, his body still smoldering from the heat. He delivered a vicious kick, sending Nioh sprawling across the floor.
"You little shit," the leader snarled, his breath labored as he approached. "I'll kill you with my own hands."
Nioh, sprawled on the ground, grinned up at him. "Too late. You can't anymore."
"What are you talking about?" the leader demanded, his anger twisting into confusion.
Nioh raised a hand and pointed upward. "Look."
The leader hesitated, unwilling to fall for another trick. But before he could act, a deafening boom shook the bunker, the ceiling collapsing in a cloud of dust and debris.