The world stopped breathing.

  Kyros thought: I was trying to remember where I had seen those aberrations before… strange monsters, coordinated attacks on multiple fronts.

  — You are an original Disaster, bastard!

  I thought I had sealed you after that damned labyrinth…! But it seems I failed miserably.

  It seems I really aged after the War of the Kingdoms… and the labyrinth.

  I became too relaxed. And this past has returned.

  But it’s time to correct that.

  Anatoly held his own body — trying to regenerate.

  — Damn Thunder Phantom… it was you who killed Mirmus.

  Kyros replied, cold:

  — So that show-off… Absolute Zero… was one of you.

  He went into shock. Begged for mercy… before I turned him to dust.

  The veins on Anatoly’s head bulged.

  — I WILL RIP YOUR HEAD OFF, BASTARD!

  Anatoly’s mana exploded — this time, black. He had become serious.

  — Huh… why can’t I regenerate?!

  Kyros smiled.

  — Haaa… so the power of Ra works on you, huh? What happened?

  Weren’t you confident in that regeneration until now?

  What happened?

  — Laugh now, little rat.

  — Damn Patriarch worm! — Anatoly snarled. — How dare you humiliate me?!

  — Eleventh Arcane Magic. — Pressure of the Black Fall.

  The Number XI pulsed in his eyes like a heart.

  The ground vibrated and began to crack.

  The air exploded into absolute darkness.

  Sound ceased to exist for three seconds.

  When hearing returned, thunder roared.

  Kotan couldn’t see, but he felt it — they were moving at insane speeds.

  The Thunder Sword collided repeatedly with Anatoly’s Coronation Sword.

  Dum. Tum.

  — Is that all you have? — Anatoly laughed. — Black Fall? Haaa!

  — Is that all the Tower has to offer?!

  — Damn worm! I’ll take your head as a trophy!

  Kyros answered firmly:

  — Come and rip it off me, little original.

  — The South will die today, worm! — Anatoly shouted.

  — We’ll see, little original… we’ll see.

  Kyros raised the blade.

  — Ra! We’ve warmed up enough.

  — Ra Lumpa: Yes, my lord. It’s time.

  — Kyros/Ra: Soul connection… — Connection at 80%.

  — Damn you, Kyros! — Anatoly roared. — I will kill you!

  — Full release. Calamity Portal.

  The portal opened.

  Monsters emerged at frenetic speed.

  — Crimson Marionettes!

  Thousands of maddened monsters charged together with Anatoly.

  — Die, damn Patriarch!

  The sound of thunder echoed.

  TUUUMMMMM.

  It was the swing of the Thunder Sword.

  Kyros was already on the other side.

  An armor began forming around him — black as an eclipse, crossed by brilliant blue lightning.

  It covered his legs, his torso… and finally his face.

  A complete armor.

  His eyes were like two suns: an eclipse exploding in blue light.

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  — Hey, little original… — Kyros said. — You’d better clench your teeth, or you’ll lose them.

  — What…?

  An octagon formed.

  A Black Sun.

  Trapping everyone.

  Anatoly, the beasts, the monsters.

  Kyros vanished in a blue flash — like a ghost.

  His voice echoed, firm:

  — Octagon of the Thunder Eclipse.

  A chill ran down Anatoly’s spine.

  Then thunder tore through the field.

  The Thunder Sword cut through everything, destroying thousands of monsters… and tearing Anatoly apart.

  — I didn’t even cut your face — Kyros mocked. — Better clench your teeth.

  For the first time, Anatoly felt real danger.

  Even releasing all his power, he realized: if he didn’t withstand what was coming… he would die.

  He felt fear.

  And it hurt to admit it.

  Kyros turned the sword and drove it into the ground, his back to Anatoly.

  — Thunder of the Black Aurora…

  The sound split the skies.

  PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

  A black lightning bolt fell.

  The impact inside the octagon was pure magic — clean, condensed.

  Monsters were evaporated.

  Black lightning swept across the entire western wing.

  The Gath felt the shock.

  They slammed their palms against the ground, shaping mana.

  — Gath Wall…

  The thunder was diverted by the containment.

  Even so, some Gath collapsed from vibration alone.

  They never even received the direct impact.

  They passed out.

  Ravia, pale, screamed:

  — Father… how did you wound a monster like that?! — Where are you, father?!

  Kyros’s black armor adjusted to his body like a second skin, but it couldn’t hide everything.

  Beneath the condensed mana, an old scar pulsed.

  It started on the left side of the abdomen, tore diagonally across the chest, and rose to the right shoulder — three deep, continuous marks, like claws that never truly let go.

  It wasn’t a monster’s wound.

  It wasn’t a god’s strike.

  It was the mark of a man.

  Silvio. Tiger Hand.

  Kyros remembered the dry impact, the ground of the alleys of Gath City, the sound of his own flesh tearing under those claws.

  He didn’t win that day.

  And Silvio didn’t fall either.

  The scar burned — not with pain, but with memory.

  Kyros took a deep breath.

  — Ravia… — he murmured, almost inaudible. — Your father was never weak.

  The body of Disaster XI shone in absolute scarlet.

  He was protected inside a blood ruby and the remains of monsters that had turned to dust because of the thunder.

  — Damn… If I had delayed a little longer to release the Scarlet Ruby… I would have died.

  Damn it. And even so, he destroyed nine hearts… damn it.

  That restriction of the Tower is limiting me to this. I need to force more.

  More power. I have to use more power if I want to kill this worm.

  He said all this while his body, charred in some places, slowly returned to normal.

  Kyros spoke with contempt:

  — So you’re still alive, little original. A little rat… using tricks to survive.

  Laugh, little original. You humiliated my friends — why aren’t you laughing now?

  Anatoly’s veins bulged.

  — Damn it…

  He remembered the words of the King of Disasters.

  ANATOLY. THERE IS A MAN OUTSIDE THIS PLACE. OUTSIDE THESE TOWERS.

  YOU MUST BE CAREFUL.

  IF YOU RUN INTO HIM, DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE HIM. USE ALL THE POWER YOU HAVE TO END HIM.

  IF YOU ACT THE WAY YOU ARE USED TO… YOU WILL DIE.

  HE IS THE ONE WHO KILLED MIRMUS.

  — What…? — Anatoly’s eyes widened. — So a Virtue still exists? He killed Mirmus? He’s outside the Towers?

  — I DID NOT SAY HE WAS A VIRTUE. — DO NOT PUT WORDS IN MY MOUTH AGAIN OR I WILL RIP OUT YOUR TONGUE.

  — THAT BASTARD IS A HUMAN.

  Anatoly swallowed hard.

  — Damn… I doubted it, but it seems he was telling the truth.

  Damn it. I refused to admit that a rat killed Mirmus.

  — Damn it!

  Kyros mocked:

  — What is it? Going into shock too, like what was his name… Mirmus? The scared little rat.

  — Shut up!

  Aura of the Crimson Emperor.

  Scarlet Impact.

  Anatoly punched the air at absurd speed.

  Huge clenched fists were launched toward Kyros.

  Brutal punches.

  Kyros commented calmly:

  — Haven’t learned yet, have you?

  He turned to face them.

  He took a combat stance as the punches came at him.

  — Hidden Path of Summer. — Black Sun. — Solar Ray.

  KYROS CHARGED STRAIGHT THROUGH THE PUNCHES, PASSING THEM AND APPEARING BEFORE ANATOLY IN A BLINK.

  The brutal punch struck Anatoly’s abdomen directly.

  BAAA.

  It wasn’t an ordinary punch.

  It was a punch of condensed mana.

  Anatoly was launched away, bouncing across the ground.

  Kyros vanished.

  And reappeared behind him.

  — So fast… — Anatoly thought.

  A kick to the ribs launched him upward.

  Before he could realize it, Kyros was already in the air behind him.

  Kyros spun three times in the air, as if pulling the ginga of capoeira.

  — You’d better clench your teeth, little original.

  The kick came brutal.

  — Capoeirajuijitika. — Black Sun Flourish.

  PAAAAAAA.

  Anatoly’s teeth flew from his mouth.

  The mask shattered on the left side.

  He was slammed into the ground with brutal force.

  The impact sounded like thunder.

  The ground shook, shaking the entire western wing.

  The Gath were evacuating Valkyria, the Patriarchs, and Tailer from the conflict zone.

  They moved with precision and speed.

  — Hurry! We need to get out of here! — shouted the Gath officer, the same one who wore Gath Gloves on only three fingers.

  They felt the impact that shook everything.

  Kyros mocked:

  — What is it, little rat? Laugh now, go on.

  — Weren’t you having fun and laughing a moment ago? — You humiliated my friends… why isn’t it fun anymore, huh?

  — Laugh, little original!

  Anatoly’s thoughts:

  Damn… curse it. I didn’t want to admit it, but the seal isn’t finished yet. I can’t use everything.

  Damn Tower. Damn prison.

  You’ll pay for this humiliation, Kyros.

  It’s hard to admit… but I have to use that.

  That damn rat moving the pieces in the shadows hasn’t appeared. Damn it.

  If I don’t turn the game around… I’ll die to a human worm.

  These inferior beings dare compare themselves to us.

  Damn it… my pawns keep dying.

  And, in the shadows of the empire, a calm smile appeared.

  The smile of someone who had been fighting long before the invasion began.

  The general who commanded not only the South — but the entire empire.

  MORGANA: — Oh, chocolatinho, you make me so—

  CENSOR SEAL OF CéSAR 20.0

  CéSAR: — Young legionary, I am proud. — A true legionary. — You have already won the battle before even entering combat.

  LUKAS: — This time I am here, damn plague.

  The entire world stopped.

  The wind blew ashes.

  And, in the middle of the silence, Lukas Fernandes took his first step toward the battlefield.

  Check is not an announcement.

  It is consequence.

  And when it comes, it won’t look like luck.

  It will look obvious — afterward.

  The King Without a Throne had awakened.

  End of Chapter 10