The arena is packed—generals, nobles, and officials from all across the Eastern Territories. The atmosphere is electric with tension, whispered speculation passing between rows of high-ranking families.
Then—
BOOM.
A ripple of shockwave silences the entire colosseum.
From the very air itself—a figure manifests.
A man dressed in a twisted jester’s garb—a clown whose painted smile and oversized staff mock the gravity of the moment.
He raises the staff once more, voice infused with arcane authority.
“Rise, you worms of blood and lineage! Stand in reverence! The Lords of the East make their entrance!”
The nobles rise in unison—no hesitation, no resistance.
A moment later—
the very sky seems to tremble as four aura-laden figures descend into the King’s Booth.
- Casmos von Draco, Warlord of the West Region—his armor lined with crimson dragonhide, eyes like molten gold. His presence scorches the air.
- Shun Dazai, Warlord of the East—slender, still, unreadable. Dressed in silk robes with a sword that hums with unseen weight.
- Garin Holt, South’s Iron Warlord—built like a fortress, a jaw like stone, his cloak fashioned from the pelt of a beast extinct for centuries.
- Kathrine Scarlet, Mistress of the North—beautiful, sharp, terrifying. Her gaze alone silences three rows of nobles.
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!
Each one takes their seat.
Then, the jester slams his staff down.
“Let the trial of the Exiled Fighter of Sector-7… Ash Valestorm… begin!”
All heads turn to the center of the colosseum.
Henry Zelenskyy and Coach Owen stand alone before the Four.
Neither bows—yet both lower their eyes respectfully.
The jester floats slightly in air.
“Charges: One count of unlawful murder outside the ring. One count of provoking inter-sectoral war. One count of compromising Sector-7’s neutrality during a time of peace. How do the representatives plead?”
Henry steps forward.
Henry: “Sector-7 acknowledges the incident. But we stand not in defense—
but in context. Ash Valestorm was expelled the moment his actions violated our code.”
Coach Owen: “And he acted to protect an innocent. A girl—his sister—was targeted by Sector-8 as a provocation. They forced his hand.”
A murmur spreads through the crowd.
The jester glances back to the Four Warlords.
And then… the silence shatters.
Casmos von Draco (leaning forward, voice like thunder):
“So what? He killed outside the cage. The golden rule is not to be interpreted—it is to be obeyed. The boy knew it. He acted anyway.”
Casmos stands, aura like wildfire.
“I vote for execution. Not just for him—Sector-7 should be burned with him.
Let this trial be a reminder.”
Stunned silence.
But then—Shun Dazai speaks, calm, soft, lethal.
Shun:
“You mistake enforcement for wisdom, Casmos. The context matters.
The crime was born from bait, and Sector-7 responded with exile.”
Garin Holt grunts, voice like grinding steel:
“Boy snapped. But he didn’t start a war—he finished one.
Sector-8 poked the lion. They got mauled. I vote against execution.”
Then Kathrine Scarlet — eyes cold as winter:
“The rules are sacred. But not blind.
If we kill this boy now, we don’t deter rebellion… we birth it.
I, too, vote against execution.”
Casmos snarls like a chained dragon.
Casmos:
“This boy undermined the laws that hold our world together!”
Kathrine meets his fury with ice.
Kathrine:
“And yet he protected a defenseless girl, bore his punishment without resistance,
and accepted exile with no protest.
That is not rebellion. That is remorse.”
The jester spreads his arms like a conductor.
“Three votes to one. Sentence commuted.”
His staff cracks like thunder.
“Ash Valestorm — by authority of the Shinryuken Family and in place of death —
shall be sentenced to Thanaros, the Isle of the Black Sovereign.”
“There he will live… or die… among monsters and the damned.
His punishment shall be survival.”
A wave of whispers breaks out like wildfire.
Henry (quietly):
“Thanaros… the abyss of exiles…”
Casmos sits, disgust dripping from every word.
Casmos:
“So be it. Let him be forgotten in a place where light dares not tread.”
Narration (Voiceover)
And so it was decided…
Ash Valestorm — once champion, now criminal —
would face his sentence not by blade or fire…
But by exile.
To a place where only monsters roam…
Thanaros — Isle of the Black Sovereign.