Son of the Hero King

The path to power was the same for all creatures of Order. Firstly learning mana application and thus strengthening their body, then cladding yourself in mana, thus learning how to project your power unto reality. Learn Intent in order to affect and manipulate reality with your will, find your Truth and impose it on the world, manifest your ideals, and carve out a part of your world into reality. Finally… grow your legend and become reborn as a new self.

This new self, known as Avatar for those in the Mortal Realm and True Name in the Astral Realm was the greatest expression of power a Mortal could bring forth. While it was possible to become a Duke with hard work, it was only possible to become a King with immense talent.

The moment, Lupus invoked his name, the already dire situation became nigh unbearable for Isis. Even though she was a phoenix, the Divine Beast representing healing and purity, she did not specialize in healing due to her origins. Her healing power was more a subset of her control over death, along with her innate nature that was the boon of the Phoenix.

She was not equipped with the capabilities to thoroughly heal all wounds without leaving anything behind, like someone of Persephone’s caliber would be able to perform, with her authority over Nature and Life and all. Even someone like Aurora would do a better job with her vast amounts of Holy magic and additional authority that came with her being a Blessed.

Sending another ray of healing aura toward the downed Lilin, Isis couldn’t help but fancy the thoughts of breaking all rules and bringing forth her trump card right this instant.

The thought itself made her grit her teeth in frustration and helplessness. If she used her undead army on the battlefield, the act itself would give the enemies of Lustburg enough ammunition to bury the whole kingdom down, be it literally or metaphorically. The Kingdom of Lustburg could not afford to enter another war after their current campaign against the Kingdom of Wratharis. Let’s not even mention the possibility when the enemy turned out to be the entire world.

At least, it would be impossible for them to enter a war against the world at the moment. Just at the moment, that is.

She took a deep breath and channelled all of her focus on her powers. Her crimson eyes shone in a deadly hue as she gazed at her opponent, Lupus, seemingly in pure rapture at being able to display the vast difference in power that separated him from them.

Setsuna was doing her best to keep up with the Wolf King but there was not much she could do against Lupus’ precise and meticulous onslaught.

There were many times, far too many to count, when the King of Wratharis could have ended Setsuna once and for all. However, the dastardly king had set his mind on slowly and sadistically breaking Setsuna apart before he delivered the final blow. Quite literally too, in fact, as all the earlier wounds that had been somewhat healed were already re-opened and new wounds and broken bones were being added to the queue without having the chance of mending itself.

Isis couldn’t help but swear unspeakable curses as she saw him smile with sadistic glee while she tried her very best to heal and stitch back Setsuna into one piece. Clearly, he was intentionally putting the poor wolf girl in a constant cycle of torture where she was healed and then methodically beaten down into pieces.

{We cannot continue on like this.}

Her eyes flickered toward the still incapacitated Lilin on the ground not far away.

{I have a plan.}

Setsuna’s voice soon reached them, weak and tired yes, but in no way did it sound desperate— a stark contrast to the situation they were currently facing. Setsuna’s words had not just been empty boasts. She believed in Sol and believed that victory would be theirs in the end. However, the prerequisite to that was for them to play their part perfectly.

{I know this might seem strange but I really believe we can help Sol decisive –Ugh!}

Setsuna’s words soon turned into a muffled grunt as her kneecap was ruthlessly obliterated by Lupus’ precise attack.

She was so weak that she could barely keep her giant wolf form active but she knew that she had to hold on. None of them could fall, otherwise, only death awaited them.

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{I can feel it. We can do it, no, we have to do it. I refuse to end this with us doing absolutely nothing. If all we can do is stall until Sol comes back then… what is even the use of us fighting alongside him?}

Her eyes were fierce, filled with rage at her own weakness and desire to be useful to her beloved, no matter how small that contribution may be. She refused to just be a cheap, weak woman— a damsel in distress who could only wait for her hero to save and protect her. She despised such an ending.

{Isis, Lilin… Our plan will heavily rely on both of your performances.}

Despite her words, Lilin still did not move. She did not even answer and yet Setsuna did not insist because she knew very well that her friend and rival would never accept staying down.

{The plan is quite simple… Everything will ultimately depend on you— Isis.}

———

A few moments went past after their small strategic meeting and now Lupus was nonchalantly holding Setsuna by the neck with his right hand. The current Setsuna’s face was bloodied to the point even her expression was hard to make out. She had a hard time breathing properly and her feet were dangling in the air but she was so tired she could not even muster the strength to even put the effort necessary to pry away the wretched hand that was holding her up.

The damage inflicted on her body was so excessive that a normal person in her place would have been crippled beyond repair. Even so, the damn glint in her eyes never vanished, not even for a single instant.

Lupus gritted his teeth and started growling like the beast he was. He hated this outcome, hated the feeling this scenario evoked— the feeling deep in the pit of his stomach that refused to let go.

This reminded him of that day. The day when he placed his wretched paws on his own brother’s throat.

Even to the end, his brother had never ceased to look at him as if he was nothing more than a misbehaving child.

Those eyes had haunted him for years and only recently did he manage to push away the phantom of the past. But now, those damn eyes had made a return, and that too in the form of her niece, no less.

What if I simply plucked those eyes?

Since Setsuna refused to give up, then all he had to do was blind her forever. However, that was far from enough, something so trivial could never sweep away the anger and discomfort that was constantly wreaking havoc in his heart.

“I will give you a choice.”

Lupus kept one eye on Milia and Isis who were still keeping their distance. He could feel that the annoying duo were preparing something but anything those puny Dukes did was inconsequential to a King like him. Even a Divine Beast like a phoenix could not easily bridge the difference between the realms of King and Duke.

“If right here, right now, in front of all the people here, you give up on your right to the throne, I will spare your life and that of your friend. You will have to swear in the name of the goddess. What do you say?” He smirked, baring all his fangs in a toothy grin, “All you have to do is give up and you can walk out alive. I should warn you though. Gae Assail is extremely poisonous and has a curse that keeps disrupting most regeneration skills. While they are not an absolute effect, chances are your dear prince is facing death. Him being a hybrid dragon changes nothing.”

The moment those words left his lips, he could immediately see her eyes quiver ever so slightly, making his grin grow larger, grotesquely so, and more threatening than ever, “Or…” He stretched his words for some painfully long moments, enjoying the growing fear assailing the heart of the girls, “You can resist now, fruitless no doubt, as you did until now. I will then kill all your friends here and I will make sure to kill your mate. However… I will kill you alive.”

Lupus’ grin threatened to rip his face, the malice in his eyes glowering worse than ever, “I will cut all of your limbs and keep you as nothing but a helpless vase as you live a life I would normally not even wish for my worst enemy. You will beg me to kill you, to put an end to your misery. But I will not do that. I will savor every single moment of your miserable life for decades or even centuries and then, when you finally break… in mind, body, and soul… I will heal you again and start everything from scratch.”

Glee filled his voice as he started laughing, clearly imagining the miserable situation his archnemesis would be in. Furthermore, as long as Setsuna was alive, no more Blessed of Ira would appear so he did not have any reason to kill her.

“So, what will be your choice?”

He gazed down at her, his blue eyes shimmering with malice and notes of expectation. Logically speaking, securing Setsuna now and leaving this accursed place was the smart answer. If she gave up and he acted on his words, then she would be a hidden danger waiting to spring on him at any given moment.

Killing her was the most efficient decision. Even if a new Blessed came later down the line, it would not be easy for a newbie to bridge the gap between them, and by then, he would have grown infinitely stronger than he was now. All logic dictated Setsuna’s end. However, while logic and reason spoke to him the song of death and decay, Lupus decided to follow the song of sadistic pleasure that his heart whispered in his ears.

He wanted to see it. The moment when the light of confidence vanished from her eyes as she ineluctably surrendered.

If she did so, he would have no worry for the future for a Duke with a broken spirit and a destroyed legend couldn’t become King. Blessed or not.

“So, what choice will you make? You only need two words. Say, I lost.”

Lupus looked down at her, his heart beating fiercely in his chest with untold anticipation as he awaited her answer.

“Ah…”

Setsuna opened her mouth but her words came out as a murmur so low that even a beast like him could not hear them. Hypnotized, he approached her slowly, intent on hearing those sweet words of defeat from his niece.

When his face was close enough, the words leaking out of her mouth were far from anything he could ever imagine.

“Fuck. You.”

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