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"The entire kingdom came to the arena expecting blood. / Chapter 9 / 20

Chapter 9 - The Trial of Blood and Iron

The northern army surged through the open gates, taking control of the city with minimal bloodshed as the city guards threw down their weapons and joined the prince's forces.

However, the inner sanctuary of the palace remained locked down. King Aldric and his remaining two hundred fanatic Iron Sun mercenaries had barricaded themselves inside the Grand Throne Room, determined to burn the entire palace down around them rather than surrender.

Leo stepped through the shattered oak doors of the Throne Room alone, carrying Sunfall low at his side. Lyra and his commanders formed a perimeter at the entrance, keeping the rest of the army back as Leo requested.

"This ends between him and me," Leo had ordered.

The throne room was filled with smoke. Torches had been knocked over, setting silk banners ablaze along the walls. At the far end of the long marble hall, sitting on the high gold throne, was King Aldric. He wore his heavy crown crookedly on his head, a long broadsword resting across his knees.

"You took everything from me!" Aldric shrieked, his voice cracking as he stood up, his sword trembling in his grip. "I built this kingdom! I made it feared! You were just a weak child!"

"You didn't build anything, Aldric," Leo said, his boots clicking rhythmically on the blood-stained marble as he stepped forward. "You stole a legacy and called it rule. You hid behind fear because you never possessed the strength to lead."

With a desperate, animalistic roar, Aldric charged down the steps of the dais, swinging his heavy blade with wild, chaotic fury.

The clash of steel rang out through the grand hall. Aldric fought like a cornered beast, driving Leo back with a violent series of overhead strikes. But Leo remained composed, parrying every desperate blow with fluid grace.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Sparks flew across the throne room floor. Leo redirected Aldric’s heavy stroke downward, stepped inside the tyrant's guard, and slammed his shoulder directly into Aldric’s chest.

The king flew backward, crashing hard against the marble steps of his own throne. His sword skittered across the floor, falling far out of reach.

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Aldric scrambled backward up the steps on his hands and knees, clutching his chest, his crown slipping off his head and clattering down the marble stairs, stopping right at Leo's boots.

Leo stepped up the stairs, resting the glowing tip of Sunfall against the center of Aldric’s throat.

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Chapter 10 - Dawn of the True Realm
Chapter 11 - The Serpent in the Northern Snow
Chapter 12 - Blood on the Frozen Pass
Chapter 13 - The Secret of the Black Codex
Chapter 14 - Shadow over the Eastern Border
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