Aetheron's blade screamed through the air.
The black-armored Sovereign didn't dodge.
CLANG!
The impact shook the throne room. Stone split beneath their feet.
Aetheron pressed forward, his sword grinding against the Sovereign's. His arms burned. The weight behind the Sovereign's blade was insane.
Then—a shift.
The Sovereign twisted his wrist, redirecting the clash.
Aetheron's balance broke.
A fist slammed into his ribs.
CRACK!
He flew back, smashing into a pillar. The stone shattered.
Dust filled the air. Pain flared in his chest.
The Sovereign's voice was calm.
"You hesitate."
Aetheron's grip tightened around his sword.
No.
He wasn't hesitating.
He just needed to see.
The Sovereign moved.
Aetheron reacted.
Reading the Flow
The Sovereign's blade whistled down.
Aetheron's instincts screamed—dodge!
He moved—
The blade missed by an inch.
Aetheron's footwork shifted. He countered—his sword flashing toward the Sovereign's exposed side.
But the Sovereign—
Didn't block.
He moved with the attack.
The blade grazed his armor—but the force carried him into a spin.
Aetheron realized too late.
The Sovereign's sword came from below.
Aetheron barely raised his weapon—
BOOM!
The impact sent him crashing into the floor.
Dust rose.
The Sovereign stood above him.
"This is the throne's will."
Aetheron coughed, pushing himself up.
"And what does it want?"
The Sovereign's golden eyes gleamed.
"Proof."
Then—
He vanished.
The Final Clash
Aetheron's instincts flared.
The Sovereign reappeared behind him.
His sword fell.
Aetheron turned—meeting the strike head-on.
The entire throne room trembled.
The Sovereign pressed down—his strength overwhelming.
But Aetheron's eyes narrowed.
He saw it.
A flaw in the flow.
He shifted his stance.
The Sovereign's force pushed through—
But not against him.
Aetheron twisted—his blade flickering past the Sovereign's guard.
For the first time—
He struck deep.
The Sovereign staggered.
Aetheron didn't hesitate.
He surged forward—his blade driving toward the Sovereign's chest.
The Sovereign raised his weapon to block.
But—
He was too slow.
Aetheron's sword pierced through.
Silence.
The Sovereign exhaled.
Then—he laughed.
"You have answered."
The throne room shuddered.
Aetheron stepped back, watching as the Sovereign began to fade.
His golden eyes met Aetheron's one last time.
"Take the throne, ruler of ruin."
And then—
He was gone.
The Throne's Will
The hall fell silent.
Aetheron turned—facing the empty throne.
The weight of the battle still lingered in the air.
But now—
It was waiting.
Aetheron stepped forward.
This time—
No one stopped him.
His fingers touched the armrest.
A surge of powerrushed through him.
And then—
The throne recognized him.
The ruin had a ruler.