Chapter 14- Shadows and Bloodlines

The crowd was still roaring when I stepped out of the coliseum, my body thrumming with leftover energy from the battle. The weight of victory settled on my shoulders, but something else did too.

That presence. That dark, suffocating force that had watched me from above.

King Xyros.

His name lingered in my mind like a curse. The way he had appeared in my room, his golden eyes glowing like twin suns in the abyss—it wasn't normal. It wasn't Saiyan.

I had fought countless warriors, but I had never seen someone move like him. The way the shadows clung to him, bent to his will, it was… unnatural.

And now, he had marked me as his greatest threat.

Great. Just what I needed.

I barely had time to process it before Korr appeared beside me, his arms crossed as he studied me with a look that was equal parts approval and irritation.

"You handled yourself well in the trials," he admitted.

I cracked my neck, smirking. "Was there ever any doubt?"

"There's always doubt." He turned, motioning for me to follow. "The Apex Trials aren't over yet. You won the first challenge, but that was just a warm-up."

I arched a brow. "A warm-up? I just took out a whole arena of bloodthirsty warriors."

Korr scoffed. "And yet, the real threats have yet to reveal themselves."

That sent a small shiver down my spine, but I ignored it. Instead, I fell into step beside him as we walked through the city's streets, the lights of Pasuta flickering like fireflies in the dark.

"You felt him, didn't you?" Korr asked suddenly.

I didn't need to ask who him was.

"Yeah," I muttered. "He's strong."

"Stronger than you?"

I hesitated.

"…I don't know."

Korr let out a dark chuckle. "That's the first smart thing you've said all night."

I rolled my eyes. "What's the deal with him? Xyros, I mean. He called himself the king of the Shadow Saiyans."

Korr's expression darkened. "Because that's exactly what he is."

I frowned. "Never heard of them."

"You wouldn't have." Korr's silver eyes flickered with something… old. "The Shadow Saiyans were wiped from history long ago. At least, that's what we thought."

I stopped walking.

Korr turned to me, his face grim.

"What do you mean, wiped?"

He exhaled, looking up at the twin moons above. "A long time ago, there was a civil war. Not like the ones you hear about—the usual power struggles between warlords. No, this was different." He clenched his fist. "The Shadow Saiyans were… different from us. Stronger in ways we didn't understand. They didn't just fight. They consumed."

A chill ran down my spine.

"Consumed?"

"Their power… it wasn't just their own." Korr looked back at me. "They could take it. Drain it. Absorb the essence of their enemies and make it their own."

My stomach twisted. "That's not possible."

Korr's expression didn't change.

I swallowed.

"…Right?"

He shook his head. "You saw him. You felt him." His voice dropped lower. "Tell me. Does he feel impossible?"

I clenched my jaw.

No.

He didn't.

He felt very real.

---

The Second Trial – The Path of Kings

The next morning, I woke up with one thought.

I needed to get stronger.

Fast.

Korr met me at the coliseum's entrance, along with a few other warriors who had survived the first trial. The woman I had fought—the one with silver-streaked hair and eerie blue eyes—was there too. She gave me a slow nod, acknowledging my strength.

I returned it.

I had a feeling we'd be seeing a lot of each other.

"The next trial is different," Korr announced. "The first was about raw strength. This one? It's about something more."

I raised a brow. "More?"

"Legacy."

The ground trembled.

I turned just in time to see the coliseum's floor split apart.

From below, a massive stone structure began to rise, covered in ancient Saiyan inscriptions. It looked like a tower—but one unlike anything I had ever seen.

"The Path of Kings," Korr said, voice heavy with meaning. "A proving ground older than this city itself."

I could feel it now. The energy radiating from the tower. It wasn't like the chaotic, battle-ready auras of the Saiyans around me. It was refined. Heavy with history.

The droid from before hovered above us.

"The rules are simple," it announced. "Climb to the top."

I blinked. "…That's it?"

The droid's eye gleamed.

"The tower is alive."

I had exactly two seconds to process that before the entire tower shuddered.

And then—

The first floor came alive.

The walls shifted, forming massive stone warriors with glowing red eyes. They cracked their knuckles, their bodies made of an unbreakable material I didn't recognize.

I barely had time to mutter a curse before the first one lunged.

---

The next few minutes were a blur of fists, energy blasts, and a lot of swearing.

The stone warriors were unlike anything I had fought before. They didn't just hit hard—they adapted. Every time I landed a hit, they adjusted, countering my attacks with terrifying precision.

But I wasn't exactly an amateur.

I ducked a massive fist, flipping over one of them and slamming an energy-infused kick into the back of its head. It staggered but didn't fall.

Great.

"Any other rules I should know about?!" I shouted at Korr.

He smirked from below. "Just one."

I scowled. "Yeah? What's that?"

"The tower never stops."

I had exactly one second to process that before the floor vanished beneath my feet.

---

The Shadows Move

I don't remember how long I climbed.

All I know is that, by the time I reached the final level, my knuckles were bloody, my breath was ragged, and every muscle in my body screamed in protest.

But I wasn't alone.

The silver-haired woman stood beside me, equally battered, but very much alive.

We both turned to the final door.

Slowly, it creaked open.

I took a step inside—

And froze.

Because standing there, waiting for me at the top of the tower—

Was Xyros.

His golden eyes gleamed in the dim light, his aura a swirling mass of darkness.

"I was wondering when you'd get here," he mused.

I tensed. "You were waiting for me?"

He smirked. "Of course. After all…"

His power exploded, shaking the entire tower.

"…What's the point of a king's trial if there isn't a king to face?"

---

Next Time on Ancient Legends…

A final battle at the top of the tower?!

How did the shadow saiyans came to be?!

What is Xyros truly after?!

And what happens when a Shadow Saiyan reveals their full power?!

Find out next time on Ancient Legends!