Chapter 22 – The Vault of Forgotten Kings

When Curiosity Becomes a Death Wish

As the vault doors groaned open, a wave of stale, ancient air swept over us. It wasn't just the scent of time or dust—this air carried the weight of something long forgotten... or deliberately hidden.

Korr stepped beside me, hand resting on his blade. "Tell me again why we think opening a vault that predates recorded Saiyan history is a good idea?"

Taro grinned from the back. "Because bad ideas are the only ones worth having."

I exhaled slowly. "If something is alive in here, we do this smart. No flaring ki unless necessary, stay close, and we move as one."

Korr snorted. "Look at you. Acting like a commander."

Taro smirked. "Told you the kid had it in him."

Inside, the vault was massive—a sprawling underground chamber carved with precision beyond anything our modern Saiyan engineers could replicate. Glowing runes pulsed across the walls in a language I couldn't fully read, but the fallen warriors inside me... they could.

Their whispers returned, low and urgent:

"This is where the Kings prepared for war."

"Their greatest secrets were hidden here."

"Not all weapons are meant to be wielded."

---

Lore of the King's Arsenal

The deeper we walked, the clearer it became—this wasn't just a vault.

It was a war archive.

Along the walls, holographic displays flickered to life. They showed simulations of battles long lost to time: Origin Saiyans clashing with the first Shadow Saiyans, entire planets torn apart in their conflict.

But what caught my attention were the strategies.

These weren't chaotic free-for-alls like modern Saiyan combat. These were precision strikes. Multi-layered offensives designed to trap, exhaust, and dismantle Shadow Saiyan forces piece by piece.

Korr tapped one of the holograms. "These formations… they're tactical beyond anything we were ever taught."

Taro nodded solemnly. "Because the kings didn't just fight for pride. They fought to survive extinction."

I watched the simulations on repeat. They weren't just recordings; they were blueprints for war.

If we studied them... we might actually have a chance.

---

The Awakening of the Vault Guardian

Of course, nothing in Saiyan history gets left alone without a failsafe.

As we approached the center of the vault, a massive circular platform rose from the floor. Runes along its edge flashed, and a deep, mechanical hum vibrated through the chamber.

And then it spoke.

"Identify yourself, intruder."

I stepped forward, feeling the golden energy of the fallen swirl inside me. "Akuma. Bearer of the ancestral flame."

A pause.

Then the platform shifted.

From beneath it, a colossal armored figure emerged—a Saiyan construct, nearly twice my height, forged of black and gold metal with pulsing energy cores in its chest.

"State your purpose."

Taro leaned in. "Oh, this'll go well."

I raised my chin. "To reclaim the knowledge of the Kings. To stop the rise of the First Shadow."

The guardian paused again. Then:

"Prove your worth."

And, naturally, it attacked.

---

Combat of Precision

The guardian was unlike any opponent I'd faced.

It didn't waste movements.

No wild swings. No predictable patterns.

Every strike was calculated, designed to either cripple or kill.

I barely dodged a plasma blade swipe, the edge grazing my cheek as I flipped over its arm. "Alright, that's sharp. Good to know."

Taro barked from the side. "Don't try to overpower it! It's running battle algorithms from the original Saiyan wars! Use the vault's formations!"

I glanced at the holograms still running in the background, their formations glowing on the walls.

And then I realized—this was part of the test.

The guardian wasn't just fighting.

It was teaching.

I focused, channeling the knowledge of the fallen. They whispered the strategies into my mind.

"Triangle pincer."

"Feint to the right, strike from above."

"Drain its energy nodes. Ignore the armor."

I moved.

My attacks weren't just mine anymore. Every step was guided by warriors who had fought this very style thousands of years ago.

Korr joined from the flank, his blade targeting the guardian's joints while Taro launched kinetic blasts at its feet, limiting its movement.

The three of us worked as a single unit—executing the same formations the Kings had once used against Shadow Saians.

And it worked.

I found an opening and drove a full-force golden punch straight into the guardian's core, overloading it with the energy of the fallen.

The construct staggered.

Collapsed.

Silence.

Then...

"Trial complete. Access granted."

---

The King's Armory

Beyond the platform, a second chamber opened.

Inside were weapons—Saiyan weapons—like none we'd ever seen.

Blades that hummed with pure ki. Gauntlets designed to absorb and redirect energy. Armor forged to withstand the Shadow corruption itself.

And at the center, on a pedestal of dark stone, was a scroll sealed in crystal.

Taro approached it carefully. "This… is the War Scroll of the Last King."

Korr whistled. "That's supposed to be a myth."

Taro smirked. "So were Shadow Saiyans. Guess we're collecting myths now."

I stepped forward, breaking the crystal with a pulse of golden ki.

As I unrolled the scroll, the words of the Last King appeared, glowing faintly.

> "To the one who stands where we fell...

You will face not just the Shadow's strength, but its mind.

To win, you must become not a warrior... but a tactician.

The First Shadow's body is power, but its mind... its mind is war."

I exhaled.

"So that's it," I murmured. "Xyros isn't just gathering strength. He's gathering strategy."

Taro nodded. "And if he learns how to combine the two before we do?"

Korr's face hardened. "Then it's over."

I clenched my fists, feeling the power of the fallen surge within me.

"Then we better start thinking like Kings."

---

Next Time on Ancient Legends…

The War Scroll's secrets revealed!

How will Akuma prepare for the mind of the First Shadow?

And what devastating move is Xyros about to unleash next?

Find out next time on Ancient Legends!