Chapter 142

Chapter 142: 

The Phoenix Kingdom's War Room was filled with an unbearable tension. The air was thick with power, suffocating due the sheer presence of the war council members present in the room, each representing the greatest noble bloodlines of the Phoenix Kingdom. The six Noble clans of Phoenix kingdom along with the Chikara clan The flames of the grand chandeliers in the room flickered, their light responding to the power of those in the room . A table shaped like a phoenix with its wings spread wide—symbolizing the kingdom they rule and the phoenix head sat shin showing despite being the first king and one of the form kings it was he in the room that had dominion, control, and absolute rule.

At the head of the phoenix table sat Shin Chikara. The strongest warrior of the kingdom. The founder of their great kingdom. His once-magnificent black and golden armour was cracked, dented, stained with blood his own and others. Though he had been healed enough to stand, the exhaustion of battle he fought mostly from Noboru clung to him like a weight that could never be lifted.

Beside him, The Current King, King Hiroshi Chikara sat with his hands clasped together, his crimson eyes with 2 golden rings in them calculating, unwavering, prepared for what was about to come.

Queen Amaya Chikara sat next to him, adorned in her royal crimson and black robes, her golden hair cascading over her shoulders in waves of deceptive elegance. Her appearance had all men in the room apart from Kouki s=fidgeting as to not offend Hiroshi and queen herself that they were hard seeing her sinful body. Her eyes, however, told a different story. A story of hunger. A story of conquest.

Across from them stood the noble clan heads, the most powerful warriors of the Phoenix Kingdom, each representing a bloodline that had dominated their respective fields for centuries.

Ren Himura of the Clan of Soulweavers, clad in elegant, flowing robes, his presence exuding an eerie calm, as if his very soul was untethered from the body he inhabited. his clan possess the power of Soul Bonding he has ability to form profound connections with the souls of others. he can share her strength and vitality to heal wounds and enhance the abilities of his allies

Daichi Nakamura of the Clan of Bloodshapers, his crimson-tinted armor pulsing with a living force, his veins glowing faintly as the forbidden blood arts of his clan ran through his body. His clan possess the power of Hemomancy He can manipulate his own blood to enhance his strength and healing abilities. In battles, he uses his power to create razor-sharp blood constructs and incapacitate his enemies with internal hemorrhaging.

Yuki Takahashi of the Clan of Mindseers, his silver eyes unnervingly empty, his psychic abilities allowing him to peer into the thoughts of those unguarded, his expression unreadable. her clans Mental Manipulation possesses unparalleled telepathic abilities. She can control and manipulate the minds of others, extracting information and manipulating their thoughts and emotions. She has used her powers to gather valuable intel and sway the decisions of influential figures, Mentally break or torture someone.

Kage Suzuki of the Clan of Shadowshifters, his black cloak blending with the very air, his presence barely detectable even in a room of gods. The Suzuki clan's Shadow Realm Manipulation and Umbrakinesis allow him to manipulate shadows and darkness to his advantage. He can meld into the darkness, becoming practically invisible, and create solid shadow constructs for offense and defense. He has used his powers to infiltrate enemy camps and eliminate high-value targets.

His clan also has access to the shadow realm. They can manipulate the layer they are connected to, and the more they transcend, the more layers are created. Within their own layer, they have absolute control over everything, including laws, concepts, and reality. They are immune to all things light in the shadow realm; however, in realms of light or during the day, they are weak. They can draw people into the shadow realm.

Every time a Suzuki is born, a new layer is created in the shadow realm. The layer created is equivalent to an entire third dimension at birth, and every time they transcend, a layer equivalent to what they have transcended to is created. For example, if a Suzuki transcended to the 4th dimension, they would have two layers: the 3rd-dimensional equivalent they had when they were born and a 4th-dimensional equivalent from when they transcended was created.

Kira Tanaka of the Clan of Lifewalkers, a woman whose power over life and healing had been turned into a weapon long ago, her golden hands folded on the table as if ready to bring both salvation and destruction. The Tanaka Clan has the ability to absorb and manipulate vital energy. They can drain the life force of living beings to heal himself, enhance his physical attributes, or channel the energy into devastating attacks.

Kazuki Yoshida of the Clan of Soundbound, a man whose voice alone could bend the laws of reality, his every breath carrying weight, his every word capable of shaping the battlefield. Sonic Manipulation is the power of his clan and He possesses complete mastery over soundwaves. He can create powerful sonic blasts capable of demolishing structures, generate impenetrable sound barriers, and shape sound into concussive weapons. He has used his powers to repel invading forces and protect his clan.

And standing before them, the next generation. The destined rulers.

Kouki Chikara and Meiyo Chikara.

Both stood tall, their presence commanding, their crimson eyes filled with the confidence only the heirs to the Chikara clan could possess. Kouki's fists were clenched in anticipation, his body tense, his rage for his disgraced older brother or the beast acting as him festering beneath his skin like a wildfire ready to consume everything in its path.

Meiyo, however, remained as she always was calm. Calculating. Silent. Watching.

Both were like their parents Meiyo cold, calculating and scheming while Kouki was like a open book with minor ability to manipulate.

Even if she didn't show it, she knew something was wrong.

And then 

Shin Chikara spoke.

His voice was gravel, aged with war and suffering.

"The war has begun."

Silence fell over the council.

Shin exhaled, his golden eyes dark with something not even he could hide.

"What you all know of this war is nothing more than a half-truth," he continued. "I will not waste time with pleasantries, nor will I allow ignorance to blind us. So listen carefully. Listen well. Because the truth is far more damning than you have been led to believe."

A pause.

A deep, suffocating pause.

Then, he spoke words that sent shockwaves through the room.

"We started this war."

The entire council stiffened. Kouki's breath hitched. Meiyo's crimson eyes flickered with something sharp.

Shin leaned forward, his fingers interlocked. "The Phoenix Kingdom, along with our allies among the other Great Kingdoms, The Qilin and Turtle/Tortoise Kingdom orchestrated this war long before the first blade was drawn. We planned the downfall of the Dragon Kingdom. We planned the massacre. And we executed it."

Kouki's entire body went rigid.

"What…?" he whispered.

He had no clue of this not that it mattered. Did he suspected it yes but he was angry that he was not involved in destroy the disgraceful beasts kingdom.

Shin's voice remained level, his tone did not even waver a bit. "The Dragon Kingdom, Noboru's kingdom, was never meant to exist. From the moment that disgrace built his empire, we knew it was an insult to our bloodline. To our dominion. To our very destiny. The other Great Kingdoms shared our belief. So we devised a plan."

His gaze darkened.

"We framed them."

The weight of his words sent the entire room into stillness.

"Kira Tanaka."

Shin's gaze landed on the head of the Lifewalkers.

The woman nodded, her expression void of guilt of destroy the dynasty created by her husband killer and the one who humilated her at the party. "I led the infiltration unit," she admitted. "We disguised ourselves as various different inhuman filth. We infiltrated the Demon Empire. And we assassinated Maou-sama's wife."

A breath.

Then—Kira continued.

"We left the bodies of other inhuman races behind, framing them for the murder. We ensured that Maou-sama would believe the non demon but also not human people the filthy inhuman races Noboru had united had betrayed him. We knew he would retaliate. We knew he would march to war against the Dragon Kingdom."

Kouki's hands trembled.

Why wasn't he allowed on this mission?

On the mission to destroy everything the disgraceful beast held dear.

"We expected Maou-sama to be careful," Shin continued. "To act strategically. To destroy the Dragon kingdom which he did but also Noboru But something went wrong. The boy was winning. Winning against even he who can defeat me and my brothers the other founding kings."

Shin's voice dropped lower. The tension in the room thickened.

"the one we wanted to eliminate was winning"

The mere mention of his name sent a wave of disgust through Kouki's body.

Shin's golden eyes flickered.

"Noboru was winning. He was defeating Niju Chikara. He was defeating Yami Chikara. He was defeating Maou-Sama and He was defeating me as well as that other student that we allowed Hikari a kid who we for some reason felt compelled to allow into Celestial Vanguard Academy He was going to kill us all. And then—"

He exhaled sharply.

"Niju told us to hold him off while he used a forbidden chakra technique to seal him away in the Prison Realm."

A beat.

A crushing, deafening beat.

And then—Shin's next words shattered the room.

"Without Noboru, the world had no defenses. From the rage induced monster we had unleashed on the world."

Kouki's stomach twisted.

"And Maou-sama… without anyone to fight lost his mind."

Shin clenched his fists.

"He didn't just end with the retaliation against the Dragon Kingdom like we thought.We planned" His voice was low. Dangerous. Unstable. "He declared war on everyone. All races. All kingdoms. Any being not of demonic or monstrous origin. Stating if one of non demon and monster king can attack then we all can."

Silence.

The weight of those words settled like a curse upon the room.

Meiyo's lips pressed into a thin line. Kouki's rage was boiling.

"So, what you're saying…" Kouki growled, voice shaking. "Is that we caused this? That Noboru—"

Shin's eyes snapped toward him.

"No. I am saying that Noboru was merely an obstacle in the grander plan. And now, he is gone."

A slow, wicked smirk curled upon Hiroshi's lips.

"Then we continue forward."

Queen Amaya's golden eyes gleamed.

"It is simple," she purred. "The world has already been set aflame. The Phoenix must rise from the ashes."

King Hiroshi leaned back into his throne.

"Noboru was holding Dimensium hostage. The very fabric of existence. He stole what belonged to us, to the Phoenix Kingdom. We had no choice but to act."

Kouki's breath was uneven.

It was all Noboru's fault.

His disgrace of a brother had invited this war.

Kouki bared his teeth.

"I knew it," he spat. "I knew that traitor was the root of everything. I won't forgive him."

Meiyo's expression remained neutral, but her eyes burned with a quiet fire.

After all she knew this was manipualtion but her own insecurities and hatred for the beast got in the way of her rational thoughts and she nods.

Shin leaned back.

"Prepare the knights," he commanded.

His golden eyes flickered with finality.

"We are at war."