Chapter 10:A true king

The battlefield was silent, save for our ragged breaths. Kael's golden fur was damp with sweat, his staff resting at his side, its runes flickering weakly as the energy settled. The earth bore the scars of our clash—deep cuts, scorched patches, and shattered terrain where our blows had landed.

And yet, despite it all, we were still standing.

Kael's golden aura crackled around him like dying embers, the last remnants of his power lingering in the air.

"Secret Art… Unleashed."

The moment he whispered those words, his energy flared again, the ground trembling beneath us.

No way… He still wants to fight?!

I clenched my fists, but my body protested. My limbs were heavy, my breathing shallow. I had nothing left to give.

"You are on your litmit"echoed mira the familiar voice in my mind.

"That's enough."Darius stepped forward, his stance firm, his presence like an immovable wall. "Can't you see he can't fight anymore? Don't go overboard."

Kael's gaze lingered on me, golden eyes burning with battle hunger. His fingers twitched around his staff, reluctant to let go.

Then, finally, the fire in his eyes dimmed.

He exhaled and loosened his grip. "I'm sorry." A small smirk tugged at his lips. "I just… got carried away. That was fun."

I blinked.

Fun?

A moment ago, he had been relentless—a force of nature pushing me to my limit. Now? There was something else in his expression. Regret, maybe even guilt.

Before I could respond, a familiar voice broke through.

"Ethan!"

Aria rushed to my side, green eyes wide with concern. She hesitated, hovering just inches away, as if afraid touching me would make things worse.

"Hey, are you okay?"

I forced a grin, trying to mask the exhaustion pressing down on me. "I'm fine. You don't have to worry."

But my body betrayed me. My muscles burned, my vision wavered at the edges, and I could barely stand.

Kael sighed and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small golden sphere that pulsed with a soft glow and held it out.

"Here. It'll heal your injuries. One of the best in our kingdom—crafted by our greatest medics."

I eyed the orb with suspicion.

Kael groaned, exasperated. "It won't kill you."

To prove his point, he popped one into his mouth and chewed lazily.

"See?" He smirked. "Tastes sweet—like bananas." He held another toward me, raising an eyebrow as if daring me to refuse.

I hesitated, glancing at Aria. She was still wary, but my body screamed for relief.

Slowly, I took the orb, rolling it between my fingers before placing it on my tongue.

Warmth surged through me the moment it dissolved. A soothing energy coursed through my veins, knitting torn flesh, sealing wounds, and washing away exhaustion as if it had never existed.

I exhaled sharply.

Kael watched me closely. "Better?"

I flexed my fingers, rolled my shoulders. The pain was gone. The weariness? Vanished. It was as if I'd never fought at all.

"Yeah," I admitted.

Kael's smirk widened, his golden eyes gleaming.

"You're something else," he said, crossing his arms. "You said you were a traveler. Is that true?"

I tensed.

He wasn't just making conversation—he was analyzing me.

"You fight in a way I've never seen before," he continued, eyes sharp. "You weren't this strong when we started. But as we fought, you adapted—grew stronger in an instant. The way you move, the way you wield your swords… Even the fairies, the greatest weapon masters in the land, don't fight like that."

I held his gaze.

He wasn't wrong. My strength increased as I fought. Humans weren't supposed to be strong in this world. But he had seen through me—and I'd had to accept the duel because he'd threatened to kill us if I refused.

Enough of this.

"You said you'd let us go if we had a duel," I said flatly. I turned to Aria. "Let's go."

She nodded, hesitating only briefly before following.

But just as we stepped away, Kael's voice stopped me.

"Don't you want to save humanity?"

I froze.

"You're the only human, besides the Lost King, with the strength to stand against those who threaten your kind—especially the Demon King."

My breath caught.

The Lost King…?

I turned back slowly. "What did you just say?"

Kael's golden eyes studied me. "The Lost King. The ruler of the human kingdom before the Demon King took over."

My mind raced. Could he be talking about the one I was supposed to find?

But something didn't add up. I narrowed my eyes. "Why do you care about humanity? Aren't you part of the races that looked down on us? The ones who tortured, killed, and enslaved humans for their weakness?"

Kael didn't flinch. If anything, he looked… solemn.

"One thing I could never do in this world," he said quietly, "is what you just accused."

It wasn't an answer. Yet there was something in his tone—something deeper.

I met his gaze, challenging. "You know him?"

Kael's fists clenched. His golden eyes darkened, the fire in them now fueled by something colder—something bitter.

"Everyone in this world knows him," he said, his voice tight with resentment. "A king who abandoned his throne and his people… Such a person doesn't deserve the title of king."

His breathing grew heavier, as if every word dragged up something buried deep.

Kael's voice shook. His tail lashed behind him, his hands balled into fists, his whole body trembling—not with anger, but with something deeper. A wound that had never healed.

I swallowed hard.

Kael wasn't just angry at the Lost King. He hated him.

I met his gaze, unyielding. "I don't care what you think. He is still the king humanity needs."

Kael let out a sharp, bitter laugh.

"The king humanity needs?" His golden eyes burned with something close to pain. "even though he has powers he won't fight back,it a disappointment for someone like him to exist in this world and held a tittle of a king"

Silence stretched between us, heavy and unrelenting.

But I didn't waver their might be areason why he wont fight i will find it after i meet him. "If there's even a chance he can help humanity, I have to find him."

Kael looked at me for a long moment, his golden eyes flickering with an intensity that left me feeling exposed. The air around us was thick with the remnants of our battle, but his presence grew heavier, as if he had something more to say. Something that had been buried deep inside him.

Kael stood tall, the weight of his words pressing into the still air. His golden eyes gleamed, burning with the weight of both his ambitions and the pain of his past.

"I once met the Lost King," Kael began, his voice quiet and reflective. "He was meant to be something greater—someone who could lead, guide, and protect. A king not just by blood, but by destiny. The people looked to him, placed their trust in him... and when their kingdom was falling, when they needed him most, he vanished."

His fists tightened as his golden eyes darkened with the memory. "I tried to talk to him. I tried to remind him of his duty. But he was blind—too consumed by his own hesitation to understand that being a king isn't about power. It's about responsibility. A king doesn't get to pick and choose when to fight for their people. When the kingdom is burning, when lives are at risk, that's when a king must rise. Not after the battle is over, but right in the thick of it."

Kael's voice cracked slightly as he spoke, the pain of that betrayal evident. "I hate him, not just for abandoning his people, but for wasting what he had. For not seeing the weight of the crown for what it truly was. It's not a title to flaunt—it's a promise. A promise to stand beside those who need you, no matter what. And he broke that promise."

He paused, standing even taller now, as if the weight of his own words filled him with renewed resolve. "But that's why I will be different. I will be a king who understands the true cost of leadership. I will fight not for my own glory, but for those I am sworn to protect. My people will know I will stand with them in their darkest hour. I won't turn away, even when the world seems to be against us."

Kael's gaze turned toward me, intense and unwavering. "That's why I will be king. Because I know what it means to truly lead. A king is not measured by their power, but by their willingness to sacrifice for their people. I will wear this crown with pride, because I will never turn my back on them."

His voice softened slightly, but there was no hesitation in his words. "A true king stands not behind their throne, but beside their people. And I swear, I will be that king. The one who never abandons, no matter the cost."

I stood there, listening, feeling the weight of his conviction. In that moment, I realized something. Kael wasn't just speaking from ambition. He was speaking from the heart, from a place of true leadership. He understood, in a way that few ever would, what it truly meant to carry the burden of a crown.

He wasn't just destined to rule. He was destined to lead.

And as I looked at him now, I knew one thing for certain. This man would be one of my greatest allies in the future.