Panda_Novel

In the mystical city of Yūrei-no-Machi, where destiny is dictated by enchanted playing cards, the legendary Kagura Mei reigns as the Scarlet Queen. Gifted with the power to alter fate with a single draw, Mei is both feared and worshiped, her decisions shaping the rise and fall of empires. But when the exiled prince Ryūji Takeda seeks her aid to reclaim his lost throne, Mei finds herself caught in a dangerous game against unseen forces who seek to control fate itself. As treachery weaves through the shadows and the boundary between destiny and free will blurs, Mei must wager everything—including her own heart—to uncover the truth behind the cursed deck that holds the world’s future.

Scarlet Queen Of Fate

The battlefield was a storm of fire and darkness, the very air trembling under the weight of their unleashed powers. Yue Rin stood firm, her golden flames roaring against the abyssal tide that sought to consume everything. Across from her, the Crown Prince's eyes gleamed with a predatory intensity.

"You surprise me, Yue Rin," he mused, stepping forward. "Few have ever dared to challenge me, and even fewer have lasted this long."

Yue Rin tightened her grip on her blade. "I don't need your admiration."

The Crown Prince chuckled. "Admiration? No. But you have my attention."

Then, he vanished.

Yue Rin's instincts screamed. She barely had time to raise her sword before a spear of darkness pierced through the flames, aiming for her heart. She twisted, the tip grazing her ribs, drawing a thin line of crimson.

She retaliated instantly, her blade igniting as she unleashed a sweeping arc of fire.

The Crown Prince dodged, his movements unnaturally fluid. "You're fast," he admitted. "But—"

In a blink, he closed the distance, his palm striking her chest with a shockwave of abyssal energy. Yue Rin was sent hurtling backward, crashing through the debris of broken pillars and shattered earth.

She gasped, struggling to push herself up. The impact had knocked the breath from her lungs, but she refused to fall.

The Crown Prince approached, his hands dripping with swirling darkness. "Your flames are strong, but you haven't mastered them yet. You're fighting against yourself."

Yue Rin spat blood, glaring at him. "And yet, you still haven't won."

He raised his hand—and the shadows obeyed.

From all directions, tendrils of abyssal energy lashed out, coiling toward her like vipers ready to strike. Yue Rin reacted on instinct, her flames bursting outward in a brilliant explosion.

The ground trembled as light and darkness collided once more.

A cold, searing pain tore through her side. Yue Rin's eyes widened as she looked down—a jagged spike of void energy had pierced her abdomen.

The Crown Prince loomed over her, eyes cold. "This is over."

Yue Rin clenched her jaw. The fire within her flickered… but it did not die.

She grabbed the void spike with her bare hands.

The Crown Prince's smirk faltered as her golden flames burned through the darkness itself, shattering his attack in a violent burst of light.

He took a step back—too late.

Yue Rin moved with blinding speed, her blade a streak of golden fury as she slashed across his chest.

The Crown Prince gasped, staggering as blood sprayed into the air. His abyssal armor cracked, a gaping wound splitting across his torso.

His hand trembled as he pressed against it, his breath uneven. For the first time, he was wounded.

Yue Rin stood tall, blood dripping from her wound but her flames burning ever brighter. She leveled her sword at him.

"This isn't over," she said, her voice like steel. "Not until one of us stops breathing."

The Crown Prince stared at her… then, he laughed.

Low at first, then louder, until it echoed through the battlefield.

"You truly are fascinating," he murmured, wiping the blood from his lips. "Very well, Yue Rin. Let's see how far you're willing to go."

Ashes and Shadows