Chapter 73: The Abyss Claims Its Heir
Sai's breath **rattled in his chest** as he staggered backward, watching the **golden-eyed King** stumble.
For the first time since the fight had started, **he saw blood.**
The older version of himself clutched at the **dagger embedded in his chest**, golden ichor dripping down his fingers and onto the broken stone floor. Abyssal mist **swirled violently** around them, rippling with unstable energy, as if the palace itself were **screaming in pain.**
The golden-eyed Sai lifted his gaze, his eyes **smoldering with power**, but something else flickered there now.
A brief, faint glimmer of **surprise.**
And **satisfaction.**
Sai's chest **heaved**, his vision blurred from blood loss, but he didn't hesitate.
He **launched forward again.**
His dagger **ripped free from the King's chest,** black ichor splattering across the fractured stone. He twisted mid-strike, slashing across the King's ribs, feeling his blade **cut through flesh.**
The King's expression barely changed.
If anything, he **smiled.**
Sai **twisted, feinting left**, his second dagger flashing toward the King's throat—**but the older version caught his wrist mid-strike.**
Sai's **eyes widened.**
The King's grip **tightened.**
And then, with a violent **twist**, he **snapped Sai's arm** backward.
Sai let out a **guttural snarl** of pain, his knees buckling as his arm **cracked under the force.**
His system screamed warnings.
**[Warning: Fracture Detected – Right Forearm.]**
**[Blood Loss Critical.]**
Sai gritted his teeth, **biting back the pain.**
He didn't stop.
With a hiss, he **dropped his dagger from his broken hand**, catching it mid-fall with his left. His legs **coiled beneath him** and he surged upward, driving the blade **straight toward the King's chest again.**
The **golden-eyed Sai caught it.**
Bare-handed.
The dagger **sank into his palm,** but the King's expression **didn't even flicker.**
Golden abyssal energy **poured from the wound**, but the older version **held Sai's gaze**, his grip unyielding.
And then—**he twisted the blade free** from Sai's hand.
Sai **stumbled backward**, blood dripping from his knuckles, gasping for breath.
The King slowly glanced down at the dagger in his palm.
He smiled faintly.
Then—**he crushed it.**
The dagger **shattered into pieces,** disintegrating into black mist.
Sai's breath **caught.**
The King's golden eyes narrowed slightly. **"You're still holding back."**
Sai **clenched his fists.** His arm throbbed violently, bone grinding with every movement, but he forced himself to **keep moving.**
He couldn't stop.
He wouldn't.
The King exhaled slowly, **almost bored.**
Then—**he vanished.**
Sai barely had time to blink before a **golden gauntlet** slammed into his side. The force sent him **hurtling across the chamber**, his body **crashing through a pillar.**
The stone **splintered on impact,** and he tumbled violently across the jagged floor, his body leaving a streak of blood in its wake.
His vision **swam.**
Everything **hurt.**
His system **flared red**, screaming warnings.
**[Internal Bleeding Detected.]**
**[Fractured Ribs.]**
**[Critical Condition Approaching.]**
Sai **groaned weakly**, coughing blood onto the stone.
But he **stood anyway.**
The King slowly approached, golden eyes gleaming. "You don't give up, do you?"
Sai wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.
His voice came out **hoarse but steady.**
"Not today."
---
### **The Abyss Awakens**
The chamber **shook violently** as Sai staggered upright.
The Abyss was **responding**—not to the King, but to **him.**
The mist **coiled around him,** darker and thicker, crackling with unstable energy. It wasn't just reacting to him anymore.
It was **merging with him.**
The black mist **curled around his broken arm,** seeping into his fractured bones. The pain in his chest **faded** as the Abyss poured through his veins, burning away the agony with its raw, unyielding power.
Sai **staggered forward,** and the mist **followed.**
The golden-eyed Sai watched him carefully.
"You feel it now, don't you?"
Sai's breath was uneven, **but steady.**
The mist **twined around his limbs**, **forming claws of abyssal fire** over his hands. His shattered bones **knitted back together**, crackling with black veins of raw energy.
The pain was gone.
And in its place—**was power.**
The King smiled faintly.
"Good."
Then—**they clashed.**
Sai **moved faster**, the Abyss fueling his steps. He flickered out of existence and **reappeared behind the King,** daggers trailing with abyssal fire.
The **King blocked the first strike,** but Sai was already gone again.
Flickering behind him.
Then above him.
Then below.
Sai **moved like a storm,** striking from every direction, his daggers **blazing with abyssal fire**, his movements fueled by **pure, unrestrained rage.**
The **King staggered slightly** from the relentless assault.
Golden ichor **splattered across the stone**, marking the first time Sai had truly **pushed him back.**
But the **golden-eyed Sai wasn't slowing down.**
He **lunged forward,** catching Sai's wrist mid-strike.
Sai's eyes **widened.**
Before he could react, the King's **gauntlet slammed into his chest** with enough force to send him flying.
But this time—**Sai didn't fall.**
He caught himself mid-air, **the Abyss carrying him.**
The black mist **coiled around him,** catching his fall, **lifting him upward**.
And then, with a **snarl**, Sai surged forward again.
He drove his dagger **straight into the King's side.**
The blade **pierced through the armor,** cutting deep.
Golden ichor **splattered across the stone.**
The King's eyes **narrowed sharply.**
Sai's voice was low. **"Not so invincible now, are you?"**
The King's smile **faded.**
Then—**his eyes blazed.**
"You still don't understand."
The **mist around the King** exploded outward, and Sai was **blasted backward.**
The golden-eyed Sai **straightened slowly,** his wound already sealing, golden energy **pulsing violently** from his chest.
Sai's eyes **widened.**
No.
The King wasn't slowing down.
He was **getting stronger.**
The golden-eyed Sai **lifted his hand**, and the throne room **shuddered.**
The entire palace **trembled violently**, the stone **fracturing** beneath their feet.
And then—**the throne itself moved.**
Black tendrils of mist **coiled around the seat**, lifting it upward. The palace **began to shift**, warping into something **greater**, something alive.
And the throne's **power surged outward.**
Sai's system screamed warnings.
**[Abyssal Authority Reawakening.]**
**[Dominion Field Expanding.]**
**[Reality Shift Imminent.]**
Sai's chest tightened.
The **throne was waking up.**
And it was **hungry.**
The King's golden eyes gleamed.
"Do you feel it now?"
Sai's breath caught.
Because he **did feel it.**
The throne wasn't just a seat of power.
It was **alive.**
It had been waiting for him.
And now—it was **calling him home.**
The golden-eyed Sai's voice was a whisper.
**"You can't run from it."**
The black mist **coiled around Sai's limbs.**
And he knew.
The **Abyss wasn't offering him a choice anymore.**
It was **claiming him.**
And this time—
**It wouldn't let him go.**