The Throne’s Judgment

The entire chamber trembled as cracks snaked across the Ruined Seat above. Dust and shattered stone rained down, and the very air pulsed with raw, untamed energy.

Aaron gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand. His limbs ached, his breath came in sharp bursts, but his golden-black aura flared around him, unyielding. He had broken the chains meant to bind him now he would shatter the throne itself.

Across from him, the First Sovereign watched in silence.

Aaron lifted his sword, the weapon crackling with power. "Looks like your throne isn't as unbreakable as you thought."

The Sovereign didn't respond. Instead, he slowly raised a hand. The chains embedded in the chamber snapped free, their metal links twisting and writhing as they coiled around his arm like living serpents.

Aaron's instincts screamed.

The air shattered as the Sovereign vanished then reappeared in front of Aaron.

Faster than thought.

Aaron barely had time to react before a fist slammed into his chest.

The impact was like being struck by a meteor. The force sent him flying backward, his body smashing through jagged stone and crumbling pillars. He gasped as pain exploded through his ribs, his vision momentarily flashing white.

But even as he tumbled, he forced himself to twist midair, planting his foot against a falling slab of rock—and launched himself back.

His sword ignited with golden-black lightning as he swung with all his strength.

The Sovereign blocked it with a single hand.

Aaron's blade stopped dead, caught between two fingers.

His mind reeled. What the hell—?!

Before he could react, the Sovereign flicked his wrist—and Aaron was sent hurtling into the ground.

The stone beneath him shattered like glass, a crater forming where he landed.

Aaron groaned, trying to push himself up. He had fought gods, demons, and monsters that could tear mountains apart, but this was different. The Sovereign wasn't just strong—he carried the weight of a thousand battles, a power carved from defiance itself.

"Do you see now?" the Sovereign's voice echoed. "Power alone is not enough."

Aaron spat blood, forcing himself to stand. "Yeah?" he panted. "Then tell me… why did you lose?"

The Sovereign stilled.

For a moment, the chamber was silent except for the distant cracks of the crumbling throne above.

Then a quiet chuckle.

The Sovereign's chains tightened, wrapping around his body like armor. "Because I was alone."

Aaron's eyes narrowed.

Before he could respond, the Sovereign moved again.

This time, Aaron was ready.

He sidestepped at the last second, his instincts flaring as he barely dodged a devastating strike. The sheer force of the missed attack tore through the stone behind him, sending debris flying.

Aaron countered instantly. A wave of golden-black energy erupted from his blade, cutting through the air with enough force to cleave mountains.

The Sovereign didn't dodge.

Instead, he raised his chained hand.

The moment Aaron's attack struck, the chains absorbed it then reflected it back at him.

Aaron's eyes widened.

The energy slammed into him full force, sending him skidding back. His boots dug into the cracked ground, stopping just inches from the chamber's edge.

His breathing was ragged, but he didn't waver.

The Sovereign tilted his head. "You still stand?"

Aaron wiped the blood from his lip, smirking. "I don't break easy."

The throne above let out a deep, echoing groan. The cracks running along its surface spread further, glowing with an eerie, golden light. The Sovereign glanced up, a strange flicker crossing his obscured face.

Aaron noticed.

His smirk widened. "You're worried."

The Sovereign exhaled. "No. I am simply remembering."

The chains around his arms unraveled, spreading outward like a net. The very ground trembled as ancient symbols flared to life, weaving a pattern into the stone.

Aaron's instincts flared in warning.

This was it.

The final strike.

The Sovereign extended his hand. The weight of fate itself surged toward Aaron, an unavoidable force meant to crush him completely.

Aaron didn't move.

Instead, he closed his eyes.

Then he stepped forward.

And swung his sword.

His blade didn't just cut through the attack.

It cut through everything.

The weight, the chains, the very concept of fate itself.

A soundless explosion erupted from the point of impact. A wave of pure force blasted through the chamber, shattering the throne above completely. The golden light burst outward, engulfing everything in its wake.

Aaron felt himself being pulled into the light.

The last thing he saw was the Sovereign watching him, the chains around his body beginning to dissolve.

And then darkness