Chapter 21: The Chains That Bind

The night was silent, the moonlight casting long shadows over the towering walls of the One-Handed Kingdom. The kingdom, ruled by Talon, was a fortress unlike any other—guards patrolled in shifts, enchanted barriers surrounded the main castle, and every entrance was heavily fortified. But none of that mattered.

Because Asher had already infiltrated it.

---

The plan had been simple in theory but nearly impossible in execution.

Asher and his team had disguised themselves as traveling merchants, bringing in a massive shipment of steam-cooked meat—a delicacy famous across the Hundred Kingdoms. Talon's soldiers, known for their discipline but also their gluttony, had eagerly accepted the delivery.

What they didn't know was that the meat had been laced with a rare sleeping agent, extracted from a magical beast known as the Dusk Serpent. Within minutes, half the garrison was unconscious, slumped over their meals.

With the guards neutralized, Asher's team moved in. Darian and Garick handled the remaining alert soldiers with swift, precise strikes, cutting down anyone who resisted. Elias disabled the alarm mechanisms using his knowledge of magic security systems, while Sellina used illusion magic to manipulate the few guards who remained awake.

By the time the One-Handed Kingdom realized something was wrong, their fortress had already been breached.

A coup in a single night. The army had been subdued, the watchtowers disabled, and the palace infiltrated. Now, only one person stood between Asher and complete victory—Talon, the One-Handed King.

---

Asher walked into the throne room, his boots echoing against the cold floor. Torches flickered as he approached the massive throne where Talon sat, waiting.

Talon's single hand rested on the armrest, while his other arm—the one he lost long ago—had been replaced with an enchanted prosthetic made from pure black steel. His spear was beside him, resting casually as if it were an afterthought.

"You've gotten bolder," Asher said, his voice calm. "You used to be more… subtle."

Talon smirked. "And you used to be more careful. Guess we both changed."

Talon leaned forward. "You're here to kill me, aren't you?"

Asher didn't respond. He simply let the silence speak for itself.

Talon laughed, standing up and grabbing his spear. "Interesting. And here I thought you had no ambition. But tell me, Asher—why now? After all these years?"

"You already know why," Asher said coldly. "You refused to back down. You threatened to take me out."

"And you think you're any different from Father?" Talon sneered. "Overpowering and stealing another man's kingdom? Isn't that exactly what our creator did?"

Asher's fists clenched. "I am nothing like him."

Talon stepped closer, his spear glowing with magic energy. "Then why are you trying to kill me?"

Asher didn't answer.

Because, deep down, he wasn't sure of the answer himself.

Talon smirked. "No answer? Then that proves my point. We were all made from the same man. You, me, all the clones. No matter how much we pretend otherwise, we are the same."

Asher's eyes darkened. "We are not the same."

Talon spun his spear, pointing it at Asher's chest. "Then prove it."

---

The moment Talon lunged forward, the entire palace shook.

The sheer force of his attack sent shockwaves through the air, cracking the walls. Asher barely dodged, his chain whips unraveling from his arms as he countered with a vicious strike.

The sound of metal clashing against metal rang through the throne room. Sparks flew as Asher's whips coiled around Talon's spear, trying to disarm him. But Talon was relentless, twisting his weapon with expert precision and throwing Asher off balance.

"You used to fight with a sword," Talon taunted. "Now you fight with chains? Doesn't that mean you are still in your own bondage?"

Asher gritted his teeth, swinging his chains in a deadly arc. "These chains remind me of my past," he growled. "But they don't bind me. They make me stronger."

Talon laughed. "If that's what you want to believe, little brother."

He spun his spear faster, the air around him crackling with magic. Then, in a blur of motion, he unleashed a flurry rain of magic spear strikes—each one precise, unpredictable, and devastatingly fast.

Asher barely kept up, using his chains to block and counter, but for the first time in a long time—he was being pushed back.

---

The palace trembled as the two warriors clashed, their battle shaking the foundations of the building. Soldiers outside the throne room collapsed as the sheer pressure of the fight sent waves of energy rippling through the kingdom.

Asher swung his chains, aiming to wrap around Talon's leg, but Talon leaped into the air, twisting his body mid-air and launching a devastating spear thrust downward.

Asher dodged at the last second, but the force of the strike split the ground beneath him.

The throne room cracked, pieces of marble crumbling around them. The chandeliers above shattered, sending shards of crystal raining down.

The battle had turned into something beyond human.

This wasn't just a fight.

This was a war between two monsters.

---

Talon's smirk widened as he landed a brutal strike, sending Asher skidding across the throne room floor.

"You're no different from our father," Talon sneered. "You're just like him, trying to protect your 'territory' by stealing mine. If you're really so different—why are you trying to kill me?"

Asher's breath hitched.

Talon's words hit him harder than any spear strike.

Because deep down, he had never wanted to become his father.

But was that what he was doing?

Was he really different?

For a split second, his grip loosened—and that's all Talon needed.

---

Seizing the moment, Talon launched forward, unleashing his ultimate attack.

His spear glowed with a golden aura, and his choreography changed entirely. His strikes became unpredictable, fluid, and otherworldly—as if he were no longer bound by the limits of human movement.

Asher's instincts screamed at him—this wasn't the same Talon anymore.

Talon's power had evolved.

And now, for the first time in their fight, Asher was losing.

---

The battle raged on, the throne room falling apart around them.

Asher had started this mission with confidence.

But now, facing Talon's new overwhelming power he was bathed in his own blood....