Chapter 42: The Blood Crown Awakens

Sparks erupted as our blades locked again, the shriek of metal echoing through the battlefield like a scream from the void.

I grit my teeth, pushing forward, sweat trickling down my temple. My opponent barely blinked.

His expression remained unchanged—calm, cold, clinical.

But his hands were tightening. His perfect form… cracking.

I saw it—the flicker of frustration in his eyes.

"Why do you resist?" he hissed.

"Because I'm not your reflection," I growled, twisting my blade free. "I'm the one thing you could never be."

I struck again. This time, he stumbled.

He wasn't a monster.

He was the outcome of a choice I could have made.

Every time I'd considered sacrificing others for power.Every time I'd wanted to give up on the Queen.Every time I'd hated myself for not being strong enough.

He was my regret, sharpened into a weapon.

But I wasn't him.

I had pain.

And people worth protecting.

And that made me dangerous—because I had something to lose.

He only fought to prove he was right.I fought to protect what was left.

As our blades clashed again, the sky groaned, clouds folding like torn paper.

The Queen's body lay behind me—still breathing, but fading like the last ember in a dying fire.

Rage rippled through my veins like molten steel, searing every nerve, branding every muscle.

Suddenly, the bloodline within me surged—violent, unyielding.

A golden crown of shadow burst from my chest, not resting atop my head, but spinning behind me like a flaming halo.

It wasn't just power.

It was command.

I felt the Realm shift—every shadow turning its gaze toward me.

The Heir had stopped running.

And the Crown had answered.

Across from me, the false heir dropped to one knee, panting.

His aura flickered.

He looked up, not in rage—

But in terror.

"You… activated the Blood Crown?"

Before I could speak, the sky shattered like glass—

And a thousand ancient voices rang out in unison:

"The True Shadow King has been chosen."

The battlefield trembled.

Mountains groaned.

And far above, something older than time opened its eyes.

To Be Continued…