Chapter 86: The Frost Sentinel’s Oath

The moon hovered high over Lunaris, casting silver trails across the crystal rooftops and frosted walkways. News of the assassination attempt had already spread, but more importantly—so had the legend of the ice-born outsider who wielded a power not seen in centuries.

Shisui stood on a balcony overlooking the capital, the Moonsteel Crest now engraved into a silver clasp on his cloak. His injuries had mostly healed, thanks to the combined effort of Lunarian healers and his own regenerative Arch flow. But something inside had changed—sharper instincts, a deeper connection to the ice in his veins, and a quiet awareness of how dangerous his newfound Kekkei Genkai could be.

The Cryo Sovereignty wasn't just a tool. It was alive.

Behind him, Irylia approached in a flowing robe of twilight silk, her silver eyes solemn.

"They're calling you the Frost Sentinel now," she said, stepping beside him. "Some even say you're a reincarnation of my ancestor—Lady Velyra the Winter Saint."

"I'm not," Shisui replied simply. "I'm just a man trying to survive. Trying to protect."

She smiled faintly. "Sometimes… those are the ones who become legends."

Just then, a lunar guard arrived and bowed. "His Majesty requests your presence in the Grand Hall. The High Council awaits."

Minutes later, Shisui entered the crystalline hall. Nobles whispered behind gloved hands, eyeing him with suspicion and awe. At the head stood King Fenryl and Queen Lysara, flanked by seven members of the Royal Council.

King Fenryl's voice echoed. "Shisui. The traitor, Lord Malgrith, was a council member. His betrayal must not go unanswered."

Shisui met their gazes calmly. "I'm not a noble. I don't seek power."

"No," Queen Lysara said softly. "But you have something far rarer. Loyalty. The kind born from pain, not politics."

King Fenryl gestured to a kneeling knight beside him—an armored woman with a scar over one eye. "Commander Ellyn Starcrest will be your second-in-command. You will lead the investigation into the remaining loyalists of Malgrith's faction. Find them. Root them out."

Shisui nodded. "As you command… Your Majesties."

As he turned to leave, Irylia called after him, her voice softer now. "Be careful. You've made enemies you can't yet see."

His answer came as a whisper of frost curling from his fingertips. "They should be the careful ones."