Minutes passed since I left the Azure Kingdom, flying as fast as I could toward Kurrbryde. I fully trusted Komraad to handle his urgent matter and hoped he’d arrive in time for the major fight. My worries intensified as Kurrbryde came into sight. The town was in turmoil, and inside Nilda’s mansion, I sensed an extremely powerful, overwhelming presence: King Zayke.

 

I rushed to the mansion, now in ruins, fearing the worst. Thankfully, Nilda was standing as a bulwark, protecting Kedrick, Erica, and the girls, who were still recovering from their previous fights. They could only watch Nilda struggle against an enemy of unfathomable strength.

 

Even Nilda, the toughest warrior, was no match for a Chosen One blessed with a vast amount of mana. The enemies I had faced before couldn't even compare to King Zayke.

 

Nilda was sustaining heavy damage, and her aura had significantly weakened. Yet, the fact that she was still holding her own against a Chosen One was a testament to her strength and title, Iron Huntress.

 

King Zayke, conversely, didn't have a single scratch and showed no signs of exhaustion. He sat casually on Nilda’s chair while his summoned angelic knights, made of light magic, did all the work.

 

Astrid couldn't bear watching any longer. “Let us help you! We can also fight!” She offered.

 

Nilda rejected her. “Stay put, this is not yours to deal with. I will not allow children to fight and take responsibility, not anymore,” she said with a hint of deep regret in her tone.

 

“You’re losing badly, so stop being stubborn!” Astrid insisted.

 

Nilda smirked, her confidence unbroken. “I’m still standing, and I will remain standing even in death. I will not allow more bloodshed, so watch me protect my people and my land.”

 

Kedrick, knowing his wife's pride, stopped Astrid from interfering. “Astrid, enough already. Do not sully a warrior’s pride any further.”

 

Everyone was worried, but they knew they’d only slow Nilda down.

 

King Zayke finally lost his patience and shouted in frustration. “This is boring! If you’re not gonna fall, then I’ll just make those who can!” He commanded his summoned angelic knights to aim their attack at the others.

 

Nilda noticed and used her enormous body as a shield. As she prepared to be stabbed by spears of radiant light, I rushed to the scene. I transformed into my human form and used my dark energy beam to stop the attack from reaching her.

 

“You can thank me later,” I boasted.

 

Nilda was surprised to see me use magic. “You’re that annoying human. What are you doing here?” She asked.

 

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m protecting the people that are important to me,” I responded.

 

“Mom! You’re back!” Fae shouted in joy. The others cheered too.

 

“Hi girls, sorry it took me this long, but let’s continue this reunion later. Mama has to deal with this first,” I responded.

 

King Zayke was both surprised and frustrated. “You stopped my magic in one attack. Who are you?” He demanded.

 

“You don’t need to know my name. You just tried to kill my daughters, so be ready to face the wrath of a mother,” I declared.

 

Nilda and I shared a common goal. “Let’s have a truce, Nilda. At least until this monster is taken down,” I suggested.

 

“Normally, I won’t agree, but I don’t have the time to be picky. I’ll settle with you for now,” she responded.

 

This woman! I see where Komraad got his attitude, I thought irritably.

 

“Enough of this nonsense! I’m a Chosen One, yet none of you fear me! It’s time I end your confidence and show you ultimate despair!” King Zayke declared.

 

[Light Magic: Summon; Seraph of Execution]

 

He combined half of his angelic knights to create a new, stronger, larger, and tougher knight, the size of a colossal king crab, wielding a giant ax of radiant light. “End this once and for all!” King Zayke commanded.

 

I was worried, knowing my strength alone wasn't enough, but the thought of my family gave me the courage to fight.

 

“Let’s do this, Nilda!” I said confidently.

 

“It’s time we teach this man a lesson,” she responded, preparing her fist.

 

“Go get him!” Erica cheered.

 

Nilda and I combined our efforts to attack and defend. The ax-wielding knight swung its humongous weapon, causing a massive shockwave.

 

Nilda rushed forward, infused her arms with aura, and caught the ax with her bare hands. I used the ax handle as a path, running on top of it to close the gap and ensure my spell didn’t miss.

 

I condensed a strong beam of dark energy and hit the ax-wielding knight directly on its face.

 

“Bullseye!” I shouted in excitement.

 

We thought we defeated it, but it regenerated in mere seconds.

 

“Err… that’s cheating!” I complained.

 

As long as King Zayke sustained his knights with his seemingly limitless mana, the fight was pointless. We had to find an opening to attack King Zayke himself.

 

We kept attacking, but the constantly regenerating knights prevented us from getting close.

 

“We need to change our strategy,” I suggested.

 

“I have a plan. I just need you to clear a path,” Nilda instructed.

 

I agreed, annihilating all of King Zayke’s summoned knights with a single, powerful beam of dark energy. Before they could regenerate, Nilda released her full aura and rushed toward King Zayke with a devastating attack.

 

[Aura Manipulation: Unstoppable Stampede]

 

Nilda coated her entire body with aura, transforming into iron, and sprinted with unstoppable force, aiming to crush King Zayke.

 

King Zayke was wide open, but he still hadn't shown the full extent of his magic. “What you have seen is only half of the soldiers I have in store,” he revealed.

 

[Light Magic: Summon; Seraph of Order]

 

He summoned a holy, six-winged angelic judge holding a glowing scale.

 

Before Nilda could get close, the gravity around her instantly changed, crushing her body to the ground.

 

“Anyone with the intent of causing me harm will be judged and crushed by overwhelming force,” King Zayke revealed.

 

I tried to follow up with a beam of dark energy, but my magic dispersed before it could touch him.

 

“I forgot to mention, even magic is no exception,” he clarified.

 

Nilda was immobilized, and I, having run out of mana, reverted to my cat form. The knights we took down earlier regenerated.

 

Grr… just how much mana does this man have? It’s basically limitless, I thought in frustration.

 

“It’s time to say goodbye,” King Zayke declared, commanding the enormous ax-wielding knight to crush all of us.

 

“No! I won’t allow this to be our last adventure!” I rushed to the girls, trying to squeeze out a tiny amount of mana, but it was too late. Rein’s water barrier shattered instantly like glass.

 

The ax was about to strike when Komraad arrived, saving us in the nick of time! With a single punch infused with his aura, he shattered the ax and defeated the knight effortlessly.

 

Everyone lived, and Komraad’s presence ignited a glimmer of hope.

 

“Jeez, what took you so long!” Astrid said happily.

 

“B-brother, thank goodness you’re safe,” Erica muttered through tears.

 

“I knew you’d make it!” I said excitedly.

 

“Thanks for buying me time. I’ll take it from here,” Komraad responded with firm resolve.

 

“He’s all yours,” I answered, resting alongside everyone, entrusting our fate to him.

 

King Zayke was shocked. “I-impossible! How did you manage to come back and recover?!?” He demanded.

 

Komraad, radiating a burning spirit, responded confidently. “I had help from a family I trust , and because of her, I was able to come to terms with myself.”

 

“I knew it! I should’ve just killed you when I had the chance!!” King Zayke complained.

 

“You had your chance, now it’s my turn. I won’t let you mess with my life any longer! It’s time I pay you back tenfold!” Komraad declared.

 

“How dare you threaten me! I’ll show you what true despair looks like by crushing you and everything you hold dear!” King Zayke warned.

 

Now in full control of his power, Komraad was free to go all out.

 

“Dot, it’s time to kick some ass!” He commanded.

 

“Our first fight! I’m so excited!” Dot responded happily.

 

Komraad joined his hands, and Dot went inside his heart. “Titan of power and stability, heed my command and offer me your strength. Soul Merge!” He shouted.

 

Everything fell still. Then, without warning, a radiant explosion of golden light surged from his chest. 

 

Golden sparks flickered across his skin. The ground cracked beneath the surge of his power. 

 

A second, more powerful pulse erupted. His clothes got engulfed in golden flames and in its place, a new form materialized: A golden battle armor. His hair, ears, and tail transformed into a flowing crown of golden flame.

 

As the transformation reached its peak, the air around him lit up in golden glow, aura swirled around him in a violent spiral.

 

Then, his eyes opened, burning with the fury and pride of a beast.

 

He had unlocked his Awakened State. This state, achievable when a Chosen One and their Titan Spirit are in sync, unites their heart and soul. Komraad achieved it easily due to his straightforward nature, which he shares with the Titan of Beast, Dot.

 

His awakening was enthralling, but the downside was that he could only sustain this form for a short period due to lack of training. He had to defeat King Zayke quickly.

 

He immediately attacked. Before King Zayke could react, Komraad coated a random piece of rubble with aura and flicked it like a bullet, instantly destroying the Seraph of Order and releasing Nilda. The speed was so great that from everyone’s perspective, the Seraph of Order just dispersed.

 

Nilda was shocked. “Son, I-”

 

“You can tell that to me later after I clean this mess up,” Komraad interrupted.

 

Komraad now had access to his full potential through his Awakened State because the Titan of Beast, Dot, had manifested. King Zayke, however, still could not access his Awakened State because the Titan of Light had not manifested.

 

The seven majestic Titans created the seven great races by sacrificing their physical bodies, ascending to spirit form to watch over their creations. They pick a Chosen One to be the vessel of their power, only at birth if the previous one died.

 

The Titans placed two restrictions before manifesting in spirit form and teaching the Chosen One to unlock the Awakened State:

 

-The Chosen One must fully accept the role and power given to them.

 

-Their hearts must be just and their actions morally right.

 

Komraad previously failed the first rule due to his trauma-induced rejection of his power. Now that he accepted his power, Dot manifested. King Zayke was the reverse: he accepted his role but his heart and actions were unjust, so the Titan of Light had not manifested.

 

Komraad, sharing a straightforward personality with Dot, easily achieved the necessary deep level of understanding for the Soul Merge.

 

King Zayke, never having sought to understand the true nature of his power, was threatened and overwhelmed by Komraad's sudden growth. Despite this, he refused to back down, summoning an entire army of angelic knights to prove he was the pinnacle of strength, even without his awakened form. “It should only be me! I should only be the one chosen!” He shouted, commanding his army to attack.

 

Komraad cracked his neck. “This ought to be fun,” he casually said. 

 

He used a new technique.

 

[Aura Manipulation: Hyperfocus]

 

His agility, strength, and senses were stretched to the limits. In his view, everything slowed down. None of the knights could land a hit. His strength was immense. Every punch shattered the enemy from the inside effortlessly, ignoring their defenses.

 

King Zayke was terrified, panicking as his knights failed. He didn't notice his mana reserves draining until it was too late. Komraad, seeing his opening, landed a devastating blow.

 

[Aura Manipulation: Homerun]

 

He picked up a wooden stick, coated it with aura, and swung it, releasing an energy wave that destroyed everything in its path, including King Zayke’s remaining summons. King Zayke finally sustained damage.

 

Enraged, he used his trump card. “Now you’ve done it! I’ll erase you and everything you love from existence!”

 

He gathered all his remaining mana for his most powerful spell.

 

[Ultimate Light Magic: Summon; Seraph of Final Judgement]

 

King Zayke summoned an ultimate being: a giant angelic knight as big as a colossus tree, with eight pairs of wings, a radiant halo, and four hands, each holding a different weapon (staff, sword, shield, and lance). King Zayke flew inside the knight's chest, acting as its heart and core.

 

The knight used its staff to cast a devastating ray of light, causing total destruction across Kurrbryde, harming even the Featherlight allies. King Zayke laughed menacingly, having lost his mind.

 

Komraad was nearing his limit. He gathered his strength for one final attack. “You’ve done enough damage to my home and people already! It’s time I end this madness!” He declared.

 

Komraad, a speck of dust compared to the knight, used his insane agility to close the gap, running and jumping on the knight's body. King Zayke attacked with all four weapons, but Komraad was too fast.

 

Komraad hid in the smoke from the knight’s attacks. King Zayke panicked, realizing Komraad was too close to his main body. “Y-you insect! Get away from me!” He shouted.

 

Komraad was about to land the final blow when Jay, the Featherlight Nilda defeated, regained consciousness and assisted King Zayke.

 

“Never again am I gonna get humiliated in front of my King!” Jay shouted.

 

[Ultimate Light Magic: Halo Rain]

 

Jay rained millions of arrows over Kurrbryde. Komraad was conflicted: stop the arrows and lose his chance to defeat Zayke, or focus on Zayke and let his people die.

 

“Komraaaad!!! Leave this one to me! Trust me and focus on your fight,” I assured him, seeing his struggle.

 

Thanks to a previous surge from Raya’s ultimate magic, a portion of my mana had recovered. I created the most powerful, condensed beam of dark energy I had ever made. I divided it into smaller beams, matching the number of falling arrows, and destroyed them all.

 

“Thanks for the backup, Ina. Now it’s my turn,” Komraad muttered.

 

He jumped toward King Zayke’s core. He gathered all his remaining aura into his right hand, making his fist glow golden. “This punch is for everyone you trampled on,” he declared.

 

[Ultimate Aura Manipulation Technique: Force Impact]

 

King Zayke shivered. “N-no, it can’t be. This can’t be happening! I’m a Chosen One! I won’t be defeated by a mere mutt!” He screamed.

 

He used all four hands to block, but Komraad’s attack was too powerful, instantly destroying the hands and hitting King Zayke’s face. 

 

King Zayke crashed to the ground, utterly exhausted, unable to summon any more magic.

 

Komraad’s Soul Merge wore off, and he reverted to his normal form. “It’s over, call off the war and get out of my home!” He demanded.

 

King Zayke, panting with despair, begged, “I lost. Please, just kill me already.”

 

“Huh?!? That’s the easy route for you, so I ain’t doing that!” Komraad responded.

 

I rushed over, remembering my promise to Lou. “Komraad’s right. This war had already taken enough lives. We can’t afford to lose another,” I chimed in.

 

King Zayke shivered. “Y-you don’t understand. His voice keeps getting louder and louder every time I fail. He will never stop haunting me, so please, end this pain and kill me,” he begged.

 

I recalled Lou’s story. “Are you referring to your father?” I asked.

 

His fear intensified. “T-the only time I don’t hear his voice is when I follow in his footsteps of tyranny. I’ll lose my sanity if I don’t do his bidding,” he explained.

 

“Your sins can’t be erased, but it’s not too late for you to change. The only way for you to break free from your father's shackles is by taking control of your own life and forging your own path. You’re not alone, you have your friends back in your castle to depend on, so don’t give up,” I advised, reaching out my hand.

 

As I reached for him, a thick, dark mist began emanating from King Zayke’s body. The ember in his heart turned pitch black, and he began losing his mind. “Please, make it stop,” he begged.

 

“What the hell is happening?!?” Komraad asked.

 

“I don’t know either, but if we don’t do something about it, then something bad might happen,” I responded.

 

Dot suddenly appeared. “I believe I can be of some assistance,” he offered.

 

I was startled. “Aah! W-what is that thing?” I asked in shock.

 

“How rude! I’m not a thing. My name is Dot, and I’m the Titan of Beast,” he scolded.

 

“I-I see. Do you know him, Komraad?” I asked.

 

“Y-yeah, he’s with me,” he responded awkwardly.

 

I quickly asked Dot, “Do you know what’s causing this?”

 

“His emotion is unstable, and the curse is running amok inside his body. If nothing is done, he will exhaust his life force and die,” Dot explained.

 

“Wait… Did you just say curse?!” I asked.

 

“Yes, demons use the forbidden curse technique as a source of their dark magic. Sometimes, fallen humans with dark hearts and bad intentions who have died also leave a curse on the world of the living,” Dot responded.

 

“I see now. His father must have left the curse on him when he died. How cruel!”

 

King Zayke’s situation worsened. Then, I remembered the cursed weapons from Vermine Kingdom that Astrid's bandit friends had. I touched them and drained the curse without being harmed.

 

“Curse? Demon? I think I get the situation now,” I said confidently.

 

I rushed to King Zayke. “I hope this works,” I said. I touched his body, and the dark mist was instantly absorbed into me until it was completely gone. The ember in his heart returned to normal.

 

“I-it worked!” I celebrated.

 

King Zayke finally calmed down. “I-it’s finally quiet,” he whispered before passing out.

 

Komraad, worried, approached me to check me for injuries. “H-hey Ina, do you feel weird anywhere?” He asked worriedly.

 

“I-I’m fine! You don’t have to touch me everywhere,” I responded, laughing from his tickling touch. “Oh… by the way, where’s your little friend, Dot?”

 

“He vanished. He said he’ll only come out again if there’s something fun to do,” Komraad responded.

 

Our conversation was interrupted when Lou arrived and commanded the Featherlight soldiers to retreat. He carried King Zayke back to their kingdom and thanked me for keeping my promise.

 

After all the Featherlights left, Komraad and I returned to the mansion to deliver the good news. We saw everyone helping the wounded. The girls rushed to hug us.

 

“Welcome back, Mom, Mr. Komraad,” the girls said in unison.

 

Komraad and I smiled genuinely. “I’m glad to be back.”