The arena was dead silent. Every person, from the highest-ranking official to the lowliest servant, held their breath in anticipation. The air was thick with tension as all eyes were glued to the grand entrance, awaiting the arrival of Queen Soya.
Many believed this was the moment that would seal Kent’s fate, and the odds were heavily stacked against him.
Emperor Ryon sat on his grand throne, his face a mask of forced calm, though his clenched fists betrayed his rising frustration. His jaw tightened as he gazed at the crowd below, his supporters, the nobles who stood firmly by his side. They were eagerly waiting for this to be over, believing that Kent would be condemned, and his name erased from the annals of history.
At the other side of the arena, Kent’s supporters sat in quiet unease. They wanted to believe in his innocence, but the shadows of doubt loomed large. Even Lily and Sony, who had shown unwavering trust in Kent, exchanged anxious glances, their hearts pounding as the minutes dragged on. Somewhere in the stands, Ria, leaning forward with a sly grin, waited impatiently.
Then, finally, the moment came.
In the distance, a golden glow appeared—a floating tablet. Gasps filled the arena as it approached, coming to a halt high in the sky above the center of the arena. The Queen was here.
On each corner of the rectangular golden tablet, servants stood, their heads bowed, holding a thick white cloth that surrounded the Queen in layers, forming a veil that prevented anyone from seeing her.
She was completely hidden from view, leaving the crowd in a restless, uncomfortable silence.
The Palace Chief, who stood near the Truth Table, cleared his throat and stepped forward, his voice loud and clear. “Your Highness, Queen Soya, we humbly ask you to recount the events of that tragic day—the day of King Doom and his daughter’s death. We understand how painful this must be, but for the sake of justice, for the honor of the Royal family, we ask that you reveal the truth.”
The entire arena held its breath.
After a long, agonizing silence, a soft voice, delicate and composed, drifted from behind the white veil.
“My Emperor,” Queen Soya began, her tone gentle, almost soothing, addressing Emperor Ryon directly. “Before the fateful day, the Doom family approached me with a request. They wished to meet a man—a masked man named Kent. They sought to negotiate with him for the return of the Dead Island City, even going so far as to offer a major city, or perhaps even their capital, in exchange. They promised to repay five times the cost of the construction of the teleportation gate to Kent. I… at first, I thought it best to wait for your return, my Emperor. But they pleaded with me—begged me—to arrange the meeting urgently, so I agreed.”
The crowd listened intently, hanging onto every word. Kent stood calmly, arms crossed, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips. He had already sensed something different in Soya’s voice.
The Queen’s voice, still soft but now tinged with unease, continued. “Everything was going as expected until the masked man, Kent, arrived. But then, suddenly, King Doom changed the terms. He demanded that Kent hand over Dead Island City in exchange for… for a single mana stone.”
Gasps erupted from the audience. Shock spread through the crowd like wildfire. Lily’s eyes widened, and Sony’s mouth fell open in disbelief. Emperor Ryon lifted his head and stared at Queen Soya with a burning gaze. The smile on Kent’s left cheek creeped further.
“I… I was furious,” Queen Soya went on, her voice trembling now as if she were reliving the moment. “I shouted at King Doom, asking how he could insult Kent with such an offer. But King Doom only smiled and said that it was part of the negotiation—a way to lower Kent’s standards before offering something better. I knew then that this was no simple negotiation.”
Emperor Ryon’s expression had darkened, his fists tightening around the arms of his throne. This was not what she was supposed to say. His eyes flickered with rage as he stared up at the golden tablet, willing her to stop.
“The masked man, Kent, was enraged, calling the offer a robbery, and rightly so. He pleaded for justice from me. I warned King Doom and his daughter to act righteously, or I would punish them according to the Royal Decree.”
Queen Soya paused, and the arena remained silent. She took a deep breath before continuing. “Then… It happened. King Doom snapped his fingers, and suddenly, a Lotus Formation activated. Kent was trapped. But the strangest thing…” her voice wavered slightly. “…was that the wizards of my palace were the ones who did it.”
The crowd gasped louder this time, and murmurs of confusion rippled through the stands. Ryon’s face had turned a deep shade of red, his body tense, his eyes ablaze with fury.
“I immediately protested, I ordered my wizards to release Kent, but instead of following my command, they turned on me. They looked at me with death in their eyes. And… and King Doom, he laughed. He and his daughter, they turned toward me with wicked smiles.”
She paused, and the air in the arena grew thick with anticipation. The Emperor’s jaw was clenched so tightly it looked as if he might shatter his teeth. He was gripping the throne’s armrests so hard that his knuckles were red.
“They said it was my last day to live,” the Queen’s voice now cracked, filled with raw emotion. “King Doom controlled my own wizards to kill me. I knew then that they wanted to frame Kent—to murder me and pin the crime on him. My life was hanging by a thread. I… I called for you, my Emperor, but you were not there.” Her tone was a dramatic mix of sorrow and despair, pulling at the crowd’s heartstrings.
Emperor Ryon’s fury was barely contained. He wanted to leap from his throne and slap her. She was ruining everything. Everything!
“But then, a man appeared before me. He… he killed everyone who tried to harm me. He protected me like a god-sent angel, though his methods were brutal, more violent than anything I had ever seen. I… I felt sick, and I could barely watch as the bloodshed unfolded. After killing them, he turned towards me.”
Tears were evident in her voice as she went on. “I misunderstood him. I thought after all that, he is coming for me. I thought… I thought he would kill me next. So, in my fear, I called for the royal wizards to arrest him. I… I didn’t realize…”
She broke into sobs now, her cries echoing from the golden tablet above. “I made a mistake. The man who saved me—he was Kent. I punished the very person who spared my life. And for this, I have suffered every day. My Emperor, please… release him. Reward him for saving me, though I was too blind to see it.”
The Queen collapsed on the tablet, her sobbing form visible through the shimmering cloth. “Forgive me, Kent… forgive-me.”
The entire arena was in chaos. The crowd erupted into a mix of cheers, gasps, and shouts. Many of Kent’s supporters were on their feet, some in disbelief at the dramatic turn of events, others in jubilation. Ryon’s face was a mask of barely-contained rage, his fists trembling at his sides.
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Kent, standing tall with his mischievous smile, looked toward the Emperor, whose carefully laid plans were crumbling before his very eyes. The smug look on Kent’s face was all the more infuriating.
Ria, meanwhile, was almost excited with delight, watching the chaos unfold like a firework show. The storm had come, and it was glorious.