ALL MAKER

The Lonely Hero

ALL MAKER

The king sat on his throne, his head leaning on one hand as he looked down at the three people kneeling before him. 

The room was quiet, heavy with anticipation, as everyone waited for him to speak.

The king leaned forward slightly, his voice sharp as he asked, "Did you see his face?"

"No, Your Majesty, it was too dark," he said, his voice trembling. "We almost had her, but that boy came out of nowhere and..."

"And you lost," he said, his voice laced with anger, each word cutting through the tense silence like a blade.

"We will execute her immediately," one of them said.

"No need for that anymore," the king said, his voice cold and final, leaving no room for argument.

She will not do anything against the royal family anyway.

"Most importantly," the king growled, his anger barely contained, "you didn't miss the 'meal,' did you?"

"No, we didn't. It's 997 by now," he replied, his voice steady but laced with tension.

The king pulled a small blade from his pocket, his movements swift and deliberate. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled it toward the man who had been speaking. 

The blade sank deep into his head, and he fell lifeless to the ground in an instant.

The two men froze in horror, their eyes wide as they stared at the lifeless body of their comrade. The room seemed to grow colder, the weight of the king's fury pressing down on them.

"Shame on you all," the king spat, his voice seething with fury. "Lost to a mere boy..." He paused, letting the words hang in the air like a heavy sentence. 

"The rest of you, don't lose the last three 'meals' of the angel."

"Now get lost," the king commanded, his voice icy and final. Without a word, the two men turned and quickly fled the room, their footsteps echoing in the silence left behind.

"Arthur," the king called, his voice sharp. The butler, Arthur, rushed forward, his movements quick and precise. "Yes, Your Majesty?" he replied, bowing low.

"Clean that up," the king ordered, his tone unwavering. Arthur nodded swiftly.

I waited 3 years for this... It will be a celebration after the tournament.

____

In the castle's training area, the Hero stood with his sword in hand, his gaze fixed ahead. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, feeling the surge of energy building within him. With a swift motion, he channeled the power of thunder into his blade. 

He swung it down with precision, cutting clean through the target. The moment the blade made contact, a flash of light exploded, followed by the crackle of burning air. 

The target caught fire, disintegrating in a shower of sparks and ashes, leaving only smoldering remnants behind.

As the last of the target crumbled to ash, the Hero lowered his sword, his breath steady but his eyes sharp. He stared at the remnants of his work, the air still buzzing with the aftershock of the thunder magic.

Would this be enough to defeat Father?

The thought lingered, heavy in his mind. He clenched his fist around the hilt, the determination in his heart growing stronger.

No, not yet. I need to train more.

As the smoke from the target still hung in the air, the Hero's gaze softened, his mind drifting back to a time long ago. 

A memory stirred within him, of a time when his mother was still alive, and the world seemed a little less burdened.

He was just a child then, standing in the grand hall of the castle, looking up at the towering figure of the King.

 The words the King had spoken to him echoed in his mind, clear as if they had been said only yesterday.

"Listen and remember, Rinkai," the King's voice was stern, his eyes intense. "As a royal, you are not allowed to lose to anyone—even me."

The young Rinkai had nodded, unsure of the full weight of those words but feeling their significance deep within.

The King's gaze had softened for a moment. "You understand what that means, right?"

It was a question that Rinkai would carry with him for years to come, a challenge that had shaped the core of who he was. To never lose. To always be the strongest.

I will be the hero he want me to become.

END OF CHAPTER