The battlefield was silent.
Thousands of eyes—mortal, demon, and ancient god alike—watched me from the shadows.
Before me stood the assembled leaders of the Old Houses, their auras dark and suffocating, each one a living legend who had bathed in blood and crushed empires beneath their heels.
And here I was.
No royal army.
No divine weapons.
Just a mortal… standing against history itself.
Lord Kareth, the traitorous leader of House Kareth, took a step forward, his long, tattered cloak dragging through the cracked earth. His voice rolled through the air like a death knell.
"You stand alone, Final Heir. You have no throne, no loyal legions… What makes you think you can challenge us?"
I clenched my fists. My shadow rippled beneath my feet, coiling like a living beast waiting to be unleashed.
"I don't need an army to prove I'm your king," I called out, my voice sharper than steel. "All I need… is to bring you to your knees."
Kareth's eyes blazed with contempt.
"So be it."
He raised his hand, and the ground trembled. A monstrous shadow construct rose behind him—a towering beast made of pure malice, armed with claws that dripped liquid darkness.
"Let this be your execution, boy."
And then… it began.
Kareth charged first, faster than I expected. His blade sang through the air, a weapon forged from cursed shadow steel.
But before the strike could land—
My shadow rose, instinctively forming a barrier.
Clang!
The impact sent me sliding back, boots grinding against the ground. My heart pounded in my chest, but something was different this time…
I wasn't just reacting.
I was controlling it.
The sea of shadows responded to my will.
Kareth sneered. "Parlor tricks! Let's see if you can withstand this!"
He unleashed a flurry of blows, his shadow beast attacking alongside him. Blades, claws, and curses rained down like a storm.
And still…
I stood my ground.
Every attack was met by the living shadow swirling around me, forming shields, spears, and whips of pure darkness.
Each time Kareth pressed forward, I countered.
Faster. Stronger.
Something inside me clicked.
I remembered the words carved into the Throne of Shadows:
In the darkness, we do not fall. We rise.
My body moved before I could think. I stepped into Kareth's blind spot, my fist coated in solidified shadow energy.
And I punched.
The impact was like a thunderclap.
Kareth's body flew backward, slamming into the ground with such force that the earth split beneath him.
Silence fell.
I stood there, panting hard, but I didn't fall.
I had just defeated one of the most feared ancient lords… alone.
But before anyone could react, the other leaders of the Old Houses stepped forward, their eyes burning with fury.
"You think defeating one of us makes you a king?" one of them growled.
Another added, "We've crushed so-called heirs before. You will fall like the rest!"
I swallowed hard. My body ached, my energy drained.
And yet…
I stood tall.
"If I have to fight every last one of you… so be it."
The Shadow Queen's voice rang out from behind me.
"Enough!"
She stepped forward, standing at my side, her scythe glowing with ominous power.
"You've all witnessed it with your own eyes. He stands alone against your might and does not falter. If that is not the mark of a king, then what is?"
The battlefield went still.
One by one, some of the younger lords lowered their heads.
Others clenched their fists in frustration but dared not step forward again.
Kareth, bloodied and beaten, spat onto the ground but said nothing more.
The Shadow Queen turned to me, her expression unreadable.
"Congratulations, Liam Zhang. Today, you didn't just survive… You conquered."
To be continued…