Everyone was standing tall. The stage was set, the golden carpet rolled out, and armored guards surrounded the open grounds. Ministers, generals, nobles, and clan heads lined the field in full regalia. Behind them, various factions of the imperial family stood with stiff postures and stiffened pride. Tension swirled in the air, heavier than the silence.
Then came the procession of the emperor.
A white-golden carriage pulled by four pure white horses arrived, surrounded by an elite escort of imperial knights. The carriage door opened, and an old man stepped out—tall despite his age, his hand holding a staff of gold, his robes white trimmed with gold silk, his very presence commanding silence.
Emperor Varkas Aurelius had arrived.
Behind him, another carriage rolled up. From it, came the First Princess and her mother, seething with quiet anger. Then came the Second Princess's mother, regal and watchful. And finally, the mother of the Second Prince, eyes shining with confidence.
All eyes turned to the emperor's children standing in a line.
> Uji stood alone among the emperor's sons—his elder brother Vitas, slain in the shadows by betrayal.
His younger brother Nit, already dead—headless in the mud.
And yet, Uji smiled. Unchallenged. Uncrowned... until now.
Siko, the first princess, seething with restrained fury.
Riko, the second princess, composed but hiding something deeper.
The emperor stepped forward, golden-blue eyes scanning them. His gaze was unreadable.
And behind them, standing apart from them all, was Zoya—the emperor's sister, the legendary Assassin Queen.
The emperor let the silence build like a storm about to break.
He had listened to each of them speak.
Each told their version of the war.
Each painted themselves as loyal.
Each bent the truth to serve their claim.
And when they finished, Emperor Varkas did not praise them.
Instead, his voice turned cold as ice.
> "I've heard your stories," he said at last. "But none of you fulfilled what I truly desired."
But he sighed, forcing a smile.
> "Still… this victory belongs to my children. That, I can appreciate."
A hush fell.
The statement confused many—but not Zoya. Not Light. Not Uji.
Because they understood what the emperor had truly wanted.
He hadn't come just for victory. He had come for blood.
For closure.
For the head of the Rebellion King.
But no one had delivered it.
No one had ended the threat.
No one had brought him the proof of triumph.
His words weren't just disappointment—they were a quiet accusation.
Light, hidden among the crowd, thought:
> "If Assassin Queen hadn't intervened, none of them would be alive. And he spins this like a glorious victory."
Then the emperor began announcing rewards. He honored soldiers, officers, even a few rebels-turned-spies who betrayed their side at the right moment.
The emperor called her forward. Zoya Aurelius, cloaked in black and mystery.
She did, regal as ever, accepting her token of recognition without fanfare. The golden medallion gleamed against her armor.
But as she leaned forward to bow—he leaned in closer.
His words were for her ears only.
> "What are you really doing here, Zoya?" he asked, softly—yet the weight behind it was a blade.
Her answer came just as quietly, a breath in steel:
> "Helping."
He smiled on the outside.
But inside, Varkas's mind turned like a blade wheel.
> Helping? You, Zoya? You never help anyone without purpose. You come where the blood will flow. You chase glory, not duty. I know your ambition. I've seen it before... in the mirror.
He didn't call her out.
Not yet.
But in his mind, a new war had already begun.
And it bore Zoya's name.
Then came the children's turn. The emperor approached them one by one.
To the First Princess, he handed a locket.
> "You haven't changed. You disappoint me."
She clenched her fists in silence.
To the Second Princess, he gave a ring.
> "You had potential. But you let it go to waste. If you had tried harder, even my throne could've been yours."
Her lips trembled, but she stayed silent.
Then, he turned to the Second Prince. Placing a hand on his shoulder, the emperor smiled.
> "Only you fulfilled my hopes. From this moment forward… you are Crown Prince."
The golden chest was brought forward. The royal crown, forged in crystal, embedded with blue flame-diamond and sunsteel, shimmered with raw power.
The emperor lifted it with both hands.
He turned to face the gathering, then to Uji directly.
> "Uji Aurelius. You are now Crown Prince."
> "The crowd erupted. Cheers. Shouts…"
Cheers. Shouts. Some cried. Some trembled. Some stood in stoic silence.
But not Light.
The emperor looked at him.
> "You there. From the Elite Unit. Step forward."
Light stepped up.
> "The mission I gave you… you didn't complete it properly. What punishment do you deserve?"
Light froze.
> "What mission? What 'improperly'?"
He hesitated.
Then… He looked at Zoya.
> "A complication occurred," he answered.
The emperor glanced at Zoya and made his own assumptions.
But it was the Second Prince, Uji Aurelius, who stepped forward, his smile confident, his voice loud.
> "He helped me," Uji said, eyes gleaming. "Reward him."
Many wondered—why would Uji protect him?
But it was clear to Light.
Uji wanted him as a shield.
If an Elite Unit agent stayed by his side, it would send a signal to all the factions:
> "The emperor supports me."
And perhaps more importantly:
> "I am not alone."
It wasn't trust.
It was calculation.
And Light knew it.
He accepted it… for now.
The emperor nodded slowly.
> "Then 100 gold coins."
Light stepped forward to accept.
But then…
> "As punishment," the emperor added, "you will kill the First Princess tonight."
It was not shouted.
It was not repeated.
Only four people heard those words:
1. Emperor Varkas, who gave the order.
2. Light, who received it.
3. Uji Aurelius, standing inches away—his ears sharpened for any command.
4. Zoya, the Assassin Queen, her hypersensitive perception alert to every whisper, every threat.
That was it.
The rest of the world — nobles, guards, even Siko Aurelius herself — heard only applause.
They saw the golden crown placed on Uji's head.
They saw smiles.
They did not see the execution order slip into Light's hands like a shadow.
Zoya's eyes narrowed.
Light didn't move.
Uji smiled wider.
The world froze.
Light paused.
He thought. He calculated. He activated every skill.
Light's mind turned cold.
He didn't panic.
He simply thought.
He calculated.
He activated everything.
Focus — to absorb every detail
Cool Mind — to suppress emotion and weigh every possibility
Hot Blood — to prepare his body for battle, reaction, decision
> His Unbreakable talent ignited like tempered steel in his spine. His pulse slowed to a warrior's rhythm. Calm. Certain. Unstoppable.
> "So this is it," he thought. "Either I kill… or I die."
> "But if I kill her… they'll kill me next. And if I don't… they'll expose me."
> "Checkmate."
His Unbreakable talent surged within.
His heart beat slowed. His breath steadied.
His gaze slid toward Siko.
Then Uji.
Then Zoya.
Then back to Emperor Varkas.
Everyone around him still smiled.
But inside…
He was already preparing for war.
Then he whispered:
> "Would you have spared anyone if they were in your place? No, right? You all started this. If you take up your weapon to kill—be ready to die. Take your feelings to a soap opera, you f***ers."
Gasps.
He turned. He had his back to the emperor.
> "WHO ARE YOU?!" the emperor thundered.
Light's shoulders began to shake. He laughed.
> A low, dangerous, crazy laugh.
> "I'M THE MAIN CHARACTER!"
It echoed through his mask.
All eyes widened.
Two elite guards drew their weapons.
Too late.
Light's short sword was already drawn. He spun like lightning.
Slice. Slice.
Two heads flew—Emperor Varkas Aurelius and Crown Prince Uji.
Their bodies crumbled.
The golden ground was splattered in royal blood.
Silence.
> Gasps turned to screams. The empire's sun had fallen—by a hand they never saw coming.
Guards rushed.
Light exploded into motion—killing as many as he could. His body was pierced again and again—but he didn't stop. His blade danced, his footwork flawless. His Unbreakable talent held him upright.
Dozens fell.
But he was bleeding… too much.
Eventually—he fell to one knee. Swords through his body. Blood pooling.
He looked up.
Everyone stared.
He laughed one last time.
>> "I'm not here to win… I'm here to watch everything fall."
His voice echoed through the blood-soaked silence.
No one moved. No one spoke.
Only the question remained, unspoken but burning in every mind:
Who was he?