The King and the Rebel

King and Ricardo stood against each other. 

A restlessness that had been bugging Ricardo ever since the overnight appearance of the Walkers grew, chewing upon his sanity. 

It was clear to him, this person in front of him, he was the cause of all the chaos in the city. 

"You have made a grave mistake." Ricardo pulled out his longsword from the scabbard in a quick yet graceful motion. 

"I have heard that before." King simply stood without moving an inch at the top of the staircase.

His black coat ruffled as a gust snuck in through the window nearby. 

The silence lay between them like an impenetrable wall. And the wall crumbled as Ricardo shot through the air, up the stairs and flung the longsword in a great strike. 

King waited, unflinching, and raised his hand, catching the sword by the blade. 

Their gazes met in that brief moment.

King saw the determination in Ricardo's eyes. 

[Your Achievements and Titles are speaking for you!]

[The Title: 'Freedom Fighter' is demanding justice!]

[The Title: 'Fair Judge, Fair Father' is enraged!]

[Achievement: 'Guardian Fairy's Dream' is warning your enemy!]

And Ricardo gazed at the abyss itself. 

[The Title: 'Architect of Genocide' is pitying you.]

He staggered back down the stairs. 'That insane Title...' He suppressed his eyes from widening and swallowed his shock.

"Kill me and your daughter will die." King declared coldly, staring into his enemy's soul.

Ricardo's steel expression faltered for a brief moment before reclaiming itself once again. 

"Put down the sword and let us talk like sane men." King commanded. 

Ricardo didn't put down the sword. He kept it at ready, his muscles tense and his guard raised even more. 

"What have you done to my daughter?" Ricardo spoke through gritted teeth.

"As you may have figured already, I have mass manipulation skills."

King responded while adjusting his coat as if the wind was more bothersome than the man before him. 

Ricardo was in disbelief. The mass manipulation skills he had seen could only so much as influence opinions. Yet, this man before him claimed to have created Walkers, whose whole psychologies were rewritten. 

And yet, he couldn't deny it. He couldn't deny his restlessness every time the man breathed. 

"What did you do to my daughter?" He spoke, his eyes betraying anger beyond his steel-like expression. 

"If she doesn't see me or finds me dead after an hour, she will kill herself. That is my command to her."

"Why are you doing this?" He didn't dare think what this monster of a man wanted to achieve. 

"I only just want the Fragment you possess. Then I'll leave your city alone." King offered to him. 

"The Fragment cannot be passed to another."

"Is lying of any use to you? Simply cancel the deal and it will leave you."

"Someone like you will not have the Fragment."

Ricardo dashed towards him once again, piercing the wind and swinging the sword again. 

Even if he couldn't kill him, he would injure and subdue him, and save his daughter somehow, he planned. 

King caught it again and sighed. 

"Your daughter was right. You are far too bland and hot headed."

"She did not say that!"

Ricardo pulled the sword back and struck once again. And a flurry of attacks were launched at King, the sword reduced to a blur.

But King still did not so much as touch his own sword. His hand moved even faster and caught the sword every single time. 

"Oh, but she did. She said you were always focused on war and never on your own family."

"Quiet!" Ricardo shouted. Even though he knew King was lying...

He pulled out the second longsword with his other hand and charged at King with everything. 

[Skill: Twin Dragon Long Swords is activated!]

King still only used a single hand to shove away every attack like a mild nuisance. 

"She said, you were the reason her mother left, and that she hated you." King spoke, revealing a crack in his opponents position. 

His movements froze for a brief moment. He knew she could never say something like that... surely this man must be lying... and yet his insides pounded at the mere thought. 

King didn't miss this opportunity. He flung out his own sword at last and jumped down the stairs, aiming for the neck, his movements twice as swifter. 

At the sudden attack, Ricardo willed himself to fight and quickly activated his skills. 

King's sword, flying towards his neck, hit upon an invisible wall in the air, a few feet before the actual target. He pulled back the sword. 

[Skill: Impenetrable Shield is in effect!]

King had hoped that he could bait and kill him before he activated this Skill. 

"You truly are a master at defense. However, the question is, can you can you beat me in an hour?"

And this time, King was the one dealing the blows. A flurry of attacks so fast, it seemed like several swords hit upon the shield without a trace of lenience. 

Even though the shield held firm, Ricardo was being pushed back.

Though he could hold out forever or so he felt, the clock was ticking. It seemed impossible to even touch this man, let alone subdue him without killing. There was only one option left. 

"... fine, I'll hand you the Fragment. Stop this madness."

The attacks on him paused and King looked down at him, his sword lowered. "Good to see you have reason left."

Ricardo gulped and slowly started extending his slender hand towards King. They would shake hands and he will transfer the Fragment to him, while canceling the deal. 

He could only imagine what horrors the man could bring to life if he possessed that Fragment. And yet, there was no other way...

King had extended his hand as well. 

Suddenly, messages started unfolding before Ricardo. 

[Your God is warning you!]

[Sophia's God is informing you that the man is lying!]

His hand froze midway. King was getting impatient. "Be quick, now, you don't have time to listen to them."

[Your God is revealing that the man has used Charisma and not any mass manipulating skills.]

Ricardo's eyes widened with shock while King's eyes narrowed as he glared at the heavens above.

Ricardo knew Charisma is deactivated the moment the user dies. King had clearly lied about using mass manipulation skills instead, to manipulate him.

"You liar!" He picked up his swords and drove them into King while his guard was down.

The swords couldn't penetrate him but the blow pushed him back and off his feet. In that fleeting opening, Ricardo dashed and flung himself out of the window.

King stood up quickly, but it was already too late now. He ran to the window and looked down. There was no one to be seen. 

'So he has stealth skills too.' He thought to himself as his mind started plotting again. 

_______________________________________

In a distant world, a room, quiet and sombre. Two figures standing, watching over something. 

[The Secondary will show up soon. I was the one who said anything, so you keep quiet.] One of them told the other. 

The other shook his head.  [We were both-]

A mechanical crinkle cut him off and the fabric of reality parted in front of them. And a human-like figure, except for the lack of eyes, nose, ears, a blank face, completely bluish and transparent, emerged from the tear.

The Secondary turned towards one of them and spoke, even without a mouth. 

[You have been found to violate the Clause of Interference in the Great Arrangement of the Systems. As a result, you will be given the appropriate punishment. Do you have anything to say in your defense?]

The other one spoke and the Secondary turned his head.  [You let that bastard's Goddess to run her mouth, yet when we do it, it's a crime?]

[She is allowed so by the power of the Blessing. She also refrains from revealing things our System disallows. Rest your worries, since we are keying an eye on her.]

The Secondary responded and turned back towards the one he came for, expecting cooperation. 

The two of them exchanged a glance and the one stepped up, heaving a dramatic sigh.  [Fine, I will come if you insist.]

The Secondary nodded, lead him through the tear he had come from, and the tear closed as the other saw them disappear.