The Palace Duel (Part 3)

Malti staggered to the throne room, leaving the whole battlefield to me. I glanced to the side. Ruhm's body lay crumpled on the ground. It was brutal, but she had won.

Arrogant bastard... I bet he didn't expect to die like that." Yuddh let out a cackle.

"You don't care at all for your comrade?"

"He fought, and he lost!" He grunted, lunging with his war hammer.

I leaped back, dodging his swing. The shockwave from his attack reverberated throughout the hall, shaking the floor and walls. His towering figure loomed over me; the face engraved onto his helmet was unnerving.

I need to find a way to reach up to his helmet...

I could somewhat read his movements at this point. His attacks were fast and devastating, but predictable. I knew that when he pivoted his left foot, he would always follow it with a horizontal swing from his left side. If I could just bait it out, I might have a window...

I took a deep breath, then made my move. I started sprinting to his left side, my rapier angled down in front of me. He pivoted his body, turning to face me—but didn't swing.

"Tch." I clicked my tongue.

He seemed stupid, but he really wasn't someone to be taken lightly. It seems like the death of Ruhm made him take this fight seriously. Yuddh simply turned his body to face me as I circled him, conserving his strength and refusing to give me the opening I was looking for. I would have to force an opening.

Charging forward, I pointed my rapier towards his head and began channeling mana into it.
Let the mana converge and flow into the conduit to become Ice Shards!

Dozens of razor-sharp shards burst from the tip of my rapier, smashing into his armor, creating a cold mist. Then I saw it. His left foot started to pivot.
This is it.

As his hammer came barreling towards me, I started to pour mana into my leg greaves.
Let the mana converge and flow into the conduit to become Flash Steps!

A surge of lightning coursed through my legs. I dropped low, slipping beneath the arc of his swing. The wind from his attack blew my hair back.

Staying low to the ground, I brushed my fingers across the floor, causing roots to erupt and bind around Yuddh's feet, holding him in place. With a single jump, I made it up to his helmet, and without any hesitation, I plunged my rapier deep into the eye slit of his helmet.

Yuddh stopped moving... but something was wrong. I didn't feel anything when I stabbed into his helmet. No resistance, like nothing was there. I yanked it out quickly, desperate to get away.

A chilling laugh echoed out from his armor. I could hear the whistle of his hammer slicing through the air as it approached me. My mouth went dry as I tried to swallow. Everything slowed to a snail crawl. I was in the air, unable to move out of the way, forced to watch as his hammer barreled towards me.

KRAK!

Kassim

The throne room was silent.

Dozens of nobles and holy men were strewn about the room, as well as royal guards and household guards who blocked my way to the throne. Banners bearing my house's sigil hung from the ceiling as light filtered through stained-glass windows into the dark room. Woven baskets of gold filled with burning incense hung from chains, wafting their scent throughout the air.

There, seated atop the gilded throne, Rasen sat, the royal diadem already placed onto his head.

The golden diadem caught the light filtering through the stained windows, casting broken rays onto half of his face, leaving the other half in the shadows. I could see the tightness of his jaw and the twitch of his eye. Fear and doubt were written across his face.

I took a breath. "Hello, broth—"

"You... I can't believe you would do this! I didn't think you could be this stupid! This is arrogant!"

"You don't deserve to be king... I do." I stared directly into his eyes.

He clutched the throne tightly. "Why do you get to decide that? You are only a second son!"

"Whoever ends up sitting on the throne by the end of this will decide that."

"You would break our House's traditions, you would go against Father's wishes, you would murder me for your own ambition and greed! You... you usurper!"

Everything he said about me... it was true. As a boy, seeing my father on the throne all those years ago... how his court hung on his words... the power he held... It felt as if my fate was set in stone from that moment.

I am prepared to do anything to become king.

Anything.

I took a step forward.

Royal Guards and the household guards of the nobles backing Rasen created a wall of spears.

We were at a standstill.

I needed something—anything—to break this stalemate.

Crrreeak... The doors to the throne room opened behind me.

I turned back to look at who opened the door.
Is it a friend? Or a foe?

A smile crept across my face.

Malti had staggered through the doorway. She was bloodied, but I knew it could only mean one thing.

I raised my voice for the whole room to hear. "Your being here must mean Ruhm is dead, right?"

Malti gave me a weak nod. She leaned against Zagan, who went to help her. "Sern is going to finish off Yuddh any moment now..."

Hushed murmurs filled the room.
This was my moment...

I turned towards all the guards and nobles who filled the room.

"Rasen is weak! His champions are gone! If you withdraw your support for Rasen, there will be amnesty for all!"

Silence.

But then, there was movement. Nobles began pulling their guards back. One by one, the path to Rasen, the throne, opened up.

Rasen frantically looked side to side at the people who had sworn loyalty to him. Even the Royal Guard pulled back. You could see it in their eyes; there were no longer allies or enemies in the room, just spectators.
These people held no personal loyalties, only loyalty to power.

I moved forward, towards the throne, all eyes in the room focused on me. It must have been a shock to Rasen, watching as all his allies betrayed him. He watched me as I climbed up the steps, stopping in front of him.

Although he was a bigger man than I, at this moment, I loomed over him like a titan.

His mouth opened and closed, like he was trying to tell me something, but nothing came out.

I drew my silver stiletto dagger, plunging it into his neck. Our eyes met as I watched the life slowly drain from him.

The room was dead silent as I pulled his body from the throne, letting it fall to the ground. I bent down, picking up the blood-stained crown, and placed it upon my head. The throne now empty, I sat down, running my fingers along the gilded surface.

I drew a long breath, an indescribable feeling rushing over me.

A single clap broke the silence. Then another. A ripple of nervous applause and cheers filled the room.

It was mine.

I am king.