The morning sun spilled golden light through the windows of the modest inn, casting gentle warmth on the wooden floor. Jin stirred from his sleep, his senses alert even before his eyes opened. The tension from yesterday's encounter still lingered.
Across from him, Serenya finished her morning prayers, her expression serene but focused. They had survived the Chimera, faced a Royal Guard parade, and now stood at the center of a geopolitical storm.
As they sat down for breakfast in the common room, whispers buzzed around them. Some adventurers and merchants from the Noble district gathered, and many spoke in hushed, urgent tones.
- "Did you hear? The Empire demanded King Althain surrender the northern borderlands. Tribute, too."
- "Refused, of course. They want to settle it with a three-match duel."
- "We already lost the first round... to one of their soldiers, even. Some monster in heavy armor."
Jin and Serenya exchanged a glance.
- "So it begins," he murmured.
Before they could move to the guild for answers, a messenger in royal livery approached.
- "By order of His Majesty King Althain Radiant, Jin Kazama and Serenya Lysveil of the WillowShade Adventurer Guild are summoned to the palace. A carriage awaits at the guild. Guild Master VeilQuinn of the Solaria Adventurer Guild will accompany you."
When Jin and Serenya arrived at the Guild, they saw a golden-trimmed royal carriage already stood gleaming outside. Though the palace was just a thirty-minute walk, royal protocol required the use of official transport. While Jin tried not to fidget, Serenya sat beside him, clutching her staff tightly. On the other side, VeilQuinn, ever composed, noticed their nerves.
- "Relax. The King values deeds over words. Just speak the truth, and with clarity."
They passed through layers of gates and ceremonial guards. The interior of the Solaria Royal Palace gleamed with polished marble, embroidered banners, and magical lights suspended midair. Nobles walked with pride, while mages and knights whispered as the trio passed.
One phrase reached Jin's ear: "Chimera crisis."
The grand doors of the Audience Hall opened. Trumpets announced their arrival.
Inside, the great Audience Hall of Solaria's palace was a chamber born of radiant grandeur and ancient command. Sunlight filtered through stained glass windows depicting the kingdom's founding, casting dancing light onto the floor. Velvet banners in gold and crimson hung from the arched ceilings, and at the far end, upon the twin thrones beneath a sculpted sunburst, sat King Althain Radiant and Queen Lysira.
King Althain was a tall man in his early sixties, hair like flowing silver brushed back neatly behind his shoulders, with eyes sharp as tempered steel. Queen Lysira, younger by a decade, had an air of intellectual poise. Her auburn hair was bound in a braided crown, her robes trimmed with enchanted embroidery that enchanted subtly with protective magic. A staff rested beside her throne, her fingers idly brushing the gem set at its tip.
On either sides of the room were nobles, dukes and duchess, high-ranking knights, and scholars, all gathered for the report they had heard whispers about: the Church and the Guild bringing proof of a rising threat.
Jin, Serenya, and Velquinn stood before the throne.
- "We thank you for coming," the King began, his voice resonant yet warm. "Guildmaster Velquinn, you've brought serious claims. Let us hear them in full."
Serenya stepped forward with a deep bow.
- "Your Majesty, Your Grace. I am Serenya Lysveil, priestess of Gleaming Veil Church. Together with Adventurer Kazama Jin, we bring tangible proof of hybrid beasts—Chimeras—active between Willowshade and Solaria. These creatures bear markings affiliated with both the Empire and the Ostrya Kingdom."
She stepped aside, allowing Jin to unwrap the preserved heads—three in total—each encased with a talisman to seal decay. The audience gasped, a few nobles recoiling at the sight.
- "We encountered each separately." – Jin added in a firm tone – "All bore the genetic markers of artificial fusion. More importantly, none came from the same faction. They're distinct, but too similar to be coincidental."
- "Here." VeilQuinn gestured toward the under-jaw of one specimen, lifting it with care. "Emblemed beneath the flesh—insignias. Subtle, hidden, but recognizable. The crest of Ravetheim here, and Ostrya here."
Whispers erupted through the chamber.
- "Why would both nations create monsters and release them near Solaria? Why not use them against each other?" – One noble scoffed.
- "And if it was true, why send an envoy offering a duel now? What twisted diplomacy is this?" – Another added,
- "Perhaps to stall us," said a robed scholar. "To test our strength while keeping their own hidden. The duels could be distractions—or worse, a cover."
- "But this threatens the whole border," said a knight-commander. "If either kingdom releases these into our lands unchecked, even rural towns could fall before we react."
Tension swirled.
Queen Lysira raised her hand, and silence followed.
- "The evidence is undeniable. Which is why this duel is no longer merely symbolic. It is now a statement. One we must make… carefully."
The Queen's words pierced the noise like a blade.
The nobles fell silent, the weight of her implication settling into the chamber.
- "In light of this" – VeilQuinn voiced out – "I nominate Kazama Jin to serve as Radiant's representative in the second duel. He has firsthand experience, and unlike our known champions, his abilities remain… unexpected."
Murmurs again. A few nobles protested.
- "An outsider? An unknown? Have you any idea what you're spouting now?"
- "Will we entrust our kingdom's honor to someone not even born here?"
- "Or will we show them we can't defend ourselves without foreigners?"
King Althain stood.
- "Enough." His voice was calm but unwavering. "The first match was lost. The Empire now believes us weakened. Let them think so. We will not show our hand fully… not yet."
He looked to Jin.
- "Jin. You will represent us in the second duel. Not just to win—but to reveal nothing more than what is necessary."
- "As you command." – Jin stepped forward and bowed.
A court messenger entered just then, kneeling before the dais.
- "A message from the Empire's envoy."
Upon permitted by the king, he unrolled a scroll and read:
- "Per the agreed terms, the second duel shall be held in four days' time. The Empire's representative remains Sir Arem Chiegro—victor of the first match."
A collective breath stirred across the chamber.
- "Then we have our answer." – VeilQuinn nodded.
King Althain glanced down at Jin again:
- "Prepare well. The eyes of Solaria—and beyond—will be upon you. May the god's blessing be with you".
The doors of the throne room closed behind them with a deep, echoing thud.
Jin let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, his shoulders finally relaxing.
- "Now that was nerve-wracking…" he muttered, adjusting his collar with a sigh. "I don't know about you all, but meeting the Crowns drained me more than the entire road here."
- "Indeed," Serenya replied, placing a hand gently over her chest. "I could barely breathe during the audience. Their presence is... overwhelming."
Veilquinn chuckled softly, his arms crossed as he walked beside them.
- "You'll get used to it. The weight a king carries isn't just for show—it has to hold the hopes of an entire nation."
Jin glanced down the long palace corridor, brows furrowed in thought.
- "He's got it hard. I admire him for it. But me... I still just want to be an ordinary adventurer."
- "Mm," Veilquinn hummed. "Then enjoy that freedom while you can. The weight may still find its way to your shoulders."
Jin looked sideways at him, unsure whether that was a warning or wisdom.
- "So, what now?" Veilquinn asked.
- "Well, first…" Jin stretched a bit. "We return to the Inn. The duel's in four days. I guess we train and prepare."
- "The Guild's training grounds will be made available to you. I'll send the authorization papers." - Veilquinn nodded.
- "We could also visit the Cathedral," Serenya added, her tone thoughtful. "There's a ritual there—prayers for strength before great trials. It may help clear our minds."
- "Sounds like a plan." – Jin nodded and smile
They stepped into the royal carriage waiting near the courtyard, the same one that had brought them to the palace earlier. As the wheels began to turn, they rode in comfortable silence—each lost in their own thoughts.
But as they arrived at the Adventurer Guild, something unexpected waited for them.
A large silhouette stood just beyond the main steps, arms folded. A long, heavy spear rested across his back. Towering, unmistakable, unmoving.
Jin's eyes widened. He stepped off the carriage before it even stopped fully.
- "…Lyrderu?"
The Lizardman didn't speak. He only held up one large, clawed fist—waiting.
Jin stopped before him, eyes slightly glassy, and bumped his own fist against Lyr's. He didn't speak either. But the faint twitch at the corner of his mouth said everything.
- "You're late. But it's good to see you standing again, old man… Or should I say, old lizard?" Jin finally broke the silence with a small grin. "Prigith was right. You do know how to make people worry."
- "That cat cried when I woke up. Called it 'aging'…but he's old, Lyr still young" – Lyr retorted.
Veilquinn and Serenya stepped down from the carriage, exchanging small smiles as they watched the exchange. It was simple. It was real.
- "Welcome back, Lyrderu," Serenya greeted gently, offering a respectful nod.
- "Hm." Lyr gave her a rare grin. "You kept him alive. Good."
Veilquinn beckoned them toward the guild entrance.
- "Come. We should speak properly. I'm sure you both have plenty to share."
Inside Veilquinn's private chamber, the conversation turned heavier.
Lyr sat cross-legged on the cushioned floor, arms resting on his knees.
- "Woke up ten days ago. Healed. Obsidian said you and Serenya in Solaria. Lyr rest one more day, arrived Solaria this morning."
Jin sat on the couch, next to Serenya and opposite of VeilQuinn.
- "So, you got here fast…Anything happened on the way?"
- "None, Lyr didn't want to miss anything."
Then, quietly, Jin told the story—from the moment he found Lyr's broken body beneath the collapsed cabin, to the battles, the preserved Chimera heads, the long ride to Solaria, the audience with the King and Queen, and the second match he was now expected to fight.
When he finished, the room fell into a thoughtful silence.
No one said anything for a long while.
Then Lyr broke the stillness with a low grunt.
- "Seems like total mess within a week. And today's been a long day. You should rest. Lyr'll by your side starting tomorrow."
No objections came. They each made their way back to the inn.
That evening, just before dinner, Jin prepared to go down and join with Lyr and Serenya when...A slip of paper caught his attention—wedged neatly beneath his door.
No footsteps. No sound.
He bent to pick it up. The parchment was stiff, old, and smelled faintly of pine and iron. Unfolding it, he saw a hand-drawn map. A forest route. A location circled in red ink.
Two words written beside it:
Shrine of Descension.