Crowned in the realm of death Chapter 28

We returned to the throne after the quiet death of Gharomund.

Hecate secured the extracted core in the vault of treasures, its black-blue pulse sealed behind enchanted obsidian. For the next week, we rested and studied our next move.

In the war chamber, I finally spoke.

"We need to kill another Duke. But it must still be done silently. Our next target should be soone who rarely appears in public."

Hecate nodded in agreent.

"There is one who lives in complete isolation, Druvak, Death knight. He resides in the northwestern mountain region, in one of the deepest valleys. In the age of Titans, he was the first wielder of weapon divinity. As he grew stronger, so did his arrogance. He attempted to fuse his essence with Primordial Energy, but failed. His body and divinity were shattered. Now, he exists in a cursed state: neither living nor fully dead. Uranus cast him into the Underworld, disgusted by his failure."

I was carefully listening to her words.

Druvak's isolation ant he had no allies. No kingdom. No army. A perfect candidate for our next move.

I transford once more into the Black Phoenix, and Hecate climbed atop my back. We soared northward into lands veiled in cold shadow, over jagged mountains and valleys too deep for light to reach.

After hours of searching, we spotted it in a small cave, hidden beneath a collapsed ridge. It was silent, unassuming.

But we both knew better.

As we entered the cave, a voice echoed in the deep dark, cracked, yet powerful.

"Welco to my cave."

We halted. Our concealnt had failed.

Still, we advanced through winding stone corridors that suddenly gave way to an imnse underground hall, lit by flickering, dim torches.

In the centre stood a skeletal figure, cloaked in old rags. A cracked, rusted sword rested in his hand, and a blue fla burned within his skull, like a cursed soul refusing to die.

"I am Druvak, the Death Knight."

I stepped forward, my voice respectful, but firm.

"I am Hades, the current ruler of the Underworld. Druvak, as your king, I give you two choices: submit… or be slain."

He stared at through his burning sockets. Then, slowly, he answered.

"I will not submit. Unless you defeat in a duel of weapons. That is the only way I acknowledge your strength."

I accepted with a nod. "So be it."

I summoned a spear forged from Mineral Divinity and stepped forward. Hecate moved to the edge of the hall and raised her hand.

The duel began.

I thrust first a clean, forward strike. Druvak deflected with a simple twist of his wrist and counter-slashed.

I barely blocked in ti, the rusted blade scraping against tal.

Using my wings, I spun mid-air, building montum, and swung horizontally. The impact was strong enough to throw off his posture, forcing him to stagger back but not fall.

I lunged again, trying to pierce his skull.

But he dodged, body twisting unnaturally movents smooth for a being long decayed.

We clashed dozens of tis. Sotis I had the advantage, my precision, my agility. Other tis, he turned the tide with sheer discipline, decades of experience etched into every movent.

Minutes passed. Then more.

Fatigue crept in.

Not in the body but in the mind. A constant pressure. My patience began to slip.

Driven by impulse, I struck with a full-strength vertical swing, hoping to end it.

It was not a fast move, but a perfectly tid one, a master's stroke that exploited my overcommitnt with minimal effort. The cold, cracked edge of his blade ca to rest gently against my neck.

The fight was over.

I had lost.

For the first ti since my new life, I had tasted defeat.

The disappointnt sat heavily on my face as I stepped back in silence.

Druvak didn't mock . His voice was calm.

"You are strong, king. I can feel it. If you had used all your powers, your full arsenal you might have won. But today, you lacked resolve and patience." He paused deliberately and bowed, "Your respect for is noted, king. A few beings would lower themselves to fight fair."

"As I swore, I will not join any war. Not against you… Nor for you. If you wish to try again, co back when you've made peace with your heart."

We left the cave without another word.

As we walked, Hecate looked at curiously.

"Hades… why didn't you use your sorcery? Or your divine powers? Druvak has weapon divinity wouldn't it have been fair to level the field?"

I didn't answer right away.

Then, softly, I said:

"No, Hecate. That's not what he was asking from . This wasn't about magic. This was about resolving to choose to stand as a warrior, even if it ant defeat."

"And there's sothing else. For him, fighting a battle of tricks and spells… would have been a humiliation. I chose to et him on his terms because I respected him."

Hecate didn't reply.

We returned to the castle.

I might have appeared cool and unfazed from the outside, but inside, frustration gnawed at .

Silently, I walked to the ground behind the castle. Channelling my arcane power, I conjured a still pool of water from nothingness. Then, without hesitation, I stepped in and sank to the bottom. As a god, I had no need for air I let my divine energy substitute for breath.

There, in the silent depths, I sat cross-legged, letting the weight of defeat settle upon .

Ti passed, I don't know, until I rose slowly, floating to the surface like a corpse adrift in calm water.

Then I heard footsteps.

Hectate stood at the edge of the pool. She didn't speak imdiately, simply watching.

"The king of the underworld is hiding at the bottom of a pond. I suppose even gods have bad days."

"It would be a lie if I said I'm not frustrated," I replied. "But I don't regret my choices."

She sat down at the edge, dipping her feet into the water. "There's one thing I still don't understand. You hold dominion over minerals tals, ores, the foundation of all weapons. Even without lifting a blade, you could've crushed him. Why didn't you?"

I let out a long sigh.

"There are many reasons, Hectate."

"First... perhaps I grew arrogant. I believed I could win with raw strength alone."

"Second... I could've won as a god, but I wanted to fight like a warrior."

"Third... I wanted to test myself. My martial skill, my discipline. I needed to know the limits of my understanding."

She looked thoughtful, legs gently stirring the water.

"I think the first reason is most accurate," she said, smirking.

I laughed softly. "Yeah... you're probably right."

She tilted her head, eyes narrowing curiously. "But this thing called warrior pride... glory... I've never truly understood it. Why are n so drawn to sothing so... empty?"

I paused, then answered quietly, but firmly.

"A true warrior doesn't seek shortcuts. He fights with discipline, restraint, and fairness. Even in defeat or death, he holds his dignity. That... is warrior pride. And if he walks that path to the end, be it triumph or loss, and the world rembers him for it... that is glory."

Hectate gave a small, amused smile. "Sounds like a man's version of childish stubbornness."

"That's the difference between n and won. We chase honour and fa, even if it's foolish ."

We both laughed.

Just a little chit-chat with Hectate, all my frustration and negative thoughts completely vanished.

"I don't know why, but whenever I talk with you, I feel good and at peace. All my worries cleared instantly."

Hectate's eyes are shocked, his face becos red, she doesn't say anything, just leaves it and whispers in her mind, 'what a dumb, dense god who confesses like and even himself doesn't realise he confesses.'

As for Hades," maybe, she is still mad for the previous incidents…let's leave it as she cools down on his own."