Before they knew it, darkness started forming around them. Not natural shadow, but sothing deeper—the void-black of Arthur's domain activating, Origin Sanctuary reasserting itself with overwhelming authority.
Then, before they could process what was happening, thousands of beasts started appearing around them.
Wolves materialised in packs of dozens. Bears erged from the shadows with bone-crushing presence. Demons—superior-rank entities that had terrorised entire cities—spawned in organised formations. Serpents, goblins, wyverns, creatures of every type, Arthur had personally killed throughout his journey.
The bunker that had felt spacious monts before suddenly beca claustrophobic, packed with snarling, growling, hostile creatures that surrounded the two hundred humans in concentric circles of teeth, claws, and murderous intent.
And every single beast was under Arthur's absolute control.
The awakeners' desperate hope shattered like glass.
Jas imdiately stepped forward, his mind processing the impossible situation faster than anyone else. Currently at level 21 with an S-Rank Blue Fla talent, he was the strongest fighter present, Arica's second-best awakener after Arthur himself.
But second didn't an he was even close to Arthur's level. The difference in strength was akin to the difference between the sky and the earth.
Jas's sharp eyes catalogued the beasts surrounding them with growing horror. He could see multiple creatures that could shred him individually. And there were hundreds of them. Thousands.
This wasn't a fight. This was an execution waiting to happen.
Jas's blue flas died completely as understanding crystallised with absolute clarity. There was no winning this. No fighting their way out. No heroic last stand that would save anyone.
There was only one option that might preserve their lives.
Before anyone could stop him, Jas dropped to one knee, his head bowing in formal submission.
"I pledge allegiance to you," Jas declared, his voice carrying across the chamber with absolute clarity.
There was no hesitation or pride. Just survival instinct overriding everything else.
The chamber fell into shocked silence.
Their strongest fighter. Their greatest hope. The S-Rank awakener they'd believed would lead them against the "monster" Arthur Fate.
He'd knelt without even attempting to fight.
Seeing Jas—the epito of Arican awakened strength—submit so completely and imdiately, the dam broke.
Everyone else dropped to their knees in a cascading wave of surrender.
"WE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO YOU, OH FATELESS!" The shout erupted from two hundred throats simultaneously, desperation and terror making them speak as one.
Donald knelt just like everyone else, on one knee. Raymond knelt despite trembling legs. Military officers, governnt officials, powerful awakeners—all of them dropping to the ground like puppets with cut strings.
Even Ryker Fate, who'd been shouting about killing Arthur monts before, collapsed to his knees with a strangled sound. His face burned with humiliation and rage, but survival instinct overrode pride. His teeth were grinding so hard that Arthur could hear them from across the chamber.
Those who possessed forms that resembled humans knelt; those who possessed forms that resembled beasts lowered themselves to the surface of darkness. All of them kneeling before the young man, as if welcoming a new lord, a new monarch, their sovereign.
Looking at the scene—two hundred of Arica's elite fighters and officials grovelling at his feet, begging for rcy from the person they'd abused—Arthur laughed.
He laughed until a few drops of tears flowed from his eyes, the sound echoing through the bunker with dark satisfaction.
When his laughter finally subsided, Arthur looked at them—each and every human who'd participated in using Charlotte against him. His expression carried no rcy and no forgiveness.
"Now?" Arthur's voice dripped with mockery. "Now you want to pledge allegiance? After everything you did, after using my dying sister as leverage, after trying to kill with a fucking MOAB—now you decide submission is the appropriate response?"
He shook his head slowly. "No, no. That's not how it works."
Arthur's smile widened, gaining a predatory edge that made several awakeners whimper.
"How about I give you a chance, oh great protectors of humanity?" His tone carried venomous sarcasm. "If any of you manage to leave even a single scratch on my armour, I'll accept your proposal. What do you say?"
Jas, still kneeling, raised his head slightly. As the de facto leader of this dood assembly, the responsibility fell to him to respond.
Jas didn't answer imdiately. Contemplating Arthur's offer. Eventually, Jas asked carefully, "A duel? Which one of us do you want to face?"
Arthur chuckled, the sound carrying dark amusent.
"Any of you, all of you! It doesn't matter, I won't even use my talent."
The offer hung in the air like a death sentence disguised as rcy.
Jas's mind raced through implications. Arthur was offering them a seemingly impossible challenge—land one scratch on his armour—while handicapping himself by not using his most powerful abilities.
But there was a catch. There was always a catch.
If they accepted and failed, Arthur would have justification for whatever ca next. Not that he didn't know, but knowing that they had a chance to change their fate made it worse.
They'd have proven themselves incapable of even scratching him when given every advantage, demonstrating how completely he'd surpassed them.
And if they refused, they'd be admitting defeat without even trying, accepting whatever fate Arthur deed appropriate without resistance.
Either way, Arthur had already won.
Jas looked back at the other awakeners—so still prostrated, others kneeling upright, all of them watching him for guidance on how to respond to this impossible situation.
Finally, he t Arthur's eyes directly.
"If we accept this challenge and fail," Jas said quietly, "what happens to us?"
Arthur's smile lost all warmth, becoming sothing cold and terrible.
"Then I'll show you exactly what happens to people who use a dying girl as leverage against her brother. And trust , Jas—you'll wish I'd simply killed you all when you first entered this bunker."
The promise carried absolute sincerity, and every person present understood they were facing sothing far worse than quick death.
Jas took a breath, then rose to his feet with careful deliberation.
"Then we accept your challenge, Arthur Fate. All of us against you. No talents on your side."
His blue flas reignited, burning with desperate determination.
"If there's even the slightest chance of survival, we'll take it. Because the alternative is unthinkable."
Behind him, the other awakeners began rising as well, weapons appearing, talents activating, coordinating positions as they prepared for the most important fight of their lives.
Arthur simply stood there, arms crossed, waiting with patient amusent as two hundred of Arica's strongest prepared to fail spectacularly at the simplest possible task.
Landing a single scratch on his armor.
The Fate family's revenge was about to beco a lesson in overwhelming superiority.
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