King Gorgon stood frozen, eyes locked on the flag held high in Fenrir’s hand.

His breath was shallow, and the cheers of the crowd were nothing more than distant echoes. He blinked once, then again, as if trying to process what he was seeing. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Fenrir took a step forward.

"Well? Now that this is done, what next, King Gorgon?"

The king exhaled heavily, shoulders slumping.

"Give me a moment... I need to process this. I never expected to lose like this, but fate seems to have other plans for me."

His voice was quieter than before, humbled. But after a beat, he raised his head and addressed the crowd.

A murmur of surprise rippled through the soldiers and citizens. Many were stunned, but none dared object—except for one.

The lady, still standing atop the platform, looked like her world had collapsed. Her expression was a storm of disbelief, fury, and betrayal.

"No. You can’t be serious."

She said sharply. King Gorgon turned to her, confused.

"He won, didn’t he?"

"You’re a fool if you think this ends here! End him, Gorgon! Right here, right now!"

She shouted, her calm demeanor breaking for the first time.

Gasps echoed across the square.

She stepped forward, her voice turning cold and persuasive.

"There’s no need to honor that deal. No one outside this city will ever know. I’ll handle it. I’ll silence the ones who need silencing."

Gorgon flinched.

"You want to climb, don’t you? You want to be free from this cursed floor? The higher-ups will never let you go if they see you kneel to some masked stranger. But if you end him now, I’ll make sure they know what you did. I’ll get you the recognition you deserve."

She pressed on.

For a moment, everything stood still.

The king’s gaze dropped to the ground. His hands twitched slightly. It almost looked like her words had reached him.

The lady took another step.

"Please. Don’t throw everything away for pride."

She whispered, voice trembling now.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the wall beside her cracked with a sharp blast of mana. A thin line of energy carved through stone, mere inches from her neck.

Everyone went dead silent.

King Gorgon stood with his hand still extended from the throw, the afterglow of his mana flickering at his fingertips.

"Shut up."

He said. His voice was low, dangerous.

The lady staggered back, face pale with disbelief.

"You... you would choose your pride over—"

"I would choose my honor over your lies. If I can’t win with my strength, then I lose. That’s what it means to be a warrior. I won’t trade that for your cheap deals or hollow titles."

Gorgon interrupted.

"You’re a moron! You’re going to be stuck here forever!"

She screamed.

Gorgon turned to Fenrir, ignoring her.

"She’s not wrong about one thing, though. If the higher-ups find out about this, things might get complicated for you."

Fenrir’s eyes narrowed slightly behind his mask.

"Let them come. I don’t mind complications."

Gorgon chuckled.

Meanwhile, the lady stood rooted, trembling with frustration.

"You’ll regret this."

She whispered.

Fenrir turned his gaze to the guards.

"Take her into custody. Treason, manipulation, interference in a binding competition. That should be enough."

The soldiers hesitated. The lady had been their king’s advisor, and possibly more. No one moved.

Gorgon’s voice broke the silence.

"You heard him. Arrest her."

The soldiers flinched, then exchanged uncertain glances. Slowly, one stepped forward, then another. The lady looked around in disbelief as they approached.

"You’re going to let them do this to me?"

she hissed at Gorgon. "After everything I’ve done for you?"

The king didn’t reply. His face was unreadable.

As the guards finally seized her, she screamed.

"You’re all fools! He’s not what you think he is! He’ll bring chaos to this floor!"

The lady stood frozen in place, eyes wide with disbelief as the guards began to surround her. Her hands trembled at her sides, not with fear, but with fury.

"You’re making a mistake, Gorgon. One day, you’ll regret this. I promise you."

She said, her voice sharp and bitter.

King Gorgon stood tall, his expression unwavering.

"I never regret my decisions."

He replied simply.

Her laugh was hollow, bitter.

"That’s because you’re a mindless idiot! You’ve always been too stupid to understand the weight of your actions."

She spat. The crowd murmured uneasily, but the king didn’t flinch.

"I made you! Everything you are—your strength, your position, your reputation—I built it. You’re my masterpiece, Gorgon. And if I could make you, then I can unmake you."

The lady shouted.

Her voice trembled with rage and something deeper—hurt.

The guards hesitated, unsure whether to approach, unsure if it was even possible to detain her.

The lady let out a breath and raised her clenched fist, a soft glow of deep red mana flickering to life.

The air grew heavy, pressure radiating outward from her form as a surge of unstable energy began to build in her palm. She wasn’t bluffing—she was ready to detonate.

Gasps rippled through the onlookers. Fear settled like fog.

Fenrir narrowed his eyes. He didn’t need his system to tell him what she was planning.

The radius of that blast would decimate the surrounding city block, civilians and soldiers alike caught in the wave.

He moved.

In a flash of motion, Fenrir leapt from his position, his sword drawing an arc of wind behind him. The lady noticed too late.

She turned to dodge, barely avoiding the brunt of the strike, but the momentum of his attack shattered her focus.

The glow in her hand sputtered and vanished into the air like mist.

"No—!"

She gasped, stumbling backward.

Before she could retaliate, a wall of metal blocked her.

King Gorgon.

He had moved with surprising speed, stepping in front of Fenrir just as she raised her hand to strike back. His spear hovered in front of her chest—firm, unshaking.

Her eyes widened.

"You... you’re blocking me?"

She asked, stunned.

Gorgon didn’t look away.

"Yes."

"But why?!"

The king’s voice was calm.

"Because I’ve already surrendered to my new master. And as a warrior, I serve the one who defeated me."

"You’re seriously going to throw everything away for this? All the power, the influence, the future we were building—"

Her voice cracked.

"It wasn’t mine. It was yours. Your plans. Your vision. Not mine."

He interrupted.

The lady looked as if he had slapped her.

"I gave you everything."

"And I thank you for that. But the moment I lost to Fenrir, I became his. That is the law of this tower. You taught me to respect that law."

Gorgon said sincerely.

She looked between him and Fenrir, her hands trembling now with something other than power.

"You used to be an idiot. Why did you develop a brain right now?"

She whispered, but got no answer.

Her shoulders dropped, the fight leaving her like air from a deflating balloon.

"Still, you will regret your decision...The heavens will make sure of it since you are killing someone with divine blood in them."

Fenrir stepped forward, his voice cold and direct.

"Enough."

She glanced at him, a flicker of hate dancing in her eyes, but she said nothing more.

The mana was gone from her body, her resolve breaking piece by piece. Her betrayal had failed. Her last play, foiled.