Chapter 54: CHP 54 THE DEATH OF A MASTER

Chapter 54 — The Death of a Master

Midnight had fallen over the Kingdom of Aurelia. The streets were empty, and the lights of the central clock tower illuminated the surrounding buildings. Veyron stood on the tower with the lifeless body of the fallen Sovereign. His hood fluttered in the cold wind as he secured the body to the tower, making sure it would be visible to everyone in the kingdom the next morning.

Bek, Juyew’s second assistant, stood beside him, watching silently.

"It’s done," Veyron said, stepping back to examine his work.

He took out a piece of paper and attached it to the dead Sovereign’s clothing. Written on it were a few chilling words.

"NEXT TIME, DON’T INTERFERE IN OUR WORK."

Veyron looked at the note one last time before turning toward Bek.

"Let’s go. Our work here is finished."

The two disappeared into the darkness, leaving the dead Sovereign hanging from Aurelia’s clock tower. The message was simple, but its meaning was clear. Someone had challenged the kingdom, and they wanted everyone to know that they were not afraid of the consequences.

Neither Veyron nor Bek looked back as they left the city.

They knew that when morning arrived, Aurelia would never be the same.

---

The Morning of Despair

The next morning, Kil Ful King woke up in his house. He sat on his bed for a moment, rubbing his eyes as the sunlight entered through his window. His body had recovered considerably, but his Eye Sight still wasn’t completely normal. Remembering the doctor’s warning, he decided not to activate it.

After freshening up, Kil Ful left his house and began walking through the kingdom.

For the first time in several days, he felt that life might slowly return to normal. He thought about his meeting with Aaru and the peaceful day they had spent together. A small smile appeared on his face as he continued down the street.

But that smile soon disappeared.

As he approached the centre of Aurelia, he noticed an enormous crowd gathered near the central clock tower. Soldiers were pushing through the people, while Sovereigns and ordinary citizens stared upward with expressions of horror.

"What happened here?" Kil Ful wondered.

He moved closer, trying to see what everyone was looking at.

"Please, let me through," he said, squeezing between the people.

Then he looked up.

His entire world stopped.

A body was hanging from the clock tower.

The clothes were familiar. The figure was familiar. Even from a distance, Kil Ful could recognise the person who had once stood before him as a teacher, a protector, and someone who had helped him discover the potential hidden inside himself.

It was Kael.

His sensei.

For several seconds, Kil Ful couldn’t move. His eyes widened, his lips trembled, and his hands began shaking. He wanted to believe that he was mistaken. He wanted someone to tell him that this was some terrible misunderstanding.

But the truth remained before him.

His sensei was gone.

"No..."

The word escaped his mouth in a broken whisper.

Then his knees weakened, and tears filled his eyes.

"No! No, this can’t be happening!"

Kil Ful pushed through the remaining crowd, rushing toward the tower as if reaching it would somehow change what he was seeing. His chest tightened, and the pain inside him grew until he could no longer contain it.

He raised his head toward the body and screamed with everything he had.

"SENSEIIIIIIII!"

The sound travelled through the streets of Aurelia.

"WHY?! WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME?!"

His voice cracked as tears streamed down his face.

"PLEASE, SENSEI, COME BACK! PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME! PLEASE!"

He fell to his knees, unable to stop crying.

"SENSEIIIIIIII!"

The entire kingdom seemed to fall silent.

People who had been whispering moments earlier stopped speaking. Soldiers lowered their heads. Even the Sovereigns arriving at the scene could not find the words to comfort him.

Kil Ful had lost his parents when he was a child. He had endured countless struggles, trained himself to become stronger, and found people he could call friends. Yet every time he began to believe that he might finally have a place where he belonged, fate seemed to take someone away from him.

And now, the person who had guided him through his darkest moments had been taken too.

The boy who usually smiled, joked, and faced danger without hesitation was now kneeling in the middle of the kingdom, crying for his master.

---

The Arrival of the Sovereigns

A powerful presence approached the crowd.

Gyro had arrived alongside Seema, Ravian, Morry, and several other Sovereigns. They had heard the commotion and rushed toward the clock tower, expecting to find trouble.

Instead, they found Kil Ful on his knees.

And above him hung Kael’s body.

Gyro stopped walking.

For once, the old master had no immediate words to offer. His eyes remained fixed on Kael, and his grip tightened around the stick in his hand.

"Kael..." he murmured.

Seema stared upward in disbelief. Ravian’s expression turned cold, while Morry stood completely still, struggling to process what he was seeing.

Kil Ful’s cries continued.

"SENSEI! PLEASE! OPEN YOUR EYES! I’M HERE! I’M RIGHT HERE!"

Morry took a step forward, but his legs suddenly gave way. The shock overwhelmed him, and he collapsed before he could reach Kil Ful.

"Morry!"

Ravian caught him before his head struck the ground. He held his unconscious friend and looked toward the clock tower, his face filled with grief and anger.

"Come on, Morry," Ravian said quietly. "Wake up..."

Morry didn’t respond.

Ravian clenched his jaw and looked at the others.

"It’s not the time to let our emotions take control of us," he said, though his own voice was strained. "We need to understand what happened."

Gyro slowly moved toward the tower. He examined the body from below, searching for any sign that might explain the attack. Then he noticed the paper attached to Kael’s clothing.

He carefully removed it and unfolded it.

The message was short.

"NEXT TIME, DON’T INTERFERE IN OUR WORK."

Gyro read it once.

Then again.

His expression changed.

The old master had faced powerful enemies throughout his life, but this message carried something particularly disturbing. Whoever had killed Kael wasn’t simply trying to hide their actions. They had deliberately displayed his body in the heart of Aurelia and left a warning for anyone who dared oppose them.

Gyro’s eyes narrowed.

"Who gave Kael this mission?" he asked.

Nobody answered immediately.

Seema turned toward him. "Gyro, do you know something?"

"I need to speak with the king. Now."

Without another word, Gyro turned away from the clock tower and headed toward the royal palace.

Behind him, Kil Ful remained on the ground, his tears falling onto the stone pavement.

---

The King’s Mistake

Inside Aurelia’s royal chamber, King Bacon sat upon his throne, surrounded by officials discussing the kingdom’s affairs. The doors suddenly opened, and Gyro entered with a furious expression.

The officials immediately fell silent.

"Gyro?" Bacon asked. "What happened?"

Gyro walked directly toward the throne.

"Kael is dead."

The words struck the room like a thunderclap.

Bacon rose from his seat. "What did you just say?"

"Someone killed him and hung his body from the central clock tower. They left a message warning us not to interfere in their work."

Bacon’s face turned pale.

"No... Kael?"

Gyro placed the note before him.

"Tell me everything. What mission did you give him?"

Bacon hesitated before answering.

"My fourth-in-command assigned Kael an S-Class mission. He was supposed to investigate Juyew’s plans and report his findings to the kingdom."

Gyro’s eyes widened.

"An S-Class mission?"

"Yes. We believed Kael was capable of handling the investigation. He was exceptionally strong, and I thought he could complete it successfully."

"You thought?" Gyro’s voice grew louder.

Bacon looked at him uneasily.

"I believe he was discovered while investigating Juyew. Perhaps Juyew’s people caught him before he could return."

Gyro slammed his stick against the floor.

"ARE YOU MAD, BACON?!"

The entire chamber fell silent.

"Kael was investigating a Transcendent whose abilities and intentions we barely understand! You sent him into enemy territory without even assigning a Transcendent to accompany him?"

Bacon’s expression hardened defensively, but uncertainty remained in his eyes.

"I thought Kael could handle it."

Gyro stared at him with barely controlled anger.

"You thought his strength was enough? Strength doesn’t make someone invincible! Even the strongest warrior can be defeated when an enemy has information, preparation, and an advantage!"

He pointed toward the note.

"Look at this! They killed one of our most capable warriors, displayed his body in front of the entire kingdom, and left a warning. This wasn’t merely an attack on Kael. It was a message to Aurelia."

Bacon lowered his head.

"I made a mistake..."

"Yes, you did," Gyro replied coldly. "And someone has paid for it with his life."

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Gyro turned toward the doors.

"I will find out who did this. But until I return, do not send anyone else after Juyew without proper preparation. We don’t know how far this conspiracy reaches."

He paused before leaving.

"And Bacon? If you value your kingdom, stop assuming that powerful people can handle every danger alone."

Gyro walked out, leaving the king seated in silence.

Bacon stared at the note.

For the first time, the threat against Aurelia no longer felt distant. It was hanging above the streets of his own kingdom.

---

The Fire Within Kil Ful

Back at the clock tower, Kil Ful’s grief was turning into something far more dangerous.

He had stopped crying for a moment, but his entire body was trembling. His fists were clenched so tightly that his fingernails pressed into his palms.

Memories rushed through his mind.

His parents.

Lira.

Kael standing before him during training, correcting his mistakes and forcing him to understand his own strength. Kael teaching him that power was not simply about defeating enemies, but about controlling himself when anger threatened to take over.

And now Kael was gone.

Again, someone important had been taken from him.

"Why..." Kil Ful whispered.

His head lowered.

"Why does everyone leave me?"

A strange heat began spreading through his eyes.

At first, it was barely noticeable. Then his pupils changed, and an orange-red glow appeared within them, brightening like flames behind glass.

The Sovereigns nearby immediately sensed the change.

"What’s happening to his eyes?" one of them asked.

Seema stepped forward. "Kil Ful! Don’t force your power!"

But Kil Ful couldn’t hear her.

His emotions were overwhelming his judgment. The pain he had been holding inside for years was spilling out all at once, and the thought of Juyew’s involvement filled him with uncontrollable fury.

His eyes burned brighter.

"I’LL KILL JUYEW!"

Energy surged around his body.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The stone beneath his knees cracked under the pressure of his aura. Several nearby citizens stumbled backward, while the Sovereigns prepared themselves in case his power became dangerous.

Kil Ful rose unsteadily, his orange-red eyes fixed on the clock tower.

"I’LL FIND HIM! I’LL MAKE HIM PAY FOR THIS!"

His aura flared again.

Then a voice reached him.

"Kil Ful!"

Aaru pushed through the crowd.

She had heard the commotion and hurried toward the clock tower. When she saw Kael’s body and Kil Ful standing beneath it, surrounded by raging energy, she understood that he was on the edge of losing control.

"Kil Ful, please!"

He didn’t respond.

Aaru moved closer despite the pressure coming from his aura. She wrapped her arms around him in a comforting embrace, holding him tightly.

"Please, Kil Ful. Calm down."

His body remained tense, and the fiery glow in his eyes continued to flicker.

Aaru held him closer.

"You don’t have to face this alone."

She gently kissed his forehead, trying to comfort him rather than allowing his grief to consume him.

Slowly, the energy around Kil Ful began to weaken.

His breathing became uneven. His clenched fists loosened, and the glow in his eyes dimmed slightly. He looked down at Aaru, and the fury on his face gave way to unbearable sadness.

"I..."

His voice broke.

"I already lost my parents when I was a kid."

Tears gathered in his eyes again.

"Then I lost my friend... Lira."

He struggled to continue.

"And now... my sensei..."

His shoulders began to shake.

"Why does this keep happening to me? I tried to become stronger. I trained so hard. I thought that if I became strong enough, I could protect the people important to me."

He looked at Aaru with desperate eyes.

"But I still couldn’t save him."

Aaru’s expression softened as she listened.

Kil Ful held onto her, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Please don’t leave me too, Aaru."

He swallowed hard.

"I don’t want to lose anyone else. I promise I’ll protect you..."

His words faded.

The energy that had surrounded him disappeared completely, and his legs gave way. Aaru tried to support him, but Kil Ful lost consciousness and collapsed against her.

"Kil Ful!"

She held him and called for help.

Seema and the other Sovereigns rushed forward. Ravian, still supporting the unconscious Morry, looked over in alarm.

Gyro had just returned from the palace when he saw Kil Ful unconscious in Aaru’s arms.

His expression darkened.

"Take him somewhere safe," he ordered. "His eyes were already recovering. Whatever happened just now may have placed even more strain on them."

The healers hurried to assist.

As they carried Kil Ful away, Aaru remained beside him, holding his hand.

She looked back at the clock tower, her eyes filled with sadness.

She had only just begun to know Kil Ful.

Now she understood how much pain he had been hiding behind his usual smile.

---

Juyew’s Declaration

Far from Aurelia, inside a hidden base concealed deep within an unfamiliar region, Juyew sat comfortably in a dark chamber.

A faint smile rested on his face.

Veyron and Bek stood before him, having returned from their mission.

"The body has been displayed, Master," Veyron reported. "The note was left exactly as you ordered."

"Good," Juyew replied.

Bek hesitated before speaking.

"Master, what if Aurelia sends people to find us? What if they come here to capture us?"

Juyew’s smile widened.

"Then I’ll destroy the Kingdom of Aurelia."

The room fell silent.

Veyron looked at him carefully.

"Master, Aurelia has powerful Sovereigns. And their king is no ordinary opponent. Can we truly defeat him?"

Juyew slowly turned his head toward Veyron.

"Defeat him?"

He gave a quiet laugh.

"No. I won’t simply defeat the king."

He rose from his seat and walked toward the chamber’s enormous window. Beyond it, darkness stretched across the distant landscape.

"I will destroy Aurelia itself."

Bek lowered his head slightly.

Juyew continued, his voice calm and deliberate.

"There’s a difference between killing everyone in a kingdom and destroying a kingdom. A kingdom isn’t just its people. It’s their trust, their alliances, their authority, their belief that tomorrow will be better than today."

He turned back toward his assistants.

"Why should I waste my time killing every person when I can destroy everything that holds them together?"

Veyron remained silent, listening.

"Let them mourn their dead. Let their king question his decisions. Let their Sovereigns become suspicious of one another. Let their allies wonder whether standing beside Aurelia will bring the same fate upon them."

Juyew’s eyes narrowed.

"And when they finally come looking for me, they will find that the kingdom they wanted to protect is already falling apart."

Bek bowed his head.

"Your will shall be done, Master."

Juyew returned to his seat, his smile never fading.

"Kael interfered in our work. Now Aurelia has received its warning."

He leaned back.

"If they understand it, perhaps they will survive a little longer."

His expression grew colder.

"But if they don’t..."

The chamber fell silent.

"...then they will learn what happens when someone challenges us."

Far away, in Aurelia, Kil Ful lay unconscious while his friends and the kingdom’s healers watched over him. Above the central clock tower, Kael’s body had been taken down, but the message left behind continued to haunt the people who had seen it.

Aurelia had lost a powerful warrior.

Kil Ful had lost his sensei.

And Juyew had just declared that the entire kingdom could be his next target.

The war had not yet begun.

But the first wound had already been inflicted.