The golden throne room stood in silence. Lucius didn't speak. His fingers tapped against the gilded armrest, golden eyes calculating, his expression unreadable—but something beneath the surface had definitely shifted.
Because for the first time in his life, he'd encountered something he couldn't own.
He had devoured worlds. Bought souls. Rewritten the fates of kings and gods alike.
And yet—Arthur stood before him, untouched. Unshaken. Untamed.
A black hole of defiance in a world Lucius thought he controlled.
And that—that was dangerous. Because Lucius did not tolerate what he couldn't consume.
Lucius exhaled slowly, but his words came out measured, silk-smooth. "You misunderstand me," he said. "I'm not asking you to serve me."
The golden chains around the throne shimmered like they were listening.
"I'm asking you to rule with me."
Arthur blinked, cocked his head. "Oh?" His smirk stretched wider. "That's new. Usually, people just try to kill me."
Lucius actually chuckled. "Why would I waste my energy fighting you," he murmured, "when I can offer you something better?"
He gestured toward the glass floor below them—
The city of chains. The people below. The puppets moving to unseen rhythms.
"Look around," Lucius said, golden eyes gleaming. "This world already belongs to me. Everything in it. Everyone in it. Their bodies. Their minds. Their futures—I hold them all."
His fingers flexed slightly, as if reminding Arthur what those hands could do.
"And yet… I'm generous."
Lucius leaned in, voice dropping to a coaxing whisper. "Join me, Arthur. Together, we could build a kingdom where even gods bow. A kingdom that never breaks. That never falls. Where even the Soul King himself would kneel."
The words floated in the air like poison wrapped in honey. The chains trembled in anticipation.
And then— Arthur laughed.
At first, just a chuckle. Then a full, deep belly laugh—like something absurd had finally clicked.
Arthur clutched his ribs, Eyes of Wrath flickering, Eyes of Sloth glowing a sleepy blue, reality bending subtly around him with every exhale.
And then— He stopped.
His face went still. And when he looked back up at Lucius— The humor was gone. The fun was gone.
All that remained was something cold.
"You think I'm impressed?" he said, voice calm. "You think I'm tempted?"
His fingers flexed slightly— and golden cracks began spreading across the throne room.
Lucius's smile faltered. Arthur stepped forward. And every chain in the city snapped like string.
Lucius flinched. Just a flicker. But it was enough.
Arthur tilted his head slightly. "Let me explain something to you, Greed."
His voice wasn't raised. But the air around him shuddered like it had heard something sacred.
"I don't want your kingdom." Crack. "I don't care about your wealth." Crack. "I don't need your power."
He smiled again. But there was no humor in it. Just truth.
"Because I already have everything."
And with that— The golden throne exploded.
It didn't break because of an attack. It didn't shatter because of force.
It broke because Lucius himself lost control.
Because Arthur—by simply saying no—had undone the very thing Greed stood on.
Lucius stood abruptly, aura flaring like a dying star. His composure cracked—just for a breath.
And Arthur? He didn't even blink.
"Your problem," he said casually, "is you've spent your whole life thinking everything can be owned."
He spread his arms slightly, almost as if presenting himself. "But some things…"
His Eyes of Sloth and Wrath lit up like twin suns.
"Some things exist beyond ownership."
He raised his hand. And reality answered.
The instant Arthur moved, Camila's pulse spiked. She didn't have to say anything. Didn't have to warn them. Because they all felt it.
This wasn't a duel. This wasn't even a threat.
This was Arthur explaining, in no uncertain terms, why Lucius couldn't win.
Camila's knuckles went white around the hilt of her sword. She didn't draw it. Didn't need to. But she was ready.
Liam's golden aura had flared instinctively, flickering like it couldn't decide whether to fight or stand back in awe.
Athena pressed her fingers over her heart. Not to calm herself. But to remind herself it was still beating.
And Amelia? Amelia just tilted her head. And smiled.
Because she had seen this coming. And it still surprised her anyway.
Arthur wasn't trying to win. He was just showing Lucius that winning had never been an option.
And that— That was scarier than any war.
Lucius didn't attack. He didn't speak. Because now— He finally understood.
Arthur was not a man. Was not a god.
He was a walking contradiction. A being born from too much pain and too little fear.
And Greed? Greed had no place in him.
Arthur chuckled softly. "You should've just let me leave."
Lucius inhaled. Then— He did something no one expected.
He let go.
"Take him," he said.
The agents didn't move. Didn't blink.
Because they were already gone.
Erased. By Arthur. Before the words even finished leaving Lucius's mouth.
And now— Lucius was alone.
Arthur turned without a word. And walked away.
The golden city still stood. Its lights still flickered. Its people still moved.
But the chains were gone.
And Lucius— Lucius sat in the remains of his throne.
A man who had once owned everything. Now left with nothing.
And that? That was worse than death.
Arthur had barely taken a step out of Lucius's shattered throne room before Camila's voice cut through the air—sharp, urgent, final.
"We need to leave. Now."
Arthur paused.
The others turned.
Liam and Amelia exchanged glances.
Athena hesitated, her fingers twitching.
Arthur frowned.
"What's the rush? I've only been here for—"
A pause.
A flicker of unease.
"Wait," he muttered. "How long have I been here?"
Camila's golden eyes darkened.
She exhaled.
"Arthur…"
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
"You've been here for two years."
Liam crossed his arms, golden eyes unreadable.
"In the time you were gone," he said, "a lot has changed."
Arthur clenched his fists.
"What did I miss?"
Camila sighed.
She lifted a single hand—and the air rippled.
A screen of light unfolded before them, displaying the events of the last two years.
"You weren't the only one moving forward, Arthur," Camila said.
Her voice was soft.
"You were just… moving differently."
Arthur's breath hitched.
And then—he saw it.
The image shimmered—Liam standing at the top of a blood-soaked battlefield, the sky behind him torn with divine light. His golden aura burned like a second sun, casting long shadows across mountains of corpses.
Arthur blinked. "That's... you?
"You got to understand, Arthur," Camila said softly. "You weren't the only one moving on; you just… did it differently."
Arthur felt a lump in his throat, and then—it hit him.
He could see Liam standing triumphantly over heaps of defeated foes. His golden glow was so intense it made the sun look dim.
With his sword, he took down demonic creatures that seemed impossible to kill. The world was at his feet. Now, Liam was among the top ten strongest hunters around.
Arthur let out a sharp breath.
"When people figured out how strong I was," Liam said, his voice calm and collected, "they tried to control me." He chuckled softly.
"So, I gave them a reason to fear me instead."
Next, he saw Amelia on a battlefield filled with shadows and broken spirits. Her Eyes of Lust shimmered in a creepy way.
Enemies fell before her without a scratch—dying, screaming, lost in their own nightmares.
The best hunters had to bow to her will.
She wore a sly, unreadable smile. "I got bored," Amelia confessed casually. "So, I decided to climb to the top. Turns out, no one could stop me."
Her fingers glowed with unexplained energy. "Now, they call me 'the Witch of Endless Sleep.'" She paused, her smile growing wider. "Pretty poetic, right?"
Then he saw Athena, happy and surrounded by friends in a classroom.
She was laughing, smiling, just living life.
Arthur's heart skipped a beat.
"She wanted a normal life," Camila said softly. "So she went to school."
Athena blushed a little. "I… made friends," she admitted quietly. "I learned how to talk to people and exist outside of fighting."
She looked up and for once—her eyes were free of sadness. "I think… I found a place for myself."
Arthur felt a pang in his chest.
Finally, there was Camila in a grand hall, surrounded by scholars, her very presence bending time.
"While you were gone," she said, calm as ever, "I became one of the Seven Great Sages." She took a breath.
"Those seven are the smartest people—you know, the ones who shape knowledge itself." She paused.
"And yes, I've been searching for answers about what happened to you." She looked at him pointedly. "But I don't have them yet."
Arthur's Reality Shattered
His heart raced, and his fists clenched. He felt like he'd lost two years—not to sleep, battle, or death, but to something he couldn't even grasp.
He took a step back, the ground beneath him feeling shaky.
Why? Why had he lost time while they all kept moving forward? Why had he been left behind? A dark thought crept in.
What if he was never supposed to be here? What if something wanted to wipe him out?
Camila stepped closer. "Arthur," she said, her voice grounding him. "We can't waste any more time."
He met her gaze, filled with depth and determination. "We need to move," she insisted. "Whatever's going on with you—we're running out of time to fix it." In that moment, Arthur got it.
The past was behind them.
The future was uncertain.
All that was left was—
Now.