Saroto woke slowly, but it was pitch black. He wasn't blind, but a rough cloth covered his face, obscuring his vision and suffocating him. He tried to move, but felt the shackles tighten harshly on his wrists. Beside him, he sensed another person—Jin.
Suddenly, the cloth was ripped away. Sounds exploded in his ears. He found himself standing on a raised platform, Jin bound by thick black chains. In front of them, not far away, Bianca sat on a dark chair, her features as rigid as stone, surrounded by the four rebel leaders, and behind them, a huge crowd of rebels. A shout rose like a storm: "Execute the Emperor!"
"Death to the Emperor!"
Bianca raised her hand. Silence fell immediately. She rose slowly, her voice cold and decisive: "Emperor… for the crimes you have committed against the people of other kingdoms, the murder, the destruction, the displacement of entire families…"
As she advanced toward the platform, a sword formed in her hand, swirling with black smoke. "And as your sister… I will carry out your sentence."
She paused, looking at the crowd: "Any objections?"
The response erupted: "Death to the Emperor!"
She turned to Jin: "And you, Jin… you will be executed for betraying the rebels and aiding the Emperor. Any last words?"
Jin collapsed, crying out in supplication: "Commander! You're mistaken! This isn't the Emperor we're fighting! It's someone else!"
Bianca expression hardened: "What nonsense are you talking about?"
One of the rebels said hesitantly: "Perhaps… perhaps the Emperor is somehow controlling him?"
"No… my brother didn't have the power to control others," Bianca thought to herself.
At that moment, Saruto began to move his hands slowly. "It's pointless," said Sebastian, one of the four leaders, mockingly. "These handcuffs were made to suppress the power of darkness."
Saruto raised his head. His violet eyes flashed with a menacing light. Another leader, Andrew, stepped forward. "It seems the Commander can't kill her brother… so I'll take it upon myself. Do you agree?"
"We agree!" the rebels shouted.
Bianca sat down again and allowed him to carry out the sentence. Andrew brandished his sword. "Any last words, Emperor?"
Saruto raised his head and said calmly, "Release Jin… he has nothing to do with what's happening."
Silence fell suddenly. "What did he say?"
"Did he ask for Jin release?"
"Don't believe him!" one of them said angrily. "He's trying to manipulate us! So we won't execute him."
The voices rose again: "Execute!"
Bianca raised her hand, signaling the execution. Andrew smiled. "Farewell… Emperor."
The sword slashed. "Stop!" Jin cried.
But the sword struck Saruto neck. Everyone froze. The head didn't fall. Instead, dragon scales formed on Saruto neck, deflecting the blow. "Chains block the energy of darkness… don't they? But they don't block… the energy of dragons," Saruto said calmly.
The scales covered his hands, and he shattered the shackles. Andrew raised his sword again and brought it down with all his might on Saruto neck, but Saruto caught Andrew sword with both hands, creating a massive wave of energy that knocked down several rebels. The other three leaders—Sebastian, Taios, and Judith—rushed forward. They surrounded him. "Advance," Saruto laughed.
Taios, in his hybrid form, charged forward, his punch clashing with Saruto. "How did he defend against that?!" Tyos exclaimed.
They traded blows, and Saruto clearly had the upper hand. Suddenly, a double attack: Andrew from behind, Taios from the front. Saruto formed one of his swords, blocked Andrew attack, caught Taios punch, lifted Taios, and slammed him into Andrew with all his might.
They both crashed to the ground. Sebastian and Judith flew toward Saruto. "You seem to be no pushover," Sebastian said.
"It's a shame we'll have to kill you... even though you have a pretty face," Judith said with a mocking smile.
In an instant, Saruto formed the perfected Asterazine. A formation surrounded him, and they froze. "What kind of skill is that?!" Sebastian exclaimed.
"I've never seen anything like it!" Judith muttered.
But before they could move, Bianca stepped between them. "Step back."
"But Commander—"
She gestured. They stepped back. She stepped forward toward Saruto. "Who are you?"
Saruto disengaged. "You're late to the party. I told you from the start… I'm not the Emperor."
"How is that possible?!" Sebastian exclaimed, bewildered.
"Look down at you," Bianca said.
They looked down. Andrew and Tyos were unharmed. "If he were the Emperor… he would have killed them," Bianca said. "He could have wiped us all out when he used that skill… but he didn't."
She looked directly at him. "You haven't told me who you are… and why you look like my brother."
"My name is Saruto Luwin… the Dark King," he said calmly.
Bianca shuddered. "You have my brother's name… and his features."
"Isn't that Emperor impersonating me?"
She shook her head. "No. My full name is Bianca Luwin."
Saruto froze when he realized Bianca shared his family name. "What are your parents' names?" he asked.
Bianca response. "Morvan. And my mother… Carmelina."
He broke down inside. "…Impossible. Even my parents' names… Who is this girl? And where the hell am I?"