Chapter 31
The Grand Hall was no longer a place of ceremony.
It was a battlefield of ruins.
Cracked marble stretched across the ground like shattered glass. Broken pillars leaned at unstable angles, barely resisting collapse. Flames—yellow and blue—licked through the air as smoke twisted between falling stone and shattered architecture.
Everything that once symbolized power… was now destruction.
And at the center of it all—
Bkka stood completely still.
Uninjured.
Unshaken.
Unbothered.
As if chaos itself had no meaning before him.
A faint smile formed on his face.
Bkka: "Ahh… finally."
He exhaled slowly, almost satisfied.
Bkka: "After so many years… I'm actually having fun."
---
Across the hall stood John and Chris.
Both were battered.
Both were exhausted.
But neither had fallen.
Chris wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and glared forward.
Chris: "Shut up…"
A rough breath escaped him.
Chris: "This guy is seriously annoying."
John didn't respond immediately.
His eyes remained locked on Bkka.
Focused.
Measuring.
Reading every shift in stance, every breath, every micro-movement.
John: "Don't rush him."
A pause.
His gaze sharpened.
Bkka tilted his head slightly, amused.
Bkka: "Talking about me like I'm not listening…"
A faint smile returned.
Bkka: "That's dangerous."
---
In an instant—
He moved.
The air itself seemed to shatter under his speed.
Chris reacted first.
Chris: "Incoming!"
He rushed forward without hesitation—wild, unpredictable.
But it wasn't chaos.
It was bait.
Bkka struck—
But Chris shifted mid-motion, narrowly slipping past the attack.
CLASH!
At the same moment—
John appeared from the side.
Precise.
Clean.
A calculated strike aimed at the smallest opening.
CLANG!
Metal rang through the hall as Bkka was forced back.
Just half a step.
But it was the first real reaction he had shown.
John's eyes narrowed.
John: "Now."
Chris moved again, attacking from another angle.
Different timing.
Different rhythm.
A coordinated pattern designed to break prediction itself.
For a moment—
It worked.
Chris: "See? It works!"
John: "Don't celebrate."
A sharp glance.
John: "He's adjusting."
And he was right.
Bkka's expression shifted.
Not anger.
Interest.
Bkka: "Good…"
A slow smile formed.
Bkka: "Show me more."
---
Then—
Everything changed.
The pressure in the air dropped.
Silence crushed the hall like a physical weight.
And then—
BOOM.
Bkka vanished.
A fraction of a second later—
CRASH!
Chris was slammed across the hall, crashing deep into rubble.
He coughed violently.
Chris: "…Okay. That one hurt."
He tried to push himself up—but staggered.
Blood dripped from his lip.
John moved instantly.
But—
Too late.
CLANG!
Bkka appeared directly in front of him and struck.
John blocked—but the impact sent him sliding backward, carving deep lines into the cracked stone floor.
John (thinking): Too fast…
Another strike followed.
Then another.
John blocked each one—but barely.
His defense was beginning to fracture.
Bkka leaned slightly forward.
Bkka: "Your pattern analysis is impressive."
A pause.
Bkka: "But meaningless… if you can't survive the next second."
BAM!
John was launched backward, slamming into the ground.
Dust rose around him.
Chris shouted immediately.
Chris: "John!"
He forced himself up again—but his movement was slower now. Heavier. Weakened.
Bkka turned—
And struck him mid-charge.
CRACK!
Chris dropped to one knee, breathing heavily.
Chris: "…Yeah… this is bad."
John slowly pushed himself up.
His breathing uneven.
His body heavy.
Blood mixing with sweat as exhaustion deepened.
John (thinking): We're losing control…
---
Far from the center of destruction—
The Princess lay among shattered stone.
Her body trembled faintly.
Her breathing was weak.
Blood stained the corner of her lips.
She watched everything unfold in silence.
Helpless.
Princess (thinking): Again…
Her fingers tightened slightly against the ground.
I'm here again… watching everything fall apart.
A painful expression crossed her face.
Princess (thinking): Why am I always like this?
A pause.
Why am I always the one who arrives after everything is already lost?
Her breath shook.
Princess (thinking): I always fail…
Her hand trembled against the cracked floor.
I'm always the weakest…
---
The battlefield roared around her.
But inside her—
Everything felt silent.
Empty.
Princess (thinking): Why can't I do anything…?
Then—
Something shifted.
She slowly pushed herself up.
Her body shook violently with the effort. Every muscle screamed in protest, every breath felt heavy and unstable.
But she still rose.
John noticed immediately.
John: "…Princess?"
Chris also glanced over.
Chris: "…Oi…"
Even Bkka's gaze shifted slightly.
The Princess stood.
Unstable.
Wobbling.
Barely upright.
But standing.
Her head lowered for a moment.
Then—
She clenched her fist.
Princess (whispering): "I won't stay like this…"
The air around her changed.
Subtle at first.
Almost unnoticeable.
John narrowed his eyes.
John (thinking): Why…?
Chris muttered under his breath:
Chris: "Don't tell me she's still going…"
The Princess stepped forward again.
Her body trembling.
Her breath uneven.
John (thinking): She should be unconscious…
Chris: "This is getting ridiculous…"
Bkka tilted his head slightly.
Bkka: "…Pathetic?"
His voice was calm—but cutting.
Before anyone could react—
Bkka moved again.
BOOM!
John rushed in instantly.
CLANG!
Their clash echoed violently through the hall.
Chris followed immediately.
Together, they pressed forward again.
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
But Bkka adapted instantly.
Each exchange became harder.
Each second more dangerous.
John (thinking): He's getting stronger… or we're slowing down…
Chris: "Tch… this guy doesn't stay down, does he?"
---
Then—
The Princess moved.
Princess: "I'm still here!"
She rushed forward again.
Her voice cracked—but her will did not.
She struck—
But Bkka barely moved.
One hand caught her attack effortlessly.
BAM!
A single counter sent her flying backward.
Chris: "She shouldn't even be standing…"
But she rose again.
And again.
And again.
Bkka laughed lightly.
Bkka: "Still getting up?"
The Princess's breathing grew heavier.
Her vision blurred.
Her hands trembled.
Princess (thinking): I can't…
A pause.
I can't… give up…
Another blow struck her.
She staggered.
Princess (thinking): I have to…
Her fingers dug into the ground.
---
Memories surfaced.
Her mother.
Her kingdom.
Her people.
Princess (thinking): I will… protect them…
Her body shook violently.
Princess (thinking): I WILL.
And then—
Something inside her ignited.
A faint green light flickered around her body.
Barely visible.
Like a dying ember refusing to disappear.
John's eyes widened.
John: "…That's…"
Chris froze.
Chris: "…No way…"
Bkka tilted his head.
Bkka: "…Hmm."
The green glow intensified.
Not chaotic.
Not unstable.
But focused.
Alive.
The Princess stood fully.
Her breathing still heavy.
But her presence had changed completely.
Princess (whispering): "I will not lose."
Green flames erupted around her body.
Bkka smiled.
This time, genuinely excited.
Bkka: "Now this… is worth it."
The battlefield shifted once more.
And the real fight had just begun.
…CHAPTER 31 ENDS…