SUPREME ARCH-MAGUS

The room echoed with the loud clapping of King Hoon Doom. His sinister laughter reverberated inside the musical hall as he mocked Kent.

"Bravo… bravo!" King Doom's lips curled into a cruel smile, the flicker of victory dancing within them.

"What a nice threat, indeed! But sadly for you, even after knowing this was a trap, you walked right into it like a dumb fool! Do you truly think you can escape now? Mark my words, it's your overconfidence that is going to kill you."

Kent stood firm, his face unreadable behind the beast veil mask.

Without a moment's hesitation, Queen Mother Soya snapped her fingers.

Suddenly, the ground beneath Kent's feet lit up in a dazzling golden glow. The intricate Lotus pattern engraved into the floor began to take life, radiating outward from where he stood.

Golden leaves of light emerged, swirling and overlapping like a lotus flower, encircling Kent in the center. The energy formed a prison around him, each petal locking into place as the Lotus formation activated fully.

Everyone in the room stared at Kent as though he was a lamb about to be butchered. The queen's lips twisted into a mocking smile, her satisfaction evident.

Princess Chuli, with her confident, stepped closer to Kent, her dress trailing behind her. She looked at him with amusement, like a predator circling its prey.

"No fear?" she asked, her voice laced with false curiosity. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes glinting as she measured him up. "If you had chosen any one of our cities, we would have given it to you. Easily you might have walked away from this room today without a scratch." Her lips parted into a wicked grin. "But to your bad luck, you denied the opportunity.

Now, you will suffer the consequences."

Still, Kent showed no sign of fear. His face remained stoic, his eyes unreadable as he stared through the mask at the princess. Instead of reacting to her words, he asked calmly, "Why do you need the dead island city so badly? I don't think it's worth much compared to the fully developed cities in your nation."

The princess's laughter was shrill, a chilling sound that bounced off the walls of the grand hall. "Oh, you're going to die anyway, so I'll tell you the truth, for the sake of your soul's peace." Her voice dripped with arrogance. "The dead island city… it's the real fortune. That city alone is worth more than all the nations in the Seventh Realm combined. It has the—"

"Enough!" Queen Soya's sharp voice cut through the air, silencing Chuli before she could reveal too much. "Let's finish this fool quickly. Trap masters, activate the second stage. Turn him into dust."

As soon as her command left her lips, both King Hoon Doom and Princess Chuli stepped back, fear evident in their eyes as they distanced themselves from the powerful formation's energy.

The trap masters began weaving intricate patterns in the air, their fingers dancing as they chanted the spells that would seal Kent's fate.

The golden Lotus leaves started to contract, closing in on Kent with the intent to crush him. The energy intensified, humming with deadly force as the formation reached its second stage. The room seemed to vibrate with power, the air becoming thick and oppressive.

For a brief moment, everything seemed to go according to plan.

But then, as if defying the very laws of magic, Kent slowly extended his hands. His voice, barely a whisper, carried with it a thunderous spark.

"Suvarna Deha Bhuta Prakasa Atma Vikara Rupa!" ["Inner Spirit Transformation... Golden Body."]

In an instant, golden fur began sprouting across Kent's arms and chest, rippling outward like a wave of molten gold. His fingers elongated, his nails sharpening into deadly claws. His muscles bulged beneath the fur, growing stronger, more defined.

His head began to shift, morphing into the form of a mighty lion, his eyes glowing with an intense golden light that seemed to pierce through the very fabric of the formation.

A beastly aura radiated from him, flooding the room with a primal force that made the walls tremble as if an earthquake had hit. A deafening roar erupted from Kent's mouth, shaking the entire hall. The roar was so powerful that the sound barrier placed to prevent outside disturbance vibrated violently, struggling to contain the noise.

Kent's golden lion eyes locked onto the Lotus trap, and with one swift motion, he raised his clawed hand and slammed it directly into the shimmering Lotus leaves.

A loud, ear-piercing crack echoed through the room as the formation lines trembled under the force of his strike. The once-perfect Lotus petals now showed visible cracks, splintering like fragile glass under his brute strength.

The trap masters' eyes widened in horror as they watched the impossible unfold before them. "Impossible!" one of them muttered in disbelief, his voice shaking as he stumbled backward.

Kent wasn't done.

With a second deafening roar, he gathered every ounce of his strength and unleashed it in a single, devastating punch. The force of the blow shattered the formation entirely, the golden Lotus leaves tearing apart like paper.

The magical energy that had once held him captive dissolved into nothingness, the intricate lines of the trap falling apart in a blinding flash.

The room was still for a moment, stunned into silence by the sheer power of what had just happened.

And then, in an instant, Kent moved.

With terrifying speed, he charged at King Hoon Doom, who barely had time to register the shift before Kent's clawed hand sliced through the air, aimed directly at his neck.

With a sickening crack, King Hoon Doom's head separated from his body, flying through the air and landing with a dull thud. Blood sprayed across the hall, staining the paintings and ornate carvings.

Princess Chuli screamed, her voice shrill with terror, but it was too late for her as well. In one swift motion, his claws tore through her, cutting her into pieces. Her body fell to the floor, lifeless, the once-arrogant princess now nothing more than scattered remains.

Chaos erupted in the hall. The trap masters, seeing the bloodbath, tried to run, but Kent was faster. One by one, they fell to his claws, their bodies collapsing to the ground like ragdolls, their lives snuffed out in mere seconds.

Queen Soya stood frozen in place, her eyes wide with shock and terror. Her body trembled uncontrollably, her once-regal composure shattered. She could barely process what was happening.

The palace, once filled with mocking laughter and arrogance, now echoed only with the sound of death.

Kent's lion eyes burned with rage as he turned to face the Queen. His muscles rippled with power, his fur still glowing in the dim light of the blood-stained hall. He began walking slowly towards her, each breath a low growl.

Queen Soya's lips quivered, her face pale as a ghost. She tried to move, but her legs felt like stone. Fear gripped her heart, squeezing it painfully as she realized that this was the end.

Just as Kent was about to strike her down, a figure appeared in the doorway.

-

*Thank You for the Powerstones!