Arthur rose to his full height and the spear in his hand wasn’t summoned with spectacle, it simply appeared, already formed, already crackling with lightning, shadows gathered around his boots.

His gaze settled on Yogumunt, and when he spoke, he was calm in a way that made it far more threatening than anger ever could be.

"Good work," he said, almost thoughtfully. "You managed to drag me out of the dimensional rift, your plan worked."

He took a slow step forward, the ground beneath him darkening as the shadows followed.

"A place where you couldn’t run from me... where you couldn’t scheme your way out of a fight."

His eyes flicked briefly across the city, taking in the destruction, the fires, the chaos left behind by the invading armies.

"And instead, you came here, to my home."

There was a smile on his face, but it held no warmth.

"You thought this would make me hesitate and jump here immediately, send my army to stop the invading armies, while you gang up on me and try to defeat me or seal me."

He took another step.

"I wouldn’t have needed to come at all," he continued, "The people I left behind here would have handled you, there would some losses but you stood no chance."

His gaze returned to Yogumunt, steady and unblinking.

"But you don’t fight in a clean way. You never have."

Yogumunt let out a laugh and he spread his arms slightly, gesturing toward the battlefield as if presenting undeniable proof.

"You really believe that?" he said, his voice laced with disdain. "That these humans stand a chance against us?"

He stepped forward, eyes glowing red.

"Rakan’s beasts and Querehsha’s insects alone pushed them to the brink. Look around you. This world is already breaking, once the toxin of Querehsha unleashes, this will mark the death of the humanity."

His expression hardened.

"This planet cannot withstand the full might of the Monarchs. Nothing can!"

He studied Arthur carefully, as if trying to understand something that refused to make sense.

"And yet you refuse us! For what? For them? Both you and The Dragon Monarch are what we need in the upcoming war, yet both of you are absent, but he at least promised to aid us."

A scoff slipped through.

"While here you are, wasting your time with these fragile creatures. You will outlive them. You know that."

His voice dropped, more insistent now.

"We didn’t come here for this world. We don’t care about it. But if you won’t stand with us... then they die."

His eyes narrowed.

"And so will you."

Arthur didn’t respond immediately, though there was no real consideration in his expression.

"You wouldn’t understand," he said at last.

Then his gaze sharpened.

"But let me ask you something, you said there are three of you, you are smart Yogumunt so clearly you didn’t mean Rakan because I just killed him, so..."

He tilted his head slightly, almost amused.

"Where’s the third?"

Yogumunt’s expression shifted, his focus flickered for just a second as something uneasy stirred in the back of his mind.

"You..." he started, narrowing his eyes. "No. That’s not..."

Arthur’s smile widened just enough to make it clear he’d seen that reaction.

"He’s alive," he said. "Don’t you worry, just not in any condition to help you."

The shadows around him pulsed once, "I was about to kill him before he slipped away. Turns out the Monarch of Frost was more of a coward than I expected."

His eyes locked onto Yogumunt.

"You really thought leaving him alone with me in the dimensional gap was a good idea? That he could watch me and report back to you?"

He tone got colder now.

"You underestimate me."

There was no warning or visible build-up.

One moment Arthur stood several paces away, and the next he was right in front of Yogumunt, the distance erased so completely it felt like reality itself had failed to keep up.

The spear drove forward with brutal speed, punching through Yogumunt’s abdomen. The impact forced the air from his lungs, his body folding around the weapon as a violent surge of shadow and lightning erupted outward. Arthur didn’t even pause; he ripped the spear free and the force alone sent Yogumunt flying, his body tearing through the air before crashing into the ruins in the distance with enough power to scatter debris in every direction.

Querehsha reacted instantly, but there was only fury in her.

"Die!" she shrieked, lunging forward, her power flaring as she struck. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Arthur caught her wrist before she could reach him. His grip tightened, and the sound of bone breaking echoed sharply as her arm gave out under the pressure. Her scream tore through the air as her legs buckled, forcing her down to her knees.

He looked at her without any trace of emotion.

"You’ve lived long enough," he said quietly.

His free hand moved, and the blade of shadow formed along his fingers in the same motion. It cut cleanly through her neck, separating her head from her body in one swift strike. for a moment, her body remained upright, suspended in that unnatural stillness before it began to fall.

Arthur released her wrist and stepped forward at the same time. His hand drove into her chest before she could even hit the ground, piercing through flesh and bone as though neither existed. His fingers closed around her heart, still pulsing faintly with life.

He held it there for a brief moment, his gaze fixed on her fading expression.

Then he crushed it, completely.

Whatever unnatural force sustained her unraveled instantly. Her body went slack, the remnants of her power dissipating. Her eyes found his one last time, whatever arrogance she once held gone entirely, replaced by the fear and understanding of what stood before her.

"Monster..." she whispered.

Arthur let her body fall, already turning his attention elsewhere, as if she had never been more than an obstacle in his path.

Kara was just staring.

Her eyes were locked on Arthur, on the aftermath of what he had just done.

One Monarch... gone, completely erased by him.

And the other, broken, hurled aside like something insignificant.

Her lips parted slightly,

"Arthur..."

The name slipped out of her like she wasn’t entirely sure he was even real in that moment.

He turned at the sound of her voice immediately.

The tension in him shifted, the cold, merciless presence that had crushed a Monarch moments ago softened at the edges as his eyes found her.

He crossed the distance between them in a single step.

One arm slid behind her back, the other steadying her as he pulled her upright with care that felt almost at odds with the violence he had just unleashed. Kara winced despite herself, her strength still drained, her body struggling to keep up with everything it had endured.

Arthur didn’t say anything at first. His gaze moved over her quickly, assessing every injury, every weakness.

Then, without looking away, he spoke.

"Beru."

A shadow tore itself free from the darkness behind him, reforming into the towering, chitin-armored figure of Beru. The moment his eyes fell on Kara, something shifted in him, something reverent and fiercely protective.

He didn’t wait.

"My Queen!"

He was already moving, already kneeling beside her as a surge of green glowing energy gathered in his hands. It flowed into her mending, restoring, pushing back the damage that had been tearing her apart from the inside.

"Please remain still," Beru said, his voice vibrating with restrained fury. "I shall heal you... and then I will personally tear apart the ones responsible for this transgression!"

Kara blinked at him, still a little dazed, then let out a soft breath that almost turned into a laugh.

"Silly ant..."

Arthur exhaled quietly through his nose, the faintest hint of a smile touching his lips before it disappeared just as quickly.

"You’ll get your chance Beru, but this one is mine." he said.

His gaze lifted, sweeping briefly across the battlefield beyond them, where the chaos still raged, the beasts, the insects, the defenders holding the line.

"You two go," he continued. "Help the others push them back."

His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked toward the distant Gate.

"That gate won’t stop unless all of them emerge. I know how to end it, I’ll be there once I make sure no other Monarch is still breathing or nearby."

Kara’s hand tightened slightly against his arm.

"Be careful," she said with worry. "You just got back. I don’t want you to.."

"I know."

He cut her off gently, his thumb brushed lightly against her arm, grounding, reassuring.

"Go," he added. "Help Raven and the others, I’ve already sent the marshals ahead to help out alongside a large number of my legion."

Beru didn’t wait for anything else. He carefully lifted Kara into his arms, before launching into the sky with a powerful burst of speed. The wind howled around them as they ascended.

Even then, Beru couldn’t help himself.

"My liege," he called back, his voice echoing faintly through the air, "it pains me greatly that I must depart at such a moment. To witness you demonstrate the difference between a false Monarch... and a true King.."

Arthur just stood there for a second longer, watching them disappear into the distance, making sure, absolutely sure she was out of immediate danger.

Then he turned.

And the air around him changed again.

The warmth, the restraint, the concern, it all vanished as though it had never existed.

What remained was something far less forgiving, across from him in the distance, Yogumunt was already pulling himself back together, his body knitting, reforming, rage and unease mixing as he steadied himself amidst the rubble.

Arthur began walking toward him. "Come on now, Yogumunt," he called out, his voice carrying easily across the ruined landscape.

"This is it."

Yogumunt straightened slowly, his expression darkening as he faced him, power gathering around him again despite the damage.

Arthur stopped a few paces away.

The spear in his hand tilted slightly, its edge catching the light.

"But before you die," he continued, his tone dropping, "there’s something I want from you."

His eyes locked onto Yogumunt’s.

Violet light flickered within them,

"Some information." He said with a humorless smile.

"And just to be clear... This isn’t a request."

The smile faded completely.

"You will answer then die," he said, "one way or another."

/-\

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