The Box: Fate
Chapter 75 — The War Table of the Five Kings
The grand council chamber deep within the subterranean core of Ignis-Vail was carved directly out of solid obsidian. In the center of the vaulted hall sat a massive, circular war table forged from volcanic iron, illuminated by the low, pulsating amber glow of a central magma pit.
For the first time in three thousand years, the Five Apex Kings of the native realm were gathering in a single room.
Beside Gideon the Ash-Bringer sat three towering figures who had just arrived via the citadel's long-distance spatial circles: Queen Valerya of the Frost-Spire, her eyes like ice crystals and her aura freezing the air around her chair; High Master Kaelen of the Astral Order, clad in robes woven from starlight; and Iron General Boros, a war-scarred juggernaut whose physical presence felt like a collapsing cliff.
And standing alongside Gideon was Azureus, his seven-foot humanoid draconic form casting a majestic, sapphire shadow across the obsidian floor.
Opposite the Apex Kings stood the sixteen friends of the Sovereign Vanguards group Kataki, Zanaki, Axel, Sharky Bee, Murasaki, Kuro, Akira, Hina, and their companions—along with Vahn. They wore no uniform, held no titles, and carried no military rank. Yet, after the awakening at the Grand Origin Guild, the divine aura radiating from the teenagers forced even the veteran Apex Kings to look at them with quiet, profound respect.
"So these are the outworlders who shattered the Capital's firewall," Queen Valerya spoke, her voice like cracking ice as her cold gaze swept across Kataki and Zanaki. "The rumors from the west say you deleted a Void General and erased the royal palace in a single breath.
"We didn't come here to talk about rumors, Your Majesty," Kataki replied calmly, his silver eyes steady as he leaned his hands on the edge of the iron war table. "We came here because the world is no longer a simulation, and the threat beneath the bedrock is moving.
Gideon slammed his fist onto the war table, activating the central projection rune. A three-dimensional map made of glowing magma light materialized above the table, showing the entire continent.
"Look here, Gideon growled, pointing a finger toward the vast, dark expanse in the far north. "With Aethelgard destroyed and Malakor's soul purged by Kataki's reaper, the Seven Demon Lords have lost their primary coordinator in the system. But they aren't retreating. They've consolidated their legions into a single, massive strike force at the Ashen Gulf
High Master Kaelen leaned forward, his starlight robes humming. "The Ashen Gulf lies directly above the subterranean fault line where ((Crash)) was chained three millennia ago. The Demon Lords know the system interface is dead. They aren't trying to fight a war of territory anymore. They are attempting to pour millions of dark sacrifices into the trench to forcibly break the primordial chains.
Axel Hatanaki stepped forward, his new God Skill—Aegis of the Sun-King—humming faintly beneath his skin. "If those chains break, does ((Crash)) awaken completely?"
"More than that," Azureus interjected, his voice rumbling like deep thunder. "If the primordial lord of nullification wakes up in a world that has turned into solid reality, there will be no coding patch to isolate the damage. The entire continent will be reduced to a lifeless, silent void.
Zanaki grinned, a streak of blue lightning flashing across his knuckles as he looked at Kataki, Sharky, and the rest of the Sovereign Vanguards group. "So, basic summary: we hit the Ashen Gulf, smash the Seven Demon Lords, and keep the big guy underground from waking up. Sounds like a standard Tuesday for us.
Iron General Boros let out a booming laugh that shook the dust from the obsidian ceiling. "Ha! The kid has nerve! Most native armies freeze in terror at the mere mention of the Demon Lords, and these teenagers are treating it like a walk through the market!"
"They're not joking, Boros, Gideon said, his amber eyes dead serious. "They've fought without system prompts and survived. They carry fragments of the True Creator now.
Kataki looked around the circle of his friends—seeing Axel's unyielding determination, Murasaki' quiet confidence, Sharky' sharp focus, and Zanaki' wild energy. They had lost their status screens, but they had found their true strength in each other.
"We split our forces into two vanguard units, Kataki stated, looking at the Five Apex Kings. "The native armies under the four Kings will hold the front lines at the Ashen Gulf to stop the dark sacrifice. The sixteen of us, along with Gideon and Azureus, will breach the inner trench directly and eliminate the Seven Demon Lords at the source.
Queen Valerya looked at Kataki for a long moment, then slowly bowed her head in agreement. "A bold gamble. But in a world without numbers, boldness is the only steel that cuts"
The Five Apex Kings stood up from the war table, drawing their weapons in unison. The battle lines were drawn. The final campaign to secure the fate of this real world had officially begun