King Yomura sat quietly in his chambers, regulating his breathing to restore his internal energy, guarded by the three Sky Squad members.

Through his son's account, Yomura learned that the power of the Golden Crane Academy had been thoroughly shattered—a major victory achieved in part through the intervention of the Sky Squad. Furthermore, Drakos had ultimately met his end at the hands of Dasatama.

In the end, Yomura had lost a brother-in-arms from his youth. Yet that same former comrade had callously poisoned him with dark magic, leaving him incapacitated for nearly two years like a living corpse.

Drakos had reaped what he sowed when he chose to align himself with the dark forces. Though Drakos had justified his treason by pointing out the greed and corruption hiding behind the righteous facades of the white sects—arguing they were fundamentally no different from the dark army—Yomura held a different view.

Yomura acknowledged that evil existed on both sides, among white cultivators and dark forces alike. Yet he firmly believed that true guardians of righteousness would eventually rise to protect the realm. That was a conviction he refused to abandon.

"There is still one thing I must ask you, Nagada," Yomura said softly.

"What is it, Father?" Nagada asked curiously.

"Who gave you that Soul Purifying Water?"

The Soul Purifying Water again? Nagada pondered his father's words. According to Yomura's explanation, Soul Purifying Water was pure elemental energy condensed directly from nature into a sacred liquid form.

A single drop was capable of purging lethal dark toxins and lifting energy-suppressing curses. Furthermore, consuming it allowed a martial artist to break through their current physical limits to achieve higher cultivation realms.

Such a substance was a legendary treasure, distillable only by grandmasters who had attained the 9th realm of cultivation—a feat reserved exclusively for saints and living legends.

Nagada's thoughts raced. If the liquid Aji had provided was indeed Soul Purifying Water, where had Aji acquired such a divine elixir?

Aji... who are you really? How could Aji have known that this exact liquid would cure his father's unique affliction? It was as if Aji had foreseen the exact nature of the dark curse blocking Yomura's core.

If Aji possessed both that knowledge and access to Soul Purifying Water, he was hiding an identity far grander than anyone suspected.

BOOOOOOM!

Before Nagada could answer his father, a deafening detonation rocked the front courtyard of the royal residence.

"Come out here, Nagada!"

A thunderous roar echoed through the broken gate, startling Nagada and his squadmates.

"Stay here and focus on your recovery, Father," Nagada instructed firmly. "I will handle them. I know that voice all too well!"

Nagada recognized the voice instantly—it belonged to his uncle, Toda. Had Toda discovered that the King had awakened? Or had he come to banish Nagada from the Hanusan Kingdom once and for all?

Nagada, Sanjo, and Yara rushed outside while Yomura remained behind to accelerate his recovery. Feeling the dark seal lifted, Yomura could feel his internal pathways purifying and his aura returning. He needed just a bit more time before he could join his son on the field.

Stepping into the front courtyard, Nagada found the heavy wooden gates shattered into splinters.

"What brings you to my father's residence, Uncle Toda?" Nagada demanded, his voice cold. "It is hardly proper for an uncle to break into his brother's home and destroy property without permission."

Nagada's blood boiled. He knew Toda had been looking for a pretext to provoke a confrontation ever since learning of his return earlier that afternoon.

"How dare you return to the capital without reporting to me first!" Toda bellowed.

Report? Since when did the royal prince have to report his movements to the Prime Minister? Had Toda truly begun viewing himself as the absolute ruler of Hanusan?

"I am the reigning monarch of the Hanusan Kingdom now!" Toda declared, his bearded face twitching with barely suppressed malice. "You cannot simply saunter in and out of the royal territory as you please! No one enters or leaves this kingdom without my express authorization!"

Nagada offered a bitter smile. "Since when has a royal prince—or any common citizen—needed a permit to enter his own home?"

In the past, under King Yomura's rule, no such oppressive regulations had ever existed to restrict the freedom of the people.

"And tell me, Uncle Toda... since when were you crowned King of Hanusan?" Nagada pressed, raising his voice so it echoed across the courtyard. "Are you committing outright treason while King Yomura still lives?!"

Behind Toda stood five members of the eight-man royal advisory council. Evidently, Toda had secured their backing to legitimize his claim to the throne. With a majority of the council in his pocket, Toda now carried himself with the arrogance of an officially crowned sovereign.

Under Hanusan law, if more than fifty percent of the royal council endorsed a candidate, that candidate could be elevated to the throne in the event of the reigning King's abdication or incapacitation.

"I have secured the formal backing of over half the royal council!" Toda sneered, refusing to back down. "I am the legitimate King! King Yomura's condition is incurable, and we must establish clear leadership for the prosperity of Hanusan's people!"

"Disgusting," Nagada spat in disgust.

"Watch your tongue, you foolish boy!" Toda barked, pointing a furious finger at his nephew.

"Do you truly believe you are invincible just because you aligned yourself with the dark army, Uncle Toda?" Nagada countered, abandoning all pretense.

Though Toda flinched in visible shock at the sudden accusation, Nagada pressed forward without hesitation.

"You will gain nothing from serving the dark forces, Uncle! The Demon Lord's army seeks only global devastation. Once their objective is complete, they will rule over the ashes and cast you aside like trash!"

"Nonsense!" Toda shouted, trying to mask his panic over how much his nephew knew about his secret affiliation. "Absurd lies! I am taking the throne to bring prosperity to the people of Hanusan! An arrogant brat like you understands nothing about governing a kingdom, Nagada!"

"Then why did you march here with armed guards and break down the gates of the King's residence?" Nagada challenged sharply. "That is the textbook definition of rebellion!"

"Insolent fool!" Toda roared. "I came to teach you a lesson! You will respect my authority, and you will not move freely through this kingdom without my permission!"

Toda felt completely secure in his position. With five council members backing his decrees and heavy bribes keeping them loyal, he believed his authority was absolute. Today, he intended to crush Nagada once and for all.

Furthermore, Nagada was an active operative of the Sky Squad—a sworn enemy to Toda's covert identity as a Mondu sleeper agent. Subduing and imprisoning his nephew would solidify his control over the kingdom while proving his worth to the Demon Lord's army.

"You stand in open defiance of the Hanusan Kingdom, nephew!" Toda proclaimed dramatically, turning to the heavy infantry lined up behind him. "Guards! Arrest these three agitators! They have violated the laws of Hanusan and incited chaos in the capital! Drag them away!"

The heavy infantry drew their weapons and stepped forward, surrounding the three Sky Squad members.

"HALT!"

A thunderous voice boomed from the entrance of the residence, arresting every soldier in their tracks.

The heavy doors swung open to reveal a tall, imposing figure stepping out into the sunlight, clad in the magnificent, ceremonial robes of the sovereign monarch. He walked with a firm, majestic stride, radiating an aura of absolute authority.

It was none other than King Yomura himself.

Impossible!

Every eye in the courtyard widened in absolute terror and disbelief.