Chapter 0010: The Hunt Begins
The fires in Ironspire had barely cooled.
The blood of the fallen still stained the streets.
But Raiden had no time for mourning. The Shadow Council had declared war—and he was done playing defense.
Striking Back
Raiden gathered his closest allies in the war chamber.
A massive map of the kingdom lay before them, marked with red ink—each mark a possible Council hideout, a noble with suspicious ties, a merchant funding their assassins.
Darius cracked his knuckles. "You want to hunt them? Then let's start with the ones closest to home."
Kael grinned, flipping a dagger between his fingers. "I already have names. People who've been feeding the Council information. Just say the word."
Elara's expression was grim. "We can't just go in blind. If we strike too hard, too fast, they'll scatter."
Raiden's voice was steel. "Then we don't give them time to run."
**His plan was simple: hit them before they expected it. Take them out one by one. No mercy. No hesitation.**
The first target? Baron Sorell—a noble who had grown fat off war profits, secretly funneling gold to the Council.
The Fall of Baron Sorell
Sorell's estate was a fortress—high walls, dozens of guards, and enough wealth to buy his way out of trouble.
But Raiden didn't need gold. He had fear.
**In the dead of night, his forces moved.**
Kael slipped past the guards, cutting throats before alarms could be raised.
Darius smashed through the front gates, a hurricane of steel and fury.
Elara cast a shroud of silence over the battlefield—no screams, no warnings, only death.
And Raiden?
**He stormed the Baron's chambers, sword in hand.**
Sorell was waiting, surrounded by his personal guard. "You don't have to do this, King Raiden," he pleaded. "I can be useful."
Raiden's expression didn't change. "You've been feeding my enemies. Funding assassins. Selling my kingdom piece by piece."
The Baron paled. "It was just business!"
Raiden's blade struck once.
Sorell fell, gasping, his empire of corruption crumbling around him.
A Message in Blood
**By sunrise, the entire kingdom knew what had happened.**
Raiden had executed a noble.
No trial. No negotiations. Just cold, brutal justice.
The message was clear—if you side with the Shadow Council, you die.
Some nobles swore loyalty instantly, terrified they'd be next.
But others?
The Council was furious.
And they were about to hit back.
The Council's Next Move
That evening, a rider arrived at the palace gates.
His horse was half-dead from exhaustion. His armor was covered in blood.
He collapsed before the guards, gasping, "My Lord—it's an ambush. They've taken the western fort!"
Raiden's blood ran cold.
**The Shadow Council wasn't just hiding anymore. They were taking his kingdom, piece by piece.**
Elara's voice was sharp. "They're forcing you into open war."
Darius growled. "Then let's give them one."
Raiden turned to his commanders. "We leave at dawn. We take back that fort. And we make them regret ever challenging me."
**The hunt had begun. But the war was far from over.**
The Battle for the Western Fort
Dawn had barely broken when Raiden and his forces rode out.
**The Shadow Council had made their move—seizing control of the western fort, cutting off vital trade routes, and positioning themselves to strike deeper into the kingdom.**
Raiden knew what this was. A challenge.
And he was about to answer it.
A Battlefield of Smoke and Steel
By the time they reached the fort, thick black smoke curled into the sky.
**The Council's forces had already tightened their grip—barricades lined the walls, archers patrolled the ramparts, and siege weapons had been placed to hold the ground.**
Darius surveyed the defenses. "They're dug in deep. Taking this place head-on won't be easy."
Elara narrowed her eyes. "It's worse than that. There's something… unnatural about the energy here."
Kael twirled a dagger between his fingers. "They want us to charge in blind. Walk into a trap."
Raiden's grip tightened on his sword. "Then we break their trap."
The Plan
Attacking the gates was suicide.
**So Raiden did the unexpected—he split his forces.**
Kael led a small unit of assassins, slipping through the shadows to scale the walls unnoticed.
Darius took the bulk of the army and staged a fake assault at the front gates, drawing the enemy's attention.
Meanwhile, Raiden and Elara led an elite strike force through an underground tunnel—one known only to those who had built the fort generations ago.
By the time the enemy realized what was happening—
**Raiden was already inside.**
The Storm Breaks
The battle erupted in chaos.
Kael's assassins took down the archers from the walls, silencing them before they could raise the alarm.
Darius's forces clashed with the enemy at the gates, the sound of steel ringing through the valley.
And inside the fortress, Raiden's elite warriors cut through the defenders like wildfire.
But then—the real danger revealed itself.
A massive figure stepped forward, clad in dark steel. His presence alone seemed to chill the air.
**The Black Knight.**
A mercenary warlord, feared across the continent. A killer with no master, no loyalty—only death.
And tonight, he was Raiden's to face.
Raiden vs. The Black Knight
The knight's voice was deep, mocking. "I was hoping you'd come yourself, Raiden. It's been too long since I killed a king."
Raiden raised his sword. "Try it."
**The battle was brutal.**
The Black Knight was fast—unnaturally fast for someone his size. Each of his strikes carried the force of a battering ram.
Raiden barely dodged the first blow, the ground cracking where the knight's sword struck.
**Steel clashed against steel, sparks flying in the dimly lit hall.**
The knight pressed forward, forcing Raiden back step by step. But Raiden wasn't just defending—he was watching. Calculating. Finding a weakness.
And then, he saw it.
**The Black Knight favored his right side—leaving his left flank open just for a second after every heavy swing.**
Raiden feinted a strike high—then pivoted, slamming his blade into the knight's exposed side.
The Black Knight staggered.
Raiden didn't give him time to recover.
**With a final, brutal strike—he drove his sword through the knight's chest.**
The giant mercenary fell to his knees, gasping. "Impossible…"
Raiden pulled his blade free. "You chose the wrong side."
With one last gurgling breath, the Black Knight fell.
Victory and Warning
By sunrise, the fort was Raiden's once more.
**The remaining enemy forces surrendered. The Shadow Council had lost yet another stronghold.**
But as Kael searched the fallen commander's body, he found something chilling—a sealed letter bearing the Council's insignia.
Raiden read the message. His expression darkened.
**"We expected you to win this battle, King Raiden. But the war is far from over. Your kingdom rots from within. And soon, you'll see the truth for yourself."**
Elara glanced at him. "They're planning something bigger."
Raiden exhaled, looking toward the horizon.
The Shadow Council was wounded—but they weren't finished.
And the worst was yet to come.
The Betrayal
The battle for the western fort had been won.
The Shadow Council had suffered yet another blow.
But victory always came at a price.
And this time, it came from within.
A Kingdom in Shadows
Raiden and his commanders returned to Ironspire under the cover of night.
The moment they passed through the palace gates, something felt off.
The guards seemed tense.
The air was heavy with unease.
Whispers echoed through the halls like ghosts.
Darius noticed it first. "Something's wrong."
Elara's eyes glowed faintly with magic as she muttered an incantation. "There's… deception here. Lies wrapped in silk."
Kael, always the sharpest, was already moving. "We need to find out who's been talking."
Raiden didn't hesitate. "We're not waiting. Get everyone in the war chamber. Now."
The Accusation
Within the hour, the war chamber was filled.
**Every noble, every general, every advisor who held power in Raiden's kingdom stood before him.**
He let his gaze sweep over them, his expression cold.
Someone in this room had betrayed him.
**Someone had fed the Shadow Council information.**
**Someone had nearly cost them the war.**
Kael stepped forward, tossing a bloodstained scroll onto the table. "We intercepted this from a Council messenger."
Raiden picked it up and read the words carefully.
**Troop movements. Weak points in the city defenses. The names of key supporters.**
Secrets only a handful of people in this room could have known.
His jaw clenched. "One of you has been feeding the enemy. If you step forward now, I will make your death swift. If I have to find you—"
**"Then you will beg for it."**
Silence.
And then—someone laughed.
A slow, mocking chuckle from the far side of the room.
Lord Garrick.
The noble leaned lazily against the table, swirling a goblet of wine in his hand. "Oh, my dear king. You act as if this is a surprise."
Raiden's fingers curled around the hilt of his sword. "Explain yourself. Now."
Garrick smirked. "You thought the Council's reach ended at your walls? You thought your little rebellion would go unnoticed? The Shadow Council is everywhere. Even here."
The room tensed.
Darius' hand went to his weapon. Elara's magic flared in her palms.
**Garrick had just confessed.**
And yet—he looked completely at ease.
That's when Raiden realized.
**He wasn't afraid.**
**Because he wasn't alone.**
The Hidden Blades
Before anyone could react, the doors burst open.
A dozen armored figures stormed in—Garrick's personal guard, their blades drawn.
**Assassins.**
**Trained killers.**
They moved fast. Too fast.
The first one lunged at Raiden—only to be met with Kael's dagger, buried deep in his throat.
Elara whispered an incantation—lightning crackled through the air, striking down two more assassins before they could reach her.
Darius, ever the warrior, grabbed a fallen spear and hurled it straight through another attacker's chest.
Chaos erupted.
🔥 **Steel clashed. Spells burned through the air. The war chamber became a battlefield.**🔥
And in the center of it all—Garrick slipped away.
Raiden saw him retreating through a side passage. "Coward."
Without hesitation, he gave chase.
The Duel in the Hall of Kings
Raiden followed Garrick through the palace corridors, the walls lined with statues of kings past.
A fitting place to kill a traitor.
Garrick turned, drawing his blade. "You're a fool, Raiden. Did you really think you could change this kingdom? That you could rule without bending to the ones who control it from the shadows?"
Raiden didn't answer.
He just attacked.
**Their swords met in a violent clash.**
Garrick was no warrior—but he was fast. A duelist trained in the art of killing with finesse.
**Strike. Dodge. Counter.**
Raiden's blows were powerful. Brutal. He fought like a man who had survived battlefields, not noble duels.
And that was Garrick's mistake.
He had spent his life fighting men who followed the rules.
Raiden followed only one rule—win.
**With a sudden, vicious kick, he knocked Garrick off balance.**
The noble staggered, eyes widening as Raiden's blade sliced across his arm.
He gasped, stumbling back. "Wait! We can—"
**Raiden didn't wait.**
With one swift motion, he drove his sword through Garrick's chest.
The noble choked, blood spilling from his lips. "You… have no idea… what you've done…"
Raiden leaned in, voice cold. "Neither do they."
He twisted the blade.
Garrick collapsed.
A Kingdom Shaken
By the time Raiden returned to the war chamber, his allies had slaughtered the assassins.
Kael wiped blood from his dagger. "Let me guess—Garrick won't be talking?"
Raiden sheathed his sword. "Not anymore."
Elara's magic still crackled at her fingertips. "This was their test. They wanted to see if they could break us from within."
Darius nodded. "And now they know the answer."
**Raiden wasn't just fighting the Shadow Council anymore.**
**He was fighting the very roots of the kingdom. The corruption that had festered for generations.**
And he would burn it all to the ground.
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(To be Continue...)