The Great Bridge stretched across the sea like an ancient scar carved into the world. Built centuries before the rise of the present kingdoms, its weathered stone carried the weight of countless travelers, merchants, armies, and kings. Thick white mist drifted over its surface, swallowing everything beyond a few dozen paces. The ocean crashed against the pillars beneath, its rhythm steady and indifferent, as though it had witnessed every war in Nophilis and had long since grown tired of remembering them.
At the western entrance of the bridge, Aldrich Yagurah stood alone.
His black coat stirred gently in the sea breeze. The white fur lining its collar shifted with each gust, while the black mask rested beneath his chin, revealing a calm expression that betrayed neither fear nor anticipation. His tied black hair swayed behind him, and the black pendant resting against his chest caught a faint glimmer of daylight.
His right hand rested naturally upon the hilt of his katana.
He did not tighten his grip. He simply waited. The mist ahead began to stir. One step. Another.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the silence, each one measured, deliberate, refusing to hurry. A figure slowly emerged from the whiteness.
Golden armor reflected what little sunlight managed to pierce the fog. The armor was polished to perfection, each plate fitted seamlessly over the next, bearing the insignia of Civil Law across the breastplate. A long white cape hung behind the warrior, barely moving despite the wind.
Aldrich studied him without moving. His breathing remained even.
"He's wearing golden armor…Is he an Executor?"
His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
No…He's not on the level of Cassian.
The thought settled quietly within him. The man stopped several meters away. Before either of them spoke, the bridge echoed once again. More footsteps. Not one. Many.
One after another, figures emerged from the mist until twenty warriors clad in silver armor stood behind the man in gold. Each carried a longsword and heavy shield upon their backs. Their helmets concealed their faces entirely, reducing them to identical instruments of authority.
The formation stopped as one. The man in golden armor looked directly at Aldrich.
"I am Nefari… a Law Knight of Civil Law."
His voice carried no arrogance. Only certainty.
"Aldrich Yagurah."
A pause lingered between them.
"You are under arrest for the destruction of the Varkonn and Saelari Clans."
The ocean continued crashing beneath the bridge. The wind passed between them.
"You can cooperate if you so choose…"
His hand rested upon the hilt of his sword.
"…or we will use force."
Steel whispered softly. Aldrich drew his katana from its sheath in one smooth motion.
The black blade reflected the pale light surrounding them.
His posture lowered slightly. Balanced. Relaxed. Ready.
"You will not arrest anyone today."
Silence followed. Then Nefari spoke without changing expression.
"Attack him."
The order had barely left his lips before the twenty enforcers exploded into motion. Steel flashed. Boots struck stone. The bridge shook beneath synchronized footsteps.
The first enforcer reached Aldrich almost instantly.
With both hands gripping his sword, he swung horizontally toward Aldrich's head with enough force to split stone. Aldrich lowered his body.
The blade swept above him, missing by mere inches.
Before the swordsman could recover, Aldrich planted his foot firmly into the enforcer's stomach.
The impact folded the armored man over before sending him crashing across the stone bridge. A second enforcer immediately filled the opening.
His sword rose overhead before descending in a powerful vertical strike. Steel collided. Aldrich met the attack cleanly. The impact rang across the bridge.
Rather than resisting directly, he angled his katana slightly to the right.
The heavier blade slid harmlessly away. The instant the opening appeared, Aldrich stepped forward. His katana disappeared beneath the edge of the helmet.
The point entered the exposed gap beneath the warrior's neck. A muffled gasp escaped the armor. Blood ran down the polished steel. For a brief moment the dying enforcer remained standing.
Aldrich looked into the dark opening of the helmet.
Then calmly pushed him away. The body slid from the blade before collapsing onto the bridge with a heavy thud. His gaze lifted. Straight toward Nefari.
The Law Knight watched without surprise.
"As expected…The Yagurah Clan has always been producing monsters."
His eyes shifted toward the remaining soldiers.
"Attack him together."
The remaining eighteen enforcers answered immediately. They charged as one not recklessly it was Disciplined.
Each warrior adjusted his pace to complement the others, forming a relentless wall of steel.
The first swordsman accelerated with astonishing speed.
His body blurred across the bridge before his blade descended vertically toward Aldrich's shoulder.
Steel met steel.
The collision erupted in a shower of bright sparks that scattered across the stone beneath their feet. Before Aldrich could disengage, another enforcer closed from his blind side.
A powerful kick crashed into Aldrich's ribs. He instinctively raised his left forearm to absorb the blow. The impact thundered through his body.
Even with the block, the sheer weight of armored momentum launched him backward several meters. His boots scraped across the stone before he steadied himself.
Pain spread through his arm not broken..Just heavy. He exhaled once. Then vanished.
His body surged forward with explosive speed.
The same enforcer who had kicked him barely had time to react.
A single horizontal flash crossed the bridge.
The helmet separated cleanly from the shoulders.
The head rolled across the stone while the body remained standing for the briefest moment before collapsing. Another enforcer lifted his sword to strike. Aldrich stepped inside the attack.
So close that the blade passed harmlessly behind him. His right foot rose sharply.
The kick landed directly against the helmet. The force drove the warrior violently downward. His head slammed against the bridge with enough power to crack the stone beneath it.
The body twitched once. Then became still. Another opponent lunged from the right.
Aldrich leaned just enough for the thrust to pass beside him.
Without slowing his movement, he rotated his hips.
The katana thrust forward.
The point entered beneath the helmet. Straight through the neck.
He withdrew the blade in one smooth motion.
Blood sprayed across his black coat. Aldrich looked briefly at the remaining warriors.
Their heavy armor had slowed none of them.
But it had become increasingly irritating.
He rolled one shoulder before speaking quietly.
"Your armor is getting annoying."
The enforcers hesitated. Only for a heartbeat. Aldrich closed his eyes. His breathing slowed.
The world around him seemed to grow strangely quiet. The sea, wind. footsteps, Everything became distant. He inhaled deeply not merely air…Qi.
The ancient energy flowing unseen through the world.
Legends claimed it existed within every mountain, every river, every living creature.
Most people could never touch it.
Only those who had surpassed ordinary human limits could draw it inward.
Years beneath Merana Iris had opened that path.
Years within Hollowdene had strengthened it.
And the blood of the black dragon flowing through his veins allowed his body to endure what few others ever could.
The surrounding air shifted subtly. Leaves lifted from the ground. The mist trembled. The ocean breeze bent inward toward him.
A faint white radiance spread across the length of his black katana. Not bright. Not overwhelming. Simply pure. The nearest enforcer charged first.
His sword met Aldrich's blade. Instead of stopping the glowing katana sliced effortlessly through the steel. Through the breastplate. Through the man himself.
The warrior stared downward in disbelief before collapsing. Another followed.
Then another. Each suit of armor that moments ago seemed impenetrable split apart beneath the white glow. Steel screamed. Armor shattered. Bodies fell.
The bridge became silent once again. Only one man remained standing. Aldrich slowly lowered his sword.
Blood dripped steadily from its edge before disappearing into the cracks between the ancient stones. His voice echoed across the bridge.
"Nefari!"
The Law Knight lifted his eyes.
Aldrich's grip tightened around the hilt.
"Come…and finish this yourself."
For the first time since arriving Nefari smiled not mockingly. Genuinely.
He stepped over the fallen bodies one by one, his golden armor untouched despite the blood surrounding him. His footsteps echoed through the mist until he stood several meters from Aldrich.
"You surely know how to hide well."
His eyes settled upon the faint white glow fading from Aldrich's blade.
"Even our spies didn't know you possessed Internal Qi."
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
"You've surprised me."
With practiced ease, Nefari reached for the sword resting at his waist.
The weapon slid free with a clear metallic note.
Its golden hilt gleamed beneath the pale sky while the polished steel reflected the sea itself.
He raised the blade naturally, as though greeting an old acquaintance.
"You can prepare to leave a hand behind…"
A faint smile crossed his lips.
"…or perhaps a foot."
Aldrich reached down beside him. His katana remained lodged inside the stomach of the last enforcer he had slain.
With one firm pull, the blade came free.
The lifeless body collapsed heavily onto the bridge. Blood stained Aldrich's clothes from shoulder to boot. It ran from his sleeves, Across his hands, Down the edge of his sword.
He slowly lifted his eyes. Meeting Nefari's gaze without hesitation. His voice remained calm, cold and certain.
"You'd better have a will written."
The wind carried his words across the bridge.
"Because you won't make it back alive."
Aldrich raised his katana until its point settled directly toward the Law Knight.
"I will send your head to Civil Law."
The mist drifted between them neither man moved. The bridge itself seemed to hold its breath.