"Valeria Onheil," Luna said, the name rolling off her tongue like a warning. "A name whispered with both respect and fear. On the battlefield, she is a walking disaster to our enemies. The strongest warrior in Astera, and the head of my royal guard."
Shin swallowed hard. "And she's just... going to agree to this? This Rite?"
Luna began to walk towards the city, her stride confident and sure. "She will obey a direct command from her queen. But she will not make it easy for you, my husband. Valeria does not respect titles; she respects strength. You must earn hers."
As they descended the hill, the scale of Astera became overwhelming. The streets were wide and paved with smooth, interlocking stones that shimmered with faint, embedded magic. The buildings were masterpieces of fantasy architecture, but the silence was deafening. It was a beautiful tomb. No merchants hawked their wares, no children laughed in the squares. The only sound was the echo of their own footsteps.
They reached the main gate, a colossal structure of black iron and silver, sealed shut. Before Shin could even wonder how they would get in, Luna raised a hand. The massive gates groaned, ancient runes flaring to life along their surface, and slowly swung inward, revealing the deserted city beyond.
"The people are hiding," Luna explained softly, her voice filled with a rare sadness. "They fear the shadows that crawl from the Wilderlands at night. Valeria is the only thing that has kept them from being overrun completely."
They found her in the castle's training yard, a vast courtyard of packed earth surrounded by stone arches. The rhythmic thwack of steel striking wood echoed in the emptiness.
Shin stopped in his tracks, his breath catching in his throat.
The woman was a force of nature. She moved with a lethal grace that was both terrifying and mesmerizing. Her armor was forged from midnight-black steel, etched with silver runes that seemed to drink the light. Her hair was a thick, practical braid of obsidian black, and a single, pale scar cut through her left eyebrow, a permanent testament to a battle fought and won. She was sparring with a training dummy, her greatsword carving through the air with a whistle, each blow powerful enough to splinter stone.
This was Valeria Onheil. And she looked every bit the disaster her name promised.
She sensed their presence and spun around, her sword coming to a rest, its tip pointing at the ground. Her eyes, the color of a winter storm, locked onto Shin, dismissing him instantly before turning to Luna with a cold respect.
"My Queen," she said, her voice low and gravelly. "You have returned. And you brought a stray."
Shin felt a flash of indignation. He was no stray. He was a king. He squared his shoulders, trying to channel the newfound authority that still felt alien in his veins.
"Her name is Valeria," Luna said, a hint of amusement in her tone. "Valeria, this is Shin Nakamura. Your new king."
Valeria's eyes narrowed, raking Shin from head to toe. A flicker of contempt crossed her features. "He looks soft. Is he a jester? My queen, the city is on the brink of collapse. We have no time for games."
"I am not a jester," Shin said, his voice firmer than he expected. "I'm your king. And you're the one who's going to help me save this city."
A slow, dangerous smile touched Valeria's lips. It was not a smile of amusement, but of a predator sizing up its prey. "Is that so? And how do you propose a soft-faced boy like you will command me?"
"He will prove his right to rule," Luna declared, stepping forward. Her voice lost its playful edge, taking on the resonance of a divine decree. "He will perform the Rite of Proclamation."
The smile vanished from Valeria's face, replaced by a look of pure, unadulterated shock. Her grip on her sword tightened, her knuckles white. "The... the Rite? My Queen, that is an ancient tradition. It has not been performed in a century. It demands..."
"It demands a warrior of the highest standing," Luna finished, her gaze unwavering. "It demands you, Head of the Royal Guard. It is my command."
The training yard fell into a heavy silence. Valeria stared at Luna, then at Shin, her stormy eyes a maelstrom of disbelief, anger, and a sliver of something else—duty. She was a soldier. She had sworn an oath.
Finally, she let out a short, sharp breath, a sound like a steel trap snapping shut. She slammed the tip of her greatsword into the ground, the impact sending a tremor through the earth.
"Very well, my Queen," she said, her voice dangerously low. She turned her full, burning gaze on Shin. "If this boy wishes to be king, then let him try to claim his throne."
She took a step closer, her imposing frame dwarfing his. "But you should know, 'my king.' I do not break easily."
The moment Valeria's back was turned, Shin whirled on Luna, his panic finally boiling over. He grabbed her arm, his voice a strangled, desperate whisper.
"Luna, are you crazy?!" he hissed, his eyes wide with terror. "Did you see her? She could snap me in half with her bare hands! I don't even know how to fight!"
His heart was a frantic drum against his ribs, a wild, chaotic rhythm that drowned out everything else. He was an office worker. His greatest physical confrontation had been arguing with a cashier over an expired coupon. Now he was expected to publicly "conquer" a woman who looked like she could wrestle a grizzly bear and win.
Luna didn't pull her arm away. Instead, she placed her other hand over his, her touch a calming balm on his frayed nerves. Her expression was serene, a stark contrast to his inner turmoil.
"This was never about brawn, my king," she said, her voice low and steady. "It is about will. I did not choose a warrior; I chose a soul. The divine energy I gave you is not just for show. It is an Aura of Kingship. It is the power to command, to dominate, to bend the will of others to your own."
She leaned closer, her eyes locking with his, pouring strength into him. "Valeria expects a physical fight. She will try to overpower you with her strength. Do not meet her on that battlefield. Meet her in here," she said, tapping his temple gently, then moving her finger to rest over his heart. "And in here. Your will is your weapon. Your desire is your shield. The Rite is not about violence; it is about assertion. You must make her submit not because you are stronger, but because you are the king."
From across the yard, Valeria snorted, a sound of pure contempt. "Whispering your battle plans to your queen, boy? It won't help you."
Shin ignored her, his focus entirely on Luna. Her words were insane, yet they resonated with a strange, undeniable logic. This was a world of magic. Why should its rules of leadership be the same as the ones he knew? He looked at Valeria, at her imposing armor and her confident, mocking smirk. He saw the challenge in her eyes. She didn't believe in him. She saw a soft, frightened man.
And she was right.
But he didn't have to be.
Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Shin released Luna's arm. He stood up straight, squaring his shoulders. The fear was still there, a cold knot in his stomach, but now it was joined by something else. A spark of defiance. A flicker of the power Luna spoke of.
He looked Valeria dead in the eye. "Fine," he said, his voice clearer, stronger than before. "Let's get this over with."
A slow, predatory smile spread across Valeria's face. She had expected begging, pleading, or even a tearful retreat. This quiet acceptance was... interesting.
"As you wish, my king," she said, the title dripping with sarcasm. She turned and began marching towards the castle's main gate. "Follow me. The city awaits its new monarch."
Luna gave Shin an encouraging nod, her eyes shining with pride. He fell into step behind Valeria, the three of them moving through the silent, empty streets of Astera. With every step, the weight of his new reality settled more heavily upon his shoulders. He was walking towards his coronation, and it was going to be the most terrifying, public, and utterly insane night of his life.