30 hours later
It was noon. Adrian and William were just at the outskirts of the Central Kingdom. They were both on the horse.
"By evening we'll get to the Central Kingdom palace," William informed.
"Uhm," Adrian replied weakly.
He was sitting behind William, his arms loosely around his waist and his head resting against his back. If he had the choice, he wouldn't have made the journey in his current state. His body was still recovering, and every hour on the road drained him further.
William suddenly pulled the reins.
The horse stopped.
Adrian straightened slightly.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
William didn't answer immediately.
His eyes were scanning the trees around them.
"Something's wrong," he said quietly.
"Someone is here."
The wind moved gently through the trees.
For a few seconds, nothing happened.
Then-
A faint rustle.
Another.
William's eyes narrowed.
"Come out," he said calmly. "You've been watching long enough."
Silence.
Then figures slowly emerged from behind the trees.
One.
Two.
Five.
Ten.
Men dressed in dark clothing stepped out and surrounded the path.
Adrian's arms tightened around William instinctively.
And then two more figures appeared from behind them.
Idowu.
And Dada.
Adrian's eyes widened slightly.
William didn't move.
His gaze settled calmly on Idowu.
"So," William said slowly. "You finally decided to show yourself."
Idowu smiled faintly.
"You're as sharp as they say."
His eyes moved briefly to Adrian.
"And stubborn."
Adrian frowned slightly.
"What do you want?" William asked.
Idowu tilted his head slightly.
"Your life."
The words fell casually, as if he were discussing the weather.
Adrian felt William's body tense beneath him.
Dada stood a few steps behind Idowu, silent. His eyes briefly met William's, then shifted away.
William noticed.
His gaze lingered on him for a moment before returning to Idowu.
"I see," William said calmly.
He slowly dismounted from the horse.
Adrian moved to follow him, but William immediately stopped him with a hand.
"Stay on the horse."
"But-"
"Adrian."
William's tone was firm.
Adrian hesitated... then nodded reluctantly.
William stepped forward.
Idowu watched him carefully.
"You're outnumbered," he said.
William shrugged slightly.
"I've had worse."
Idowu chuckled softly.
"Kill him."
The men moved instantly.
Four rushed forward first.
Their swords flashed as they attacked from different directions.
William moved.
Fast.
The first blade came down-
William sidestepped smoothly and grabbed the man's wrist, twisting sharply. A sickening crack echoed as the sword fell from his hand.
Before the man could scream, William struck him in the neck.
He collapsed.
Another attacker lunged forward.
William ducked under the strike and drove his elbow into the man's ribs. The man staggered back, gasping for breath.
A third blade aimed straight for William's back-
Adrian's eyes widened.
"William!"
But William had already sensed it.
He spun and caught the attacker's arm mid-swing, flipping him violently over his shoulder. The man slammed into the ground with a heavy thud.
Two more rushed in.
William grabbed one of the fallen swords.
Steel clashed.
The sound rang sharply through the quiet road.
The attackers moved together now, trying to overwhelm him.
William stepped back once, twice-
Then struck.
His blade moved with frightening precision.
One man's weapon was knocked clean out of his hand.
Another stumbled as William's kick sent him crashing into the dirt.
Adrian watched in stunned silence.
He had seen William fight before.
But not like this.
William moved like someone who had been doing this his entire life.
Effortless.
Controlled.
Deadly.
Another man rushed toward the horse.
Adrian froze.
William saw it.
In a flash, he threw the sword in his hand.
The blade spun through the air and struck the man's shoulder.
The attacker cried out and collapsed before reaching Adrian.
William immediately picked up another fallen weapon.
More men charged.
The fight became chaotic.
Steel clanged.
Bodies fell.
Dust rose from the ground.
Within minutes, the men who had surrounded them were either unconscious or groaning on the ground.
William stood in the center of it all, breathing steadily.
The tip of the sword in his hand rested lightly against the dirt.
Silence slowly returned.
Adrian stared at him in disbelief.
Idowu's smile had disappeared.
Dada looked equally stunned.
William lifted his gaze toward them.
"You sent amateurs," he said calmly.
Idowu let out a quiet breath.
For the first time, his expression turned serious.
"I underestimated you."
Dada's eyes remained on William.
He hadn't expected this.
Not even close.
William wiped a small streak of blood from his cheek with his thumb.
Then he pointed the sword slightly toward Idowu.
"Are you going to try as well," he asked quietly,
"or are we done here?"
Idowu's smile slowly faded.
His eyes moved across the bodies of his fallen men scattered along the road.
Groans. Dust. Broken swords.
Every single one of them had been defeated.
By one man
.
His jaw tightened.
A vein pulsed in his temple.
"You..." he muttered under his breath.
William stood calmly in the center of the road, sword resting loosely in his hand. His breathing was steady, controlled.
As if the fight had barely cost him any effort.
Adrian was still on the horse behind him, staring in disbelief.
Idowu's frustration finally snapped.
"Enough!"
Before anyone could react, he lunged forward.
His blade flashed as he rushed straight toward William.
William's eyes sharpened instantly.
Steel clashed.
The sound rang through the trees.
Idowu attacked fiercely, swinging his sword again and again with reckless force. His movements were fast, fueled by anger rather than discipline.
William blocked the first strike easily.
Then the second.
Then the third.
Their blades sparked as they collided.
Idowu pressed forward aggressively, trying to overpower him with sheer intensity.
But William's movements were calm.
Precise.
Every attack was deflected with minimal effort.
Idowu swung again.
William stepped aside and knocked the blade away
.
Another strike.
William parried.
Another.
Blocked.
Idowu's breathing became heavier.
His frustration grew.
Dada stood frozen a few steps away.
His chest tightened as he watched the fight unfold.
He knew Idowu's style.
Reckless when angry.
Dangerous.
But against someone like William...
His stomach twisted with dread.
William stepped forward suddenly.
Their blades clashed again-
Then William twisted his wrist sharply.
Idowu's sword flew from his hand and landed several feet away.
The metal clattered against the ground.
Silence fell.
Idowu froze.
William's blade was now resting lightly against his throat.
One small movement.
That was all it would take.
Dada's heart pounded violently.
Idowu stared at William, breathing hard.
Then something changed in his eyes.
Something darker.
His hand slowly moved inside his coat.
Dada's eyes widened.
"No-"
But it was too late.
Idowu suddenly pulled out a gun.
He stepped back quickly and raised it.
But he didn't aim at William.
The barrel turned toward Adrian.
Adrian froze.
William's body instantly moved in front of the horse, shielding him.
Idowu's hand trembled slightly as he held the weapon.
His chest rose and fell violently.
"You think this changes anything?" he spat.
His voice was shaking with rage.
"You think beating my men means you've won?"
William didn't move.
His eyes were cold now.
"Put it down."
Idowu laughed bitterly.
"Put it down?"
His grip tightened on the gun.
"You think I came this far just to walk away?"
His eyes burned with fury.
"The throne is empty."
He pointed the gun more firmly.
"And I will sit on it."
Adrian's fingers tightened around the saddle behind William.
Idowu's voice grew louder.
"I've sacrificed too much!"
His eyes darted briefly to Dada.
"You think I'll let anyone stand in my way now?"
His gaze returned to William.
"If killing him breaks you," he said, his voice low and venomous,
"then that's exactly what I'll do."
William's eyes darkened.
"Don't do this."
But Idowu was already pulling the trigger.
Dada's mind went blank.
Everything slowed.
The gun.
Adrian.
William standing in front of him.
If the bullet fired-
Without thinking, Dada moved.
He stepped directly in front of the gun.
The shot rang through the road.
A sharp crack split the air.
Pain exploded through Dada's shoulder.
His body jerked violently as the force of the bullet threw him backward.
"DADA!"
The gun slipped from Idowu's hand and hit the ground.
For a moment he just stood there.
Frozen.
His eyes locked on the spreading red stain soaking through Dada's clothes.
"No..."
Dada collapsed onto the ground, clutching his shoulder as blood poured between his fingers.
Idowu's face turned pale.
His legs moved before his mind could catch up.
He dropped to his knees beside him.
"Dada!"
His hands trembled as he tried to press against the wound, panic flooding his voice.
"Why would you do that?!"
Dada's breathing was uneven.
His face had gone pale.
Blood continued to seep through his fingers.
Idowu's vision blurred.
"I didn't mean to-"
His voice broke.
"I didn't mean to shoot you!"
His hands shook violently as he held him.
"Don't die... please don't die..."
Tears streamed down his face as panic completely took over.
"Dada, look at me!"
Dada slowly opened his eyes.
They were weak.
But calm.
"I just..." he said softly, his voice strained.
"I just want you to be happy."
Idowu shook his head violently, sobbing.
"I'm only happy with you!"
His grip tightened desperately on Dada's clothes.
"You can't die!"
Dada winced slightly from the pain in his shoulder.
Blood continued to run down his arm.
"Please..." he said weakly.
"Let go of the hate within you."
Idowu's chest heaved as he cried.
"If you want the throne that bad," Dada continued softly, "there are other ways."
His breathing faltered slightly.
"You shouldn't put blood in your hands."
Idowu shook his head again, tears falling freely.
"You're all that matters right now."
His voice cracked completely as he held him closer.
The road had fallen silent again.
Even the wind seemed to have stopped.
William and Adrian stood nearby, watching the scene unfold.
But neither of them spoke.