Zane Pantheon and The Former Heavenly Kings: Brand's Obsession (1/2)

Zane POV:

"Boss, it was honestly incredible! I saw your image overlap with his once he announced he was your disciple!"

"Kuhaha~ Even his fighting style reminded me of the Boss in his youth."

My lips formed a thin smile as I listened to them talk about Lyon's progress. It had been exactly one year since I dropped him off in the South of Outer Astril, and as expected, he had achieved the first goal I had set for him.

"But that's not all! He defeated not one, but two heavenly kings!"

Sab held up two fingers proudly while I raised an eyebrow at the ridiculous naming sense I had just heard.

"...Heavenly Kings? Who came up with such a childish name?"

The room fell silent as Sab scratched the back of his head, slightly lowering his gaze.

"Umm... Boss... You came up with that name after you took over Outer Astril."

"Pfftt!"

I glanced at Nia, cracking up in the corner. The others whistled or carried out menial actions, refusing to make eye contact with me. Some stared at the floor hard enough to burn holes through it while my eyebrows twitched.

"Continue."

I coughed lightly, prompting Sab to carry on. I was only a child at the time, so I must have thought those names sounded cool.

"Lastly, it seems like the North and West won't turn a blind eye to his involvement in the East. I predict that they will join forces in order to crush him. As he is now, this might be too much. Should we get involved?"

"There's no need. The harder they push him, the stronger he'll come back. They can't weather the storm he brings."

Sab smiled at my response and bowed his head. Lyon had used his time here well. He had gained many things, but he had also experienced the hardships and responsibilities of being a leader.

The world was a vast place, with many people who had different ideologies, different beliefs, different cultures and different values. Sometimes those differences would clash with one another, but as long as he didn't lose sight of who he was; he would be fine.

"The quality of the Heavenly Kings have fallen greatly. They now resort to trickery and making secret deals with organizations like Enigma. If it wasn't for the Boss, I would have wiped them all out myself."

I glanced at Zara, sitting down with her arms folded. Her chestnut highlights shimmered, and the moment she noticed my gaze, blood rushed to her cheeks. Her eyes fell and Sab didn't miss the opportunity to tease her.

Zara wasn't bluffing. She was one of the strongest Ki practitioners among the group, second only to Sab. Defeating the current Heavenly Kings could be done with her Ki Pressure alone.

Although she no longer lived in Outer Astril, it was still her birthplace. Despite the cruelty she had suffered here, she felt obligated to do something about the situation. However, Zara also knew that getting rid of everyone at the top didn't mean that the situation at the bottom would improve.

'Enigma.'

I had erased their traces from Outer Astril before, but it was the new rulers of this land that opened the door I had closed, inviting them back in.

"Boss..."

I shifted my gaze to Mike. His usual short, messy hair was slicked back, revealing his looks that made many women fawn over him. I observed the worry written all over his face due to his caring nature; Mike was always like this. I already knew what he was so concerned about, and perhaps the time had finally come to address it.

"I'm worried that Copycat will make a move... I think it's best you see her soon... You know what she's like..."

I rose from my seat, and everyone immediately bowed their heads. I rested my hand on Mike's shoulder lightly before parting my lips.

"Leave it to me."

"Thanks, Boss."

A wave of relief temporarily washed away his deep concern. He smiled and lowered his head once more. They had taken the time out to be of assistance to me willingly, and I was grateful. It wasn't time for Lyon to leave yet; he had much to do, but for now, I wanted to see my disciple with my own eyes.

***

I crouched down on the ledge of a rooftop and observed Lyon. He fought against the remnants of the Organization in District 2E.

His movements were fluid, accurate and fast. His use of Ghost had already reached the Yellow Rank, meaning that the talent I saw within him had blossomed greatly.

"To come this far with Ghost as an outsider..."

Nia stepped forward and placed a hand on her hip. She examined him through narrow eyes, as he no longer used the sealed version of the Pantheon Style.

"Don't tell me you already knew he had a King Trait, Zane?"

Nia's question prompted the corners of my mouth to rise. It didn't matter whether Lyon possessed a King Trait. From the moment I first met him, I could see it behind the light in his eyes; there was a stormy ocean. A stormy ocean that managed to be both tranquil and fierce at the same time.

"I did."

"Hrmm... You could have at least told me."

Nia let out a small sigh as we continued to watch Lyon. She stretched out her hand, her presence vanishing just when three powerful Ki practitioners crashed down on the rooftop we were standing on.

"Zane Pantheon... So the rumours were true. Long time no see, old friend."

I turned my head to the side, observing the tall, muscular man. His fierce eyes peered down at me as I glanced at the man beside him. He was noticeably shorter and wore loose clothes with a sword attached to his waist. Finally, my gaze rested on a woman with a tanned complexion. She bit her lip; her hair falling over her forehead as she avoided making eye contact with me.

"Brand, why are you here?"

My eyes narrowed by a noticeable margin while the muscular man's lips rose. They parted, spreading into an unsavoury grin. Brand's short blond hair ruffled from the gentle breeze as we locked eyes.

"...I'm just here to pay my respects to the former King."

I tilted my head back and opened my mouth.

"Respect accepted. You may leave now."

I turned my attention back toward Lyon, weaving through several rapid strikes with ease when the surrounding air shifted. I raised my finger and pointed it behind me.

"!!"

Brand's fist crashed against it. His power forced the air to shake, blowing it apart as a devastating shockwave swept over the area. My eyes swivelled up toward him: my position unchanged.

Cold sweat ran down Brand's neck. I felt the slight tremble of his fist through my finger before he immediately flashed back.

"Calm down, Brand. You know what Zane's like already."

Sho stepped in front of Brand, stopping him from charging back in. His hand rested against the hilt of his sword, but he knew not to draw it carelessly.

"...I see you're still as arrogant as ever. I never liked that about you. Looking at me with those damn condescending eyes! If it wasn't for you...!"

Brand placed a hand over his face before letting out a deep breath. Once he had regained his composure, he moved it away. His lips formed a smirk as he peered down at me.

"You let me keep my seat as king, but I knew I was beneath you. You humiliated me in front of everyone, and then stretched out your hand. Treating me like an ally, like a friend... Today, I've come to repay the favour."

A few dozen Ki practitioners made their presence known at Brand's signal. Based on their movements, the target wasn't me, but my disciple.

"You understand, don't you? One wrong move and poof: your favourite disciple dies."

After all these years, he still hadn't changed. Some people were like that. They pretend to be different, pretend to be making an effort to work on their shortcomings, but in reality, it's just an act. They wait for a chink to appear in your armour, and they pierce through it without hesitation. They wish for your downfall in order to uplift themselves.

"Let's change locations. If we fight here, we would end up destroying all of Outer Astril."

I slowly rose to my feet, and Brand took a step back. His eyebrows furrowed at his reaction that was based on instinct alone. Even if his mind didn't accept it, his body did.

"I will grant you that much."

He turned around while Hilda opened her mouth to speak, only for Brand to close it shut. His eyes spiralled with rage and jealousy as his lips parted.

"You belong to me. Don't forget that."

Hilda gave him a weak nod and followed him from behind. It wasn't a pleasant sight to watch, especially knowing the history the four of us shared together.

"Hrmm. To think someone would actually try and hurt little Lyon~"

Nia tapped my back, and I nodded my head. There was nothing surprising about this situation; we had both chosen to let it play out this way.

I left the enemies targeting Lyon to Nia, since she was bored. I dashed forward, catching up with the old Heavenly Kings as we made our way to a suitable battleground.

***

We arrived in a vast desert canyon that was far from the borders of Astril. I had chosen this location in order to not draw too much attention from the territories associated with the Cotis Empire.

Brand, Sho and Hilda dropped down a fair distance in front of me, setting the stage for battle.

"Ever since you left Outer Astril, my dissatisfaction grew more and more. Why was I so much weaker than you? I was older, yet why were you so much wiser than me? Why were people so attracted to you rather than me? It made no sense."

Brand stepped forward, voicing the feelings that clearly consumed him. I shifted my gaze to Hilda, examining the wounds around her neck and arm.

"I managed to convince Sho and Hilda to leave Outer Astril with me. We couldn't follow your path, but we could acquire strength through other means..."

He smirked while clenching his fists as his eyes bulged.

"Why do you think I'm standing in front of you today? It's because after all those years of sacrifice, I finally obtained the power to beat you down into the ground!!"

"Brand, I told you that you could spar with me at any time. Why go through such unnecessary trouble? Why drag the others into your own inferiority complex?"

The veins on the side of his head popped. He stomped the ground, shattering it in a large area as he glared at me.

"Inferiority complex? I'm not inferior to you in any way, and today I'll prove that. Sho wanted power and Hilda wanted to be by my si—"

"Is that what you wanted Hilda? To let him treat you like dirt just because you never reciprocated his feelings back then?"

Hilda grabbed hold of her arm but remained quiet. Her gaze shifted to the ground as Brand raised his hand over his face, erupting into a hysteric laugh while he took a few steps forward.

"I will take everything from you. Hilda is already mine. She looks at me with more loveable eyes than she used to look at you. She would do anything and everything for me.

Sho chose to stand with me because the power I helped him obtain was only possible through my connections and leadership. The 'me' now eclipses you in every way possible!"

His arms stretched out on either side. His shoulders heaved up and down as his hysteric laughter continued. It was sad. It was a sad sight to see someone fall so deeply inside themself; they distorted reality to feel at peace.

Hilda wasn't weak. My sudden departure from Outer Astril must have left an opening in her heart, and Brand took advantage of that. By the time Hilda realized just what she was doing, it was too late—she had already fallen into his trap.

On the other hand, there was Sho. A friend who had always respected me and confided in me whenever he had a problem. Yet he now stood opposite me, ready to draw his blade, enamoured by the foolish words of a delirious man.

"That attack you blocked earlier was merely a greeting for old times sake. It's time for you to taste defeat, Zane!!"

I folded my arms, unimpressed by his claims. My lips parted while I watched them get into different stances.

"Come."