Chapter 81 I know the secrets she has forgotten
Ezra gathered her into his arms, oblivious to everything but her heartbeat. Behind him, Yuki stood firm, his staff leveled and his eyes locked on anyone who dared to move.
"Who are you?" Yuki’s demand cut through the silence, finally pulling Ezra’s attention away from the Esperanza in his arms. He looked up, his eyes clearing as he realized he stood over them like a shield.
"I am the Dragon King," Ezra said. His voice was strong and heavy. He looked Yuki up and down, judging him.
Yuki squinted his eyes. He didn't just see a man; he saw a glowing aura of power surrounding Ezra. It was so bright and intense that it was hard to look at.
"I am her protector," Yuki said firmly. "She is the Golden Dragon. For a hundred years, she waited to live again, and I will not let anyone take advantage of her now. But you dragons... You are still haunting her."
Ezra frowned at these words, his face darkening with anger and confusion.
"What a hundred years?" Ezra asked, his voice low and full of confusion. He frowned, his brow furrowing as he tried to make sense of Yuki’s words.
Yuki nodded, his expression grave. He didn't back down from the King’s gaze. He knew a secret that Ezra didn't know that Esperanza had been gone for an entire century before finally returning to the world of the living.
Ezra looked back at Raymond. It was clear now that he had been left in the dark for about a hundred years. "RAYMOND!" he roared, his voice shaking the walls. Raymond stepped forward, his face tight as he prepared to defend himself against the King’s anger.
"What is he saying?" Ezra demanded, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl.
"Yes, my Lord, he is telling the truth," Raymond admitted, bowing his head. "But the last Golden Dragon died a hundred years ago. She fell in the Great Battle between the Psychic Demons and the Golden Dragon."
"Nobody ever told me about this," Ezra whispered. He looked down at the ancient creature he was holding, and for the first time, his powerful frame began to tremble. A cold, sharp fear washed over him not of an enemy, but of the legend he now held against his chest.
That secret was known only to the Psychic Demons who fought in that final battle," Raymond explained. "It happened just before the Golden Dragon buried her entire Kingdom under the deep snow of the Arctic."
"Everyone is perplexed, my Lord," Raymond said, nodding slowly. "But she is the Golden Dragon. Today, she proved that beyond any doubt."
"She was kept safe because the Golden Dragon wanted her to live," Yuki said, his grip tightening on his staff. "And she did live. Now, you dragons need to stay away from her."
Ezra glared at him, his eyes flashing with a dangerous light. He didn't like being told what to do, especially not by a stranger holding a weapon in his presence.
"Who are you to tell us what to do?" Ezra commanded, his voice booming with authority. "Just get out of our way!"
At his signal, his troops stepped forward, moving in to drag Yuki away by force.
"My King, stop!" Raymond cried out, his voice full of warning. "You have no idea what this man can do. Let me speak to him."
Raymond knew Yuki's skills all too well. He could see the explicit rage burning in Yuki's eyes a look that meant he was ready to beam his power and strike down every soldier who dared to step forward.
"What does he think of himself? Who is he?" Ezra demanded, his eyes never leaving Yuki.
Ezra watched him closely, his eyes narrowed in a cold stare. Suddenly, Yuki moved. He swung his staff in a lightning-fast circle. With one powerful, rounded movement, the weapon struck taking the heads of the soldiers who had dared to step toward him.
Ezra stared in shock, his breath hitching as he witnessed Yuki’s terrifying speed. Beside him, Raymond’s eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"I told you, my Lord," Raymond whispered, his voice trembling.
Ezra looked down. On the cold floor, two of his elite men lay still, their lives ended in a single, blurred motion.
"How dare you?" Ezra roared, his voice trembling with outrage. He stepped forward, his own power beginning to flare like a sun.
Yuki didn't flinch. He gripped his blood-stained staff and narrowed his eyes, focusing once more on the glowing light surrounding the King.
"I am not attacking you yet," Yuki said, his voice cold and steady. "Only because I can see your aura. It is the only thing staying in my hand."
"What aura?" Ezra demanded, trying to clear his mind and understand this strange power.
Yuki didn't move his gaze. "The aura is that your inner soul spreads," he replied coldly. "The light that shows the evil and the pristine. Yours is pristine, King... but it is stained with a touch of darkness. Since you are a ruler, I suppose I can understand why."
Those words hit Ezra like a physical blow. His anger shifted instantly—no longer a blind rage, but a cold, sharp curiosity.
"Do you know magic?" Ezra asked, his grip tightening unconsciously on the Golden Dragon.
Yuki let out a short, dry breath—not quite a laugh, but close. "Magic is just a word for those who cannot see the truth of the world," he replied, his eyes still fixed on the shimmering light around Ezra.
"I do not 'know' magic, King. I see the soul. I see the debt you owe to the crown, and the light you still carry for her."
"You love her," Yuki said, Ezra's heart was brimming with sorrow. "But your heart is crushed every time you see her. You see her eyes searching... demanding that monster."
"What else do you know about her?" Ezra asked, his eyes searching Yuki’s face for a glimmer of hope or a reason to stay his hand.
"Everything you want to know about her," Yuki retorted, his voice sharp and unyielding.
"I was there when the frost took her kingdom, and I am here now that she has returned. I know the secrets she has forgotten, and the ones you are too afraid to ask."