The Destructive Adventures of the Lovers-Chapter 66: King Versus King

The torches along the kingdom walls flickered as the cold wind swept through the streets of Lavera. The snowstorm rumbled in the distance, but here, in the heart of the kingdom, the air was thick with the whispers of war.

King Jacob's boots clapped against the stone pathway, his mind still reeling from the confrontation earlier. He ran a hand through his hair, muttering to himself as he paced, his breath misting in the frigid air. His thoughts swirled like the storm clouds overhead—rage, fear, and the bitter sting of betrayal.

Then, a blade whispered through the air. Cold steel glinted in the weak light, its edge pointed at his throat. He stopped, eyes narrowing as he looked up to find King Vesh, his face a hard mask of vengeance.

"You," Vesh spat, his voice low and sharp, echoing off the walls like a death knell. "You dare to lead my people like sheep into your den of false hope?"

King Jacob's jaw tightened. He straightened, his shadow stretching across the cobblestones like a specter. "You forget where you stand, Vesh. This is Lavera. My kingdom. My laws."

Vesh smirked, the thin line of his lips twisting into a cruel smile. He tightened his grip on the blade, his knuckles whitening. "Then prove it. Defend it."

The air thickened, crackling with unseen energy as Jacob raised his hand. His fingers curled, and a streak of light shot from the castle, a flash of pure, vibrating power. It coalesced in his grasp, forming into his blade—a gleaming weapon of dark steel and golden runes, its edge humming with the force of his telekinesis.

Zeze, standing nearby, froze. She hadn't expected this—a clash between kings in the heart of Lavera. Her eyes flicked to Xyrille, who stood beside her, fists clenched, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and defiance.

The two kings circled each other, their footsteps slow and deliberate, blades casting long, jagged shadows that sliced across the stone. Their breaths steamed in the cold air, mingling like the tension between them.

Vesh struck first, his blade arcing through the air like a crescent moon. Jacob parried, sparks flying as steel clashed against steel. Their movements were brutal and precise, each strike a heartbeat in the pulse of the kingdom.

"You should have stayed hidden, Vesh," Jacob snarled, shoving him back with a forceful swing. "Your time has passed. Your people chose me."

Vesh's eyes flashed, a dark fire igniting in their depths. "You're nothing but a fool," he hissed, ducking under a wild slash. "You shelter the weak and call it honor. You invite chaos into your gates and call it mercy."

They broke apart, circling again, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. Around them, the people of Lavera watched in stunned silence, their eyes wide, their hearts hammering in their chests. Zeze felt her pulse quicken, her heart racing as the clashing of swords rang through the cold air.

Jacob lunged, his blade whistling through the air. Vesh sidestepped, slashing downward with a vicious growl. Jacob staggered, blood blooming on his arm, staining the white snow beneath his boots. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

They paused, both kings breathing heavily, their faces flushed with the heat of battle despite the freezing air. Vesh's chest heaved, his eyes gleaming with a twisted sense of satisfaction. Jacob straightened, his face hardening.

"A wager," Vesh growled, stepping back. "If I lose, my people will leave your precious Lavera. But if I win, Mankaynd remains here until Martha is defeated."

Jacob's grip tightened on his blade, the metal vibrating with his rising anger. "Agreed."

With a roar, they clashed again, the force of their strikes shattering the stones beneath their feet. Vesh's blade cut deep into Jacob's side, the king stumbling back, his vision blurring with pain. Blood dripped from his wound, a dark river against the pale snow.

Xyrille's eyes widened as she watched her father falter. Her hands clenched into fists, nails digging into her palms until they bled. She took a step forward, the ground beneath her feet trembling. Then, without warning, she slammed her palm into the cobblestones.

The earth responded to her rage. Rocks and stones shuddered, lifting into the air, spinning around her in a cyclone of jagged shards. She raised her arm, her eyes blazing, and the stones shot forward, a hail of destruction aimed at Vesh.

Zeze, her heart thundering in her chest, leaped back, her legs moving faster than thought. She disappeared into the shadows, her form a blur against the darkened walls as the stones shattered around her, spraying dust and debris into the air.

Vesh staggered, his blade slipping from his grasp as the stones slammed into his armor, cracking it, splintering the metal like glass. He fell to one knee, his breath a ragged wheeze.

Xyrille's chest heaved, her eyes locked on her father's fallen form, her hand still outstretched, trembling with unspent power. Silence fell over the kingdom, the only sound the ragged gasps of the defeated king and the soft, distant roar of the approaching storm.

Zeze's eyes narrowed as she intercepted King Vesh's blade with a lightning-quick strike, her short hair whipping around her face. She twisted mid-air, deflecting his next slash with her forearm, sparks crackling as their blades clashed.

"You're fast," King Vesh growled, stepping back to assess her movements, his eyes sharp and calculating. "But speed alone won't save you."

Zeze smirked, darting around him in a blur, her boots skimming the snow-covered ground as she delivered a rapid series of slashes. King Vesh barely managed to parry, the force of her strikes pushing him back with every clash.

"You talk too much," she shot back, her voice edged with amusement. She spun low, ducking beneath his wide arc before leaping into the air, her blade flashing like a silver streak. King Vesh raised his sword to block, but Zeze twisted at the last moment, delivering a brutal kick to his side that sent him stumbling.

Owen, still frozen in place, strained against the ice. "Zeze, stop!" he shouted, his wings flaring with frustration. "This isn't the way!"

Zeze flicked her gaze to him, her eyes sharp and unyielding. "Stay out of this, Owen. You have no idea what he's capable of."

King Vesh recovered quickly, his eyes darkening. He drove his blade into the ground, sending a shockwave that cracked the earth beneath Zeze's feet. She backflipped, narrowly avoiding the splintering rock, landing with a fluid grace.

"You should have stayed hidden with your speed," King Vesh snarled, rising from the mist of shattered stone. "Now, I'll crush you."

Zeze's lips curled into a fierce grin as she shot forward, her movements a blur, her blade a streak of silver in the storm. She met his next strike head-on, their swords ringing through the freezing air.

"You can try," she whispered, her voice cutting through the chaos like a blade.