Order of the Seraphs - Throne Room - Xander and Razlin:

  Xander strode through the destroyed entrance, his right arm augments and right eye wreathed in red and purple zeal. It poured from his body. The remaining guards scattered in terror.

  His gaze locked onto Razlin and her five generals as he advanced with purposeful steps.

  Razlin whispered, “Everyone stay calm.”

  “Xander, yo—” Razlin began.

  “YOU!” he pointed at Naru. “I’m going to fucking kill you! I’m going to rip you apart!”

  Razlin’s voice was a mix of calm and stern. “Xander, you need to calm down... Hey, look at me! Xander… Nothing good will come from what you're about to do.”

  Xander’s eyes remained locked on Naru as he reached the first step of the throne room. “Calm down?! He’s had it out for me from our first meeting. Why? I never did anything to you. I don’t even know who you are. But now—I’m going to fucking kill you!”

  Razlin descended two steps, bringing herself eye-level with Xander. “Hey! Look at me! Nothing will be solved with violence.”

  Xander met Razlin’s gaze and took a deep breath… He looked at Naru, then back at Razlin. The purple and red zeal around his body fizzled out. His augmented arm returned to normal and his eyes were no longer engulfed in fire.

  “Fine, Razlin... Talk,” Xander conceded, his eyes flicking back to Naru. Razlin’s head lifted, and she clenched her jaw.

  Naru stepped forward. “It’s Queen Razlin—”

  Razlin raised her hand, silencing him.

  Xander’s eyes remained locked on Naru.

  “Eyes on me, Xander,” Razlin demanded.

  Xander’s eyes focused on Razlin. “You could have told me! I was right here! Razlin, I was right here! YOU left with that prick.” He pointed at Tito.

  Razlin’s voice turned raspy. “No, Xander! What could you have done? Act like a fool as you are now? Make a scene like you’re doing?”

  “Justice is what I could have done. No... I just get lied to by my so-called best friend, and a fucking so-called Queen of a division I created.”

  “You bastard!” Razlin snarled. “How dare you! The Order of the Seraphs was to keep your legacy alive, to honor everything you did for this country.”

  Xander looked at Tito. “Those few nights sleeping in that prison, I remembered a few things.”

  ◆◆◆

  Order of the Seraphs - Secret Passage - Ambrose:

  “We’re here,” Ambrose whispered, pointing to a section of wall. “This piece opens the door.” He pressed it, revealing a hidden entrance.

  “Why does this even exist?” Carly asked, bewildered.

  “To get the Queen out to the Residential District, or to escape beyond the Order of the Seraphs’ walls,” Ambrose explained hurriedly. “Let’s go—and shush!”

  The group entered through the door that led behind the queen’s throne. Ambrose, Carly, Dez, and April peered through, witnessing the heated exchange between Xander and Razlin.

  ◆◆◆

  Tito met Xander’s gaze. “He was already dead. The war would never have happened. They had already chosen a new king and queen, per their customs.”

  Xander’s voice dripped with venom. “You lusting piece of shit. He was only dead a few months. They would have accused me of sending assassins to remove Rose from her marriage. Don’t you understand their customs?” His eyes narrowed. “Now that I think about it, it almost feels like you two have been having an affair for decades.”

  Tito scoffed. “I tried to be forgiving. You got my wife killed and—”

  “Tito, enough!” Razlin cut in.

  Xander chuckled sarcastically. “Your wife? I don’t remember the night I left, but I do remember my sister. If I had to guess, she would have left with or without your approval.”

  “Look at your queen when you speak,” Razlin commanded, her face cold.

  Xander met Razlin’s gaze. “Okay, Queen Razlin,” Xander said sharply. “Tito married my sister in secret, when I explicitly forbade it. I told him it would cause a great war in Ash. Tito and I will finish that talk later. That snake dies now.” He pointed a finger at Naru and took a step forward.

  Razlin’s eyes began to glow red and orange, her hair transforming into flames. Her voice turned raspy. “You will not take another step forward!” She positioned herself in front of Xander.

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  Xander took a step back.

  “What proof do you have that I murdered Guss Blackheard?” Naru spoke with a cocky tone.

  April rushed out from behind the wall.

  “April!” Ambrose chased after her.

  “Me...” April’s voice grew more strained.

  Everyone turned to April, Ambrose behind her.

  “Your men broke into our house and dragged my dad out. They wanted information. My father told them to fuck off and said he wanted Tito there now. The guards just laughed at him and—”

  I didn’t hear this part. Xander turned back around to Naru. His eyes flickered between them. The vein on his forehead became visible.

  “LIAR! Why are you alive?!” Naru swung his arm in the air.

  “SHUT UP! I’ll fucking kill you!” The keep began to shake as Xander’s zeal swirled around him.

  “I AM THE LAW HERE, AND QUEEN. YOU WILL FOLLOW MY LAWS AND ORDERS!” Razlin’s voice became distorted.

  “Queen Razlin, my brother Jan is dead, March is dead. And mom is being treated here in the Order of the Seraphs,” April said as Ambrose grabbed her arm and leaned in, whispering, “Come on, let’s get back.”

  “You let that snake in your highest ranking! This is unacceptable, Razlin. He’s a top general in your platoons. That thing is evil!”

  Her eyes widened. “Unacceptable? You’re causing damage in my kingdom because you can’t control your temper!”

  “You pompous bitch.”

  Xander’s eyes focused on Razlin. “Talking is over, Razlin.” He took a step toward Naru.

  Razlin grabbed his arm. “No! We are done when I say we are done.”

  He looked at her, his eyes beginning to glow purple, then turned sharply toward her.

  “We are done talking. You are not my wife anymore. You don’t—”

  Razlin grabbed the collar of his shift and punched Xander in the jaw. He stumbled back. She pointed at him. “HOW DARE YOU! You left me! Don’t you start lecturing me about... I was your wife. I am the queen, and you’re a damn bastard,” Razlin whispered.

  Xander touched his lips as he regained his composure. He looked at Razlin. She hit me... All for that snake? I married this woman?

  “Everyone, out of here! Now!” Razlin commanded, her eyes locked with Xander’s.

  “My queen, let me stay,” Tito pleaded.

  Razlin’s jaw tightened, but she nodded. “Fine, but do NOT get involved.”

  The other generals took their leave, exiting through the front entrance.

  Xander’s eyes flickered toward the grin on Naru’s face.

  “Hey, this is now between you and me,” Razlin said.

  Xander paced back and forth. I know he gave the order, why can’t she see it? Guss knew all the answers about my disappearance. WHY would he not tell me? Did he think I was too fragile?

  He stopped and looked at Razlin, then approached her. “He killed my best friend.” His eyes narrowed. “I had so many questions!”

  “He wasn’t there, Xander. He was in this throne room,” Razlin pleaded.

  “He gave the order!” Xander’s voice cracked as he spoke in a loud whisper.

  “You don’t know that!” Razlin’s voice rose sharply.

  Xander’s right arm augmented, His body began to emit purple and red zeal. “HE MURDERED MY BEST FRIEND!” The words echoed throughout the throne room.

  Razlin’s eyes began to glow red and orange, her hair transforming into flames. Her voice turned raspy. “You will not talk to me like that, you bastard!”

  “GET OUT OF MY WAY!” Xander’s augmented arm began to flare with red and purple flames. His eyes emitted the same colored fire from the corners of his eyes. “First No Mane Testament!” He lunged forward through the air at Razlin. The attack erupted, unleashing a torrent of flames of red and purple.

  Razlin quickly looked up, her arms transforming into hot plasma. “XANDER! Rising Sun!” A giant yellow ball of zeal and plasma formed instantly. The mass was hit by Xander’s First No Mane Testament. She stepped back to the third step as the torrent of flames split in two, wrapping around the gold throne. The marble and granite floor bore crackling scorch marks.

  Xander crashed down from the air. He punched the Rising Sun, another torrent of red and purple flames releasing from his arm. The thunderous impact created shockwaves that blew open the throne room doors and shook the entire keep. Xander was launched through the throne room doors, through the hallway, and another set of doors. He tumbled ungracefully into another room.

  Razlin was hurled backwards, slamming into the wall behind her throne. Concrete rained down on her as she landed on the marble granite floor.

  I must stop this fight before he blows my whole keep up.

  Her arm pushed out of the rubble as she shoved the big boulder aside. Climbing out of the debris, she stood, her transformation fading, and removed her sleeveless queen’s dress, revealing a shift, trousers, and boots underneath.

  “Tito, retrieve him clothes that fit,” she ordered.

  “Yes, my queen,” Tito responded, rushing out of the throne room down the hall.

  Razlin walked around the throne and down the stairs, past the scorched steps and down the red and black carpet. The throne doors no longer closed, their reinforced titanium steel hinges snapped in half.

  Walking slowly into the training room where Xander lay against the wall. His arm was no longer augmented. Blood dripped from his mouth as he rose to his feet. He wiped the blood from his mouth and chin.

  “You bastard, you hit me!” Razlin’s voice cracked. “HOW DARE YOU! I was your WIFE!” Her entire body transformed into solid red and yellow plasma, swirling around her. The concrete floor beneath her began to melt.

  “You’re not my wife anymore! You remarried to a fool five years later. DON’T FEED ME THAT CRAP!” His right arm augmented again as zeal engulfed him once more.

  Xander released his zeal, a pulsing dome of red and purple energy erupting around him. The wall behind him collapsed and was blown away.

  Razlin released her zeal, red and orange energy bursting forth. Their zeals collided, clashing violently. Shockwaves rocked the training room, shaking the entire keep. Fire and hot plasma melted everything they touched. The air filled with ash and concrete particles scattered by the shockwaves. The loud explosion created a deafening screech.

  “Are you done trying to scale to my level, Xander?!” Razlin yelled. “I know how you fight... I know your anger. Right now, you’re not near my level.” Inwardly, she calculated, He’s at about twenty-five percent of his power before he disappeared. I need to end this quickly.

  Xander clenched his fist. “I am not done! You always underestimate me!”

  “That’s not true, Xander!”

  “BULLSHIT!”

  “You’re blinded by rage!”

  The zeal dome they had created sent out one last shockwave as it shattered.