"He who dares claim a Throne must be ready to bleed for it."
Jayden remembered Silas Marrow saying that. He hadn't understood it back then—not fully. But now, with the blood of a traitor still staining his coat and a Pact flaring like wildfire in his veins, he did.
The Echo War had begun.
---
Sector Nine's rebel stronghold pulsed with tension. Since the formation of the Shadowflame Pact, Jayden's territory had expanded exponentially. Shadows moved under his command. Rika's flames reinforced key nodes. Echoes of their fused aura lingered in every corridor.
But influence attracted attention.
And danger.
---
[System Alert]
> Infiltration Detected — Unknown Echo Signature
Multiple Hostiles Within Dominion Territory
Echo Tamers Class B Identified
Engagement Probability: 87%
---
Jayden stood in his throne chamber, surrounded by spectral projections of his generals. Kairo kneeled, armor crackling with stored kinetic rage. Rika stood beside Jayden, eyes narrowed, flame-gloves already alight.
"They're testing our boundaries," Rika said, pacing. "Trying to see how far your Dominion reaches."
"No," Jayden replied. "They're trying to see how far I'm willing to go."
---
The first explosion tore through the outer wall.
Screams. Gunfire. Echoes.
Jayden didn't flinch. He extended one hand.
"System: Activate Dominion Lockdown Protocol."
---
[Command Confirmed]
> Real-World Territory Barrier Engaged
Enemy Movement Slowed by 45%
Shadow Constructs Deployed (x12)
---
He turned to Kairo. "Engage. But don't kill unless necessary."
Kairo vanished in a blink of dark flame.
Jayden and Rika emerged from the chamber into chaos.
Three Echo Tamers had breached the base. One wielded bone-thread manipulation. Another had kinetic skin-armor. The third floated off the ground, her hair levitating as if underwater—clearly a Telepath.
"You've grown arrogant, Thronebearer," the Telepath hissed, eyes glowing pale blue. "The Apex Council sends greetings."
"I'll be sure to send your pieces back," Jayden replied.
---
The fight was brutal.
Rika clashed with the thread-user, her flames searing through traps and illusions.
Jayden faced the kinetic tank.
Each punch the enemy landed shook the ground—but Jayden let it hit. Shadow armor absorbed the blows. Then, with a single timed use of Chrono Disrupt: 3-sec freeze, he rewound the last move and struck first—clean, precise.
The tank crumpled.
---
The telepath attacked next—whispers flooding Jayden's mind.
> "You don't belong. You're not worthy. You're a corrupted version of yourself."
Jayden gritted his teeth.
> "Then let me show you how broken I can be."
He activated Echo Fusion: Wrath + Regret, briefly entering Shadow Echo Mode.
A pulse of energy knocked the telepath backward—disoriented, screaming.
Rika finished her opponent with a crescent wave of fire and collapsed against the wall.
Jayden stepped forward, lifted the telepath by her collar.
"You don't walk away from this."
"I was just the opening act," she coughed. "The Council… they're sending an Arbiter next."
---
[System Notification]
> New Threat Detected: Arbiter-Class Enforcer Approaching Sector Nine
Estimated Time of Arrival: 3 Days
Threat Level: Catastrophic
---
Jayden dropped her body and turned to Rika.
"We need to prepare."
Rika nodded. "And fast. This wasn't war. It was a message."
Kairo reappeared, bloodied but alive. "We held the line. But next time... they won't hold back."
Jayden stared at the burning skyline in the distance.
"Neither will I."
---
[System Update]
> Title Advanced: Thronebreaker ➝ Warborn Monarch
New Domain Skill: Nightcall Army — Temporarily summon 100 autonomous shadow constructs for 60 seconds (Cooldown: 1hr)