The royal treasury wasn't what Kai expected.
He'd imagined piles of gold, mountains of jewels, maybe a faint "cha-ching" echoing through the halls. Instead, it was… quiet. Too quiet. The air hummed with faint magic, the kind that smelled like ink, contracts, and despair. Rows of silver desks stretched endlessly, each stacked with parchment glowing with runic debt tallies. Paperwork shimmered like heatwaves — alive, watching him.
Kai adjusted his torn jacket and whispered, "I feel like I just walked into a bank's afterlife."
"Technically, you did," said Felix, lounging over his floating ledger like it was a pillow. "Welcome to the Treasury of Souls. Where bad investments go to die."
"Comforting," Kai muttered.
They stepped deeper into the maze of desks. The lights dimmed, and from the far end of the room, a slow clap echoed. A man emerged, tall, silver-haired, and dressed in a pristine white coat that radiated authority — and debt. His very presence made Kai's Limit Breaker itch like an unpaid bill.
"Mr. Everain," the man said, his tone slick as oil. "You've cost the kingdom 12.8 million gold in collateral damages. Remarkable efficiency. I almost respect it."
Kai squinted. "You must be the Treasurer. Or my next creditor."
"Both."
He smiled, the kind of smile that made accountants sweat. "I'm Chancellor Virel, Royal Treasurer and acting arbiter of hero finances. I've been watching your… unique debt fluctuations."
"Stalker much?" Kai said, hands in pockets.
Virel ignored the jab, continuing, "You've managed to convert debt into power through your Limit Breaker skill, yes? A fascinating anomaly. But it destabilizes the economy — and worse, it interferes with the Royal Debt Engine."
Kai tilted his head. "The what-now?"
Felix groaned. "He's talking about the magical system that regulates all monetary flow across the kingdom. Every coin, contract, and loan runs through it. If your power messes with it…"
"Then the whole system collapses," Virel finished. "And while I appreciate innovation, I can't have chaos in my ledgers."
Kai smirked. "So what, you gonna repo my soul?"
Virel's eyes gleamed. "No. I'm offering you a job."
Silence. Even the floating papers paused mid-rustle.
"A job," Kai repeated slowly. "You want me to… work for the people taxing me?"
"Not work. Partner." Virel gestured to the golden seal on his desk. "Join me, and I'll legitimize your ability — convert it into an official Royal Power. You'll have full backing, endless credit, no restrictions. You could buy anything, destroy anything… even rewrite debt itself."
Kai's stomach twisted. It sounded too good. Which meant it was very, very bad.
Felix floated closer, whispering, "Don't trust him. Guys with shiny hair and neat handwriting are always evil."
Kai stared at the offer. "So what's the catch?"
Virel's smile sharpened. "Simple. You'll transfer ownership of your Limit Breaker skill… to me."
For a moment, the room was utterly still. The air tightened like a noose.
Kai cracked a grin. "Ah. There it is."
Kai leaned back against the desk, folding his arms. "So… you're saying I hand over my skill, and in exchange I get a royal paycheck and some fancy new title?"
"Precisely," Virel said, clasping his hands behind his back. "You'll be recognized as an official Hero of Commerce. The first of your kind. No more debt collectors. No more poverty. Just… prosperity."
The word "prosperity" echoed around the chamber like a taunt.
Kai tapped his chin. "Tempting. But see, there's a tiny problem—when I owe someone, it makes me stronger. If I give you my debt, I'll be broke and weak."
"That's the point," Felix muttered.
Virel sighed. "Mr. Everain, this isn't a negotiation. It's a correction. You've caused instability in the Debt Engine's flow. If I don't integrate your skill, the kingdom's entire credit system could collapse."
Kai shrugged. "Then maybe it deserves to."
Virel blinked, as if Kai had just kicked a sacred vault door. "You don't understand. This world thrives on balance—heroes borrow strength, nations borrow hope. Even gods take loans from belief. Without debt, there is no growth."
Kai smirked. "Cute speech. Still not selling my soul."
The Treasurer's expression didn't change, but the air grew colder. The glowing ledgers around them flickered, numbers bleeding red. From the ceiling, chains of golden script descended, slithering through the air like serpents.
"You misunderstand, Mr. Everain," Virel said softly. "This isn't a choice."
Felix hissed. "Kai, those are debt binds! If one touches you, it'll drain your power permanently!"
"Noted," Kai said, already ducking as a glowing chain snapped toward him. He rolled over a desk, scattering documents that screamed as they burned to ash. "Okay! Negotiations failed—what's our refund policy?"
"Zero percent," Virel said, summoning a scepter of gold and ink. "Your balance is due."
Kai landed beside Felix, sparks flaring in his eyes. "Then I'll pay in full."
The floor cracked as Kai activated Limit Breaker. His debt meter spiked so fast the system stuttered. Red digits whirled across his vision:
[DEBT: 9,000,000G]
[STRENGTH MULTIPLIER: 1500%]
A wave of kinetic energy burst outward, shattering the chains midair. Kai charged forward, fist glowing with crimson aura. He punched the Treasurer's scepter, and the resulting shockwave sent desks flying like paper boats.
Virel barely budged. He raised a hand, and golden runes flared behind him, forming a barrier of shifting ledgers. "Impressive. But every time you borrow power, you deepen your debt to the system. And the system," he said with a grin, "always collects."
Felix gritted his teeth. "Kai, he's right! Your meter's unstable—if you keep pushing, it'll collapse your balance!"
Kai winced as static crawled over his skin. The red aura flickered. "Then I'll just… refinance."
He slammed his palms together. The aura condensed into a single burning sigil behind him — The Crest of the Debtor. A pulse of raw force surged outward, ripping through the golden scripts like torn parchment.
Felix gasped. "You just weaponized your balance sheet!"
Kai grinned through the strain. "What can I say? I'm good with numbers."
But Virel wasn't done. He raised his scepter high, and the floor split open, revealing an endless abyss of swirling gold and shadows below. From within it, something massive stirred — a giant shape chained in liquid coin, eyes glowing like molten currency.
"The Debt King slumbers beneath this vault," Virel said, voice cold. "And you, Kai Everain, have just given him reason to wake."
A tremor rolled through the chamber. Coins rained from the ceiling. The roar that followed was deep enough to make Kai's bones shake.
Felix's voice wavered. "Uh, Kai? You ever fight a god made of gold debt before?"
Kai cracked his knuckles, smirking even as the air grew heavy. "First time for everything."
The chamber shook like a vault hit by an earthquake. Cracks spiderwebbed across the marble floor, spilling out rivers of molten gold that hissed as they met the air. The glow intensified until the walls themselves began to pulse like the inside of a beating heart.
From the chasm below, a colossal hand emerged — forged of coins fused together, its veins molten credit ink. Every movement made the sound of a million coins scraping against each other.
Felix staggered backward, gripping his spellcards. "Oh, that's definitely the Debt King. Kai, we're not insured for this!"
"Don't suppose we can file bankruptcy?" Kai said, forcing a grin.
Virel spread his arms, the golden chains swirling around him in reverence. "Behold, the foundation of all contracts. The eternal debtor. The first creditor. The King whose loans bind the world itself."
The creature's head rose from the pit — a crown of broken ledgers, its face obscured by a shifting mask of numbers and runes. Each digit that appeared on it represented a debt owed, a life traded, a promise broken.
Its voice was a thunderous chorus of accountants and gods.
"WHO DARES OVERDRAW FROM MY DOMAIN?"
Kai shouted back, "Name's Kai Everain! And your interest rates suck!"
Felix smacked his forehead. "You're going to get us repossessed!"
Virel's eyes gleamed. "Perfect. The King responds only to defiance. You've drawn his attention, Kai. Now… let him judge your worth."
The Treasurer snapped his fingers. The golden abyss began to rise like a tidal wave, reshaping itself into a throne for the Debt King. Chains of credit inscriptions wrapped around Kai and Felix, yanking them into the air.
Felix struggled, his cards scattering into golden dust. "He's rewriting our debt contracts! Kai, he's—"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it!" Kai strained against the binds. The red glow around him pulsed erratically. His debt meter surged to new heights.
[DEBT: 15,000,000G]
[LIMIT BREAK OVERCLOCK: UNSTABLE]
Virel's voice was calm amid the chaos. "You could have accepted my offer, Kai. Now you'll pay in full."
Kai's grin didn't falter. "If the world's built on debt, maybe it's time someone defaulted."
With a shout, he ripped one of the golden chains apart. The backlash exploded in sparks, slicing his arm and sending blood splattering across the marble. The wound glowed — then sealed instantly, consumed by his rising limit.
Felix gawked. "That's not how healing works!"
Kai glanced at him with a wild grin. "Guess it does when you owe your life to physics!"
He dove toward the Treasurer, crimson aura blazing. Each punch sent shockwaves through the vault, breaking chains and shattering ledgers. But with every strike, more numbers appeared around him — his debt spiraling higher and higher.
Virel didn't block. He let the hits land, his body flickering like an image printed on a golden coin. "You still don't see, do you?" he said, smiling. "The higher your debt, the stronger the King becomes. You're not defying the system — you're feeding it."
Kai froze mid-swing. "What?"
Virel raised his scepter, pointing it toward the massive figure behind him. "You are the perfect host. A vessel of endless debt. The King requires a mortal balance to awaken — and you've given him the largest loan in existence."
The realization hit like a hammer. Kai looked down at his glowing hands, at the number spinning out of control in his vision.
[DEBT: 40,000,000G]
[WARNING: LIMIT THRESHOLD EXCEEDED]
The golden light flooded the room as the Debt King roared. The mask on its face split open, revealing a burning void shaped like a crown.
"HOST IDENTIFIED. MERGER INITIATED."
Felix screamed. "Kai, it's trying to absorb you!"
Virel watched calmly as Kai's aura began to merge with the King's. "Congratulations, Mr. Everain," he said softly. "You're about to become the new cornerstone of the economy."
Kai's breath came in ragged gasps. His body felt like it was being pulled in every direction — his power feeding into something vast and ancient.
"Not… my kind of promotion," he managed through clenched teeth.
Then, through the distortion, a flicker of something appeared in his mind. A faint voice — one that didn't belong to the Treasurer, or Felix, or even himself.
"You owe me, Kai."
Kai's eyes widened. "That voice—"
Felix shouted, "What is it?!"
Kai grinned weakly. "Someone who hates interest rates even more than me."
The red aura around him shifted — deepening to black. The golden light recoiled, like oil meeting fire.
Virel's eyes went wide. "Impossible. That… that power's forbidden!"
Kai looked up at him, eyes glowing with a dangerous calm. "Guess I'm defaulting in style."
The chamber erupted into chaos.
The vault cracked apart like a shattered hourglass. Gold rained from the ceiling, melting midair as the crimson and black light from Kai's body clashed with the radiant brilliance of the Debt King.
The fusion halted. The colossal being let out a distorted roar, the sound vibrating the numbers in the air themselves.
"ERROR. CONTRACT INSTABILITY DETECTED."
Virel stumbled back, his calm façade breaking for the first time. "No—no, this isn't possible! The merger protocol can't be interrupted once initiated!"
Felix, still suspended by a tangle of glowing chains, shouted, "Then why is it happening?!"
Kai floated in the center of the chaos, surrounded by spiraling fragments of golden script. His hair flickered between its usual color and a deep black streak, as if his very debt was burning away.
"I don't know," Kai said through gritted teeth, "but someone… or something… just paid part of my debt."
The dark voice echoed again, faint but clear.
"A loan for a loan, Kai Everain. Don't make me regret investing."
Felix blinked. "Who is that?"
Kai's pulse pounded in his ears. The words resonated with something ancient — something that wasn't from this world. His limit-breaker ability was tied to debt, but this energy felt… older. Predatory.
"Someone who plays dirtier than the Treasurer," Kai muttered.
The red glow around him twisted, warping into jagged tendrils of black flame. They latched onto the golden chains in the air and snapped them like brittle thread.
Felix fell, landing in a heap beside a pile of molten coins. "Okay, that's new."
Kai raised his hand, and the black fire flared higher. "Virel, you said debt makes the King stronger, right?"
The Treasurer hesitated. "Yes, but—"
"Then what happens," Kai interrupted, eyes narrowing, "when that debt gets sold to someone else?"
Virel's expression froze. "You—"
The fire surged outward. The golden aura that filled the chamber dimmed as Kai's energy devoured it, rewriting the very magic in the air. Every symbol, every number, turned from gold to black.
The Debt King's voice thundered in fury.
"UNAUTHORIZED TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP DETECTED."
Kai smirked. "Guess I just refinanced my soul."
Felix gawked. "I don't know what's crazier — the fact that that sentence made sense, or that it worked."
Virel clutched his staff, trembling. "You've… corrupted the contract. The King's power feeds on obedience and obligation — and you've poisoned it with defiance."
Kai's grin widened. "Good. Let's see what happens when the system eats itself."
The Debt King's massive form began to unravel, coins and light scattering like leaves in a storm. The golden throne shattered under its own weight. Through the chaos, Kai charged forward — every step leaving trails of molten symbols.
Virel roared and unleashed a beam of concentrated golden energy. Kai met it head-on, his fist glowing with that same unstable black-red light. When they collided, the impact tore through the vault like an explosion of glass and thunder.
Felix shielded his face, shouting over the chaos. "Kai, the whole place is collapsing!"
"Then it's a good time to cash out!" Kai yelled back, hurling his final punch into Virel's chest. The blow shattered the Treasurer's magical armor and sent him crashing into a pile of fractured ledgers.
Virel wheezed, clutching his chest, gold ink spilling from the wound like blood. "You… you can't win. Even if you kill me, the King will return. The world itself is his contract."
Kai leaned down, eyes cold but calm. "Then maybe it's time someone canceled the subscription."
The black energy pulsed once more — and the vault imploded.
When the light finally faded, Kai found himself kneeling in the ruins of the chamber. The floor was nothing but ash and dust, and Virel was gone — vanished like the last page of a burned book.
Felix limped over, brushing soot off his robe. "So… we're not dead. That's a plus."
Kai stood slowly, his breathing ragged. "Yeah. But whatever I did… it wasn't me."
[DEBT BALANCE: UNKNOWN]
[LIMIT BREAKER – STATUS: ERROR]
Felix frowned. "You broke your own power?"
Kai stared at the faint black ember still burning in his palm. "No. I shared it."
He looked toward the horizon through a crack in the shattered vault. The light outside was darker than before — heavy, as if the air itself carried a price.
Somewhere in that silence, the voice returned one last time.
"I'll collect soon, Kai Everain. Don't keep me waiting."
Kai's expression hardened. "Yeah… figured that was coming."
Felix sighed. "You realize you've basically declared bankruptcy against reality, right?"
Kai chuckled weakly. "Then let's just hope the repo gods don't take my noodles next."
Felix groaned. "We're so doomed."
As they stumbled out of the ruins, the shattered sigils behind them reassembled into a faint, golden symbol — the insignia of the Debt King — now cracked down the middle.
And for the first time in centuries, the world's balance sheet trembled.