The sky darkened again, but not the way it had before.
This time, it was not a single shadow or one overwhelming presence. It was movement. Shapes crossed the clouds in different directions, some fast, some slow, some circling like they were deciding whether to approach or wait.
Aren felt each one.
Not clearly. Not with words. Just pressure. Attention.
"They are watching," Kael said quietly.
Virexa nodded. "Some are curious. Some are angry. Some already decided what they want to do."
Seris tightened her grip on her staff. "And the system is letting this happen."
Aren looked at the floating interface. It did not respond to Seris's tone. It never did.
[Reclamation Authority: Active][Conflict Permission: Enabled]
"That answers that," Kael muttered.
The first challenger did not come from the sky.
The ground split open a short distance away. Stone and dirt were thrown aside as something massive pushed upward. Heat rolled out, sharp and dry.
A dragon burst free, its scales the color of rusted iron. Its horns curved forward like blades. Smoke poured from its mouth as it lifted its head and roared.
Aren felt it hit him like a shove.
The system reacted instantly.
[Challenger Identified][Name: Drathos][Bloodline: Iron Deep][Intent: Hostile]
Kael stepped forward without thinking. "I will handle this."
Aren caught his arm. "No."
Kael turned to him sharply. "He is challenging you. That means he will kill you if he wins."
Aren nodded. "I know."
"Then let me fight," Kael said. "You are not ready."
Virexa shook her head. "If you interfere, the challenge becomes invalid. He will call you a shield. Others will follow."
Seris added quietly, "And they will be right."
Aren released Kael's arm.
"I will face him," Aren said.
Kael stared at him. "Aren."
Aren met his gaze. "I will not let them decide my place for me again."
The dragon Drathos shifted. His body began to compress, scales folding inward. In seconds, a tall man stood where the dragon had been. He was broad shouldered, his skin marked with dark lines that looked like cracks in metal.
He smiled when he saw Aren.
"So this is him," Drathos said. "The one who broke the silence."
Aren did not reply.
Drathos laughed. "You are small."
The system hovered between them.
[Challenge Protocol Engaged][Rules: Minimal]
Seris inhaled sharply. "Minimal rules means no limits."
Drathos spread his hands. "I challenge your right to lead. If I win, your bloodline bends or breaks."
Aren felt the weight of the words.
"And if I win," Aren asked.
Drathos's smile widened. "Then I kneel. My bloodline follows."
Kael whispered, "Do not do this."
Aren stepped forward anyway.
"I accept," Aren said.
The system confirmed it immediately.
[Challenge Accepted]
The air shifted. The space around them cleared, as if the world itself stepped back to watch.
Drathos moved first.
He crossed the distance in a blink. His fist slammed into Aren's chest.
Pain exploded.
Aren was thrown backward, crashing into broken stone. His vision blurred. He tasted blood.
Kael shouted his name.
Aren forced himself to roll aside just as Drathos struck again. The ground shattered where Aren had been a second earlier.
"You have authority," Drathos said calmly. "But no body."
Aren pushed himself to his feet. His heart was racing, but he was still standing.
The system flickered.
[Damage Registered][Adaptive Response Available]
Aren did not know what that meant, but he felt something shift inside him. Not power rushing outward. Alignment.
He raised his hand.
Nothing dramatic happened. No flames. No lightning.
Drathos laughed. "That is it."
Then Drathos stopped laughing.
The ground beneath his feet cracked inward. Not from force, but from pressure. As if something invisible had pressed down on him.
Drathos's eyes widened slightly. "Authority."
Aren felt it now. Not strength. Permission.
"Bow," Aren said.
The word was quiet.
Drathos roared and pushed back, muscles swelling, veins standing out. The pressure resisted him, increasing slowly, steadily.
Drathos dropped to one knee.
Kael stared. "He did not attack."
Virexa smiled faintly. "He did not need to."
Drathos snarled and forced himself upright again. Blood ran from his nose.
"You think this is enough," Drathos said. "Then kill me."
Aren hesitated.
The system reacted immediately.
[Hesitation Detected][Authority Fluctuation]
Drathos laughed hoarsely. "There it is."
Aren clenched his fists.
"I am not here to slaughter you," Aren said. "I am here to end the lie."
Drathos's smile faded. "Pretty words."
He shifted again, scales bursting through skin as he partially transformed. Claws formed. Heat surged outward.
Kael felt the bond spike and staggered slightly.
"Aren," Kael said through clenched teeth. "End it."
Aren looked at Drathos.
"You want proof," Aren said. "Not blood."
The system responded.
[Alternative Resolution Detected][Submission Without Death: Possible]
Aren took a step forward.
"Submit," Aren said again. "Not to me. To truth."
Drathos froze.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then Drathos's knees hit the ground hard.
The sound echoed.
Drathos bowed his head.
The system flared brightly.
[Challenge Resolved][Outcome: Victory][Iron Deep Bloodline Aligned]
Aren staggered as something settled into him. It was heavier than before. Not painful. Just undeniable.
Drathos exhaled slowly. "So this is what we were running from."
Kael rushed to Aren's side. "Are you alright."
Aren nodded, though his legs felt weak. "I think so."
Virexa stepped forward. "They will not all kneel so easily."
Seris looked toward the sky. "They already know."
The system did not wait.
[Second Challenge Registered][Third Challenge Registered][Simultaneous Hostiles Detected]
Aren's heart sank.
Drathos stood and stepped aside. "They will come harder now."
The ground began to shake again. Not one place. Many.
In the distance, multiple figures moved toward them. Some flew. Some ran. Some tore through the earth.
Kael drew a shaky breath. "How many can you take."
Aren looked at the system.
[Authority Capacity: Unknown]
He laughed softly. "I guess we find out."
The sky roared.
And three challengers stepped forward at once.