Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Daiki led the way down the jagged ridge. The air grew significantly hotter with every step they took toward the valley floor. Li Yu followed close behind and kept his senses sharp.

They reached the valley floor and approached the towering outer walls of the capital. The solid blocks of black iron radiated an immense amount of heat. A wide and churning river of molten lava flowed rapidly through a deep trench before the gates. A bridge made of dark steel spanned the glowing moat.

Daiki stepped onto the bridge. His heavy boots clanked against the metal plates. Li Yu walked beside him while keeping a relaxed posture.

A squad of heavily armored guards stood at the end of the bridge. They wielded long polearms tipped with jagged red steel. The guards immediately crossed their weapons and blocked the entrance as the two strangers approached. The glowing defensive runes on the iron walls pulsed with warning.

"Halt," one of the guards commanded sharply. "State your business."

Daiki did not stop walking. He simply reached up and pulled back the heavy hood of his cloak. He revealed his towering crimson frame and his jagged obsidian horns. The guards froze. Their aggressive posture completely vanished.

A tall guard wearing the insignia of a captain rushed out from a nearby stone guardhouse. He pushed past his men and stared at Daiki. The captain’s eyes went wide with shock. He quickly removed his heavy iron helmet and dropped to one knee. The other guards immediately followed his lead and knelt on the hot stone.

"Young Master Daiki," the guard captain said. His voice trembled slightly with emotion. "You finally came back."

Daiki stopped and looked down at the kneeling captain. He seemed surprised by the reaction. He had expected drawn weapons and hostility. He had believed his clan viewed him as a cowardly traitor for fleeing his political marriage.

"Stand up, Captain Amrak," Daiki instructed quietly.

The captain stood up and let out a heavy sigh of relief. "We were worried about you. Lord Tarkan sent search parties to the neighboring lands and realms for months. We thought you had fallen to beasts or rival clans. It is good to see you alive."

"I survived," Daiki answered simply. He gestured toward Li Yu. "This is my companion. We need an immediate audience with my father."

"Of course," Captain Amrak agreed without hesitation. "Please follow me. I will escort you to the main palace personally."

The captain turned and led them through the massive iron gates. Li Yu walked through the arched tunnel and entered the capital city. The noise was deafening. The rhythmic pounding of massive forge hammers echoed from every direction. The streets were paved with dark volcanic stone and lined with giant foundries. Thick black smoke billowed into the red sky.

Li Yu watched the native cultivators as they walked. They were a hardened and scarred people. They carried heavy weapons and wore armor forged from the very iron they pulled. The weak did not survive in a place like this. Yet, as Daiki passed by, many of the citizens stopped their work and bowed respectfully. They did not look at him with hatred either.

The three eventually reached the center of the sprawling industrial city. The main palace loomed before them.

Massive pillars of dark grey stone supported towering balconies. Rivers of liquid fire cascaded down the jagged walls and collected in large glowing pools around the courtyard. The heat was intense enough to melt ordinary steel but the palace stood resolute against the elements. Huge iron banners bearing the crest of the Blood Iron Clan hung from the high battlements. The crest depicted a shattered anvil bleeding dark crimson fluid.

Captain Amrak led them up a wide flight of stone stairs. They passed several layers of elite guards. The guards all bowed as Daiki approached. They finally stopped before a pair of towering doors made of solid obsidian.

"The Clan Lord is inside," Captain Amrak announced. He signaled to the guards stationed by the entrance.

The guards pushed the heavy doors open with a loud groan of grinding stone. Li Yu and Daiki stepped into the main hall and the doors swung shut behind them with a definitive thud.

The interior of the palace was vast and intimidating. The ceiling stretched high into the dark stone. The hall was illuminated by glowing magma channels carved directly into the floor. The ambient Qi here was incredibly thick. It felt like standing in the center of a dormant storm.

At the far end of the hall sat a massive throne of black iron. A man sat on the throne. He was a giant crimson demon. He looked exactly like an older version of Daiki. His horns were thicker and more jagged. His massive body was covered in pale and intersecting scars from countless brutal battles. He wore heavy armor forged from a dark and lusterless metal.

This was Lord Tarkan.

Li Yu immediately felt the oppressive weight of the man’s aura. Daiki had not exaggerated. Tarkan was in the Tribulation realm. It was a power that had survived the direct wrath of the cosmos.

Li Yu braced himself for the family reunion. From what Daiki had told him of his father, Li Yu expected the tyrant to shout in anger. He expected Tarkan to perhaps demand Daiki’s submission to the arranged marriage or maybe order his immediate execution for running away.

Instead, Tarkan stood up slowly. He gripped the armrests of his iron throne and stared at his son. The terrifying aura in the room receded slightly.

"You returned," Tarkan spoke. His voice was a deep and echoing rumble.

Daiki stood tall and met his father’s gaze. "I did."

Tarkan walked down the stone steps of the dais. He approached Daiki and stopped just a few feet away. The older demon looked at his son from head to toe. He inspected the new scars on Daiki’s arms and the hardened look in his golden eyes.

Stolen novel; please report.

To Li Yu’s complete surprise, Tarkan did not take any actions or do the things he thought he would. The older demon let out a slow breath and his broad shoulders relaxed.

"Where did you go?" Tarkan asked softly. His tone lacked any malice. He sounded like a father who had spent the time Daiki was away wondering if his child was dead. "We scoured everywhere for you. You vanished without a trace."

"I was given an opportunity." Daiki answered carefully. "A ferryman took me across the cosmic currents to a broken realm." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Tarkan nodded slowly and was processing the words. It would seem that he was aware of some things or perhaps he was just thinking about the words. He looked at Li Yu for a moment, analyzed his Law Integration aura and didn’t have much of a reaction.

Tarkan waved his heavy hand toward the shadows of the hall. The hidden elite guards stationed in the corners silently bowed and exited through side doors. The heavy footsteps faded away. The three of them were left completely alone in the massive throne room.

"Speak freely," Tarkan commanded as he crossed his scarred arms. "You did not return just to assure me you were alive. You have a purpose in your eyes. Something I have rarely if ever seen from you."

Daiki did not hesitate. He explained everything. He told his father about The Veil and the ancient artifact Astramentis. He spoke of the Trial Grounds and the relentless trials to earn resources. He detailed the historical illusions and the brutal battles he had fought to survive over the time he was missing.

Tarkan listened to the entire story in complete silence. His scarred face remained entirely unreadable. He did not show surprise at the mention of the Trial Grounds or the ancient sentient artifact.

Daiki finished his explanation and took a deep breath. "I have returned because I need to make a trade."

Daiki reached into his spatial ring. He raised his hand and poured the contents onto the dark stone floor. A pile of glowing treasures clattered against the obsidian. There were dozens of high grade soul drops, condensed crystals and rare spiritual herbs for the soul. The ambient Qi in the throne room changed from the treasures being presented.

"These are the soul resources I earned during my time in the trials," Daiki explained. "I used a portion of them to advance my own foundation but I always set aside at least half of everything I won. I saved them for you."

Tarkan looked down at the glowing pile of wealth. He remained silent.

"My original plan was to bring these back to the clan," Daiki admitted honestly. "I wanted to offer them to you in exchange for my freedom. I wanted to use this wealth to buy my way out of the marriage with the hydra. I wanted to choose my own path."

"A naive plan," Tarkan noted flatly. "Wealth does not secure borders and peace. Alliances do."

"That was my thought back then." Daiki agreed. His voice was firm. "And my plan has changed. I am not asking for my freedom anymore. I need medicine. I need the Crimson Marrow Lotus or the Nine Lives Ironheart from the vault."

Tarkan finally looked away from the treasures. He locked eyes with his son. He inspected Daiki with a piercing gaze. He slowly nodded his head.

"You broke through to the Domain King realm," Tarkan observed quietly. "Your aura is dense and your stance is grounded. You are no longer the frightened boy who ran from his responsibilities. Your will has become firm. I am happy to see that, Daiki."

Tarkan stepped forward and walked around the pile of soul resources.

"However," Tarkan continued as his voice grew heavy. "I had a great plan for those two medicines. They are great treasures of the Blood Iron Clan. They are meant to be traded to secure our future. This pile of resources you have brought is impressive but it is not enough to make up for the loss of one of those treasures in my plans."

Daiki clenched his fists. "Name your price. I will run the Trial Grounds for another century if I have to. I will bring you whatever you desire if you just let me know one of those now."

"I do not want resources," Tarkan replied simply. He stopped pacing and faced Daiki. "I will give you the medicine. But my price remains the same as it was two years ago. You will marry the hydra. You will forge the alliance with her clan. Furthermore, you will stay here and you will have a child with her first. Only then will I open the vault and give it to you."

Li Yu tensed as it looked like things had come full circle. The answer was still the same as it once was, Daiki still had to do what his father wanted him to. He fully expected Daiki to explode in anger. This was the exact nightmare Daiki had fled from. It was a life sentence of political servitude to a monster he dreaded.

To Li Yu’s immense surprise, Daiki did not argue. He did not even shout.

"I agree," Daiki said instantly. His voice did not waver. "I will marry her and I will give you an heir to secure the alliance. But the timeline must change."

Tarkan raised a scarred eyebrow. "You make demands?"

"Sora does not have time for me to father a child," Daiki stated with absolute resolve. "Her core is damaged right now and it could get worse with time. She will most likely die if she does not receive the medicine immediately. Li Yu will take the treasure back to Kyokai City today. He will deliver it to her. I will stay here in the Kurogane Realm. I will remain and I will honor the agreement in full."

Daiki’s will was completely firm. He was willingly sacrificing his entire future and his own happiness to save the woman that he had grown to love. Li Yu looked at his friend with deep admiration. The giant demon had truly matured.

Tarkan was visibly surprised by the response. The older demon stared at Daiki for a long moment. A brief and subtle smile flashed across Tarkan’s scarred face. Li Yu caught the expression instantly but it quickly disappeared behind a mask of cold authority.

"Your terms are acceptable," Tarkan agreed slowly. He crossed his arms over his heavy chest plate. "The human may take the medicine back to your companion. You will remain here and fulfill your duties to the clan."

Daiki let out a long breath and his rigid posture relaxed slightly. "Thank you, Father. Please open the vault."

"Not today," Tarkan replied calmly.

Daiki frowned. "Sora does not have time to wait."

"She will have to wait a few days," Tarkan countered. He waved his hand dismissively. "The supreme treasures are not solely mine to give. They belong to the heritage of the Blood Iron Clan. I must convene with the council of elders and get their official approval before I can remove the medicine from the great vault. You will both stay in the palace until the council meets."

Daiki looked incredibly confused. He stepped forward. "You are the Clan Lord. You have never asked the elders for permission to do anything. You do whatever you want."

"Politics are delicate," Tarkan answered smoothly. He turned his back on them and walked toward his iron throne. "The rules apply to everyone. Go to your old courtyard and rest. I will summon you when the elders have made their decision."

Tarkan sat down on his throne and closed his eyes. The conversation was officially over.

Daiki hesitated for a moment but he eventually turned and walked toward the heavy doors. Li Yu followed silently. They pushed the doors open and stepped back out into the sweltering heat of the palace corridors.

Li Yu walked beside Daiki as the giant demon navigated the familiar stone hallways. Li Yu kept his thoughts to himself but his instincts were humming loudly.

Tarkan was lying. He was a force of nature who ruled a brutal empire. A man like that did not need permission from a council of elders to open his own vault. Furthermore, the brief smile Li Yu had seen on Tarkan’s face betrayed a hidden satisfaction.

Tarkan was definitely up to something. Li Yu suspected the older demon was playing a much deeper game. He had trapped Daiki exactly where he wanted him and the delay was likely part of a larger plan. Li Yu resolved to keep his eyes open. The Kurogane Realm was a dangerous place and the political currents and schemes, as Li Yu had learned, were far more treacherous than any straight forward fight.