Every pair of eyes in the hall remained fixed on Raikaro.
No one looked away.
No one spoke.
Respect filled their gazes.
Not fear.
Not doubt.
Respect.
For the first time—
Raikaro felt something unexpected.
Shock.
Not visible.
Not obvious.
But there.
Deep inside.
He had seen fear before.
Countless times.
In soldiers.
In civilians.
In enemies.
But this—
This was different.
These people were not afraid of him.
They were waiting for him.
"…Don't call me that."
His voice cut through the silence.
Calm.
Sharp.
The word King did not belong to him.
His gaze shifted.
Locked onto the man standing ahead.
"Why did you want to see me?"
The leader stepped forward.
His movements were steady.
Unrushed.
"We have waited for you for generations, Rai."
His voice carried weight.
Not forced.
Not exaggerated.
Real.
"For more than four hundred years… my ancestors waited for the return of your bloodline."
A brief pause.
"Today…"
"I am the one fortunate enough to welcome you."
Silence settled deeper into the hall.
"This moment," he continued, "is not just mine."
"It belongs to the entire Min bloodline."
Raikaro didn't respond.
His eyes moved slightly.
Scanning.
The hall.
The people.
The structure.
Weapons.
Positioning.
Distance.
Everything.
He wasn't listening with emotion.
He was observing.
Calculating.
"We need your strength," the man said.
"Your skill."
A small pause.
"We need the power of the Ra clan… to take back what we lost."
Raikaro remained still.
Not convinced.
Not moved.
The leader noticed.
Slowly—
He removed the cloth covering part of his face.
A man in his fifties.
Broad shoulders.
A presence that didn't need to prove itself.
A long scar crossed his face.
Old.
Deep.
Earned.
His black hair had begun to fade into white.
"My name is Min Hyun-Woo."
"I lead the Min Family."
He stood firm.
"For four centuries… we resisted."
"In the shadows."
His voice hardened slightly.
"We fought knowing we could never win alone."
A pause.
"Not without the Ra clan."
The hall remained silent.
Listening.
"And while that monster lived…"
The air shifted.
Subtly.
"We had no chance."
The name followed.
Heavy.
"Josiah Nyari."
Even the torches seemed to flicker lower.
Raikaro's eyes narrowed slightly.
Something about that name—
Didn't sit well.
"But fate has changed," Hyun-Woo continued.
"The monster is dead."
Soft murmurs spread through the hall.
"His fall broke their foundation."
"Not completely…"
"But enough."
Hyun-Woo stepped forward again.
"This is the moment we have waited for."
"And you arrived at the right time."
His gaze sharpened.
"The last of the Ra bloodline…"
"Raikaro."
He lowered his head slightly.
Not submission.
Respect.
"I ask you…"
"To join us."
Silence.
Heavy.
Unmoving.
Raikaro didn't answer immediately.
His gaze shifted again.
Across the hall.
Each face.
Each stance.
Each breath.
Determination.
Belief.
Expectation.
Trust?
No.
Not yet.
"You've survived for four hundred years," Raikaro said calmly.
His voice echoed slightly.
"But surviving isn't the same as winning."
The words settled.
No one reacted loudly.
But the tension shifted.
Hyun-Woo didn't argue.
Didn't defend.
He simply listened.
Raikaro's eyes returned to him.
"After Josiah's death… your enemy weakened."
A pause.
"But you still haven't moved."
Another pause.
"Why?"
The question was simple.
But precise.
Hyun-Woo answered without hesitation.
"Because survival taught us patience."
His voice remained steady.
"But patience has its limit."
He took a slow breath.
"And we have reached it."
Silence again.
Raikaro studied him for a moment longer.
Then—
"…Fine."
The word was quiet.
But it carried weight.
"I'll work with you."
A shift passed through the hall.
Subtle.
Controlled.
But Raikaro's voice continued.
Cold.
"But understand this…"
His gaze hardened slightly.
"I don't trust easily."
A pause.
"And I don't forgive mistakes."
Silence deepened again.
"If any of you even think about betrayal…"
His tone didn't rise.
"There won't be a second chance."
No anger.
No threat.
Just certainty.
For a moment—
No one spoke.
Then—
A faint smile appeared on Hyun-Woo's face.
"That will never happen."
He turned toward the others.
The hall grew still again.
"For four hundred years…" he began quietly.
"We survived in the dark."
His head lifted.
"Tonight…"
His eyes sharpened.
"We stop surviving."
A pause.
"We begin hunting."
The words spread through the hall like fire.
"The Yun bloodline ruled because fear protected them."
"That protection is gone."
Another breath.
"Josiah is dead."
"Their foundation is cracked."
His voice lowered.
"This is not rebellion."
Silence.
"This…"
"Is reclamation."
The atmosphere tightened.
"Prepare yourselves."
His final words fell heavily.
"This is the beginning of war."
The rebels didn't shout wildly.
Instead—
Their voices rose together.
Controlled.
Unified.
"War."
The sound echoed through the underground hall.
But among them—
One pair of eyes remained different.
Cold.
Sharp.
Watching.
Judging.
He stood slightly behind the others.
His gaze fixed directly on Raikaro.
Unmoved.
Unimpressed.
His thoughts were clear.
Why does Father trust this boy?
His jaw tightened slightly.
This… is the one we waited for?
Doubt.
Hidden.
But real.
He didn't speak.
Didn't step forward.
But his presence—
Was not quiet.
Min Jisoo.
And unlike the others—
He was not convinced.
To be continued…