Chapter 26: A Curse Upon the Candy Kingdom (2)

Chapter 26: A Curse Upon the Candy Kingdom (2)

Finn, still airborne, barely had a moment to process what was happening. From his perspective, the incoming orb’s radiance intensified, its lethal energy distorting the air around it. Time seemed to slow.

The world around him dimmed. His senses sharpened.

The weight of the moment pressed against his very core. There was no turning back.

His body screamed in protest, his instincts urging him to flee—but he refused. He wouldn’t run. Not this time.

His hand shot forward, fingers outstretched.

The moment his fingertips grazed the energy sphere, pain unlike anything he had ever known roared through his body.

It was like touching the surface of a dying star.

Agony shot through his bones, searing into his very essence. His vision blurred as an unbearable weight threatened to crush him beneath its magnitude. His muscles screamed, his veins burned, and every nerve in his body begged for release.

But he gritted his teeth, refusing to let go.

Finn’s willpower surged, battling against the unrelenting **** of destruction before him. He could feel the energy bending beneath his grasp, the once-chaotic power slowly yielding to his determination.

A vibrant green hue enveloped the battlefield as the energy in his grip began to condense.

He roared through the pain, every muscle in his body tensing as he poured everything he had into this moment. His veins pulsed violently, his cries of exhaustion echoing into the sky.

But it was working.

The massive energy sphere, once an untamed **** of devastation, began to shrink in his grasp. Its chaotic essence now belonged to him.

Down on the ground, just before the mysterious figure could release their accumulated blue flames, the massive orb was suddenly engulfed in a brilliant green glow. A breathtaking fusion of pink and green clashed in the sky, swirling like celestial storms in an eerie, mesmerizing display. The figure hesitated, their flames flickering uncertainly between their fingers, as if sensing an immense shift in power.

Finn’s palm bore the mark of the domain, pulsating faintly as he aimed his hand at the orb. A surge of unseen **** rippled through the battlefield. Then, in an instant, the orb vanished.

[Wait, what just happened?!]

"I simply transferred the orb into the domain," Finn responded casually, shaking out his still-burning hand.

[Wait, what?! Just like that?!]

"Yeah," he shrugged. Then, more somberly, he added, "But it wasn’t free."

He glanced down at his arm, the raw consequences of his defiance laid bare. His skin, once intact, was now seared an angry crimson. Blood seeped from deep, jagged gashes that marred his forearm. Bone protruded at odd angles beneath torn flesh, hinting at fractures buried beneath the surface. Every pulse of pain was a reminder—the cost of wielding such power was steep.

A sudden, heavy thud resounded across the battlefield, pulling his attention away from his injuries.

The monstrous guardian—his relentless executioner—was faltering.

The giant swayed unsteadily, his once-brilliant pink glow now dimming into a sickly, fading hue. The ferocity in his crimson eyes was gone. Confusion replaced hatred.

He staggered, a massive, trembling hand clutching at the empty air as if searching for something. For meaning. For strength.

Then, his towering frame unraveled.

A low, distorted wail emanated from his dissolving form. His massive body disintegrated like fragile dust caught in a gentle breeze, dispersing in shimmering clouds across the battlefield. For all his power, for all his rage—he was gone.

The eerie silence that followed was deafening.

Finn remained motionless, watching as the final remnants of his adversary drifted away. This wasn’t how he expected the battle to end. His mind had been focused on survival, not on victory.

"What... was that?" His voice was hoarse with disbelief. This moment felt unreal.

[The duration of its berserk power has ended, which lasts only ten minutes.]

Finn exhaled sharply. So that was it.

He hadn’t overpowered the guardian. He had simply outlasted it.

A mix of relief and exhaustion washed over him. Facing a Level Nine creature of the True Phase had been an impossible battle, even in peak condition. Fighting one while injured? Suicide.

Adjusting the cloth covering half of his face, Finn turned toward the kingdom. His limbs ached, his vision blurred from exertion, but he pressed on. He had survived the guardian. Now came the real challenge.

Even though PB had lost trust in him, the people of Ooo still saw him as the savior willing to risk his life for them. That was a reputation he had no intention of losing—no matter what.

As he crossed the kingdom’s borders, a presence awaited him.

Atop the castle, PB stood like a looming specter.

The sky behind her burned with the remnants of battle, casting her form in a harsh, silhouetted glow. She sat poised on the back of her great war bird, unmoving, watching. Her piercing gaze carried a weight colder than the grave.

Finn floated closer, stopping a short distance from her.

The boy hovered on faint air, his battered form levitating in quiet defiance. Before him, the princess remained rigid, her spine straight, her expression carved from steel. Pride. Authority. Absolute control. She was the unshaken ruler of the Candy Kingdom, and right now, her throne had been challenged.

Her eyes locked onto him, sharp enough to cut through flesh.

Finn, however, wasn’t looking at her.

His gaze drifted downward—to the ruins of the Candy Kingdom. The destruction. The devastation.

All because of him.

PB smirked mockingly, tilting her head ever so slightly as she regarded Finn with eyes filled with hatred and contempt. "Admiring what you’ve done to my kingdom?" Her voice was like a sharpened blade, cutting through the air with a venomous edge.

She exhaled, the tension in her jaw tightening as her fingers curled into trembling fists. "I don’t know who you are, nor do I know your problem with my dear kingdom. But know this—I would have been open to discussion and negotiation... but now..." She clenched her teeth, barely holding back the rage bubbling inside her. "Even if you have the most convincing reasons, you will die."

Her biggest concern wasn’t just the destruction. It was why.

Why had he come like this?

If he had grievances, if he had issues, why not speak first? Why had he chosen ****? Why had he chosen war?

Finn moved deliberately, his body tilting forward, soaring toward her at full speed. His movements were precise, unwavering. His expression carried an unspoken confidence, a glint of mockery dancing in his eyes—and he didn’t even try to hide it.

[It’s a trap.]

"I know," he muttered under his breath.

[?]

Just meters away from reaching her, his momentum was suddenly shattered.

An invisible **** slammed into him mid-air, stopping him instantly as though he had crashed into an unseen wall of pure energy. His body convulsed as an eerie red glow enveloped him, tendrils of searing light spiraling around his limbs.

Sturdy red rings materialized, wrapping around him in a suffocating vice, binding him from all directions. They constricted with unrelenting ****, robbing him of his freedom.

His flight was stolen from him. Gravity seized control.

With a sharp jerk, he plummeted downward, spiraling through the air. But even in the face of an unexpected capture, his mind remained razor-sharp. He adjusted mid-fall, angling his descent.

Toward the royal palace window.

From above, PB watched the scene unfold, her expression darkening as she observed his seemingly **** crash. The impact sent shards of pink-glass flying inward, dust and fragments scattering across the pristine castle floor.

A slow smirk tugged at her lips. How pathetic.

She turned her bird toward the entrance, already convinced of her victory. The cheers of the Candy Kingdom citizens echoed behind her, the sound of celebration swelling like a victorious anthem. Their revered queen had won.

As she dismounted, her movements were graceful yet brimming with undeniable malice. She strode into the palace, her mind already weaving twisted ideas—a hundred ways she could make him pay.

His crime was beyond comprehension.

The penalty? Absolute suffering.

However—

The moment she stepped through the shattered window, her expression twisted in shock.

The room was empty.

Her heart skipped a beat, and her breath hitched in her throat.

Something was wrong.

Her gaze fell downward, and a sudden wave of fear tightened around her chest.

Scattered across the floor... were shattered red fragments.

Her spell. Broken.

"Damn it..." she whispered, her voice laced with disbelief.

She kneeled, lifting one of the pieces between her fingers, turning it over. This shouldn’t be possible.

The spell was something she had obtained by chance—a rare, unbreakable construct that created an invisible wall around its target. Once activated, it would bind even the strongest beings, rendering them completely powerless. She had tested it.

Even her strongest guardians couldn’t break free.

But now... it lay before her, shattered like fragile glass.

Her fingers tightened around the fragment. A faint green residue lingered on its surface, pulsing weakly before fading into nothing.

Her lips parted slightly. What the h—

A shadow moved behind her.

A sudden, overwhelming presence flooded the air.

A chill slithered down her spine.

Her fingers trembled, the fragment slipping from her grasp, shattering against the pink floor beneath her.

Her breath hitched as realization struck.

She wasn’t alone.

Something—someone—was standing right behind her.

"Damn..." she whispered, recognizing the figure standing behind her.

The air had grown heavier, suffocating in its silence. She turned her head slowly, her breath shallow, heart hammering against her ribs. There he was.

The boy stood just behind her, his stance casual, almost lazy, yet his presence was a weight pressing down on her chest. He was slightly shorter than her, his face partially hidden behind that damn mask—but his eyes...

His eyes burned.

There was something unrecognizable in them, something dark and unreadable, something that sent a dangerous chill down her spine. She wasn’t used to not understanding the people before her. She could read intentions, break them down like equations. But him? He was chaos wrapped in flesh.

Before she could react, he shoved her forward, his grip unrelenting but controlled. She stumbled toward the door of her chamber, her mind racing to process what was happening.

He wasn’t going to kill her.

Not yet.

No, he wanted something else.

Her pulse quickened as she understood. He wanted her to open it.

The control panel blinked expectantly, waiting for input. Her fingers hovered over it, shaking slightly, her thoughts scrambling for an alternative, a trap, a delay, anything.

But there was nothing.

With the power he had displayed, her weapons were meaningless, her technology useless. She had no leverage.

Gritting her teeth, she entered the code. A soft chime rang out, and the door slid open with a hiss.

She stepped inside, every muscle in her body coiled with tension, waiting, calculating. But the moment she turned, he was already there, moving with silent precision, pushing her further inside before the door sealed shut behind them.

The lock engaged with a soft click.

Trapped.

PB stood frozen for a fraction of a second before forcing herself to move, slowly, deliberately, as she sat on the edge of her bed.

Her eyes stayed locked onto him, her gaze steady, but inside—she was spiraling.

There was fear, yes. But fear was only one component of what she was feeling.

There was confusion. There was rage. There was an unrelenting need to understand.

How had this happened? How had she gone from standing victorious over his supposed failure to being the one outplayed?

It was infuriating.

And yet, she could do nothing but wait.

He moved toward her, each step calm, slow, measured. The air thickened between them, heavy with an intensity that made her grip the fabric of her dress, knuckles whitening.

He stopped, leaned in slightly—just close enough for her breath to hitch—before his voice curled into her ear, laced with dark amusement.

"Looks like... your prayers weren’t answered, Princess."

The words slithered into her, coiling around her nerves, taunting, playful, dripping with satisfaction.

Her chest tightened violently. A sharp, involuntary tremor shot through her fingers. That voice...

It was familiar. Too familiar.

Her eyes trembled as she slowly lifted her gaze, watching in muted horror as his hand moved casually, fingers hooking onto the edge of his mask.

Time slowed. Her breath stopped. No.

The fabric slid away, revealing the smirk beneath it—

The unmistakable, cocky, infuriating smirk.

The face she thought she would never see again.

"Did you miss me?"

Finn’s voice carried unfathomable mischief, every syllable laced with a quiet, knowing amusement.

Her lips parted, but no words came out. Her entire body locked up, as if struck by lightning.

She had faced warlords. She had fought abominations. She had conquered entire battlefields.

But this?

This was the one thing she never prepared for.

"You..." she finally breathed, her voice weak with disbelief.

A tremor ran through her body.

Because standing before her, alive and smirking like he had never left—

Was a ghost.

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