The Almighty Dominance

Alex stepped into the ruined shell of Logan's mansion.

"Logan! You jerk!" Alex shouted.

"Don't tell me you've already died inside this rubble, you weak bastard. How can you crave the throne when you fall apart over a pile of stones?"

Logan wasn't Samuel the old monster - nobody was.

Still, he ranked among the country's top five fighters. He rose from the wreckage, dust and torn fabric clinging to him, half his shirt shredded, chest exposed like a dare.

"Who the hell are you, destroying my house?" Logan bellowed, voice rough with anger and something close to fear.

"You know me." Alex took a step forward until they were face to face.

"Alex?" Logan sneered, wiping dirt from his lip.

"Aren't you the man who wiped out the Guise family

—

part of Kingwell? You've

been banished. What are you doing here?"

"Say the king found you intolerable and sent me back to Kingwell to teach you a lesson," Alex replied, slow and cold.

"I've also got a personal score to settle - Charles Kingston. That bastard wrecked my life and lit a fire in me. You happen to support him, so I came here to slap your face."

"You're insane!" Logan laughed, too loud.

"I've got hundreds of thousands of soldiers ready. I knew the king would send someone. I'm prepared."

"Really?" Alex laughed, low and sharp. "I'll give you twenty minutes to call every one of them. Twenty minutes to bring your army here. I'll open your eyes to what Kingswell really is."

Logan barked a laugh that tried to be fearless. "Twenty minutes? You think that's enough to gather Kingswell's forces? I'll give you ten minutes instead."

He believed in his power the way men believe in armor — blindly, stubbornly.

For ten years he'd stacked men, money, and promises. In his head, a hundred thousand soldiers would answer his call and crush Kingswell-then the king himself.

That army would be enough to lift him onto the throne.

"I'll wait ten minutes, then," Alex said, crossing his arms as he stared up at the black sky filled with stars.

He'd been here too long. He'd let his mission-to find his parents-slip through his hands.

This country had chewed at him and held him down.

to leave-to find a way to the Earth Empire, the place where

heard his father came from there, and he needed

Empire didn't welcome outsiders. Only citizens of the top

Alex's country now, was the poorest of the seven nations

even allowed to set foot in the fifth

treated like unwanted immigrants,

reach the Earth Empire, he'd have to start from the bottom.

his way up-sixth, fifth,

nearly impossible. Every

country despised outsiders, especially immigrants from Estoria-they were

to slip into other

like slaves, stripped of dignity

minutes are

alone in the

thousand

the night. Fighter jets roared above, targeting him

Kingswell soldiers now?" Logan taunted, laughing with arrogance. "I'm going to

Alex said with a faint smile. "Do you even know why the battles between kings

Logan's grin faltered.

across

stepping closer.

of energy burst from

beneath his

slamming into him, forcing him to

struggled, teeth grinding, muscles shaking under the

collapsing one by one. Their

helicopters lost control, spinning wildly before crashing into

the dark horizon before erupting in distant

were left standing or rather,

beside Logan, who was gasping, his knees

you something, Logan,” Alex said

driving Logan's body lower

Alex said, voice flat as a blade, "a million soldiers are just ants. What can an army do against a single human who

to the fallen soldiers around

your hundred thousand

"Who are you?" he asked, the

"Alexander Leonhart," Alex answered.

"Are there many like you in

and dangerous. "My master has many disciples.

king belongs to our order. He has brothers and sisters like

across the cheek-once, twice-each

the king and all of them? I alone am enough to ruin you. Tell me again what you're so