The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 160: Chapter 160: The Eclipse’s Judgment

That evening, Ares left the capital of Valeris and headed toward the neighboring kingdom of Ramwel.

The situation between the two kingdoms had already become tense enough that there was little reason to wait for the conflict to officially begin before investigating it himself.

Ramwel had been gathering soldiers along the border for some time.

The kingdom had also stopped responding properly to diplomatic negotiations, and although they had not formally declared war, the movement of their military forces made their intentions increasingly obvious.

Ares wanted to see the situation with his own eyes.

There was no need to bring anyone with him.

He crossed the distance between the two kingdoms alone, moving through the night until the distant lights of Ramwel’s capital appeared beyond the mountains.

The city was still awake despite the late hour.

Several streets remained illuminated, and military activity could be seen throughout the outer districts. Soldiers moved through the streets in organized groups, supply wagons entered the city through the gates, and weapons were being transported toward the western side of the capital.

The atmosphere was noticeably different from Valeris.

There was tension everywhere.

Even the ordinary citizens seemed to sense that something was coming.

Ares eventually reached the royal palace.

He didn’t enter through the main gate.

Instead, he appeared silently on the roof of the palace and looked down toward the illuminated windows below.

There was a room on the upper floor where several powerful presences had gathered.

Ares moved toward it and stopped above them.

The voices below soon became clear.

"We have already completed the preparations."

A military commander stood before a large table covered with maps of the region.

"More than forty thousand soldiers have been assembled along the western frontier, and the remaining forces are currently being mobilized from the northern provinces."

A man sitting at the head of the table nodded.

He was the King of Ramwel.

His expression was stern as he examined the map spread before him.

"And the supplies?"

"Enough to maintain the army for several months."

Another official answered.

"We’ve also secured additional weapons and armor from the eastern territories. The siege equipment is being transported as we speak."

The king nodded.

"What about the knights?"

"The Royal Knights have already been placed under the command of the Swordmaster."

A tall man standing near the wall spoke.

His hand rested against the hilt of the sword at his waist.

"Every knight under my command is prepared."

The king looked toward him.

"And the border?"

"The soldiers stationed there have already begun constructing defensive positions. Once the main army arrives, we will be ready to advance."

One of the ministers leaned forward.

"Then there is only one thing left to decide."

The king looked at him.

"When do we begin?"

The room became quiet.

The minister pointed toward the map.

"If we move immediately after the final troops arrive, Valeris will have very little time to react. Their western defenses are weaker than ours, and if we take the border fortresses quickly, we can force their army into a defensive position before they have the opportunity to organize."

Another official nodded.

"Once the western territories fall, we can advance toward the capital."

The king remained silent for several seconds.

Then he slowly nodded.

"Prepare the final order."

The commander straightened.

"Your Majesty?"

"We will begin the invasion as soon as the army is assembled."

Several officials exchanged glances.

One of them smiled faintly.

"Understood."

Ares remained on the roof above them.

He had heard enough.

As I expected.

The war really is coming.

His gaze remained fixed on the room below.

If I kill the king here, Ramwel will probably descend into chaos. The nobles will fight over succession, the military will lose its command structure, and the civilians will suffer because of it.

Ares narrowed his eyes.

That’s not particularly useful.

He considered the situation for a moment.

Perhaps threatening them would be better.

There was no reason to destroy an entire kingdom simply because its ruler had made a foolish decision.

If they understood the consequences, they might retreat on their own.

And if they didn’t...

Ares slowly stood.

Then I’ll deal with them accordingly.

The next moment, the moonlight above the palace disappeared.

The room below suddenly became dark.

Several officials looked toward the windows in confusion.

"What happened?"

"Why did the lights—?"

Before anyone could finish speaking, the enormous windows of the chamber suddenly shattered inward.

CRAAAAASH!

Glass exploded across the room.

A figure descended through the opening.

He landed in the center of the chamber without making a sound.

The air seemed to stop.

The stranger wore a black-and-white Eclipse attire that concealed most of his body, while the hood cast his face into darkness.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

Then the Swordmaster reacted.

His hand immediately went to his sword.

SHING!

Steel flashed beneath the moonlight.

He stepped between the stranger and the king, pointing his blade directly at Ares.

"Who are you?"

The guards surrounding the chamber raised their weapons.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

"Protect His Majesty!"

"Don’t let him move!"

The king himself had risen from his seat.

His expression was tense as he stared at the mysterious figure standing in the center of the room.

"How did he get inside the palace?"

"I don’t know!"

"Seal the chamber!"

"Call the Royal Guard!"

The voices overlapped.

Ares looked at them.

Then he released a small portion of his power.

The air became unbearably heavy.

The floor beneath Ares’ feet cracked.

CRACK...

Then another crack spread across the stone.

CRACK!

The guards immediately dropped to their knees.

Several weapons slipped from trembling hands.

"Ugh..."

One of the ministers tried to stand.

His arms shook violently.

"What... is this...?"

The Swordmaster gritted his teeth.

His sword remained raised, but even his knees had begun trembling beneath the pressure.

"Your Majesty..."

His voice strained.

"Get behind me."

The king attempted to move.

He couldn’t.

His entire body felt as though an enormous mountain had been placed on his shoulders.

BOOOOM!

The palace shook.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

Several windows shattered from the pressure alone.

The floor beneath the table cracked apart, spreading toward the walls.

The guards struggled to breathe.

"Ghh..."

"Impossible..."

The Swordmaster’s face had become pale.

He had fought countless powerful opponents.

Yet he had never encountered pressure like this.

Ares finally spoke.

His voice was calm.

But it carried through the entire chamber with absolute authority.

"Withdraw your army."

Nobody answered.

Ares continued.

"Call your soldiers back from the Valeris border, cancel your invasion, and abandon whatever plans you have made against that kingdom."

The pressure increased slightly.

CRAAAAK!

The floor beneath the king’s chair shattered.

"If you continue with this war..."

Ares’ voice became colder.

"I will return."

The king’s breathing became ragged.

Ares looked directly at him from beneath the hood.

"And when I return, I will not come here to issue another warning."

The surrounding walls trembled.

"I will destroy this palace."

The ministers stared at him in terror.

"I will slaughter the royal family."

The Swordmaster’s eyes widened.

"And if you still choose to continue..."

Ares paused.

The entire chamber became silent.

"...I will erase this kingdom and bring it into ruins."

The pressure suddenly intensified.

BOOOOOOM!

The palace shook violently.

Several pillars cracked.

The stone beneath the ministers’ knees fractured.

"I will leave nothing for your soldiers to defend, nothing for your nobles to rule, and nothing for your enemies to conquer."

His voice remained frighteningly calm.

"Your kingdom will become nothing more than a ruin."

Ares lowered his hand.

"Remember this."

The pressure disappeared.

Everyone collapsed.

THUD!

The Swordmaster dropped onto one knee, breathing heavily as he struggled to recover.

The ministers gasped for air.

The king gripped the edge of the table, his entire body trembling.

Ares looked at them one final time.

"That is your only warning."

Then his figure vanished.

The chamber remained silent.

For several seconds, nobody dared to move.

The Swordmaster finally lowered his sword.

CLANG.

The blade struck the floor.

He took several deep breaths.

"Haa... haa..."

One of the ministers crawled toward the king.

"Your Majesty... are you alright?"

The king didn’t answer immediately.

His face was pale.

His breathing was still unstable.

"I..."

He swallowed.

"Such power..."

His hand trembled against the table.

"I thought I was going to die."

The Swordmaster looked toward the shattered windows.

"That man..."

His expression remained shaken.

"To think that even I was forced onto my knees simply because he released his presence."

He looked down at his trembling hand.

"Who exactly was that?"

One of the ministers spoke quietly.

"Could he have been sent by Valeris?"

Another shook his head.

"That doesn’t make sense."

"Why?"

"Because no ordinary Superhuman or even Superior-level individual could produce pressure like that."

The Swordmaster’s expression darkened.

"I agree."

He had spent his entire life studying the limits of combat ability.

That man’s strength had been beyond anything he understood.

The king slowly sat down.

"What should we do now?"

Nobody answered.

The commander looked toward the map.

"Your Majesty..."

He hesitated.

"Should we continue the preparations?"

The king looked at him.

His expression immediately became complicated.

Several moments passed.

Then he shook his head.

"No."

The commander froze.

"Your Majesty?"

"We were warned."

The king looked toward the shattered window.

"I have no intention of discovering whether that man was speaking the truth."

The minister slowly nodded.

"Then should we withdraw the troops?"

"Yes."

The king’s voice was still slightly unsteady.

"Send an order immediately. Tell the western army to halt its advance and begin withdrawing."

"But what about the invasion?"

The king stared at him.

"Cancel it."

Nobody argued.

For the first time that night, the room seemed to breathe again.

Then—

"YOUR MAJESTY!"

The door suddenly opened.

A knight stumbled inside.

He was breathing heavily.

"What happened?"

The knight dropped to one knee.

The knight swallowed.

"There have been disturbances throughout the city."

The king frowned.

"Explain."

"Several buildings have lost power. Some guards stationed near the merchant district have collapsed without explanation, and..."

The knight hesitated.

"And what?"

He looked toward the shattered windows.

"The entire sky has become unusually dark."

Everyone turned toward the windows.

The moon had been visible only moments ago.

Now it was completely covered.

Not by clouds.

By darkness.

The moonlight had vanished from the city.

The king’s expression changed.

The Swordmaster immediately stood.

"What..."

A black shadow seemed to stretch across the sky, swallowing the moon until only darkness remained above the palace.

Nobody spoke.

Then the Swordmaster remembered the words he had just heard.

I will erase this kingdom.

His face became pale.

"Could it be..."

One of the ministers stepped backward.

"Is he still here?"

"No."

The Swordmaster looked around.

"He disappeared."

"Then why is the sky like this?"

Nobody knew.

The king stared upward.

The fear that had begun to fade returned immediately.

"Withdraw everything."

His voice was firm this time.

"All troops."

He looked toward the commander.

"Send the order now."

The commander immediately bowed.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The room erupted into movement.

Officers rushed toward the doors.

Messengers were summoned.

Orders were rewritten.

The invasion that had been prepared for weeks was being cancelled within minutes.

Nobody knew whether the mysterious figure would return.

And nobody wanted to find out what would happen if he did.

---

Several kilometers away, Ares stood on the roof of a quiet building overlooking another district of the capital.

He exhaled slowly.

"I’m sure they’ll understand now."

A faint smile appeared beneath his hood.

The warning had been more than enough.

He had no interest in destroying Ramwel.

At least, not unless they forced him to.

But there was another reason he had deliberately caused such a commotion.

Ares’ gaze shifted toward the southern merchant district.

"Hmm..."

He had sensed something unusual there.

A large slave-trading company operated in that area, and the concentration of guards surrounding the building suggested that it was far more than an ordinary merchant organization.

More importantly, there were traces of magical restraints beneath the building.

Ares smiled faintly.

"So that’s what they’re hiding."

He disappeared.

---

The slave-trading compound was enormous.

Several buildings had been connected together, forming a heavily guarded complex surrounded by high walls.

There were guards stationed at every entrance.

None of them were conscious anymore.

They lay scattered across the ground, completely unharmed but unable to move after Ares’ presence had swept through the compound.

Inside, the same thing had happened.

Workers.

Guards.

Managers.

Every person involved in the operation had collapsed without ever realizing what had happened.

Ares walked through the corridors without encountering resistance.

Eventually, he reached a reinforced door beneath the main building.

He opened it.

The room beyond was dark.

Then he saw them.

Rows of iron cells filled the chamber.

More than fifty children were being held inside.

Boys and girls.

Most of them appeared to be between eight and ten years old.

The majority were young girls, though several boys were scattered among them.

Their clothing was worn and dirty.

Some were barefoot.

Others had pieces of torn cloth wrapped around their bodies.

Their faces were covered in dirt, and several children had visible bruises on their arms, legs, and faces.

Some were sitting against the walls.

Others were curled up in corners.

A few simply stared at the ground.

That was what made the room feel worse.

They had already reached the point where they no longer believed escape was possible.

The sound of Ares’ footsteps echoed through the chamber.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

The children slowly raised their heads.

Their eyes followed the hooded figure walking toward them.

There was fear in some of their expressions.

But most of them simply looked empty.

Hopeless.

As though they had already accepted whatever fate awaited them.

Ares stopped in front of the first row of cells.

He looked at them for several seconds.

Then he released his Eclipse power.

Darkness spread across the room.

The children immediately felt the difference.

The oppressive atmosphere that had surrounded them disappeared.

Something powerful had entered the room.

But unlike the power that had terrified the adults outside, this one did not feel hostile.

It felt overwhelming.

The chains around the cells began trembling.

CRACK.

One cell door bent.

Then another.

Ares raised one hand.

The Eclipse energy spread outward.

CRAAAAASH!

The iron doors of the cells were destroyed simultaneously.

The children flinched.

Some covered their heads.

Others stared at the remains of the doors in disbelief.

Ares lowered his hand.

"You don’t have to stay here anymore."

Nobody moved.

He continued.

"You’ve spent enough time being treated as property."

The children looked at him.

Ares’ voice remained calm.

"I’m giving you another choice."

He looked across the entire room.

"You can remain here and return to the people who imprisoned you..."

He paused.

"...or you can leave this place and begin a new life."

The children remained silent.

Ares continued.

"But a new life requires strength."

A faint darkness gathered around his fingers.

"I can give you that strength."

Several children stared at him.

Ares looked at them one by one.

"You will have the opportunity to become stronger than the people who once controlled you."

He lowered his hand.

"You will have food."

"You will have a place to sleep."

"You will be given an opportunity to learn."

His voice became slightly colder.

"And no one will ever be allowed to treat you as property again."

The room remained silent.

A small girl finally stepped forward.

Her voice trembled.

"If... if we go with you..."

She swallowed.

"What will happen to us?"

Ares looked at her.

"You will be given a choice."

The girl stared at him.

Another child slowly raised her hand.

"Will you hurt us?"

"No."

Ares answered immediately.

"Then..."

The girl hesitated.

"I want to go."

Another child stepped forward.

"I want to go too."

Then another.

"I don’t want to stay here."

A boy wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

"I want to leave."

One after another, the children began stepping forward.

Their voices remained quiet and frightened, but there was something in them that had not been present before.

Hope.

Ares watched them.

Then he flicked his finger.

The Eclipse energy spread through the room.

The children disappeared.

---

At the main headquarters of the Eclipse Order, several members were training in the central hall.

The sound of weapons echoed through the enormous chamber.

CLANG!

Two swords collided.

One of the members immediately stepped back.

Another attacked.

SHING!

The swords moved faster.

The training continued at a speed that would have been impossible for ordinary warriors to follow.

Then the atmosphere changed.

A ripple of Eclipse energy appeared in the center of the hall.

Everyone stopped.

The children appeared.

More than fifty of them suddenly stood together in the middle of the headquarters.

They looked around in confusion.

The members of the Eclipse Order immediately lowered their weapons.

A figure appeared behind the children.

Ares.

The instant they recognized him, every nearby member immediately knelt.

"Great Eclipse."

The children turned.

Ares looked at them.

Lydia quickly approached.

She stopped several meters away and bowed deeply.

"Great Eclipse."

Ares nodded.

"Lydia."

"Yes, Master."

Ares looked toward the children.

"These children were being held by a slave-trading organization in Ramwel."

Lydia’s expression immediately hardened.

Ares continued.

"I’ve already given them Eclipse power."

He looked over the group.

"Most of them possess considerable potential."

Lydia studied the children carefully.

"Understood."

Ares turned toward her.

"I’ll leave them in your care."

Lydia bowed.

"Yes, Master."

Ares nodded.

Then he began walking away.

He had taken only a few steps when a small voice stopped him.

"Wait..."

Ares paused.

He turned around.

One of the older girls had stepped forward.

Her hands were trembling.

"There are... others."

Ares’ expression became serious.

"Others?"

The girl nodded.

"They weren’t all kept here."

Another girl stepped beside her.

"There are more children inside the royal palace."

Lydia’s eyes narrowed.

The girl continued.

"Some of them are kept there because they’re supposed to be sold to nobles and wealthy people."

Her voice trembled.

"They said those children would be given to important people to serve them but they’re treating them badly and hurting them."

She lowered her head.

Silence filled the hall.

Ares’ expression became colder.

Another girl spoke quietly.

"Please..."

She looked toward him.

"If you can save us..."

Her voice broke.

"Please save them too."

Ares remained still for several seconds.

Then his gaze hardened.

"I understand."

He disappeared.

The children watched the place where he had been standing.

Lydia slowly turned toward them.

She looked at each child carefully.

Their condition was terrible.

Yet beneath the exhaustion, fear, and uncertainty, she could already sense something else.

Potential.

A faint trace of Eclipse energy moved through several of them far more naturally than the others.

Lydia’s eyes narrowed.

Master was right.

Some of them possess extraordinary potential.

She looked toward the children again.

I’ll need to inform the Eclipse’s Hands immediately.

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