The gates opened, and the warriors who had succeeded in escaping the cave found themselves in an arena prepared by the Golden Knights.

The leader, Orus, along with the two other knights, appeared on a platform above the arena.

"Congratulations, warriors. You have successfully escaped the Hallucination Cave and have proven your worth, both physically and mentally," he said.

"I would also like to commend all the remaining warriors here, and let them know that they are among the best. They deserve to be in high positions. However, as we all know, there is only one seat for the position of the Golden Knight. Therefore, in the final challenge, we are looking for the best of the best."

There were ten warriors remaining in the challenge, divided into four teams:

Knight V and his team,

Wolf and his team,

The Blue Swordsman and his team,

Michael, the only remaining warrior from his team.

The situation in the arena was strange, as everyone stared at Knight V and Michael, who were both injured and completely covered in blood.

The Blue Swordsman spoke up,

"What happened to you guys, for heaven's sake? Did you fight or something?"

"Nothing," replied the knight, trying to avoid looking at Michael, his anger making it difficult to control himself and keep from breaking the rules.

Wolf also spoke sarcastically,

"Michael, it seems like you lost your team, haha. You’re in trouble now. You look like you're on the verge of death, my friend. You could die at any moment."

Michael did not respond and remained sitting, holding his injury, seemingly lost in thought.

Leader Orus interrupted,

"Please pay attention, everyone."

He continued,

"As for the final challenge, it will consist of three-on-three battles. The winning team from each round will face the winner from the other side in the final confrontation. The individual with the best performance from the winning team will be crowned the Golden Knight."

Wolf spoke up,

"But there's someone here who is all alone from his team, haha. But that's okay, the withdrawal rule applies in the third round, doesn't it?"

Orus answered,

"You can participate alone; that's allowed. But yes, in the case of withdrawal, it's permitted in this round. So, what will you decide, Sir Michael?"

Michael replied,

"I will continue."

"Alright, no problem. We will send out the opposing teams two days from now. Also, everyone here can take advantage of the training and advanced medical facilities to prepare for the final round. Now, you may go until further notice. Thank you."

Everyone dispersed, either to rest or prepare for the final challenge.

Shortly after, one of the aides arrived.

"Excuse me, Sir Orus, the knight Seraphina has requested your presence at the main palace. There's an emergency meeting."

Orus was surprised.

"An emergency meeting? What happened?"

"I don't know, but I was just instructed to inform you," she replied.

Iliana spoke up,

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"The main palace? This can't be good."

Knight Garok, known as the Iron Wall, said,

"I think we need to move quickly."

The three knights arrived at the main palace, where the council members and King Alaric Valdorn had already gathered, along with Golden Knight Seraphina and Golden Knight Kai, who had arrived earlier.

The knights entered and bowed. Orus spoke first,

"Apologies, Your Majesty, we were delayed due to the preparations for the Golden Knights competition."

The king responded,

"No need to apologize. Please, sit, and let the meeting begin."

"Understood," Orus replied, noticing that everyone seemed tense.

The meeting began.

Seraphina spoke,

"I would like to inform you that the envoy we sent to the Air and wings Kingdom has returned, but unfortunately..."

Orus immediately understood what she was going to say.

"What happened?"

"They returned him in a wooden box, sent by the Winds Kingdom in an insulting manner. Please, examine the box. It's right there."

Orus stood up and went to the box. He opened it and was shocked. Inside, there was only the envoy’s head on a spear, wrapped in a white flag, with the word "WAR" written on it in blood.

Orus composed himself and whispered softly,

"Rest in peace. You served the kingdom faithfully ."

He then closed the box and returned to his seat.

"I can't believe this is happening with the Winds Kingdom."

Iliana spoke up,

"So, they've declared war outright, with no room for negotiation."

One of the council members asked,

"Should we declare a state of emergency?"

Orus replied,

"I don’t think that’s a good idea. It will cause widespread panic and chaos. Let’s prepare for war first without announcing anything. I will go with one of the knights to officially inquire about what happened. I want to make war the last possible option."

Iliana spoke passionately,

"Evading war? Do you realize they insulted the kingdom with this act? Are you going to remain silent about the murder of one of our envoys?"

Orus replied,

"Yes, you are right. But war will also result in far more deaths you know this better than i do."

The king spoke,

"Both of you are right. War should be a last resort, but if it’s unavoidable, there is no other solution."

One of the advisors asked,

"Have we received any explanation yet as to why they declared war or what their demands are?"

Lady Seraphina spoke,

"Didn't they want to break away from the Golden Kingdom and become an independent kingdom?"

Orus answered,

"First, an unknown individual appeared, seized control of the kingdom, overthrew Prince Ando and his other officials, and then declared independence from the Golden Kingdom. When we inquired, they responded in such a brutal way, ensuring the war would ignite. So, I believe the issue is deeper than just a desire for independence."

The king said,

"So, you and Garok will go to the Winds Kingdom officially, accompanied by advisors. You will engage in negotiations to see if war can be avoided. You will hear their demands and then return here to discuss them. In the end, we will reach a conclusion: peace or war.

As for Iliana, you will accelerate the pace of the golden knights competition so we make sure all the six golden knights are ready .

Finally, Kai and Seraphina, you will prepare the soldiers and the weapons and magical equipment in preparation for war, but without any public announcement."

"Is that clear?"

They all answered,

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Meanwhile, in the Winds Kingdom

"The support teams sent by the General have arrived."

Shane spoke,

"Excellent, just in time. Now, increase the poison factory's output to four times its current capacity. Tell the military trainer to come here immediately."

"Understood, Sir."

A soldier entered,

"Apologies, Sir. You've received a call from the General."

The call was in the form of a magical piece used for communication between two parties via undetectable magical waves so others will not know the source or the location.

Shane took the piece and the soldier left.

"Hello, General."

"The support teams have arrived. Have you finished the preparations?"

"Almost, Sir. Everything is under control. Just a few details left. Trust me."

"I don't want too many casualties. Don’t mess this up. Follow the plan as I outlined. Do you understand?"

"Of course, Sir. We are now in the final stages before the war. You can count on me."

"By the way, why did you kill the envoy from the Golden Kingdom?"

"That was to force them into war without thinking."

"Anyway, don’t get too reckless or overconfident. Remember, I can't send additional support because we are involved in other operations. You will have to rely on what you have. Keep that in mind."

"Understood. You can rely on me. I will send you the final preparation report as soon as we finish."

Shane sighed and then said sarcastically to one of his advisors in the palace,

"It's hard to please this general, isn’t it?"

"True. That's why we’ll make sure everything goes smoothly."

Shane smiled,

"A small kingdom challenging the Golden Kingdom. This will be quite fun."

The military trainer arrived,

"I've come as requested, Sir."

"Excellent. How is the poison stockpile?"

"We have enough for training and war. Don't worry about anything. We have it under control."

"Good. Listen, the new teams have arrived. You will train them to use the poisons and other techniques. I want them ready for actual combat as soon as possible."

"Understood, Sir. They’ll be ready in two to three weeks, at most."

"Good. You may leave now."

Shane spoke to the advisor,

"Now, all that remains is to prepare the citizens and gain their support."