Is this really a Game?!

The commanders, Sir Waldos and Lady Nesa exchanged skeptical glances but recognized the gravity of the situation. They immediately relayed the urgent message to the kings of Elais and Irason, emphasizing the critical need for their presence.

As the royal guards awaited the kings' response, Aragos and Adrian, flanked by Reign and Nayle's team, maintained a tense standoff between the two groups. The soldiers eyed each other warily, weapons at the ready, but a silent understanding passed between the leaders.

Within moments, the air crackled with magic, and the kings of Elais and Irason appeared simultaneously through the teleportation arrays. King Azkaran, a tall and dignified figure with a regal presence, stood beside the commander of his royal guards, as did King Irodis, a seasoned ruler known for his strategic brilliance.

The sight of the two kings appearing at the same time in the borderlands sent shockwaves through the gathered royal guards. It was an unprecedented event, and the air became thick with anticipation.

The two kings had not been briefed on what was going on, the only thing they knew was that the beacons were used and that the princes were in a dire situation. Upon appearing, and seeing each other, the two stood still, their faces frozen, devoid of any emotions.

And just like that, both men disappeared and appeared in the middle of the area, both having drawn their weapons and slashing at one another.

Had it not been for Adrian and Aragos, who had moved even before them and appeared between the two, they would have already started fighting.

"Son, move out of the way."

"My grandson, you will listen to me and step down."

The two kings didn't even glance at Adrian and Aragos, they simply continued staring at one another, their auras rising and making it difficult for the royal guards who had no idea what they were supposed to do at this moment.

"And he took it from me, he rose to become king, and look at what happened, nothing but stagnation for decades!"

"That is why I decided to take matters into my own hands."

"I will do as was foretold, I will become king and let the kingdom prosper, as it has always been my fate to do so."

The voice of Avargan suddenly echoed through the area as Reign took a step forward while holding the memory crystal in his hand.

King Irodis immediately recognized the voice of his brother and stared in shock at the crystal in Reign's hand.

"Sirs, please, listen to this before doing anything, trust me, and trust them, this is something you need to hear." Reign said as Aragos and Adrian both nodded as the two kings glanced at one another before glancing at Reign.

It was clear they were not fully convinced, but the short three sentences they heard had been enough to make them realize that something truly was wrong here.

Reluctantly, King Azkaran and King Irodis sheathed their weapons, their eyes locked in a silent agreement. They motioned for Reign to play the recording, and as the crystal emitted Avargan's voice, the tense atmosphere thickened with each revelation.

The kings listened, their expressions shifting from skepticism to shock and finally to a mixture of anger and concern. Avargan's betrayal, the elaborate trap, and the unexpected interference during the battle unfolded before them. As the recording played, the royal guards also tuned in, their confusion giving way to realization.

When the voice of Avargan spoke of a plan to seize the throne for the sake of the kingdom's prosperity, King Irodis's eyes narrowed. The weight of the words hung heavy in the air as the truth unraveled. The brothers, once bound by blood, now stood on opposing sides of a dangerous conflict.

The auras of both kings flared up multiple times during the recording. Both men realized that they had been tricked by the same person, the war they were waging against one another being started by him.

Azkaran was not only shocked but also confused.

"How … the array, the resonance, how did he do it, how did he manage to tamper with it?"

"He didn't." Reign said as he sighed before explaining to the king how identical twins like Irodis and Avargan shared more DNA compared to siblings and even regular twins. Because of that, the resonance would have been nearly the same, only slightly, almost unnoticeably different had the blood used been Avargan's.

Those words proved enough for King Azkaran to drop to his knees in shock.

"Twenty years … I have waged war for twenty years because of what happened to my daughter."

"For twenty years, I have sent out men, good men, loyal men, brave men, out to die, to reclaim our honor and to give us justice, and I have done it all for naught."

"I have done exactly what the bastard wanted, and the worst part is the fact that I was completely oblivious to it, confident that I was doing the right thing, that the target of my revenge was the right person."

"For twenty years, I have done nothing but cause suffering on my people, on my kingdom, and I have done it for nothing."

"No, I wish it was for nothing, I have actually done it to the advantage of the perpetrator."

It was as if Azkaran's spirit was broken.

He seemed … nearly dead inside.

Reign and the others could not even begin to imagine the emotions the king currently had.

To hear that everything you had done for the last two decades was just what the man that caused you so much suffering wanted, that alone was enough to make people despair, and yet, that was not even the worst of it.

King Irodis, on the other hand, was conflicted. He had been manipulated into waging war by his own brother, believing it to be a pursuit of destiny and the greater good. The revelation shook him to the core, realizing the extent of Avargan's cunning deception.

Reign, Aragos, Adrian, and Nayle's team watched the kings closely, understanding the heavy burden of truth they now carried. The royal guards, too, shared in the collective realization of the magnitude of the deception that had fueled the conflict between Elais and Irason for two decades.

King Azkaran, regaining some composure, rose from his kneeling position. The fire in his eyes was replaced by a haunted reflection. "We must find Avargan and put an end to this madness. That man has caused so much grief and madness to descend over our two kingdoms, and he still walks free."

King Irodis, a mix of anger and remorse on his face, nodded in agreement. "Yes, we cannot let him manipulate us any further. Avargan must answer for the suffering he has caused."

"I always knew that my brother had an issue with me becoming the king, I even offered to step down and give him the crown, I was never interested in it, my mother had always made sure that I knew that it was him destined to be king and that I was supposed to be his right-hand, his advisor, the one person he could lean on when things got tough."

"And yet, he never accepted it, he didn't want to become king out of pity, that's what he told me, and then he left the kingdom, appearing from time to time to check in on me and the kingdom."

"I never realized just how deranged his thoughts were, just how much our mother's words had made him change."

"This … not seeing my brother for who he truly was, this is my fault, had I noticed things beforehand, perhaps this would have never happened."

"It's not your fault, sir Irodis," Aragos said as he glanced at the king.

"Your brother, my … my father … has fooled everyone, he has planned this for long, it's nobody's fault that this happened, not yours, not my grandfather's, nobody except for Avargan is at fault."

"For what he has done to my mother, what he has done to our kingdoms, he will answer for that, he no longer has any place to hide, his children, all of my brethren that I had no idea existed, are now known to us."

"We will find him, and we will take him down."

With determination in their hearts, the combined forces of Elais and Irason agreed to put aside their longstanding conflict and focus on a common enemy: Avargan. The royal guards, once divided by loyalty to their respective kingdoms, now stood united against the puppet master who had orchestrated a war for his own twisted motives.

King Azkaran and King Irodis, despite the revelation, still harbored feelings of remorse and anger. The weight of the realization that they had been manipulated into a senseless war weighed heavily on their shoulders. However, they understood the immediate need to apprehend Avargan and put an end to the chaos.

The time for making amends and fixing what has been broken thanks to the war would come later. For now, the most important thing was to call both armies back and make sure that news of peace spread quickly while searching for Avargan so that he could face their justice.