Chapter 72 – The Empty Throne

【Kai PoV】

The first time you fly on a cybernetic angel’s boosters, you learn humility fast.

The city looked small from up here. Streetlights glittered like spilled glitter. Clouds slid past my face, cold and damp. Unit 777 carried me like a backpack she regretted.

“Are you sure you want to do this.”

I held onto the strap across her shoulder, trying not to throw up into the wind.

“Not even a little, but my ice cream died for this.”

She adjusted her flight angle, smooth and silent. Her wings folded tight, jets of blue light pushing us forward. The floating fortress hung above downtown like a rich guy’s bad idea.

“Destination confirmed. Solomon von Astoria forward base.”

Ignis peeked out of my jacket pocket, already bigger than she should be. She’d been growing since we left my house, like a balloon with anger issues. Nyx walked on the air beside us, stepping on shadows like they were solid.

“That thing is ugly.”

I squinted at the fortress. It was a slab of metal and marble, with spires and glowing runes. It had banners. It had cannons. It had the vibe of a final boss who lived in a museum.

“Yeah, well, he’s compensating.”

Unit 777 slowed as we neared the outer wall. A circular gate floated in front, surrounded by hovering platforms. Valkyries lined the platforms in formation, dozens of them, all in silver armor and winged helmets.

“Unauthorized approach detected.”

I raised one hand in a lazy wave. My other hand kept gripping the strap for dear life.

“Hi. Not here to fight. Please don’t shoot me.”

Unit 777 hovered lower, boots skimming a platform. Her boosters hissed and cut. I stepped off and my knees wobbled like I’d just gotten off a roller coaster.

“Your balance is suboptimal.”

“It’s fine. I’m fine. My soul just left my body for a second.”

The Valkyries didn’t move. Spears stayed leveled. Their eyes tracked me through narrow helmet slits. They looked like an army in a perfume ad.

“Halt. State your purpose.”

I lifted my hands again, palms out, trying to look harmless. It didn’t help that I had a void assassin and a cyber angel behind me.

“I’m here to return Solomon’s lost pets and file a complaint.”

The nearest Valkyrie twitched. That was her version of a gasp.

“You dare call the Three Collectibles pets.”

I nodded, dead serious. My back still had a knife hole in the shirt.

“One of them stabbed me, one of them melted my supermarket, and one of them bluescreened mid-air. That’s pet behavior.”

Nyx shifted behind me, subtle and tense. Ignis made a low rumble that shook the platform. Unit 777 stood still like she was waiting for an input prompt.

“Step forward for detainment.”

I stepped forward. Not because I wanted detainment. Because I was tired and this was faster than arguing.

“Cool. Can we do this quick. I have a shift in an hour.”

A Valkyrie moved in, spear still raised. Her gaze flicked over my face, like she was looking for the demon horns Solomon promised her. She didn’t find anything except a guy with grocery store trauma.

“You are Kai Evans.”

I pointed at myself.

“Yeah, that’s me. The mind-control demon or whatever. I’m also the guy whose ice cream you all ruined.”

Ignis’s pocket-sized head disappeared. A second later, she grew. Scales unfolded. Wings stretched. Heat rolled off her like a furnace door opening.

“Do not threaten him.”

The roar rattled armor. Several Valkyries flinched. One of them dropped her spear on accident.

I exhaled slow. This was already spiraling into a whole thing.

“Ignis, please don’t barbecue anyone.”

Ignis lowered her head behind me, looming, protective, absurdly proud. Her tail whipped once and cracked the air.

“I will not burn them unless you ask.”

“Great, love that for us, please don’t.”

Nyx stepped forward next, calm as a sleep paralysis demon. She stood at my shoulder like she belonged there.

“He is not our enemy.”

The Valkyries started whispering. Helmets turned. One of them stared at Nyx’s collar, then at mine, like she expected me to be wearing one too.

Unit 777’s eyes lit with soft blue. She took one step forward, then another, positioning herself like a shield. Her wings flexed, metallic feathers clicking.

“Threat assessment updated. Kai Evans safety prioritized.”

The formation broke a little. Spears dipped. Someone in the back actually squeaked. It was the first human noise in the whole army.

I rubbed my forehead. My head hurt. Not from psychic pressure. From the sheer stupidity of this situation.​

“Listen, I’m not here to start a war. I’m here to end the grocery store incident.”

A Valkyrie near the front tilted her head.

“You… came to negotiate.”

“Yeah. Rotisserie diplomacy. Now it’s complaint diplomacy.”

Another Valkyrie stepped forward. She was shorter than the rest. Her armor had stickers on it. Actual stickers.

“Are you really the guy who fed Ignis.”

I blinked.

“Uh, yeah. She was starving. It felt rude not to.”

The sticker Valkyrie lowered her spear completely. Her voice got smaller.

“She ate an entire chicken. Bones too. It was kind of iconic.”

Ignis lifted her chin, smug.

“The Lord of Flavor is generous.”

I shot her a look.

“Stop calling me that. Please.”

Nyx’s cheeks went pink. I pretended not to notice. Unit 777’s head tilted like she was recording the phrase for later.

The sticker Valkyrie took another step forward, then stopped herself like she was afraid of getting punished.

“Can I… get an autograph.”

I froze. My brain did not have a script for this.

“An autograph.”

She nodded fast, excited. A notebook appeared in her hand, like she’d been waiting.

“My little sister is obsessed with you. She says you’re like, chill. And you don’t collar people.”

I stared at the notebook, then at the army, then at my own hands. This felt like reality had taken a wrong turn.

“I don’t… have a pen.”

Nyx produced one instantly. She held it out, still blushing. The pen was black and looked expensive.

“Here.”

I took it because saying no would be rude. I signed the notebook. My signature looked like a dying spider.

“To… uh… what’s your name.”

The sticker Valkyrie beamed.

“Freya. Like the goddess. Not the same Freya, though.”

“To Freya, please don’t burn down any supermarkets, Kai.”

I handed it back. Freya clutched it to her chest like it was sacred.

Another Valkyrie stepped forward. Then another. Spears kept lowering. Helmets kept tilting. Someone pulled out a phone and started filming.

“Is it true you live in a murder cabin.”

I blinked again.

“Why do you know that.”

Freya pointed upward, toward the fortress.

“Solomon’s surveillance feeds are public on the internal network. He watches you a lot.”

That was a sentence I hated on a spiritual level.

“Cool. Super normal. Love that.”

A tall Valkyrie stepped forward, voice trembling like she was approaching a celebrity.

“Can you sign my spear.”

I looked at her spear. It was taller than me.

“I can try.”

Ignis leaned down, eyes narrowed at the Valkyrie.

“Do not touch him.”

The Valkyrie squeaked and stepped back, suddenly terrified again.

I held up a hand, quick.

“It’s fine. Nobody’s touching anybody. I’ll just sign the shaft. That sounds bad. I hate that.”

Nyx’s blush deepened. Unit 777 made a small processing noise. Ignis looked confused, like she didn’t understand innuendo but hated it anyway.

I signed the spear. The army watched like I was performing brain surgery.

My stomach dropped with the realization that Solomon’s “trap” might just be customer service.

“I’m serious, you all don’t have to do this.”

Freya shook her head.

“We kind of do. You’re the first person who didn’t scream at us.”

“Solomon screams a lot.”

Nyx’s voice came out quiet.

“He screams when you breathe wrong.”

Ignis’s claws dug into the platform.

“He screams when you eat.”

Unit 777’s tone was flat.

“He screams when you do not scream back.”

I swallowed. The vibe turned colder. Not fear cold. Abuse cold.

“That’s… not okay.”

A Valkyrie in the second row removed her helmet. She had tired eyes and messy hair stuck to her forehead.

“He calls us his ornaments.”

Freya nodded hard.

“Collectibles.”

The word hit like a slap. I looked at their armor again. The matching sets. The forced uniformity. The collars some of them wore under the neck plates.

“Okay. New deal.”

I raised my voice. Not yelling. Just projecting.

“You can leave. Like, right now. Nobody is stopping you.”

The army froze. That was the real shock. Not the dragon. Not the assassin. Not the angel.

Permission.

Freya’s mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.

“We… can.”

“You can. It’s a free country. Also a free sky fortress, apparently.”

Someone in the back dropped a spear on purpose this time.

Another Valkyrie laughed, then clapped a hand over her mouth like she couldn’t believe she’d made noise.

Freya’s eyes went wet.

“Where do we go.”

I shrugged, because I had no clue and I refused to pretend I did.

“I heard there’s a place with snacks and lumbar support. Elizabeth calls it a temple.”

Ignis perked up.

“The Temple of Lumbar Support.”

Nyx nodded like she’d already memorized the directions.

“She has good chairs. Soft lighting. No yelling.”

Unit 777’s eyes flickered.

“Safe zone probability: high.”

Freya turned to the army. Her voice rose.

“You heard him. We can go.”

The Valkyries looked at each other, like they were waiting for lightning. When no lightning came, they started moving.

Slow at first. Then faster. Helmets came off. Spears hit the ground. People started grabbing duffel bags from behind barricades, like they’d been packed for weeks.

A Valkyrie jogged past me with a suitcase.

“Thanks. For real.”

I nodded, stunned.

“Yeah. Sure. Don’t mention it.”

Freya held her notebook up again.

“Can you take a selfie with us before we go.”

I stared at the notebook. I stared at Ignis’s giant claws. I stared at Nyx’s murder eyes. I stared at Unit 777’s wings.

This was not in my job description.

“Fine. One selfie. Then everybody leaves. No loitering.”

【Solomon PoV】

The moment he stepped onto my platform, I knew I had won.

The surveillance screens showed everything. Kai Evans, walking right into my forward operating base like he owned the sky. My legions stood ready. My trap was perfect. He had nowhere to run.

“Yes.”

I leaned forward in my command chair, armor plating gleaming in the low light. The command center smelled of incense and polished steel. My heart hammered with the thrill of conquest.

“Yes. Yes. Yes.”

I slammed my fist on the armrest, laughing. It felt good. It felt right.

“He walked into it. He walked into it like a fool.”

I activated the external speakers. My voice boomed across the fortress.

“Legions. Kill him.”

I expected screaming. I expected steel. I expected blood.

I watched Kai wave.

I watched him speak, casual, like he was ordering coffee.

I watched Ignis land behind him.

Not as my weapon.

As his.

Her roar hit the platforms like a hurricane. My Valkyries flinched. Good. Fear was useful.

Then the fear changed.

It became awe.

Nyx stepped up beside him. That traitor. That shadow. That obedient knife. She stood like she belonged.

Unit 777 moved too. My angel. My masterpiece. She took his side without hesitation.

My vision tunneled.

“No.”

The Valkyries started lowering their weapons. I thought it was a feint. A clever tactic to lure him deeper.

Then one of them asked for an autograph.

My breath caught in my throat.

“What.”

Another asked for a selfie.

My hand trembled. I gripped the edge of the console until the metal creaked.

“What are you doing.”

The army began leaving. They walked away from their posts. They removed helmets. They laughed. They spoke to each other like humans.

They packed their bags.

They left my fortress in a line, like a field trip.

One of them waved at the camera as she walked past.

I watched my forward base empty itself.

My legions, my symbols of power, my shining army, abandoning me for a temple.

A temple of lumbar support.

My face went hot. My teeth ground together. I stood so fast my chair scraped the floor.

“Come back.”

The external speakers carried my scream. It sounded small compared to Ignis’s roar.

“COME BACK.”

Kai looked up at the nearest camera. He smiled like he was talking to a neighbor.

He waved again.

My stomach dropped. The truth hit me with pure humiliation.

He wasn’t fighting.

He was existing.

And my entire empire was collapsing around that.

I tore off my ceremonial cloak. I activated my ultimate armor sequence. Plates locked over my body, rune-engines ignited, power surged through my limbs.

“Fine.”

I paced toward the exit, fury shaking my hands.

“If the demon will not fear me, I will make him.”

My boots hit the hallway floor like thunder.

I would crush him.

Even if I had to do it alone.

【Kai PoV】

The inside of Solomon’s fortress felt like a hotel lobby that hated joy.

Marble floors. Echoing halls. Banners flapping in a wind that didn’t make sense indoors. The whole place was too big, too empty, too loud with silence.

Freya and the rest of the Valkyries had already dipped. Their footsteps faded into nothing. The selfie had happened. It was going to haunt me forever.

“Why are they leaving.”

I shrugged, walking deeper, hands in my pockets.

“Because they’re tired. Because they’re people. Because Solomon sucks.”

Ignis followed behind me, huge again, wings scraping the ceiling. Nyx glided along the shadows. Unit 777 walked at my other side, eyes still flickering like she wasn’t fully stable.

“Are we in danger.”

“Probably. But I’m more annoyed than scared.”

I checked my watch. The minute hand mocked me.

“My shift starts in an hour. I still smell like smoke.”

Ignis’s voice softened.

“I can incinerate your scent.”

“Please don’t. That’s not how showers work.”

We reached the central chamber. A throne sat at the far end, carved from black stone and gold trim. It looked expensive and deeply uncomfortable.

The room was empty.

No soldiers. No generals. No dramatic choir music. Just wind whistling through cracks in the walls.

“This is it.”

Nyx’s eyes traced the throne like she expected it to bite.

“He will come.”

“He better come fast.”

A door slammed open behind us.

Solomon stormed in wearing armor that looked like a transformer had married a cathedral. His helmet had a crest. His gauntlets glowed. His cape snapped behind him like he’d practiced in a mirror.

“DEMON.”

I turned around slowly, like I was dealing with a customer service complaint.

“Hey, man.”

Solomon’s chest rose and fell like he was about to burst.

“You stole them.”

I pointed at Ignis, then Nyx, then Unit 777.

“They’re right here. I literally brought them back.”

He looked past me, into the empty chamber. His eyes darted. Searching. Desperate.

“Where are my legions.”

I lifted one shoulder in a tired shrug.

“They left.”

His voice cracked.

“They cannot leave.”

“They did.”

Ignis rumbled, low and dangerous.

“They chose.”

Solomon whipped his head toward her, fury and betrayal all over his face.

“You. Obey me.”

Ignis’s wings flared. Heat rolled through the room. Her collar had split down the middle. The runes were dead.

“No.”

Nyx’s collar flickered too. One of the runes had burned out, like a lightbulb giving up.

Solomon stumbled back, like his own armor suddenly weighed a thousand pounds.

“You are mine.”

Unit 777 stepped forward. Her voice came out steady, almost gentle.

“Ownership protocol rejected.”

Solomon stared at her like she’d stabbed him.

“This is impossible.”

I checked my watch again. The second hand ticked like a threat.

“Look, buddy, I gotta go. My shift starts in an hour. Keep the fortress, it’s too drafty.”

His mouth opened. Closed. Opened again. No sound came out at first.

“You… you walked into my trap and you leave.”

I nodded.

“Yeah. This was a waste of time. Also you owe me for the supermarket.”

Solomon’s scream finally arrived. It filled the chamber. It echoed off the marble. It sounded like a man realizing he’d built an empire out of cardboard.

“I WILL DESTROY YOU.”

I turned away. I started walking toward the exit.

Ignis shrank down fast, slipping back into my pocket like she belonged there. Nyx fell into step beside me, cheeks pink, eyes sharp. Unit 777 followed, still rebooting in little waves.

Behind us, Solomon kept screaming at the empty room.

A screen on the wall flickered on. Static cleared. Adam’s face appeared, lounging like he’d hacked into this out of boredom. He drank a soda, eyes half-lidded, like this was a livestream he’d already rated one star.​

“L + Ratio + No Maidens.”

The feed cut.

I didn’t look back when I left Solomon alone with the wind.