CHAPTER 22

King Bartholomeo turned around and made his way back to his kingdom.

"Please follow my father," Prince Arthur asked King Malik and King Baron politely.

Inside the castle, there are numerous warriors on both sides of the hallway to ensure the safety of their visitors.

King Bartholomeo sat on his throne, and three warrior servants brought three additional chairs for Prince Arthur and their two king guests. King Bartholomeo began their open conversation as soon as they were all seated face-to-face.

"I am glad that two of my dear friends from other planets have visited my kingdom," said King Bartholomeo, "though I do not believe you wanted to visit me."

Prince Arthur looked at his father seriously and did not want to speak, as he hesitated to address their visitors.

King Malik smiled and replied promptly. "Thank you very much for your invitation, King Bartholomeo. We are honored to be here in your kingdom before its 40th anniversary."

"You are most welcome, King Malik, but please know that Prince Arthur will be assisting you on your tour of the entire kingdom," said King Bartholomeo.

King Malik and King Baron exchanged smiles as they looked at Prince Arthur.

"You are a very handsome warrior, Prince Arthur. You probably already have a lover," tempted King Baron.

Prince Arthur was shocked at what King Malik had told him, and he rubbed his head in an awkward way. He was surprised to be asked about his romantic status, so he spoke up. "Ahhhh, actually, I would like to abstain from answering questions like that. I'm just focusing on the events here in our kingdom. I have no interest in falling in love right now. Besides, I have never seen a woman that caught my heart!"

"That is great, but aren't you the only warrior on this planet with a unique zodiac sign?" asked King Malik.

Prince Arthur answered right away. "You're right, King Malik. I was born in the celestial spirit world, and my zodiac sign is Ophiuchus. I am also a magician, and I can revive ancient beings both here and in the celestial spirit world. In fact, I've revived many monsters in my practice with my 12 zodiac warriors!"

"12 zodiac warriors? What is that?" wondered King Baron. "I have never heard of such a thing in this kingdom!"

"These warriors wield the celestial sword given by the celestial spirit king. They are our reserved warriors in the event of a war here in our nation on the 40th anniversary of our kingdom!"

King Bartholomeo gazed at Prince Arthur sharply and scolded him in front of their visitors. "My son, that is unnecessary for you to say!"

Prince Arthur nodded in embarrassment. "Sorry father, I was just carried away. King Abaddon is too strong for us to defeat!"

"Don't be concerned; I am confident that King Abaddon will not attempt to harm this nation, especially now that you have visitors," King Malik said.

"That's my whole thought, King Malik. But I sent a spy to the kingdom of King Solomon, and he told me that King Abaddon was planning to invade my nation, exploiting the warriors of the various kingdoms he had conquered," explains King Bartholomeo.

King Malik frowned. "If he really is that desperate to come here uninvited, forgive King Bartholomeo, but I have no other choice but to fight. I am not ready to die yet. The same goes for King Baron."

"However, the rules of the celestial spirit king are strictly followed here," King Bartholome replied, slightly raising his voice.

"Pardon me, King Bartholomeo, but I will be forced to violate the rules of the celestial spirit king in order to put an end to King Abaddon's evil schemes!"

"I understand, but you can count on us to do everything we can to prepare for their attack; we have dispatched great warriors to the Alabama borders, monitoring in case there were invasive werewolves, so rest assured that none of you will be harmed!"

"Alright then, by the way." King Malik stared at Prince Arthur. "I would like to see how strong you are. After all, you will be the heir of your father's kingdom. This is a great opportunity to test your skills and powers. What do you say?"

Prince Arthur immediately answered, as if he were excited about what King Malik had said. "S-sure... when do you want to do our fight?"

"On the very day of the 40th anniversary of this nation. But I have a reward in case you win against me. Again, if you win!"

"And what awards await me, King Malik?"

"I will grant you any wish you desire, anything under the sun... if you defeat me!"

Prince Arthur drew his Tizona sword, and he boasted it to King Malik. "This great sword I inherited from the celestial king is my key to victory. I am unstoppable when I use this sword!"

King Malik smiled. He snapped his finger, and all Prince Arthur could see was darkness.

"Why is it so dark? What is going on?" Prince Arthur, who was on the verge of panicking, wondered aloud.

King Malik snapped his finger again, and Prince Arthur's vision returned to normal.

Prince Arthur was shocked and amazed by what had happened. "What was that, King Malik?"

"My power is darkness," King Malik replied. "You have a great sword, Prince Arthur, but how can you win a fight if you can't see your opponent?"

"D-darkness? Do you mean to say, can you disable the sight of anyone you fight?"

"Exactly, and I'm going to use it during our fight. I'll tell you about my abilities: I can dispel moonlight, stars, and control a planet's weather. In fact, I can stop your breathing right now. But that doesn't mean I'm without weaknesses; just so you know, I stand no chance against the celestial spirit king. So, now that you've seen my strength, do you still want to fight me, 13th zodiac warrior?"

Prince Arthur bowed his head and returned his celestial sword to his scabbard. "I... will think about it, King Malik. I was just hyped earlier. I should have observed everything before I bragged about my sword."

King Bartholomeo clutched his hands in anger and swiveled his head toward Prince Arthur. "My son ... why are you showing that you are afraid to fight a tough opponent? Are you embarrassing me in front of my two dearest friends?"

Prince Arthur shivered in fear. It was the first time he heard his father talking that way. A serious voice with glaring eyes. "Father... calm down. I will fight King Malik on our 40th anniversary," said Prince Arthur.

King Malik and King Baron looked at each other in silence.

"I would also like to challenge you to a fight, King Bartholomeo," uttered King Baron. "I just can't sit and watch King Malik having all the fun while I am with the crowd!"

Suddenly, the entire Alabama shook when King Bartholomoe and King Baron gazed at each other. Everyone living became terrified of their overwhelming powers, especially Prince Arthur, who was drenched in sweat.

King Baron crossed his arms over his chest. "So, what do you say?"

"Challenge accepted, King Baron. It has been a long time since I fought. I am thrilled to see what is coming on the 40th anniversary of this nation when they see me again in action. Also, don't forget to use your reconstruction curse power in case this planet can't handle our combined powers," King Bartholomeo replied.

Both of them calmed down, and the earthquake stopped.

"King Bartholomeo, I would like to inform you that you will receive 100 tons of gold from my kingdom just in case you beat me," King Baron said in a mocking way.

"You know, I despise losing to the likes of you, King Baron. But I have one favor to ask. Let us entertain the watchers for a while. Then take the fight seriously thereafter!"

"I don't see any issues with that, King Bartholomeo, though I will do my best to control my curse power, which is far too strong!"

"Then it's already settled. Before I forget, I invited the Celestial Spirit King. I am sure he will be glad to see our fight," said King Bartholomeo.

King Baron smiled. "I couldn't agree more, and please prepare your most delectable foods before we begin our epic battle; it appears that our fight will last longer than we anticipated."

"Don't worry, everything is well planned. Me and my precious queen have already prepared everything, even the rooms where you will stay for two days," said King Bartholomeo. For the time being, Prince Arthur will take you on a tour of Alabama."

"Okay, that is totally fine with us," King Malik replied.

King Bartholomeo looked at Prince Arthur. "Go ahead and guide them!"

They all stood up to their feet.

King Bartholomeo bowed his head to his two visitors. "I look forward to seeing you later."

King Malik and King Baron also bowed.

"Thank you for accommodating us, King Bartholomeo!" said King Baron.

King Malik spoke next. "I am so honored to see your entire kingdom!"

Prince Arthur meddled in the conversation. "Father, please excuse us!"

King Malik and King Baron followed Prince Arthur as he walked towards the door, leaving the kingdom.