The Path Of A True King.
Chapter 41: The Edge Of Silence

Chapter 41: The Edge Of Silence

Chapter 80: The Edge of Silence

The clearing pulsed with a silent, heavy intensity—like the air itself was holding its breath.

Ben stood at the front of the formation, arms crossed tightly, his boots rooted deep in the gravel as though he’d fused with the earth itself.

There was a finality to his stance, a wordless promise that he would not—could not—be moved.

His long coat fluttered in the soft breeze sweeping across the South District’s forgotten outskirts, a quiet rhythm against the tension humming through the ground.

Behind him, ten Azura Gang members stood in a disciplined line—silent sentinels in tailored suits, their faces devoid of expression, their presence sharp as razors.

They didn’t twitch.

They didn’t fidget.

Just breathed in sync, waiting for the storm to break.

The air itself felt wired—thick, electric.

Every breeze that cut across the lot whispered of danger.

Off to the side, Kai leaned against the rusted frame of a battered SUV, arms folded, eyes locked on the dense treeline that bordered the clearing like a wall of shadows.

His body was still, but his mind was clearly racing—every muscle coiled, every breath measured.

"Still nothing?" Tony asked, pacing a slow, deliberate line behind them.

His aluminum bat rested casually across his shoulder, but the way his knuckles flexed around the grip betrayed his readiness to swing.

"They’re close," Kai said, voice flat and cold.

"Too close to not know we’re here. They’re watching."

Ben didn’t respond.

He never needed to.

His eyes moved slowly across the field with precision—unblinking, calculated.

Like a sniper waiting for a target to flinch.

He didn’t seek movement—he waited for it to reveal itself.

And then—

The line of trees at the far end of the lot rippled, as if reality itself blinked.

From the shadows, twenty figures stepped forward with mechanical precision.

Their movements were eerily synchronized—military-level coordination that no street gang should’ve been capable of.

It wasn’t natural. It wasn’t learned. It was drilled into them.

They wore grey jackets—identical, seamless—and every sleeve bore the silver crescent mark of the Moon Gang.

Their boots hit the gravel like a war drum, echoing in a rhythm that made the Azura members tense.

At the heart of the group walked a man who immediately commanded the eye, not because of grandeur or intimidation but because of the stark absence of humanity in his presence.

Marcus.

Ben’s gaze hardened the instant he saw him.

This was no reunion.

This was confirmation of a rumor that should’ve stayed buried.

Once, Marcus had been a lion among men.

One of the early leaders before the Azura Gang even had a name.

Back then, his eyes had burned with clarity, with raw ambition.

He was loud, proud, and undeniably magnetic.

You either followed him, or you tried to be him.

But now?

Marcus’s stride was powerful but hollow.

Controlled.

Robotic.

The walk of someone not chasing glory—but executing an order.

His face was leaner than before, sharp edges where youth had once softened him.

His eyes... once bright with conviction, now looked like twin voids—lifeless, sunken, as if something had been carved out of him and never returned.

There was no pride in the way he carried himself now—only pressure.

His aura no longer cut like an unsheathed blade; it radiated with something colder.

Manufactured.

Like he had been built rather than grown.

Even his clothing felt off.

Cleaner.

Too perfect.

Like it wasn’t picked—it was assigned.

The air around him was dense, suffocating.

A fog of silent threat surrounded the twenty, but Marcus... he was the eye of the storm.

And that made it worse.

Kai’s gaze flicked over Marcus and his soldiers, and he took a small step forward, instincts flaring.

Ben didn’t move.

He didn’t blink.

Just muttered under his breath like a man watching something familiar turn to ash.

"...Something happened."

Tony’s bat tapped the gravel once.

"I thought he was smarter than the other leaders," he muttered.

The Moon Gang stopped twenty feet from the Azura line.

The tension snapped into place like a trap.

Two forces.

Two ideologies.

A battlefield drawn by silence.

Marcus’s men fanned out behind him in a clean crescent formation, their eyes locked forward, unblinking.

No one needed to say it.

Kai spoke first."You’ve got five seconds to explain what the hell you’re doing here, Marcus."

Marcus didn’t respond immediately.

He tilted his head slightly, eyes scanning each face in Ben’s squad.

When he finally spoke, his voice was hollow—like someone else was speaking through him.

"You’re in the way."

Ben raised a brow. "Of what?"

Marcus’s tone was flat. "Of what’s coming. The Stray Dogs have a vision. You can’t stop it."

Kai’s eyes narrowed. "So that’s it. You got scooped up, reprogrammed, and now you’re just a dog with a shinier collar."

Marcus’s lips twitched—almost a smile. "I see clearly now. And I see your mistake. You should’ve stayed in the shadows. Stayed small. Obeyed."

"Obeyed who?" Ben stepped forward.

"The Stray Dogs? The same clowns who sent you to take us down? What a joke."

Tony scoffed. "They send twenty people to our doorstep and still won’t show up themselves?"

Marcus’s voice cooled. "Watch what you say. This was mercy. They gave you a chance to kneel."

Ben’s tone sliced through the air—calm, but razor-sharp. "And if we don’t?"

Marcus’s aura rippled, faint but real. "Then we wipe you out."

Ben stepped forward until they were just a few feet apart, his voice trailing into a low laugh.

"Hahahahaha... I kneel when I see power worth kneeling to. But you? You kneel out of fear. Where’s your pride, Marcus? You were a king once. A leader in the Gangless Zone."

"I outgrew that," Marcus snapped.

"And in the face of true power, what can you do but kneel? Stop pretending your weakness is some kind of principle. What I’ll gain far outweighs my pride."

Kai stepped beside Ben, smirking. "Let me guess—more power?"

"You mock it now," Marcus said, eyes burning cold.

"But power is the only truth left in this world. Loyalty? Honor? Brotherhood? All illusions. All lies."

Ben’s voice cut in. "Then what’s your goal? To scare us? Or to fight?"

Marcus’s eye twitched—barely. "I’m not here to scare you."

A pause.

"I’m here to end you."

Ben didn’t even flinch. "Then why are we still talking?"

Marcus raised his hand slowly.

The Moon Gang advanced in unison—batons, knives, and a few silenced pistols drawn.

Ben’s crew mirrored them. No weapons yet, but their stances sharpened like drawn blades.

The wind shifted.

The calm before impact.

Kai sighed, cracking his knuckles. "So... the quiet one must be from the Stray Dogs."

A woman stepped forward—black hair, black eyes, a katana strapped casually to her wrist.

She stood out, not just for being the only female among them, but because her presence demanded attention.

All-black outfit.

All-black intent.

But only Kai really noticed her.

He could feel

She studied the group briefly... then her eyes landed on Kai.

"Impressive. And you are?"

Kai grinned. "Just an asshole who’s gonna kill you."

Tony tapped his bat twice against his boot. "Language, Kai."

The woman chuckled. "We’ll see about that."

"You know the plan," Ben said without looking back. "I’m killing Marcus."

Kai nodded. "I’ll take the girl."

Tony grinned. "Then I’ll command the team—and make sure no one interferes with your fights."

Ben exhaled and took a step.

It was fast.

Blinding.

Suddenly, he was inches from Marcus—close enough to feel his breath.

"Let me ask you something," Ben said. "When was the last time we fought, huh, Marcus?"

Marcus’s jaw clenched.

A flicker of shame crossed his face—but only for a moment.

"I remember," he said. "And I won’t lose this time."

Ben’s Ki surged.

Outward.

Inward.

Burst Technique.

Different from Elijah’s higher-grade version that boosted stats by 50%.

This was the standard version—enhancing his stats by 30%.

"We’re just repeating history," Ben said.

Marcus stepped back.

Raised his hand.

Snapped.

The Moon Gang dropped into stances—perfect, synchronized, like machines built for war.

Ben’s squad braced.

In the final seconds before chaos—Kai spoke.

"Ben."

Ben turned slightly.

Kai smiled.

Not warm.

Not cruel.

Just confident.

Like a king staring at a battlefield he was born to dominate.

"Don’t die."

Then—

Everything moved.