The Path Of A True King.-Chapter 63 - 102: The Next Day.

The next morning dawned with a strange calmness—like the silence before a storm.

Elijah stood in front of his mirror, adjusting the cuffs of his black suit.

Today was meant to be about managing the gang’s affairs, reconnecting with what he had built... and finally seeing his little sister again.

She was coming home after her sleepover at her friend’s place.

But first, Kai had sent a message: "Come to the base first thing in the morning."

And when Kai said something like that, it wasn’t a request—it was a matter of purpose.

The black car outside was already humming softly, waiting for him.

As always, Tony was in the driver’s seat, hands gripping the steering wheel with habitual focus. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

In the backseat, Elijah sat silently, staring through the tinted glass at the passing streets, his thoughts occupied with the direction of the gang.

Jack sat beside him, arms folded, but his attention wasn’t on the cityscape—they were on Elijah.

Jack turned slightly, voice calm but determined. "Elijah."

Pulled from his thoughts, Elijah turned toward him, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

Jack didn’t waste time. "We must fight."

A brief flicker of confusion passed over Elijah’s face—then turned into a knowing grin. "You can’t wait, huh?"

Jack’s eyes narrowed, voice sharper than usual. "I’ve been waiting for our fight. You always dodge it, or we get caught up with other things. Promise me, Elijah. Today... by the end of it... me and you will fight. A real one. To see who’s the strongest."

Elijah chuckled lightly and nodded.

"You’re right. I’ve made you wait long enough. But you did say something wild back then—that not even me and Kai together could beat you."

Jack smirked, tilting his head. "That’s because you can’t. I’m just going to prove it in front of everyone. I want the gang to see it too—that I’m the strongest of them all. That I’m The One."

Elijah’s smile faded just slightly as he studied Jack.

For all their years together, he never truly understood Jack’s hunger for strength. "Tell me something, Jack... Why do you want more power?"

Jack paused, the grin softening.

He looked away, eyes narrowing slightly. "Why do you want more authority?"

"Answer mine first," Elijah said, his voice calm but carrying that unmistakable weight.

That quiet pressure that didn’t allow refusal.

Jack felt it.

He sighed, a rare sincerity in his voice. "I’m not gonna say anything poetic. My reason’s simple—I just want to fight stronger people... until the day I die. That’s it."

Elijah nodded slowly, his smile returning. "Then I’ll make sure you always have someone to fight. Because I’ll keep getting stronger too—again and again—until I die."

Tony, driving up front, tensed unconsciously.

A strange silence filled the car—dense, electric.

But Elijah wasn’t done.

His voice grew colder, heavier.

"I don’t want everything under me for some noble reason. I don’t need a ’why’. I started this for my family. For protection. But now... I just want to conquer. Gangs, Families, Kings—one by one. Until the world is mine. And if there are other planets... I’ll take those too."

The air grew heavier as Elijah’s presence filled the car like a storm ready to break.

His eyes glinted with an ambition that no longer cared for reason.

He chuckled, the fire in his voice simmering down as he turned to Jack again.

"That’s why I like you, Jack. You and me—we’re alike. But also not. You chase strong opponents. I chase dominance. Still, we’ll keep fighting stronger and stronger people until there’s no one left but us."

Jack grinned wildly, his battle thirst answering Elijah’s. "So... you promise?"

"I promise," Elijah said, voice firm.

"But not today. I want people to witness it when we fight—so wait just a little longer, my friend. At the end of this week, we’ll have a battle that’ll shake this city to its core."

The killing intent between them rose like two predators sizing each other up, not in hatred—but in shared madness.

Even Tony clenched the wheel tighter, his heart racing.

’What the hell happened to you, Boss...?’

The car finally rolled to a stop.

Elijah stepped out, black suit sharp, the white tie glimmering against his dark coat.

He didn’t just look like a leader—he looked like a celebrity, a force.

People near the base’s massive gates turned instantly, recognizing him.

They moved without a word.

The moment Jack followed behind him, that recognition turned to respect.

Their leader was back.

The air shifted.

Elijah’s aura exploded outward like a wave of dark thunder, pressing down on the dozens of gang members around the entrance.

People choked back instinctive fear, unable to move.

Their limbs locked, and even breathing became difficult.

Each step Elijah took radiated unshakable power.

Jack walked beside him, his own presence wild and unstable—but nothing compared to the steady domination Elijah emanated.

Tony calmly drove the car around to the underground lot, jaw clenched.

On the first floor of the base—a place where gang members usually gathered to relax—eyes turned.

Conversations stopped.

Someone dropped a glass.

Elijah stepped through the doorway, Jack behind him, placing a jacket across his back like a silent gesture of loyalty.

No words were needed.

The pressure in the room made even the toughest gangsters tense.

Yesterday they were told their leader had returned.

But seeing him now...? This wasn’t the Elijah they remembered.

This... was something more.

Smiles formed, mixed with fear and awe.

The respect that had been shaken by Elijah’s absence surged back stronger than ever.

Their monster—their king—had returned.

Elijah glanced at no one, smiling slightly as he made his way up to the second floor, straight to the main office.

Inside, Kai was already waiting.

The space had two rooms—one for planning, one for training.

Kai was in the latter.

The reinforced walls echoed with the sounds of sharp movement.

He wore a black training suit, one Elijah had given everyone months ago, and even though he was burdened by over 100 kilograms of weighted gear, he moved like a shadow.

Fluid.

Deadly.

Daggers slashed through the air like threads of leather slicing wind.

His body twisted with precision, and his dark element consumed light with every move—devouring visibility and leaving behind nothing but motion.

He wasn’t just training.

He was refining himself.

Despite carrying a weight that would paralyze most fighters, Kai danced through the room like gravity didn’t apply to him.

More than that—he was perfecting a technique he’d crafted over the years in mere minutes.

While others took months to improve, Kai evolved in moments.

This was the man who learned a technique by watching someone else use it once.

The same night, he not only understood it—he defeated someone stronger with it.

The same night... he created his own elemental core.

A monster.

Not yet strong enough to beat all the Vice Leaders—but give him a week

Just a week.