Ochieng walked through the massive golden halls of the Royal Estate, his expression unreadable.
The air was heavy with killing intent.
Everyone here wanted him dead.
But he…
He was calm.
Because he knew one thing—
Fear was the greatest weapon.
And tonight, he had planted it deep in their hearts.
---
Inside the great chamber, warriors had gathered.
A long table stretched across the hall, lined with food and wine.
But no one was eating.
All eyes were on one man.
Prince Xian.
His humiliation earlier had turned his pride to poison.
His voice was cold.
"The beggar… has no place among us."
A warrior in black smirked.
"Then why not get rid of him?"
Silence fell.
The challenge had been issued.
The prince's eyes flickered.
Then, he smiled.
"Agreed."
He turned to Ochieng.
"In this hall, might is right. If you cannot defend yourself—"
His smile widened.
"You die."
Ochieng leaned back.
The warriors around him rose to their feet.
Hands on their swords. Eyes burning with murderous intent.
Ochieng chuckled.
"Amusing."
The prince's smile faded.
Ochieng stood up.
His aura exploded.
BOOM.
The floor cracked beneath his feet.
The lamps trembled.
And the warriors… froze.
Because in that moment, they saw it—
The power of a true monster.
---
The first warrior lunged.
Fast. Precise. Deadly.
But Ochieng—
Vanished.
In a blink, he was behind him.
A single strike.
CRACK.
The warrior collapsed.
Dead.
The hall fell silent.
Then—
Another came.
Then another.
One by one, they attacked.
One by one, they fell.
Blood painted the floors.
Screams filled the air.
And the prince—
He watched in horror.
This wasn't a man.
This was a devil.
---
Ochieng stood amidst the bodies.
Blood dripped from his hands.
He turned to Prince Xian.
The prince stumbled back.
His confidence was gone.
Ochieng stepped forward.
His voice was calm.
"I told you once."
His eyes burned.
"I bow to no one."
The prince's face twisted in rage.
But he knew.
This fight…
It was already over.
Ochieng turned away.
And in that moment, the hall knew the truth.
The beggar was gone.
And in his place…
A king had risen.
---
Blood dripped from Ochieng's knuckles.
The air smelled of iron and death.
The warriors lay scattered across the floor—unmoving, lifeless.
And yet…
Ochieng wasn't satisfied.
Because deep inside, he knew—
This was only the beginning.
He turned to the prince.
Prince Xian was trembling.
His lips moved, but no words came out.
Because he had never felt fear like this before.
A beggar. A lowly nobody.
And yet, in a single night—
He had turned the Royal Hall into a graveyard.
---
The doors burst open.
A squad of black-armored warriors flooded in, blades gleaming.
The Imperial Enforcers.
Prince Xian's face twisted.
He pointed at Ochieng.
"Kill him."
The enforcers hesitated.
The prince's hand trembled as he reached for his dagger.
His eyes burned with humiliation.
"This man is a demon. We cannot let him live."
Ochieng sighed.
"You still don't get it, do you?"
The prince's jaw tightened.
Ochieng stepped forward.
The warriors tensed.
One of them—a tall man with a scar across his cheek—spoke.
"The law of the kingdom states that a warrior who wins a life-or-death duel must be honored. We have no right to intervene."
Prince Xian's face paled.
Ochieng chuckled.
"Seems like your own men are smarter than you."
The prince's rage boiled.
His pride—his status—meant nothing here.
Ochieng turned his back on him.
And in that moment, Xian made his choice.
With a roar, he lunged forward—dagger aimed at Ochieng's heart.
But—
SLASH.
The sound of flesh tearing filled the hall.
Prince Xian stumbled.
Blood poured from his chest.
He looked down.
Ochieng hadn't even turned around.
With a single, effortless strike—
He had ended a prince's reign.
---
Ochieng pulled his blade back.
The prince collapsed.
Gasps filled the room.
Even the Imperial Enforcers stood frozen.
One by one, they stepped back.
Because they knew—
To challenge this man…
Was suicide.
Ochieng sighed.
He wiped the blood off his sword and walked toward the door.
Not a single person dared to stop him.
And as he stepped into the night—
The legend of the Beggar King was born.
---
The streets were silent.
Not even the wind dared to blow.
Ochieng's mind was calm.
But his body…
His body was aching.
He had pushed himself too far.
A small shadow moved in the alley.
Ochieng stopped.
His hand went to his sword.
But the figure stepped forward.
A girl.
Her eyes glowed in the dark.
She smiled.
"You've finally caught my attention."
Ochieng's eyes narrowed.
He had faced warriors.
He had faced princes.
But this girl…
Something about her felt different.
Something about her felt dangerous.
And for the first time in a long time—
Ochieng felt something stir in his chest.
Excitement.
---