The Five Thrones

Absolutely. Here's Chapter 9 of Void Sovereign, continuing Raizen's rise.

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Chapter 9: The Five Thrones

Far to the west, beyond the burned hills and drowned valleys, stood the imperial capital: Vael'Nir. It was called the Heart of the World, but Raizen knew it as the Core of Lies.

At its center stood the Throne Spire, home to the Five Thrones — five rulers who claimed dominion over life, magic, fate, war, and death.

It was they who had ordered Raizen’s execution as a child.

They who had declared him too dangerous to live.

And it was they who had sent Kaien — not to kill him, but to confirm his return.

Now, as whispers of the Void Sovereign spread through the lands, the Five Thrones gathered once more under the red banners of the Eclipse Council.

“He is alive,” spoke the Seer-King of Fate, his eyes blind but glowing with runes.

The Queen of Death sipped black wine and smiled. “Let him come.”

The Magus of Life slammed his staff. “We ended his bloodline!”

“No,” said the Lord of War. “We created a storm. Now it returns.”

Above them all sat the First Throne — cloaked, silent, unknown. Even the others feared to speak his true name. Only he did not tremble.

He whispered, “He will come. And when he does… we welcome him.”

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Meanwhile...

Raizen stood atop the cliff of Mount Rysh, watching the capital far in the distance.

Beside him, Kaien crouched silently. She had returned — not as an enemy, but as an ally.

“You plan to fight the empire?” she asked.

Raizen didn’t look away. “No.”

She blinked. “No?”

“I plan to end it.”

The wind howled, carrying with it a thousand stories of suffering. He had seen enough of broken oaths, hollow crowns, and false peace.

The Void didn’t come to rule.

It came to remake.

> “Each throne will fall,” Raizen said, eyes glowing with certainty.

“One by one… until nothing false remains.”

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Far below, in the dungeons beneath the Spire, a prisoner laughed — broken, bleeding, chained to a stone slab.

He laughed because he knew that name.

“Raizen... He’s coming, isn't he?”

The guard didn’t answer.

The prisoner’s eyes gleamed through the dark. “Good. Then all this... finally ends.”

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— Chapter 10 of Void Sovereign, where Raizen faces one of the Five Thrones — the Magus of Life.

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Chapter 10: The Garden of False Gods

The gates of the Sanctum Vitae opened not with force, but with silence.

Inside lay the sacred domain of the Magus of Life — a sprawling temple-garden where rivers glowed green with healing aether, and every tree whispered ancient hymns. Flowers bloomed with unnatural beauty, fed not by sunlight, but by stolen souls.

Raizen stepped through the entrance, eyes narrowing at the perfection before him.

Kaien walked at his side, unnerved. “This place… it feels wrong.”

“Because it is,” Raizen said. “This garden is not grown. It’s bound.”

He moved forward, and with each step, the trees withered. The air thickened. Creatures formed from vines and blood rose from the earth — guardians twisted by immortality.

Raizen raised a hand. Voidfire crackled around his palm, swallowing them in silence.

The Magus of Life emerged from behind a willow draped in golden leaves. An ageless man, robed in white, with green veins glowing beneath his skin.

“Void Sovereign,” he said, with a smile like a blade. “You step into a sacred realm. Do you seek healing?”

Raizen stared. “I seek the truth behind your immortality.”

The Magus opened his arms. “Is it not beautiful? Eternal life, endless renewal. My power sustains cities, heals armies, preserves kings.”

Raizen’s voice was cold. “At what cost?”

The garden trembled.

From below, the roots stirred — revealing faces trapped in bark. Souls sealed into trees, their screams muted by the spell of eternity.

Kaien’s eyes widened. “These are… people.”

Raizen whispered, “Sacrifices. To keep the illusion of peace alive.”

The Magus chuckled. “All power requires sacrifice. Even yours, Sovereign.”

“No,” Raizen said. “Mine demands only one thing…”

He stepped forward. “Justice.”

The garden erupted. Thorns launched toward him, blades of green fire sliced the sky. But Raizen moved through it like a storm in human form. Each strike he absorbed, unraveled, and returned.

He raised his hand — the void pulsed — and the garden screamed.

Trees turned to ash.

Rivers boiled dry.

The souls, once bound, began to fade into peace.

The Magus staggered, his body failing.

“You destroy everything!” he hissed.

Raizen stood over him.

“No. I destroy what was never real.”

With a final surge of void energy, he crushed the Magus’s staff, shattering the heart of the Sanctum.

The first throne had fallen.

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Back in the capital, the Queen of Death stood before her mirror, watching petals of the garden fall into ash.