The Riftborn Heir

Chapter 6: The Unfinished Battle

A heavy silence gripped the grand hall.

Elder Sun's broken body lay in the rubble, his unconscious form twitching slightly. The once-mighty sect elders, men who had dictated the fate of thousands, now sat frozen in fear.

And yet, one of them still dared to resist.

Elder Hwan slowly rose from his seat, his ancient bones cracking with the movement. His Qi surged violently, thick and suffocating. The air around him rippled like a mirage, distorting under the weight of his presence.

"I was once called the Iron Demon in my youth," he said, stepping forward. His expression was unreadable, but his voice carried the confidence of a man who had never known true fear.

"You might have surpassed the others," he admitted. "But you have never fought me."

Ji-han smirked. "Oh, this should be fun."

The other elders quickly stepped back.

Unlike the others, Elder Hwan was a warrior of a past age—one of the few still capable of real combat.

But he was walking toward his own humiliation.

---

The First Exchange

Elder Hwan struck first.

His Qi exploded outward, his palm shooting toward Haneul's chest with the force of a collapsing mountain.

BOOM!

The grand hall trembled under the impact. The sheer force shattered wooden pillars and splintered the marble floor.

For a brief second, a cloud of dust filled the air.

And then—a gust of wind cleared it away.

Haneul stood exactly where he had been.

Untouched. Unshaken. Unimpressed.

His golden eyes held no emotion as he tilted his head slightly, as if asking: Was that it?

Elder Hwan's pupils shrank. Impossible.

That strike had been powerful enough to break a reinforced war fortress.

Haneul hadn't even bothered to dodge.

---

Time Twists the Fight

Elder Hwan moved again—a blur of speed far beyond what his old body should have been capable of. His fist collided with Haneul's ribs—a direct hit.

Or at least… it should have been.

Haneul felt the impact. The sensation of an attack landing.

But nothing happened.

The moment passed… then rewound.

Elder Hwan's strike was back where it started—as if time itself had folded.

And then it happened again.

Another strike. Another reset.

Haneul's golden eyes flickered.

Something was wrong.

This wasn't Hwan's ability.

Someone else was interfering.

---

The Hidden Hand

From the deep shadows of the sect, a ripple passed through reality.

An unseen force twisted time.

It was subtle—barely noticeable to anyone but Haneul.

And then… a whisper.

"Are you worthy?"

Haneul's breath slowed.

A test.

Someone in the shadows was watching. Manipulating.

And they wanted to see if he could break free.

---

Breaking the Illusion

Elder Hwan's fist shot forward again.

Haneul let it come.

The moment it made contact, the world flickered. The attack was undone. Time rewound once more.

But this time—

Haneul moved.

Before the next distortion could take place, his fingers snapped forward, piercing through the time anomaly.

The illusion shattered.

The weight of true time returned.

And Elder Hwan's body finally felt the impact of his own failure.

---

A Warrior's Last Stand

Pain exploded through Elder Hwan's body.

His ribs cracked. His Qi faltered.

His vision blurred, but he refused to fall.

With sheer willpower, he forced himself back into motion, twisting to deliver a desperate final attack.

A mistake.

Haneul stepped forward—faster than thought.

And drove his knee into Hwan's stomach.

BOOM!

The elder's body bent unnaturally. Blood erupted from his mouth as he was sent soaring through the grand hall, smashing through rows of seats before colliding against the temple doors.

He hit the ground.

And this time—he stayed there.

---

The Death Blow That Never Came

Haneul walked toward him.

Slow. Purposeful.

Like a god delivering judgment.

Elder Hwan looked up, his vision fading. For the first time in his long life… he was truly afraid.

"P-please," he rasped. "I can still—"

Haneul raised his hand.

A sharp blade of pure Qi materialized at his fingertips.

The elders watched in horror.

And then—

He stopped.

---

Mercy is Worse Than Death

Haneul's golden eyes bore into Elder Hwan's trembling form.

"You are already dead," he said softly. "Killing you would be mercy."

Then—he turned his back.

The greatest insult.

To acknowledge him no longer as a warrior, but as nothing.

The room was deathly silent.

Elder Hwan's breathing was ragged. His hands curled into shaking fists.

But he could do nothing.

He had lost.

Utterly.

---

The Moment of Realization

The remaining elders did not move.

Some fell to their knees. Others could only stare at Elder Hwan's broken form.

Haneul turned to face them.

Then—he spoke.

"You are no longer in control."

The words were final. Absolute.

Ji-han, still seated on the throne, grinned.

And in that moment—the elders finally understood.

They had not lost a battle.

They had lost everything.

---

The Shadow Watches

Far beyond the sect, in the depths of the Golden Sect's palace, a figure stood in the shadows.

The air around him… warped unnaturally.

Time seemed to slow, then flicker, as if reality itself was struggling to contain his existence.

He had been watching.

Waiting.

And now, at last…

The Riftborn Heir had returned.

A low chuckle echoed through the chamber.

"Interesting."

---

Ending Hook:

Haneul shatters the time manipulation, proving he is beyond normal limits.

Elder Hwan is utterly humiliated—but left alive, his spirit broken.

The remaining elders finally realize they have lost all power.

The antagonist has now seen Haneul's strength—and is amused