Absolute King Chapter 25.

Chapter 25: The Raging Chariot.

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Mark moved carefully through the dimly lit hallway, his father close at his side. Each step echoed faintly on the concrete floor, a reminder of the danger surrounding them.

Zatanna walked ahead, her hands glowing faintly with magic, her words sharp and precise as she dispatched the guards one after another. Each opponent fell quickly, either stunned by her spells or disarmed before they could raise their weapons. She carved a path forward, leaving Mark and his father to follow closely behind.

Elsewhere, another battle was unfolding. Blockbuster had thrown himself into a brutal clash with Iskandar, the King of Conquerors.

The two giants collided with thunderous force, crashing through walls and shaking the building with each blow. At first, they appeared evenly matched, strength against strength, but it quickly became clear that Iskandar’s centuries of battlefield experience gave him the upper hand.

His movements carried the weight of a seasoned warrior, his strikes not only powerful but deliberate, each one exploiting an opening Blockbuster hadn’t even realized he had left.

With a sudden swing, Iskandar’s blade cut across Blockbuster, sending the hulking man flying as though he were nothing more than a ragdoll. Instead of anger, Blockbuster roared with laughter.

For once someone had acknowledged his strength which seemed to ignite something in him. For the first time in a long while, Blockbuster smiled, as though he were genuinely enjoying himself.

Recovering from the crash, Blockbuster launched himself forward again, this time attempting a suplex. But Iskandar countered without hesitation, planting his feet deep into the ground, dragging a long trench across the floor as Blockbuster pushed with all his might. With a grin, Iskandar wrapped his massive arms around him and, with a wrestler’s flourish, lifted him high before slamming him down with bone-rattling force. The sound echoed through the building like a thunderclap.

Mark, watching from afar, couldn’t help but imagine himself stepping into a wrestling ring, raising an arm, and declaring Iskandar the undisputed champion.

Blockbuster lay unmoving, unconscious, in a crater that had caved in beneath him. The shockwave of the slam reverberated through the structure, causing dust and rubble to rain from above.

Meanwhile, Mark and his father reached the elevator shaft, only to find it utterly destroyed. Lady Shiva had anticipated their escape and ensured no easy path remained. The only option was upward—through the ceiling.

But there was little time to act.

The remaining guards pressed their attack, their rifles unlike anything Mark had ever seen. The barrels glowed, firing beams more like condensed bursts of energy than bullets, each one carrying enough force to scorch through steel.

Zatanna raised a shimmering shield of magic, absorbing shot after shot, the glowing dome quivering under the relentless fire. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she whispered incantations, straining to maintain the barrier.

Her voice trembled but stayed firm. “I can’t hold this much longer… we need another way out—now.”

Before the barrier could collapse, Iskandar rejoined them, striding forward like a storm incarnate. With each swing of his sword, guards fell, their weapons clattering uselessly to the ground. Through the mind link, Mark called out to him with sudden clarity. “Summon your Noble Phantasm.”

Iskandar paused, his grin widening as he caught Mark’s intent. “As you wish.” Raising his arm, he summoned a storm of lightning that tore through the room. The air sizzled as arcs of electricity struck down enemies where they stood. Then, within the storm, something massive emerged—the Gordius Wheel, Iskandar’s thundering bull-drawn chariot.

“Get in!” Iskandar bellowed, his voice cutting through the chaos. Mark, his father, and Zatanna didn’t hesitate. They climbed aboard, the chariot immediately surging forward with terrifying speed. Guards were swept aside like leaves in a gale, crushed or scattered within moments.

The chariot ascended toward the ceiling, ramming into it with earth-shaking force, but the reinforced structure resisted, holding strong. Mark clenched his fist. They didn’t have the time for a prolonged struggle. Drawing on the power within him, he invoked a command spell, pouring its strength into the chariot. He had learned that each king carried a unique bond through these spells, and now, in this dire moment, he used Iskandar’s.

The effect was immediate. Lightning coursed through the Gordius Wheel, its bulls roaring as their power magnified. With a deafening crack, they tore through the ceiling like a bolt of divine judgment.

“Hold on tight!” Iskandar roared.

The chariot blasted upward, shattering stone and steel until at last they emerged onto the upper floor.

The impact reverberated through the battlefield above. Lady Shiva, Batman, Constantine, and their allies all staggered as the ground beneath them shook violently. The floor erupted in a surge of lightning, rubble collapsing as the Gordius Wheel burst forth into the open.

The building began to give way, walls splitting and ceilings crumbling. Most of Shiva’s men were buried beneath the collapse, though Batman and his team managed to avoid the falling debris, retreating to safety. Doctor Flinch was now freed—the mission, at least for them, had succeeded.

Lady Shiva, however, was far from calm. Crawling from the wreckage, blood smeared across her shoulder and face, her sword clutched tightly in one hand, she seethed with rage.

Failure burned in her chest—failure to her mission, to her pride, and to the League of Assassins. Her eyes locked on Mark, Zatanna, the man she didn’t recognize, and above all, Doctor Flinch, escaping aboard the lightning-wreathed chariot.

Batman wasted no time, ordering his team to retreat. He called for the Batplane, hidden under stealth camouflage, and within moments it descended to extract them. His mission was complete, and he would not squander the opportunity.

But Shiva refused to accept defeat. From within her robes, she retrieved a small device, its surface gleaming with a single ominous red button. She clenched it tightly, her voice a growl. “If the Light cannot have him, then no one will.”

With a press, the sky filled with movement. Cyborg drones deployed in swarms, rising like a cloud of steel and fire. Their eyes glowed crimson as they locked onto their target.

Shots rang out almost immediately, streaks of energy flooding the air as the machines converged in perfect, hive-like synchronization.

Mark reacted instantly, sending his flying words to intercept the incoming swarm. The glowing constructs sliced through some of the machines, but there were too many. A single cyborg broke through the defense, its weapon charging before unleashing a blinding beam aimed directly at Mark.

Time seemed to slow. Mark’s breath caught—he wouldn’t be able to block it in time. But before the beam could reach him, his father moved. With no hesitation, he threw himself in front of the attack.

The blast struck him squarely in the chest, tearing through flesh and bone. A gaping hole opened where his heart should have been.

And Mark watched in horror as his father fell feeling the time slow down for him without believing what he was witnessing.