YUKAN HEARD A CONSISTENT BEEPING NOISE AS HE WOKE UP. He began to open his eyes, surprised that he could see. A blinding light struck his eyes as they opened once more. He looked to the corner of the room to see Zenpan sitting in a chair. Yukan shifted his head downward to look at his left arm. Sure enough, in the same place that the rose decal marked his right forearm, a dragon skull found itself on his left just under his wrist.

"Thank God you managed to pull through," Zenpan heaved a sigh of relief. "I thought Ite was going to take my head clean off. How are you feeling?"

"How come I can see again?" Yukan asked, realizing that he was in an infirmary. "My eyes. They were sliced."

"You can thank Oba for that," Zenpan answered. "She must care for you quite a bit because as soon as she heard what happened she came here and reversed the damage. She could fix your vision since that was non-lethal. Not only that, but you seem to be quite mentally well for somebody who stayed in Deity Mode for as long as you did. You almost hit the point of no return and yet you managed to break out. I suppose Oba also helped mend your mind."

Yukan looked at his prosthetic hand and reached out to touch it. Unfortunately, Oba could not return Yukan's hand. He understood why this might be since the wound could have caused him to bleed out and die when he first received it if Kadaina hadn't cauterized it. Yukan reflected on the irony that one’s mind could be brought back from insanity if magic is used soon enough, but a hand is gone from the moment that it leaves the body.

"I'll be sure to show my gratitude," he told his general.

"I grabbed both of the blades for you," Zenpan told his crowned fighter. "I'll leave them here."

He then grabbed the two swords and placed them at the foot of Yukan's bed. Oddly enough, he didn't seem to struggle with the weight of the Omega Blade. It had seemed to be virtually weightless to him as well as Yukan. The rightful possessor of both Fabled Swords did not bother with this, shrugging it off as something he was able to do. Oji and Kawata would have likely given Zero the ability to wield either sword should the time come for balance to be kept.

Yukan then grabbed both of the blades before heading to the dressing room. He saw, lying on the wooden bench inside of the dressing room, the same clothes he had worn during the fight against Kunshu. She checked the left sleeve of the red shirt to see that it was still missing.

Once he had gotten dressed, he checked out of the infirmary. As soon as he left the building, both blades in their sheaths, he spotted somebody sitting on a bench. After his eyes adjusted to the natural sunlight outside, he recognized the girl on the bench. She turned to face him and the two of them rushed toward one another before meeting in an embrace.

"Thank God you're alright," Ite gushed. "I'm going to have grey hairs because of you! Stop stressing me out!"

The two of them let out a chuckle as they began to walk toward Yukan's vehicle in the late December snow. His car had been sent to a repair shop while he was in a comatose of exhaustion for three days. As a result, that time had been spent catching up on current events.

"Yokina passed away soon after we left Akuni," Ite related to Yukan. "Yokina was young and didn't have an heir lined up yet. His dying wish was for you to be the next king of Akuni."

"What?!" Yukan stammered. "No way! I can't be a king. I'm extremely immature and I have no clue how to run an entire country."

"There is no one leading the country right now," she told her significant other, "and since Kunshu was your uncle, you have a right to the Aotoshi throne as well. I think you should, Yukan. You have been working very hard for a long time now."

"But Ite," Yukan protested, "wouldn't Zero be better? Hell, even Shisuta would be a better ruler than me!"

"You are a natural leader," the archer insisted. "You fight for your beliefs and stand with the people. Zero doesn't want any part of that and Shisuta can barely tie her shoes! Only you can take this role, Yukan. You were born to do this. If Lars were here, he'd tell you to go for it and never have regrets about it!"

"Do you think I could do it?" the next in line to the throne asked.

"Of course!" Ite exclaimed, still not understanding how Yukan couldn't see his qualifications. "You have fought one of the greatest tyrants of our time. You have come back from the brink of death many times. I don't know a better person than you."

"Well..." Yukan sighed, accepting his fate.

"Well?"

"Every king needs a queen at his side." As soon as he said that, Ite realized what this had meant. In essence, this was a proposal for marriage. Ite gladly accepted the offer and the two of them drove to the palace and learned that the coronation would occur the next day: January 1st, 2023.

❒︎❒︎❒︎❒︎❒︎❒︎❒︎

One day had passed and Yukan wore the most formal attire he could find for the occasion. Citizens of both Akuni and Aotoshi attended the coronation. As Yukan looked over the crowd, he saw Oba, Shisuta, Ani, and Zenpan in attendance, smiling as he accepted the throne of both countries. He also spotted Shirei Akui in the audience, appearing concerned with his fate. The pope of Crenon then walked toward the podium and began the ceremony.

“We are all gathered here today for the coronation of Yukan Kenshi," he declared to the audience. "Would you please rise?"

"Thank you, everyone, for being here today," Yukan announced. "I will do everything to the best of my abilities to fulfill my duties as king. I promise to stand by both kingdoms' people. We will stand united from today on. Yesterday's enemies will be today's friends. Borders will no longer divide these two great nations. Nobody shall stand alone. I will do my best to fulfill the wishes of the people and I will defend you with these blades."

The pope then grabbed a newly-fashioned crown and placed it upon Yukan's head.

"By the power invested in me," he exclaimed, "I crown thee King Yukan the Vengeful."

Applause filled the air as Yukan made his way to the throne.

"Thank you," the new King of Akuni and Aotoshi began. "As my first order, I would like to grant a pardon to Shirei Akui."