Five Broken Blades
by Mai Corland
Contents
Chapter Seventy-Four
Overview
Royo, disguised as a guardsmith for Sora and Ty, takes a tense position beside the goal wall beneath the royal box as the Millennial Championship begins, knowing the losing team will be butchered by priests. After anxious scanning, Royo finally spots Aeri in valet uniform and confirms Mikail is also in place, while Euyn remains hidden below near the royal stairs. King Joon arrives, commands the arena’s full attention, and drops the starting flag—setting the stage for the team’s planned strike in the match’s final, double-point minutes.
Summary
Royo arrives at the King’s Arena in Yusan for the Millennial Championship, where two elite tuhko teams—Silla and Rouran—will play a match whose losers will be ritually slaughtered by priests afterward. Disguised in a suit as a guardsmith assigned to Sora and Ty, Royo positions himself close to the goal wall beneath the royal box, acutely aware of the heavy palace-guard presence and the fact that he is unarmed due to security searches.
From the high-noble luxury box to the right of the royal box, Royo studies the setup: twelve nobles nearby, twelve priests in white robes on the other side, and an empty gold throne waiting for King Joon. Royo keeps scanning for Aeri and worries about not having eyes on her, forcing himself to trust she is where she is supposed to be even as he doubts the reliability of others involved.
The northern count, Bay Chin, greets Sora and Ty and openly ogles Sora, taking her hand and seating her beside him with Ty on his other side. Royo remains standing with other guardsmiths, maintaining a professional posture while staying alert and watching the royal box and the crowd.
As drums announce the teams’ entrance, the arena’s energy swells, but Royo still cannot spot Aeri. Then trumpets sound for the king: Joon enters in imperial red, and the massive crowd bows in silence before erupting into cheers. Royo compares Joon’s appearance to Euyn’s and notes Euyn is not visible, consistent with Euyn’s plan to wait below near the royal stairs.
After Joon arrives, Mikail saunters into the royal box, and Royo finally sees Aeri in a brown valet uniform, easing Royo’s anxiety because she is now in place. Royo confirms to himself that the team is set and that the assassination attempt is timed for the final two-minute portion when points double.
Joon prepares to start the match by dropping a red flag adorned with a gold snake prize, and the entire arena fixates on his hand. When Joon releases the flag onto the grass, the crowd roars, music and drums surge, and the championship game begins—while Royo and the others wait for their planned moment to strike later.
Who Appears
- RoyoPOV; disguised as Sora and Ty’s guardsmith, anxiously confirms Aeri’s placement and watches Joon start the match.
- King JoonTarget of the assassins; arrives to the royal box and drops the flag to begin the championship.
- AeriAssassin; finally appears in the royal box area disguised as a valet, easing Royo’s worry.
- MikailAssassin; enters the royal box as part of the coordinated setup before the planned strike.
- SoraAssassin; posed as a noble guest, seated beside Bay Chin while the match begins.
- TyAssassin; posed as a noble guest, seated opposite Sora in Bay Chin’s box.
- Bay ChinNorthern count hosting Sora and Ty; behaves lecherously toward Sora and controls the high-noble box seats.
- EuynAssassin; not seen, but expected to be waiting below near the royal stairs for timing.