"
"Àníyàn ọkàn kì í jẹ́ kí a fo pátápátá."
("A heavy heart never lets a man fly freely.")
Ibadi – Midnight
Bayo walks through the shadows of Ibadi, silent as the wind.
Each step crunches ash and ruin beneath his feet. The once-proud kingdom lies in chains, its people silenced under Ojora rule. The moon glows pale above him as if the heavens themselves hold their breath.
His grip on the sword tightens—the last relic of Ibadi's fallen warriors. His heartbeat is a war drum.
> "This land remembers me. It weeps with me. Tonight, vengeance answers."
---
Ibadi Town Square
The clearing is quiet, torches casting eerie shadows. Villagers, bound and forced to kneel, watch in terror as Tunde stands arrogantly at the center, arms folded.
He senses Bayo before he sees him.
> Tunde (smirking): "I knew you'd crawl out of your hole, prince. What's it like... watching your kingdom burn twice?"
Bayo steps forward, eyes dark and full of storm.
> Bayo (low, calm): "You speak like a man who's never bled for anything."
Tunde draws twin blades, gleaming like polished fangs. Bayo unsheathes the ancestral sword of Ibadi—wide-bladed, scarred, but pure.
> Tunde: "Shall we give your ancestors a show?"
---
⚔️ The Duel Begins – Act I: Clash of Fire and Fury
Steel collides. Sparks fly.
They move like two storms crashing into one another—Bayo's strikes heavy, emotional, raw. Tunde's movements are sharp, calculated, cruel.
Tunde dances around Bayo's aggression, taunting him with every parry.
> Tunde: "Your father begged like a dog before I ended him."
Bayo roars and drives forward. The ground trembles beneath his rage.
> Bayo (through gritted teeth): "You lie."
Their blades lock. Faces inches apart. Breath steaming in the cold air.
> Tunde (whispering): "He whimpered your name before I burned him."
Bayo breaks the lock—slashes wild. He grazes Tunde's shoulder, drawing blood.
---
⚔️ Act II – The Weight of Memory
Flashbacks hit Bayo mid-duel—his younger brother holding a wooden sword, his mother combing his hair, the Ibadi celebration drums pounding in joy.
Now? Silence. Ash. Screams.
He falters.
Tunde takes advantage—slashes Bayo across the side. Blood pours. He kicks Bayo to the ground.
> Tunde: "You can't fight with ghosts, Bayo. You die with them."
Bayo looks up, panting, blade shaking in his hand.
Then—he sees a child hiding behind a broken wall.
A child... with his kingdom's symbol painted on her wrist.
Something inside him reignites.
> "No... not again."
---
⚔️ Act III – Ancestral Fire
Bayo rises. Eyes blazing. Breathing calm. He switches stance.
He fights not as a man—but as a son of Ibadi.
His footwork changes. His strikes flow with precision. The ancestral fighting style taught by his father returns.
Now Tunde is the one retreating.
> Bayo: "You killed my people, my blood, my future. You thought I was broken. But I am what remains."
He disarms one of Tunde's blades. Parry—cut—spin.
Bayo stabs Tunde in the thigh.
Tunde roars, stumbles back—bleeding.
> Tunde (panicking): "You're nothing but a relic!"
> Bayo: "I'm the echo you feared."
In a final motion, Bayo drives his blade straight through Tunde's chest.
Tunde gasps. Blood bubbles at his lips. He stares at Bayo in disbelief.
> Tunde (last words): "He'll burn you all…"
He collapses. Dead.
---
⚔️ The Aftermath
Ojora guards scream in panic. Chaos erupts.
Just then—Adeola, Yemi, Ayomide arrive. Swords drawn. They fight alongside Bayo in a fierce, chaotic escape through the flames and screams.
Bayo stumbles. Blood loss catches up. Adeola carries him.
They vanish into the forest.
---
🌒 In the Forest – Later That Night
A campfire glows. The group surrounds Bayo.
> Yemi (shouting): "You went alone! That wasn't justice—it was foolishness!"
> Ayomide (tense): "You've made him a martyr. Every blade in the empire will now thirst for us."
> Bayo (soft but cold): "He razed my kingdom. I gave him the same gift."
Adeola says nothing. He watches Bayo—not with anger, but sorrow.
> "This isn't victory. This is the beginning of something worse."
---
🏯 Ojora Palace
King Adekunle Ojora stands in front of the throne room fire pit, quiet.
A soldier kneels.
> Soldier: "Prince Tunde is dead. Killed by Bayo."
The room chills. Even the torches seem to dim.
> Adekunle (voice rising): "Let them learn the meaning of an Ojora's wrath!"
---
🔥 Why This chapter Breaks Everything Open
Tunde's death is raw, earned, personal. No shortcuts.
The sword fight reflects years of pain, loss, and royal legacy.
Bayo's rage and trauma push him toward victory—but isolate him from his allies.
Ojora Empire's retaliation begins. A military war is now inevitable.
What will happen to rebel legion now.