Chapter 63: Survival
The initiation ceremony was a spectacle of tradition, hierarchy, and raw power.
The Hall of Fame, now packed to its very edges, thrummed with energy as the swearing ceremony resumed—this time with Nioh at the center. Grimmes had brought him here not just to introduce him but to make a statement.
A few Conquerors stepped forward, standing in open opposition. Their eyes bore into Nioh, full of disdain, curiosity, and something deeper—hostility.
"This one does not belong," one of them declared, his voice sharp as a blade.
"He is an anomaly," another sneered. "Will you force him into our ranks, Grimmes?"
Grimmes let out a low chuckle, his amusement evident. He didn’t move, didn’t even straighten his posture. And yet—his aura shifted.
A crushing force swept across the room.
The opposing Conquerors stiffened, their bodies resisting out of sheer pride. But it was futile. Grimmes’ presence alone bore down on them like a mountain, pressing their feet into the floor. The air felt suffocating.
One step.
Grimmes took a single step forward, and the tension snapped like a whip. The Conquerors closest to him stumbled back instinctively, their breath caught in their throats. A few clenched their fists, trying to maintain their composure, but the weight of Grimmes’ dominance made resistance impossible.
"You don’t get to decide who belongs," Grimmes said, voice calm but laced with absolute authority. "If you have a problem, settle it with your own strength."