A tense standoff opens as soldiers mock the "coward king" and demand he release a captive while someone at the scene pleads, "Let me go." A female combat champion explains she trained to avenge her parents and vows to slaughter the Northlanders; she blames a nearby weakling for ruining her plan and urges the king to comply or die. Insults about the king's past surrender to General Vyr escalate until Xavier unexpectedly receives the Bulwark Saber. When asked where it came from, he answers with a flat threat: "I'm going to kill you all!"