The wind howled past Zenith's ears and icy shards stung his face, but he barely felt it beneath the golden light coursing through his body. Not only did it grant him strength, but it sharpened his vision to the point where he could discern the outline of the castle through the raging blizzard.
Even if he wasn't able to see it, he would never miss the dark Levia pulsing within the castle walls. It marred the mountain's desolate beauty like a bloody wound.
As Zenith plummeted through the sky, the darkness loomed ever closer. He could feel its power pressing against his skin, even colder than the wind and snow.
But it wasn't the only Levia he sensed. In the near distance, trails of light streaked through the storm like shooting stars. His fellow knights, descending alongside him.
When the castle's spires filled his view, electricity raced down his spine. Spreading his arms and legs, he let the wind propel him to a ledge near the top of the highest tower.
He hit the ledge on one knee, the impact jolting through his bones. As he straightened, Azimuth landed beside him. The other knights arrived in quick succession – Solstice and Equinox together, then Meridian, and finally Horizon. When the huge knight landed, the entire ledge shuddered.
Azimuth shot him a glare, but Zenith focused on the window directly ahead. Though it was clouded over like a frozen lake, he didn't need to see inside to sense the dark Levia pulsing behind it.
He gestured at the others before stepping back and drawing his sword. They followed suit, and soon a ring of swords pointed at the window. As Zenith's Levia rushed through his core like a tidal wave, an answering white light flared across his blade. The other swords came to life as well, their combined glow casting rippling aurorae across the ice.
A beautiful sight, but not half as amazing as the light sparkling throughout his entire body. When had it ever come so easily?
A vague memory came to him then: a cage of glowing swords surrounding him, stark against the Liminal's shifting colors....
Gritting his teeth, Zenith pushed the image aside. Still, it reminded him of what he needed to do. He nodded at Azimuth, who nodded back.
As one, the knights stabbed their swords to the sky. Light flashed, dazzling as a thunderbolt, before erupting out of the weapons and reforming into blades circling around each knight.
It perhaps wasn't as many as Theo's most powerful spell could create, but each blade crackled with Zenith's resolve. This would be more than enough.
The knights slashed their swords forward, and the blades streaked toward the window.
They struck with an explosion of light and a deafening boom. Zenith stumbled back, but didn't get a chance to recover before a horrible screeching, grinding noise filled his ears. The ledge, shattering under his feet.
Before he could fall, he leaped into the air. He still couldn't see anything through the blazing light, but it didn't matter. Not as long as that awful darkness pulsed in the heart of the castle, drawing his attention like a sickening beacon.
Soon enough, he landed on a solid floor. He straightened, blinking hard to adjust his vision. As the light began to clear, he made out a hallway stretching before him, its walls made of glittering ice.
Wind rushed through the hole where the window had once been, whipping his cape and blowing snowflakes into his hair. But beneath its relentless howl, he made out panicked shouts and pounding footsteps growing steadily louder.
Soon a group of demons in Infernal Legion uniforms came into view, charging down the hall. They skidded to a halt as soon as they saw Zenith and the Knights of the Firmament.
The leader of the group locked eyes with Zenith, her face bloodless. "N-no way, you're...."
Zenith didn't give her a chance to finish. Swift and merciless, he lunged at her and slashed with his still-glowing sword. The demon crumpled, spraying black blood across the floor.
The other demons charged, bellowing – but Zenith and his knights were ready. As the demons mobbed him, jabbing swords and spears, he fell into the simple, elemental rhythms of battle. Parry, block, sidestep, lunge. Sword and shield weaving together in perfect tandem.
After bashing his shield into a demon behind him, he glanced around to check on his comrades. Solstice charged through the mob headfirst, bellowing a war cry; Equinox meanwhile whipped across the hall so fast his cape was a crimson streak.
Horizon crouched behind his shield, easily fending off the combined attacks of three demons. At first Zenith couldn't pinpoint Meridian, but then he saw a flash of silver hair. The tiny knight ducked between two demons charging at her from opposite directions, and driven by their momentum, their spears impaled each other.
A demon hit the floor by Zenith's feet. Looking up, he met Azimuth's purple eyes. She was breathing hard, her face flushed.
He nodded curtly at her, then spun around to watch her back. Even as chaos raged around him, warm pride swelled in Zenith's chest. It seemed his knights were acquitting themselves well.
He cut down one final demon, then a hush fell upon the battlefield. For a moment, the only sound was the howling wind. But Zenith knew it wouldn't be long before reinforcements arrived.
Of course, he intended to be long gone by then. As the knights regrouped, he said, "Spread out and take down every demon you find. I will go after the Grand General."
Unconsciously he tensed, preparing to fend off objections that he shouldn't do it alone. But Azimuth only nodded. "Leave it to us, Sir Zenith."
A strange cold constriction gripped Zenith's chest. Why had he expected her to react like his former crew would have? No – unlike them, the Knights of the Firmament trusted him to take on such an important task himself.
So he took a deep breath, and charged down the hall without a glance back.
He sensed the others' Levia drifting through the halls as well, scattering in different directions. But with every step, their Levia grew fainter and the darkness at the heart of the castle only deepened.
Good. He was on the right track.
The demons, of course, would not let him pass so easily. Mobs of soldiers flooded the halls, trying to overwhelm him with sheer numbers. Foolish. Zenith carved through them with ease, animated not only by Cyrias's Levia but the resolve pounding within his chest. His sword streaked back and forth, leaving brilliant trails in its wake. Blood sizzled into smoke upon contacting the glowing blade, leaving it pure and unstained.
He raced down winding corridors and up flights of stairs, heading ever closer to the top of the highest tower. There, the dark Levia thickened the air like the pressure before a storm. But as long as the light shone in Zenith's core, he had nothing to fear.
The final staircase ended before a narrow landing, at the end of which loomed an arched doorway. Two guards stood before it, but that hardly deterred Zenith.
As one launched a bladed chain at him, he blocked it with his shield. The chain arced back towards its wielder, only to freeze midair before striking in his direction once more.
Well, Zenith could deal with that. This time he swerved to the side, narrowly dodging the blade, and before it could return to its wielder he spun his shield so the chain wrapped around its base. Quivering, the chain went taut.
The demon tried to yank the chain loose, but Zenith wouldn't let him. With a tremendous tug, he dragged the demon toward him like a fish on a line. As the demon thrashed, Zenith thrust out his sword. A dull thud shuddered down his arm when the sword impaled the demon through his chest.
With a contemptuous shake, Zenith flung the demon's corpse to the floor. Tossing aside the chain, he faced the remaining guard. A burly woman, she gave her two-headed poleaxe a threatening spin.
Zenith wouldn't waste time on tricks. Pointing his sword, he charged. The demon swung her poleaxe, but Zenith easily leaped out of the way. The axe slammed into the floor, carving a tremendous gouge.
As she yanked her weapon free, Zenith swerved behind her. He raised his sword, preparing to stab, only for the poleaxe to swing right at his face.
Reacting by instinct, he flung up his shield. The axe slammed into its crystal surface, scattering shards into the air, and the impact drove him back several feet. Sparks sprayed as his heels ground against the floor.
He clenched his teeth, arm straining. If it came down to a contest of pure strength, eventually he would have to give in.
Seeming to recognize this, the demon pushed down harder. But Zenith had more than strength on his side. As his knees trembled, he squeezed the hilt of his sword and focused all his Levia into the blade.
Light flooded the metal, so bright it stung his eyes. Even so, the demon didn't relent an inch. Just as she drove him down to one knee, Zenith snapped his wrist back and flung the sword.
A blinding streak of light. An agonized roar. All of the sudden the pressure on his shield vanished, sending Zenith lurching. As he caught himself, he saw the demon reeling back before crashing to the floor with a tremendous thud.
The instant she fell, Zenith leaped to his feet and yanked out his sword. Leaving her to her fate, he turned to face the door.
It was time.