The attackers moved swiftly through the shadows of the lower halls, their movements precise and practiced. Runes carved into their armor glowed faintly, masking their presence as they approached the Chamber.
One of the soldiers fell to his knees, gasping for breath. "It's too much," he choked out. "He's… watching us."
The leader cursed under his breath, gripping the man by his collar and hauling him to his feet. "Keep moving," he hissed. "I will deal with him."
Alessia's heart quickened as the reality of the attack settled in. She glanced back at Dante, whose gaze was already fixed ahead, his body tense as if he could feel the danger closing in around them.
Dante's presence remained unnervingly calm, though there was a sharpness in his eyes that betrayed the urgency of the situation. His voice, low and almost a growl, carried over the din of the chaos just beginning to spill into the castle.
"They are near," Dante said, his voice edged with a barely contained fury. "Faint traces of mana in the air—disjointed, chaotic. They've cloaked themselves, but their presence is slipping."
Dante's eyes flickered towards the source of the disturbance, his hand tightening around the hilt of Lumina Blade. The atmosphere seemed to crackle with electricity, a foreboding weight pressing down on everything as he stepped forward.
"Go, now." His voice was sharp, an undeniable command that brooked no argument.
Alessia hesitated, casting one last look at the knight who stood like an immovable wall against the rising storm. She knew better than to question his orders, but the fire in her chest urged her forward, to act—to fight. Still, with a final nod, she turned and made her way toward the council chamber.
Her boots echoed against the stone floors as she made her way through the corridors, her hand still on the hilt of her sword, eyes sharp and scanning the shadows. She was headed straight for Captain Daren—she needed reinforcements to ensure the king's safety. But before she could reach him, the ground beneath her feet shuddered.
The castle walls trembled violently, as though the very foundations were being torn apart from the outside. A deafening crash shook the corridor, followed by a series of violent reverberations that rattled through the stone. Alessia's breath caught in her throat as she realized what had just happened.
The chamber was under attack.
She spun on her heel, her heart racing as she rushed back toward the royal council chamber. Just as she reached the door, a thunderous explosion rang through the castle—louder and more violent than anything she had heard before. The walls cracked, and the heavy wooden doors of the council chamber burst inward, sending a cascade of debris through the room.
In that instant, Dante's focus shifted, the tension in the air palpable. His head turned slightly, just as the figure of the leader, a hulking man with dark, bruised knuckles and large sword, a cruel smirk, emerged from the shadows. His voice cut through the chaos.
"You should've paid more attention, Dante," the leader taunted, his grin wide with arrogance.
Dante's eyes flashed, a dangerous glint in them, but he didn't flinch. His spiritual pressure, already immense, flared slightly as he turned back to face the man. In the blink of an eye, Dante's fist shot forward—faster than any eye could follow. The leader had no time to react.
With a sickening thud, Dante's blow connected with the leader's chest, sending him flying backward through the air with such force that he crashed into the stone walls of the castle. The impact was so violent that the stone cracked under the weight of the attack, and the man slid unconscious, his body crumpling in a heap on the far side of the room.
Dante stood tall, his form unwavering as the echoes of the attack reverberated throughout the chamber. His hand remained steady at his side, the faint glow of Lumina Blade still visible in the dim light. He glanced toward the doorway, sensing another presence—one that was much too close.
The sound of footsteps thudded heavily behind him. A moment later, Kenji burst into the rooftop, his wild grin and battle-hungry eyes gleaming with energy.
"Old man! You done already?" Kenji yelled, his voice full of excitement as he skidded to a stop beside Dante. "I wanna fight them too—just like how you are!"
But Dante's expression darkened immediately. His body stiffened, and his eyes narrowed into a sharp, dangerous glare.
"Kenji…" His voice was low, filled with a growing frustration. "You've overstayed your welcome. Get back to the king. Now."
Kenji blinked, surprised by Dante's tone, but before he could protest, Dante's spiritual presence erupted around him, a torrent of raw energy that radiated outward in waves. It was as if the very air had turned to stone, the pressure suffocating and overwhelming.
The entire castle seemed to falter beneath it.
The air grew dense with tension as Dante's power surged—an unrelenting, domineering force. Those who weren't strong enough to withstand it collapsed instantly, their bodies hitting the ground with a soft thud, unconscious. The few who managed to remain standing, including Alessia, dropped to their knees, gasping for air as their limbs trembled under the weight of Dante's fury.
Kenji, caught in the blast, felt his own knees buckle under the force. His eyes widened as he gritted his teeth, struggling to stay on his feet, but the pressure was far too much for him to handle. He had no choice but to lower his head, his breaths shallow as he tried to stay conscious.
The entire castle seemed to tremble with Dante's fury, as if the very foundations of the kingdom were under siege by his overwhelming power.
And then, from the rubble where the leader had fallen, a bloodied figure slowly rose to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth with a vicious grin. His voice was rough, but the arrogance in it had not faltered.
"Is that all you've got, Dante?" he spat, his voice thick with malice. "I am Iron Fist, leader of the Iron Fist Syndicate. And I'm here to kill your king."
His words sent a ripple of unease through the room, but Dante's expression remained unwavering, his power still palpable in the air around them. The leader of the syndicate, now standing tall once more, was clearly no stranger to pain or battle.
Dante's gaze hardened, and the tension in the room reached a boiling point.
"You'll regret that," Dante muttered, his voice dripping with cold intent.
The castle itself felt like it held its breath as the two forces faced off in the heart of the kingdom's strongest walls. A battle was about to unfold—a battle that would determine the fate of everything within these ancient walls.