The atmosphere in the hall changed instantly.
A suffocating weight pressed down on everyone as the voice of Darkness echoed without words, carried only by her sheer presence. Power rolled through the room, heavy and suffocating.
Prince Ametrine's hand, glowing with blinding white light, was frozen mid-air — inches away from striking Rubina. His body radiated faint traces of aura. He was born without the royal family's signature powers, yet he was still far from weak. Tonight, under the influence of alcohol and the poisonous whispers of others, he had crossed a line he should never have approached.
Prince Belactus moved first, trying to seize his brother's arm. Lord Elfred sprang forward. Lord Zeldard and others followed, all intent on stopping him. But the strike never landed.
All motion froze. Eyes widened. Mouths opened as if to speak, but no words escaped. Several warriors reached for their swords or summoned them outright — but none could move further. A sudden burst of raw energy exploded from one point in the room, flooding it like a tidal wave.
A crushing wave of power struck Prince Ametrine directly, rattling his core. It wasn't only him — the pressure slammed into everyone, making their breaths catch, their lungs heavy as if the very air had turned to stone.
Rubina stood still, trembling. 'The last piece of trust I had… is gone,' she thought, fighting the urge to cry.
The Second Prince collapsed to his knees under the weight of Darkness's power, his mind sobering in an instant as the alcohol's haze evaporated. 'What… just happened?' he thought in shock.
Lord Zeldard summoned his sword, his hand resting on the hilt.
"Darkness, please… don't get angry. We can settle this by talking."
Prince Belactus stepped forward as well. "Yes… my brother lost his reason and crossed the line. But rest assured — my father will punish him."
Darkness's voice was calm, but every syllable dripped with barely restrained fury.
"Why? Why would you punish someone only after they have offended me? He tried to harm my master — to harm an innocent maid. He is a prince, yet he acts like a barbarian… like a senseless beast who strikes at anything not to his liking."
The air seemed to thrum with her restrained rage. Anyone present could tell she was on the edge of acting — and if she did, no one here could stop her without standing against her.
Rubina, sensing the danger, stepped forward.
"You should stop. I… order you."
Darkness's eyes narrowed.
"So… you are saying you forgive him? For what he has done? For attempting to harm you?" Her power intensified, the crushing pressure now focused entirely on the Second Prince.
Rubina's lips parted, but she stopped. She couldn't bring herself to answer.
"Lady Darkness, please release the Second Prince," Selphira said anxiously. 'If he gets hurt… no. Nothing will happen,' she told herself, though her voice betrayed her doubt.
The nobles around them shifted uneasily. Some felt real fear — others, excitement to see what would happen next.
Whoosh!
A blinding beam of light shot toward Darkness. Without hesitation, she raised a bare hand and shattered the attack into harmless sparks. Her skin remained unmarked.
"Natural Reinforced Body—! Aaah!" Prince Ametrine's own voice broke as he realized his strike had failed.
Lord Zeldard's eyes narrowed. So… she's trained her body beyond the hardness of metal. He stepped forward, placing himself between the Second Prince and Darkness.
Their clash came without warning. His blade met her guard, the shockwave rippling through the hall. The floor cracked beneath her feet, yet she stood firm. The Second Prince was thrown back by the force, rolling across the ground.
"Lady Darkness, please stop!" First Prince Belactus called — but she wasn't listening.
"Darkness!" Lord Elfred shouted when he saw her butler's uniform begin to change. In an instant, her formal attire dissolved into a loose orange shirt and pants, her hair tied back.
Gasps filled the room. Even Rubina stepped back. 'What… has the prince done?' she thought in dread.
Everyone knew Darkness followed a personal system — every outfit she wore was symbolic.
The Bromus attire signified power and determination.
Her butler uniform represented loyalty to her chosen path.
But this — the orange clothing woven from Astrum, a cosmic metal from beyond their world — meant something far more dangerous: freedom, revolution, and the unleashing of her full power.
Astrum, capable of being refined into cloth-thin sheets, was nearly indestructible. It amplified every physical, magical, and aura-based ability a warrior possessed.
Lord Zeldard's face hardened. He drew his blade fully, his aura blazing.
"Forgive me… {Greater Piercing}… {Pushing Strike}!"
Darkness moved without hesitation, chaining her own abilities:
{Greater Physical Boost}
{Greater Mental Boost}
{Greater Spirit Boost}
{Greater Ability Boost}
{Greater Magic Boost}
{Heavy Fortress}
A blue, rune-marked blade materialized in her hands as she met his attack head-on.
The clash was brutal. His strike tore through both magical and physical barriers — yet she held her ground. Cracks spiderwebbed across the floor beneath her feet, but she refused to yield.
The shockwave hurled several people back. Nobles scrambled to flee.
Prince Ametrine lay slumped at the side, blood at his lip, but alive.
Lord Zeldard followed with a kick — she evaded, leaping back and readying a counterattack.
An Aura slash came at her from the side — she cut it down effortlessly. Then came a fireball, a wind blade, and a bolt of lightning. Darkness vanished in a blink — teleportation — and reappeared behind her attackers. Gasps echoed again.
Now she faced seven: Lord Zeldard, the Royal Warrior, the Royal Mage, two additional warriors, and two mages.
Her voice was cold as steel.
"Why? You want to protect trash like him? He even attacked your daughter, Lord Zeldard. Why are you saving him? Tell me — are you protecting the kingdom? Its people? Or just a fool who believes the world bends to his whims?"
Lord Zeldard's jaw clenched. His duty chained him to this choice — but he knew she was not wrong.
"Lady Darkness, please calm down. We can talk."
She stepped forward, her eyes blazing.
"After all that has happened, you still ask me that? Either you are a fool, or a puppet who does not understand the path of a true warrior."
Her words carried both rage and disgust. Lord Zeldard averted his gaze. Anger at himself boiled in his chest.
"Lady Darkness, please…" he tried once more.
"In my eyes, you all are now trash." She raised her blade. "{Seven Circle Split}."
Every warrior and mage in the room flinched. Darkness's words carried weight — not because of arrogance, but because she had always been a strict follower of law and honor. For someone like her to say such a thing meant her judgment was final.
Light flared. Her form split into seven perfect copies, each radiating the same crushing power.