Dawn of Negotiation
Rowan did not hesitate.
In an instant, he unleashed another spell. A Great Blessing and a Greater Healing Spell surged forth, bathing him in radiant light. A powerful surge coursed through his body, a boundless energy that reignited his strength. His momentum soared, his blade moving like a tempest, pressing against Soro with newfound ferocity.
The tides of battle shifted. Now, it was Soro who staggered backward, struggling to defend against the relentless onslaught.
Panic spread like wildfire through the ranks of the Loran Kingdom. Their strongest warrior, their last line of defense, was faltering. If Soro fell, they were doomed. The realization dawned upon the nobles like a heavy shadow, their faces drained of color. Their last hope was slipping through their fingers, and despair settled over them like a suffocating fog. The once-defiant ministers now whispered among themselves, their voices trembling.
Outside, the battlefield erupted with deafening cries. The Knights of Radiance had found their light. Watching their captain display unparalleled might, the warriors who once held their breath in trepidation now roared in unison. A sea of silver and steel surged forward, crashing upon the crumbling defenses of Loran's capital like an unstoppable tide.
The duel between Black and Soro had been nothing short of breathtaking. Every clash of their blades sent sparks dancing in the air, each parry and counterstrike a life-or-death gamble. The gathered spectators clutched their chests in nervous anticipation. Then, in one explosive moment, Black saw his opening.
With a deafening battle cry, he lunged forward, his greatsword gleaming in the sun. Soro reacted a heartbeat too late. He tried to evade, but fate had already chosen its victor. The blade struck true. A single, decisive strike ended the battle.
Chaos erupted.
The soldiers of the Loran Kingdom, having clung to hope in Soro's strength, stood paralyzed before the crumbling ruin of their defenses. Some fell to their knees in despair; others turned on their heels, breaking into desperate retreat. Ministers in their opulent robes paled, their mouths opening and closing in stunned silence, their intricate web of schemes unraveling in an instant.
And at the heart of it all, Black stood tall, his bloodied greatsword raised high. His voice cut through the pandemonium like a blade through silk.
"Brothers! Onward! The capital is ours!"
With a single, unified war cry, the Radiant Knights and their allies surged forward, an unrelenting tide of warriors pouring into the now-defenseless heart of Loran.
Meanwhile, in the Grand Hall of Concord…
A tension so thick it could be sliced with a dagger filled the grand chamber. Delegates from the two dominant faiths—the Glorious Theocracy and the Radiant Church—sat across from each other, their gazes like flint against steel, sparks of hostility crackling in the air.
Cardinal Caro of the Radiant Church was the first to speak, his voice carrying the weight of centuries of doctrine.
"The Luminance Church has brazenly invaded Loran Kingdom, shattering the sacred order of our alliance. This is a flagrant violation of our covenant! If this continues, the foundation of our unity will crumble into dust."
A hush fell over the assembly.
Then, Cardinal Raymond of the Luminous Church scoffed, leaning forward with a smirk that didn't reach his eyes.
"Oh, how convenient," he drawled. "The Radiant Church, ever the beacon of justice, twisting the truth as always. Let's not forget who made the first move, Caro. Your so-called noble church invaded the Blue Ennead Kingdom unprovoked, waging war for your own selfish gain. And now you stand here, draped in piety, pretending to be the wronged party?"
His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper, eyes gleaming with scorn. "Don't insult our intelligence. Some of us still have our wits about us, even if you're counting on us being blind fools."
Tension rippled through the room. Many ambassadors had arrived with the intent of feigning ignorance, hoping to feign innocence in the matter. But Raymond had forced the truth into the open, stripping them of their pretense.
Some fidgeted uncomfortably, while others stared at Cardinal Caro, gauging his reaction. The Cardinal's expression darkened. A vein bulged at his temple. And then, with an audible crack, his palm slammed against the table, the sound reverberating through the grand chamber.
"This is outrageous slander!" Caro bellowed, pushing himself up from his seat. "You dare twist the truth so blatantly? The Radiant Church never invaded Lann Kingdom! It was you who unleashed your ruthless tyranny upon the innocent! We sought only to protect the world from your savagery, to preserve the order that we have upheld for centuries. And yet, you call us the villains?"
The assembled representatives exchanged glances, their expressions unreadable. A few of them had already begun to suspect the true nature of the conflict, but Caro's brazen denial forced them into a moment of hesitation. They hesitated, calculating their next words carefully, weighing the advantages of standing with one side or the other.
One of them, a sharp-eyed man clad in gold-stitched robes, slowly leaned forward, his fingers steepled. He was Cardinal Kaige of the Luminous Church—the one voice of authority that neither the Luminous nor the Radiant factions could afford to ignore.
His gaze swept across the chamber, heavy with unspoken judgment.
"Well, gentlemen," he said, his voice measured, "what say the rest of you?"
And with that, the stage was set. The battle outside the walls had reached its bloody crescendo, but in this grand hall, another kind of war had just begun.
The Negotiation had begun.