Chapter 172: Final Countdown

The capital sky was a bruised canvas of deep purple and pitch black. The freezing rain had tapered off into a miserable heavy mist clinging stubbornly to the cobblestone streets.

The central plaza of the Solarian Capital was usually a bustling hub of night markets and wandering musicians. Tonight it was a sprawling dead zone. The local citizens had wisely locked their doors terrified by the sudden massive troop movements and the ominous silence radiating from the inner keep.

Leon led the strike team through the empty square moving with silent lethal purpose. He walked at the head of the formation his massive dark steel weapon resting securely on his shoulder.

Looming at the far end of the plaza was the Grand Cathedral of the Divination Court.

It was a breathtaking architectural monster. Colossal spires of white marble pierced the low-hanging clouds while massive stained-glass windows depicted ancient saints commanding the stars. The entire structure pulsed with a dense suffocating wave of heavy religious mana projecting an aura of absolute untouchable authority.

"The final anchor is located deep within the catacombs," Valeriana whispered keeping her voice barely above the sound of their boots scraping the stone. She held a small glowing compass tracking the corrupted magical frequencies. "The layout is a maze of burial vaults and prayer chambers."

Seraphina marched beside Leon her violet eyes scanning the massive bronze doors of the cathedral. "They know we are coming. The ambient mana in the plaza is far too quiet. It is an ambush."

Leon nodded feeling the heavy unnatural stillness in the air. His advanced tracking senses picked up dozens of slow erratic heartbeats hiding in the shadows of the cathedral’s towering pillars.

"They are waiting on the steps," Leon murmured his grip tightening on his heavy weapon.

As they approached the grand staircase leading up to the bronze doors the shadows slowly detached themselves from the marble pillars.

A dozen figures wearing tattered gray hooded robes stepped out into the mist. They moved with terrifying synchronized grace their feet making absolutely zero sound against the wet stone. They carried no visible weapons but the air around them visibly warped saturated with dense chaotic dark magic.

Imperial Executioners.

An entire squad of Lady Morgana’s elite assassins stood blocking the entrance to the cathedral.

"Twelve Executioners," Isolde noted her voice tight with genuine military apprehension. The Emerald Knight drew her glowing rapier the green light cutting fiercely through the gloom. "A single Grey Robe can level a city block. This is a suicide squad."

The lead Executioner stepped forward pulling his tattered hood back to reveal a pale face covered in glowing black tattoos. His solid white eyes locked directly onto Leon projecting a wave of cold dead intent.

"The High Priestess demands your immediate execution feral beast," the assassin rasped his voice sounding like grinding rusted iron. "You will not step foot inside this holy sanctuary."

Leon did not slow his pace. He walked directly toward the bottom of the grand staircase projecting his heavy Intimidation Aura to its absolute maximum limit.

"I am not here to pray," Leon replied his deep voice echoing across the empty plaza with chilling demonic authority.

The Executioners did not waste time with further dialogue. They moved as one a terrifying swarm of dark ash and lethal intent.

Six of the assassins raised their hands summoning dense crackling spheres of black lightning. The Void Strikes shot forward tearing through the misty air with devastating speed aimed squarely at the strike team.

"Shields!" Seraphina roared stepping in front of Valeriana and Julian.

The silver-haired warlord ignited her Tier One Grandmaster core unleashing a massive barrier of searing crimson fire. The black lightning violently collided with the volcanic shield creating a deafening concussive shockwave that shattered the cobblestones beneath their feet.

Leon did not hide behind the barrier. He activated Kinetic Overload violently launching himself through the chaotic explosion directly into the heart of the assassin formation.

He swung his massive blunt steel in a devastating horizontal arc. He channeled a massive surge of kinetic mass into the blade turning the weapon into an unstoppable force of nature.

The heavy steel slammed into the leading Executioner generating a localized shockwave that instantly shattered the assassin’s ribcage and launched his broken body halfway across the plaza.

The remaining assassins scattered utilizing their spatial shadow techniques to melt into the dark mist. They reappeared instantly surrounding Leon in a tight circle attempting to overwhelm him with a barrage of synchronized martial strikes coated in corrosive dark mana.

Leon became a blur of raw brutal violence. He utilized Kinetic Repulsion to blast an attacker backward following up with a devastating spinning back kick that snapped another assassin’s neck. He parried a lethal open-handed strike absorbing the dark energy with his Aura Hardening before driving the heavy pommel of his sword directly into the attacker’s skull.

He was fighting a dozen of the deadliest killers in the empire and he was aggressively tearing them apart.

Beatrice and Elara moved to secure his flanks. The Ice Queen unleashed a sweeping wave of freezing mist instantly trapping two assassins in solid blocks of glacial ice. Elara followed up swinging her heavy steel cleaver cloaked in blistering fire to violently shatter the frozen statues into a thousand burning pieces.

Captain Nyx darted through the battlefield laughing a dark reckless sound as her curved cutlasses danced through the mist cleanly severing the hands of an Executioner attempting to cast another Void Strike.

The battle was swift brutal and entirely one-sided.

Within two minutes eleven Imperial Executioners lay dead or broken on the bloodstained marble steps.

The lead assassin crawled desperately backward his legs shattered by Leon’s heavy blade. The man stared up at the towering warlord his solid white eyes wide with unfathomable terror.

"You cannot win," the bleeding assassin choked out coughing up a splash of dark blood. "The final anchor is already fully charged. The vessel is awake."

Leon stepped forward pressing the heavy blunt tip of his steel weapon directly against the man’s chest.

"Then I guess we better hurry," Leon whispered chillingly before driving the heavy blade downward.

He pulled his weapon free wiping the blood from the dark metal. He turned back toward the towering bronze doors of the Grand Cathedral taking a deep steadying breath.

The final battery was waiting inside. The countdown to midnight was rapidly approaching and the fate of the Solarian Empire rested entirely on their shoulders.

"Kick the doors open Seraphina," Leon commanded his dark eyes burning with endless predatory hunger. "Let us go kill a High Priestess."