1 The Awakening of Kings

Amidst the mighty Kingdom of Argal, a formidable army of demons looms, eagerly anticipating the breach of its protective barrier. Within the castle walls, Darius, adorned in his imposing armor, strides into the throne room, locking eyes with the figure seated upon the regal throne. A sense of nostalgia fills the air as their conversation begins, hinting at a shared history fraught with mystery and significance. Secrets are poised to unravel as the fate of the kingdom teeters on the edge of uncertainty.

"So he finally arrived here," King asked, his voice filled with anticipation.

"Yes, my Lord," Darius replied, bowing respectfully.

"Falmoth fell after all. Well, it was inevitable," the King mused, a tinge of satisfaction in his tone. "Seeing how that person rejected our help, his arrogance took down his own kingdom."

Darius sneered, unable to hold back his retort. "Well, what about your arrogance? If you had wanted to, you could have killed him that day. Only if your honor hadn't stood in the way."

The King's expression softened as he replied, "That was a promise I made to my friend, to forgive his mistake just this once. And you were there, Darius. If you had wished, you could have killed me and completed the task. Yet, you took no action."

Darius, his voice tinged with loyalty, responded, "That's because you were my friend, and it wasn't your mistake. Besides, I know that if you had killed him, according to the deal of your ancestors with the mana, the whole kingdom would have been destroyed."

"You knew about it?" King asked, surprise evident in his voice.

Darius chuckled, his fondness for his friend shining through. "Hey, even though you are dumb, you're still my friend."

"Are you getting too informal with your King?" King playfully inquired.

Darius retorted with a smirk, "You want my mace in your ass?"

Laughter erupted from both of them, breaking the tension in the room.

"I thought you were serious for once," Darius replied, his voice still filled with amusement.

"Hahaha, well, where is Luke?" King asked, changing the subject.

"Lancer? He is with Silvia, discussing war tactics," Darius informed.

"What about the 12 Guardian Gateways?" the King inquired, a sense of urgency in his tone.

"They are opened," Darius confirmed.

"Hmm, so it's time." King rose from his throne, determination evident in his eyes.

He walked towards an iron chest near his throne, gazing at it intently. He picked up the chest and forcefully smashed it against his throne, shattering the throne into pieces while leaving the chest unharmed. A radiant white light emanated from the broken throne and entered King's heart.

"It's been a while, my Lord," a smooth voice resonated in his mind.

"It has indeed, Selena," King thought in response.

King then shifted his gaze to the chest in his hand. With a surge of white energy, he thrust his hand into the chest, shattering it. A magnificent silver armor emerged and enveloped King's body.

A blinding white light filled the room, and a cloud began to form above the castle.

"So, it's finally time," Darius remarked, looking towards the roof of the throne room.

A dazzling white light descended from the sky, breaking through the castle's roof.

The King's eyes gleamed with a radiant white light.

Suddenly, 12 locations across the kingdom illuminated, each radiating a divine aura.

Darius was one of the chosen ones.

The sound of a conch shell echoed through the air.

"It's the sound from the temple," someone exclaimed.

All eyes turned toward the temple.

The combined armies of the seven kingdoms tightened their grip on their weapons.

King locked eyes with Darius and declared, "It's time."

In an instant, both of them disappeared from their original spots and reappeared at the front lines, standing before their armies.

A powerful gust of wind shattered the castle from behind.

"I don't think there was any need to break the castle," Darius remarked.

"It's fine. Dwarfs can build a new one," King replied, trying to ease the pain in his head.

Suddenly, a hammer struck the King's head, causing him to see stars in broad daylight.

"You brat! What do you take this old man for? How dare you break the castle?" an enraged dwarf shouted.

"Uncle Toby, it was just a joke," Jason, a young dwarf, attempted to placate his uncle.

"Hey, old man, it's been a while," King said, trying to calm the throbbing pain in his head.

"I will kill you, brat!" the old dwarf bellowed, his anger unabated.

Just then, a tremendous beam of energy struck the barrier, causing it to tremble.

The faces of everyone present turned grave, their determination strengthened for the imminent battle ahead.