Arthur only had a second to see what the attacker looked like—black clothes, face covered except for eyes that glowed with an unnatural red light—before his instincts kicked in.
He activated Combat Mode as he jumped behind the king's big bed.
```
[Combat Mode: Activated]
[Physical Enhancement: +25% strength, +20% reflexes]
[Energy Cost: -20]
[Energy Reserves: 220/300]
[Threat Assessment: S-Rank Crimson Empire Assassin]
[Weakness Detection: Overconfidence, expects magical response]
[Suggested Strategy: Unconventional tactics, physical counter]
```
Arthur noticed the assassin wasn't moving randomly. They were methodically killing guards while moving in a specific pattern—creating a path toward the door where Queen Isolde was being taken.
"It's a distraction!" Arthur shouted through the chaos. "They're targeting the queen!"
Sylrathi looked his way, her violet eyes widening before she turned toward Isolde.
With a quick gesture, silver magic flashed around the queen, creating a protective shield just as a second assassin dropped from the shadows.
Arthur looked around for anything he could use as a weapon. His hand grabbed a heavy silver candlestick near the bed. Not ideal, but better than nothing.
Hawklight fought the first assassin, his sword covered in blue flame as he matched the attacker's speed.
Krag had already charged through the doorway, the sounds of his war hammer and dwarven battle cries echoing from the hallway.
Arthur focused on the immediate threat—a third assassin who had spotted him and was now moving toward his position, daggers gleaming with a sickly red light.
```
[Anomaly Detection: Active]
[Soul-drain poison detected on blades]
[Warning: Single cut potentially fatal]
```
The assassin lunged forward with inhuman speed. Arthur rolled to the side, feeling the blade pass so close it cut the air by his cheek.
He swung the heavy candlestick in a wide arc, hitting the assassin's knee with a satisfying crack.
The attacker barely flinched, turning to strike again. This time, Arthur couldn't completely avoid it—the blade cut a thin line across his arm. Immediately, he felt a burning sensation spreading from the wound.
```
[Warning: Soul-drain poison detected in bloodstream]
[Incubus resistance: 75% effective]
[Toxin neutralizing: 10 seconds to full elimination]
[Temporary effect: Magic suppression]
```
The assassin paused, clearly expecting Arthur to collapse. When he stayed standing, confusion showed in those red eyes.
"Interesting," the assassin said, voice muffled behind their mask. "You should be dead."
Arthur used this moment of surprise to his advantage, charging forward with Combat Mode-enhanced speed. He drove the candlestick toward the assassin's throat with all his strength.
The assassin blocked the strike but seemed genuinely surprised by Arthur's strength. "What are you?" they hissed.
Before Arthur could answer, Sylrathi appeared behind the assassin in a flash of silver light. Her hand touched the back of the attacker's head, and the red glow in their eyes instantly dimmed. The assassin collapsed like a puppet with cut strings.
"Are you hurt?" she asked, looking at the cut on Arthur's arm.
"It's nothing," he replied, though the burning sensation was still spreading. His system was fighting the poison, but it still hurt like hell.
Sylrathi's eyes narrowed. "That blade was coated with soul-drain poison. You should be dead or dying."
"Lucky, I guess," Arthur deflected, looking around the room to check the situation.
The first assassin was down, Hawklight standing over the body with his flaming sword still drawn. Queen Isolde was surrounded by guards near the side door. The sounds of fighting still echoed from the hallway.
"We need to move," Hawklight said, approaching them. "More will come."
Arthur was about to respond when a fourth assassin appeared from nowhere—literally materializing from the shadows beside one of the tapestries.
Before anyone could react, the assassin had a blade pressed against Arthur's throat.
"Don't move, elf," the assassin ordered Sylrathi, who had frozen mid-step, silver magic already forming around her fingers.
"What do you want?" she demanded.
"We need him alive," the assassin replied, though Arthur could sense the lie.
```
[Emotional Sensing: Active]
[Target: Assassin]
[Results: Deception 85%, Hatred 90%, Determination 95%]
[Energy Cost: -5]
[Energy Reserves: 215/300]
```
Arthur stayed outwardly calm while his mind raced. The system confirmed what he already suspected—the assassin had no intention of keeping him alive. This was about something else.
As he scanned the room, Arthur noticed something odd about Queen Isolde. Despite the danger, she wasn't looking at the assassin threatening her stepson's life—she was watching Hawklight with an intensity that seemed out of place.
"Fascinating," Arthur said, keeping his voice steady despite the blade at his throat. "An assassin who negotiates. Even more fascinating—one who lies about keeping me alive."
The assassin's grip tightened. "Shut up, you piece of trash."
"'Piece of trash'?" Arthur repeated thoughtfully. "That a nice choice of words."
The pieces were starting to come together in Arthur's mind—the timing was too perfect. The king's death, the Heroes' arrival, the coordinated attack. And now an assassin who needed to make a show of taking him hostage rather than simply killing him on sight.
"Let me offer an observation," Arthur continued, feeling the blade press harder against his skin. "The Seven Heroes arrive within minutes of the king's death—not early enough to prevent it, not late enough to be coincidental.
The Eastern Coalition attacks with precision, yet makes the strategic error of announcing their presence before eliminating all targets."
He could feel the assassin's breathing change slightly against his ear.
"Then there's the question of Royal Mage Thorne," Arthur added. "The kingdom's most powerful magical detector, who can sense a minor spell from a mile away, yet somehow missed a direct magical assassination in the room next to his quarters."
The room had fallen silent now, all eyes on Arthur and his captor.
"You're not here to kill me," Arthur said with sudden certainty. "You're here to create a story. The Eastern Coalition assassinates the king, attempts to kill the heir, and conveniently the Seven Heroes arrive just in time to save the kingdom."
Arthur felt his eyes burning slightly, unaware that tiny red flecks had appeared in his irises as his incubus nature responded to the threat.
"Tell me," Arthur asked, his voice clearly across the room, "who's really paying you? Because this isn't just about eliminating the Lionheart line. This is about controlling who takes the throne afterward."
For a moment, there was only tense silence. Then, with a sudden movement that surprised even himself, Arthur dropped his weight and twisted, accepting a shallow cut across his neck as he broke free of the assassin's grip. He spun to face his attacker, now standing between them and Sylrathi.
The assassin lunged forward with inhuman speed, blade aimed directly at Arthur's heart. Time seemed to slow as Arthur realized he couldn't possibly move fast to avoid the strike.
```
[Critical Threat Detected]
[Submission Strike Available]
[Channel: Lily (Precision Focus)]
[Target: Assassin's Attack Pattern]
[Energy Cost: -30]
[Execute? Y/N]
```
Arthur mentally selected 'Y' in the instant before the blade would have struck him. Energy surged through his body, channeling through the bond he shared with Lily. The world slowed further as his perception sharpened. He could see the tiny adjustments in the assassin's attack, the exact path of the blade.
With precision he didn't know he had, Arthur shifted exactly three inches to the right. The assassin's blade passed through empty air where his heart had been a moment before.
Taking advantage of the overextended strike, Arthur grabbed the assassin's wrist and twisted. The perfect timing made it devastating—the assassin stumbled forward, directly into Sylrathi's waiting spell.
Silver light encased the attacker's body, freezing them in place.
Hawklight approached slowly, his expression a mixture of surprise and suspicion. "That was... unexpected, Your Highness."
"Many things about today have been unexpected, Commander," Arthur replied evenly. "Including your arrival."
Before Hawklight could respond, the chamber doors opened again. Royal Mage Thorne finally swept in, blue robes perfect despite the chaos elsewhere in the castle.
"Your Highness," Thorne said with a bow. "I came as soon as I could break through the magical barriers."
Arthur gave him a cold look. "How convenient that you arrive after the immediate danger."