"Paladins, what are you waiting for? Charge!" shouted Mr. Leon.
Immediately, the other paladins surged forward, surrounding the frozen black-clad assassin in a wide circle.
"Will, Will, are you alright?" Eddie rushed forward, his face filled with concern.
"I'm fine, this is nothing," Will stood up, brushing the dust from his clothes.
"Thanks to you all, we managed to prevent disaster. Had it not been for your help, the king... well, we might have lost him," Mr. Leon said, his gaze filled with appreciation as he looked at Will and Lisa.
"Oh, it was nothing. It was mostly Lisa who discovered him," Will said, glancing toward Lisa, who was walking over.
"I merely didn't want to see your king killed without reason," Lisa replied indifferently.
"Don't be so modest, Lisa. I'm sure you're secretly pleased," Will teased.
"No, it's nothing. A mere trifle," she responded coolly.
"Well, regardless, you've both saved our king. I believe the king will certainly reward you for this," Mr. Leon said, patting Will on the shoulder.
"Hmm?" Lisa suddenly furrowed her brows.
"What is it?" Will asked, noticing her shift in expression.
"There is still magical energy," Lisa murmured.
"Paladins, fall back!" Mr. Leon shouted urgently.
The frozen assassin suddenly began to tremble. Slowly, cracks appeared in the ice, and with a loud "boom," the black-clad figure broke free from his icy prison, standing unharmed.
"Enough. You're surrounded now. Come quietly with us," Mr. Leon said to the assassin.
"I thought you were dead, little girl. I didn't expect you to be alive, and even more so, that you'd be so strong. Looks like I underestimated you this time," the assassin sneered. He then slowly removed the Magic Obsession Stone ring from his right hand, eyeing it for a moment before swallowing the stone whole in one swift motion.
"Even if I fail this time, our forces will soon overtake this place. Mr. M will surely flatten it. Just wait, just wait! My words will soon come true, hahahaha!" he laughed maniacally.
"Not good, his magical energy is swelling, and it's becoming more powerful. Is he... preparing to self-destruct?" Lisa exclaimed in alarm.
"I won't be captured by you!" the assassin growled, his body emanating purple heat, growing larger by the moment.
"He's going to explode!" Lisa shouted, extending her hand and casting a spell. Instantly, a vortex appeared around the assassin, pulling him into its center. Above the Cathedral, another vortex formed, slowly drawing the swollen assassin upward.
With a thunderous explosion, the assassin detonated in mid-air, his black clothing scattering across the ground. However, due to Lisa's timely magic, the onlookers remained unharmed.
...
Not long after, inside the Cathedral.
"Has the assassin been captured?" The elderly king, still shaken, sat in a chair and addressed Mr. Leon.
"Report, Your Majesty, the assassin is dead."
"Dead?" The king blinked in surprise.
"Yes, these two heroes were the ones who defeated him," Mr. Leon said, gesturing to Will and Lisa.
"Ah, this young lady saved my life just now," the king remarked, glancing at Lisa.
"By the way, have you uncovered the assassin's identity?" the king asked.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. Since the assassin took his own life in the end, he didn't reveal anything to us."
"Is that so?"
"I know," Lisa suddenly interrupted the conversation.
"Ah, please, go ahead, young lady."
"This assassin was a hired killer sent by the United Nations."
"Why would the United Nations do such a thing? We haven't had any major conflicts with the other two great empires recently, have we?"
"You should know, the Arus Empire and the United Nations' armies have already gathered on the outskirts of the Paralar Empire. Once you die, their forces will march immediately," Lisa explained.
"Why would the two countries form an alliance?"
"No, it's not an alliance. The United Nations knew they could not conquer here on their own, so they first attacked the Arus Empire. Under pressure, the Arus Empire was forced to send troops to assist them in attacking here," Lisa explained.
"But you say they conquered Arus, yet they can't conquer us? From what I know, the Arus Empire has some of the strongest warriors," Mr. Leon interjected, skeptical.
"The United Nations is not what it once was. The once-proud Mage's Guild has, under new leadership, begun researching dark and sinister magic. They've summoned undead from hell and control powerful monsters from other realms. But they know that the Paladins of the Paralar Empire are experts in countering such threats, which is why they've allied with Arus to attack here," Lisa said.
"So, now what? The assassin they sent has been killed," Will asked.
"Yes, I believe they must have learned of his failure by now. I suspect they are preparing for a full-scale assault," Lisa said, her voice grave.
"What should we do?" the king asked, anxiety creeping into his tone.
"Your Majesty, I believe you have no choice but to face them in battle," Lisa said firmly.
"I agree, Your Majesty. If we don't push them back now, their assassins will only grow in number. We must strike fear into them," Mr. Leon said with resolve.
"Very well, if that's what you both think," the king agreed reluctantly.
"Your Majesty, I request permission to lead the Paladins into battle," Mr. Leon said, his voice filled with determination.
"Very well, Mr. Leon," the king said, nodding.
"Mr. Will, Lady Lisa, I request that you both lend me your strength," Mr. Leon turned to face them.
"I? I've never participated in such large-scale battles before," Will said, surprised.
"That's not a problem. From the strength and courage you've shown in these past days, it's clear you'll become a powerful warrior," Mr. Leon reassured him.
"Alright, if you say so," Will replied, though still uncertain.
"Good! And what about you, Lady Lisa?"
"I'll help you, but I have a condition."
"Speak."
"I came to the Paralar Empire specifically to find this," Lisa said, pulling a Magic Obsession Stone from her waist.
"What is this?" The elderly king squinted at the stone in her hand.
"This is a creation of the current Mage's Guild. It allows ordinary people to cast magic, but it also induces an addiction to magic, which is why we call it the Magic Obsession Stone. The assassin used one today," Lisa explained.
"Alright, what is your condition?"
"I request that anyone found carrying a Magic Obsession Stone be handed over to me for disposal," Lisa stated.
"Hmm... very well. After all, the people of Paralar do not use magic."
"Good, then I agree to join you in fighting the combined forces of Arus and the United Nations," Lisa said resolutely.