Rebirth of the Villain-Chapter 31: The Siege begins

Arthur stared at the dead crystal in Valentina’s shaking hands, his mind already running through battle plans. The leftover magic on the broken pieces made him understand everything—this wasn’t some random malfunction.

Someone had jammed their entire communication network.

"Valentina, breathe," he said, his disguised voice cutting through her panic like a blade. "Tell me exactly what you saw before these things died."

She pulled herself together, her spy training kicking in despite the fear. "Coalition banners coming from three directions at once.

Eastern forces hit our main gates an hour ago with siege weapons we’ve never seen before.

North and south are getting hammered too—it’s all coordinated." Her purple eyes locked onto his. "They moved early, Arthur. We had another week before they were supposed to attack."

Sylrathi glided to the window, her ancient senses reaching out beyond what normal eyes could see. "Magical artillery. Soul-draining weapons. I can feel that dark energy from here." Her face went grim.

"They’re not trying to capture the kingdom—they want to break everyone’s spirit before they take over."

Arthur felt like he was standing at a crossroads from hell. Save the dragon and gain the kind of power that could change everything, or defend his kingdom and maybe lose the chance to stop something way worse than any regular war.

[ABILITY ACTIVATED: Enhanced Tactical Analysis]

[PROCESSING: Running the numbers on multiple scenarios]

[RESULT: 73% kingdom survives if you stay | 12% if you leave]

[ENERGY COST: -15 points]

[REMAINING ENERGY: 520/500]

The calculations was brutal. Without him here running the defense, Lyranth would fall in days. But that dragon... if the Syndicate finished their ritual while he was playing castle defense, they’d unleash something that would make armies look like toys.

"There’s another way," Arthur said slowly, the pieces of a crazy plan clicking together in his head. "The Heart of Lyranth."

Sylrathi spun around from the window. "You can’t be serious. That defense system hasn’t been used properly in three hundred years. The energy cost alone—"

"Could kill me," Arthur finished grimly. "Yeah, I know. But it would also create magical barriers strong enough to keep this invasion out indefinitely. Long enough for us to save that dragon and come back with real power."

Valentina went even paler. "Arthur, no. The royal records are crystal clear—every king who tried to activate the Heart either died from energy drain or got permanently crippled."

"They weren’t Magisters," Arthur shot back, though doubt was eating at him. The Heart of Lyranth was legendary for both its power and its price. It needed massive energy input—way more than any normal mage could survive.

Lily stepped forward from where she’d been quietly listening. "Your Highness, if something happens to you..."

"Then the kingdom falls anyway," Arthur said simply. "This is our only shot to protect everyone and still complete the mission that could save us all."

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

[HEART OF LYRANTH ACTIVATION REQUIREMENTS DETECTED]

[ENERGY COST: 450+ points minimum just to get it started]

[SUCCESS RATE: 67% with your current energy]

[FAILURE MEANS: Death or permanent magical disability]

[CURRENT ENERGY: 520/500 - That overflow might help]

Arthur studied the notification, weighing his odds. The extra energy from his recent... encounters... might be just enough to tip things in his favor.

"I’m doing this," he declared with finality. "Valentina, get us to the Heart chamber. Sylrathi, your healing might be needed."

"Arthur," Sylrathi said softly, centuries of experience in her voice, "I’ve watched heroes make desperate gambles before. Most of them die heroically and accomplish nothing."

Arthur moved to her, taking her hands. "Then make sure I’m not like most heroes. Help me survive this, and we’ll save that dragon together."

The elf searched his eyes for a long moment before nodding reluctantly. "If we’re doing this insane thing, we do it right. Hope you know it has specific requirements."

"Lead the way," Arthur said, then turned to address everyone. "The rest of you, get ready for whatever comes next. If this works, the kingdom’s protected. If it doesn’t..."

"It will work," Lily said firmly, surprising everyone with her conviction. "Because it has to."

Arthur smiled at his devoted maid’s faith, then followed Valentina toward the hidden passages that would lead them.

The Heart chamber was buried three levels under the palace, hidden behind ancient wards that only recognized royal blood. As they descended through increasingly narrow stone corridors, Arthur could feel centuries of weight pressing down on them. Magical energy hummed through the walls themselves, getting stronger with each step.

"The last king who tried this was your great-grandfather, King Aldric," Valentina explained as they walked. "He managed to power the Heart for six hours before the energy drain killed him. But those six hours were enough to repel an invasion three times bigger than what we’re facing."

"I know?" Arthur said, his enhanced senses could pick her feelings.

They reached a massive door carved with runes. Arthur pressed his palm against the central symbol, feeling his royal blood resonate with the ancient magic. And the door opened silently.

The Heart chamber was huge, its domed ceiling disappearing into shadows above. Ancient runes covered every surface, each one representing centuries of accumulated defensive magic. But at the center stood something beyond description—a crystalline formation pulsing with dormant power, easily ten feet tall and radiating barely contained energy.

"The literal heart of the kingdom’s magical defenses," Arthur breathed, studying the activation circle carved into the floor around the crystal.

Arthur stepped toward the activation circle, feeling the magic respond to his royal bloodline even from a distance.

"How does it work again?" he asked, though part of him already knew the answer would be terrifying.

"You stand in the center and open yourself completely to the Heart’s power," Valentina explained, her voice tight with worry. "It draws energy from your magical core until either the barriers are fully up or..."

"Or I die," Arthur finished. "How long does full activation take?"

"Unknown," Sylrathi admitted. "Your great-grandfather died before finishing. But based on the magical patterns, I’d guess fifteen to twenty minutes of continuous energy drain."

Arthur did quick mental calculations. At his current energy levels, he might survive ten minutes of moderate drain. But if the Heart demanded maximum power...

"There’s something else," Valentina said reluctantly. "Once you start the activation, you can’t stop. The Heart keeps drawing power until the process is complete or until there’s nothing left to draw."

Arthur looked at both women, seeing his own fears reflected in their eyes. This was beyond dangerous—it was nearly suicide. But outside, his kingdom was under assault, and somewhere in the Southern Territories, a dragon was being slowly murdered to fuel an apocalyptic ritual.

"I’m doing this," he said firmly, stepping into the activation circle.

Immediately, he felt the ancient magic respond. Energy began flowing from him into the dormant system, slow at first, then picking up speed as the Heart awakened from its centuries-long sleep.

[HEART OF LYRANTH ACTIVATION INITIATED]

[ENERGY DRAIN: 50 points per minute - GETTING FASTER]

[CURRENT ENERGY: 470/500]

[WARNING: Exponential drain pattern detected]

The crystal formation blazed to life with blinding light, magical energy coursing through the runic patterns carved into the chamber walls. Arthur could feel the system connecting to defensive nodes throughout the kingdom, ancient magic awakening after three centuries of sleep.

"It’s working," Valentina breathed, watching magical displays materialize in the air around them. The images showed Coalition forces hitting invisible walls of pure force, their siege engines useless against barriers that existed on multiple magical planes at once.

Arthur gritted his teeth as the drain got way more intense. What had started as manageable was becoming a flood, the Heart demanding more and more energy to complete its awakening.

[CRITICAL ENERGY DRAIN DETECTED]

[CURRENT RATE: 150 points per minute - STILL GETTING FASTER]

[CURRENT ENERGY: 320/500]

[TIME UNTIL YOU’RE DEAD: 2.1 minutes]

"Arthur!" Sylrathi shouted, seeing him waver as the magical drain hit dangerous levels. "You need to stop—this will kill you!"

But through the Heart’s connection, Arthur could see the magical dome forming over his entire kingdom, a barrier of pure defensive energy powerful enough to withstand months of siege. His people would be safe. The dragon rescue could happen without worrying about the kingdom’s fate.

The energy drain reached levels that should have killed him instantly, but his Incubus nature and recent evolution let him endure what would destroy any normal mage. Still, he could feel his consciousness starting to fray at the edges.

[ENERGY CRITICAL: 85/500]

[CONSCIOUSNESS FADING]

[HEART ACTIVATION: 94% COMPLETE]

[WARNING: YOU’RE ABOUT TO DIE]

Through the haze of approaching unconsciousness, Arthur felt something unexpected—a gentle touch of foreign magical energy, warm and supportive. Sylrathi had stepped partially into the activation circle, her own power flowing into him to help sustain the final moments.

"Together," she whispered, her ancient magic intertwining with his Incubus energy in ways that should have been impossible.

The Heart of Lyranth completed its activation with a pulse of energy that shook the entire palace. Magical barriers snapped into place around the kingdom’s borders, invisible but absolutely impenetrable to normal assault.

Arthur collapsed as the ancient system finally released its hold on his drained magical core, darkness claiming him as he hit the stone floor of the activation circle.