King Shadis stood atop the grand battlements of Radiance Castle, the cool evening air gently brushing against his stern face. He surveyed the chaos unfolding below, his beloved Kingdom of Radiance, his life’s work, engulfed in turmoil. But it wasn’t Roman’s fierce assault nor the explosions that held his attention. Instead, his gaze rested firmly on a colossal dragon approaching swiftly from the horizon. Riding atop the dragon’s back was a figure whose piercing eyes glowed fiercely, shifting through shades of deep, unnatural orange. Who is this stranger? Shadis thought cautiously. Clearly, he isn’t from Radiance. The man gracefully leapt from the dragon, landing effortlessly in front of Shadis, his movements smooth yet brimming with authority. “My name is Dante,” the stranger introduced himself, voice rich and commanding, eyes never wavering from Shadis’s face. He gestured casually toward the massive beast that now soared upward into the distant skies. “And that dragon is my companion, Drakar.” Shadis regarded Dante warily. “Dante, is it? You have quite the entrance. What business do you have here, amidst all this destruction?” Dante took a confident step forward, meeting Shadis’s eyes with intensity. “King Shadis, we’ve come for something you possess.” Shadis raised a skeptical eyebrow, voice calm yet edged with tension. “I have nothing for you, Dante.” With deliberate ease, Dante removed his cloak, revealing a muscular torso etched in intricate, glowing tattoos, symbols that seemed ancient, imbued with mysterious power. The tattoos pulsed faintly as though alive, their meaning unknown yet deeply unsettling. Shadis’s hand tightened subtly at his side. “You know,” he warned cautiously, “attacking the very person you desire something from isn’t typically the best strategy to achieve your goal.” A confident smirk flickered briefly across Dante’s lips. He chuckled lightly, shaking his head. “Perhaps, but sometimes force becomes necessary, though I’d prefer not to resort to violence unless you force my hand.” Dante’s voice softened slightly, a note of sincerity seeping through his powerful presence. “I’ve come specifically for the Light Gem.” The words hung heavily in the tense silence, Shadis’s eyes narrowing slightly, defensive. He paused deliberately, curiosity gnawing at his composure. “Why do you need it?” Dante’s expression turned gravely serious, eyes blazing intensely as though burdened by knowledge only he possessed. “The gem is necessary for something far greater than either of us, a mission to save this entire world.” King Shadis’s heart skipped a beat, his interest piqued against his will. “Save the world?” he echoed cautiously. “Tell me, Dante, what exactly does our world need saving from?” Dante’s eyes darkened ominously, flickering with barely-contained anger. “There exist people, beings even stronger than the two of us combined, entities of pure evil who manipulate this entire world from the shadows. They operate unseen, their grip tightening on all corners of existence.” Shadis’s thoughts immediately flashed toward whispers he’d heard throughout his life, of shadowy figures manipulating fate from behind the scenes. His pulse quickened. Could he be talking about the Eclipsed Abyss? “The Light Gem,” Dante continued urgently, sensing Shadis’s hesitation, “can unlock a power strong enough to rival even them.” “And what if I refuse to give it to you?” Shadis questioned steadily, testing Dante’s resolve, eyes sharply vigilant. Dante’s gaze hardened, determination overtaking diplomacy. “Then, regrettably, I’ll have to take it by force. But as I said, violence isn’t my first choice. Your cooperation would be ideal.” King Shadis considered deeply for a moment before finally reaching within his robe, carefully producing a brilliant gem shimmering with ethereal luminescence. The Light Gem’s glow pulsed hypnotically, illuminating the faces of the two powerful men. “This gem?” Shadis asked cautiously, gauging Dante’s reaction. Dante’s gaze intensified, almost reverent. “Yes,” he whispered firmly, nodding slowly, eyes locked hungrily onto the radiant stone. “That’s the one.” King Shadis stared thoughtfully into the gemstone’s dazzling depths, its immense energy humming gently within his palm. He sighed deeply, shaking his head resolutely. “I can’t simply hand it over. I don’t know you, Dante, I can’t trust you.” Dante stepped forward urgently, eyes earnest now, voice almost pleading. “Then tell me, King Shadis, what can I do to earn your trust?” King Shadis’s gaze moved deliberately to the raging battles below, smoke billowing from fires ignited by Roman’s madness. He turned back to Dante sternly. “End this war beneath us. Stop Roman’s madness and the chaos he’s unleashed. Perhaps then, I might trust you.” Dante shook his head solemnly, his tone decisive. “No. That’s your kingdom’s struggle. I have no interest in intervening.” Shadis’s expression hardened, voice icy. “Then you leave me no choice.” Dante quickly raised his hand in protest. “Wait. Perhaps another way to gain your trust is to tell you exactly what these gems truly are.” His gaze pierced deeply into Shadis’s eyes. “Across this world lie eight gems, each containing immense power. If one gathers all eight, it will grant them god-like strength, strength powerful enough to challenge those shadowy rulers.” “Why pursue such incredible power, Dante?” Shadis questioned skeptically, suspicion deepening in his tone. Dante’s eyes burned with barely contained fury and deep sorrow. “I have personal grievances with these so-called ‘gods’,” he explained darkly. “These entities are immortal, untouchable, even an EX-rank like myself can’t defeat them alone.” Recognition suddenly sparked in Shadis’s mind, alarm flickering through him. “Wait a moment, Dante, the EX Rank. I’ve heard your name before. A legend whispered in fearful awe. A man like you wielding god-like powers…I cannot allow it.” Dante sighed deeply, eyes betraying genuine regret. “Yet you must. These beings will plunge our world into eternal darkness if not stopped.” King Shadis’s voice firmed, his decision final. “Your words hold no proof, Dante. Without certainty of this threat, I can’t entrust such incredible power to you.” With a smooth gesture, Shadis summoned forth a glowing orb of radiant spiritual energy, encasing the Light Gem securely within. “This orb will open only upon my death.” Dante’s face hardened in grim acceptance, muscles tensing visibly. “Very well. Prepare yourself, King Shadis.” Spiritual energy exploded violently from King Shadis, the castle trembling beneath his might. Slowly, he began levitating above the stone floor. With a blinding flash, a blade of pure, radiant energy appeared from thin air, grasped firmly within his hand. “You underestimate me, Dante,” Shadis proclaimed fiercely, voice echoing like divine judgment. “I am this kingdom’s guardian. You will not take what’s mine!” Dante’s fiery eyes blazed brightly in response, unwavering in his resolve. “And I am a man on a mission. One way or another, the Light Gem will be mine.” Dante’s voice softened once more, urgency tinged with reluctant respect. “I would hate to kill you, Shadis. Trust me.” Shadis’s gaze remained unwavering, filled with resolute defiance. “Your word means nothing to me.” Dante sighed bitterly, accepting the inevitability before him. “So be it, then. I suppose I’ll have to take the gem from your corpse.” King Shadis raised his blade high, spiritual energy crackling intensely along its edge, illuminating him like a deity in the gathering darkness. “Then prepare yourself, Dante! For Radiance, I fight!” A tense silence stretched, the kingdom below erupting in chaos as these two titanic figures faced each other, their immense power poised to clash violently. The fates of Radiance, perhaps the world itself, hinged upon the outcome of their deadly duel.