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51.28% Mobile Legends: The Untold Story (515 Contest) / Chapter 20: Darkness Falls

章 20: Darkness Falls

Music.

Why did I bring this up?

I always thought that a little bit of music can be a remedy or band-aid of some sorts. I also believed that they convey hidden meanings.

An idea popped in my head one day, asking, "What would be the appropriate music genre for this work?"

Funny enough, I immediately tried to cross out what isn't viable, like, Pop, Jazz, Classical and much more.

Especially the new music we listen to, because most of it is absolute TRASH. I scoured for ideas, trying to make something pop out of my head.

And something did.

Technically, I am an Alucard/Chou main, and I keep updated with the MPL (or the 'Mobile Legends Professional League'), most especially, its teams and members.

But since I am a Chou main, my idols were Syno and unXpected.

And their insane Chou montages gave me the songs I was looking for.

Rock music.

Okay, many of you will think…

"Yo, ain't that the devil's music?"

If you do believe that, then you must get your thinking fixed.

HEAVY METAL is the devil's music, not rock. I always hated it when someone says that rock music is bad, when in truth, it's actually ten times better than the horse dung being blasted on our poor ears today. The famed songs of the 00s and 2011-2014 was good… until 2015 started to screw up in every way possible.

Sure, many of you will not believe me and immediately report this and stop reading my story (I hope not. XD), but either way, it's true.

If you're asking what were the songs used for the Chou Montages, go to the channel 'MontageRock' and play the songs on the 'Popular Uploads' list, or simply scroll through the montage and find the links for the songs.

If you're still lazy, I can send some for you.

Onlap – The Awakening, Out of My Way, Running, Still Alive

Our Waking Hour – Break Me Down

Cult to Follow – Leave it All Behind, 10 Seconds from Panic

Stria – Rise From the Ashes, Alive

Alive in Barcelona – Back to Life

White Comic – This Ain't the End of Me

Papercut Massacre – Lose my Life

Message from Sylvia – Army of One

Some were included in the montages, while others were of my own preference. Just check the lyrics and see why I prefer them.

If you still think Rock Music is trash, then I guess I have no way of convincing you. At least I tried, that's better than not doing anything.

But by the time you read specific scenes in this FanFiction and play the appropriate music, then you'll know why I preferred the genre.

Whenever I listen to one of these songs, I get zoned out so hard that I could actually imagine the scene unraveling around me. It got me hooked like a drug, and I gain so much inspiration to write this stuff.

Since I am a bit of a sadist, I won't tell what song you should play in a specific scene. But if you pay attention, you'll find out.

Judging from the title, something wrong will occur.

Let's get to it.

It was four days before the huge war, and everyone was nerve-wracked. Civilians and citizens barely came out now, but the training grounds were fully occupied. Everybody was amped up, training the soldiers and the new recruits to shape. All the help they could muster would suffice.

The mages were applying their energies to the crystal one by one, taking shifts.

"You're like, cheating," Nana told Cyclops. "You know what sign I'll use!"

"Yeah, it makes rock-paper-scissors too easy for me," the mage said, landing scissor as Nana lands paper. "Chess would be more of a challenge. Too many outcomes."

"Sadly, Nana doesn't even know how to play chess," Harley pointed out. "The other mages do…"

"Nope, I'm fine. Chess hurts my head," Cyclops said, grinning. "Is it my shift?"

"Yup, it is. You're replacing Kagura."

In the other end of the citadel, Argus and Minotaur watched the mages closely as they did their work. They barely conversed however.

"I assume it was a shock for you to see how much the world has changed," Argus began.

The beast sighed. "The wretched place I once knew, now in ruin. A shock. I should've felt… glad. The wretchedness was gone… but I feel empty."

"It's because you only knew rage then," the fallen angel explained. "It wasn't easy to accept, I know. But in this place, you can change. What people knew about you? You can change all of it. Takes some time, though."

"Hmph. I'll try then. How about you? How were things back then for you?"

Argus looked down on the floor. "I was the weakest among those recruited to be part of the seraphim."

"You've got to be joking."

Argus chuckled. "I can't simply be making this up. Everybody picked on me. It just hit me when I learned I have outmatched them after all these millennia. It's hard to believe it."

"Judging from the state you're in, they're baffled."

"I don't know that."

"Why not?"

"I haven't got home yet."

The two laughed, resuming their inspections.

In the training grounds, Clint and his sharpshooters were at the firing range, scoring bullseyes with every shot.

"Keep at it, ladies!" Clint hollered. "Accuracy isn't always your best friend! Those wusses out in the open are going to come at you like cats ready to shred metal for a nibble! Your aiming won't help if you won't fire fast enough!"

Bruno went up to the shooting range, spectating the dozens of sharpshooters, easily taking down the targets. However, they weren't as fast as Clint.

"Man, I can only imagine the amount of pressure from the old training days," Bruno told the cowboy.

"This is just the start, muchacho," Clint replied, patting Bruno's shoulder. "Some of us had to hang through ropes, walls, and all that other stuff."

Suddenly, Clint ducked, easily dodging a stray bullet from Lesley's rifle, who was shooting from far away. The .50 caliber shot hits the head of a target, breaking the head piece.

"Damn," Bruno reacts. "There isn't much cranium left on that thing."

The Protector ducks, avoiding Miya's light arrow that proceeded to fly and pierce through the other targets. What's surprising is that the arrow acted on its own, curving around like a sidewinder. The light arrow fades after hitting the last target.

"Y'know, my friends and I feel left out," Bruno began.

"Why is that?"

"You guys are too powerful. Like, we barely even have superpowers!"

"Bruno, my compadre," Clint said. "You have augments that makes you have superhuman agility. Layla has a cannon that can disintegrate matter. Lolita's hammer deflects nearly everything that the Dark Lord can throw in our way. Chou has beaten almost every fighter except Argus. Ruby can go have a killing spree that can last for days, and Alucard can do the same, but better. What makes you think you have nothing to square up against that edge-lord outside these walls?"

Bruno remained silent. "I am just gonna… um… you know? I heard that Chou's bringing some spicy wings from a few blocks away-"

"Wally's Wings? Yeah, they're the best in town. Don't forget the barbecue sauce."

"You want a box of wings?"

"Nah, I'm fine. Go ahead."

Meanwhile…

"Faster… faster…"

Saber was training Fanny's complex maneuverability. After learning that her cable placement can completely alter her flight patterns, he had to train her in the skies. Fanny was zipping back and forth, her cables slowing and speeding up her flight. Feeling dizzy she shot a cable to a nearby wall and tried to catch her breath.

"I am not the one who can do this without suffocating!" she complained.

"I know, but if anything goes wrong with whatever you do, you're dead. The time will come when I'll not be there to catch you."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Fanny slowly landed on the ground below her.

"How long did it take you to create that flight gear?"

The flier looked at her equipment. "A year or so… It took me twice as long to teach myself."

Saber paused, and said, "It is still a shock for me that your neck hasn't snapped due to the insane amount of Gs your body is experiencing."

Fanny laughed. "We can adapt, tin man. No need to worry."

"Oh, so you want to race?" Saber challenged as he transformed into a metal eagle. "Ten rounds around the Land of Dawn. Whoever loses gets guard duty."

"Oh… it's on!" Fanny immediately shot her cables to two buildings, shooting her forward.

Meanwhile…

Johnson was driving around with Chou. Their work hours were finished, so they grew bored.

That is… before Chou had the impulse to buy from Wally's Wings.

"Hmm… hey, Johnson! What do you think is one of the best flavors?"

The cyborg was analyzing. "I… don't know, exactly. What I do recommend are the ones slightly above the normal 'Hotness' scale. Just… not the Nuclear Raptors. Those are just… nuts."

"Why not? Isn't that even more fun?"

"Well, last night, I did see someone pleading for milk in the streets."

"Oh… Wait… how about the Chili Teriyaki?"

"Could be. Wait… what flavors do your friends like?"

Chou shrugged. "They'd prefer any. Just… not the Nuclear Raptors. Maybe the Fiery Feet will do."

The two went up to the vendor, who was a young adult. "Um… do you still have some of those Fiery Feet on your stock?"

"Of course! I highly recommend the barbecue sauce and dip. It's good on it! I still have stock. By the way, do you want the hot sauce?"

"Sure. That will do," Johnson replied.

"Okay then. Just wait for a few minutes. I'll be right back." The vendor went to cooking the wings. Chou rested his back on the food truck.

"If only life was as good as this," he muttered. "I hope it will be all fine in the end."

Somewhere in the citadel…

Alpha was aimlessly trailing around the halls as a guard. He silently kept praying that the work routines would last a lot longer.

Why?

Because he didn't want to hear the awful noises whenever he would drift close to a room.

Yes.

You probably know what I meant.

You already know what I meant.

Two nights ago, he heard Lancelot and Odette. Yesterday, it was Miya and Yun Zhao, which shocked him, because he didn't know of their status until that day. He wondered who it would be next.

He hoped it wasn't Hayabusa and Kagura. He already walked to see them… well… yeah. He walked up to them twice already.

Alpha wanted to bleach his eyes. But that's impossible. He had no eyes to begin with, only a visor. A visor that can help him see through walls, unfortunately.

"Argh, this is nuts," Alpha grumbled. "Why did I get assigned for guard duty here?! I keep hearing lovebirds who were on the edge of doing it right on the spot-" Beta, the drone, whacked him on the head.

"Sorry. I am just… ugh. I better ask Estes if I can find someone to switch with."

He was about to walk on the stairs when he saw Tigreal and Natalia. They nodded at him, but Alpha slowed his descent.

"Goddamnit. I swear, if you do the forbidden business and force me to keep watch on one of those rooms…"

Luckily enough, they were conversing some deep matters. Alpha sighed with relief.

"Oh, thank the heavens." He walked down the steps and met up with Estes on the chambers, overlooking the battle strategies with Rafaela.

"Um, yo, Estes! I was wondering if you, um… have a replacement for my shift. It's kind of um, boring to walk around in here now, and I am wanting a bit of fresh air…"

"Sure, Alpha," the king responded. "You can rest for now. I'll send someone else to guard the halls. Oh, and by the way, Alucard wants to see you. He's in the med bays prepping the equipment."

"Thanks." Alpha sprints out of the citadel and activates Beta's flight systems, helping him travel to the med bays which were not too far away. He spots Fanny racing with Saber around the whole place, zipping through the buildings and the towers, fearlessly maneuvering through the dangers. As he got to the med bays, he saw the Demon Hunter, alone.

He scanned the place. All of the equipment was in place. If Alucard didn't ask for help from Alpha, then what was he asking for?

"Oh, hey there," Alucard waved. "I've been looking for you."

"This isn't about the equipment, huh?"

"That's the easy part. Alpha, I requested for you being here for a specific reason."

"Okay, dude. Whatever you need."

"It is classified, and I recommend you not tell anyone about this."

"Sure."

Alucard attempted to lean in to whisper something to Alpha, but the cyborg pulled back.

"You do know we're the only ones in this wide hall, right?"

Alucard looked around, baffled. "Oh, yeah, sorry. Heh. Okay, um... I know the risks about my powers and all, but one night… I attempted to use them, and things started going off."

"What do you mean? Don't tell me the demonization process is occurring even without your powers being triggered."

"No, no, it's not like that. It's something different. It's…" Alucard grabs his greatsword and wields it. He closes his eyes and calms himself, which was the exact opposite of what he should do in order to activate the demonic powers. After a few seconds, the greatsword began to ignite, and the Demon Hunter's clothes began to change, morphing his weapon back into a flame reaper, his coat turning black. But as the time passed, the orange flames began to turn blue, and Alucard's back began t0 5p4002hi1t wwiin1g1ugd,ldms9081

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ALERT! INCOMING TRANSMISSION!

(The following surveillance feed shows a conference room. Two people, one young adult and one middle-aged man with unknown identities can be seen. They wore suits, the young adult lacking a tie. They sat calmly on one side of the table, the former fiddling his pen with his fingers.

The date has been scratched off, along with the time.)

Note: Names have been omitted, but not through the editing process, but rather, in the original feed.

"This is a magnificent find, ********. How did you come across it?"

"It was all about chance, sir. I… I really didn't expect that someone like me would find it. Who on earth would place it in a [DATA EXPUNGED]?"

"And yet, you found it. And please, enough with all the 'sir'. ******** would be fine."

"Thank you, si- I mean, ********. Um, why did you ask for my being here?"

"You see, we have scoured, well, it. What we found would help us make a suitable product that will benefit us greatly, and will help us gain a lot of supporters for this [DATA REDACTED]. However, in the deepest part of it, there's this one bit that's highly [DATA REDACTED]. None from our department could [DATA EXPUNGED]."

"I have seen it myself, ********. It is stubborn, but I was able to get a pattern that showed the actual, well, [DATA CORRUPTED]."

(The young adult fishes out a small pile of papers and sends it to ********. The middle-aged man reads it, his face giving off a confused expression.)

Note: The paper content has also been omitted through the same process.

"It all has the same [DATA REDACTED] that we have discovered. Are you sure you can't find anything else that will help us out in [DATA EXPUNGED] this?"

"Not in my eyes."

"Then, it is urgent that we find someone that can-"

(The door of the room opens. An adult woman enters. Her credentials were also scratched off the feed.)

"Sir, the ******** team needs help. They cannot contain the anomaly."

"How many [DATA CORRUPTED] have occurred today?"

"Four, sir. The probability of the event occurring again rises every day. If this keeps up, we won't be able to sustain the [DATA REDACTED]."

"It is important we find someone now, kid. If we don't, everything will backfire."

"I am on it."

(The two adults exit the room, leaving the young adult nervous.)

END OF TRANSMISSION.

"…side of me is beginning to emerge, Alpha!" Alucard worriedly warns. "If the Dark Lord gets ahold of this-"

"Calm down. Estes has been thinking about this as well, right? He is developing battle strategies in order to optimize your participation in the war whilst keeping you, one of our most important assets, safe. I am not going to tell any of this to anyone, do you understand? I keep my promises. What's important is that we prepare, and-"

Suddenly, the alarm blares, signaling an intrusion.

"Not this again," Alpha grumbled. "Last time this happened, it's because a rascal triggered it for a prank."

"I'd rather have that than an actual occurring fight."

The two run outside, expecting to see panicking civilians. Surprisingly, Estes' request for cooperation has benefitted the whole place. Everyone remained calm as they rushed to their homes, deploying their first stage of defenses. Fanny landed on the entrance of the med bays along with Saber.

"Status," Alpha said.

"We have checked the area. There's only one threat… a Shadowbringer. The same one the convoy encountered, coincidentally. It's not aiming for the citizens. Perhaps it is intimidating us."

"The Gem is not yet on its 5th stage," Fanny explained. "It couldn't generate the static field."

"We're going to have to drive this away. Estes' new prototype defenses are still being installed. If it disables them…"

"We would need to hurry," Alucard finished. "Saber, Fanny, check the skies and see any black spot, or anything you find odd. Alpha and I will go check on the others and make sure the Gem is secure."

"As you say." Fanny launches a cable to the nearby building, hovering through the landscape. Saber transforms once again and activates his recon augments.

"Grock," the cyborg called. The titan was squinting in order to see what was up.

"Grock sees black there." Grock points on a wide open avenue, the Shadowbringer's dark aura in full view. It was hastily nicking civilians with its spiky tail, but Saber couldn't detect any form of poison acting on their bloodstream, but rather, a natural variant of a tranquilizer.

"He's putting the people to sleep. He is trying to intimidate and catch our attention. Keep your guard up," Fanny points out.

Alucard and Alpha race back to the citadel, the streets growing quiet. It won't be long until the Land of Dawn will resemble a ghost town, now that most of its inhabitants were asleep.

They quickly opened the door, revealing Argus, Minotaur, the mages, Alucard's friends, Johnson, the mages, and the naval army with their respective leaders. Clint was aiming at the entrance, along with Lesley.

Everyone was there, which is bad, because they would be stuck like a fish in a barrel, ripe for the taking for an ancient assassin.

"All of you, spread out," Lapu-Lapu commanded. "If the creature catches all of us in one massive pile, the higher the chance we'll be dead. If we split up, the harder it will be for him to reach us. Don't be fooled. They can still nick you." Everyone followed, the others taking the stairs or balconies. Some stuck on dark spaces or pillars, while some stayed in the citadel. However, despite being the most sought target (probably), Alucard stayed smack in the middle with Estes, Argus, Hayabusa, Rafaela and Bruno.

"Y'know, Chou and Johnson was planning to buy a box of wings when this occurred," Bruno whispered to Alucard.

"Let's not mind the wings, okay? Let's just-"

Before the Demon Hunter could finish his sentence, the citadel's doors burst wide open…

But no one was there.

"Stand calmly…" Estes shushed. "Again, it's trying to scare us."

Then, one by one, the windows and the glass paintings were broken, but they were simply mended due to the advanced repairing technology. Hayabusa listened closely to the shattering of the windows.

"…Twelve, Thirteen-" The ninja stopped count as he heard the whoosh of the wind. Before he could pull out his blade, his vision blackened.

"Um, guys?!" Cyclops asked. "Are you- AH! I CAN'T SEE! I can't…"

The heroes began to panic, but they were silenced by the same hollow voice that Gossen heard.

"Shhhhh… all of you… paaaa…. thetic…"

"Who goes there?" Rafaela asked. "What is your motive?"

"M-m-m-motive? I… have none… but to… kill… and… terrify…"

"Why are you doing this?" Ruby interrogated.

"For my brethren… who fell… under your h-h-h-haaaandsss…"

Freya felt a presence beginning to loom over her. She raised her shield blindly, deflecting the stealth strike.

"Aaaahhh… you're not as f-f-f-foolish… as they thought… Hehehehehe…"

"No time for games," Argus threatened. He could not see well, but he clearly sees the outline of the creature, slowly crawling around the walls and teleporting to certain spots around the citadel.

"The t-t-t-traitoooor… Have you come to atone? To f-f-face death… with your very eyes?"

Alucard began to speak. "Enough of that. What is your name?"

Only the loud blaring of the siren could be heard, and the voice spoke, like a chilling whisper.

"H-H-H-Heeelllll… cuurrrrrrttt…"

Yun Zhao shrugged. "Well, that's easy. Alright, where are you, ghost face?"

"Are you kidding me right now?" Eudora complains. "This is the wrong time to-" The mage then felt something nick her neck. Before she could touch the nick, she fell, asleep.

"Wrong time to what?" Odette asked when she was nicked as well, and she fell, too. One by one, everyone fell, the tranquilizers shutting them down, moaning in pain as they tried to wake. The whizzing of the tranquilizers filled the hall. Only Estes, Argus and Alucard stood.

"S-s-s-satisfying… but I won't kill… not now… the master hasn't given… the order…"

"I know he's back," Estes answered back. "What is prophesized is inevitable. I know you seek revenge, but this is the wrong course of action."

The three heard the low snarl of the Shadowbringer.

"Y-y-y-you… know nothing… about right or wrong! You confuse the t-t-t-terms…"

"So do you, along with them," Alucard said. "We have different perceptions, but we can-"

He instinctively raised his sword to block himself from Helcurt's claws.

"V-v-very tempting, Hunteeeerrrrrr… But not… today…"

"If you want to kill me, do it. It's what the Dark Lord wants. It's what Alice, Vexana, Moskov and Zhask would want as well. I am here. If you're brave enough, you can acquire the 'vengeance' you want. You won't have to prolong your agony."

The four figures stood nervously. As they waited for Helcurt's next move, the remaining three patiently waited.

"Is this… a… test? Hehehe… you don't know me, Hunter…"

"Don't make me-" Alucard stopped as he was forcibly put down to the ground, but Helcurt didn't want to pounce on him, but rather, drag him to the stairs.

"He's yanking Alucard!" Estes warned. "Argus, can you catch up?"

The fallen angel said nothing as he launched his claw to the ceiling, proceeding to swing towards Helcurt's path. It proved to be fruitless as he noticed the Shadowbringer simply blinking to and fro, passing through Argus without him even noticing.

"He can teleport to short distances. No other Shadowbringer can do that," Argus mutters. Estes blindly casts a ward that slows Helcurt's movement while boosting Argus', but the Shadowbringer was just too far. Argus raced to an inner hall, trying to listen in to Alucard's grunts and struggling.

"Have it your way!" Alucard challenged. "What's worth following? Your temptations, or your master's orders?"

"I… freely chose… what I want to s-s-side… to achieve my goals! And no… no, no… no one… not even nature, will stop me!"

Helcurt was planning to drag Alucard right to the top balcony, hoping to make him suffer, but as he burst through the balcony's doors, Argus was able to reach in time. Helcurt stopped in his tracks, simply leaning over the edge, with Alucard now unconscious.

The demon hunter was nicked.

"T-t-t-t-traitor… how would you like him to s-s-s-ssuffferrrr? A little scratch… maybe a nibble… or do you want h-h-h-him to receive a p-p-proper sh-shredding?"

"Let him go," Argus threatened. "Don't think I don't see you."

"I know that… And you will know… to remember… the name of the l-l-last of his kind… that brought j-j-justice… for his-"

Due to Helcurt's ranting, he didn't realize that Alucard was faking his being unconscious. Argus noticed it and kept quiet, but he then saw the greatsword began to glow blue, its runes emphasized. Alucard slowly opened his eyes, a striking blue hue on his irises. He grips the greatsword tightly.

"W-w-w-what… is… thiiisssss?!"

As Argus saw the streaks of light emerging from Alucard's shoulders, he knew that it was the cue to shield his eyes. A sharp, warping sound filled his ears, a massive gale nearly blowing him back to the halls. Argus grunted as he struggled against the sudden force that faded over several seconds, gripping his longsword that he had to strike down towards the ground. As he opened his eyes, his vision returned, Alucard awake and standing up, but there was no glow on his eyes or on his weapon.

The Demon Hunter eyes the Shadowbringer, its arm wounded, oozing with blue blood. The creature's body was extremely thin, like a husk of what was once living. Sharp, metallic claws adorned its grips, and the purple, spiked tail wagged nervously. Helcurt's face was hidden with a cloak, but the hellish glow of his eyes and the sheen of his sharp canines was something to fear.

"Their b-b-b-b-blessing… They w-w-will hear of this… You are lucky, Alucard… I will spare everyone… but by the time I see y-y-you again… I won't be… s-s-s-so mercifuuulllll… Hahahahahaha!"

Helcurt blinked out through the dark rift, disappearing in sight. Argus notices the civilians regaining consciousness. He turns to Alucard.

"I know what you did," the fallen angel began. "That was in total control. Your powers are emerging faster than it should. You gave the information away to Helcurt!"

"What am I supposed to do?! There was no other way!"

"I know, I know, it was inevitable. But next time, in the war, you have to keep this power of yours confidential."

Alucard sighed. "Okay, okay, let's go see Estes and the others. We have to check up on them."

They climbed down the stairs calmly, and Nana bumped on them.

"Ow."

"Woah, sorry, didn't see you there," Alucard apologized. "Is everyone-"

"Yeah, they're beginning to wake. What happened to the… um… thingy?"

"We chased it away. The whole place is safe for now."

Nana nodded cheerfully and ran back below. Alucard and Argus followed suit, and saw Estes assessing the situation in front of them. Everyone woke up groggily, trying to shake off the tranquilizers effect. The loud blaring of the siren slowly faded down.

"No one was hurt?" Argus asked Estes.

"We were right. Helcurt only seeked to intimidate rather than harm. We can worry about him later."

"What's wrong?" a voice interrogated. "I just returned from my citadel to prepare my troops."

"The Shadowbringer sought to scare us, Aurora," Bane said, shaking his numb leg. "It nicked everyone with its tail, causing a city-wide slumber. Lucky enough, no one was poisoned."

"If we can't kill him that easily, I suggest watching out for him," Alucard suggested. "Since it can only teleport in short distances like Moskov, and in a long interval, we keep close track of his movement and keep him occupied with our spare defenses. If it tries to sneak up on us, we will have a hard time to shake him off the fray."

"The Genesys Gem will begin its 5th and final stage in a few days time," Minotaur spoke. "The shield will ward off the demons long enough before the 7th day, but it will weaken at nighttime, allowing Helcurt to break through the barriers."

"Then it's settled. We try to think of new defensive strategies and routines at night to keep intrusions off of the kingdom as quickly and as effective as possible. For the meantime, we will maintain our form and finish any preparation that we can polish until nighttime. Let the army recuperate from the attack if needed so. Report back to me once you're done," Estes says. The others nod and help up the conscious heroes to wake up the others. Before Alucard could leave, Estes suddenly gripped his arm.

"I know what happened back there," the Elven King said. "The blessing of the Fall has begun to develop inside you."

"Estes, I can't control it. If I try to negate the effect-"

"Then the other side will take over you," Estes continued. "Your duality will break itself if you keep using your powers. Remember, you are our objective. If we lose you, we lose everything. You gave the information away to Helcurt. We just have to hope that it will trail off the Dark Lord's mind. No matter what, charge through the frontlines last. If they expect that, go first, and improvise."

"Thanks for the tip."

Meanwhile…

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Don't you like them?"

"Who?"

"The heroes."

"Of course I do. I didn't want to join that protest."

"Mom, do you trust them?"

"If you do, then why not?"

"They've always saved me, back in… Eruditio… and they healed my leg during the protests…"

"It just shows that they truly care, love."

"If so, Mom, then I want to be like them when I grow up. But I don't want to fight. I don't want to do good out of fear."

"What do you want to do?"

"I want to protect. I'd be willing to help.

"But you would have to sacrifice a lot, and you're still a kid!"

"I know, but at least I know I'm on the right side."

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Recovering Ch19…

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Recovering 4lg0r1thm001C4354R…

Recovering 4lg0r1thm002NUMT0L3T…

Recovering 4lg0r1thm003GR1DL0CK…

Recovering [DATA EXPUNGED]

Recovering SystemProfile…

File Recovery Complete, 100% Effective

ALERT! INCOMING TRANSMISSION!

(The following transmission is an audio log. As of now, no one can trace the voice owner, or the gadget used for recording.

The date was forcibly erased off of the file history.)

"What's this? Wait, let me get…"

"Okay… 'Dear [VOICE STATIC], you are one of the chosen few that are given the opportunity to [VOICE STATIC]. Under no circumstances will you ask of anything to us concerning your objective, but to complete it will give you the free will to do as you wish with the [VOICE STATIC]. Good luck.'"

"Hmm… wait, the message came from [VOICE STATIC]?! Am I being pranked?"

"Wait… 'Warning. Never speak of this task to anyone.'"

"Pfft. Hmm… the link is here…"

"Wait, what's going on? Why is my-"

"WHAT IS GOING ON?! MY [VOICE STATIC]! RESET! RESET! C'MON!"

(The transmission's auditory interference grows stronger.)

"Okay… okay…"

"Keep your **** together, [VOICE STATIC]. This is serious. This is no joke…"

"Goddamn, is it still reco-"

END OF TRANSMISSION.


章 21: The First Hours

Everything is in place.

Ladies and gents, boys and girls, people from all around the ML Fanfiction Fanbase!

Are you ready?

Before I continue, let me give you some warnings.

Some deaths can be obvious, some aren't. Death flags can pop up anywhere, but you will most likely never expect what will occur next.

Also, violence will not be censored. Yes, there's heavy violence. However, the story will remain Rated T. Like, the violence I gave you guys a couple of chapters ago should be enough to keep your heart at normal pace.

To try and nullify the effect, I won't use capital letters all the time. Think of the children, mates.

Once again, this seven-day war will cost 33.3% of the whole story. I might not talk much anymore, so I recommend taking note of whatever 'nonsense' facts and warnings that were indicated in previous chapters.

I also noticed that the 'Story Glitch' showed up twice, in such a short interval. That, I can no longer hold back. Sorry, if it did block off some important words in the chapter. I can't reset the effect, but I'll try to reduce the interval.

As of writing, I have made about 550 pages of content, if, following a standard book format with 'Letter' size paper, with Verdana in Size 16, with the chapter title on 'Bold' with Size 20.

Finally, as of writing this chapter, I wish to send prayers for a fellow writer for the fanbase, namely 'LostChild1996'.

You'll probably know her via her Rated M Fanfiction 'In Love with the Evil'. I, myself, am not one for the Mature category of the game (or the FanFiction). I'll have to admit, I often despise it for what it is, but at some point in time, you gotta accept, right?

But I noticed that there were constant delays in terms of updating, which I thought was just normal. Even I have difficulty sustaining the 1-month deadline of posting a chapter. LOL.

That's when I got the announcement.

I was in disbelief when I read the word 'hospitalized'. Y'see, I'm queasy with things like these. It gives me that innate fear or dread. I needn't read it out loud to give me palpitations.

I immediately sent a review on that announcement, stating that I'd give my prayers for 'LostChild1996' and her family. No, I am not telling you to give me credit. I am asking you to do the same.

I don't even know her, but giving a moment of silence for the writer would be enough to keep her hopes up. I hope you recover, fellow writer. I'm counting on it!

Y'know what? Enough blabbering. Let's get on with it.

I have to warn you, though. The Land of Dawn practically looks desolate now.

As the Genesys Gem was able to generate a protective field, a 3 kilometer radius of safety was imposed. Outside of that barrier is the outside world… rather… what's left of it.

The outside was completely barren. It wasn't that corrupted, but stepping outside will prove lethal for anyone (except Argus). The only way to get safe was to stay in the air, which a few of our heroes can do.

The inside land was… well… barren as well, but the environment wasn't too harsh. Yet, there were no trees anymore. The whole place was laid flat, with a few bumps of hills here and there. Barely any fish were to be caught in the docks, but the storage supplies will last twice as longer than the actual war itself, for insurance. Grock sat down on the ground, bored. Wherever he walked, small patches of grass grew, but they were immediately extinguished as soon as he stepped off.

Any stalwart form of defense was there. You can basically count anything from mortars to machine guns from ballistic firewalls to runic enhancements and the like. There will be no support from the Lords of Order. However, Estes ordered all of the troops to keep the defense to a minimum at all costs.

(Not only does he want to keep the Dark Lord's knowledge to a minimum, but he also wants to learn of how much they can take… to learn of how long they can last.)

The Elven King assessed the Ocular Sun one more time before going out. The first attack is imposed on the land. The usual Hellhounds, Stalkers, Ravagers will be there, but the Kastiyans and Ghouls will join in the fray as well to apply the constant pressure. Estes closes the hologram off and exits the underground chamber.

The Genesys Gem was in view in the grand hall. Gord is the first to stay close to the gem, since it's all just a land invasion. About a quarter of the naval fleet (along with Yi, Lapu-Lapu, Gatot, Bane and Franco) will be going alongside the main defense line, along with the other heroes, the remaining portion will be left to guard the port. Estes gave a strict order to NOT advance and engage unless ordered to. Argus is left to guard the shard, along with the Royal Guard. Minotaur was on standby in the kingdom's main gate. All secret passageways that the demons could burrow into were sealed off.

No one goes in or out unnoticed.

Only 3 million, which is approximately 20% of the whole army, will be released, but every other hero will be there with them.

"Are they closing in?" Tigreal asked.

"As planned. Remain subtle, but make a bit of our presence known. Are the 1st tier defenses active?"

"All accounted for and checked," Fanny responds. "A few of Bane's ships are keeping an eye on the sky. Gunmen and archers are in place, all charging marksmen are in their positions. Should we put the Royal Guard on the field?"

"Not yet, Fanny. Keep them in the citadel for now. Let them take their time. We must wait."

"Those uglies should be here now," Victor sighed. "It's 10 A.M. now."

"We would've known that they're already advancing, though," Natalia pointed out.

And in the nick of time, the siren blared.

The second as the noise resonated around the place, everyone never said a word as they stuck to their positions. As Lesley watched on the balconies of the main wall, the whole army began to lock in place.

Wait!

First off, let me give you a rundown of what the army composition actually is. It's pretty hard to describe without pictures. Also, I don't even know how the producers of 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy could even pull off the awesomeness it harbored long time ago, or even the Russo Brothers of Marvel Studios. They're geniuses, I gotta give them that.

So I am going to simply explain the units.

Bastions – Squad Leaders of Estes' army. They wear thick padded armor, which will help them survive the toughest conditions, but this sacrifices their mobility. They wield huge, rectangular shields with runic augments, enabling them to rush forth like an elephant on steroids, or even make them survive devastating blows. As long as they hold the shield, they gain a protective aura around them, further amplified and bolstered by the number of fellow Bastions in the vicinity. They will be in the very frontlines.

Then again, their weakness is being overwhelmed or disarmed. Due to their mobility and overall defensive capabilities, Estes would no longer require having chariots.

Striders – The basic units that form up a squad. They are known for their innate versatility, unlike the Bastions, who were designed to defend their weaker members. Wearing moderate armor, they often wield light spears (like Zhao's but lower in terms of stats) that enhances a Strider's speed and combat potential, as these spears absorb the kinetic energy they receive, allowing the combatant to repel the stored energy back. Striders are also equipped with crossbows and retractable blade gauntlets that they can use for dispatching in discreet manners. (No, the blades don't resemble the 'Assassin's Creed' hidden blades, but rather, a Zealot's in 'Starcraft'.)

Their being basic forces them to work in groups to maximize their output in the battlefield.

Night Assassins – Hundreds of Karina's fellow elves have joined the fight, and they are no joke. All of them are women, but don't mistake them for being weak. They're very mobile, and they will cause mass confusion with their near-instantaneous reactions.

They remain on standby at the back, obviously. It's the army of the Kill Steal queen. What did you expect?

Sharpshooters – They have undergone lethal training to earn the titles they deserve, being forced to master any form of bow that are discovered or preserved in history. With eyes that can catch a fly a hundred meters away, these elves won't let anyone slip from their line of sight.

Many of these are positioned in the roofs of the walls, but a few, including Miya, will stay on the ground. As of now, only she has the highest capabilities, being able to make an arrow curve to hit the target, no matter how far, or how impossible the shot can be.

Archimedians ¬– Yes, the whole army can't be complete without a few spell casters. But, unlike the other mages, Archimedians simply enhances the capabilities of their allies. They are also taught healing techniques, but they cannot match that of Estes' or Rafaela's. An Archimedian's power lies on his/her own fortitude.

Only a few of them are given the title, but they are still beneficial in terms of shifting the tides.

Alaghat Marksmen – Karrie's sisters-in-battle may not be as good as her, but the speed at which these marksmen operate is astonishing. What they can't make up for accuracy, they make up for speed. They are built for brute-forcing their way to victory.

When they are trained, a marksman must keep firing for at least an hour to be part of the army. Yes. I am serious. How many goddamn arm swings would that be?!

Bane's Pirates – These scallywags will still give the demons a run for their money. Bane now has the power to take command of the skies as well, allowing for easier Spitfire clearing and more air-to-ground bombardments. But don't think that these pirates are already invincible. Bane may have revived once more, but he can still die. His ships can also sink as well, or rather, plummet to the ground below them.

Yi Sun Shin's Fleet/Lapu's Tribe – The Korean general's 'Turtle Ship' concept will make it hard for the land sharks to land a dent on its tough steel. Don't forget, Lapu's tribe possesses the power of the nature spirits. Their polytheistic beliefs strengthen their faith, and they will never back down without a fight.

Franco's Vikings – These men survived on harsh conditions, helping them adapt naturally and more efficiently than anyone else. Their weaponry is technically low class, but don't you dare underestimate the force that Franco's men give.

Hylos' Centaurs – It seems that only Hylos has the abilities to strengthen his allies, but his centaurs are still as strong. I personally don't recommend getting hoofed by them.

Seriously. They kick harder than a bull going crazy on a rodeo.

Balmond's Orcs – Known for their ruthless savagery, Balmond's army has now changed. Their reputation has cloaked their real, caring selves. For them, there is strength in numbers, and when their people are in need, they act accordingly, as long as their moral code remains unbroken.

Hilda's Huntsmen – Living in the Wasteland is tough. It was easier for the Orcs, but not for Hilda. If Franco and his men can adapt to any situation, these warriors can last without expending too much supply, perfect for keeping up a constant charge in the playing field without worrying too much about your incoming dinner.

Clint's Shooters – It will be high noon every time and all the time with them around. The training they receive is just as harsh as those for Karrie's army. If I can recall, their final performance test that they had to pass is to deflect a bullet to hit another target.

Yes. I literally meant deflecting a bullet with another bullet, either theirs or someone else's, to hit the mark. You only get one shot.

Demon Hunter Clan – All the knowledge about the demons and the otherworldly are in current possession of these dudes. Relying on unique tactics, the Hunters have gone through thick and thin. Without them, the army won't know their enemy. Without knowing the enemy, you will lose the war before it even begins.

The Royal Guard – Estes' elite. These battle-hardened warriors are the Elven King's personal guards. Armed with a metamorphing light construct that will instantly conjure any weapon or defensive item they need, and state-of-the-art battle armor that can do the same, the Royal Guard is most definitely the group you want on your side, but the group you technically do NOT want to face.

Because of the insane amount of action scenes that I'll be crafting, it will take… um… give or take… 8-10 chapters left to finish the story.

"Yes! Thank you so much, Arcturus! More content, y'all!"

"Oh, no! I assume action scenes are the scenes you do not want to make at all, huh?"

Yes, I do not like making action scenes.

"But… but… they're freaking awesome!"

Yeah, but that awesomeness must be built from scratch.

High amounts of raw analyzing is required to pull off insane scenes like these. I have to make sure that it doesn't defy real elements, whilst making it comprehensible and enjoyable.

Did you think that making Argus' entrance in the story was easy?

Absolutely not, especially when the corrupted files are incoherent at the worst possible moments.

Back to the sitch.

All of the heroes converged as the siren sang its song… a song of warning. They had weeks to cover up everything that they had to, but some still doubt themselves.

"Nope! Nope! Nope! Nope! It's starting, Harley! I can feel my tiny feet shaking!" Cyclops said, twitching.

"Chillax, dude! We got this! We gotta stand tough out there!"

"Hey!" Nana called out. "There's no use being afraid now. Everything we've done builds up to this."

Miya, Lesley, Clint, Layla and Yi Sun Shin stand in the back.

"Another day, another gunfight," Clint muttered, spitting out the stalk of wheat off of his mouth. "You ready, boys?!"

Clint's friends and fellow shooters cheered loudly, loading their weapons with ammunition. Clint eyes Layla, nervously checking if her cannon was fully operational.

"Hey, relax. Remember what I told you," he began. "If you need it, go ham and cheese on those uglies. If you need to kill them, just take it easy, and make the shot sure. You'll be providing cover fire with Miya and the others."

"And if things go wrong, I got your back," Lolita replied, carrying her hammer. "No one gets past my sis."

"Thanks, guys," Layla responds. "Lolita, is that a new hammer?"

"What? Naw, it's just the upgraded version, v.44. It has better efficiency and it's not too heavy anymore. I also checked your cannon last night and fixed the overheating problem. It will take twice as long now before that goes scorching hot."

"She's cover fire, I'm the sniper," Lesley volunteers. "I'll take the wombats down for you."

"You're not the only one, Lesley," Miya said, smirking.

Gossen suddenly dashed forward in front of them. "Ladies, ladies, simmer down with the challenging! We don't have a lot of time for that."

"We barely have any time for it," a voice added. Gossen and the others spot Lancelot escorting Odette to the midline to assist the Archimedians. "You ready, man?"

"As long as you are," Gossen replies.

Yi Sun Shin eyes the deployment of the first tier defenses. Mortars and Shield Generators were up and running, ready to blast the land threats to oblivion and hold them back.

"Bane's men are ready," Franco points out. "Some of your men have started their rotations. Things are in place for us."

"Same for mine, as well," Karrie adds, her marksmen lined up in the midline. "Where are the centaurs?"

"They're going to lead the charge up front," Gatot reminds. "The Bastions, however, will move accordingly to confuse the enemies."

As the Striders and Bastions lined up, Hylos and his centaurs cut through the mass, the soldiers simply giving space and spinning back in place to fill the gaps in flawless sync. The centaurs calmly scattered along the front, keeping a close eye on what is in front of them.

Meanwhile…

Demons of all shapes and sizes were now in full view. It was an advantage for the Dark Lord and his forces that the downward slopes to the barren land gave them the full view of the Land of Dawn.

"Look at them," he began. "They build towers of gold and ivory, all for naught. Doesn't matter if they have united. When I am done, everything that they've carelessly preserved will rot in place."

"G-g-g-gooood… thinking…" Helcurt hissed. "Shall we continue?"

"Not yet. I'd like to see what goes on there. For the meantime, take a snooze. Let the pawns go first."

The Spitfires and Ravagers roared and snarled throughout, making their presence known. The whole kingdom was now surrounded, cornered like a rat. Nevertheless, the army stood strong.

"We didn't ask you to come," Zhao said, addressing the army. "We didn't ask you to go here and fight. All of you simply volunteered, and we're grateful for that."

"The Dark Lord and his forces will crush us, no doubt," Tigreal continues. "They will do anything to reach the Gem and disassemble or destroy it. Remember, we are not the goal. The Land of Dawn may perish, but as long as the Gem remains untarnished, we have the upper hand."

"No one will guide us now, not even the Lords of Order," Estes said. "We will be left blind in the dark, without aid, without guidance. We only have ourselves. The price to save the world is high, but we all know that it's something worth earning. As of today, you're no longer the mere citizens you think you are. All of you are warriors of light. And as we make what would most likely be our last stand, we shall die standing."

Bruno slid up (yes, again, he did) to the front and hollered. "Are you ready?!"

"YES!"

"You ready to whoop some demonic behinds?!"

"YES!"

"ARE YOU READY TO F-"

"Woah, dude, chill," Chou said, calming the hyped Protector. "All right, boys and girls! Let's show them what we got!"

"HOORAH!!!"

And as the weapons clang and the shields bang, the heroes clamored into the front along with the Bastions. Sun was checking his cudgel before spawning a doppelganger. Roger spit out a cigarette butt, but didn't bother fishing out another cigar. Rafaela eyes the Dark Lord, his black spirit drifting with malicious intent, accompanied by Alice, Vexana, Moskov and Helcurt. And as things locked in position…

"Um, guys?" Akai asked, his frog hiding under his hat. "What's that earthquake?"

The ground below them shook lightly, but it was no earthquake.

The Ravagers began to pour out, but Estes didn't give the signal to deploy the static barrier.

"Not yet, Estes?" Hylos asked.

"If we force them around, we'll be surrounded in no time. We must let them in, but deploy the barrier when one of the Dark Lord's henchmen get in. That way, we'll have less to deal with when the situation starts to twist."

Alpha was in the air with Saber, surveying the scene. The Army was taking up the one-kilometer radius, so it was technically two kilometers of distance separating the demons and the good guys.

As the anticipation elevates the pressure, Estes slowly raises his arm. Aurora sees the Mortars being primed, set into the right angle. The Ravagers and Spitfires still charged through the asphalt and through the heavy air. Yi Sun Shin's men, Clint's gunslingers and the Sharpshooters nocked their arrows and aimed with their guns, waiting for the perfect moment…

And the king gives the go.

All at once, the defenses, along with the ranged portion of the army, began to bombard the enemy with arrows, explosives and ammunition, anything you say. A couple of Spitfires began to fall, their wings scorched. A couple of Ravagers foolishly took the blows, thinking they'd tank it easily, but the equipment was now enhanced. The firing began to cease after a couple of seconds as the shots were fired.

"Cease!" Estes commanded. "Ready yourselves." The Bastions responded immediately as they made the Phalanx formation with the Striders, the spears locking on the crevices left by the Bastions' shields, but they didn't move. Behind the frontlines, the others did the same creating a fully defensive spearhead wall… with spikes.

The demons were now closing, and it wasn't long before contact would be made.

"Brace yourselves!" Tigreal warns, but he himself was veering off the lines…

"What are you doing?" Hayabusa asked.

"On the count of three…"

The heroes were puzzled by Tigreal's dialogue, but after hearing the rumble of the engine, they knew the tactic.

"One…"

"Two…"

"Three!" they said in unison as the spearhead split in two, revealing Johnson driving around as a car, Cyclops, Harley and Nana inside. The cyborg smashes through the mass of Ravagers, the onboard missile turrets and machine guns going haywire. As Johnson hits a Reaper, he transforms back into a cyborg, immediately blocking the claws in order to protect the young mages. The magicians scrambled to help Johnson, but they felt the sudden speed boost from Hylos' conjured pathway.

"Charge!" the centaur said. "For the Light!"

"For the Light!!!" His fellow warriors responded as they cleaved through the demons with their staffs and staves, virtually untouchable. Tigreal and a couple of Bastions left the main spearhead formation to help out in forcing the waves back. As they charged through a line of Hellhounds, the Striders suddenly leaped over the Bastions and impaled them, the shielded soldiers wedging through the preoccupied spearmen to defend them.

"Keep it steady, don't go too far!" Natalia warns, dashing around with her claw. A Spitfire nearly grabs her, but Fanny flies into the scene FROM THE MAIN WALLS OF THE KINGDOM, spinning like a top, her cables latching onto different rocks that Grock was spawning. She launches herself into the air and cuts down a Spitfire, Alpha following suit. The cyborg hovers to the ground and stabs a Reaper, allowing a Strider to finish it off. As he and the soldier becomes surrounded by the Hellhounds, Saber came to the rescue and unleashed four flying swords, preventing the demons from getting closer.

"Take the skies for now," Saber ordered. Alpha nods and flies off with Beta. Rafaela was stunning multiple Hellhounds, simply veering through the onslaught as she casts augments for her allies. Estes generates his spells and casts a blue link to Johnson, speeding up the regeneration of the cyborg's body.

"We need more peeps here!" Cyclops yelled. He shoots down a Hellbat, but as it fell, it was aiming to him with its claws. Gatotkaca intervenes and punches the Hellbat down to the ground before it hits the small giant. Harley throws his flaming cards. As the boy's magic improved, he simultaneously manipulates the cards' flight, shredding multiple enemies like interceptors. He teleports away, leaving his hat, only to miscalculate and bump into a Ravager. Before the demon could react, a .50 caliber bullet hits it.

"You should be out of here, sis!" Harley complains to Lesley.

"And what? Watch you die here unsupervised?" she asks, glaring at him. Without turning back, she flips her rifle and hits the flying Hellbat aiming for her. "Don't be so confident."

"Less scolding, more fighting!" Sun grumbles, his doppelgangers deceiving the demons. Four Reapers responded, trying to find out where the real Sun was. Zhao leaped behind a clone stabs a Reaper to the ground, but finds himself cornered by five more. He instinctively slides below them as Miya's arrow hit the Reapers through their skulls through the curving method.

The spearhead formation was barely out of place as the heroes cleared off the demons out of their way. A Spitfire lands on a Bastion's shield, but as it did, it blasted back off, as the kinetic force of the impact repelled back to it. Clint leaped into action with his crew, blasting and taking heads when the demons got too close. Clint slid on the barren ground and forced his momentum to the right, causing him to spin. He unleashed a bullet barrage around him, the cartridges of his revolvers emptying quickly. Whilst spinning, he quickly reloaded through the moon clips on his belt and continued, leaving huge holes on the bodies of the Ravagers. He spots one charging towards him. Clint jumps and flips backward, kicking the Ravager airborne to be taken down by one of Karrie's soldiers.

As Karrie herself begun to help in the charge, all the other heroes did the same. Estes let loose the Mortars again, but this time, aiming for the three kilometer mark, hoping to decrease the amount of demons that were pouring in. Massive explosions blocked the horizon, leaving a destructive aftermath.

If you may ask why Estes didn't fire at the Dark Lord, it's because he knew not to underestimate the enemy. After all, millennia of being cramped in a chest designed to keep the captive in is not healthy. He also knew that the Dark Lord also has the ability to redirect blasts back to the source.

What I was trying to say is… the Dark Lord can make the Mortar bombardment backfire.

"This is why we let the pawns got first," the antagonist explains. "None of us will go out for the meantime. If we assess their capabilities, it will be much less of a… hassle… when we make our move."

The spirit eyes the scene below him.

Irithel has joined Karrie, riding Leo through the mishap. The smilodon constantly swipes around itself, knocking down the demons and giving space for the Bastions and Striders. Irithel urges Leo to stop as she shoots down a Reaper. She forces Leo to move again to avoid a Spitfire's clutches. Karrie follows along with her, leading the charge and making way. A Ravager got too close to her and she cuts it down with her disc still loaded onto her gauntlets. She mows down the incoming horde, using her discs like a melee weapon.

Gatotkaca bangs his fists and causes electric shockwaves around him, further amplified by Eudora's lightning bolts. Their arcane powers forked around, roasting the speedy Hellhounds and stunning them, allowing for easy kills by the Striders. A Hellbat sought retaliation, but was caught by Franco with his hook. The Viking pulls it towards him with ease and pounds it with his hammer.

"Chop chop, boys!" he cheers, a fellow soldier of his stabbing it with his knife. A sudden shockwave sends the two of them flying. Franco recovers and sees a new demon that was towering over him.

The creature was huge, but unlike the skinny protodrake, it was thick with flesh, and was naked in a way where it had no hair, just skin. It had no eyes or ears, and it made constant clicking sounds. Its huge jaws and mouth was absolutely rancid, and smelled of… well… trash. The awful stench it gave off almost made him hurl.

(Take note that Franco has been basically smelling raw fish and poultry his whole life. Just imagine that same stench, but… ten times worse.)

Before the creature could munch on Franco, one of the cannonballs from Bane's ship punches through its head, leaving a wide cavity on its skull. It drops dead, the clicking abruptly stopped.

"Wretches!" Tuk said, aiding Victor in escorting a wounded Strider. "They rely on echolocation, that's why they make clicking sounds. But with the amount of noise we're making, it doesn't have to. Be glad it's basically stupid!"

Lapu-Lapu goes forth with his merged greatsword, spinning around and basically harvesting the Hellhounds off of the ground with his upward cuts. Yi Sun Shin stays behind him and provides cover fire, shooting down an incoming Hellbat. The general charges his next projectile, and as he releases it, the arrow punctures through six Reapers with one go.

"We've got to find out how the Dark Lord could get that many demons. Does he have a reserve?" Franco asks.

"Worry about that later," Aurora answered as she brings down a savage hailstorm on the area before her, impaling the demons right on the spot. Eudora shocks the survivors to dust. The two mages step off as Gord unleashes his deadly gush right from the citadel, incinerating the Reapers and Wretches that cross its path. Lancelot dashes away from the beam, slicing and piercing through the Ravagers, giving space for the spearhead formation to breathe. Odette comes out of the formation in haste.

"Lance!" she calls out. The knight catches her words and swiftly picks her up right in the middle of the crossfire. As he set her down, she hoists her staff upward and begins to sing, causing a wide area of resonance around her. The Hellhounds drew close but they slowly disintegrated in the process. Lancelot knew she wouldn't hold out long without someone watching her back, so he stayed put beside her, fending the demons off of her.

A Spitfire decides to leap right towards the duo, but its face was met with Bruno's football, the Protector constantly dashing to and fro to confuse the demons.

"Oi! I'm here, you pile of trash!" he shouts, enticing the attention of a Wretch attempting to nab Lancelot and Odette. The beefy beast sprints with its four legs to snatch Bruno. He dashes towards the legs of a Reaper, and the Wretch mistook it for the hero, gobbling it in the process. As it was busy trying to familiarize the taste of its meal, Tigreal charged towards its head and stepped on it, leaping towards its spine and stabs his sword straight through it, paralyzing the beast. Natalia swipes with her claw and cuts through the Wretch's head, exposing its brain, leaving it dead on the spot.

Another Wretch comes into view, but Saber jumped from the ground and activates his thrusters, slicing straight through the demon's heart with his swords. He takes to the skies and lets Alpha administer to the low ground.

"You alright?" he asks Fanny, who was using Grock's body for her cables. The titan simply squishes the demons with his feet, but didn't attempt to use his tower.

"Yup, but I can use some help." The two sees the Hellbats coming straight towards them. The airborne heroes suddenly dive downward. Fanny latches a cable on one of Bane's ships, instantly propelling herself upward like a top of death, cutting through the Hellbats without warning. Saber lands on one of Bane's ships to clear out the Spitfires attempting to down them.

From below, Bruno has joined Lolita, who was busting demon skulls to the ground. A Reaper claws at her as she raises her shield, the attack deflected. Layla's bombardment forces the Hellhounds back as she guns down the Reaper. She eyes a Wretch behind her, and out of instinct, charged her cannon and overloads it, releasing a deadly beam of destruction that scorches the ground, leaving the huge demon virtually non-existent.

"New upgrades?" Lolita asked.

"It took me days to install. Like it?"

"Ask later!" Clint hollered. One of his fellow shooters filled a Ravager's body with bullets, but it didn't die as it dove towards him. Roger, in his werewolf state, intervened, hacking the assailant with his claws. Ruby calls for his attention as she jumps on his back. Roger brings Ruby along the ride as the two slice and dice the Hellhounds to kingdom come. Roger was nicked by a Reaper's paralyzing agent, but Estes applies a healing link towards the werewolf, stabilizing his condition. Estes and Rafaela cast their slowing wards on a Wretch. Roger goes through the side and shreds its legs, Ruby's scythe effortlessly cutting through the naked hide like butter to knife. She hops off, landing next to Alucard, who wasn't intent on using his powers as of now.

"That was awesome," he whispered. "I knew you and your father would make a great team."

"Creativity's a must." The two of them become surrounded by Reapers. "You got an idea?"

Alucard lets out a whistle, and a resounding roar fills the air. The cerulean protodrake dives toward their location, thrashing the demons to give them space. It lets out its black breath, scorching the Hellbats and Ravagers. Alucard yanks Ruby's arm and throws her toward a hellhound. She instinctively spins and hacks it down. The Demon Hunter throws his greatsword on a Wretch's skull, but it survives. He wills himself toward it as he blinks towards his weapon and proceeds to drag it along the Wretch's hide, splitting it in half.

"Where did you learn how to do that?" Akai asked as he slams the butt of his staff to a hellhound.

"Last night."

Akai looks behind Alucard and gave a warning signal. "Help out Chou! He's cornered!"

Alucard and Ruby stops their assault as they attempt to save their friend.

Chou, on the other hand, is not having fun. Exploiting the weakest members, the horde chose him as the first target.

(Not that I'm saying Chou is weak. He's underestimated.)

A Strider comes in and helps, but a Hellbat catches the soldier's shoulders and lifts him up into the air for its pack to feast on. Chou remained helpless as he punches through the horde to the ground on his own, and it wasn't long before he found himself encircled by Ravagers.

"Alright, you stink pickles, I'm done having games!" He bursts his fists and feet aflame as he deals a huge roundhouse kick on the nearest Ravager. As it was in the air, he catches up to it, proceeding to kick it as hard as he could. The momentum eventually led him to kick through a Wretch, but the hide was too strong. Out of frustration, Chou yells as he kicks the beast high into the air, nearly reaching the altitude of Bane's ships. As gravity took over, he punches the Wretch's face as he falls, kicking away the Spitfires and Hellbats nearing him. As he reached terminal velocity, he casts his last punch to the ground, causing a medium shockwave that breaks the sound barrier by a split second, splitting the nearby demons' bodies in half.

Alucard and Ruby reached him in time.

"Yo, that was awesome!" the Kung Fu boy cheered. "I want to do it again!" His celebration ceased as he nearly gets hit by a Hellhound. Freya jumps in and stomps the demon to the ground and stabs its body.

The Valkyrie bashed and dashed with her shield, knocking down the demons blocking her way. Rushing to aid, she helps up a wounded soldier from Karina's army. Hilda replaced her from the charge and cleaved her way with Balmond and his orcs, forcing a mild retreat to the demons. Yun Zhao simply sprints around the perimeter, nicking and poking and slicing the bodies of demons with his speed. He slides down to dodge a swipe attack from a Wretch as Miya began to litter its face with her arrows. She cloaks herself for a short time, confusing the Hellhounds aiming for her. An Archimedian boosts her combat prowess, significantly upping her fire rate as she let loose three arrows per second, and along with the coordinated barrage of ammunition from the Sharpshooters. Hylos and his centaurs received no casualties as they led on the charge, Johnson and Minotaur causing discoordination to the hordes.

But it wasn't over. Hayabusa teleports from one side to the other and he picks off the demons that he could. Kagura's blue umbrella zips and flies along with Hayabusa, and she teleports to its location. She makes the umbrella rotate around them, forming a defensive ward that repels demons off. As Hayabusa engages his Shadow Kill, Kagura launches her umbrella right on the center spot and snaps her fingers. Multiple violet links lock the Ravagers, Reapers and Hellhound in place as Mino leaps with unprecedented height. As the demons were pulled back, Kagura teleports right under the umbrella and dashes back, allowing Minotaur to have a clean runway, and more importantly, a good ol' game of whack-a-mole.

Right after Minotaur beats the demons to a pulp, a Wretch slaps him off with such force, causing him to get a bit of air time. He lands easily and with balance, giving the army no hassle to recover from the shockwave. The fray was now filled with lesser Ravagers and Hellhounds and more Reapers and Wretches. The spearhead formation, along with the heroes, stood guard. The protodrake flew close and roared at the demons, hoping to scare them off, but to no avail. They began to come close.

"If you need it, I can do it!" Alucard called out, prepping himself. Before he could, he was interrupted by the sharp howl of the wind.

The army looks behind them as the clouds began to darken. Green lightning forked and blazed the airborne threats as Argus divebombed straight into the battlefield, driving the Reapers off with his aura. The arrogant Wretches charged and attempted to claw him, but he stood invincible with his wings unfurled, his blade shredding their hide like paper. As his vision was clear, he threw his claw toward the frontline and proceeded to charge.

He yelled, "What are you doing standing there? Kill something!"

"You heard the dude," Gossen said. "Let's go!"

The army lets out their battle cry as they break their formation and charge as one, the tides in their favor. As the fallen angel made way, the whole frontal comeback overwhelmed the demons, requiring less use of the kingdom's defenses. As Argus stopped his rally, he fell back calmly, reminding the troops about their limits. The army didn't march far enough, but they placed their new spearhead formation, restricting the demons' initiative approach.

"This is going to be a lot of fun. Am I right?" Karina asked Miya.

"A whole lot of damn fun. On your left." Karina heard the cue and sliced from her left, decapitating a Hellhound.

The rinse and repeat cycle continued for the first day, and it ceased as night began to fall. It proved to be a good bout for the Land of Dawn, as they hoped for far more worse in the start.

But things were far from over.

ERROR! INCOMING TRANSMISSION!

(The following is an audio log. The speaker's identity is unknown, as well as the recording apparatus used.

There's no date enlisted for this audio log.)

"********, if you are hearing this, it means that the distribution of the [VOICE STATIC] is barely even fruitful. We have given it to specific people. We had to rely on the intrusion of their personal data to confirm if they are worthy candidates. Rest assured, their profiles remain unscathed and untampered.

Only one of them has been able to respond positively and is willing to complete the task. His in-game name is [VOICE WARPING], and he's from [VOICE WARPING]. We know the drill. Under no circumstances shall we force the individual to complete the task. My support team has it under control. He has promised not to tell of anyone concerning the task, and he is keeping his promise. I repeat, we do not need to force him to accomplish the task. Doing so will permanently backfire our plans.

He has been making great progress thus far, ********. He has [VOICE STATIC]. I will keep on giving updates. Remember the deal. If he is successful, then we must give what is due. If he hits the jackpot, he deserves the recognition. Whatever he unravels, we hope that it is beneficial for this product of ours.

This is your trusted employee, [VOICE STATIC]."

END OF TRANSMISSION.


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