That night, Emperor Shi and the entire imperial family of the Leon Empire survived, as the demons' objective was never them in the first place. But, the palace wasn't so lucky. The grand structures that had stood for centuries were now nothing more than scorched ruins, with bodies of soldiers strewn across the palace grounds. Over eight generals, more than 200 imperial knights, and thousands of soldiers were killed. The few hundred who survived had run away in fear before the battle had ended.
The aftermath was pure chaos. Criminals who had been hiding from the authorities now roamed the streets freely. In the heart of the capital, gangs formed, prisoners escaped, and the city, once the pride of the empire, teetered on the edge of anarchy.
A day later, the reinforcements arrived from the border. But while the palace was fortified, the city outside remained unprotected, and criminal activity skyrocketed. It was a city on fire, in more ways than one.