The sky above the battlefield turned pitch black. The last light of the sun had long since sunk behind the distant western mountains. Thick dark clouds hung low, as if solemnly bearing witness to the bloodshed below. The scent of iron and blood mingled with the cold night wind, piercing the skin of every soldier still standing on the wide field before the gates of the Emerald Kingdom.
The sound of clashing swords, shield impacts, and the screams of wounded soldiers slowly faded. Both human and orc forces held their positions for a moment. A far more terrifying power was gathering at the front lines.
On the kingdom's side, the line of royal mages stepped forward. They wore long robes of blue and white, with the glowing emblem of the kingdom shining on their chests. In their hands, they held long staffs that shimmered faintly in the dark sky.
"Magic formation... prepare!" shouted the leader of the kingdom's mages, his voice thundering through the silent night.
The mages formed a wide circle. They chanted ancient spells in unison. From their staffs, red light began to glow, swirling together and forming a massive fireball in the air. The orb floated above their heads, radiating intense heat that scorched the grass beneath it.
"Fire!" the commander shouted.
Hundreds of fireballs shot toward the orc army. Red streaks tore through the night sky, drawing panicked screams from the enemy ranks. Dozens of orcs were incinerated, their massive bodies collapsing into ash within seconds. The ground shook with each explosion, staggering soldiers on both sides.
But before the kingdom's forces could rejoice in their successful strike, the atmosphere shifted. From the orc ranks, a towering figure stepped forward. His steps were slow but deliberate, each one sending a faint thud through the dusty earth.
All eyes turned to him.
"That's... Skull...!" whispered a kingdom mage, his face pale with dread.
Skull stood amidst the remaining orcs. His body was far larger than a typical orc. His skin was pale as a long-dead corpse. His eyes were pitch black, void of any light of life. A tattered black cloak fluttered in the wind. From his back protruded jagged bones, like massive spikes growing from his flesh. He looked like a creature straight out of the underworld.
Skull raised his staff—a twisted rod of old orc bone, crowned with a small cracked skull. He began to chant in the ancient orc tongue, his hoarse voice echoing through the night air.
The ground beneath the soldiers began to quake. Cracks formed rapidly. From those cracks, bony hands emerged—skeletal undead clawing their way out of long-forgotten graves. One by one, the horrific creatures rose. Their eyes were lifeless, their bodies rotting—some missing jaws or limbs.
From elsewhere on the battlefield, the corpses of fallen kingdom soldiers began to stir. Their armor remained intact, rusted swords still clenched in their stiff hands. They were no longer human—they had become lifeless puppets under Skull's control.
"Black fog…!" cried a hunter mage. Dark mist rolled across the land, obscuring the soldiers' view. From within the fog came low growls and the raspy breathing of unnatural things.
The kingdom's defensive formation began to fall apart. Panic erupted in the rear as undead attacked from unseen angles. Knights fought back valiantly, but each time they struck an undead down, it rose again, whole as before.
In the chaos, one figure stepped forward from the hunters' line.
Kaela.
Her long silver hair billowed in the magical wind. Her eyes glowed a brilliant blue, harboring immense power yet to be unleashed. Her body radiated a bright blue light, incinerating any undead that approached her before they could even touch the ground near her.
Kaela raised her crystal-blue staff high.
"Azure Purification Flame," she whispered.
In the sky, a massive sphere of holy blue fire formed. The light pierced through Skull's black fog, forcing the undead to retreat and shielding the kingdom's soldiers behind her.
Skull snarled. His skull-tipped staff trembled, releasing a surge of dark energy. Giant flying skulls emerged from the mist, hurtling toward Kaela like deadly meteors.
Kaela snapped her fingers. A circular shield of light appeared, blocking each skull until they shattered in midair.
But Skull did not stop. He struck the earth with his staff. From beneath Kaela, sharp bones burst upward, attempting to impale her from every direction.
Kaela leapt high, hovering midair. From above, she unleashed blinding blue lightning, striking the undead below and exploding their rotting bodies into ash.
The sky was now split in two.
On Kaela's side, brilliant blue light shone, dispelling the darkness. On Skull's side, swirling black fog and dark energy roared like a hellish vortex on earth.
Skull raised both hands to the sky. "Army of Eternal Suffering!" he roared.
Dimensional rifts tore open in the heavens. From within came hundreds of tormented spirits—formless wailing beings screaming as they descended like a rain of death, ready to consume Kaela and the kingdom's forces.
Kaela gazed upward. Her eyes were cold, full of resolve.
"Celestial Judgment!" she cried.
From the clear skies above Kaela, a colossal sword of light descended, stabbing directly into Skull's swirling vortex of spirits. An immense explosion of light followed. The shockwave swept across the battlefield, knocking all creatures to the ground.
The undead were obliterated instantly. The black fog was blown away. Skull's body was hurled far back, crashing into a massive rock—his spine shattered. He groaned, black blood dripping from his mouth.
Kaela floated gently to the ground. Her breathing was heavy, sweat beading on her brow. But she still stood—still strong.
The remaining orc army froze, stunned by Skull's defeat.
The kingdom forces reformed their lines. They knew—the final ground assault was imminent.
Skull collapsed onto the dusty earth. His body struck the ground with a thud, shaking the surrounding dirt. The black fog that had covered the battlefield thinned, then vanished entirely as the light of "Celestial Judgment" eradicated the vile spirits.
Thick black blood oozed from Skull's mouth. He slowly lifted his head, eyes narrowing in pain. Though his back was half destroyed, the jagged bones protruding from it still pulsed as if trying to regrow.
"Human mage…" Skull rasped, his voice hoarse with hatred, "you think you can burn away sin with light?"
Kaela stood a few steps ahead, her body still cloaked in holy magic. Her silver hair was tousled, some strands clinging to her sweat-covered face. But her gaze was sharp and unwavering.
"Light doesn't burn away sin," Kaela answered softly but firmly, "it offers a choice: surrender and repent… or vanish with the darkness."
Skull let out a small, broken laugh—dry and bitter. "Darkness can't be killed. Light only delays the inevitable collapse."
He crawled again, planting his skull staff into the ground. His left hand groped at the cracked earth, clutching it tightly. Black blood dripped between his fingers. He began chanting another spell. This time, his voice trembled, yet carried a deeper, darker force.
The earth quaked once more. From the ground beneath him, a dark purple summoning circle formed. Six rings of symbols spun in opposing directions.
"Kaela, that's forbidden magic!" shouted a hunter mage from behind. "It's the Grand Soul Summoning Ritual! If he finishes that, everyone who died tonight will rise as immortal puppets!"
Kaela clenched her fists. She knew she couldn't give Skull more time. She leapt forward, attempting to cut through the circle with light from her staff. But as the light touched the purple circle, a transparent bone shield deflected her magic.
Skull chuckled again. "You're too late. The spell is already pulsing with the soul's lifespan. You can't stop it now."
Kaela quickly retreated, forming five layers of magical shields. She understood this summoning spell wasn't calling ordinary spirits—it was binding itself to the battlefield's spiritual energy. Every soul still restless would be forcibly drawn—and would kill anything in their way.
Kaela took a deep breath. She knew what she had to do. She knelt and stabbed her blue staff into the ground.
"I didn't want to use this… but I have no choice," she whispered.
Her blue aura began to shift, glowing pure white. Wind surged. The ground trembled—not from Skull—but from Kaela's spiritual power itself.
"A Great Purification Spell…" murmured a royal mage. "She's… she's using all of her energy!"
Above, the clouds raced. Light from the stars pierced through. In the center of the sky, a small light ignited—growing larger, shaped like a glowing seal with floral and solar patterns radiating from within.
Kaela raised her right hand to the heavens. "O guardian spirits of the skies… shield this world from the fall of darkness," she declared.
The seal cast radiant light across the battlefield. The remaining undead howled as smoke rose from their bodies. Skull screamed.
"STOP!" he roared. "IT'S NOT OVER! I HAVEN'T—"
Kaela shouted in return, her voice louder than ever. "You've brought enough destruction! It ends now!"
Skull tried to rise, but his body began melting. His necromantic aura shattered one layer at a time like broken glass. The protective fog dissolved into black dust on the wind.
But even as his body disintegrated, his magic continued calling the dead.
Kaela staggered. Her body trembled under the immense purification spell. Blood dripped from her nose, but she endured. She knew if she stopped now, the entire kingdom would fall to unrestrained souls. She gritted her teeth and focused all her will on a single point—sealing Skull's ritual completely.
"God of Light…" Kaela prayed, "grant me the strength… to finish this."
She closed her eyes. Her body now glowed so brightly that everyone on the battlefield shielded their eyes. Even the orc troops retreated in fear, unable to withstand the overwhelming pressure.
In the final instant, Skull's body rose into the air. The souls he summoned froze, then reversed course, spiraling back into the summoning circle and detonating in a brilliant white explosion.
Silence.
The light faded.
Kaela collapsed weakly onto the ground. Her breathing was labored, her body shaking. But she was still alive.
She had won.