The dusk spilled a blood-red hue over Emerald Kingdom. Hot winds swept through the banners atop the tall towers, making the kingdom's crest flutter as if challenging fate itself. Beneath them, thousands of royal soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder, their armor reflecting the crimson light of the setting sun, weapons drawn, eyes filled with determination.
The Hunters positioned themselves behind the spear lines, each preparing arrows, traps, and magical equipment. Among them stood Arthur, tall and resolute, his left arm tightly bandaged though it still leaked traces of blood. Beside him, Lucifer led one of the elite squads—ten brave warriors, chosen directly by Gareth and King Drako.
The five elite squads, fifty people in total, stood behind the Hunters. They were the kingdom's last decisive line, ready to be thrown into the most dangerous points of the battle. Kaela was not among them — she had joined the ranks of the royal mages, leading a massive spell circle atop the fortress tower.
Lucifer stood at the very front of his first squad, looking at each of his warriors one by one. Their faces were varied — some tense, some confident, some holding back fear. But all of them shared the same resolve under his command.
In that moment, his mind drifted for a second.
A flash of the past...
When he first became a rank E Hunter, Lucifer had been seen as a clown. People mocked him for his frail appearance and his past as a nameless outsider. Many had told him, "You'll just die on your first day!"
But one by one, he overcame every trial. When a goblin ambush mission failed, it was Lucifer who saved the squad single-handedly. When a forest monster tore through a senior team, Lucifer was the one who slayed it even though he nearly died.
Slowly, they started to believe. Not because he was perfect, but because he never gave up.
End of flashback.
Lucifer took a deep breath, meeting the eyes of his elites.
"Listen," he called out firmly, "you're here not by accident. You're here because you're brave."
They nodded in unison, some even shouting in support. Arthur patted him lightly on the shoulder. "If you're leading us, I'm not afraid," he said with a genuine smile.
Lucifer only nodded briefly. His eyes stared far ahead — toward the outer walls of Emerald Kingdom, now darkened by the shadow of the orc forces.
---
Outside the walls, Azog's army stood in tight, disciplined formation, far more organized than any orc horde seen before. Lines of black spears, bone shields, tattered red banners — all radiating dread. Their numbers stretched into the thousands, and beside Azog stood the giant wolf Fenrir, letting out a low growl with breath like a storm.
Skull was there too, standing half-hunched, still wearing his ragged black cloak, staring at Emerald Kingdom as if hungry for another massacre.
Azog himself looked like a living mountain, standing arrogantly atop his war chariot. His eyes glowed red, burning with fury. When the army stopped a hundred meters from Emerald's gates, Azog called out with a rumbling voice:
"King Drako!" he shouted, cutting through the roar of wind and clanging steel.
King Drako, standing on the gate tower, looked down sharply. "What do you want, Azog?" he replied coldly, firmly.
Azog laughed, pounding his axe into the ground so hard it cracked the earth around him. "The last battle," he said, "I held back. I thought Skull was enough to crush you. Turns out I was terribly wrong."
Drako's eyes did not waver. "And now?"
Azog grinned. "Now I will destroy you myself — and burn Emerald Kingdom until nothing but ashes remain!"
Fenrir beside him roared, as if to underline the threat. The air around the battlefield vibrated, making the royal horses whinny in terror.
---
On top of the walls, Lucifer and Arthur exchanged glances.
"He's not bluffing," Arthur said quietly, swallowing hard.
Lucifer tightened his grip on the dagger Arthur had given him, eyes locked forward without hesitation. "If they're bringing hell," he murmured, "then we'll show them we won't fall so easily."
Arthur gave a small smile. "That's the best line you've ever said."
Lucifer let out a small chuckle. "I learned from a stubborn old man like you."
---
Meanwhile, Kaela atop the mage tower gazed at the sky, which was slowly darkening with the clouds of war. She prepared a massive spell circle with dozens of royal mages, her eyes never leaving Fenrir, who looked like a walking god of death.
The cold breath on my back won't break my resolve, she thought. I must protect them.
The war drums finally pounded — a single loud boom, followed by thousands of war cries erupting at once. Azog raised his axe high, pointing toward Emerald Kingdom.
"FORWARD!"
The orc army began to charge like a black flood, shaking the earth. From atop the walls, Lucifer took a deep breath.
"Squad one, move with me," he called out firmly. "Today we show them… who Lucifer Morningstar really is!"
Arthur stood beside him, his red eyes blazing. "With you until the end, kid."
And moments later, they leapt down together, facing the tsunami of monsters and steel that was about to carve a new page of history.