The gates of the Dark Citadel stood defiant under the crimson sky, their obsidian surfaces etched with runes that pulsed with dark energy. Kaito Akatsuki, the Dark Sovereign, strode forward with his council in tow, the Dark God Sword unsheathed and gleaming with its sickly green light. The air crackled with tension as the divine envoys approached—three angels, their wings of pure radiance unfurled, their armor forged from celestial gold. They hovered just beyond the citadel's wards, their spears lowered but humming with holy power. No army accompanied them, but the threat was implicit: the Pantheon's eyes were upon the Dark Country.
Kaito's mind raced through strategies, his cold pragmatism assessing the envoys like pieces on a board. They were Tier 4 at least, extensions of the gods' will, but not avatars—yet. This was a parley, a final warning before escalation. Behind him, his nobles and generals formed a wall of power: Renji lurking in shadows, Ayame's frost chilling the air, Daichi gripping his warhammer, Yui's staff glowing with necromantic fervor, Takeshi's gauntlet sparking with arcane traps. Veyra perched on a tower, her scales bristling; Malakar's skeletal form radiated death; Selene melted halfway into darkness; Gorath growled low; Althaea hovered, her eyes distant with prophecy.
The lead angel, its face a mask of ethereal beauty twisted by disdain, spoke first, its voice a harmonious thunder. "Dark Sovereign, the Pantheon decrees: cease your conquests. The Hero of Light rallies the righteous. Submit, or face divine retribution."
Kaito's laugh echoed, cold and unyielding. "Submit? To gods who fear a boy with a sword? Tell your masters: the Dark Country bows to no one."
The angel's eyes flared. "Blasphemy! The light will purge your shadow."
Before Kaito could respond, the sky split again, a beam of holy light descending like a judgment from the heavens. From it emerged Leonel, the Hero of Light, his Dawnblade drawn and blazing. He landed between the envoys and the gates, his radiant armor unscratched, his gaze locked on Kaito with burning hatred. This was no coincidence—the envoys were a distraction, Leonel the true strike.
"Sovereign!" Leonel roared, his voice amplified by divine blessing. "Your evil ends here! Face me, or watch your empire burn!"
Kaito's smile widened, the sword's hunger surging through him like a drug. This was the first direct clash since the gates, a duel to test his power against the gods' champion. Leonel saw him as the ultimate evil, a monster to slay; Kaito saw him as a pawn, predictable and breakable. "Come, Hero," Kaito said, raising the Dark God Sword. "Let's see if your light can touch my darkness."
The envoys retreated, their wings folding as they ascended, leaving the battlefield to the two. Kaito's council held back, per his silent command— this was his fight, a statement of supremacy. Leonel charged, his Dawnblade trailing holy flames, the ground scorching beneath his feet. Kaito met him head-on, the Dark God Sword clashing with a deafening boom that shook the citadel walls. Shadows and light exploded, the impact creating a crater.
Leonel's strikes were fast, blessed by the gods—each swing a wave of purifying fire. "You corrupt everything you touch!" he snarled, his blade slashing toward Kaito's chest. "Arlond, the kingdoms—they fall because of you!"
Kaito parried, the sword absorbing the light, its green glow intensifying. "They fall because they're weak," he retorted, his voice calm amid the storm. "You cling to gods who use you. I forge my own path."
He countered with Void Slash, a black crescent tearing toward Leonel. The Hero raised a holy shield, the attack dissipating in a burst of sparks, but the force staggered him. Kaito pressed, activating Shadow Dominion—tendrils of darkness coiled around Leonel, sapping his strength. The Hero roared, his light flaring to burn them away, but Kaito was already inside his guard, the Dark God Sword slashing upward.
The blade grazed Leonel's armor, a gash opening that leaked divine blood. The Hero gasped, terror flickering in his eyes as the sword's hunger pulled at his essence, devouring wisps of light. "What… is this weapon?" Leonel whispered, staggering back. "It… hungers."
Kaito's expression was unreadable, but internally, the sword's whisper grew louder: More. Take his light. He silenced it, focusing on the duel. Leonel was strong—Tier 4, blessed to rival Kaito's Tier 3—but predictable, driven by righteousness rather than strategy. Kaito feinted left, drawing a swing, then struck right with Curse of Weakness, black veins spreading across Leonel's arm.
The Hero swung wildly, his Dawnblade unleashing a holy nova that forced Kaito back, scorching his armor. Pain seared through him, real and biting, a reminder of this world's stakes. But Kaito endured, channeling the sword's absorbed energy into a counter— a green-tinged Void Slash that shattered Leonel's shield and sent him flying into the wastes.
Leonel rose, trembling, his eyes wide with fear. The Dark God Sword terrified him, its power unlike anything the gods had warned of—a blade that could slay divinity itself. "You're… a monster," he gasped, his light dimming.
Kaito advanced, the sword raised. "I'm your end."
But before the killing blow, the envoys dove back in, their spears forming a barrier of light. "Enough!" the lead angel thundered. "The Hero retreats—for now."
A portal opened, and Leonel was pulled through, escaping once more. The envoys vanished in a flash, leaving Kaito standing amid the cratered ground, the sword's hunger unsatisfied.
His council approached, awe in their eyes. "Sovereign," Ayame said, "you dominated him."
Kaito sheathed the sword, its whisper fading. "He lives to rally more. Good. Let them come."
But as they returned to the citadel, Althaea's voice whispered: "The hero flees, but the gods stir greater forces. The first true war begins."
From the borders, horns blared—scouts reporting an approaching army, the Alliance of Light marching on the Dark Country. The expansion arc had ignited.