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.