Chapter 11: Dawn of War

----------

6 years ago.....

7 months has passed since the establishment of the Crimson Blades. And the the members were starting to get along with each other more each passing day.

This was a time when Lukas and Elena were still together, united by their love and their shared purpose. They, along with Thorne, Selene, Anara, Kieran, and Elara.

There are about 90,000 villages in the East Region, so each village were assigned with 3 groups, the village Lukas and his crew were assigned is called Dugo, they, with 2 other groups, are the formidable frontliners for Crimson Blades in this village.

Everyone got to know each other and their capabilities, some with some advanced tier weapons and gears that were effective against demons, while others had basic tier items like wooden swords, wooden spear, wooden hammers and..... Butcher knives?

Anyways, there are at least 300,000 members of the Crimson Blades, but most weren't skilled enough to take on a demon on their own.

It was night time and everyone were minding their business in the village center.

There was a old wise man teaching some of the members about demons.

Elena was also present.

The Old man:(seroius) As you all know, 

when a village gets attacks by a demon, a group of villagers assemble to care of the demon, if it's a Low Tier demon, which are just demon beasts with no intelligence, it would take about 5 to 10 villagers to deal it them

But if it is a Complete Tier demon, then it would take about 25 to 50 villagers to take it down.

There's a Superior Tier Demon, then it would take 50 to 100 villagers.

There are also Humanoid Demons, these demons were humans, but they have been consumed by darkness, making them so powerful and evil that they lose their minds and get controlled by the darkness.

Not everyone can become a humanoid demon, it's very rare, about 1 in a million can become it, but it's a worse fate than death."

Elena was one of the members who were listening to the old man, and she was really interested in this topic wanted to learn more from the old man.

The Old man:"(adds) Then there are Mythical Demons, These beings at the highest tier and are the most powerful demons in existence, they're known as the Demon King's pets.

They are just second to the Demon king in terms of power, but their abilities are no joke.

They're 12 Mythical Demons known to existence, but currently there's only 7, others were taken care of by our ancestors, and the 8th Demon got taken care of by, potentially, the greatest hunter to exist.... Jaiva.

The members were astonished by Jaiva, The Founder of The Crimson Blades. To be able to take care of a demon of that caliber by himself is an unbelievable feat, They wondered just how strong is he?

The old man:"(countinued) These beings are so powerful that the weakest ones were capable of destroying countries, and the stronger ones can cause destruction on a continental scale with ease.

This bit of information shows how tough it is to deal with the demons, especially for the villagers in the East Region.

It was a big problem, which lead to destruction for some villages. So some village guards go out to fight demons in the forest, thinking it would be better the bring the fight over to their territory.

But most of them ended with an unfortunate fate, only those who were lucky or truly skilled managed to survive in the forest."

Elena was finding it interesting learning more about demons and hunters, she always had a thirst for knowledge, and she wanted to learn more about the world.

Old man:"Okay that's it for today, it's already late dusk and you guys need to be up by dawn for training. Farewell"

With that everyone parted ways to their dorms.

.....

The early morning sun bathed the training grounds in a warm, golden light.

Lukas, with his unwavering determination, sparred with Thorne, the strategist and swordmaster of the group. Their blades clashed and sparks flew as they displayed their combat skills.

CLANK*

CLANK* 

CLANK*

Thorne:"(huffing) Wow, you're really something, How are you keeping up with me with those.... butcher knives!?" 

CLANK!*

Lukas:"(excited) I told you! The chicken wing will be mine! Brace yourself blondie!"

Elena watched over the training.

'He's really something, he's like a monster whenever he fights'

With her soothing magic, she was more than ready to heal any injuries if the spar went too far. She knew that they would need every advantage in the battles to come.

Kieran, was doing his own set of training of punching large boulders and breaking it into small pieces. Inlookers couldn't be more surprised by how he was doing this effortlessly, Kieran just put up a smile, and winking at the onlookers.

Meko, the swift and agile rogue with diamond daggers, practiced his stealth and evasion, disappearing into the shadows and reappearing with uncanny precision.

Anara, was also doing her own training, the sharpshooter with eyes that never missed a target, fired arrows with pinpoint accuracy, each one finding its mark.

Selene, the empathic seer, meditated to sharpen her visions, seeking glimpses of the future to guide their actions.

Elara, the mage with a deep connection to the elements, conjured flames and frost, harnessing the raw power of nature.

.....

Lukas and Thorne were battling it out against each other, Thorne was on the defense blocking all of Lukas's careless attacks, he was not holding back one bit.

CLANK!* 

CLANK!!*

CLANK!!!*

Thorne:'(thoughtful) This guy..... his not holding back. Each strikes are getting stronger than the previous ones!

CLANK!!!!*

CLANK!!!!!*

After some minutes, the spar concluded.....

Thorne was seen falling to the ground, exhausted.

Lukas:"(Happy) Ha! I won! I won! I won! Now give me my chicken wing."

Thorne:"(exhausted) I can't believe you tired me out with your crazy attacks! Did you want to kill me!?!?

Lukas:"(casual) Calm down, it wasn't that bad"

Thorne:"(frustrated) THAT BAD!?!? You didn't even hold back, you were clearly aiming for the kill! Man you're crazy!"

Lukas:"(casual) Well maybe you shouldn't have put chicken wings on the table. Anyways I owe you some juicy chicken wings!"

.....

after a grueling sparring session, gathered the 3 groups from the Crimson Blades settled beneath the shade of an ancient oak tree, to discuss the plan.

Thorne: (determined) "The demons in the East Region grow stronger by the day. We must be prepared for the war that approaches.

Anara:"(serious) Okay, so what's our strategy?"

Thorne, always the thinker, unfurled a map, detailing the demon strongholds and their vulnerable points.

Thorne: "We'll strike their main camp first, disrupt their leadership, and weaken their ranks. Then, we'll push them back, village by village. Other groups from other villages will be doing the same

Selene, her eyes filled with concern, added, "We must be cautious, for the demons may have powers and tactics we haven't encountered before."

Anara: "And we must watch each other's backs. In the heat of battle, trust is our greatest weapon."

Davine, with a determined nod, said, "I'll scout ahead and gather intelligence on their movements."

Elena, spoke softly but firmly, "Remember, we're not just warriors; we're protectors of those who can't defend themselves."

Elara, her eyes blazing with the intensity of a mage, reminded them, "We're fighting for a world where darkness doesn't hold sway. We can do this!"

"WE CAN DO THIS!"

The group's camaraderie and shared purpose were their greatest strength. They trained tirelessly, honing their skills, and preparing for the war that loomed on the horizon. With each passing day, their bond grew stronger, and their resolve deepened.

As the sun set on their final day of preparation, Lukas and Elena stood together,

watching the horizon.

Elena:" Are you ready, Lukas?"

Lukas:" Ready? For what?"

"The War"

Lukas:"Meh, if we succeed then there should probably be a huge celebration after this, which means they'll be good meal! And what's a good meal without chicken? Ha it's gonna be great! I can almost taste that juicy, yummy, delicio-"

Elena elbowed Lukas on the stomach.

"OWW"

Elena:" Please be serious, this is a war we're talking about, how don't know what will happen"

Lukas:"Oh come on! I will protect you! And don't you worry, I'm going to wipe out all of those demons who will come in my way from getting some tasty chicken!"

Elena couldn't help but chuckle, she knew Lukas's strength, and was confident that with him here, then they'll be successful.

Elena:" Father is going to be so happy when we head back, and if you promised to behave then I'll make your favorite mushroom soup."

Lukas:"Oh, to be honest nothing better than chicken.

"How about chicken soup?"

Lukas"(flabbergasted) Chicken? Soup? Those are two of my favorite things. Wait it's possible to make a soup of chicken!?!? What?! What kind of sorcery is that!?!?

Elena:"(chuckled) It's possible silly, and it's also easy to make. My mom used to cook it for me.... it was her favorite dish.....

It was dead silent after elena said that, even Lukas's upbeat demeanor changed

Lukas: (softly) "....No matter what happens. I we will get through this.... together! Okay Elena!?"

Elena: "Yes, Lukas. Together."

With the dawn of war approaching, the Crimson Blades were ready to stand united, their hearts ablaze with courage, ready to face the demons that threatened their world.

But to their surprise, as they were set out travel to the demons territory, their journey was short lived as they were met with a horde of a thousand demons just outside the village's entrance.....