Entering the command room inside the bunker complex, Grahame in his Meteorite armor, dragging his gigantic star sword dripping still with the blood of the Demons enters in the busy and panicked war room. “M-Mister President, sir!” heavily breathing, he collapses on the floor, kneeling down and catching his breath. “Give me a situation update! What in God’s name is happening in the Western Gate Front?!”

  Live feeds on the big screens focus on the image of Bahamut, floating in the air. One of the Generals who was with Commonhate steps forward, saluting. “Sir! With the North and Southern Gate Fronts mostly restricted to valley fighting, the Demon Army has moved up a vast amount of its forces on the West and East and when they arrived, we detected a monstrous spike in Mana consumption in the skies. Our sensors were even damaged by it.” raising his hands, he shows the data on a bottom left screen, nearest to Hans.

  “And now, we’re detecting the Ilya Field has been broken completely.” the President of the Men of the Woods turns his face to the Doctor in his wheelchair. “Ah ja. Ilya Field is the barrier between ze vorlds. Zis is the field that restricts ze usage of Divine, Evil, and Ancient magic, requiring vast amounts of Mana to penetrate." This made him squint his eyes as soldiers helped him up. “So what? What happened to us players when overexerted happened to Bahamut?! But how?! We can’t let one of our main weapons to stop now!”

  “Ruhig, ruhig, mein President. If za data is korect, I have a theory zat the Goddess of Death, Mors Letum has taken over temporarily, ja and she is looking for ze revenge.” hearing this, the President almost collapsed completely. “W-Wha-what?! Give me a possible Battle Damage Assessment! We can’t have two Gods fighting here! The entire Portal Fortress will get wiped out!” he coughs out blood as one of the officers immediately goes into the radio. “I require a Healer to the Main Command Room! Just one! Keep the rest on the frontline battles on the lower floors!”

  “Mister President, I don’t think you need to worry as much. Its evident that Bahamut and Mors both have some sort of understanding we do not know of. I am sure this is just a favourable situation for her.”

  “Huh? What do you mean?”

  “Mors Letum wants revenge against the Cosmic Gods that left her here. She’s been drawing power by being the main religion of the Kingdom of Vitas and was leading the Cosmic Gods into invading this place… I believe, in my humble opinion, that she herself has her own plans on top of the already grand Demon invasion and the Known Gods plan to defend the planet they made.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me!” he smacks the armored floor of the Command room, the shockwave sending the screens to flicker. “Cazzo! Here we are fighting for our lives and in the end, we’re all nothing but chess pieces of these Gods?! Faccia de merda!”

  “But sir, it's quite evident that she’s on our side… or well her plans align with the Known Gods who have control over the Portal back home. If she wins, we also win. The defeat of a Cosmic God might earn us our pathway back home.”

  “Our side…? We’ve never been on the side of the Natives! Grrrr… Get the remaining Reserves up on the walls and defend the Holy See’s Bishop! I want that Sanctified Wall up by later and notify the other Guild Leaders to spread out even more! Tell them it's my recommendation and plea!” He stands up once again as the Healer arrives. The woman in full combat uniform immediately brings out her staff and starts to use her magic on him. “Let’s say she defeats that Cosmic God. We’re talking about TWO Gods fighting in a mortal realm! You're a historian and archaeologist, you should know how the battles of these Divine Creatures have shaped entire continents and biomes!”

  As the fighting has now reached the Outer Layer, the Portal Fortress wasn’t letting up. Not one second passed where there was silence. Everyone was pulling their weight and for the moment as they stood and fought, the Demon Army which surrounded them from all fronts weren’t making progress and the Demon Players were left to themselves as the Holy See’s Bishop was busy on the wall, planting Sword Crosses into it and the Divine protection was nearing to completion.

  Crawling from the wall, a Demi Human Holy See Scout bows to the Bishop. “Your Holiness, the Inner Wall is on its final rites.” He nods as he hands the fox-eared Humanoid a Sword Cross rosary. “Take it. Your devotion to Deus Vrax has been noted.” he then turns to one of his Deacons who was splashing Holy Water on the rails. “Write that Mongrel’s name down. His bravery for going back and forth between the battles of the Demonic and Non Demonic Chosen Ones to deliver messages needs to be remembered.” the old man then looks forward, continuing to sanctify the wall.

  A terrifying army of ghosts slowly floated through the great open plains, passing by the Demon Armies, its many Legions were busy setting up camps and tent cities. Mixed alongside them were Reaper Wraiths but Mors Letum summons her sword, it had the same blackened shadowy figure as the Demon General. But this one, with the size of a Greatsword as the Demon Army kept on piling into her. The True Dragons took the chance to focus on the valleys, the Demons were on the peaks and the sides, rushing towards the barrier as they got burned to a crisp in their vain attempt to flank the Western Gate Front.

  Jackson finally got to rest for a bit as the Dragons began focusing their efforts on the valleys that flanked them. Looking down to the flattened land, the Mages in the back had not stopped firing long range magic for hours upon hours now, running on nothing but adrenaline and the fear of death. “M’Lord, what shall we do with Bahamut? The Black Knife’s of Her Majesty is now in half strength.” he places his rifle on the trench, sword embedded on the wooden floor and climbing up to peek out and stare at the democide happening in front of them.

  Demons kept sending wave after wave after her, just for a single swing of her blade to wipe out thousands of abominations and undead whilst the more formal forces that’d try to get past her would be quickly annihilated by the tanks on the trenches or by herself. “Elizabeth, I want the last of your Black Knife’s to focus on the valleys.” She nods, the last six of the Knives going to aid the Mountaineers and Paratroopers atop the peaks. “I hope the other six you sent to the Bunker Complex can get to those Demons before they cause a problem in which we cannot return from.”

  Crossing her arms, the Vampire Queen peeks over the trenches with him, staring at the Bahamut with a blackened shadowy miasma coming out of her body. “My Lord, whatever Mars has told us, I do believe it's better for us to prepare an escape plan. That is a God in Mortal form. Even I do not dare to fight such a foe and if another foe is as strong as it appears, we might end up getting wiped out by a single slash.” sighing, he then turns to the Countess. “Alana, when the left flank is clear, I’ll need you to get to the peak of the right flank with some of the forces here.” As he continued to look at her, an odd feeling came to him. As if an unseen hand patted his shoulder to gain his attention.

  "Do not be afraid, I wish you no harm. And for Bahamut, she just expended far too much of her energy, a great summoning occurred and she was not ready. Are all Dragons in Tur like this? They fight far more ruggedly than some of the Demons I’ve created."

  "Wo-woah, who is this lady with a very sexy voice talking in my head?"

  "It is I, King of Man from Earth. Mors Letum, the Cosmic God of Death that was left behind to rot in this world. I've awakened for a momentary space to aid you in your battle. Your plans are of no harm to me, nay. They support my own initial plan." Elizabeth and Alana both stared at the ongoing battle, staying in their trench as ordered by their Lord's leader. "Wait... have you always been alive?!" The two Vampires looked at him with an odd expression as Jackson seemed to be caught up with something in his head. His face just has a steady stoic emotion.

  "A Coma is what you’d call it. Though I do get awakened when Bahamut is under great duress as her control of her Mana loosens and I am able to exploit it and awaken. I hold no ill-will to you nor her. I’ve never taken control even when I had the chance, till now. In this decisive battle.” Elizabeth pokes Jackson’s helmet and he just seems to stare into the abyss though he had normal vital signs to him and no indications of stress. "Aren't you the Goddess of Death? I thought you’d speak a bit scarier than this."

  "If you were to see my true form, you would grovel, cry, and die of the horror you’d witness and I've long lost that authority when I gave my bones to this Dragon. All I need is this moment, the Cosmic God festering around here, Angrbolda. I have a score to settle with… and I speak to you like this for I wish to settle a relation with you. Not out of fear, but of commonality." He nods, making the two Vampires tilt her heads as explosions of dark magic create a divide on the battlefield, four quadrants and the black fire then engulfs the souls of the Demons inside it. "Just what did Bahamut do that she got knocked out this badly?! What was summoned by the Heroes?"

  "I believe something far away used her Primordial Mana to summon… No, revive upon an army from the land between the living and the dead. I believe that useless Goddess Forrus must be in on this to allow such an army to come alive." Hearing this, Jackson couldn't process it fully as he watched the Goddess cut down thousands of Demons with a single swing of her blade. "And that Cosmic God. We don't even know where it is. It hasn't even appeared after those brief seconds. Are you sure you want to fight it here? What if we get wiped out by you accidentally?"

  "Oh, worry not. I know of these tricks. Your mortality prevents you from seeing and knowing the way. Angrbolda in your language is… hmmm… the thing closest to it is Impossible Evil and you have my word for your safety." he then began blinking again, making the two Vampires breath in a sigh of relief. “The Impossible Evil…” Alana quickly takes him by the shoulders. “M’Lord! Are you fine?! Did a Cosmic entity invade your soul and violate you?!” Elizabeth then steals him from her, shaking him. “My Lord! By the Blood and the Rose, you're blinking!” he just lets out a pained grunt as the two Vampires start shaking him. “M’Lord! Do you know how afraid I was?!”

  Raising his hands, the two stopped shaking him as he sighs. “I am fine. Mors Letum just spoke to me.” they both then got to his face, their eyes peering into his very soul. “S-She just told me her purpose is to settle a score with that strange thing that escaped via a portal.” This made Elizabeth place a hand on his shoulder. “My Lord, may we escape into the Bunkers? Or even fly away from here?” her hands were trembling as Alana herself was silent, confused and dazed.

  “Oh crap…” Mors Letum, with the body of Bahamut raises her Shadow Sword to the skies, firing a white beam that cleared the cloudy night weather as it flies into the mouth of the gargantuan portal above them causing it to spew thousands of red lighting into the world and coming out of it was the Cosmic God Impossible Evil.

  Jackson was in the Communications Bunker with Alana and Elizabeth both taking cover behind a steel desk as he tried to get in touch with the Guild Leaders. “YES, I NEED TO TALK TO THE UN RIGHT NOW.” The Radio Operators in the room tried to focus on their tasks of correcting the artillery and tank fire but the loud voice of the Supreme General took their attention. “I am formally requesting for a retreat to the Outer Layer walls and for the Bombers to take off and help out Mors Letum.”

  A laser beam that’s the width of a football field lands on the battlefield, causing a blinding light to appear, through the slits of the Communications Bunker, the sharp edges of the lightrays made everyone inside cover and protect their eyes. “What was that?! There is a Cosmic fucking battle happening right outside my trenches! Are you even sure the hundred layered Magic Barrier will protect us from this?!” the ground shakes and rumbles as a battle between Gods starts. Looking out, the Impossible Evil, its form made out of shapes of tubular flesh as tentacles floated behind it like an angelic wing. “What do you mean probably?! I don’t operate on probably! It's either a Yes or a No! And get me those planes!”

  Outside, each blow between the two felt as if the molecules itself trembled, the players just frozen in their place while others had begun to abandon their position. Running back to the Fortress through the maze of planes. “What do you mean whatever happens, happens?! Get me Hassan right now! I request for my Guild Lead-” a gargantuan serrated blade of pure energy rips right through the magic barrier like it was nothing. Making it flicker as it cuts the artificial valley with a clean slit across it.

  Though the barrier slowly reformed again, the damage was already done and a few hundred planes were sliced clean in half and the perfect line it left on the ground made the rightmost trench to begin to falter. Players tucked in fear while those with some strength left screamed for their lives and ran away.

  Even the Black Knife’s had to stop and look at the battle before them, the two Gods were going out at each other like predators vying for a piece of land. Every swing of her sword, Mors Letum would constantly try to close the gap, The Impossible Evil using its countless tentacles to intercept her flying blades and unseen hands as her miasma grew only thicker and blacker after each second. The Demons taken by it began to weaken, the ground itself decaying rapidly as the stench of rigor mortis filled the air.

  Inside the Portal Fortress, the Guild Leaders watched in the Inner Layer’s Command Room the battle that was occurring. With the Northern Gate temporarily safe, some of the Leaders got their armor cleaned and repaired. “What? Are you guys insane?!” Hassan is one of those in the crowd, proudly brandishing his Death Knight armor with the skulls on the pauldrons and the center of his chestplate. With his dirty Greatsword that cuts purely on fate alone, the Top Level Player goes with the others as they summon their mounts.

  Riding out of the Inner Layer were Higher Griffins, Great Crows, Super Hypergryhs, and True Dragons, on top of the special beasts were the Guild Leaders leading the first offensive from the Portal Fortress and to the Cosmic God’s forces. Gallantly riding through the players on the Outer Layer, fighting tooth and nail against the Demon Player Legions, the mere sight of the special and recognizable mounts gave them hope and a boost of morale that made them twice as ferocious and two fold more tougher.

  Jackson on the other hand had walked out of the Communications Bunker with a broken receiver on his hand. “Alright, we fight then.” as the battle was so fierce, not even the Demon Army could cross into the No Mans Land and towards there trenches that confidly sat behind the hundred layer magic barrier, opting instead to go around the brutal combat between the immovables where Elizabeth’s Black Knife’s with the Paratroopers and Mountaineers had been able to successfully stem the tide.

  Having Elizabeth carry him to the top, he lands there and quickly rushes towards cover as an explosion wipes out a section of the untouched valley. “Good evening sir!” The Paratrooper with his hands on his helmet had a smile on his face as he popped out of cover to shoot at Abominations crawling fast through the rocky surface. “Hello! Do you have any idea what their plan is here? They still can’t cross the barrier.” the Sergeant just shrugs his shoulders. “Idunno, they probably want to gain control of the peaks and shoot projectiles that might be able to enter. Those Reaper Wraiths and their shit goes through the barrier!”

  Nodding, Jackson peeks out just for a laser beam to create a large gap on the valleyside, causing a handful of Abominations to fall out. “Have you spotted any Goblins? They're not Demonic, so they could probably cross through.” the Paratrooper shrugs his head. “Negative sir! The Southern Gate has the bulk of the Goblin and Ogre Armies, we’re dealing with the Elite Army Forces here!” coming out of the North was the Demon Army Legion that was originally sent to the other Gates. Finally arriving to reinforce their neighboring legions.

  Due to the body of the Old One blocking their advance, they have now joined up with the forces on the Western Gate, quadrupling the size of the enemy they are facing. The formation now reaches into the far horizons and peripherals. “Ah crap!” looking at the mountain sized body, only a fraction of it has disappeared as a bright shining light appears to the left side of his face. “M-My Lord…” Alana’s polished face lights up a bright yellow as his eyes open wide.

  Turning his head to look front again, a giant asteroid flies over them and crashes on the Southern Gate. Blocking it completely. “Just what the sweet fuck are the Space Guild doing with there Astrology magic?!” it then began to melt and explode, sending thousands of corroded metal over to the Demon army over there in a controlled manner.

  Jackson was just shocked with the insane chaos occurring. In front of him, two Cosmic Gods fighting it out, a single laser beam from The Impossible Evil pings off the magic barrier, causing a shockwave to fly for hundreds of kilometers as multiple layers easily crack and shatter as the Guild Leaders were once again out in the battlefield, there ancient magic adding to the mess as all sorts of anything was flying and being shot at any direction. He had no word to use at what he was witnessing, making him turn his eyes away to look at the Vampires instead.

  Behind them on the steel wall of the Portal Fortress, the Automatic Knights were working nonstop with their giant swords, slashing and dashing away at the Abominations spawning from the Demon Player Guilds that’s been wreaking havoc inside the Outer Layer. Its steel paint disappeared as it became covered with blood that was being burned by the now sanctified wall. The white bolded numbers and numerals on it draped in red as the gate started to become blocked by the corpses of the fused creatures.

  “CONTACT!” Jackson then stands up from cover, charging into the oncoming Demon Knights providing cover for the Goblin and Ogre soldiers from the Northern and Southern Wall started pouring into the Valley peaks and reinforcing the Western and Eastern Gates, the True Dragons though got more support as they doubled their numbers.

  He dashes out of the protection of the Magic barrier, slashing his way through the peak of the valley, the black lightning rods of Mors Letum lit up his heroic silhouette, donning his ancient Dragon God Scale armor, the Knight General continues to charge forward with Elizabeth and Alana by his sides, there words ruthlessly cutting Goblins and Orcs open as Ogres in there larger bodies was shot at by guns. Pushing the positions of the Mountaineers and Paratroopers back to there original concrete trenches and with the spur of the moment, continued on till he stopped by the warning signs for landmines. The Abominations pulled back as the Demon Knights watched in silence.

  Panting inside his helmet, Jackson stared back at them, lifting his Glass Rapier and pointing the tip to them. “We won’t just bend over and let you roll over us you disgusting freaks! I’ll send you all back to Hell where you belong!” The Demon Knight just looked behind it as the ground trembled and rumbled. Dark Portals opened and coming out of it were another new enemy, with the head of a Lion, a body of snakes and tentacles, its blackened body glew a color of purple as the True Dragons started getting shot with magical arrows that was cracking even there armor and Cosmic magic by the thousands and thousands of Hell Priests in the back, forcing them to take off and retreat whilst a handful stayed back to give them time to run.

  As one of the True Dragons gets overrun, Thorbolt attempting to save his colleague, the wall of purple flames gets walked over by Demon Knights in black armor. With the only differences being their capes and the banners they were flying. Seeing the familiar sight of the Elite Demon Knights, Jackson started to peer around for a Demon General but the Legion was so large that it could take him hours of staring to spot such a foe.

  It wasn’t just a few thousand, marching with them were millions upon millions of Undead Grunts from the many thousand years of wars. Some even donned primitive equipment and weapons. Jackson just kept his sword up as he watched the sea of enemies trample over the flames of the Dragons. Extinguishing it as the Giants had arrived finally arrived and there Commander.

  Seeing the familiar Giant Knights he fought in Schon, the Knight General lowers his blade and runs back to the trenches, taking the radio from the officer there. “To Western Gate Units! Open fire on the Giants! I repeat! Open fire on the Giants! Ignore those newly arrived enemies! Artillery in this Net are to load High Explosive and Rocket assisted shells! Do not let them get close!” The Giants then formed shoulder to shoulder, holding their Tower shields that dwarfed even those the Uberdemonus had, they began to march forward as a moving wall.

  Behind them, a literal oceans worth of the Demon Army. With their numbers so high not even the soil was visible and each meter they gained, the ground rumbled more and more harder, the shadowy veil of Mors Letum completely overpowered as the now mixture of a every unit the Demon Army had so far began their march. “Higher Command, where is that failsafe you guys have?! I need those planes NOW! I’ve been asking for them for hours!”

  As Mors Letum descends back down, looking at the incomprehensible and vile form of the Cosmic God before her, its body, that of a vain attempt to create a form that has no physical self only to end up with a creature that could make one vomit just from a look of it.

  The Goddess merely scoffs as she raises her shadow sword at it again. “I knew we were of equal power, but who would’ve known you’d care for your peons.” it then used its hands to form a symbol with its elongated and fleshy boney fingers. Below it, the Giant Knights with their Tower Shield Wall get buffed by an unknown magic, the tank shells and bullets no longer staggering them as Mors Letum showed a grin under the veil. “So this is how it’s going to be, huh? Looks like I’ll have to present my ace.”

  Looking up at the gigantic black portal with its rainbow frame floating above the planet, the Goddess strikes the cosmic portal and makes The Impossible Evil to intercept it. “I have no plans to go home anyways. I’ve been stuck in this realm for so long it was only the damned Men of Vitas that cared for my tomb. Praying and sacrificing for me. You and the others were so happy to use me as a lynchpin to this world as I writhe in that chasm from Deus Vrax’s sword.” She then looks behind her, the fighting on the Outer Layer was getting dire as every Demon Player was worth the weight of a hundred Mid levels, nothing was safe from them. Even the helicopters were being shot down the moment they tried to aid any ground units on the street to street fighting.

  With the Holy See’s support and the Native Kingdoms who were still able bodied enough to help, they were actively trying to suppress the Demon players, just for the players to focus on them more, the Healers being taken away from their respective Guilds to prevent the deaths of the Natives.

  Looking down on her, she holds her heart and smiles. “Just a powerful influence, you have, Dragon. Making me hold back like this…” looking up to her olden acquaintance, she just gave it a scoff. “You're also forced to hold back… but… I wonder…” she once again looks up, the Cosmic God watching her every move closely as shadows with the shape of planes loomed over both of them.

  Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture began to play on all loudspeakers as the flames of battle showed a rain of metal was approaching, one made up of GBUs and FABs by the thousands falling down on the frontline. Its Magical Barrier changes color to yellow and projectiles from the tanks and other armored vehicles on the trenches got stopped by the barrier, making them halt as shadows with the shape of various sizes of bombs ran over there eyes.

  Planes from the Multirole fighter, Strike and Strategic bomber were present from the handful of Guilds that managed to manufacture such complex vehicles. Dropping their payload from thousands of feet above the air, where not even the Dark Wyvern would dare fly due to the effort it would take to reach them.

  Though Anti Air fire was beginning, with Hell Priests and Bishops of Vile Sins from below using extremely long range magic to try to hit them, it was largely inaccurate and the damage it could cause was negligible.

  Hell Priests gathered together to cast a shield to protect the Demon Army but it was far too late and the carpet bombing of magnanimous size flattened the entire region ruthlessly. Be it Demon or Animal, it picks nothing as it spews combustion and shrapnel to those unlucky enough to be caught and the blazing trail of napalm wiping out entire sections of the Legions.

  Within a handful of seconds, hundreds of thousands of Demons were flattened, the Demon Knight Army and the many Legions present that came to reinforce the Vanguard Units got scattered and thrown about as craters filled every inch and corner of the land. The valley itself having multiple meters shaved off its height.

  Casualties continually began to pile up till almost all of their Abominations and Undeads were completely wiped out. Though the Demon Knights and other more Elite units survived by the neck thanks to their armors. It left them dazed and confused as explosions continued to flow through from the skies, a crescendo of death from above.

  Diving down, the Multirole Fighter planes began to usher in their unguided rockets and guns. There air to air missiles striking down hundreds of Dark Wyverns as there sonic booms filled the air, the Cosmic God hovered in place as jets flew past above it, striking the disoriented Demon Army as Mors Letum charges on forward, The Impossible Evil teleporting out of harm's way as the jets continued to raze through the Demons with an orchestra of sonic booms.

  They did not care how deep they’d get into enemy lines, firing missiles at every shiny and large target as the skies slowly became saturated with the Demons own aerial unit, one of it, a Dark True Dragon coming in from the North, ramming into planes and gushing off its missiles.

  As the Magic Barrier of the Portal Fortress once again changes into its normal translucent color, the Gates of the Western Wall opens up, releasing from it a wave of armor as it pushes through the trenches and into the red tint of the outside world. A Counter-Offensive has begun and Mors Letum took the chance as she noticed how defensive The Impossible Evil was in. For a brief nanosecond, the Cosmic God turned its attention to its armies, summoning hundreds of Dark Portals that began to spew Elite Blackened Armor Demon Knights.

  “Such a foolish leader and commander. This is why Gods should never mediate in the affairs of the mortals.” It then gets stabbed in the body, its many tentacles gripping the shadowy sword of Mors Letum as Dark Matter begins to fall from its body. The Demon Knights below it get their armor made of unknown metals melted through. But for Mors Letum, it only powered her sword as jets continued to ravage through the battlefield.

  ”The Gods we expelled and mocked for creating images of themselves that they fail to understand and control are making a joke of all of us. We created ours to become something we can control, yet look at it." She looks at the Demon Army, their numbers going as far as the horizon as they cover every inch of the land. Uncaring for their casualties and still advancing forward against the last bulwark of Earthlings and Threans. “None of them could smile, love, nor have empathy. I am ashamed of what we’ve created together.” Twisting the sword, The Impossible Evil with its misaligned vertical mouth spews Dark Matter.

  “I… I am… not…” looking at its large tubular head, the vertical mouth with sharp predatory teeth, Mors Letum smiles at it. With a face mixed with disgust. “Farewell, Angrbolda. Tell the others I will join them soon. I will also take your authority, I’ve always wanted to rule over Discord and Chaos alongside Death.” Pulling out the sword, the Cosmic God began to violently shake and then explode into a bright white light. The Goddess’ body then looked down and then up again as its shadowy sword began to elongate.

  After reaching the ten meter mark, her black lighting is shot out to the sky and towards the Main Cosmic Portal. Its rainbow colored frame then changes to a single red color. She then looks up and shrugs her head at the sight. “That should do it. I’ve done my part, Dragon. Enjoy my bones and do not awaken me. Let me rest in peace.”

  As jets continued to fly around, Jackson was busy with his duties on the trench lines, as the Counter Offensive pushed through the Demon Army’s initial line. It was soon stopped by just the sheer volume of resistance they’ve met. Buried with multiple maps, the Knight General was at his element, with the two Vampires constantly going back and forth to give him corrections on his coordinates and would give the radio operators information to transmit to the other commanders, a white lightning with the width of an entire football field strikes down from the Cosmic Portal above the planet. Its aura wasn’t that of Evil but one of Good, the players and Natives inside who got to be touched by its light became calmed and relaxed but also, buffed and powered up.

  With the armored train coming from the Eastern Gate Front returned to the Western side to support the trench, the Engineers on its armored cabin watches as the white lightning goes through the Magic Barrier, shattering all remaining layers without effort and towards the deactivated Portal. “Святое дерьмо... он открыт... дома...” removing their hats, tears fell from the eyes of the players.

  Deep inside the Outer Layer, even the Demon Players stopped and looked towards the lifeless Portal inside. A beaming light pouring out of the Inner Layer. A Ranger player in full light plate armor with medals on his chest walks out of his second storey floor and looks up in awe. “A casa, ?por fin podemos volver a casa!” An order came flying through the loudspeakers.

  “To all players! Begin the process of returning home! Follow your instructions closely, Commanders and Leaders, make sure all of your members are accounted for! All Altars will be moved to the Inner Layer! Start the fighting retreat! The activation of the teleportation rings on the First Bunker floor will begin! DO NOT fail now!”

  Jackson had to walk out of the communications bunker and see it for himself. Unable to stop his hand lifting up and covering the lower part of his helmet. “My Lord! The faster we do our job, the faster you may go home!” He looks at the two Vampires and looks around as his head stops at them. “Where is Bahamut?!”

  Standing inside a dark void, with only her and another feminine figure lit up by a light. The Dragon walks forward and bows her head. “Thank you. For using all that magic to relight the portal.” Mors Letum just stood in her place. “It’s part of our deal. I got my end of the bargain, now, you get yours… and that Forrus Goddess. Pfft.” Bahamut laughs as she looks straight up at the pale face of the Goddess.

  With lanky features and surprisingly cute long hair with it divided in the middle, making her look extremely naive yet prim. Mors sighs and crosses her arms. “You know, you Dragons have a very annoying soul. I can’t believe it would spur me to this level. Aligning with Forrus… tsk.” Bahamut giggles and places her elbow on her shoulder. “But you’ve seen it, haven’t you? Through my adventures with Master and the Bloodsuckers. The wonder and beauty of this world?”

  She just sighed again and raised her arm, pointing it in the Void. “That Kingly Hero of yours is asking for you. Better not worry him. I feel your feelings and it's really annoying having Mortal emotions. I do not know how you can handle this.” with a smile to her, the Black Dragon walks off to the darkness. The water of the Void leaves a small trail as she completely disappears. Mors Letum, left all alone as she watches her go.

  Waking up in reality, Bahamut looks forward, a F/A-18 Super Hornet was fast approaching her. Its pilots ejected, the flying hunk of uncontrollable metal was losing its altitude quickly.

  Moving slightly upward, the fighter plane with all its pylons empty and its weapons jettisoned falls down on the Demon Army below her as she looks towards the trenches hidden by the valleys.

  As she flew towards it, the lines had long been overrun with Demons already on the aircraft graveyard, she turns her attention to the steel wall where its Automated Turrets were firing on all cylinders, the players on the ledge had there guns pointing full down as Abominations and Undead piled onto a small hill that was slowly increasing in height. They were all unable to climb as the sanctified wall was burning them actively.

  Swooping in, the Dragon spits fire into the mounds of burning corpses, causing massive explosions to occur from within, destroying the hill of cadavers and sending bodies for miles. The players cheered for her as the Rostock Armored Train screens on in full speed, firing its artillery and autocannons for a few seconds before passing by completely, clearing thousands of Demons and Undead as she continues to fly around for a bit.

  Feeling her Mana was now fully released and alive, the Dragon God summons upon it a Void Portal, leaking out of it, the Black Liquid as she pulls out both of her swords. The Demon Army halted in its advance, the Knights looking up as the woman in her gothic funeral gown and black crown of Dragons summoned upon her Primordial Swords. “Vudnu Unrk Tur.”

  Seething from the soil, Black Void Liquid began to spill out of it, the touch of the water draining them of their very essence, slowing them down, the Giants halting in their advance as sounds of creatures began to echo through the dark water. Players and Natives on the wall stopped shooting as they peered down on the ocean.

  A sharpened claw the size of a hotel climbs out of it, grabbing one of the Giants and pulling it down into the water. The Demon Knights and their lines instantly crumbled for the first time. Making a run to the artificially made valleys as monstrous limbs began to pick and kidnap the flying Wyverns and Dragons.

  It was only then stopped by a Cardinal of Sin far in the forest, but the damage had already been done and the huge portion of the Demon Legions was now in the Void Liquid, getting eaten up and pulled down into the endless and uncaring Void. Forever to be lost to the creatures that live within it.

  Though the Giant Knight Commander who was busy trying to destroy one of the towering Automatic Knights of Breznick had its legs grabbed by huge human hands. But even then, it continued to parry the huge blade of the player made living armor of gargantuan size.

  Bahamut slowly floats down and the Giant turns its head to her. Pointing Claymore at it, a single hairthin laser is emitted from the tip and goes straight through its helmet. Its lifeless body was then pulled down by the hands as the Automatic Knights began to shine. Buffed by the Void liquid, making them move faster and swing more violently as their armor was draped by the black water and coming out of it were hands of lost souls grabbing the Goblins trying to climb into them for protection.

  Seeing the players and natives rejoice as they finally got a chance to rest, ignoring the Demon Players still actively fighting inside the Inner Layer. The smell of her Master became super strong as a gust of wind passed her nose. Following the scent, she was flying towards the Inner Layer’s Western Gate where a Forward Operating Base was placed just outside it. Thousands of players were pouring through alongside the hundreds of thousands from the massive tunnel entrances leading to the Portal. With Priests and the Holy See’s people actively using their magic to detect any Demons trying to sneak in.

  Through all of the mess and chaos, the alleyways was in brutal close quarter fighting, the Demon Players were trying their best to cause as much delay and ruckus as possible and in one of the intersections was a small outpost and Jackson was there, with a Rapier in his hand and his Python revolver on the other. He was with John and the Knights of Eldwood.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Their fighting was in extreme close quarters, having to constantly be on the move to stop the Demon Players from reaching the tightly packed main street where the players were all evacuating through. Like an overflowing sewer system, all of the exits of the Bunker Complex were being used, everyone pouring into the straight roads towards the Portal back home.

  Elizabeth was with her Assassins once again, slowing down the Demon Players by ripping off their limbs and using fire magic to cauterize their open wounds, preventing them from committing suicide and requiring to be second by someone which would be attacked by Jackson and the Knights of Eldwood. Alana on the other hand was actively moving from alley to alley, slicing tendons just to disappear and reappear in a rain of Blood Roses on the Special Altars of the Demon Players. With her planting her Roses on them to spread sharp bloods which would then explode into tiny pieces to maim and immobilize the powerful Knights.

  John and Treala were both using their Archery, constantly going from one high elevation to the other, slowing them down even more by destroying sections of buildings and blocking off paths and routes. “A few million have already returned home! Half of the Teleportation Portals have closed! Those within the deepest part of the Bunker complex, prepare to move! To the soldiers and fighters, keep holding!” Hearing this from the radio even from afar, the Dragon continued to hover around and provide support.

  Her Void Liquid began to seep out of the concrete foundation and the sheets of armor planted on top. The Demon Players being forced to jump up to the roofs, their weapons from Dark World, able to slice through the Void Creatures but as the delay tactics mounted, they were soon forced to go into a defensive posture.

  Jackson saw her and waved. “BAHAMUT!” She waves back at him as she scans her surroundings, watching the many fighting happening around her Master.

  Though it was obvious by the raised banners from the Demon Player Guilds, they were slowly taking over the Outer Layer and the players resorting to their swords, axes, bows, and spears again while Guild Leaders and those who were Max Level took upon the responsibility of getting into the heart of enemy and targeting there high ranking members who were trying to remove the Holy Sword Crosses on the wall.

  Her Void Liquid was the nuisance needed to slow things down, giving the players some headspace to properly plan and think, with the chaos now leveled, the tide was slowly shifting in their favor. Though not much, it was more than enough to make do with.

  In one of the streets, a finely suited player was fighting a Demon who was dual wielding revolvers, he himself had two pistols, but due to there close proximity, they were left to using there pistols as blunt objects, hitting each other as every attempt to point the barrel at the enemy, they’d just push it away.

  She dives into the battle of the two, and with a single punch, the Demon Player is sent flying into a concrete wall where the player finally gets to land a headshot and hands from the Void drags the player down to the endless black. “Thank you, Bahamut!” she flies up once again, scanning the surroundings, she spots a bunch of Demonic Necromancer Players who were setting up a magic circle on the roofs. There are Knights protecting them from the Void Creatures.

  Flicking her finger, she sets it ablaze alongside the players who then after getting burned to an inch of their lives, was left to rot. Unable to respawn nor move. The armored train crosses over on top of her, the railway bridge being a perfect fit as it stops for the last time on top of the Inner Layer Wall.

  With hours upon hours of nonstop fighting, fighter jets and bombers then began falling out of the sky as its pilots ejects, the armored train had to pick up the slack as the Demon Army’s cannon fodder had begun to reach the peaks of the Outer Layer once again with the Cardinal of Sin opening a path through the Void Liquid and the Wall Defense Corps having to slowly drain there numbers with the return back home going well. An order then came, the players dragging the Natives to retreat into a passenger train, leaving the Automated Sentry Towers and the Holy Blessing of the Wall to do the heavy lifting.

  Red hot Vulcan barrels spewed lead endlessly as a streak of blue hit one of them, it cut through the Holy Wall’s defensive shield, causing the tower to self-destruct with the ammo inside its tall armored shell cooking off. Debris from it then topples one of the Holy Sword Cross below it on the wall.

  Rising from the black smoke as Abominations began to pour over the tiny slit and with now only a handful of players active in the defense, the Outer Layer was quickly overrun and a very angry Dark Lord with damaged armor from the Guild Leader pierced through the Holy wall. “Finally, I can get into action again.” The Demon with its four branch-like horns looked down as it hovered above the Outer Layer wall. With a swing of its hand, hundreds of the Holy Sword Crosses were toppled causing a larger opening for the Demons to go through.

  A Holy See Bishop then steps in. The olden man with his staff looking up at the Dark Lord as Demon Generals can be seen in the horizon slowly winning against the tired Guild Leaders. The Bishop’s aura itself was so powerful none of the Abominations, Reaper Wraiths or Undead was able to get close. The circle of holiness around him burns them up in the hundreds. “By the grace of Deus Vrax! I bless this wall and its fighters!” The crossing units of the Demon Army then began to burn up, dropping on the other side flaming corpses.

  Looking up, the Dark Lord with its shadow blade dives down towards him. His Priests then casts Divine Walls and Shields, all being shattered through easily by the Evil creature.

  By the ledge, walking over puddles of spent casings was a withered man of extremely advanced age, wearing a set golden robes. “Let’s see what Cosmic entities are made of.” As his skin began to become youthful, the Dark Lord quickly changed its course and attacked him. Just for King Gold to disappear. “Uh uh uh, that’s bad etiquette.” looking up, a young teenage man in full golden armor and cape hovered with his arms crossed.

  With blonde hair and red eyes, the player had a mocking laugh. “I am King Gold! The first Guild Leader of Dark World! Bow to me you vile beast!” It unsheathes two curved swords which the player dodges effortlessly, still with his arms crossed. The Dark Lord then throws both swords up and catches it with its gauntlets, locking it and turning it into fixed blades under its hands.

  “Ohhh… fancy.” with a flick of his finger, a golden player portal opens, pulling out of it was an extra long golden Halberd. “Let’s see how this finicky thing will do against you.” grabbing it, King Gold began walking in the air. Every step he took, a golden circle would appear under his shiny sabatons. Throwing the first move, the Dark Lord got into the defensive quickly as the player ravaged it with a flurry of attacks and with one change in stance that made it loose its defense, the player sliced its helmet open. “Oh, aren’t you cute.”

  For the first time, she fought a player use more than three kinds of magic, one for the body, self buffing, another for the weapon and its skills and perk activation, and another for the portals which he’d open to grab a potion or to whilst using other portals to shoot projectiles off of. “BY DEUS VRAX! BURN IN HELL!” She then began to burn up and was then killed by a sword being driven into her armor. “Weak! Give me stronger foes!”

  Bahamut nods in approval. “Master needs to learn that.” She looked down, with the Outer Layer now being in the majority control of the players. Though she could detect hundreds of thousands of Natives kept on the deeper floors of the Underground Bunker Complex, the players had left a magic spell and another barrier to protect them. With her even having a hard time to fully pinpoint their location.

  “Dark Lord killed by a Chosen One! One less thing to worry about. Master!” Jackson looks up, confused by hearing Bahamut’s motherly voice. “Can you not do this please!? It still jumpscares me!” she laughed as she looked towards the Inner Layer. “Our chance draws near, prepare to retreat, Master. When the Demon army is spurred into a heavenly assault as they get desperate for a win, everyone will disappear within a flash with my magic!” Breathing in and then out, the man looked at John who was replenishing his arrows with Treala guarding the flanks.

  Jackson then notices a bunch of Undead grunts rush through the northern alleyway again, making him raze them with lead as John twitches from the bullets whizzing past his back. “JESUS! PAUL!” Pointing the muzzle of the gun up, the man could be heard flicking his tongue. “Pfft. Don’t worry, I am a professional.” he then looks up and notices Bahamut preparing a magic circle with Mars aiding her by creating a second layer underneath. “Uhhh… be ready. Looks like our retreat to the Inner Layer is coming in soon.”

  Tilting his head, the Eldwood Knight readies his warbow again. “Huh? Why? Last radio communication said we’re only at seventy five percent completion still. Speed magic AoE buffs and potions are being used up by the thousands every minute!” Jackson was looking up, making him do the same and notice the huge magic circle and the countless symbols being drawn into the air. “I think Bahamut is gonna do something insane again.” looking at John, Jackson knew through the eyes alone that he was amped up for the action.

  “WATCH THE WESTERN WALL!” Soldiers turned their attention to it as the face of a horned demon whose skin is made of magma stone and an unknown metalloid peers over the wall, his head just perfectly leveled enough to take a gander inside the Outer Layer. The Bishop’s blessing was burning its face up but the metal it was made of was stronger than the Holy force.

  Rostock’s Armored Train immediately unleashes a flurry of attacks with its howitzers and autocannons right at its face, making the giant hurdle a bit back before it leaned into its shoulder and began to ram into the multilayered wall.

  One of the Sergeants defending an intersection close to the wall turned around to see the number of players running up to the streets from the bunker tunnels had become few, it was no longer an endless stream but a trickle as others would board armored vehicles that had been repurposed as transports. “Be ready to perform a fighting retreat!” Another loud bang hits the Western wall, this time it made a protrusion on it. “H-Holy hell…”

  It then became silent as fighting rages on the other sectors. The armored train had stopped firing and focused its attention on the other city blocks that were getting mauled by the Demon Army, with their Reaper Wraiths doing the most damage as they sneakily moved through the now enlarged opening.

  But then, a radio transmission came to them. “THIS IS OBSERVATION POST DELTA! TO ALL UNITS IN THE GROUND! DUCK AND COVER!” As some looked in confusion, far too busy with their shooting to even care, those who had the time to do so cowered behind sandbags and held their gun and helmet tightly as the Sergeant watched the ground begin to rumble with the thuds of someone jogging.

  This huge Metal Demon thrusts through the protrusion it made on the wall, smashing completely through the multiple layers of steel and enchanted metals as it sent large slabs of the armor onto the streets and roads below. With smoke coming out of its mouth and empty eye sockets, its two large horizontal horns that angled upward on the tips glowed a bright red flame as the red tint of the outside world began to seep into the Portal Fortress.

  Void Creatures weren’t able to pull it down alongside the Uberdemonus defending its flanks. The players all panicked shooting as tanks reversed into walls and corners.

  Bahamut, with the help of Mars and some of the True Dragons from the other Guilds and even the Dragon Players coming from the Northern Wall Front helps finish the conjuring of a giant magic circle that’s the size of the entire Portal Fortress’ territory.

  All of the sudden, the players got a huge amount of Buffs. Many being only possible if the one casting it was beyond that of a Chosen One while their enemies got multiple stacks of Debuffs, from Slowness, Multiple kinds of Weaknesses, All-Elemental Vulnerabilities, and Heavy Bodies. Every unit of the Demon Army that’d try to waltz into the Portal Fortress would become easy to kill sponge and the Demon Players got sluggish, with there movements being akin to a mid level player and the Void Creatures were having a feast once again.

  The players of the Guilds though had become super fast and strong, with even the lowest level of players having the ability to dodge arrows and Demon magic, some even able to punch back against a Demon Knight. Those who were running towards the portal were able to dash five times the speed of a normal human, even the slow Slime players were now rolling straight back into Earth. With the dimming foreign sun behind them, the players were dashing nonstop to freedom.

  To Jackson though who had lost all sense of time was seeing things in slow motion, hearing his breath inside his plate armor as he continued to fight against the heavily debuffed Demon Players.

  “To all military units on the Outer Layer! Retreat now into the Inner! Evacuation process is nearly completed! Bring all necessary weapons and armor, leave everything else!” without even a thought, some lines completely broke off any sense of organization, the players using their buffs to just run away from their positions while others, like the ones of Zavalda stood and performed a slow backwalk to the gates.

  Jackson, being a General and positioned right deep within the Outer Layer and near a wall watched as tanks with their turrets pointed backward fired their cannons onto the blackened Demon with magma and metal skin and the Uberdemonus’s supporting it. There rounds seemingly doing a good enough damage to stagger it completely whilst the armored train kept the air clean with Mars and Bahamut, preventing any of the Demon Army’s airpower from even entering the Portal Fortress.

  “Paul! Let’s go!” he nods. “Elizabeth! Alana! To the Inner Layer!” The two Vampires and the assassins disengage from ripping apart the Demon players and follow him into the Gate tunnel with tens of thousands of other soldiers, many in their vehicles and riding atop them and even hanging from the door handles and some sitting on the long hoods. Not one ounce of space was left untouched as everyone packed together and squeezed through the armored tunnels.

  Its once clean white tiles and walls were dirty with smoke and dirt, the trails left behind by the threads of the heavy main battle tanks made an obvious indent at the steel floor as he looked to his back, the Outer Layer has been completely abandoned and the thick gate doors closed shut.

  On the other side, a bright blinding light blocked his view of the portal as everyone poured out of the tunnels like a faucet flushing out soldiers and armored vehicles. Jackson and John were in the middle of the long convoy and upon reaching the otherside, the Knight General’s eyes focused on the opened portal.

  “H-Hey! That’s Moirna! The central village on Mid Continent!” Jackson was jumping in place upon seeing the extremely familiar location on the other side of the portal, the players who had already crossed were logging off almost instantly and some of the soldiers who had left their post earlier than already went back to the Game World and drawing a small cross with their finger opened their inventory to bring out there formerly blocked weapons and would return back to Threa to continue the fight and help.

  To his surprise, some players who weren’t even teleported since the beginning were also rushing in to help. Though unknowingly jumping into Hell itself and leaving the safety of the Video Game world, the fresh players knew that they needed to help and were actively reinforcing the retreating players.

  Many, without even a question, ran to the Settings and logged out. There Avatars plopping down and sleeping in place as a Mage from the Association came back to Tur. “Everyone! Do not panic when you log off! Our bodies have been in a coma for almost two years! Breathe in and out and drink water immediately!” Jackson soon joins the Knights of Eldwood as the top players of each Guilds lined up in formation. The fighting above the walls were getting fiercer by every moving second. The armored train rolling up the smaller circle of the Inner Wall as the still active sanctified walls made it fire back at the Demons with no consequence.

  “When you return back to Earth! Blink your eyes, move your fingers! Again! Do not panic as for some reason, our bodies did not age or even needed nourishment! I believe this is the work of the Gods that brought us here and it's best for everyone to not jump start their body so hastily still though!” Not one of the many players returning back to the Game World cared, as Wagons, Horses, Griffins, Giant Automatrons, Summoned Mounts, military trucks, tanks, APCs, IFVs, and even tractor trailers with there beds emptied of the tanks they were supposed to carry were filled with the brim with people drove straight back to Tur.

  A vast stockpile of armored vehicles and wagons were left on the fields, some ramming into the forests to create space, dirtying the well combed farms of the small village where the lifelike NPCs were panicking.

  Jackson was on the platform situated on the sides of the portal, looking in. He reaches out his hand and could feel the warmer climate of the Mid Continent. “Bahamut, that’s Marcy’s bar right?” climbing into his shoulder, the Dragon happily nods. “Yes, Master! You must go. As you know, I have made a promise to the Gods of this place. I will follow you later on.”

  Retracting his hand slowly, he looked around as the ratio of people running back home had skewered heavily to the Soldiers, Knights, Grunts, and Mages. They weren’t running, just fast walking with their weapons hoisted to their backs as the Guild Leaders were in the last of each of their groups formations.

  Removing his helmet, Jackson scratches his hair. “Dammit!” He leaves the formation, taking the attention of Hassan and the Eleven Knight Generals of Eldwood as he walks towards one of the Mages operating a set of controls. “Can this thing be turned on again?” the player nods as he points at the console with multiple dials concerning the status of the Mana Cores.

  “This Portal right now is sustained by three Mana Cores that sit a hundred and fifty meters deep below us. If our readings are correct, if we pull it. The Portal should close.” nodding, Jackson could hear the clacker of sabatons come from behind him. “Knight General Paul Jackson of the Ninth Legion. Do you truly plan to stay here?” Hearing the deep old voice of his leader, the man turns around and nods. “... Yes, I plan to stay here and help Bahamut. I… also feel responsible for Alana and Elizabeth.”

  “COMPANY! MAAARCH!” The Shine Guards then began their move, as their huge formation of players in their blue and white shining Knightly armor and their grunts wearing well polished chainmail had started their retreat back home. “Then, the Knights of Eldwood shall stay here!” Jackson’s eyes opened as he shrugged. “No! You guys need to go home! I can’t be held responsible for the lives of friends that I’ve been playing with for years. No. You guys, go home. Rest with your families and loved ones. I’ve fought for this reason before, and this is just another war for me.”

  Hassan then turned around, the Eleven Knight Generals behind him all looked tired but even still, they were ready to fight. Hands on the pommels of their sheathed weapons. “Pity the soldier, I’ve seen these before. People who have been through war and even then, still willing to continue and fight. Go home, I just have a bit of a thing to finish and we’ll all play again just like last-last year.”

  His leader then places his huge boney hands on his shoulder. “If that is what you wish. But, do take this.” lifting his hand, an incense was given to him, making Elizabeth look in curiosity. “This is Al-Bukhour, I believe you will need this for the battle you are about to partake in.” Hassan then turns around, as the last of the Shine Guards formation was about to leave, Yamaoka with Mars peels off the formation and walks to the edge of the ramp towards the Portal.

  Kneeling down, the player looks at the Knights of Eldwood’s officers congregating on the platform by the Portal. “Paul-san! What is your Player ID? I’d like to add you as a friend!” Jackson instead throws him his Python revolver. Yamaoka caught it by the grip as he spun it around to check the loaded gun. “Take it. I have a sword on my other hand now, so I can't really dual wield anymore. Check the number on the cylinder.” Tilting his head he sees the twelve digit code for the add friend as the Mage then pulls out the two keys on the console and hands it to him as a radio call comes in. “Knights of Eldwood! It's your turn with the Men of the Woods!”

  Hassan places his large boney right hand on his heart and politely bows. “Come home. The Knights of Eldwood won’t be completed without you.” As his leader walks past him, the legendary player pats his shoulder as the other Knights follow suit. Patting him as he smiles and laughs. “I’ll be fine guys!” Yamaoka was still kneeling on the ramp, trying to understand what was happening. “Mars will answer your questions, she’ll tell you why. Go in. We’ll meet again. Me and Bahamut visit the Dark Continent pretty often anyways." He looks at the Dragon sitting on his shoulder. “We might as well visit that Port City run by you guys. I also heard you people sell pretty banger Watermelons.”

  Patting him lightly on the legs, Mars turns into her Human form and pushes Yamaoka into the portal as the Knights of Eldwood with its small number of actual players compared to the Men of the Woods began its march upwards to the portal.

  Like with the rest of the Guild Formations, the newest and lowest leveled players on the Guild were the ones in front, marching proudly as Jackson puts his helmet underneath his left arm and with his right, performs a snappy salute.

  Behind him, the Rostock Armored Train has fired its last artillery shell as its autocannons were the only ones still with ammo as the last of the Rostock’s Guilds began to evacuate from their positions, leaving the Sentry Towers be as the Megademonus once again appears.

  With no more cannons able to stagger it, the autocannons of the armored train tried to focus all of its attacks on it as two giant hands pushes through the Divine magic wall and grabbed the extremely heavy cars and shoves it into the otherside of the Inner Layer, causing a small explosion as what ammo the train had began to cook off. Slowly but surely, Jackson was becoming an endangered species with the soldiers of Rostock all beginning to march out of the Portal.

  The Mage in charge of the Portal then walks to Elizabeth and Alana. “The combination to the locks of the Magic Field underneath. It’s Twenty Twenty Five. Don’t worry, the bunker complex is meant to be completely self sufficient, they can figure it out. The Mana Orbs running each floor can sustain it for a good two years and grow food." The Wizard then turns his attention to Jackson.

  “Keep those keys. That’s the only pair of Signature Keys that will be left. Be sure to turn it both clockwise at the same moment and it will fire up the Mana Cores once again to power the Portal.” He once again changes his attention to the two Vampires. “One last thing. When this is all over, blow up the Mana Cores of this place. Leave no trace. That’s the last request from all of us.” Elizabeth and Alana then turn to Jackson who smiles and nods slowly. “Hm. Do that, after me and Bahamut leaves and the people inside the Bunker are safe, blow this place to sky high.”

  As the last of Rostock’s players leaves. The Sentry Towers were the last ones firing still as the place became barren and completely abandoned. “Good luck, General Jackson. Miss Carmilla, I wished to have you sign my Wizard robes before I leave.” she scuffs as she was given a wand. “Beautiful interview in Woodstock. I loved every moment of that special.” writing her signature in her native language, the Mage then salutes them. “General, when you are about to leave, press this red button. It’s gonna cause an emergency shut down on the Mana Cores. The Northern Tunnel should also have a way out of here, follow the yellow line. Don’t worry about not defending the native citizens, all of the powerful allies players met throughout the land are below right now, guarding and aiding them. Good luck, General. The Mages Association salutes you.”

  He then runs to the ramp from the platform and goes into the portal as the Queen’s Assassins pop out of cover. “Bahamut, summon my Wagon with Junior. All of you ladies, get inside as fast as you can.” he walks to the console and presses the red button, the portal closing as emergency lights turn on alongside a magic barrier forming around them.

  Alana grabs him by the collar and out of the platform where he lands right at the driver seat. “Oh.” the Countess then points forward. “M’Lord, we must go!” above them, Abominations began pouring out of the walls as alarms sounded off. The Queen and her Assassins used the guns left by the players to shave off there about to be pursuers.

  “Alright Junior! Let’s ride!” riding out of the portal area as a magic barrier forms around it, they rushed into the Northern Tunnel Gate which was closing as the hydraulics activate and a lockdown was issued. Getting in, they followed the yellow line through the first floor of the bunker complex. The massive doors leading to the vast chambers of Teleportation Circles labeled in what continent and region they are in were also closing, hiding them behind the thick bunker doors as the line began to fade as they reached a corridor meant for vehicles.

  Passing by the motorpool of the first floor, there were still hundreds upon hundreds of vehicles left behind, forever to be left parked as the thick door behind them closed fully dimming the lights, with the warning beacons on the wall being the last thing to illuminate the path. Passing by the rows of armored vehicles chained down on the floor, a yellow sign with the words “North Gate Vehicle Bay Entrance”. With this, he locks on the road. “Hrah! Let’s go!”

  On the side of the artificial valley, a bunch of Ogres with his company of Goblins gets spooked by the blare of an alarm as the metal bunker gate in front of them comes to life and begins to open. The Ogre looks at the Goblins and orders them forward, rushing into the door just to get hit by a Black Demon Horse in full armor, riding out of the Northern wall’s emergency vehicle hatch with a Wagon behind it, the Ogre immediately goes to his belt and whistles, gaining the attention of the entire company and even the Division below the valley road.

  With the vehicle access hatch being on the rocky plateau and Junior having to bulldoze its way through the Goblins, the ride was rough, the Black Knife’s having to run around them and destroy any large rocks and intruders trying to get in or stop them. “HOLD ON EVERYONE!” Jackson rides down the side of the mountain, aiming for the gaping slit that was created from the hairy corpse of the Old One. Still turning into a golden sparkle. With his revolver out, he gives the reins to Alana who stands up, leaning forward as she happily uses her long experience of horse riding. “M’Lord! On top!” he grabs a handle and with his revolver, fires on a Goblin that has climbed the top of the wagon.

  Alana then kicks down one of the Ogres in full chainmail that has grabbed the driver side handle as she then blooms Blood Roses from the blood of the Old One that was dripping down to the soil. The explosion of the petals created thousands of small pincers, killing the Goblin Division running to cut them off from the chasm the giant corpse left behind. “M’Lord! Your Majesty! Bahamut!” They look forward to seeing her planning on jumping it. “Oh…” Was all he could mutter as she drives off the broken road and down to the ground.

  Bahamut and Elizabeth both unfurled their wings, one of a Bat and another of a Dragon, creating enough drag to slow down their fall as hundreds of Goblins fell to their death.

  Touching down smoothly, she continued onwards to the otherside of the valley, where the corpse of the portion of the Old One’s body had already disappeared. Jackson’s jaw dropped as he was met with multiple Goblin Armies that had settled in the open plains in their large tent city. Though the Undead and Abomination were being herded at the entire side, making them only meet the small green creature.

  “Oh shit!” he stands up, reloads his revolver, the Goblins were left in a daze as the Wagon rides through their camp so brazenly and Void Liquid began to lift up from the ground, being prepared this time, the Goblins and Ogres with there Orc commanders began to climb atop scaffoldings and some, even making to the wooden boats which would only be eaten by Void Creatures.

  As they dashed through, a Demon General appeared, sprinting right beside them with its second in command who was in more feminine armor and looked at Jackson who has this gun out, pointing straight at its head. The Void Liquid is unable to slow or damage it even. “Master, don’t waste your breath.” With a flick of her finger, the Demon General turns into dust, completely making the Kingly Hero recoil in fear of what he just witnessed, his eyes wide open as even the Dark Lord with the General began to slow down.

  He turned his head to Bahamut who was standing on the passenger seat next to Alana. “What? Master, since I no longer have to hold back, my full power can be used. Don’t worry, I won’t bring weapons that would usher in a ragnarok or anything.” he just sighs and sits down, witnessing the Demon Army’s lower type of units get devoured, many of them just as tired as he was, not pulling out any bows and just watched the Wagon pass through there massive tent city.

  Coming out of the otherside, Jackson teleports out his Dragonscale armor and plops on the driver seat again. “Nice driving Alana.” She chuckles as she pats his shoulder and they enter the hilly section of the Great Plains. Using the incense his leader gave him, Elizabeth lights it up and a sniff was all he needed to calm down. “We need to find the Heroes and end this now, Bahamut!” crawling up from the back as the Black Knife’s kept a close distance to them. Hopping from one tree to another as the wagon trudged along the well maintained dirt road. “Yes Master!”

  “Since you have your full power back, what happened? Did they do it? Reports from Higher Command said there was a spike of Mana driven out of you from nowhere.” She then sat on his shoulder as he changed into a black suit with his own magic. “I believe so, Master. My Primordial Mana was used up temporarily… reviving creatures of the caliber Forrus created is not an easy task even for me.” Nodding, he kept his eyes close as the lanterns on the tarp waved as they ran towards the border. “When did it happen? Could you pinpoint it?” looking up, and then down. The Dragon licks her claws and proceeds to wipe her snout. “When Mors Letum came into control of my body. Before that, I could already feel my Mana was being drained extremely fast but I had to make the killing blow before that wretched creation could crush the Portal Fortress underground. Wrong timing as you would say.”

  Alana then looked at the red tint of the forest, far behind them. The Demon Army was long gone and for a moment, they breathed a sigh of relief as she could hear snoring. Behind the driver's seat, Elizabeth was already fast asleep on Jackson’s bedroll. “M’Lord, I believe it would be best for you to rest for the day.” She then turns her head to look at him. “I think you’ve not blinked for a single moment since then.” he slowly turns his face to her and blinks multiple times. “The fighting was that bad, huh? Thanks for reminding me…” looking out, the foreign sun was going up once again. “I just realized… but how many days was I fighting nonstop?”

  Hearing only the wheels of the wagon and the rattle of the horses’ leather straps. The forest was absolutely quiet and silent, not even a single bird was making a noise nor could Bahamut detect any animals that are not hiding as they pass through a town that’s been abandoned and signs on Common warning them of the border coming right up.

  “Here, take the reins.” giving it to her, the Countess slid into the center of the driver’s bench as Jackson gently placed Bahamut next to her and he slipped into the back and immediately chose Elizabeth’s thighs for his pillow for the morning. With his face towards her stomach as she gruntled a bit and hugs his head. “Haaah… Our Lord is still, at the end of the day, a simple person. Hm. I do hope he’ll never change but Humans do, a lot.” changing into her Human form, the Dragon crosses her arms as she sniffed around them.

  “Where are those long ears? With my powers, I should be able to track them down.” approaching the border towards the Elven Empire, the guard posts and towers scattered along the road were empty. With the border tolls being left unchecked, and a handful of wagons left on the side. The signs on the two storey building reminding people to have easily convertible currencies on them were left decrepit as money exchange windows were all barren, with not even a paper or parchment left behind. Though Alana noticed how clean it was left behind, the chairs were even being placed neatly back to their position and the windows and doors were locked.

  Looking at the back, Jackson and Elizabeth were both fast asleep as the Black Knife’s kept a constant pace with them. “Alana… have the Assassins get in here and rest…” as he mumbled this, the Countess looked to their surroundings and they were already gone.

  This sent a bit of a shiver to her spine as to how silent and quick they were to already be in the back of the wagon, with their backs resting on the wall as they continued on forward into the Elven Empire.

  The dirt path had shifted into cobblestone, with properly fenced off sides. The ride became extremely smoother, with Junior even speeding up as they could feel the red tint slightly dissipating.

  “Do you smell anything?”

  “No. Hmmm… this is odd. Are the Elves this few now or are they all dead?”

  “Impossible. The Elves would probably be the last of the Free Species of Threa to die out. Though… it is odd that they wouldn’t man their borders.”

  “Yes, exactly that. These aren’t the types of people who leave their posts without orders.”

  “Elves can be cowards too, Bahamut. It’s rare but it does happen.”

  “And yet…” as they continued their trek through the solemn forest, the trees rustled lightly as the gusts of wind were slow and deliberate. “I can’t even smell one for kilometers.” hearing Jackson’s loud snoring, Bahamut turns around to look at him, his face pressed up on Elizabeth’s corset as the Black Knife’s all squeezed in the tight wagon.

  Some had their hoods removed, showcasing their various hairstyles, though they all shared the white color, they varied in height, bustiness and most of all, the weapons they wield. When not hiding behind their cowls, their hairstyles were one of the best outliers to who was who, including the make up. “Has Master eaten yet? It’s been five days of fighting for him.” Bahamut shrugs and the Countess looks around and sniffs the air.

  After a few hundred meters and the silence behind them. Alana takes them off the road and into a beaten path where they soon find a small pond. Stopping, she turns to the Dragon next to her. “Prepare the pot and a bonfire.” she gets down, with the red tint rescinding a bit more that some colors have begun to irk out of the overwhelming shade.

  Going to the back, the Dragon opens a crate where their cast iron pot was alongside a bunch of metal utensils. Setting it by the wagon, Bahamut walks towards the pond where Alana was using magic to clean. She just reached into the edges to pick up some rocks and with her own magic, broke branches which woke up some of the Knives who noticed them and began helping. “Open the other crate behind that one and get the cooking stand. You open the barrel and get some meat out.”

  Looking around, one of the Knives points back at the wagon. “You heard the Goddess, Eleanor, Vol, set up the stand. Briar and Arabella, take the meat out. The rest, patrol around and secure a perimeter.” One by one, the assassins hopped out and summoned their special weapons and while others made sure to not disturb their Queen and her Lord who were both sleeping loudly.

  It was only upon the invasion of sweet scent did Jackson’s eyes perk up. His head, still buried on Elizabeth’s tummy who was slowly stroking his hair. He backs his head off a bit and looks up to her. “I am glad you are awake, My Lord.” he then hears the youthful and elegant voices of the assassins. “Lady Minuit, you mustn’t be afraid of Vol’s abilities. She can never fully cancel out your House’s special ability with the Bloodroses.”

  Yawning and stretching his arms, Jackson walks to the back of the wagon where his eyes, though still violated by the vile red tint, it was not as strong as before and he sees a bonfire was made. Alana had given everyone some beef soup. “Ah! M’Lord! Finally, you’ve awakened!” as she was just done handing a bowl to the assassin with short white hair and ribbon on the side, Clementine stands up and bows. Her long glistening silvery hair shone even in the overwhelming color.

  “Your Majesty, is the Queen awake?” he nodded as he sat between two Black Knives. One with waist length wavy white hair and another with stylish noble drills in twintails. “Uhhh… wow. Seeing you all in uniform and with your natural hair is pretty cool.” The ladies all smile and giggle at him. “Of course, our Queen had picked us not only for our Noble blood but also for our beauty. I, Princess Ada, decree that the King has chosen me as the best looking of the Black Knives!” immediately, the other assassins spoke out in protest as a familiar voice came from the wagon. “May my best cleaners not tease My Lord?”

  Seeing all their serious expressions, she immediately claps her hands together. “Now, now. Let us enjoy this feast after such a terrible battle. You all did splendidly well, more than I ever hoped. I never intended any of you to become frontline units, yet, you passed with such high remarks. Eat to your heart's content.” Elizabeth then sat next to Bahamut whose crown was laid on the grass as she devoured the bowl. Looking right at Jackson who was showing off his revolver.

  “I could’ve gone with a larger revolver, like a fifty-four or fifty-five since higher level Chosen Ones have strength unmatchable anywhere, but…” he spins the cylinder and sways the revolver to the side, closing it. “A good ol Magnum like this? You can’t go wrong with it. Style over everything else.” The Knives were all enamored by this knowledge of guns, leaning in closer with his hands as he showed off the gun. He’d even stand up, after checking it's empty, he points the gun into the pond and pulls the hammer a bit back. “Wanna see something cool while being taught gun safety?”

  Elizabeth though was sneakily staring daggers at him and her assassins as the Countess hands her a bowl. Taking it, she sighs at Jackson who has a big smile on his face. “I want him to only talk like that to me…” he then shows his free thumb blocking the hammer from hitting the transfer bar. “If I release my thumb, this bad boy is gonna fire. I don’t know if any of my fellow players had shown you, but to shoot this like a rapid fire cowboy is like this.” he then began pulling the hammer only slightly back, letting the spring to hit the bar and fire the empty gun. He then finishes it with a fancy gunspin and a quick holster. “Chachow!”

  “Countess, I do not remember us having this many bowls.” Alana then hands her a portion and to Jackson. “Bahamut has some nifty magic, Your Majesty and with Miss Vol and Charlotte’s prepotency to make and tinker things, we’ve managed to make an extra six bowls.” looking at the craftsmanship, she nods and sips the soup slowly.

  As she lowered the bowl, she could see Jackson was getting a lot of attention. Her Assassins were extremely curious of him now that they’ve activated the Vampiric King’s Rapier in his belt. “Look at this man. He has land, fiefdom, and a monument to him in our Kingdom of Vampires… and now he wants to extend his harem to even my custodians.” Alana just had a soft laugh as she took a sip from her bowl. “I can’t believe it will soon be over, Your Majesty.”

  “Ah. But I do not regret anything. Do you, Countess?” She lowered her bowl and stayed silent for a bit as Bahamut took her fifth round while everyone was still at their second. “I do not, Your Majesty. I believe this is the true Human experience. There must be an end to all good things.” The Dragon then stretched her arms, Elizabeth having to avoid the liquid falling off her bowl. “Would you two rather have Master stay here and abandon his businesses and family behind? Master has a little brother and best friends all waiting for him.”

  Elizabeth just had a solemn and longing smile to her. “I guess it's just my being. Winds of change often do not come to us Vampires. Even if I recall distant memories, not much has changed for me. Yet in such a short amount of time, Our Lord has changed me so much. From a credible leader to a Human worthy of a King’s sword not even meant for his species.” looking down on her empty bowl, the Queen’s emerald eyes sparkled as she stared down on its bottom.

  “It’s been fun being with a Human. Your Majesty, for such a short amount of time, it felt like a hundred years had passed. This is the most amount of change I’ve experienced.” the Queen nods as Alana then turns to Jackson, with a stupid smile to his face as the assassins continue to dote on him. “If I never met Our Lord, I would’ve been doing the same things I’ve done for the past hundred years… Sitting in that Manor, attending parties and meetings. I never would’ve met the Commoners of so many Kingdoms and saw so many cultures and people. My idea of Man would still be just as prey to be respected.”

  Bahamut though began to draw something on the soil with a stick she found. “I will leave a visage of myself here. I cannot take Mors Letum’s bones back to Threa. It will awaken and alert the One God and bring trouble to the Chosen Ones so, be sure to bury it deep within a Labyrinth. No need for anything fancy, if I’ve learned anything, one floor will do.” She then draws an entrance hidden within a forest with one large chamber and a tight hallway that leads to a Tomb Room. “And be sure to build another Altar of me inside the deepest floor and an escape route just in case. Fill it with gems and gold and… why not one of your Living Armors, Bloodsucker?”

  “Countess, you will have shoulder this. I do believe it would be very hard for me to access my wealth in the Kingdom.” Alana just had a stale expression, her mind already running through the costs of the project. “Your Majesty, doesn’t the defunct Bartley House still hold all of your wealth? It could build thousands of tombs of this size. Can you not forge a document with your signature so that I may attain a bit of it and fund this? Or maybe talk to one of the Families you’ve entrusted to open an account on their name…? Or maybe I could do it.”

  Elizabeth immediately shrugged her head. “Let us respect the balance between the Houses, shall we not? If the Minuit were to gain even a portion of my wealth, that would mean an escalation between the Houses… And I doubt the last of my Loyalists would allow a traitorous family to have such ancient capital. The wealth I’ve accumulated since the hundred year Vampire rule of Dragovh and Geraldia is enough to create and sustain multiple nations.” She let out a small sigh but Bahamut could feel her soul was also with it. “This and the winery, jewelry production, the railway, and the maintenance of family relations… I do not want to go back.”

  She spreads her arms, stretching her limbs as she sighs. “I want to keep adventuring, having fun and defeating foes… the life I once had seems boring and pale now.”

  The Dragon then stands up. “Hmmm… I smell… Long ears.” Both Elizabeth and Alana then immediately get into action, turning as to where she was looking. “Is it an Elven patrol?” nodding, the camp goes quiet as the sound of horses on the cobblestone road stops. “Who is there? I can smell your broth for ten passus away.”

  A wisp of light then flies through the bushes, leading the Elves towards the camp. “W-Wow…” the lead Knight was instantly caught off guard by the large group of beautiful Vampires. Jackson, who was in the middle still of showing off his revolver, stands up. “U-Uhhh… Hello! Is there a place where we can safely sleep for the night?” he turns around and then back towards them. “The… Uhhh… Demon Army might already be on the move again. We can’t stay in the forest.”

  With decorative golden dragonic wings on his helmet rather than that of a griffins, the Elven Knight just scans them, the normal looking Human in a black suit making him jittery but at the same time, sensing no bloodlust, he nods. “Hm. Very well. Pack up and follow us. We’ll lead you to safety.” Everyone quickly finished the beef broth, putting everything back in the wagon and started to move again.

  Returning to the road, Jackson had to take a quick peek at the troop of High Elves. Behind them were two horseback Elves wearing the composite armor of the grunts of the Empire while an empty wagon followed closely behind, keeping the rear guarded, making him focus on the front.

  The Elven Knight then began to slow down, letting his Squires take the lead as he paced with Jackson’s wagon. “I presume you are the leader here?” as Bahamut was slowly taking sips from her big bowl full of broth next to him, his attention was then moved to the high ranking Curate. “Me?” nodding, Jackson makes a thumbs up and smiles. Though the reply he got was a mere squint and stare. “Yes, I mean yes sir.”

  “Very well. The camp is ten miles ahead, if we keep this pace, we should reach it in an hour. It is separated into four quadrants, the Elves, Men with the Demi Humans, and Dwarves and us, the Legio. I sadly do not know where you put your Vampiric colleagues at.” putting up a positive energy, Jackson shrugs his head. “There's no need. I swear by my title, they won’t touch another person or bring them harm as long as they're with me.” Seeing his eyes, the Knight nods.

  “I am Dux Gwondlon il-Betnor, of his Emperor’s Twelfth Legion. Our current strength is far below acceptable, thus we’ve been tasked with aiding those who wish to have shelter from this damnation. The good news is that it seems that this is nearing its end.” Even though he said this, the Knight General could visibly see their armor is well polished still, even the plates on their horses weren’t dented and still shiny. “Do not hope of any riches from me. My land has long been tainted and destroyed. I am merely doing what my duty is to Patrician Nortlen of the Ordo. My main task is to keep my family safe, and that is all. Just be assured that things will soon end, the red tint is no longer as ferocious as it was before.”

  “Ah, no. I was just surprised at how clean your armor is still. Even after a day of fighting, our tanks and soldiers all looked like we’ve been in battle for weeks.” Looking ahead, the cobblestone road was paved perfectly, with stone side rails on each side, the lightless lamp hanging by the finely carved wooden poles there attached too gave off an eerie vibe. “I apologize for the lack of lighting. These lanterns are supposed to turn on automatically by the lack of natural light compared to the morning.” the Elf looks up, the red tint of the sky made him frown alongside the peering black portal with rainbow borders around it floating above the planet.

  “It’s fine. Oh! Want some broth? We still have lots.” the Elf giggled and shrugs. “I must say no to that offer. As good as Vampire Cuisine is from what I’ve heard. I’d rather not eat or drink anything with fresh blood in it.” He then snides a look at Jackson. “For the last time we partake in anything with blood, our society grumbled as it fell into degeneracy.” shaking the rein, Gwondlon once again takes the lead as they were taken to an intersection and into the right path where a checkpoint was placed.

  “Bahamut, when we get to their camp, I’ll talk to the Leader of this Ordo and get information about the status of the land. You focus on tracking down where the Heroes are.” She nods, the Dragon then slithering into his suit pocket. “M’Lord, be sure to be mindful. These Elves are from the Western regions, they revere Dragons as much as Forrus.”