Duke Matthew Roseblade, accompanied by his newly empowered Auxcasts, Lie the Grand Warlord and Ling the Heavenly General, had just begun to march his formidable Army of Order forth. Their mission: to seek out the elusive Valkyrie Queen and the brilliant Grand Tactician, the final pieces of their heroic puzzle. The air thrummed with a sense of purpose, of a long and arduous search stretching before them. Yet, this carefully cultivated enthusiasm and forward momentum were utterly dismantled by James Novaryon.
With an almost dismissive wave, James cut through their strategic planning and the anticipation of a prolonged expedition. "Your efforts to locate your Auxcasts are commendable, but ultimately unnecessary," he announced, his tone flat, revealing nothing but unassailable fact. "They are not hidden. The Valkyrie Queen and the Grand Tactician are not waiting for you to find them. They have already raised their own forces and are presently on the front lines, actively engaged in battle against The Hunters directly. Your search is over before it began. Your path is clear: join the battle."
James Novaryon's words, delivered with chilling finality, cut through any lingering thoughts of a prolonged search, redirecting the very purpose of Matthew's expedition. The Army of Order, a formidable host forged under Matthew's command, immediately shifted its trajectory. It comprised the ethereal Heavenly Soldiers under Ling, the relentless Hammer of Verdict led by Lie, and the disciplined Elite personal guard of Matthew himself. Without hesitation, they turned their march south, heading directly for the volatile border of the Tensen Continent, where the distant sounds of war already carried on the wind. It was there that the Valkyrie Queen with her fierce Valkyries, and the Grand Tactician leading her strategic force known as the Thousandfold March, were already locked in a desperate struggle against The Hunters. The air thrummed with anticipation as Matthew's army closed the distance, preparing to join the fray.
The Tensen Continent stretched out before them, a formidable expanse. The Velmunth Kingdom, Matthew's own sovereign territory, lay at its northern extreme, yet the urgent battle against The Hunters was unfolding at the continent's southernmost reaches. A direct overland march with the entire Army of Order was out of the question. Such a large-scale military movement—the sight of a Brave Hero, considered a kingdom's ultimate national asset, unleashed with his accompanying army—would inevitably be interpreted as an aggressive act by the Velmunth Kingdom's neighbors, igniting widespread panic and accusations of hostility.
Before their departure, the King of the Velmunth Kingdom had made this abundantly clear, issuing a direct warning against any route that might be construed as a threat. Thus, Matthew, ever the pragmatist and now a Duke with political responsibilities, altered their course. The Army of Order was compelled to embark on a far more arduous journey, weaving through treacherous, dense forests and undertaking extensive travel by sea, all to circumvent the political sensitivities of a direct continental crossing and reach the distant front lines.
A ferocious battle consumed the southernmost front of the Tensen Continent. All the combined branches of The Hunters from across the continent were locked in a brutal struggle with the Avengers, an army of the wronged, led by the twin sisters, Elara, the cunning general and tactician, and Astrid, the valiant commander. They had managed to force The Hunters into a desperate retreat, pinning them against the continent's southern border. But their hard-won advantage evaporated as massive reinforcements for The Hunters began to flood in from around the world.
For half a year, the Avengers clung to their position, but the relentless pressure of the reinforced Hunter forces was overwhelming. With no support from the terrified kingdoms of the Tensen Continent, who dared not defy the global reach of The Hunters, the Avengers' defeat became inevitable. As they were steadily driven back, their ranks thinning, and their backs against an impassable sea, their retreat cut off, Elara and Astrid began their miraculous ascension. At that very moment, the powerful, booming Voice of The World spoke, heard by every single member of the Avengers, marking a turning point in their desperate struggle.
The deafening roar of battle abruptly ceased, replaced by an eerie stillness as the powerful, booming Voice of The World reverberated across the southernmost front of the Tensen Continent. Combatants on both sides, utterly bewildered, could only stare, their weapons momentarily forgotten.
In a profound, dream-like communion, the twin sisters, Elara and Astrid, heard the divine pronouncement directly.
"Elara, your leadership and tactical genius, evident even in the face of overwhelming odds, have fulfilled the requirements for your awakening as the Grand Tactician. You are an Auxcast, the strategic mind of the Brave Hero of Judgment and Order, destined to lead the Thousandfold March."
"Astrid, your unwavering command and burning desire for judgment have met the necessary criteria for your awakening as the Valkyrie Queen. You are an Auxcast, the eyes and wings of the Brave Hero of Judgment and Order, destined to lead the Valkyries."
A brilliant, ethereal light consumed the two vampiric sisters. They were instantly imbued with the abilities, powers, specialized armor, unique weapons, and loyal war companion beasts that accompanied their exalted titles. Their evolution was breathtakingly seamless, transforming them from High Vampires directly into Ascendant Vampires, or as their lineage preferred, Ascentral Vampires.
Concurrently, a wave of transformative energy swept through the ranks of the Avengers. Their bodies ignited with internal heat, and new, formidable powers surged through their veins. A powerful, undeniable connection solidified between them and their twin leaders. As this power intensified, those who felt their bond with Elara, now the Grand Tactician, were granted a portion of her power and henceforth became known as the Thousandfold March. Similarly, those whose connection resonated with Astrid, now the Valkyrie Queen, received her power and became the Valkyries.
From that pivotal moment, the combined forces of the Thousandfold March, the Valkyries, the Heavenly Soldiers, the Hammer of Verdict, and the Elite would be recognized as the unified Army of Order.
With this newfound, astonishing power, the need to merely push The Hunters out of the Tensen Continent vanished. For Elara and Astrid, the equation had fundamentally shifted: the hunters had now become the prey. They turned the tide with brutal efficiency, systematically hunting down each and every single one of them across the continent. By the time Matthew and the Army of Order could finally arrive, what they discovered was precisely what they had suspected would occur: The Hunters on the Tensen Continent were no more, utterly annihilated.
During Elara and Astrid's awakening, the Voice of The World had relayed the momentous event to Matthew. The implication was clear: had Matthew not been there to manually activate their titles, their lives would have been in grave danger. This realization had spurred Matthew to increase their army's speed, driving them onward with renewed urgency.
Upon their arrival at the now eerily silent battlefront, Duke Matthew Roseblade finally met his two last Auxcasts. The meeting was one of profound significance, a silent acknowledgment of their shared destiny. With the addition of Grand Tactician Elara and Valkyrie Queen Astrid, the Army of Order became full, its true might now assembled.
Now, with the full and true might of the Army of Order—comprising Duke Matthew Roseblade of the Velmunth Kingdom, the Brave Hero of Judgment and Order, and his Auxcasts: the Grand Warlord Lie, the Heavenly General Ling, the Grand Tactician Elara, and Valkyrie Queen Astrid—they set out to destroy the global organization known as The Hunters.