The town was in chaos—skull minions flooded the streets, wreaking havoc.
Bonewalker stood eerily silent, outside the town in front of the gate, unmoving. From the sky, ten-foot comets of bone rained down like hail, flattening the town as they landed.
Inside a large estate, the tension broke with an urgent voice.
"Commander, I beg of you—"
"There's no time chairman. Just go."
A man stepped from the chairman's estate.
His black cloak billowed in the wind as he walked calmly forward, hands tucked into his pockets.
He didn't raise his voice, didn't need to.
"Attention."
His words echoed across the town, uniquely loud, sharp, and steady.
Every soldier paused. Even amid chaos, his voice cut through.
"Listen up. Whoever's raiding us doesn't know who they're dealing with."
A flicker of morale rippled through the ranks.
He whispered under his breath.
"Totem: Solstice."
A glowing sphere of pure flame spiralled into his palm, its crisp glow illuminated his tanned skin, as it hovered toward the sky above.
He smirked.
"Trojan town is under the protection of aegis guild," he said. "So men, let's show them why Trojan town will never fall under our Aegis."
Snap.
The flame burst wide, flooding the sky with golden light and casting a strange daylight across the entire town's battlefield.
A deadly flicker of determination rose in every single soul as a unified roar followed: "YEAHHHH!"
Alana stopped, stunned.
"What in the great chaos is going on?"
Soldiers moved with newfound purpose. Captains barked orders. Squads rallied under their sergeants. Medics were shielded. Mages retreated into their magic towers.
The hail of bones had stopped.
One hundred skull minions remained.
"They're cutting them down with ease now!" Alana gasped. "Even the bone walkers are still locked outside."
But just as the tide seemed to turn… Oh, so they thought it did….
—Back to the first skull minion.
Serene was walking out of the door, as she saw a large mass of bone crash down where her beloved stood, and she didn't waste a breath.
In one swift motion, she rushed forward and leapt 35 feet into the air.
The bone monster screeched atop the shattered balcony, claws swung at the walls and ceiling as it crawled inside, tearing through floorboards in its path.
Fyegeld lay on his back, distracted — eyes locked on the sky as bone rained from above.
Then suddenly —
A sharp kick.
Serene crashed into the monster, with both feet, launching it several yards away to the side..
The force created a small gust of wind, which blew through Fyegelds greased hair.
She flipped mid-air, landing with effortless grace.
Fyegeld stared at her, her back facing him.
Moonlight washed over her figure, silver trailing down her hair.
He almost got lost in gazing at her before he caught himself.
"…Serene, we need to go," he said. "We can finally leave Viscura. Yeah? Let's leave it all behind. Start something new." His voice was hopeful.
Her back remained to him.
"I need to protect these townspeople."
He frowned. "Don't be rash. You don't owe them anything — you don't owe Viscura anything, Serene!"
She paused.
"So let's just leave," he pressed, his voice rising slightly. "We can actually explore the world like I said. Haha — come on!"
She didn't move.
Then, calmly:
"Exploring? Is that all you can think about?"
"Well—"
She raised her hand. "Enough."
Her tone quieted. Her hand dropped.
"I may not owe Viscura anything… but I owe Alcon everything."
She kept her eyes on the distant sky while Fyegeld stared at her
"He saw all the bad things I did — and still looked past it."
Serene continued, exhaling.
"If it weren't for him… I wouldn't be here. Wouldn't be with you."
The words hit him like a blade. He looked down, throat tight.
As she walked toward him, moonlight shimmered against her hair — a subtle purple glow curling off the strands.
He knew he couldn't convince her, and that made him angry.
Then, without hesitation, she picked him up in a princess carry and leapt off the broken balcony.
He held his fists clenched, jaw tight with frustration.
"I'm taking you to the back gate. From there, you'll escape with a horse."
After that, silence.
They didn't speak.
Twelve minutes through chaos—fire, screaming, falling bone, and finally they reached the gate. She set him down, and rushed to saddle a horse, while he stood still beside it, fists clenched, head lowered.
She guided the horse toward him.
"Get on," she said, handing him the lead.
He took it reluctantly, but kept his position not moving.
Serene didn't pay attention; she just opened the gate and scanned outside.
"All right. It's clear. Time to go."
Still, he didn't move.
Just stood there. Shaking.
She turned back to him.
"Fyegeld," she said.
"I need you to take the horse. Ride to the nearest city. Tell them what's happening here."
No response.
She tried again.
"…Fyegeld."
"Fyegeld!"
"FYEGELD!"
He snapped.
"SHUT UP!"
She froze, her face showed a hint of shock.
"Are you seriously staying here?! Didn't you say you'd leave this life behind?! Serene, didn't you say once we got married, you'd put down the sword — that we'd have a future? This isn't fair! Serene, you said that would be it!" he lashed out.
She blinked, surprised.
Then her gaze dropped.
"…Unfair for you…"
A pause. He went still,
"But not for me…"
She stepped past him, and stopped again.
"I asked you a question earlier. You still haven't answered."
She lifted her head up to the night sky.
Voice low. Tight.
"…Is it me or your greed, Fygeld?"
"If you truly cared about me… you'd understand why I have to do this."
He couldn't speak.
"I know you hate Viscura," she said softly. "And maybe I don't owe this land anything…"
"But you'd think — just once — you'd stop thinking about yourself.
And take one minute to understand what someone else wants.
What I want."
Her eyes glanced at him.
"This time I'll make it even clearer."
She lowered her head.
Her voice didn't rise — it dropped into steel.
"Who do you choose — me, or yourself?"
Silence.
She waited.
Nothing came.
Her eyes narrowed, then softened.
"…Thought so."
She turned back to the gate, sighing.
"Get on the horse now."
And without a word, in shame —
Fyegeld obeyed.
He rode off into the dark.
Serene watched him till he left her vision.
Then she quickly looked ahead to the battlefield, as a ball of light started to expand, and cast a field of sunshine over the whole town.
Back to present
The battlefield had shifted — the town finally gaining ground.
Alana puzzled, her eye darted across the chaos. Then—
THUMP.
A deep tremor pulsed through the earth. Everyone felt it — a vibration in the soles of their feet. Confused murmurs rose.
No one knew what it was.
Except Alana.
She turned slowly, eye widening. A giggle escaped her spectral form as the realization hit.
"That's right, we—"
The commander felt the tremor and stiffened.
Without hesitation, he leapt onto the roof of a nearby house, scanning the distance.
"What is that?"
Then, all at once, the 650 bone walkers outside shifted.
As if responding to a silent command, they stepped to either side of the massive 25-inch reinforced gate.
A series of smaller thuds grew louder, and louder—faster and faster—until something smashed through with unimaginable force.
The metal doors exploded inward, torn from their hinges, fragments scattering like shrapnel.
A dense wall of dust and debris billowed out, hiding whatever came through.
The battlefield froze.
Everyone stopped and looked shocked at this display.
Even the 50 remaining skull minions paused.
A deep blue light flickered in the smoke, six glowing sockets burning like stars.
Then a figure stepped forward.
The Great Lord of Raids.
The Gru to their minions.
The Great Lord of Skulls, Bones, and Walkers.
The supposed mastermind behind it all.
From the dust, Skull Lord emerged.
He hadn't just destroyed the gate — he'd left a gaping hole in the reinforced wall.
Blue flames now lit every socket of his 650 soldiers.
"EVERYONE — MEET SKULL LORD!" Alana announced.
He let out a guttural, triple-headed roar so powerful it blasted the smoke away, shattered windows, and cracked the very earth beneath him. His minions followed suit, screeching in wild, gleeful fury.
The commander clutched his ears.
"Is that—?! That's the boss?!"
Skull minions charged with newfound vigor.
The tide had turned again.
His monstrous, yet strangely regal form now fully visible — Skull Lord simply stood.
Waiting.
Staring directly at the commander.
"Skull Lord, I'm so glad you came! Hahaha! I never thought I'd be happy to see you!" Alana laughed, wild and unhinged.
"Hoho~"
She floated close, affectionately rubbing her spectral form against each of his three skulls.
He didn't flinch.
Didn't move.
He simply awaited her command.
Around him, chaos returned.
Bone walkers scattered soldier formations.
Skull minions fought with fresh bloodlust and just by standing there, Skull Lord drained morale from the air like a black hole.
The battle — once tipping toward victory — had evened out again.