The ground began to shake as the sound of a thousand armored feet came rushing over the rise, armored bodies holding silvery short swords high in the air. Grandall forces took no prisoners from attacking armies. Facing against them, another battalion walked forward, the Halteese army braced for the incoming tide of human bodies about to crash upon their front lines. The two armies meshed together as the sound of grinding and twisting iron echoed over the landscape, along with the noise of dying and screaming men.
Standing on a rise like a statue of some evil god, stood Nightmare, the dark azure knight who held the coveted SoulEdge. He watched with blood red eyes, he could feel the anguish and hate flowing off the fighting armies. He could feel the power in their souls, as they fought not just for their leaders but for their families. And he would consume each and every one of them. He thrust SoulEdge into the earth, the ground quaked as huge cracks arched out in the grassy floor. The very air seemed to darken as Nightmare's body began to draw power from the vanquished soldiers.
The battling armies ceased their epic struggle, feeling the darkness falling over the battlefield. One man stopped and screamed ,"Its Nightmare, the Demon, destroy him!" For once in their long years of fighting the Grandal and Halteese forces became allies. They turned and came streaming up the rise where Nightmare stood, his head bowed as he continued to consume the souls of the fallen.
He slowly lifted his helm, his eyes opened and the soldiers felt their piercing stare, yet they continued their charge, showing no fear. Nightmare pulled SoulEdge from the ground and wheeled it back, ready to swing as the first of the soldiers met him. He turned, swinging SoulEdge midway, severing eight soldiers in half, their blood sprayed out as their stricken faces screamed with horror. He swung again and again as more and more soldiers came rushing up the slope, bodies began to build as more and more soldiers continued to fall.
Then came a deafening roar, and a new army came charging. A huge battalion of Lizardmen, trolls, golems and other monsters came up from behind Nightmare. They met the attacking Halteese and Grandall forces with brutal elegance as they cut their way through the human forces. Giant winged beasts came gliding down from the sky, lizardmen riding their scaly backs as they began to scoop up and crush the humans with their powerful talons.
The Grandal General sat atop his steed watching the spectical of his armies defeat. His face showed no emotion as he watched his warriors slaughtered and killed. He pulled his sword from its sheath and knocked his horse to move. The horse wheeled forward and began to run full speed toward the battle.
The General held his sword high and yelled as the monsters jumped out of the way. Nightmare turned and met the charging General with a blood curdling stare, the horse unable to stand against his gaze reared on its hooves, causing the General to fall from its back, the horse turned and galloped away.
The General jumped to his feet and screamed ,"Nightmare, all know what you are, nothing more than a sickening man who needs nothing more than a quick death!" Nightmare rushed forward with blinding speed, catching the General's chest with a giant disfigured hand, the three huge fingers easily wrapping around the General's broad torso. Nightmare held him up as the General raised his sword to strike him down, with a sickening crunch, Nightmare clenched his giant hand, as blood and flesh flowed down his arm. The General's body turned to pulp, Nightmare dropped it to the ground with a thud.
The monster army roared in triumph, completely obliterating both the Halteese and Grandal forces in an amazing victory, their sounds echoing across the field. Nightmare thrust the blade into the ground and bowed his head, the army around him in ecstasy over their amazing victory over two major battalions, feeling the empowering evil flowing off Nightmare's enigmatic body.
Nightmare's chest became alight with fire as he began to devour the souls of the dead, with a jolt, his head whipped back as an immense shockwave blew outward from his mighty chest. The wave pushed up huge dust clouds, blanketing the entire field. The monstrous army felt the power flowing over their bodies, filling them with energy and resolve. They held their weapons high, taking in the vast amounts of energy.
Watching with intense eyes, a small girl dressed in green clothing sat upon a large boulder overlooking the battle, her pupils wide with fascination. Over her shoulders was a large round blade, its shiny surface glistening in the sun.
Sitting around her were the Watchers, black demonic birds who had pledged themselves to helping SoulEdge recover the shards of its other shattered half. They stayed with the small girl known as Tira, feeling the dark power flowing through her veins, protecting her when needed. She could feel his power, even from here, she felt they were the same, Nightmare and herself, she felt they could be as one. She got to her feet and jumped from the boulder and disappeared into the vast numbers of Lizardmen and other monsters. The watchers took to the sky, gliding like vultures over the vast army.