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Things are looking favourable for the dark side, while things look bleak for the defenders. The world of Rune-Midgard has no one to turn to except for its very own men and women. Revelations injected dread into the people. Invasions injected death into the people. Unification right now might settle the differences among cities, but it depends on their way of operation…

The grasslands were packed with a sea of orcs. This night, all of them were deprived of proper rest and refreshments. Under the orders of the Lord of Death, the search was called off so as to prepare them for the march to Prontera. Though orcs were hardy and strong-willed creatures, the great silver knight knew better than to tire them out through a fruitless hunt for puny mortals. When he had successfully taken over Prontera, none would be able to escape from his clutches anyway.

The orc smiths were the ones who overworked more than anyone else did. The Lord of Death showed his contempt on the weapons they carried, expressing his dissatisfaction for those blunt, pathetic scraps of rusty metal they used as weapons. The smiths had to produce another set of new and improved ones by dawn, otherwise they would face the lord's wrath for delaying their march. As much as the orcs wanted to alter their fate, what could they possibly do? They did not want to serve as puppets to the Lord of Death any longer; they wanted to seek the glory and pride they frequently bathed in prior to their leaders' death. However, that was going to be denied from them as long as Death ruled. The fact remained; the culmination of the orc society had already concluded.

Together with the orc sentries, about half a thousand orc warriors excluding high orcs and orc archers were present during the assembly. The dark sky was starting to show hints of brightening; that meant their march to Prontera was going to commence very soon. Now, they just had to await further instructions from their lord, while Death went to oversee the work of his new lance. The other smiths worked doubly hard in the presence of the superior; none dared to voice their displeasure for working throughout the night for the past two nights. One orc unfortunately worked to his death. Not out of exhaustion or disease, but by the great silver knight's mere gaze of death when he was found skiving.

Finally, Death appeared. The clattering of Silver's hooves became the tell-tale sign, as the huge knight rode before the sea of orc forces. Apparently, the construction of the new lance has yet to complete, for Death came without any weapon which was unusual. Some expected the appointed smith, Voulje, would be pretty much dead already. It was about an hour before the rising of the sun. Just a mere hour for the lance to be done. Every single orc smith, excluding Voulje who was told strictly to remain working on the lance, attended the briefing. As if Death's entrance was a strain to them, the orcs' hearts pounded madly against their chest whenever he appeared, thus causing a slight pain in their chest. All the orcs knelt on one knee with their heads bent low when Death's voice boomed throughout the coming of dawn…

"When I say that you bunch will regain your former glory once again, being the unequalled knight I am, I will carry it out. The same rule applies; the worthy shall prove themselves to me, and the failures shall be executed."

A handful of orcs shrank away involuntarily, while other nervous ones bit their lips in dread. They knew their lord would never think twice on a lighter sentence, neither did he believe in leniency. Only one word summed up what he lived for: Supremacy.

"Within this one hour refresh yourselves and take whatever rest you need, for the chance to prove your valour may lay beyond your means…" he continued. "The chance to prove your valour… tear the church apart…"

Some orcs could not help themselves but let out a unconfident grunt. The orc sentries were to be included into the orc forces, though they may not fight as well as the warriors. At the very least, they had basic combat skills and there could only be benefits when they had more numbers.

Death pointed to where the orc smiths assembled and snapped his fingers. The group of smiths, hidden somewhere behind the alignment of warriors, hoisted something that looked like a sack and made their way forward. Each allotment of orc forces had smiths doing something similar, placing the large sack at the front. When they untied the knot that bounded the opening of the sack, a surprise greeted the orcs. In each sack lay a great number of broadswords with qualities that did not look orcish. These swords both amazed them, as well as causing them hesitation. They knew these broadswords were much stronger than the orcish swords and axes they used to wield, but they disliked the idea of utilizing weapons used by humans. They preferred to preserve their own practises and traditions.

Upon another snap of a finger, another group of smiths brought forth another sack. This time, an assortment of battling paraphernalia was revealed. But in it contained mostly sturdier and tougher shields, together with other equipments like footgears and body armours.

"Take your selection and return! Now, prepare the wagons and the catapults. Sound the horns!"

Following Death's echoing command, an orcish horn blared a long note, signalling the commence of the march towards Prontera…

But Death himself did not start just yet. He had one more last business back in the camp. Riding over to the smiths, Death dismounted Silver and once again scanned for Voulje, the smith responsible for the creation of his new lance.

"Voulje!"

The elder smith started, then stared fearfully at the lord. Jabbing a finger to his pit for his chin was quivering too much to speak, he indicated the scimitar which had melted. As if to show Death that the completion lance would not be delayed any further, Voulje carefully poured the melted blade of the scimitar over the lance which stood at least thirteen foot long. The formerly black lance now started to sizzle upon contact with the mixture, and the shaft turned red hot. The tip of the lance shimmered brightly with occasional flares as wave after wave of heat assailed the two.

The gleam suddenly vanished. Voulje stared incredulously at the change; the lance had undergone a significant boost in power, and its ethereal appearance still shone a mild silver light. Voulje reached a shaky hand towards the lance, but Death stopped him.

"There is no need… I feel it. I feel what I've been wanting to possess," the lord rasped, foreseeing the smith's intension of strengthening it further with several more strokes from the smithing hammer. "This is what I want…"

Death grabbed the lance –and retracted his hands almost instantly. A flash of lightning was ejected from the lance when he touched it, the electrocuting sensation still persisting in his hands. Instead of displaying his frustrations, Lord of Death grinned with ecstasy.

"Yes… what is pain to the greatest knight… who can deny me of greatness…"

Death took another firm grip on the lance. Lightning coursed through his body, but the great silver knight suppressed the pain and dismissed it. Voulje stared in horror as blue streaks of electricity surrounded the knight's frame. It looked as if the lance rejected Death's claim over it. The knight took another hold on the lance with the other hand. Raising it high up, he gave a roar. Multi-coloured lightning crackled and boomed, but that did little to affect Death. He was now wrapped tightly in a cocoon of lightning, the tremendous power threatening to reduce him into a pile of bone and ash.

A bright flare of white light covered the lance, the silhouette of it could not even be seen. More currency was discharged from the lance, yet Lord of Death still appeared undaunted. The lightning seemed like some harmless fireworks a child played with.

You are worthy, knight.

Death did not know if the others heard it, but it appeared concise to him despite the roaring of lightning. Did the lance just speak to him?

The awesome display of coloured lightning vanished without a trace abruptly. The lance rejected the knight no more. Death then let out a triumphant laugh. Right now, with the Strength Trait and the godly lance, even the gods themselves may feel threatened, let alone Rune-Midgard. As Death had said, the weak shall perish, and the world shall worship him as the venerable lord of lords. His conquests were unstoppable…

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If there was any chance of salvation for the city of Payon, Moonlight Flower and her new contingent of cave demons had completely dashed it. The Elite Hunter forces had almost half their numbers wiped out, and they were forced to retreat out of town. Even their commander had become one of Moonlight's hapless victims. Without a leader, there was mayhem. The forces argued with one another.

There was little Tien and his two ranger companions could do. Even the case of potions could not aid them much now, for the demons were advancing way too fast. Arrows flew continuously without dramatic effect on the multiplying spawns of the cave. Moonlight Flower fell most of the men with devastating magic, showering them with fiery bolts. Demons drove a wedge into defenders who struggled to re-group, scattering them away before slaying them. They were outnumbered at least one to five.

"You look very pale, Tien," Elemire observed. "Were you attacked or what?"

"No, just the usual effect of the Asura Strike. We need to get everyone out of here! We stand no chance," he urged.

Pay nodded, then left on his own to lead a small group of civilians out through a region with lesser concentration of demons. Tien ushered the huntress to do the same, and she complied. There was no other way to stem the flow temporarily, except for…

The monk flung open the case, taking two awakening potions in each hand. Biting off the cork, he downed the two bottles even though he knew he had a heavy overdose of it. But he did not end there. The potion only helped agility-wise, and not his health. He shoved about half a handful of herbs into his mouth and chewed furiously. Tien cared less about waiting for the medicine to take effect.

The transformation took place for the second time. Though it was strictly discouraged for monks to evolve into the critical state within a short period of time, Tien had no choice. His eyes shone a green glow, and his skin changed into shades of deep red. Lightning flowed around his frame, his knuckles swelling with twice the amount of power. Just as the critical state was fresh, the medicine showed signs of effect. Tien was then spurred to help the dying warriors.

Initially he started off with a combination of impressive martial arts that knocked a handful of demons out. A series of upper cuts and strikes from those agile feet sent three sohees flying off to knock back a few more zombies. A couple of bonguns stood over a helpless warrior who was bleeding from a severe wound on the head, ready to send him to death. But Tien snuck up behind them, snapping their necks. The two fell limp.

Fighting back well, are you?

Tien faltered suddenly as the feminine, yet disturbing voice rang in his head again. It was as if the distraction was made timely, for a sohee managed to drive her dagger into the ribs of the monk. Tien roared madly as the dagger came out, blood soaking his brown attire. He kicked the dagger away from the sohee's hands before shoving a fuelled fist right through her face.

"Coward! Stop the talk and fight me!" he shouted out for the thought-intruder.

Tien hooked a leg around a munak's arm to stop her swipe, then delivered a heel kick. The force sent the munak flipping over her back and landing roughly. A few other warriors stood up when they saw Tien displaying his martial arts relentlessly for the sake of the city, using him as a motivation. Soon, more of the injured climbed back to their feet under some brief encouragement from the rest.

The source of motivation, Tien. Impressive… how I like watching you fight.

Tien stopped in the midst of a combo, giving time for his undead adversary to strike him at the side of his head. The dazed monk fell onto the ground from the blow, then a sword appeared out of the zombie's chest, stopping the death strike. A warrior had saved him. Grabbing his saviour's outstretched arm, Tien stood up to battle off an immediate zombie.

"This is enough!" Tien roared. Then, turning his head back to the warriors, he shouted again. "If you do not want to be perished, get away from me!"

Taking a deep breath, he felt a surge of energy welling up within him. Tightening his already clenched fists, he willed every iota of strength he had summoned into his Kaiser Knuckles. When more demons neared, he unleashed the final move. A shockwave held back all advances, the demons were forced to keep a distance from the monk. The ground cracked, then opened up into a burning crevice that stretched outward swiftly. Those in front of Tien disappeared almost instantly when the burning crevice touched them, erasing the last of their vestiges. A considerable number of demons were cleared, but at the expense of Tien's fall. The monk lay very still on the ground as blood spilled out of his mouth.

Although he fell into a deep sleep, the voice continued haunting him. Whatever that thing was, she did not let him off. Her voice became livid.

You think that little pound-the-ground performance could stop me? You're so damn wrong, monk! Now your dear city is going to pay!

Tien struggled to snap out of his sleeping state. But darkness swarmed over him, overwhelmed him. Despite the raging battle that had been going on for hours, everywhere was quiet to him. He could accomplish nothing but sleep. Just then, the familiar ringing of a bell jolted him up. Tien's eyes fluttered open. The effect of the second Asura Strike had taken its toll on him, yet he refused to stay down. The monk sat up, then a pair of arms grabbed him out of the battle.

"What –"

The monk was cognizant of the danger he faced around him. Especially the source of the voice that perpetually distracted him. However, he could still fight. He did not need to be withdrawn from the battle.

"It's me, Pay. You're seriously hurt, my friend. You will not fight any further."

"No! I need to seek the voice! The voice…"

Pay's concerned countenance followed the monk's delirious talk.

"What voice? I guessed a demon or two had knocked you pretty bad on the head…"

The monk did not listen to him. He tried standing up again, but another pair of hands shoved him back down. A blonde huntress, apparently sharing similar opinion, bade the monk to rest.

"Look at that! Big swelling at your temple… no wonder you're hearing voices," Elemire said.

Then, as if proving that the two rangers were wrong, several bolts of lightning flashed down upon the few warriors not too far away from them. Although many demons had disappeared from existence from Tien's Asura Strike, there was a leader among them who was capable of restoring order and fighting off the warriors at the same time with magic. The leader was the main force to be reckoned with.

"The voices… Moonlight…" Tien murmured. He had recognized those deadly elemental bolts as spells from the feline superior's repertoire. A shrill laughter inside his head sounded, almost disintegrating his brains. Tien cupped both hands over his ears, hoping to shut the piercing disturbance out. However, the laughter only tormented him mentally when it rose to an impossibly high pitch.

So you've realized who I am, monk. The last I've seen you, oh wait. The last my decoy had seen you, you erased her away just like how you did earlier. You suppose you're invincible after murdering a mere puppet of myself? Not unless you defeat me, the real deal!

Massive bolts of fire and ice struck the Payon warriors and the hunter forces in rapid succession, the bodies immediately charred or frozen. Then, those who were within range were swiftly killed.

"No! We're dying!" Tien screamed.

I'm glad you realized that, monk. When the sluggish hunters are dealt with, you turn will come.

The three sat watching as their worst horrors were realized. From the night sky descended a heavy rain of fiery bolts, with frequent streaks of electricity burying into the warriors. Those red bolts of flame pelted over the entire city, expunging the very last group of the Elite Hunter forces. The only fighting force of Payon had been defeated. But, the firestorm has yet to cease.

Pay and Elemire supported Tien as they ran for the bridge. They were all seared by the bolts, while it was impossible to evade them just like one who could not avoid a single drop of rain during a thunderstorm. Another shrill laughter echoed in Tien's mind, but he fought to ignore it. When the laughter stopped, the firestorm too ceased.

In their duress, a horn blared. They did not know if that was the reason the firestorm stopped, or was it because of other reasons. Maybe Moonlight wanted to torture him instead of killing him on the spot. A fast death may be too light a punishment for him.

"A horn? That doesn't sound like one of Payon's," Pay remarked. "Are there others who haven't escaped?"

"Look at that!" Elemire exclaimed in awe.

The three followed the direction of the huntress's finger. Behind them at the bridge, an astounding sight greeted them. Even though it was still dark, they could not be mistaken. It was an army. A rather vast army of blacksmiths and merchants, all from Alberta. Every single one of them had their axes raised high, and another battle commenced after the commander's battle roar. The blacksmiths crashed straight through the scattered demons, stemming their flow. Giant axes smashed through head of the cave spawns, more war cries echoing to raise their morale further.

Those white clothed army from Alberta moved at a constant speed in spite of Moonlight Flower's magical bolts. Earth spikes jutted up, impaling a handful of blacksmiths to their deaths. A brief firestorm started again, burning many beyond healing. But above all these, the war cries only ascended.

The dwindling demonic forces were now surrounded. Axes swung and swords hacked at the cave spawns mercilessly, forcing a large group to retreat back into the caves. Imbued with new hope and motivation, the two rangers left the monk to recuperate while they began firing arrows. The two cleared the demons to sight the leader, Moonlight Flower as Tien had said. They tried following the source of those magical bolts, but no avail. She was well hidden among the din. Either that, or she was shifting from one spot to another in the blink of the eye.

Silver arrows whistled past the blacksmiths and buried into the demons. The remaining Alberta army cleared away the last few zombies, and all was silent again. Cheers erupted in the army, but Pay and Elemire still appeared ill at ease. Moonlight Flower had to be around somewhere…

From the rear of the Alberta forces a feline figure materialized. Before the blacksmiths could do anything about it, powerful bolts of lightning darted around them, causing a series of agonizing screams.

A group of blacksmiths approached with axes brandished, but Moonlight easily deflected all of it with her bell-pole. The superior's weapon incapacitated many; it was as if the bell was made from the hardiest titanium and one hit from hit could render someone into a coma. Putting aside the weapon, Moonlight raised a plot of earth to impale her foes. Blood squirted around madly as the bodies were piled on top of each other up the earth spikes. When she moved her hand in a fashion that would create another firestorm, two arrows imbedded into the feline superior's shoulder. She screamed as her bell-pole fell.

Two more arrows hit the back of her neck. Turning her attention to the two mysterious archers, Moonlight struck the two with lightning bolts. Although they dodged it just in time, the force of the explosion sent them sprawling face-first onto the ground. The flat of an axe slammed squarely into her face as Moonlight staggered backwards, stunned. Then, a booted foot rammed into her back, interrupting another incantation to a spell.

Tien whipped her around and laid a jab to her head. But his fist flew into air since she ducked nimbly, then kicked him in the shin. Tien buckled and fell onto one knee.

"Damn it! I told him to make himself scarce!" Pay swore. He could not believe how hot-headed the monk could be.

Elemire let loose another silver bolt. To the huntress's shock, Moonlight somehow caught the bolt, then she grinned at the two. Raising the bolt, she drove the sharp end into Tien's shoulder. The monk howled, another wound soaking his attire with blood. His entire face was already painted in a mask of blood, while more dripped past his chin from his mouth. The two Asura Strikes had no doubt stimulated internal injuries.

While she was busy dealing with Tien and the two archers, several more blacksmiths from behind scored a few slashes at her back. The three companions were relieved from Moonlight's attacks, yet it did not mean that the army could handle it themselves. After all, she was a superior, and an army might not even suffice. The three of them had better take the opportunity to keep themselves away for a while before they struck again.

The two archers emerged from their vantage point, dragging Tien as far from Moonlight as they could take him. Pay had to admit that Moonlight was an excellent fighter; she could handle both melee and ranged attacks as though it was a mere child's play. Of course, this was not unnatural considering the fact that she was a superior. As inferior humans were to her, while common sense served as enough evidence without the scene before him, he just could not help but trouble over means to permanently shut her away from Payon. Like Moonlight had told Tien earlier, this Moonlight they saw right now was the real deal. To kill the 'real deal', they might as well request for the moon.

Suddenly, the night seemed to flare into brightness. Some even mistook it as a hasty change to day. But that was not the case, when the light disappeared. Everyone, including Moonlight, looked up to witness something flashing across the cloudy night sky. Something red followed after, and the clouds began to part. The clouds swirled in the night sky, then a deep rumble sounded. The rumbles sounded a few more times at intervals, stopping only when the clouds stopped swirling.

The strange happenings had stopped the battle. Everybody continued staring at the night sky, but no assumptions made sense. Moonlight Flower herself was the only one comprehending all these, however. Abandoning the city, she started leaping away. Not back to the direction of the cave, but rather at the entrance.

"Transgressors… the pact had been broken," Moonlight said to herself after she absorbed the consternating signs. "The pact was transgressed… they wage war by seeking destruction."

The blacksmiths ventured after Moonlight, but Pay ran out, shouting at them to halt. The hunter advised them not to provoke the feline superior now that she backed off, lest they invited more bloodshed. The commander of the blacksmith army, a beefy man almost over his prime, approached the hunter who seemed to understand it.

"Why, lad? What do you know?"

Elemire too ran out of the vantage point to join Pay. Squeezing his shoulders, she made inquiries just as the curious commander did.

"I don't know," Pay answered, causing disappointed looks. "Moonlight Flower could easily kill all of us, yet she walked away."

"We're still not getting anywhere, hunter," the commander, his white shirt totally stained with blood, pursued.

Pay shrugged his shoulders to indicate that he had no knowledge on the matter. Suddenly, a bloodied hand grabbed Pay. Tien supported himself for he was barely able to walk. What startled everyone was that, nobody could see a fragment of his face. A mask of blood was adhered to his face. Even the commander grimaced at the sight.

"If that bitch left, that would be regarding the affairs of the superiors," Tien guessed, saying it slowly. Before he continued though, he had to spit out a glob of blood. "Even the heavens are showing signs of a caveat."

The blacksmiths, including the commander, blanched as the dreadful statement left the monk's mouth. They awaited more from Tien, though at this point of time no news could be causing a fanaticm.

"Not too long from now…"

"What?" Elemire blurted without even realizing that the tension forced it out.

"Seeing Moonlight's behaviour and hearing her words, there seems to be a coming of Doomsday."