Ban and his fellow men traversed the tattered Northern Empire, averting dangerous pathways that could lead to death, such as the Great Old Ones who lurked the massive continent, showing mercy to no one they came across, be it animal or man.
During their journey, they camped in secluded areas of the wilderness, hidden by the power of Ban the Benoic and his Divine Voice.
They traveled for weeks on end, hoping to make it to shore and cross the Arcana Ocean; the largest and deepest part of Tellus' four oceanic divisions. It extended from the Northern Empire to the Medial Empire, located at the very center of Tellus, where King Arthur himself resonated.
Arcana Ocean was filled with immensely powerful magic creatures that could enchant the minds of men before luring them to their deaths. It is said that a powerful Siren existed there, but such things were fairytales to the likes of men who grew up encapsulated in the confines of Mesnil; never leaving their Kingdom.
But it was better to cross the Arcana Ocean than to witness the calamity all around them. Entire Kingdoms were in ruins, while villagers and townspeople were enslaved by amorphous, fishlike creatures.
It was a horrible journey - many men died by madness - while others lost the will to continue, leaving Ban with only a few hundred knights in his army. It wasn't enough to fully put an end to the War of the Southern Empire, but it was still help nonetheless.
Eventually, they arrived at the shore after a week's time, but to their surprise, someone was already there waiting for them. He was a tall, pale man, dressed in a long vampiric coat with a pointy collar.
Many knew of this man, specifically Ban the Benoic himself.
"Halt."
The almighty king lifted his hand, halting his knight's momentum.
"Sir?" Questioned a soldier.
"Do not advance any further." Said Ban, disembarking his horse. "I will deal with this myself."
The group of knights looked ahead and widened their eyes, while many of them lifted their helmets to ensure they weren't imagining things.
"By the Elohim… it's… Dracula!?" Proclaimed a knight with dread in his eyes.
"D-Dracula? You have to be kidding… why… is he here?"
"Damnit, this was all a trap, wasn't it?"
"No, that can't be!"
Dracula smiled, petting an amorphous creature beside him. It appeared large and black, with many tree stump legs and tentacles sprouting from its incoherent bodily anatomy. It was a Great Old One without a doubt, but it seemed tame around the Lord of Darkness as if it was loyal.
"Greetings, Ban of Benoic, I've awaited your arrival for quite some time." Dracula placed his hand against his chest, bowing. "How do you do?"
"Was the letter fake?"
"Hm?" Dracula lifted his head.
"I said, was the letter fake, Dracula."
There was an eerie pause as the Lord of Darkness chuckled, confident as ever.
"Yes, the letter of King Lot was nothing more than a ruse."
Ban sighed in his helmet before lifting his hands to take it off.
Revealed underneath was a disappointed glare with hints of anger and confusion. He wanted to kill Dracula where he stood, but the King knew he stood no chance.
"Why do you aid them?"
"Aid them? Oh, Kuhuhu," Dracula chuckled.", "You mean the Three Witches of Calamity?"
Ban frowned.
"Who else would I mean?"
Dracula turned around to face the vast Ocean in front of him whilst crossing his arms behind his back. Closing his eyes, he let the sweet smell of death blow past him on the currents of the wind, admiring its stench.
"Take a good look around you, Ban. The sky is red from the flames of fallen Kingdoms, the Ocean is silent as the waves stiffen, and the smell of nature is now replaced by the stench of Death."
Ban slowly approached Dracula from behind.
"So… are you referring to Chaos?"
"Mm." Dracula nodded his head. "Indeed."
"I'll never be able to understand your ideals, Dracula. You were a man who I once respected as a child, but now you've changed."
Dracula glanced at the King, stoic.
"Is that so?"
Ban stood beside Dracula, facing the ocean as his men watched from behind.
"Yeah, all my life I heard stories about you wanting to spread the Idea of Evil because you believed that suffering built character. I respected your beliefs and how much you stuck to them, but now I see the truth."
Dracula averted his gaze, staring off into the ocean once more.
"The truth of reality is Chaos, Ban of Benoic."
"I don't believe in that."
"You should." Dracula looked into the sky, gazing upon its bright red complexity. "Creation began with Light and Darkness, the perfect binary system created by the Supernal. It is a dual system meant to balance the concepts of good and evil, but then, Chaos was born. This cosmic force is known to transcend the shackles of Light and Darkness, and is the key to reaching the ultimate enlightenment; to finally be freed from the limitations of the Multiverse."
Ban laughed at his response, facing the red sky above him.
"Is that what you believe?; that chaos is the ultimate enlightenment that we mortals should reach?"
"Oh no, not just mortals, Ban of Benoic, but everyone, Elohim included. If we want to break free from this world, then we must ascend anew and destroy this boring reality."
"So that's it? You believe that destroying all of Yggdrasil will allow you to reach a higher state of being?"
"Indeed, but not just for me, it's for everyone. That's why I want you to join me, Ban of Benoic."
The king shot open his eyes, facing the Lord of Darkness.
"You want me to join you?"
"Indeed." Dracula grinned. "I needed a way for you to come out of hiding, so deceiving you was my only choice to settle matters outside of your Kingdom because I am a respectful man."
"Why in the hell do you think someone like me would agree to join a tyrant like you?"
"I'd figured you say that." Dracula turned to face his Great Old One, patting its head. "Join forces with me and I can promise you and the people of Mesnil to receive mercy from the Seekers behind the Cosmos."
A shiver went down Ban's spine as he stood there in disbelief.
"Are you referring to the Outer Gods?"
Dracula chuckled.
"Yes, the Outer Gods, but they go by many names, and I have a connection to them." The Great Old One, out of nowhere, started screeching in pain as the Lord of Darkness smiled at its torment. "Observe."
The Amorphous creature exploded into a thousand bits, scattering its guts and slimy flesh everywhere, covering the knights behind them.
"There is nothing that Chaos cannot destroy." Dracula lowered his hand and faced Ban. "Do you see, now? This is only a fraction of the power that these Outer Gods have; you stand no chance against them, Bun'dao or not."
Ban could only stare in awe after witnessing a fraction of Chaos. It was an unstoppable force that not even his Divine Voice could ever hope to reach.
He didn't want to admit it, but he was outclassed by the Lord of Darkness.
"Damnit…" He lowered his head and clenched his hand into fists. "Damnit all!" Ban started shaking, contemplating his next course of action, but it was too difficult. He didn't want to make the wrong choice. "I can't lose my people… nor my wife and son."
"Then you know the right answer, don't you, King Ban?"
He closed his eyes and uncurled his fist, feeling a sense of regret wash over him.
"Yes, I do…" His heart felt heavy while his body felt weak. "I'll join you, for the sake of my people, to spread chaos among Yggdrasil."
Such words felt bitter to his tongue, but he spoke them nonetheless, as above all; the people mattered more to the King than himself.
"Good, then you can expect mercy from the Old Ones as I am a man of my word." Dracula lowered his head to bow. "It's been a pleasure talking to you, Ban of Benoic, may we meet again when the time comes for annihilation."
Ban twitched in his eye, holding back his anger.
He wanted to change his mind, but he knew the consequences of refusing their offer.
"Right…"
He turned around, approaching his steed to disembark while his fellow knights questioned him.
"King Ban, what was discussed?"
"…From now on, we will be in alliance with Dracula." He lowered his head, biting his tongue.
"What? An alliance? Are you serious?"
"Lord Ban, why? What is the meaning of this?"
"What about the Southern Empire? Are we still helping them?"
Ban shook his head, ignoring the other comments.
"The Southern Empire is fine, it was all a ruse."
"Dear God… what's going on?"
"Do not worry, my fellow knights, everything is in good hands; just trust in me, and let's return home."
Most were hesitant to nod their heads, but their loyalty remained.
Ban and his army rode off once again, leaving the shore and Dracula, who could only smile at their turmoil.