Towering 20 meters high, the Walls of Paradis stood as a mighty barrier between the Eldian Kingdom and the outside world. Guard towers lined the fortifications, knights standing watch with torches in hand. Massive catapults were positioned along the walls, their crews waiting anxiously for the enemy to arrive.
Yet, the night remained eerily silent. The enemy was nowhere in sight.
Inside the Castle
Deep within the lower halls of the castle, hundreds of villagers huddled together, murmuring anxiously. The cold stone walls did little to ease their fear. The only source of comfort came from the warm torches lining the corridors, casting flickering shadows upon the frightened faces of those seeking refuge.
Lucia sat against the stone wall, holding Axel and Ymir close.
"It's going to be okay, I promise you…" Lucia whispered, trying to soothe her children.
But while Ymir trembled with unease, Axel remained still—his blue eyes distant, hollow, and lost in memories far beyond this world. His breathing was shallow, and his small hands clenched the fabric of his shirt.
Lucia turned her attention to him, concern deepening in her gaze.
"Axel, look at me," she pleaded, gently cupping his cheeks.
For a moment, he remained unresponsive.
Then, slowly, his lifeless gaze shifted toward her.
Ymir, watching from the side, felt her own fear rise. She had never seen Axel like this.
Lucia pulled him into a warm embrace, whispering reassuring words. "It's going to be okay, dear… just hold tight to me. I won't leave you. I promise."
Axel's fingers tightened against her cloak, his body relaxing just a little. Ymir, determined to help, patted his back gently, like an older sister comforting a younger sibling.
For the first time that night, a faint spark of life returned to Axel's eyes. He exhaled shakily and shut his eyes, allowing himself to feel the warmth of his newfound family.
The Attack Begins
Outside, General Loid Lionheart stood atop the wall, his piercing green eyes fixed on the dark forest beyond the gates.
The enemy was out there. Watching. Waiting.
The villagers had all been evacuated behind the inner gates, leaving only the knights and the outer village exposed. The silence was suffocating. Not even the crickets sang.
A dreadful feeling settled in the air.
Then… a flicker of yellow light appeared in the sky.
One. Then ten. Then hundreds.
The next moment—
"FIRE ARROWS!!"
A storm of flaming arrows rained down from the heavens.
"GET DOWN!!" Loid roared.
Knights raised their shields, bracing for impact. The wooden rooftops of the outer village erupted into flames as the fire spread rapidly, consuming everything in its path. Screams filled the air as some knights were struck, collapsing to the ground, their bodies pierced by burning arrows.
Chaos erupted.
The night sky glowed orange and red from the spreading inferno. Smoke choked the air, rising into the heavens like a beacon of destruction.
And then, from the forest—
A war cry shattered the silence.
Hundreds of voices, screaming in rage and bloodlust.
Loid's eyes widened.
A horde of bandits—500 strong—came charging from the treeline, their weapons raised, their torches lighting up the night like an army of demons.
"CATAPULTS—FIRE!!!" Loid bellowed.
BOOM!!
Massive boulders were launched into the air, descending upon the enemy ranks with deadly force. The ground trembled as the explosive impact sent bodies flying. Dust and debris filled the air, but the bandits kept charging forward, undeterred.
At the front of the horde, their leader raised his sword high—a curved blade engulfed in unnatural flames.
"FIRE AGAIN!" Loid commanded.
But before the knights could reload, the bandit leader swung his sword downward—
A wave of fire erupted from his blade, surging toward the Eldian forces like a tidal wave of flames.
Another barrage of fire arrows followed.
Most knights managed to block with their shields, but the inferno spread too fast, too violently.
The main gates groaned under the heat and force, their thick wooden frame beginning to burn.
Loid gritted his teeth and turned toward his forces.
"OPEN THE GATES! ALL UNITS—CHARGE!!"
The gates burst open, and the knights of Eldia surged forward, meeting the bandits head-on in a furious clash of steel and fire.
Loid stood atop the wall, watching the village below engulfed in flames, his fists clenching in anger.
This battle had only just begun.
Inside the Castle
The sound of battle echoed through the castle halls, distant yet terrifyingly real.
Axel's fingers twitched as he listened to the roars of war outside.
A chill ran down his spine.
The smell of fire. The clash of steel. The screams.
I've seen this before…
His breathing quickened. His heart pounded against his chest.
Lucia noticed his trembling and held him tighter.
"Don't be afraid, Axel," she whispered. "You're safe here."
Axel's lips parted, but no words came out.
Because deep inside, he knew the truth.
Nowhere was truly safe.
Not from war.
Not from death.
And not from the horrors of the past that haunted his immortal soul.
The war outside raged on.
Screams of the dying. The clashing of steel. The crackling of fire.
The once-peaceful outer village had become a battlefield drenched in blood and flames. Corpses of knights and bandits alike littered the streets, their lifeless eyes reflecting the inferno consuming their home.
Through the chaos and destruction, two warriors stood at the heart of it all—Loid Lionheart, the strongest general of Eldia, and Magnar Eldrist Fritz, the leader of the Bloodborn Raiders.
They fought alone, their men too preoccupied with their own battles to intervene.
Magnar's flaming blade burned brighter than ever, its edge coated in a volatile liquid gas that ignited on impact. Every swing of his sword sent sparks flying, and each clash with Loid's weapon left trails of fire dancing through the air.
Loid gritted his teeth as he felt the heat sear his skin, the splashes of liquid fire sticking to his armor and burning through to the flesh beneath. The pain was unbearable—but he refused to falter.
Instead, he fought harder.
Steel met steel. Sparks erupted. The ground trembled beneath them.
Loid slashed, but Magnar blocked and countered. With a powerful kick, Magnar sent Loid crashing to the ground.
The Bloodborn Raider lunged forward, his sword ready to end the fight—
But Loid rolled aside, dodging the fatal blow by mere inches. With a sudden upward slash, he carved a deep wound across Magnar's back, forcing the bandit lord to stumble away, blood dripping from the fresh cut.
Loid, though exhausted and wounded, refused to lower his blade.
He stood tall, his emerald eyes blazing with unwavering determination.
But Magnar…
Magnar simply chuckled.
He ignored the wound, rolling his shoulders as if it were nothing more than a scratch.
"I have never faced a knight as strong as you before…" he mused, his lips curling into a bloodthirsty grin. "What is your name?"
Loid raised his sword once more.
"Loid Lionheart, the strongest general in Eldia."
They circled each other, their steps slow and measured. The fires of war burned around them, casting their figures in a haunting glow. The battlefield was nothing but screams, steel, and death.
Magnar's grin widened.
"I see… the strongest, you say?" He tightened his grip on his flaming sword.
"Then let's see how long you'll last."
And with that—
Magnar charged.
Loid met him head-on.
Their blades clashed.
The battle continued.
And the scene faded to black.