For thousands of years, Hell's Gate, a town under Derian Viscounty, stood as the frontline of the human domain.The Mysle Empire recognized this town's historic battles and honored it by exempting its citizens from taxes.Many adventurers stopped here before venturing into the Forbidden Lands.
Yet, despite its valor, the town had fallen multiple times during past invasions.With such a tragic yet glorious history, it earned its name: Hell's Gate.
Derian Viscounty – Lord's Manor, Meeting Hall
Viscount Derian: "How are the Empire's orders being carried out?"
Vassal: "Everything has gone smoothly, my Lord… but we received a bad report from the border town of Cindermoon."
Derian (frowning): "Cindermoon? You mean the one next to Hell's Gate?"
Vassal: "Yes, my Lord. According to intelligence, the Cindermoon town guard has been annihilated."
Derian: "Was it demons?"
Vassal: "No. It was a group of young men… seems like wandering pillagers."
Derian (shocked): "How did such a major incident go unreported for so long?"
Vassal: "They went too far into the forest. No one made it back. The people assumed they'd stopped by Hell's Gate to report.Only after the Holy War was declared did someone inform us."
Derian (gritting teeth): "Powerful villains showing up during a critical time like this… what a damn hassle."
BUTLER (PANICKED): LORD DERIAN! LORD DERIAN! BIG PROBLEM!
DERIAN: Jhonny, calm down and explain clearly.
BUTLER (FRIGHTENED): Lord... h-huh... some adventurers ventured past the border without notice. They tried to ambush the demons... but failed. The demon forces are marching toward Hell's Gate.
DERIAN: WHAT?! Who are those morons?! Don't they know the significance of Holy War? What a hassle...
BUTLER: Lord, that's not the problem. It's—
DERIAN (SCREAMS): WHAT?! SAY IT!
BUTLER: It's... the Young Lord George. He's also rushing to Hell's Gate with his friends. Toward the frontline.
DERIAN (SCREAMS): WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?!
Cut to: Open plains before Hell's Gate...
A brave group of young warriors rides hard against the wind. Their cloaks flutter like banners of defiance. At the front — George Washington Derian, the Young Master of Derian Viscounty.
Meanwhile, within the walls of Hell's Gate...
All the adventurers, town guards, and even retired legends converge at ground zero. Thousands of soldiers gather, their eyes steeled despite knowing this may be a futile resistance.
MIKE FLYER — new adventurers party leader — gazes at the horizon.
MIKE FLYER: Hell's Gate... it's truly inspiring. It really is Valhalla on Earth. I see many retiered legends here waiting for their last battle. I've never seen people charge toward death like this.
TANK: Yes, Mike. My hometown is just a few miles away. I see familiar faces here... they'll die today with their skills, but none of them are scared.
MIKE: That's the fate we all share. Are you guys afraid?
PARTY MEMBERS (smiling): No... but we're excited. To be part of this historic battle.
From the watchtower, a mercenary scout yells:
"THEY'RE HERE! THE DEMON ARMY!"
At that single word — every sword in the town is unsheathed in unison. The spirit of the warriors ignites like wildfire.
EVERYONE (ROARS):
"IT'S WARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!"
The streets thunder with boots. Warriors surge toward the gate.
George arrives at Hell's Gate.
GEORGE: Let's do this.
His Friends: Yes!
A mile away from the gate...
Through the demon forest, the Second Infantry Division of the Demonic Legion marched forward — 10,000 greater demons — each step shaking the earth.
At the helm:
A man unlike anything in Nars or Earth —"Alfread Butler", Second Division Commander of the Demonic Legion.
Mercenary (shocked):
Wait... aren't the frontline forces usually lesser demons?Why are all of them greater demons?!
Tank (wide-eyed):
No good... this is the core force of the Demon Legion.I sense the presence of several Arch Demons...
Mike (grim):
That's not even the real problem.The one leading them...He's on the level of a Demon Supreme.But what's concerning... is that he's human.
Tank:
What?! How can a human of that caliber be leading a demonic army?!
Mike:
Yeah... unless they betrayed humanity —Or humanity betrayed them.Either way... he's our enemy.And he's strong.There are 21 Arch Demons among them... probably high captain-level demons.This will be one hell of a war...
ALFREAD:
Annihilate.
DEMONS (ROARING):
ROOOOOOOAAAAAAR!!!
They began running — breaking through the trees like starving predators.
10,000 Demons vs 27,000 Humans(Adventurers, Mercenaries, Town Guards... and more)
The vanguards clashed.
It was slaughter.
Each demon's strike was monstrous.Humans flew through the air, sliced in half, incinerated, crushed — dying in a hundred ways.
Mercenary 2 (screams):
Don't cover! This is expected!HOLD THEM OFF UNTIL YOU DIE!Gain just one more second...For civilians to escape...For soldiers to get closer...!
A massive demon kicked him like a football.
His body exploded on impact with the town wall.
Adventurer 1 (screams):
PUSH FORWARDDDD!!!
Incinerated by Yora's flames.
Mike (roars):
WARRIORS OF MYSLE EMPIRE —WE ARE DOOMED TO DIE!!BUT AT LEAST TAKE DOWN ONE DEMON —TO LESSEN THE BURDEN FOR THE OTHERS!!!RAAAAAAAAAHH!!
Humans (screaming):
RRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!
Mike and his party locked onto one of the 20 Captains of the 2nd Division —
A grey, lizard-like demon, 19 ft tall.
The demon raised its massive fist —
Slammed it down.
Tank blocked the blow — his feet sank into the ground up to the knees.
Meanwhile, Mike launched into the air.
Mike:
DIEEEEEE!!!
He slashed — tearing through the demon's left shoulder.
The demon, unfazed, uppercut him —
Mike flew several meters into the sky.From there, he could see the entire battlefield — a crimson sea of war.
From afar, Alfread spotted the flying Mike.
Mage Girl (yells):
STRIKE THE LIZARD DEMON WITH MAGIC!
A blast hit its eye — the demon staggered.Mike used his falling momentum to stab its back, dragging the blade down its spine.
Two damage dealers followed up —
Multiple cuts slashed across its chest.
Mage Girl:
LET'S FINISH THIS OFF!
She begins casting the final spell—
SMASHHHHHHH!!!
A massive hammer obliterated her body from the side.
Mike (screams):
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
A huge yellow demon appeared, wielding a massive warhammer.
Yellow Demon (grinning):
Did you think only you guys use teamwork?
Yellow: Captain Grey — we are here!
Tens of demons surrounded Mike's party.Tank was purged into the ground by several demons.The other two were split in half by a razor-type demon.
Mike (despairing):
I met my end...But that's fine...AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!
He lunged — stabbing at a demon—
But it was a Stone-Type —
His blade bounced off.CRACK!
A single punch — Mike's neck snapped.He was dead.
Kyra (watching):
We've become considerably strong —Yet these humans... their resistance is fierce as ever.
Alfread:
That's the spirit of humans.The second thing that brought them to the apex of the food chain.After intelligence.
Kyra:
Yes...Truly terrifying.Such weak creatures... and they managed to keep an existence like the Demon King sealed...For eons.
The human side was slaughtered one-sidedly.
A line of demons marched forward, crushing everything in their path.
Suddenly—
A barrage of attacks struck them.One-hit kills.
Above the walls of Hell's Gate...
An old man stood tall —White shirt, white cowboy hat, black mask, torn black cape fluttering in the wind.
Shotgun in hand.
Mercenary (gasping):
He's here...The legendary gunslinger...
THE LONE WOLF.
He jumped from the wall—A white horse broke through the ranks of human warriors below the gate.At the perfect moment, he landed on its back, dual pistols drawn, glowing with pure mana.
Riding through the battle-filled forest,he fired nonstop, each shot dropping a demon with surgical precision.
Kyra (coldly):
Pik — he's yours.
At that single command, Pik lunged forward —
A blur of blades, spinning through the crowd, cutting through humans and demons alike like a giant living buzzsaw.
CLANG — SPLASH!Lone Wolf leaned back, dodging the incoming blade by inches.
He fell off the horse, crashing hard.Lying on the ground, he aimed his pistols at the towering 15-foot demon — Pik, looming with raised, blade-like arms.
Pik slashed down, but just in time—
The white horse returned, biting Lone Wolf's collar, dragging him away in a flash.
But he was wounded —
The earlier fall had caused a spine injury.
Lone Wolf (muttering to himself):
Tch... even a small injury like this...Back in my prime, I fell off mountains, broke half my bones, and still fought to victory...
A hand rested on his shoulder.
George:
Rest here, senior.This war belongs to our generation.
He unsheathed his sword.
Behind him, seven more young men followed —
All of them prodigies from the Derian Viscounty.
George (roars):
CHAAAAARGE!!
His men:
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!
They slashed through demons one by one —Not just ambitious hotheads like Mike's crew —
These were trained warriors with talent and discipline.
Three of them, including George, reached the rampaging Pik.
Two of his men blocked Pik's blades, while George struck.
They darted beneath Pik's legs, denying the towering demon space to follow or retaliate.
Mercenary (yelling):
EVEN THE YOUNG LORD IS FIGHTING FOR THE EMPIRE!!DO NOT COVER — CHAAAAAARGE!!!
The warriors' spirits ignited once more.
They began suicide charges —Stabbing, slashing, gaining seconds, even if it cost their lives.
Even the demons began to falter, startled by the human ferocity.
Alfread (disgusted):
Tch. What a hassle... I don't like this.Kyra — just finish them.
Kyra:
Yes, Commander.Bolton — break the gate for me.
Bolton:
Leave it to me.
Bolton curled into a ball, spinning at blinding speed.
He launched himself toward the walls of Hell's Gate,CRASHED THROUGH IT, shattering part of the town beyond.
Alfread:
Let's test this… Mass Explosion.
Mass Explosion — a skill that lets one inject mana into an object.The object will explode on contact of foreign mana.
He lifted a tree trunk using pure mana.
Injected 5000 jils of energy into it.
Then hurled it —
Like a cruise missile —Straight toward the gate.
A warrior, unaware, stood too close, weapon charged with mana.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The impact lit the sky with a mana-charged inferno,shaking the battlefield, melting stone, ripping trees from the ground.
The line between demons and humans blurred in a swirl of ash, fire, blood…and the future of the Mysle Empire began to collapse.