The horizon burned with white fire.
It was not the crimson glow of necro-soil, nor the black smoke of burning villages. It was clean, sharp, blinding—like sunlight ripped down from heaven. The soldiers of the Silver Banner marched beneath it, their banners snapping in the cold wind. At the front rode men clad in white and silver, their armor inscribed with holy runes, their blades glowing faintly as if kissed by dawn itself.
They were the Purifiers—a special order within the Silver Banner. Where ordinary soldiers fought with steel and discipline, the Purifiers fought with faith and light. They were trained to cleanse corruption, to pierce shadows, to burn the unnatural until only ash remained.
And now, they marched for the Night Castle.
Inside the fortress, Lucas Nightveil stood on the battlements, his gaze locked on the approaching glow. His hand rested on the Relay, his eyes narrow, cold, calculating. He could already taste the power radiating from them. It was not ordinary mana. It was something designed to erase.
Beside him, Selena Draculea shifted restlessly. Her claws tapped against the stone, sparks flying. Her crimson eyes narrowed at the light in the distance. She hissed softly, lips curling in disdain.
"Holy fire," she said, voice dripping with venom. "It stinks of false purity. My King, they mean to burn me."
Lucas's mouth twisted into the ghost of a smile. "Then let them try."
The system chimed, harsh and urgent.
[Ding!]
[Warning: Purifier Detachment Detected.]
[Composition: 1,500 troops — 300 Purifier knights, 1,200 Silver Banner soldiers.]
[Special Traits: holy-type magic, corruption cleansing, aura suppression vs undead units.]
[Threat Rating: Extreme.]
Selena's claws dug into the battlement stone, carving lines into it as if it were soft clay. She laughed softly, elegant and terrible. "My King, may I have the knights? Their light will taste sweet when it breaks."
Lucas gave a single nod. "Take them. Leave their screams for the rest."
The Silver Banner army reached the necro-soil fields by dusk. The lilies opened as they approached, their throats dripping red nectar, their petals quivering as if eager to drink. The Purifiers raised their banners high, the lion of silver gleaming.
One of them—a knight in ornate white armor—lifted his blade. His voice carried across the valley.
"Monsters of shadow! Your night ends here! In the name of the Silver Banner, in the name of the true light, we cleanse this filth!"
The Purifiers roared in unison. Their blades ignited with white flame.
The air cracked.
The first volley of holy light fell from the sky like burning rain.
The necro-soil screamed. The lilies withered, their black petals curling and collapsing. Bone Dogs caught in the barrage burned alive, their howls cutting short as their bodies dissolved into ash. Ghouls stumbled, their skin peeling under the radiance, their claws snapping as they tried to shield themselves.
[Ding!]
[Unit Loss: Bone Dogs −12.]
[Unit Loss: Ghouls −31.]
[Warning: undead morale suffering suppression (−15%).]
Selena snarled, her lips peeling back to show her fangs. "They dare!"
She vanished from the battlements in a streak of crimson light.
The next instant, she appeared in the middle of the Purifier ranks. Her claws tore through the chest of one knight, splitting armor and flesh alike. Blood sprayed into the air, caught by her tongue as she laughed.
The holy fire lashed out at her, searing her gown, burning her pale skin. She shrieked—but not in pain. In ecstasy.
"Yes," she whispered, her claws flashing again, severing another knight's head. "Burn me more. Burn me while I break you."
Her speed was overwhelming. The Purifiers tried to rally, raising shields of light, chanting prayers. But she moved too fast. One moment she was at their flank, the next at their rear, carving lines of red across ranks of white.
[Ding!]
[Selena Draculea engaged — Crimson Frenzy.]
[Kill count: 23 Purifiers.]
[Effect: enemy morale −20%.]
On the battlements, Lucas watched with cold satisfaction. But he was not idle.
"Release the Sentinels," he commanded.
The gates opened. The Darkblood Sentinels marched out, their shields heavy, their crimson eyes glowing faintly. Behind them came ranks of Bone Dogs and Ghouls—those who had survived the holy barrage—driven forward by the lash of Lucas's will.
[Ding!]
[Command Skill: Unified Chain active.]
[Living feeders channel fear → undead ferocity enhanced.]
[Undead units immune to morale collapse while within Sovereign range.]
The undead charged into the Purifier's supporting infantry. Steel clashed with bone. Arrows hissed through the air. The Silver Banner soldiers fought bravely, but the soil itself betrayed them—roots of bone sprouted from the ground, wrapping around ankles, dragging men screaming into the dirt.
The valley became a cauldron of blood and light.
Selena tore through another line of Purifiers, her claws drenched in red, her face radiant with bloodlust. Yet even as she reveled, the holy fire grew stronger. One knight raised his blade high, chanting louder than the rest. A column of white light burst upward, then came crashing down toward her.
It struck.
Selena screamed as her body was engulfed, her gown burning, her skin cracking under the intensity. For a heartbeat, the Purifiers cheered.
But the scream turned into laughter.
She stepped out of the column, her skin glowing red, her wounds sealing as fast as they opened. Her eyes blazed like twin suns of blood.
"More," she whispered, licking the blood from her lips. "Give me more."
She vanished again, claws flashing, turning their cheers into screams.
[Ding!]
[Selena Draculea — Crimson Frenzy intensifying.]
[Restraint: failing.]
[Warning: Sovereign override required soon.]
Lucas's eyes narrowed. He could feel her slipping further into madness, her frenzy overtaking her elegance. He pressed his hand harder to the Relay, sending his will into the field.
"Selena," he said, his voice carrying into her mind. "Enough games. Break them."
Her laughter echoed in his skull, sharp and sweet. "As you command, My King."
The Purifiers began to falter. Their light wavered, their chants broke. Selena's frenzy tore through their ranks, leaving only shredded armor and broken faith. The Sentinels pressed harder, their shields battering down men who once believed themselves unbreakable.
The valley was a slaughterhouse.
But the holy fire was not finished.
From the rear of the Silver Banner army, a new figure stepped forward—a priest clad in robes of white, holding a staff tipped with a crystal that glowed like the sun itself. His voice rang out across the battlefield, stronger than the screams.
"In the name of the Silver Banner," he cried, "I summon the Purging Flame!"
The crystal blazed, sending a wave of fire across the valley. Undead screamed as their bodies disintegrated. Bone Dogs collapsed into dust. Even the Sentinels staggered, their shields cracking under the weight of the holy blaze.
[Ding!]
[Warning: Purging Flame active.
Undead losses accelerating.
Territory corruption burning.]
Selena staggered in the blaze, her body sizzling, her claws trembling. She laughed still, but her voice cracked, broken by the weight of light.
Lucas's eyes darkened. His hand clenched the Relay.
"Enough," he said coldly.
The ground beneath the Purifiers split open. Black chains shot upward, wrapping around legs, arms, throats. Screams rose as the earth swallowed soldiers whole. Blood sprayed into the air, raining down on Selena.
She raised her face to it, drinking the crimson rain with open mouth, laughing wildly.
The Purging Flame flickered.
And the night roared back.